🎧Magic in the Air-standalone

✍🏾By: Adriana Schub-new to me author

🗣️Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez voices all characters. The narrator's voice fit the characters with standouts from Olivia, Daniel, and Draven. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along with the E-book and audiobook.

📔Page Count: 253 e-book

🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️Run Time: 7:59

📅Publication Date: 9-17-24 | Read: 9-15-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Rising Action Publishing, and Dreamscape Media for this ARC and ALC 💜! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic, Multicultural Interests

🌎Setting: Addersfield, RI

Tropes:

🧙🏽‍♀️witches/magic
 🧙🏽‍♀️baker h/journalist H
 🧙🏽‍♀️single mother h
🧙🏽‍♀️Halloween/Fall vibes
 🧙🏽‍♀️small town romance 
 🧙🏽‍♀️disability rep-h has cerebral palsy
🧙🏽‍♀️reading mother's journals-H
🧙🏽‍♀️found family/family drama

⚠️TW: grief, death of parent-H, cancer mentioned, parental abandonment-H and h, h is foster child, explicit sex scenes

POV: dual, 3rd person

🤔Summary:  Olivia has a son she adores, a bakery business with her BFF yet no one to share it with. As a witch she casts a protection spell to make the town invisible so that you must know someone who lived there. Draven is able to find the town because his mother lived there as a witch herself. He is grieving her loss and wants to learn how she lost her magic, and why his father abandoned them.  Draven and Olivia are distrustful of each other when they first meet, but their walls come down and they fall in love.

♀️ Heroine: Olivia "Liv" Ayala-has disability, an orphan, owns Sugar Spells Bakery, and is a Latina witch with trust and self-esteem issues.

♂️Hero: Draven James (30)- journalist from New York, mother deceased 6 months ago who left a journal about being a witch, losing her magic, and his father Eric leaving. Draven is writing an expose on his family's history.

🎭Side cast:

 Jill-oldest friend, co owns the bakery with Liv

Daniel-Olivia's son,9 years old

Lucas-Draven's younger brother

Parker-Mexican American like Liv, owns the town inn, friends w/ Liv and Jill

Malcolm-Jill's husband

💭My Thoughts: I loved the small-town cozy vibe in RI. Even though Draven and Olivia distrust each other, the more time they spend together they grow closer. Olivia never made her disability an issue and Draven really wanted to understand it. Daniel was so sweet, and Olivia always protected him. The found family with Lucas, Jill, Parker, Rosa, and Malcolm brought Olivia and Draven closer and I hope we can get another book featuring Lucas and Parker.

Range of emotions:
🔥 Spice 4/5
🗣️ Narration 4/5
❤️ Emotion 4/5
🧑‍🤝‍🧑Couple 4/5
️️ ✨Rating 4 /5

Olivia runs a witchy bakery in a secret witchy town. Draven is new in town and has no idea that the town in a secret. There is an undeniable spark between them, but can it survive the secrets of the town and themselves?!

This one was full of drama, suspense, and a touch of spice. The audio narration was fantastic, well capturing the drama of this magical little place and all it's many characters.

Did not finish at 50%
Narration performance was great and not my reason for not finishing.


Story had major pacing issues and I felt like it went from strangers to "I can't live without you" instantly when they hadn't spent any time together.

The narrator was amazing and did the story and its characters justice. ❤️
The diversity representation was great and something l appreciate in my readings. The main character is a single mum who is a magical witch and a baker. Olivia and her friends are charged with preserving the magical foundations of the town and ensure no one or thing jeapoardises the safety of the time.
Then in walks Draven. 🔥The handsome new stranger. l loved how accepting and loving Draven is with Oliva and the town. As the story unfolded it became more predictable to guess but that is what makes it a fantastic read, it is relaxing and dependable.
l finished the book so quickly and cannot wait to hear the next book in the series. 😊💯

Olivia is a single mom and bakery owner. Who also happens to be a witch with cerebral palsy. Olivia is just minding her own business and in walks Draven. He’s charming, funny, attractive. He has her hooked and under his spell. (But omg I couldn’t stand him). Will there be magic in the air?

Thank you to Net Galley, Dreamscape Media, and Adrianna Schuh for the ARC! Pub date 9/17/24. This was an easy audiobook to listen to during spooky season!

