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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
This book had such a sweet, funny, and cute first half! Morgan was such a loveable little dummy. And then the book flipped halfway through and she became a cruel idiot. Not only is this book filled with the miscommunication trope, but every time Morgan was about to reveal the truth and stop being an asshole, there was some small, stupid diversion. It became so hard to enjoy this book that had such a promising start.
This was disappointing. It started off cute and I really thought I was going to love it but then Morgan had to go and ruin it for me.
I really liked all the witchy goodness in the story. The NEWT Festival was a lot of fun. I also really liked Rory. She was a badass and knew when to push herself and when to set limits.
I did not enjoy Morgan's character. She seemed immature to me? I slightly understand her lack of self confidence caused by a toxic ex, but still...the fact that the only reason she could come up with that Rory would like her is because of a love potion? Yikes. I also hated that she didn't just tell Rory about the potion and instead try to counteract it by being mean. We would have had a lot more fun witchy times if she had just been open and honest.
I really liked all the witchy goodness in the story. The NEWT Festival was a lot of fun. I also really liked Rory. She was a badass and knew when to push herself and when to set limits.
I did not enjoy Morgan's character. She seemed immature to me? I slightly understand her lack of self confidence caused by a toxic ex, but still...the fact that the only reason she could come up with that Rory would like her is because of a love potion? Yikes. I also hated that she didn't just tell Rory about the potion and instead try to counteract it by being mean. We would have had a lot more fun witchy times if she had just been open and honest.
Good worldbuilding and a lot of potential but hingeing the whole thing on a lack of communication trope that is reasonably easily solved with an honest conversation weakens the whole thing.
I would like to see a different story set in this world because there's a lot of potential with the world set up by Martin here. However, in my opinion, these characters were interesting but did not have a lot of chemistry. Additionally, the point of view character's approach to the main problem detracts from the other interesting elements we could have explored and enjoyed instead, such as the magical contests, the relationship building with the normies, magical law enforcement, mentorship with younger witches, gender relations, etc. There's a lot I would have liked to explore but we just flit around and don't do deeper because we're diving back into the MC's juvenile approach to her romantic problems.
I would like to see a different story set in this world because there's a lot of potential with the world set up by Martin here. However, in my opinion, these characters were interesting but did not have a lot of chemistry. Additionally, the point of view character's approach to the main problem detracts from the other interesting elements we could have explored and enjoyed instead, such as the magical contests, the relationship building with the normies, magical law enforcement, mentorship with younger witches, gender relations, etc. There's a lot I would have liked to explore but we just flit around and don't do deeper because we're diving back into the MC's juvenile approach to her romantic problems.
I loved this!! Sapphic spookiness for the win. Morgan doesn’t believe Rory would really date her so she offers to fake date her… naturally. Rory is even more charming when she spends more time with her. Except Morgan might have made an epic potion error! Is it a little bit silly? Yes. But it was just the rom com magic I wanted. Perfect for Lana Harper fans!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Morgan is a self-confessed "Messy Witch." Working in her family business, crafting potions by day, and offering to fake date the woman of her dreams, the incredibly powerful Rory, by night.
As Morgan and Rory develop their ruse, a real chemistry seems to emerge, complicated by Morgan thinking she may have accidentally dosed Rory with a love potion, a forbidden magic...
It was a fun and intriguing story, not my usual fare, but I was drawn in by the idea of sapphic witches in New England. I liked this book, but I did feel it was maybe 100 pages too long, a little drawn out. I loved Rory and identified a little with Morgan and her issues with her self-confidence. Overall, it was a fun read, but nothing groundbreaking. Great for fans of the fake dating trope who want a little sapphic fantasy twist.
Morgan is a self-confessed "Messy Witch." Working in her family business, crafting potions by day, and offering to fake date the woman of her dreams, the incredibly powerful Rory, by night.
As Morgan and Rory develop their ruse, a real chemistry seems to emerge, complicated by Morgan thinking she may have accidentally dosed Rory with a love potion, a forbidden magic...
It was a fun and intriguing story, not my usual fare, but I was drawn in by the idea of sapphic witches in New England. I liked this book, but I did feel it was maybe 100 pages too long, a little drawn out. I loved Rory and identified a little with Morgan and her issues with her self-confidence. Overall, it was a fun read, but nothing groundbreaking. Great for fans of the fake dating trope who want a little sapphic fantasy twist.
The witches and the magic and lore surrounding the witches are all very cool. I enjoyed that a lot. I find the romance, however, lacking. That is to say that I don’t find it as interesting as the witches part.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love that this was a witchy, sapphic story in a beautiful town. I loved the magic and the language that is used throughout the storytelling. You can tell love went into the creation of the characters, their wants, relationships, and personalities. I loved the conversations around consent.
I do not love the miscommunication trope at all. I wasn’t expecting that to be the way this went. I finished the book because I wanted to see how it ended, but I almost DNF’d at multiple points in the book. The pacing was very, very slow, and most of the conflict could have been avoided with a simple conversation. It was infuriating because I wanted so badly just to see what happened next!
I do not love the miscommunication trope at all. I wasn’t expecting that to be the way this went. I finished the book because I wanted to see how it ended, but I almost DNF’d at multiple points in the book. The pacing was very, very slow, and most of the conflict could have been avoided with a simple conversation. It was infuriating because I wanted so badly just to see what happened next!
The miscommunication is what really did such a disservice to these characters and story, I was absolutely feeling the sapphics fake dating, THAT cover! I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but the level of this was mind boggling overdone. One small conversation could have fixed everything and yet we spent half the book on it...that and yes, I wanted some spice...overall I enjoyed the world and the characters for the most part.
In terms of tropes and what I usually enjoy, this book should have ticked all of my boxes. I love sapphic romcoms. I love witchy small town romances. I gave it until 35% before I made the call to DNF because the pacing was too slow and the characters didn't have any palpable chemistry. The love potion still hadn't affected the plot, and both MCs were just a bit boring and miserable. That sounds harsh, but I was just not having a good time. This might be right for someone else, but it's definitely not right for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.