I absolutely loved the romance and characters in this book and how they loved each other but antagonize each other and pranked each other but still faced everything together. This was such a sweet romance I read it in a day. I would definitely recommend it to others. The author captivated me from the first page of the story. I also liked that there were no major cliff hangers. It was so relaxing to read and true enjoyment.

Rivals forced into an arranged marriage, that was something I had a hard time with at first. However, as they story went on I found this book enchanting.
I have to disagree with the reviews about the pranks being too immature for the main characters' ages and stations. It's never a bad thing to have some mischievous fun at any age. Just look at Grumpy Old Men, Supernatural, or April Fool's pranks. I found that I actually enjoyed this aspect of the relationship of the characters. I also didn't mind that it took a decent portion of the book to resolve the element issue, it was a good plot element that helped the characters to further understand each other.
I loved the town setting, along with spooky season vibes. The characters were delightful; fun and loveable, with plenty of different types of creatures to keep things interesting. There were some points that didn't get tied up when the story ended, and I was glad to see that this is a series, so those loose ends make sense. A must read for those who enjoy witchy romances and spooky season vibes.
Thanks so much to Netgalley, IBPA, and the author Kate Callaghan for making this ARC available!

Wow, this book was so fun! This was whimsical, cozy, romantic, and everything you’d want in a book! I loved the story between Benedict and Lucinda, from childhood enemies who constantly prank each other, to being forced into a magical bonding?!

This has magic, witches, vampires, werewolves, a magical town, potion making, and so much more! Perfect to read in fall/Halloween!

Will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review. This is my honest opinion I am giving voluntarily. This book was perfect, I have no critiques whatsoever. The dialogue between characters was great, the writing style sucks you in, the life long enemies to lovers slow burn with banter was chefs kiss! If Gilmore girls meets hotel Transylvania intrigues you give this book a try.

I want to live in foxford this was such a cozy read and a perfect start to my cozy fall reads! Benedict and Lucy were so adorable while still giving fantastic enemies to lovers vibes. The banter and pranks throughout the book were perfect and the spice was great too. Definitely a yearly read for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Living in a small, sanctuary town filled with an assortment of magic folk and creatures openly with magless (non-magical), Lucinda has known since she was young that she would step into the role of High Priestess, like her mother, grandmother and line of strong witches before her. However, her last prank toward long-time rival, Benedict, gets a little out of hand. Choosing to accept the coven’s arranged marriage proposal with confidence, she knows Benedict will never go along with the scheme. Then, he accepts.
Her loving mother and grandmother, the strongest witches in the town, decide to help Lucy through a modified love potion, but things don’t go exactly to plan. When Benedict catches her in the woods, they begin a path that neither of them ever expected. And expectations run deep in their little town of Foxford.

This book was a light-hearted, fun read, perfect when you're wanting cozy, autumn, witchy feelings.

The setting starts in an adorably cozy, small town full of unique characters and little shops. I love the way they integrate the gothic, Victorian styles along with more colorful, comfy spaces, it's certainly 2 worlds becoming one.
The world-building was a ton of fun to read through, I enjoyed learning about the different types of magical creatures, from werewolves to grim reapers that exist in the universe. Holding these with a sanctuary town in the modern day allowed for whimsy, along with more modern jokes (i.e. trying to make a blood replacement drink for vampires!). There was also a lot of scattered lore, family history, and hierarchy that felt naturally at home within the story being shared.

I sincerely enjoyed the variety of dynamics peppered throughout the story, outside of our focus romance. You have a close and genuine bond between the Hawthorne women, even when they try to help too much. The more strict and severe Matherson family, who have high expectations but a fierce family loyalty.
The friendships are also distinct, a dear best friend you’d give your life to protect. A once-close friend going through trouble you can’t fix. A brother stuck between two worlds, paying for a grief-stricken lapse in judgment. Throughout the story we can see the message play out that things aren't always what they seem, if you look a little deeper and remove the biases we hold.