There is definitely magic in the air in the town of Addersfield where Olivia and other witches are free to use their witchy powers in a safe location, away from prying eyes. On a quest to find out more about his family Draven James shows up in the quaint little town much to everyones surprise. Olivia is wary of the newcomer at first and what it could mean for the town's safety but before long Draven's charm starts to win her over. There are many secrets holding up this budding romance, will they be able to overcome the odds and stay together?
I liked the vibe of this book, it was cozy fall and witchy, perfect for a crispy autumn day. Olivia's character was nice but sometimes she seemed a little to back and forth in her opinions. I think that there were just so many secrets between the two main characters for too much of the book to really have them build a trusting relationship. This said I think how the problems were resolved helped me believe the story more it felt like they were a real couple. I always say that the side characters and support cast can make or break a story and the characters in this book definitely made the story for me. Just the camaraderie and love between Olivia and all the other members of the town was so nice and heartwarming. I also love when another couple is set up for a sequel, it makes me very happy and excited for more of the town and vibes of the book.
In my opinion the narrator of this audiobook wasn't my favorite but I tend to listen to a lot of english and irish audiobook readers so it was also just different to hear a book in an american accent. I think I would have enjoyed the story more with a different narrator.
All in all it was a good light read for fall and I enjoyed listening to it.

Draven James is a journalist from NYC who comes to Addersfield searching of answers about his mother from her journal he found. She has passed away but in there journals he found out magic is real and oh ya his mom used to be a witch. When he shows up the town is curious on who he is how did he find this hidden town and what does he want. Oliva doesn't trust him but as they keep getting pushed together more than feelings are discovered.

I wanted to love this story it started so good I was hooked and the town and the people loved them!! My main issue was with Draven. Once he starting making friends and getting close to the town he didn't really ask for answers just had this plot to take them all down and have justice for his mother losing her powers and he didn't know what happen.


Thanks you NetGalley for this audio-arc copy in exchange for an honest review

ARC audiobook. The book earned its 2 stars for the cozy Hallmark fall vibes of the setting and main character. It doesn’t get more than that because the spicy portions don’t mesh well with that. And what the hell is wrong with Draven? He’s ready to restart the witch trials or destroy magic because his dad’s power hungry and left them? And he’s still thinking of destroying magic even after he likes the people and is sexing up Olivia? And mad that no one told him they all knew he knew?

This started off strong for me, I loved the setting and the coziness and the magic. I loved the disability rep and the magical town. Unfortunately, it took a downturn rather quickly.

Olivia & Draven’s dalton ship flipped back and forth from various states just… entirely too fast. Before their first date they are “I’m suspicious of him” / “she’s a means to an end” and then the next thing we know it’s “I want to make this work” / “I love him so much.” Then, shortly after that, Draven is disclosing his secrets and expressing remorse but STILL going forward not to expose magic anymore but to literally take magic from everyone??? And then he changes his mind (yay I guess?) and Olivia and her friends are like “lol so glad we can laugh about this.”

I just think none of this developed very well, and honestly Draven’s actions were just wildly illogical and unforgivable, even if he never actually followed through. I liked the audiobook narrator, though, and the spicy scenes were kind of fun. Thank you to Dreamscape media and NetGalley for this audio arc!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Adriana Schuh for an ARC of this audiobook narrated by Stacy Gonzalez in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book with the excitement that is would be a cute, cozy, witchy rom-com, and while it started with cozy practical magic vibes, I was not expecting the pure smut that entered the chat about halfway through the book. While I love a smutty romance, I did not feel it was necessary for this particular book as it ended up making the story feel a bit disjointed and ended up taking away from some of the plot.

I loved the multicultural and disability representation in this book but wish these plot points were a bit more fleshed out and felt more integral to the storyline. Overall, this was a quick, cute read if you’re looking for a cozy read!

I appreciated the connection that Draven and Olivia forged amidst their sorrow and hidden truths. While the romance felt undercooked and the narrative lacked depth, particularly with the incessant comparisons in the first half, the spice seemed overdone given the thin storyline. Nevertheless, I found the ending to be great, and it brought me joy to see Draven and Olivia attain their well-deserved happy ending.

Read If You Like:
🧡 Disability Representation (Cerebral Palsy)
🧡 Witchy Romance
🧡 Small Town
🧡 Baker FMC
🧡 Latina Representation
🧡 Found Family
🧡 Magic
🧡 Single Mom

✨Magic in the Air comes out September 17th✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest feedback and review.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Adriana Schuh, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by Stacy Gonzalez. Stacey did a great job with this narration. I liked her use of accents to differentiate between characters. Stacey was able to convey quite a bit of emotion with her voice, which worked well for this story. I also thought the explicit scenes were handled well. Sometimes, those scenes can feel overdone or silly with narration.

This is a sexy, witchy love story right in time for fall. I would describe this as a cozy romance set in a magical, invisible town in picturesque Rhode Island. It has the feel of a cozy with the small town full of quirky characters and witches. Olivia is a single mom with a disability and a business. She runs the town bakery and has a stunning garden. Draven is a hard-hitting big city journalist who recently lost his mom. This has a touch of a Hallmark movie with the romance interest from a big city who has been too career focused to find love or start a family. I actually think this would be a delightful Hallmark Movie Network production.

There's a bit of unnecessary drama that feels like it doesn't quite fit the story. It feels forced and inauthentic. This has a bit of an instalove vibe, and I think the author added extra drama to have action in the story. Still, I liked this quite a bit and plan to read the sequel. I assume the first in a series, as by the end of this book, another cute couple is on the horizon.

