Sapphic romance about women in their 30s with witchy will vibes? Yes, this book has it all. And it all comes together in such a beautiful way. I was totally rooting for the couple from page one and loved watching their story unfold. This was such a fun read. I would definitely recommend!! 💘

A super fun enemies to lovers sapphic story. There were moments that I struggled to get behind the characters, but mostly I was excited to see them fall for each other. A fun fall witchy read.

I LOVE an enemies to lovers plot, I also love supernatural books so this was great :)

I didn’t read the first one as I didn’t know about it so some of the things I say could have happened in the first but I’d of loved more background on her parents, like what exact were they doing, were they helping people and others didn’t like it or were they actually causing harm, it wasn’t clear to me. I also would of liked background to why the wilks disliked Daisy so much especially the mum, I didn’t understand why she hated her so much.

The ending was perfection, I can’t stand when a book ends and I’m left wondering what happens so I love that it wrapped it all up.

Love the representation in this book!
Women in their 30's - YES!
Women establishing their independence - YES!
Women bringing a community together - YES!
Daisy and Sloan are both working to distance themselves from their families - for vastly different reasons. Having learned to do it themselves, they must learn to depend on each other for a successful event, meeting their community's high standards.
A delightful Sapphic romance with found family, trust, trauma and moving on - with a little cheesiness here and there.

This was a cozy, witchy tale with an enchanting enemies-to-lovers arc and a touch of childhood bully redemption. I loved watching Daisy go on her own journey of self-worth, learning to trust not only those around her but also herself, despite her traumatic past and the grief tied to her parents’ actions. Sloan’s growth was equally powerful, as she found her voice and broke free from the weight of her family’s reputation. It was so satisfying to see her take accountability for her past while forging a better present and future.

Pushing Daisy by Isla Winter is a beautifully crafted novel that explores themes of love, loss, and personal growth. With its evocative prose and relatable characters, Winter captures the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of moving forward after heartbreak. The narrative is both poignant and uplifting, offering moments of humor and introspection that resonate deeply. This heartfelt story is a must-read for anyone seeking a touching exploration of resilience and the transformative power of love.

Los padres de Daisy, cuando tenía 11 años, fueron desterrados por vender posiciones a humanos. Su castigo consistió en no acercarse a menos de 5,000 km de Leeside, lo que obligó a Daisy a vivir en un hogar de acogida. Allí, la comunidad no la trató bien, convirtiéndola en una paria social.

Veinte años después, Daisy se reencuentra con sus padres, quienes, no han cambiado y buscan aprovecharse de ella. Como castigo por sus acciones, se les borrará la memoria. Daisy, que no se encuentra en el mejor estado de ánimo con todo ll que esta pasando, también recibe la noticia de que deberá trabajar con Sloane, quien le hizo bullying en la escuela.

El consejo, en un intento de reparar el daño a Daisy, la nombra coordinadora de eventos. Su misión es diseñar un evento comunitario que fomente un renovado sentido de pertenencia entre aquellos que han sido marginados. Ella deberá crear un espacio donde otros miembros de la comunidad puedan reunirse, relacionarse y establecer conexiones.

Sloane, proveniente de una familia privilegiada. Era parte del grupo que atacaba a Daisy. Aunque al final se reveló que no participó directamente, pero no intentó detenerlas y guardo silencio.

En cuanto al romance, me pareció poco convincente, ya que surge de la nada; los personajes pasan de un odio mutuo a un interés amoroso sin una transición clara.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review poses a challenge, doesn’t it?

On one hand, acknowledging the effort authors invest in their narratives is crucial. Yet, the struggle to articulate a fair critique remains. I received this ARC, just like countless others, eager to dive into the tale. However, I found myself grappling with the writing style.

Take, for instance, a line from the start:

"Now, thanks to Petra and Lachlan— Petra’s husband, the demon representative on the council, and Daisy’s boss and friend— she finally gets to see her family again."

This sentence, while ambitious, feels tangled. The attempt at a flowery prose style seems to create distance rather than connection.

PLOT VS. STYLE
Now, let’s discuss the plot.

The enemies-to-lovers trope, a classic favorite, holds potential. Yet, it requires a reader’s commitment to truly engage. The story, filled with entertaining moments, offers glimpses of excitement. However, the writing style detracts from the overall experience.

