I rather enjoyed this book as it was a cozy, magical creature, "forbidden" love, arranged marriage romance where the two MCs have hated each other for the majority of their lives.

The MCs have been pulling pranks on each other since they were children, and the FMC's latest prank gets her in trouble with the town's coven. The FMC is also the daughter of the High Priestess and next in line for the seat, but her rival's mother has something else to say about that when a poor review of their hotel comes in because of the prank. The FMC and MMC are then forced by the coven to choose either marriage and leading together, or a coven vote with the loser being forced from the town.

This book does move quickly with the romance as we find out that the MMC has been pining for the FMC for years, but believed he didn't deserve her because of his family's history. The MCs also have slight forced proximity with a magical mishap exchanging their elemental gifts and forcing them to work together.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It did read as though it was for a younger crowd even with the spicy aspects. I think the plot was solid, but would have liked more world building details and internal dialogue from the characters. I gave this book 3 stars for these reasons.

Thank you to netGalley and Kate Callaghan for the opportunity to read Potions and Proposals as an ARC.

"Potions and Proposals" by Kate Callaghan creates one of the most charming cozy worlds. The writing captivates with engaging storytelling, clever dialogue, and well-developed characters. While the beginning might be slow, persevering will reward you with a delightful array of magical elements. Set in a small town filled with witches, vampires, and werewolves, this book is an ideal choice for your next Halloween read

Potions and Proposals is the type of story you don't want it to end EVER!!! I rated it 4 stars because I couldn't put it down for a bit. Loved the characters and the plot of this book.

Even thought it took a few pages to get into this book I’m so glad I preserved because this books is amazing. I love the plot. The cozy vibes. Perfect for those chilly Halloween nights with a fire and a hot chocolate. The characters are well written and you can’t help but get overly attached. The magic the world is all amazing

I absolutely adored this book! Although it took a few chapters to fully draw me in, once it did, I was completely hooked. The atmosphere the author creates is enchanting, perfectly blending all the witchy elements into a captivating story. As a huge fan of Halloween, I found this novel to be the perfect companion for that season—it fully captures the magic and mystery of autumn. The characters are wonderfully crafted and immensely likable, adding even more depth to an already immersive experience. This is such a well-executed story, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy yet spellbinding read!

My second book by this author, and first that is in her comfort genre- fantasy. I am impressed. The book follows the enemies to lovers trope, but more than pure hatred, it's mostly harmless rivalry and pranks. The MCs had great chemistry and had me loving the book from page one. I loved seeing their bond evolve over time, as did their understanding of magic and their elements. The side characters are so much fun and the banter in this book is top notch. The magical elements in the story were just the perfect amount so that I wasn't very overwhelmed with the worldbuilding, yet perfectly engaged. I will be reading more books by this author in the future and recommend this book wholeheartedly.

ARC REVIEW 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Potions and Proposals comes out August 24th of this year. This was my very first arc review from @netgalley
this tells the story of Benedict and Lucinda two rival witches, whose families for centuries have played pranks on one another. Lucinda has been nominated for high priestess to rule over the coven later she finds out that Benedict has also been nominated to be the leader of the coven. They have to make a decision whether to try for a vote to see who will get leadership or they will have to do a binding ritual on all hallows Eve to bind themselves together to rule over the coven themselves since whoever loses, the vote would be stripped Of their powers completely. Very enemies to lovers, which I absolutely devoured not to mention the banter between them is really nice. the whole time I imagine Benedict as Benedict from Bridgerton lol so that made this cozy paranormal even better. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend for all cozy paranormal fans and it is the BEST spooky read for this season. Special thanks to the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to review this book.

You may enjoy this if you are into romantasy books with an arranged marriage trope, pranks, a fun feel and a rivals to lovers trope.

I enjoyed the setting, the way the story was laid out and the overall feel of the mood of the book, but I did find it was a bit slow on the get go and it took me a few chapters to feel like I was invested in what was going on with the characters. I love a good arranged marriage, rivals to lovers trope so I was happy to stick it out and see where it went and I was glad I did. The book was fun, had good energy and would be a lovely fall read for anyone looking for something light.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Nicole Callaghan for allowing me to have an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, I adored this book. Despite it taking me a few chapters to get fully immersed into the story, once I did I ate it up. I really enjoyed the overall vibes of the book and how well the author combined all the witchy vibes. Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and this would be an amazing book to read during that time to add to the feel. I would definitely recommend this book to others. The characters are so well written and likable as well. Such a well done book!

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.