Potions and Proposals is the perfect romantic fantasy for the Samhain/Halloween season.
Lucy and Benedict’s story drew me in for a quick, one-day read that left me delightfully anticipating seeing more of the magical town of Foxford.
Their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story was filled with fun banter, intriguing story building, and just a sprinkling of short, but well-written, spice.
I look forward to reading more stories set in the Foxford town as they come out.

A cute, cosy and whimsical read, perfect for those chilly autumn evenings. There are witches, vampires, wolves, you name it, this book has it. It is magical and enjoyable.

Now it does start slow, but it picks up pretty quickly if you give it a chance. Once I got engrossed in the characters and the magic, I couldn’t put it down. There is good world building and great descriptions.

The 2 MC’s were an absolute delight. Going from rival to lovers, which is a trope I can get behind. They can be petty and childish, but they can also be headstrong and mature. Watching their relationship weave together was absolutely beautiful and it really did made the story.

The additional characters were also a nice touch to the story and they all just made sense to the MC’s and the story itself. I really did love the whole thing.

This is an arranged marriage paranormal romance, centered around All Hallow’s Eve. It was magical, sweet, and funny. I enjoyed my time with this book, yet something felt missing. Despite that I still highly recommend!

I was provided with a review copy of the ebook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 3.5 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.)

I will continue on with the series. I have also checked out some of the author’s previous works!

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Callaghan!

Gilmore girls meets Harry Potter in a small town paranormal romance !
I had a great time diving into the story, the magical setting is nice and the main characters were cute. I appreciated getting the point of view of Lucinda and Benedict to better understand them and how they view each other. Their “childhood frenemies to lovers” was quite heartwarming and entertaining to follow : the book has spicy content after a satisfying development.
I also liked how the author managed to portray the perks and downsides in being part of a small community (short commute to work but lots of gossip from nosy neighbors haha).
It’s a slow paced story and the romance is the main plot so don’t expect an incredible word building but the bases are there to write other stories involving secondary characters. It just so happens that a second book in the universe is to be released in 2025 ! Don’t go baking my heart will focus on a certain grim reaper that I was quite curious about.
In the end, the story is a bit corny but It’s the perfect book to have a relaxing time in Autumn if you have a sweet tooth.

Absolutely loved it!! This was such a fun read and I really enjoyed watching Benedict & Lucy grow together. The definition of what cozy fantasy should be!

This book is absolutely adorable. The rivals to lovers is perfectly written between Lucinda and Benedict. I love how even though the bicker so much, they’re still always there for one another. The story starts off with a little mayhem with Lucinda getting payback with a prank on Benedict in his manor transformed to be a hotel for guests. The little pranks cause a bit more damage than she expected which led to both being forced into an uncanny decision. They must be in an arranged marriage or one another must go in a vote against another to who should lead the coven. The back and forth is so good between the two, and how they slowly realize their love for one another. I enjoyed this book so much! Seeing Benedict’s vulnerability brought me to slight tears. Lucinda and Benedict are a perfect match!

Potions and Proposals is like a bag of potato chips - not too heavy, but oh-so enjoyable! It may not be a life-changing read, but it was definitely a fun and engaging experience that I couldn't put down. I'm a TOTAL sucker for a marriage of convenience plot, so this book was right up my alley.

It's a cozy and slightly spooky read with two main characters who are just so charming. I found this to almost be a Draco/Hermione in fan ficiton vibes, which I absolutely adored. While it's not a full enemies-to-lovers story, the transition from annoyance to love was still delightful.

I did feel like the book was a tad long, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment. Overall, it was a delightful and spicy read, and I'd give it a 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 for review purposes.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm so sad because I really wanted to love this book...

Potions and Proposals is a pranksters-rivals-to-lovers, set in the little town of Foxford, where werewolves, vampires and witches live in harmony, protected by the coven of the town. Benedict and Lucinda are from families that are ancient ennemies, but even if now their moms are best friends, they can't stop annoying each other. Until they're both nominated to be the next High Priest or Priestess, and the coven forces them to be bound. This sets up a few issues with their powers, and Benedict and Lucy needs to join forces to set things right. But with a whole town to handle, and politics with the outside world to consider, will that be possible?

The premise and the story really drew me in, but I'm afraid the writing style wasn't for me. The author kept going from one topic to another, without any link between them, and it lost me a few times. Even the dialogues were not natural at all, and I found myself skimming through the last pages because it was so LONG and there was no surprise at all.

I liked the pranks and ennemies part of the romance, but as soon as the main couple accepted that they had feelings for each other, it's like a switch went off, and they changed personalities completely.

I however really liked the small-town aspect, even if some scenes were sprung to us and added nothing to the story.

What I liked most about this book was the two main characters, who were a good match and cute in their shenanigans.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this an enemies-to-lovers story; it's more of a dislike-to-lovers dynamic where the characters prank each other. It would have been more believable if the characters were a bit younger, making their pranks seem more playful and less childish. However, having the arranged marriage and all the other elements added into the story made me forget about the petty pranks after a bit, so it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the story.

It did take me a few chapters to really get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. The world and system were perfectly crafted—not too overwhelming and simple enough to follow easily. I ended up enjoying it way more than I expected.

Lucinda and Benedict's relationship was an absolute delight. Watching them fall for each other and grow together was incredibly enjoyable. Their witty banter was spot-on, often making me laugh and adding a wonderful layer to the book's overall tension.

