Member Reviews
A very sweet treat from author Shelly Page: a mystery and a story about love and redemption, about being, and loving, your true and whole self. Sprinkle in some magic and what's not to love?
Thank you for the opportunity to read an e-ARC for Brewed with Love. Ah, it was such a fun read that just made me feel warm and fuzzy.
This is definitely a cute and cozy read. I enjoyed the world building with the different types of magic the various witches in the coven practice. I liked how much thought went into brewing potions. And I liked the growth the main character had as she was forced to work with ex best friend.
The love interest has a big secret I was able to call early on, but I am so glad I was right. It was such a fun twist and I liked how it added depth to the story.
Overall if you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a big heaping side of paranormal romance, this book is perfect for you!
This sweetly romantic, mystery-tinged story charmed me from the start. Shelly Page has a way with words, and each sentence rooted me to every aspect of the story, from the characters, the world portrayed in the book, and the carefully built magic system within it. I loved the roll-out of information in regards to Sage's past and her relationship (and the cause of her terrible heartbreak) with her former bestie, Ximena. I was rooting for Sage to get to the bottom of the mystery *and* find a cure for her heartbreak the entire time, and was never disappointed with the clues leading up to the big reveal. This book is cozy, it is romantic, and it is everything I've ever wanted in a contemporary witchy fantasy. I will be shouting about this book for years to come.
This was just so cozy and the small town magic worldbuilding really worked here. I adored Sage and Ximena's relationship buildup and I thought it was going to be very predictable but it wasn't, it just the right amount of trope and sweetness to make for an incredible read.
4.5 stars
An adorable second chance Sapphic romance with cozy fantasy elements and a mystery alongside it.
Sage Bishop wants nothing more than to forget the reappearance of her ex-best friend and former crush Ximena Reyes, especially at the apothecary Sage's grandmother owns, so Sage works on a tonic to cure her heartache. When a break-in at the shop reveals someone has swiped the tonic attempt and used it on a student, wiping her memory, Sage and Ximena team up to investigate.
I loved a lot of the aspects of this book. The cozy town feel, the magical worldbuilding, and the sweet Sapphic romance between Sage and Ximena were absolutely fantastic. The mystery was interesting, if not a bit predictable, as was the revelation with Ximena, but it didn't detract from the enjoyment of reading. I think this is a perfect witchy read for teens! (Be warned, it looks like a fall read, but it takes place in spring.) I'm excited to read more from Shelly Page after this magical debut!
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
This book was extremely perfect for the season! It was funny, atmospheric and easy to get into. A quick read but one that will stick with me. Loved the adorable characters and the story was so fun!!
Before I begin, I would like to thank Shelly Page for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of her upcoming work, Brewed with Love, which will be available on Amazon on January 13th, 2025.
Seventeen-year-old Sage Bishop’s goal is to take over her family’s apothecary from her nana in the future. To make that happen, she’s devoted a lot of her time trying to develop a tonic that could attract more customers to Bishop Brews and give them more stability. Sage wants nothing to do with the latest hire- her ex best friend Ximena Reyes. When she takes a break during their shift at the apothecary, it gives someone the opportunity to break into the shop and steal the tonic Sage has been working on. Determined to figure out who the thief is, Sage starts investigating with Ximena to right wrongs and finds herself battling old feelings that she swore were gone. Can Sage and Ximena find the person responsible and get along with each other, perhaps better than Sage thought?
I absolutely loved this book. You have Sage, a creative, protective, and talented plant witch that loves her family and community. You have Ximena, a charismatic, lovely young girl that distanced herself from Sage years ago and severed their friendship. Mercer and Nana were iconic, and I loved seeing how magic was being formed throughout the book, especially how it could be tied to surroundings and intentions. The complex feelings that Sage was struggling to reconcile with, especially in regard to Ximena, were definitely relatable and I cheered for both of them throughout the story to heal their wounds and potentially renew their friendship, if not deepen it into something more. There were a lot of twists and turns that were wonderfully woven in, and every part was an absolute delight. Overall, if you like magic, witches, tonics, mysteries, complex characters, fantastic worldbuilding, and sweet ex-friends-to-lovers small town romance with low amounts of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s a link for more information: Amazon.com: Brewed with Love eBook : Page, Shelly: Kindle Store
I was in love with this book from the very first page and have been thinking about it constantly since finishing it. I never knew a cosy mystery romance with werewolves and witches and potions and more was what I needed in my life but this was FANTASTIC.
The romance was utterly delectable, the characters were immediately loveable and flawed but remained compelling throughout. If you want the vibes of 'This Poison Heart' in regards to the plant magic and apothecaries but want more cosy, more romance and just all around good vibes then this book is one you'll adore.
The mystery itself was simple but was fun, easy to follow along and worked well alongside other background plots and adventures. I'm so sad this'll likely stay a standalone because I'm so in love with this world and small town and wish I could explore every rival apothecary and every small family owned shop on its rows. This story is just so good, so wonderful and one I'm very eager to own physically in my hands so I can reread it over and over again.
