Deadly Sweet surprised me with how much I really enjoyed it and how much I just wanted to keep reading.

Anise is a baker through and through and that was quite interesting to read about. I didn't know it would be possible to talk about baking so much no matter the topic, seriously in at least every other sentence there is some reference to baking. And more so surprised me that I wasn't annoyed by that in the slightest. I loved it actually. It made the book so cozy and wonderful. It is certainly the strong point of this book.

Now, the plot wasn't anything new, it was quite predictable and I knew fairly quickly who the villain was, nevertheless I enjoyed her journey. Again, it's not the plot that keeps you reading, it's the feeling you get while reading, the atmosphere.

The world of the witches is quite interesting and I'm actually really curious to learn more about it in the next book. We didn't get to see that much of the magic in this one. I'd love to know more about Blair's magic and about Anise's mother as well.
I loved that all the woman were so supportive of Anise and really tried to genuinely help her.

Now there were some dramatic, higher action, higher stakes scenes, but I didn't found them to be really dramatic. That might sound negative. But it is not. At least not for me. That wasn't what this book was about in my opinion. This is more in the cozy mystery style with magic mixed in.

Deadly Sweet is the perfect book if you don't have much time, or not the mind to read a long and heavy book. This is fun, cute and original. But be prepared to be hungry after reading this!

I liked this book but I didn’t love it as I had hoped. The concept is really good but I wish there had been more focus on the magic aspect and a little less on the sweets.

Anise is a young kitchen witch with a magical affinity for baking. She has a lot of raw talent but due to societal prejudices she can’t get into any pastry schools in order to hone her craft.

After a magical mishap that could have devastating consequences, Anise goes to live with her great-aunt Agatha who happens to be a gifted baker and maybe more importantly, a powerful member of the “Syndicate”. Once she arrives, Anise thinks her dreams have come true. Unfortunately, bad things start happening to her and she learns there is something more sinister at work than a magical bakery.

As I mentioned, there is a heavy focus on baked goods. Anise is OBSESSED and it’s not a bad thing, I just wish there was a little less about the goodies and more about the “Syndicate”. Particularly, the very powerful witches who make up its membership.

As this is the first book in a series, I think this will be developed more in the next book and I look forward to that. I really enjoy Lola’s books, so I do hope the series gets better with every new installment.

Overall, it was a good book and I hope the storyline continues to develop and become a little more “deadly” than “sweet”.

Rating… C+ (3.5 Stars)
*Thanks to Ink Monster, Lola Dodge, and Netgalley for my copy of “Deadly Sweet” in exchange for my honest review

Warning, reading this book will make you crave baked goods. Every baked good. Pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, nothing is safe!! Your diet will hate you!

You will probably like this book though!

Anise is a young witch, in a world where magic openly exists, but isn't always accepted. Her mom, also a witch--though she doesn't practice--tries to let her have a life, moving her from place to place as they get cast out again for accidental magic use. While out with friends one night, she uses her magic all wrong, and she's afraid she's going to have to move again, or worse, go to jail.

Luckily, her famous aunt saves the day, and brings her to the town of Taos, to work for her in a learning bakery, while sending her to baking school! Her dreams all come true!!

Life would be so easy if that was all of it though. Anise has to deal with the bitterness left behind between her mother and the locals, a weird so-called bodyguard who is more of a creep than a help, and also the girl that she replaced as assistant, well, she went missing so...

All in all, Deadly Sweet is a fun magical mystery, and you'll never guess who is doing what for what reason. So many twists and turns, I kept thinking I knew what was going on, and then another twist! Loved it.

Will be looking forward to the next book in the series, due out in November of this year!

This book had so many candy references it almost gave me a toothache - or maybe that was from me devouring too many cookies while reading this so I didn't feel left out... 
 
Okay so I need to get this out of the way - even though the main characters are supposed to be around 17-18 years old I felt like this book belongs under the juvenile fiction category because of the way it was written. It was a bit predictable and really PG, also a quick, fun read.

Our main character Anise Wise is a witch. A very misunderstood witch, atleast to mortals. She loves baking and has a talent for it but can't seem to get far with her tertiary education in order to pursue her dream of opening her own bakery. When Anise runs into trouble after failing to control her growing powers, estranged Great-Aunt Agatha steps in with a chance to apprentice at her bakery. Little does Anise know that the road ahead isn't as easy as it seems to be. 

