Member Reviews
I. am. obsessed. with. these. two. Like so much. I have no words. I thought they were just meant to be, which they are. The magical element with them being lost in time when they are together. I squealed. I loved them so much I need time to recover.
It was great to see someone that usually feels the fixer, the one that has to be there for everyone asking for help. I thought it was a great read and I want to read it again.
I got an alc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a really adorable audio perfect fall.
Ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway has had the wackiest October ever. Her cooking powers are on the fritz, she failed to land a career-saving job, and she embarrassed herself at the town’s Halloween party. Just before midnight, she makes a desperate wish for a second chance to fix her life. The next morning Sirena wakes up and realizes that she’s repeating the entire pumpkin spice-flavored month. Even sweeter, she runs into Gus Dearworth, whose magic leaves her spellbound.
A former reality star, Gus moved to Freya Grove to rebuild his reputation and heal his broken heart, but his restless magic is tempting him to return to the spotlight. And his secret crush on Sirena is making him want to try something dangerous like fall in love again. When Sirena realizes he can help her fix her powers, Gus makes her a deal. If she’ll help decipher a mysterious cookbook in his collection, he'll help get her magical groove back.
Every encounter offers a new adventure—from tasting menus, harvest mazes, and a growing attraction that’s taking on an irresistible enchantment of its own. But as the month winds down and the wish grows stronger, Sirena and Gus have a decision to make. Will their second chance be their happy-ever-after ending or a bittersweet memory?
I had no idea this was part of a series and while you can still enjoy the story, i definitely was really confused at the beginning about sirena’s witch powers, her family and the town as the whole. However, like I said, it’s still a super sweet, time loop story that gives all the fall vibes. And our main characters? Chefs kiss. See what I did there?
Overall I do recommend but you might want to read the previous works first
This one didn’t hit for me. I think the book is completely fine and just didn’t pull me in. I’m a reader that needs banter, the snarkier the better, and tension. I missed both of those in this one. The attraction is very fast paced in this story. There is also a lot of FAST back and forth of ‘we need to slow down’ to pound town a handful of sentences later - this happened at least 3 times. Additionally, the audiobook didn’t support the book as well as it could have. I found the narrators to be emotionally flat. They were so emotionally neutral, the sentences “I flushed the toilet” and “I burn for you” would likely be narrated exactly the same way. A miss overall for me as it just didn’t fit my taste. I do think someone looking for a cute spicy read who would eyeball read this should still consider it if the blurb catches your attention.
Thank you to NetGalley, Celestine Martin, Hachette audio, and Forever publishing for ARC copies of this read.
4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Deja Brew on October 1, 2024.
I absolutely loved this witchy, cozy fantasy! Serina and Gus had impeccable chemistry from the get-go, and I loved Serina's quest to add a little more fun to her life and get her spark back. Their interactions for work and play built such a fun foundation for a relationship, and I love how this monthly do-over gave them time to connect. Plus, the spicy scenes had me flustered and giggling!
Celestine Martin did a phenomenal job weaving magic into this world too. It's rare to have a contemporary romance where magic is out in the open, so I really appreciated that change of pace! And, of course, the sisterly relationships were as sweet as ever.
This book is def the vibe this fall, so don't miss it!
FINALLY a curvy, melanin blessed witch as the fmc!!!! LOVEEEEEE reading black romance
Deja Brew is a modern day paranormal read and I am HERE for it! I really enjoyed this book and the real life references and historically black phrases scattered throughout the book made me giggle. Living in Australia, I don't really get to enjoy the spirit of Halloween but this brook brought aaall the Halloween goodness! This was the 3rd book in the series but I read as a standalone and everything still made sense. I loved the character arcs and the paranormal aspects kept it so interesting!
Sirena is a kitchen witch with a bad case of bad luck during the month of October and Gus is an ex reality tv star (think of Kardashians but a black magician family). Sirena makes a wish one fateful night and gets a do-over. Sirena and Gus strike a deal and by the end of the month they have a decision to make.
This book was super cozy and just felt like a warm hug (who needs Olaf?). Sirena & Gus 4eva <3
Thank you to Celestine Martin and Hachette Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
This story had the potential to be awesome, sadly it was mid. There was a lot of things that weren’t explained. I just wanted more.