Thank you to Adriana Schuh, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

What a sweet story! I enjoyed the interplay of all the supporting characters and see a possibility for a series! Showing the struggles of a disabled character was done in a way that generated empathy and propelled the story and development of character forward. It was heartfelt and sincere and a great story.

I love a disabled protagonist who gets things done. The smut was unexpected. I thought this was going to be all the way wholesome but no it is has the smut.
The narration was absolute perfection.

Are you in the mood for a cozy, spooky, romcom? Magic In The Air is just the book for you. It was a great fall read!

I really, really enjoyed this traditionally pubbed paranormal romance debut by a new to me author! Set in a magical small Rhode Island town that only those in the know can find, single mom Olivia is happily living life baking sweets for her fellow townsepeople. Things get shaken up though when Draven arrives - he has a secret connection to the town but has also been sent there from NYC to write an expose on the magical side of its residents.

This dual POV, steamy, next door neighbor, enemies to lovers romance had great disability rep (Olivia has cerebral palsy), emotional depth (Olivia grow up bouncing around foster homes and Draven lost his mom at a young age) plus plenty of SPICE!!! I actually wasn't quite expecting this one to be soo spicy but I was definitely here for it!

Great on audio narrated by Stacy Gonzalez. I loved that Olivia is Latine (her Mexican heritage is something she has only recently discovered) and that the Draven learns that he'd rather protect the town his mother came from than expose it to the world. Hot and full of heart, this was a fun read from start to finish and I definitely look forward to reading more by Adrianna Schuh in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This is perfect for fans of authors like Ann Aguirre or Erin Sterling or anyone who enjoys a feel-good small town cozy paranormal romance!

I wanted to like this one so much because I just absolutely love fall but this one missed the mark for me. It felt forced in a lot of places and the romantic scenes felt especially forced. There was a lot going on with also nothing going on, if that makes sense. It also seemed like the MMC was really just too much drama and I really didn’t love his character.

I was so excited for a witchy fall read but this one sadly fell flat for me.

This book takes place in a magical town protected by witches - one of which is our FMC Olivia - so that only those who know about magic or have magic can find it. Olivia (our FMC/witch) is a single mom with cerebral palsy who works in a bakery and mixes spells into her baked goods. When handsome and mysterious Draven comes into town, it sparks curiosity and wariness amongst the people in the town, especially Olivia. As Olivia and Draven get closer, Draven is finds it more difficult to carry out his true intentions, and Olivia struggles with letting her guard down.

What I loved:
- The setting was SO charming. I love the idea of a small magical town and found her baked goods with spells weaved into them so cute. I wish her job had played more of a role in the plot.
- The found family dynamic - I actually wish there was a bit more focus on this! They introduced their weekly big family dinners and then I feel like it was hardly part of the book.

What I didn't love:
- DRAVEN. I DIDN'T LIKE HIM. I found it hard to get past his motivations - and even to understand them in the first place! It really ruined his character for me, and I wasn't rooting for them.
- How fast she fell for him after spending so much time telling everyone she doesn't trust him. The switch up was QUICK and I wish more time was spent building up to their relationship.
- How much the FMC had going on. Don't get me wrong, I love some disability representation, but that on top of being an orphan, on top of being a single mom with no relationship with the father, it was a LOT and all of these things were mentioned repeatedly throughout the book.

Overall the set-up and premise had so much promise. I wish it had delivered more!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me the audio for this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the cover it drew me in, I wanted all the spooky feels in preparation for Halloween. I will say I enjoyed the main character Olivia who is a strong, independent single mom. Having a main character who has a disability was very endearing and an awesome surprise! Love the inclusion that happened in this story! I will say when we first meet Draven, he was a little to annoying for me. But it turned into a grumpy guy meets sunshine girl book and that is a favorite kind for me! Not going to lie the spicy parts took me by surprised! Wasn't expecting that spicy of parts but I enjoyed it. Thank you for being picked to review this audiobook!

2.75⭐, 3🌶️

I had high hopes for this book at the start, I love a secret witch world and the premise of a boy coming to town to seek revenge seemed like a great starter point...but the plot was quickly lost when our boy was a 'morally grey villain' to the secret witchy world and I struggled with enjoying the plot after we got Draven's first POV.

Like...was I supposed to like Draven? He was an odd character and felt like the author was trying to write him as both morally gray but also a sad broken cinnamon roll boy....fun fact for me? you cant do it. The character just seems too mixed up. AND this boy just needed therapy, NOT a relationship with a sweet single mom to solve his problems.

However, if we get Parker's book next, I mayyyy have to give it a chance. Like I said, I liked like 1/3 of this book because Olivia's character was so cute and a great momma. Her choice of love interests was questionable.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!