I liked Anise, she was constantly working hard to prove herself, she was resilient, and she was kind. I liked watching her make friends after being alone - with the exception of her mom - for so long. I liked watching her hone her baking skills. I liked watching her bicker with her bodyguard, Wynn. But, I didn't love her. Maybe it was because I found her actions predictable, but I just couldn't seem to care that much about her? 
 
I really liked Great-Aunt Agatha though. She was pretty badass, like that really cool grandma you've always wanted, except with some powerful magic. And even though she mostly came off as strict, she was a patient mentor to Anise.

The supporting characters were entertaining too. I loved how Anise's mom's friends stuck together through everything, and how Anise's growing relationships with their daughters seem like they'll have a similar outcome. Wynn and his constant rudeness and protectiveness over Anise was amusing. The only character who was semi-important but I didn't care about was Seth. I just found his story too cliche, and once again way too predictable so I couldn't bring myself to care about him. 

Finally we have the candy references. I loved it. There's so many dessert related puns, insults, compliments, and even descriptions of the baking processes. I. Loved. It. I'd give an entire star just for this to be honest. 

My Overall Opinion : I wasn't too impressed by this book but did find it entertaining. Deadly Sweet is a quick, fun read for those who like baking, witches, with a tad of teenage drama.

*** Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! ***

This was a super cute book that reminds me of sitting down to watch an episode of the Great British Bake Off. You can shut off your brain and enjoy what's before you without having to worry. I honestly didn't want too much to go on in the way of villainy. I just wanted to BE there. I'd even enjoy this as a slice of life series. Again, it was sweet. Forget stakes. Give me popcorn fiction with baking magic!

3.5 stars.

Well, this sounded like fun. Baking and witchcraft – what’s not to like? And, for the most part, it is fun. Anise is a decent enough heroine with some excellent baking skills, but a severe lack of knowledge about the magical world, giving her an excellent excuse to ask the sort of questions we readers need to know, and there is much baking and many treats.

There’s also a highly successful and not at all cuddly great aunt, new friends to be made, a really grumpy bodyguard, not to mention potential enemies to deal with. And magic. Lots of lovely, witchcraft magic. Which also means lots of women in positions of power, which is always great to read about.

However, I do feel like there were a lot more questions Anise should have been asking of her new friends. She’s never lived in the magical world before, and they’ve always been there, so I feel like there should have been more curiosity and questions going both ways, because they’ve lived such different lives. Plus, why isn’t she asking more about what happened with her mother? There is so much there to find out and her new friends probably know at least some of it. But nothing. I also found the romance a bit tedious. A whisk tattoo? Really? Plus the villain was kind of obvious, at least to me, and I found it disappointing that no one else put any of the pieces together. I also really, really hate people who get annoyed with you for doing things wrong, but never tell you what you’re actually doing wrong!

So, yeah, overall I did like this book, but at the same time I felt there was more it could have done. I liked the world and the witches, but Anise herself was pretty bland for most of the story and I wished she’d explored her talents a bit more. On the whole, though, this was a fun, easy YA paranormal read with magic and lots of baking. It sets up the world pretty nicely and I would definitely be interested in reading more from the series, if only to answer those questions about Anise’s mother.

Deadly Sweet imagines a world in which witches are present, and have their own community but are also shunned by the population as a whole. Anise is an aspiring baker who wants to go to baking school, get more experience and have her own bakery with holistic treats. Unfortunately, being a witch also throws a wrench in her plans as witches are being discriminated against in the world. It is simply a story of a young witch who just wants to become an accomplished witchy baker, and simultaneously also avoiding any murder attempts. The villain of the story, though, turned out to be less dangerous than I hoped. This book was filled with awesomeness – yummy baking, action galore, and a journey of self-discovery for the very awesome Anise. If you don't care about baking, you're probably going to be bored. It's everywhere in this book, from descriptions of the things Anise is baking to the prose (at one point, her thoughts fly away "like baking soda on the wind.") Anise has pastry on her mind, and while I enjoyed it, I can certainly see where someone who's less culinary minded would find it trying. That being said, I still really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to see where Anise heads next.

IN SUMMARY: In DEADLY SWEET, Dodge crafts a fun tale about all things baking, finding yourself, and striving for your dreams, with a little bit of magic sprinkled on top. Though unfortunately its mystery is underbaked and its characters bland, the first in the SPELLWORK SYNDICATE series still whips up enough charm to satisfy.

(Do I regret the use of baking puns? Nope.)

MY THOUGHTS:

Whilst the execution is bad, almost terrible, DEADLY SWEET is still full of whimsy and charm that you end up enjoying it anyway. I so wanted this book to be better, plot-wise, but DEADLY SWEET so woefully lacks in areas.

