A review by looseleafellie
Brewed with Love by Shelly Page

5.0

Brewed with Love follows a teen witch, Sage, who is determined to save her family’s apothecary from being smothered by the competition. Annoyingly, she also has to deal with her new coworker, her first crush and former best friend Ximena. When someone breaks into the apothecary and steals some important potions, Sage and Ximena must investigate … and maybe fall for each other along the way!

This book blends cozy fantasy, an intriguing mystery, and a super cute romance into a warm magical delight! I am picky about romantasy, because I often find that the romance smothers the opportunity for good worldbuilding, but the genres in this book melt seamlessly into each other. I have a special soft spot for books about small businesses, so that was also a plus.

Sage was a realistically flawed main character that I couldn't help rooting for all the same. I loved seeing her work out her issues with Ximena as they both realized they're perfect for each other! I also loved getting to know the other residents of the small town of Blackclaw and trying to guess who stole Sage's potion. EVERYONE had a suspicious motive or something to hide, which made things all the more exciting!

While mostly focused on entertainment, the story also neatly folds in themes of protecting the environment, combating prejudice, and supporting small businesses. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a magical cozy story perfect for reading snuggled under a fluffy blanket during winter -- or any time!

Content warnings: Prejudice (toward a fantasy creature), mentions of chronic illness and parent death.

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