A delightful fall witchy read. This series is so easy to read the vibes are so nice and full of cozy hallmark channel type love stories.
This one has Serena, a kitchen witch that has been having the worst time of it and all comes to a big head at a Halloween party where she ends up covered in fake ghost slime. To soother her heart she drinks some tea and makes a wish for a do over. In the morning October has begun again and she is determined to fix everything that went wrong the last time she lived October.
The romance was pretty cute but I was there for the magic! I love the family of witches and the different powers they have.
It was fun
Thanks to netgalley and hachette audio for an alc
Deja Brew is a solid read to get you in the fall spirits. The setting and timing is the perfect cozy way to get ready for a delightful time. Now I do want to emphasize this is COZY, so make sure you’re in the mindset for a really cozy slower paced read. One of the best things about this book for me was Martin’s descriptions. I loved her prose, and it really helped sell the vibes of the story. I also loved the kitchen witch aspect. One thing I was missing was a strong connection between Sirena and Gus. The relationship was nice, but I was missing the sizzling chemistry I was hoping for especially with some of the spicy scenes they had going on. I wanted more between them. It’s still an enjoyable read, but I may have read too many cozy books in a row. I read this via audiobook and loved that two different narrators were used to voice Sirena and Gus’s POVs. I felt that Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton did well with their respective narrations. Overall the vibes of the story are great especially if you’re a lover of the fall season.
Overall Rating: 3.5⭐️
*Deja Brew* is a charming, magical rom-com that offers a fun twist on second chances and enchantments. Sirena Caraway’s journey through a month-long time loop, filled with pumpkin spice vibes and spellbinding mishaps, is both entertaining and heartwarming. Her chemistry with Gus, a former reality star with a secret crush, adds plenty of swoon-worthy moments. The story’s magical elements and quirky adventures keep things light, though some plot points feel predictable. Marissa and Christopher Hampton’s narration brings the characters to life with warmth and humor. A delightful, feel-good read perfect for cozy autumn nights!
If you are looking for a quick read that’s a dual narration you should read this. The audiobook was good and the narrators did the story well.
This was a cute fall read and I want to read more by this author. I loved the paranormal and time loop/soulmate aspect that was written. The mmc doesn't practice his magic anymore and the fmc is struggling in her career and what she wants to accomplish. I loved that the fmc was a kitchen witch and used her magic to cook lol. The romance is very cozy and there are some steamy moments in it. Overall if you want a sweet/cozy romance perfect for the fall weather you should read this.
Read for:
- Slow burn
- Friends to lovers
- Black romance
- Fall vibes
- Paranormal romance
This book is a DNF for me.
It's a cute concept, and the narrators were great, but the writing style didn't jive with me. The tone was a little too cutesy/surface level, and it felt very play-by-play and tell-y (vs show-y) and it was starting to get under my skin. I liked the idea of magic in the everyday though, and it seems like a nice fun fall read for a certain audience.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I will not be posting any reviews outside of this space for this title.
Deja Brew by Celestine Martin is a cute and spicy romance full of fall vibes and supernatural creatures. This is the third book in the Elemental Love series and the first book I've read by the author. Thankfully this can be read as a standalone without feeling like anything is missing. There were plenty of things I liked about this and a few I didn't. One thing this rom-com didn't have was humor. I didn't really find any funny or laugh out loud moments I expect in a romantic comedy. The relationship also felt really fake. There wasn't enough genuine connection or deep emotion to make me really feel the love. But here is what I did love. This book is so cozy. The setting, people, and even the food just screamed fall. I loved the mouth watering descriptions of food. I adored the kitchen witchery. And the spice, and I'm not talking about pumpkin, was very well done. It felt natural and passionate without being unreasonable or exaggerated. The audiobook was really well done. Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton's voices really brought the characters to life. So overall I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun fall romance.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This book is fine. It was slow to start and didn’t grab my attention initially but gradually the story picks up. I think the story is cute and appropriately described as cozy. I didn’t necessarily feel connected to Sirena and Gus but I like the concept of them being fated to be together. It was a cute concept given their magical abilities. This will be great for people who like to read for the seasons for fall vibes. I also believe the narrators did a good job.