There were character threads I would have liked to see a conclusion on, or at least feel that the time invested in them was purposeful. It also felt like there should be some climax or “last battle” towards the end (or even just a setup for one in the next book) that felt flat.

Tropes- forced marriage, love triangle, childhood friends/rivals, rivals to lovers, found family, body switch (sort-of), love potion (gone wrong-ish)

Number of Times I Wanted to Throw the Book Across the Room: 3

Did the Book Pass the “One More Chapter” Test? 5/5

Number of Emotional Roller Coasters: 2

Perfect snack pairing: A cup of tea for Lucinda, and a slice of pumpkin pie for Benedict

Character I Would Most Like to Have a Drink With
Probably Rosie, we saw glimpses but I would love to have a drink with her and learn about the work she does!

Quote that perfectly sums up the main characters relationship:
“It only made Benedict want to corrupt her even more; making her act out made him feel like they were on the same level. And maybe then he would feel worthy of her.”

Level of spice: 2/5

Unique bits I love:
Integrating her period into the story.
A genuine view at how Domestic Violence affects lives
LGBT+ friendly

Okay, this story was long and drawn out. The two main characters are childhood nemeses, they carry this into their adulthood and then a little mayhem begins. There is just too much muck and I found myself trying to get through, instead of enjoying it. There are good places, all is not lost, but not the most interesting story.

“In the mystical town of Foxford, tenacious translator Lucinda Hawthorne is on the brink of assuming the prestigious role of High Priestess. However, fate has a mischievous twist in store for her: an unexpected coven gathering reveals that her lifelong nemesis, Benedict Matherson, is also nominated for the esteemed position.”

I was initially drawn to this book by the beautiful cover design, witchy vibes & the premise that I would enjoy Potions & Proposals because I was/am a fan of Gilmore Girls.

This was my first romantasy and unfortunately, I DNF at 43%. The story was too slow paced & I ended up getting bored. This is not a critique of the story itself, but moreso that it doesn’t align with my reading style.

While the trope may be viewed as enemies to lovers, I feel it fell short in that regard. Instead, this book would be best suited to fans of slow-burn, paranormal romance.

Overall, I feel the concept of this book was better than the execution.

Thank you to Netgalley & the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved how whimsical it was and how cozy. This is the perfect fall/ Halloween time read. It gives Halloweentown vibes. The connection that builds between Benedict and Lucy was so endearing to watch. This is a perfect palette cleanser, especially if you're coming off a book that is high fantasy. Give Kate Callaghan her roses because she did it with this one. Chef's kiss.

Okay you NEED to read this if you love romance, spice, witches, and Halloween in general. I adored the characters and while the spice could've been a little more spiced up, it was still a pretty cute read.

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

This is such a great read, it manages to be light and joyful whilst also a cut romance with witches and werewolves and vampires. This is a normal romance with opposites attracting each other and teasing and slowly having the scales fall from their eyes, or do they? There are potions and charms going on and maybe the romance is a hoax. This book is fun with spells going wrong, or worse,going right and a ut of tenderness too.

3.5 stars!

Potions and Proposals by Kate Callaghan is a cute fantasy that follows prankster rivals Lucinda (Lucy) and Benedict. These two have been pranking each other since they were kids & now they are being bound in an arranged marriage that will force them to work together to lead the town. Lucy's family has been in charge for years, and she assumed once her mom retired that she would be the one to take over.... but boy was she surprised.

Lucy's mom and gram create a potion that will hopefully attract Lucy to her true love before she ends up having to go through with the marriage to Benedict.... plot twist -- Benedict really is her true love after all.

This was fun and lighthearted - I highly recommend this to those who enjoy a witchy fantasy with a predictable not quite enemies to lovers romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC - this one was FUN & I'd love to read more from the author in the future!

