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.