In conclusion, while the premise intrigues, I wouldn't recommend this as a reread. Sometimes, even the most imaginative plots falter under the weight of their execution. It’s a reminder that flow and coherence often play pivotal roles in storytelling.

The second book in the Leeside Witches series, Pushing Daisy focuses on Daisy and Sloan. Daisy's parents trashed their family reputation, leaving Daisy to be raised in a foster home and as a bit of a social pariah. Sloan was one of Daisy's tormenters in school... but was she really? They get put together to work on a big social gathering following the events in book 1 of the series, With This Witch. Daisy has the lived experience of being ostracized from the community and Sloan has the name and connections to get things done. I was really looking forward to this after the first book, but the insta-love threw me. I needed a bit more build-up I think before the intimacy was introduced. I liked the characters, but the story left me wanting a bit. If you're looking for an LGBTQIA+ story about witches, check it out... however, if that isn't totally your vibe there may be better books out there for you.

Thank you to Wordy Whims Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Thank you NetGalley, Isla Winter, and the publisher for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pushing Daisy was a real treat! I really enjoyed getting to know both Daisy and Sloan and see their dislike for one another (or more so Daisy's dislike of Sloan) turn into an understanding, and eventually something more. The enemies to lovers trope played out wonderfully in this book, and was not too slow or too rushed. I also love a good one bed, forced proximity trope and Isla Winter did it SO well! I hadn't read the first book in the series, but reading this one has made me more interested in Petra and Lachlan's backstory as well, so I'll be checking that one out asap :)

Overall, a really fun and easy read!

This book, while not without some entertaining moments, is a bit all over the place. Also there's a few things I didn't understand such as why an event for outcast people meeting for the first time would require couples massage classes. And the bigger one, why Sloane is attracted to Daisy in the first place. Daisy treats her badly from the beginning asking to switch partners, ghosting her, yelling at her, and demanding she leave. Yes, Sloane did some bad things to Daisy in the past, but with the way Daisy is acting now, I just don't see how Sloane could feel any kind of attraction to her. All of a sudden after one awkward dinner filled with mostly silence, Sloane is feeling like Daisy could be "someone special" and starts being attracted to her. It just didn't make sense to me. There's many moments where it seems like they're making progress only for Daisy to decide otherwise and revert to hating Sloane out of nowhere. This makes sense somewhat for her character having trust issues, but it made the book frustrating to read at times. It wasn't all bad, however, there were a couple of cute scenes and good chemistry between them when they aren't fighting, or I should say when Daisy isn't starting something or pushing Sloane away. Overall, 3.2/5 stars.

While this book is the second in a connecting world of characters, it stand well on it's own and I did not miss anything by not having read 'With This Witch' first, though maybe there would be some Easter eggs if I had. I highly enjoyed this story and finished the majority of it in one day. It's like the author took a handful of my favorite tropes and then said "let's make it witchy and sapphic" which just enhanced the experience for me. I grew to love the perfectly imperfect Daisy and Sloan as their walls broke down and the tension between the characters swelled and resolved several times over. I add brownie points and extra appreciation to the author for the content warnings in the first pages and making consent and safe sex practices sexy.

First, I'm a sucker for a good Enemies to Lovers trope, and this book covers that. The story revolves around two witches, Daisy an outcast shunned by the town due to the prior actions of her parents and Sloan who is well known and highly popular in their town, mostly because of her family name. Daisy gets the chance of a lifetime to organize an event for other shunned individuals in their community. The only catch, she has to work side by side with Sloan as her partner. Sloan needs this event to prove she's more than just her last name, but she has to figure out how to break through Daisy's walls to get her to work with her to make the event a success. All in all the story was captivating, I did feel at times both characters seemed a little immature, especially since both were in their 30s. But it kept my attention for the long run and I wanted to see how Daisy and Sloan's story ended. As a side note, this is a sequel, but it definitely can be read as a stand alone. I did not read book one and didn't feel like I was missing any information to understand this story.

This is a cute story with witches, demons, etc. - but it is more that this is just their world and this isn’t an Autumn/Fall/Halloween-inspired witchy novel, despite its October release date.

This was a sweet story full of miscommunication, forced proximity, and personal / emotional growth. Daisy and Sloan are both relatable and, in the end, likable. Though it has drama and emotion, I would classify this novel as sweet rather than angsty.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and despite it being the second book in a series, I feel it can definitely be read as a stand alone.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.