Lucinda (Lucy) and Benedict are rival witches living in an adorable small town magical sanctuary town. Their rivalry started as children, and even decades later, they are playing pranks on each other and tormenting each other on a regular basis. When their silly pranks get out of hand and cause tourists to panic, it creates some bad press for the town. With Lucy's upcoming promotion to High Priestess of the local witches, her latest prank causes the coven to rethink her suitability, and give Lucy and Benedict an ultimatum. Bind themselves together, and WORK together as joint leaders - or someone has to leave to preserve the peace.

The beginning of the story and set up for the story were a little rough. I think some editing to clarify some of the actions (were the people turned into butterflies or the CUPS? - it was the cups; and how does one take a potion without anyone drinking/using it?), and to solidify who the characters were to each other earlier on would have helped a lot.
There also wasn't a lot of explanation about all of the supernatural races and there were quite a few character threads to the story that didn't tie up at all, or feel like they reached a good resolution. I'm sure some of them would be resolved in later books, but instead of investigating or asking questions when something odd happened...each of the characters just seemed to shrug, like, 'Oh, how weird'...and move on.

The rivalry between Lucy and Benedict was fun, but also a little sad. Lots of misunderstandings and childish ideas were at the heart or the issues they had with each other, but it did feel like a good way to do the "enemies" to lovers.
I really liked Benedict's character, but never really warmed up to Lucy. She was considered the "good" one, but was quick to judge and react- whereas Benedict was thoughtful and considerate of others despite his "dark" family history.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a light read, and while it felt a little rough at times, the assortment of small town characters was entertaining.

3.5 stars

This was a really cute witchy read! I loved the idea of the sanctuary town of Foxford where different supernatural creatures coexist with the “magless” aka people without magic. The romance was hate to love, forced marriage, he falls first with a slow burn.

Lucinda and Benedict were both great and I enjoyed how playful & well developed their relationship was. I thought the potions and magical elements were really fun and there were some great side characters as well.

I did expect a little more from the conflict and the spice left a lil something to be desired. Nevertheless this would be a fun Halloween read and I am interested in the other characters’ stories so I’m open to continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Title: Potions and Proposals
Author: Kate Callaghan
Pages: 440
Rating: 3/5*

Potions and Proposals is a Cosy, low drama Fantasy read about two rivals who are forced to be bound or face leaving town.

This was a gentle read. With my children being a handful this week the book was easy to pick up and put down without losing my place. I loved the playlist that was added at the beginning of the book. I thought this was such a lovely touch.
There was a hint of spice with some nice backstory build up for future series.

I can see Benedict being swooned at my many a reader with his broody, dark troubled past.

I look forward to seeing how the series unfolds in the next Foxwood installment!

*Note from me: I never want to dim people's shine. It's brave for the author to put themselves out there in the public eye. Books/stories are personal preferences. What might be my cup of tea may not be yours. And vice Versa! Keep on creating!

I really liked this book.

I loved the relationship between Benedict and Lucy. I loved the supporting characters, especially Grams Hawthorne.

I'm usually not the hugest fan of an arranged marriage trope, but this one made sense to me. I think because when it was presented to Benedict and Lucy, it made sense to them to some degree, so as the reader, I understood it better too.

I liked how the backstory of the characters unfurled slowly throughout the book, and each glimpse of the past gave better understanding of their actions in the present. It also helped build Foxford up in my head a bit more.

Overall, a very enjoyable read, and I can't wait for the next one!

Enemies to lovers, spice, cosy, Benedict - what more can I say! This book was fabulous, I loved the story, the characters and just the right amount of spice. Kate Callaghan is a fantastic writer and fast becoming one of my favourites.
I would highly recommend this book
I received a copy of Potions and Proposals from NetGalley

I'm so glad this independent publisher made this happen...this was the cutest (and deliciously spicy) potion I've had this year! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a sweet enemies to lovers arranged marriage trope! I loved the chemistry between the characters and the build up and set up for the next book to come next year. Was a quick read and definitely something to get you out of a book slumb if ever in one. I loved the banter between the Benedict and Lucinda but this was definitely a good read to have especially coming into the fall.