This book is a cozy, witchy, sapphic romantasy and a YA romp with a fun mystery plot. In Brewed with Love, the main character Sage Bishop is a plant witch who wants to run her family's old apothecary, and who is up against their biggest competitor who keeps drawing away customers. To help, Sage's nana hires Ximena Reyes, who happens to be Sage's ex-best friend and first crush. At first, Sage tries to ignore her feelings, but things get complicated when during one of their shifts together, someone breaks into the apothecary and steals many tonics - including one Sage had been laboring over. Sage and Ximena begin to investigate together. And more than just the mystery is uncovered!
The book was well-written, and the style was fun and fast-paced, and the romance was very enjoyable in this book. This is a great read for queer and sapphic teens wanting a perfect fall read! Or anyone else who enjoys YA, paranormal, and sapphic romance stories.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Shelly Page for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Brewed with Love is the type of book you can confidently recommend to all of your pals and then gasp if they say they didn't like it, because what's not to like?
We have witches (lesbian witches!), romance, a cozy town with a setting that's easy to fall into and a mystery that kept me on my toes until the very end.
As individuals, I loved Sage and Ximena. Sage is headstrong and rooted in her beliefs and while Ximena carries similar traits, her wanderlust adds such a great layer to her personality. As a firm believer that everyone should move out of their home town for at least a little, Sage showed me that it's okay to love where you're from. The lingering chemistry and romance between the two made the romance aspect of the book so fun, and the mystery was truly well...mysterious till the end (in my humble opinion!!)
In all, I absolutely loved this book!
Super cute and cozy vibes. Love the witchy world. Characters were loveable. A little hard to keep track of all the characters and things got resolved a little too easily. Overall pleasant experience and would recommend.
I was all in on Sage and Ximena's reunion via mystery plot. Throwing in werewolves was just icing on the cake. Shelly Page should be proud with this YA supernatural tale full of redemption and growth. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Thank you to Random House Children's | Joy Revolution and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review of the book.
Sage Bishop, is a plant witch. She is also determined to run her family’s apothecary one day. She spends her time trying to invent the perfect tonic to cure heartbreak. She's convinced that will put Bishop Brews on the map and get their biggest rivals off their back as well!
Ximena has always dreamed of leaving their small town behind, but in the meantime she gets hired on at Bishop Brews! And during one of their first shifts together, someone breaks into Bishop Brews, stealing several tonics, including the one Sage has been working tirelessly on, the same one that wipes a councilmember’s kid’s memory.
To avoid being shut down by the sheriff, Sage decides to figure out who stole their tonics. If so much wasn’t at stake, she’d do it alone, but with everything on the line, she needs Ximena's help. As Sage begins to fall for Ximena (again), she’ll have to decide if the comfort of the familiar is worth missing out on a chance at real happiness.
"Brewed With Love" was an entertaining YA romantasy read! The vibes were super cozy, and the characters were amiable. The mystery aspect was a good pairing with the cozy atmosphere and the romance. I do wish there had been a little more depth to some of the characters, especially the side characters, but it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the book. Sometimes I do need to remind myself that I am WELL outside of the target age for YA novels, so what seems underdeveloped to me may be perfect for the target reading age!!
This is a novel that I can fully recommend to YA readers who enjoy romance, fantasy, magic, and mystery!
Overall, Brewed with Love serves up the exact tonic it hoped to produce. If you're looking for a fun, comforting, sapphic read, I would highly recommend. Thank you so much to Page and her team for the ARC - I am so grateful and loved it!
I have a really good feeling that this book is going to get huge and for great reason! Truly one of the best books I've read this year.
I really enjoyed the character development in this book, and I think that a teen audience will really be engaged by this plot as well!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC!
SOOO CUTE!! This is so perfect for this time of year, it’s just so cute and cozy AND actually well written (not always an easy combination to find) — It reminds me of TJ klune’s books. It also combines so many genres - action, mystery, romance, coming of age, etc in a way that’s interesting. I liked the books pace too- very fast paced, nothing dragged on for too long or was too short. Overall, highly recommend!
4.5/5 Stars
This was an adorable love story about two friends reconnecting and coming together to solve a mystery and rebuild the love that they once shared. This story was a cozy warm hug that kept you rooting for our main characters to notice they both felt the same way about one another.
Sage and Ximena are slammed back together after four years apart when Ximena is hired to help at Bishop Brews, Sage's family apothecary. Ximena and Sage used to be inseparable, and almost in love before Ximena suddenly ghosted Sage. She's back and now Sage is faced with how heartbroken she actually is over Ximena leaving. Shelly Page does an amazing job developing these characters and showing how you can come together to protect those that you love.
This book was such a fun read! If you love stories with sapphic witches, magic, and love you should read this! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Also, I wanted to add that this cover is adorable. 10/10 so cute!!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Shelly Page, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.
4.5 stars
This was such a good YA witchy second chance romance. It was atmospheric with the details of the shop and nature. Sage is having a hard time dealing with heartbreak and the threat of possibly losing her grandmother's shop. She is determined to find out who is threatening them. If you enjoyed the Ex Hex or Wild is the Witch then you will enjoy this book! I highly recommend it!
✨Second chance romance
✨Lesbians
✨Black & queer-owned businesses
✨Witches and wolves