The side characters were also brilliantly crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how seamlessly they were woven into the storyline. Although there seemed to be a setup for a conflict somehow, it never really went anywhere, leaving things a bit unresolved. Maybe that’s something for the next book? I can’t wait to find out.

The author masterfully balanced witchy, vampire, and wolf vibes with elemental magic, potions and spells, humor, romance, and coziness. The blend of these elements made the story feel magical and enchanting while still being light and enjoyable. Overall, it's a spellbinding read that became really captivating after the initial chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a cute book, parts were predictable, but I liked the way the enemies to lovers was done. The pranks were fun & different. The way the characters actually cared for each other was nice to see too, rather than straight up enemies.

Would definitely read more by this author, the town and the whole setting was super cute for spooky season too 🧡

This book was so cute! It was like a small town, rivals to lovers, magic, witchy book.

So freaking amazing! So Lucy & Benedict have been rivals since they were little kids, always pulling some stunt on each other; flooding the others locker, melting bike tires, ect. But when it is time for the High Priestess to step down, the coven decides that they must bind and step in to take the role.

Seriously I have no notes for the author! If you are looking for a cute fall, witchy read then this is the books for you!

This was a nice read for spooky season.
I really enjoyed the romance in this and the magical town was adorable.
I do feel that it was a bit long and lost my attention at parts that just felt unnecessary.

A cat called chaos seems appropriate for the species!

I liked this enough that I’d pick up the next one for sure.

'Tis the season of spooky and witchy reads. I am on a journey to read more books with spooky, witch and magical reads and Potions and Proposals was next on my list. I adored the writing style of this book - the writing was simplistic but also very descriptive, without going overboard with the descriptions. And it was pretty charming too, if I say so myself. One thing I will say though, in the first couple of chapters, I felt as though we were being slammed with worldbuilding tidbits one after the other. It was becoming more of a tell-not-show, and while I don't mind that, in this instance, it got confusing and it took me a while to understand how this world and the magic system works.

But I will say, Lucinda and Benedict were charming in their own way and together they were hilarious; seriously, their banter was very funny. And their chemistry...well, let's just say, I was practically screaming at them to kiss already. The tension is just so amazingly done.

All in all, this was such a fun read and I am definitely going to be reading more of Kate Callaghan's books!

Such a good, fun and cozy book. Enjoyed the characters, plot and magic. This book has all my favorite tropes: rivals to lovers, small town romance, arranged marriage. Definitely a book to pick up for all the fall/ Halloween vibes.

a good Halloween novel for the fall season, very cozy. I was very fortunate be be given the opportunity to give feedback as an ARC reader.

Lucy and Benedict don't particularly get along, and they've spent their whole lives pranking each other. When Lucy's mother plans to step down as high priestess and leader of the town, the coven decides that Lucy and Ben will have to enter a binding and take over together. If they don't, there'll be a vote and whomever loses will have to leave town.

This is a cute witchy romance with autumn vibes. The plot and characters are fun, the writing is good, but there was just too much of it for me. You could cut 25% of the book without losing any of the plot, and it would make for a much smoother reading experience (at least for me). This is the only real criticism I have though: as long as you don't mind a few extra words, it is an excellent read for the spooky season :)

I read it almost one month ago and honestly, I did not like it. The cozy fantasy cottage core element was an afterthought, romance was the main focus. And the romance was not believable or at least was anti-climactic. They were enemies and then they were lovers. It wasn’t fun and the stakes were very low. Everything resolved very conveniently and without any drama and none of that are good.

A low 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ebook in exchange of my honest opinion.

A cozy, feel-good read thats perfect for fall. I really enjoyed this book and the interesting twist to the rivals-to-lovers trope. I was hooked from the beginning and cant wait to read the next book set it in this world

What I liked:
- the relationship had a fast slow burn, the pacing is rather fast for the time the book spans but we have hesitation and doubts every now and then
- family dynamics were lovely to read
- side characters, sometimes I dont care but I could smell from a mile away what the next book will be about and I am here for it cause I really want to know!!!
- magic system, while not super fleshed out for such a short book it was interesting and slightly different from usual

What I didnt like:
- the whole spell mix up was never REALLY explained, we got some hints here and there but in the end I found myself wondering what exactly went wrong, if anything at all?
- the dreams were nice but I have never had a dream where someone goes "this isnt real", makes easy for revealing that its a dream but I really did not like that
- we got some foreshadowing or similar for some characters or at least it read that way but no payoff, so maybe it will happen in future books?

I loved the title and cover of this book so decided to step away from my usual genre and give it a try. It is like a cosy hug at Halloween and just perfect for dark wintery nights when you want to visit the dark, but not too dark side! Romance, magic and a cute setting, what's not to love? I am currently enjoying the author's Christmas titles.

**Positions and Proposals by Kate Callaghan** is a cute, atmospheric read that’s perfect for spooky season, especially in October. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Independent Book Publishers Association for the ARC. While I liked this book, it didn’t fully hook me—there was nothing wrong with it, but it just didn’t draw me in the way I’d hoped. It might have been a case of right book, wrong time.

The main characters were adorable, and their romance was sweet. I especially enjoyed the witchy vibes and the variety of paranormal beings, including shapeshifters, sirens, vampires, and witches. It really had all the Halloween elements. I would definitely recommend this for anyone seeking a light, fun, witchy read with a dash of spice. It’ll make you chuckle while giving you all the paranormal feels.