Its mystery was extremely predictable. The end villain is so obvious that you almost want to throttle Anise for her blind ignorance, and because of this, the book’s stakes are simply not high enough. Why would I feel invested in the situation when the person causing chaos is so obvious to me?

The climax ended up dragging too, with lacking descriptions of Anise vs. the villain. When you think the book has hit peak, it tries to drag out the momentum, and I couldn’t really say what was going on. I ended up half-skimming.

The other main criticism is that the supporting cast are one-note. Mostly, Gabi, Blair, Agatha and the rest of the Syndicate. One word can be used to describe them, and none of them undergo any character development. Gabi in particular is just… there? She could’ve been removed from the story and nothing would’ve changed.

Though Wynn was the best in the cast. He didn’t have much development, but he eventually warmed up more to Anise than he did at the beginning of the story. His backstory is interesting enough to whet intrigue about his character, and the reason why he’s so aloof and stoic.

Anise herself wasn’t so bad either, albeit infuriatingly naïve. It was easy to relate to her plight, to her doing anything to achieve her dreams of working at the bakery. Her voice was unique enough and filled with so many baking metaphors that it wasn’t a chore to read from her POV. Her instant attachment to the villain is what, unfortunately, gave away the ending, but alas, one of the better protagonists I’ve read.

The writing isn’t the best, but, like I’ve said, its quirky and fitting for the tone. Maybe less of the swear words would’ve sold it for me, since swear words seemed so… misplaced? Like we’d get this cute metaphor about baking and then the s-bomb is dropped. Overall, though I don’t think it was perfect, it ultimately got the point across.

WILL I READ ON? Yes! The magic is fun and hopefully, with more screen time, the characters will flourish and develop. I'd like to know more about Wynn too!

I loved this book from the very beginning, I loved the story plot of the witches and warlocks living in a normal world and the difficulties they faced. You can picture every place described in the book and throughout the story you felt as if you were there in the bake shop right along with the characters. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series ! It will definitely keep you interested and guessing until the very end !

https://bookstalebyme.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/deadly-sweet-the-spellwork-syndicate-1-arc-review/

Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge is the first book in the Spellwork Syndicate series, and my first book by this author. Anise Wise wants to attend pastry school, but she has been rejected because she is a witch. With no way to further her love of baking she goes to Taos and lives with her great Aunt Agatha. Aunt Agatha owns a magical bakery where witches openly use magic. What a great book, I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book to all who enjoy paranormal/fantasy and mystery books.

I was given a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

I've loved all the Ink Monster published books so far. This one was another fun story. Anise is a good heroine and I really wanna know what happens next. I can't decide if I like the dynamic between Anise and Wynn yet.

Baking and magic?! My two favorite things came together to make a great quick read.

I need more Wynn! I really liked how mysterious he was and I can't wait for the second book as it seems like this will delve much deeper into who Wynn is and the background of his contract.

The magical world of Taos was built very well and really made me feel like I stepped into a witchy amusement park. The only thing I didn't love about Deadly Sweet was that we didn't get a ton of information about Anise's mom and her past life in Taos. We get little hints of things that happened in the past, but it seems like there is a much bigger story there and should definitely be explored.

Overall I would give Deadly Sweet 3.5 stars and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Having read previous stories from this author, I had high hopes for this book.  And, for the most part, they were met.

The characters were age appropriate, dealing with usual high school drama, albeit in an unusual setting.  Add to that the magical threat, as well as the new life and background that Anise has to comes to terms with, and you might think that there's a lot going on with this book.

And, you'd be right.  Obviously, given that this is the first in the series, there is a lot of world building that goes on.  But for me, this was balanced just right.  Not overwhelming, but enough to be able to connect with the story and the characters.

I'm intrigued to see where this series is going to go.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Witches, Cake and a Warlock on the loose! This book was so much fun to read! If you have a sweet tooth you'll love all the baking in it. I really don't know how I will survive waiting for book 2 of this series. Some parts of the story are very predictable but it didn't bother me because I liked our stubborn and yet mostly reasonable Anise a lot - despite her stupid decisions now and then - and even more I loved Wynn. I so so so want to know his secrets and see him more fleshed out in the next book. The small hints we are given about him seem to hide some sad truths and I felt sorry for him without even knowing the least bit of his contract.

Deadly Sweet is one crazy cool book if you are into modern witches and bakery stuff, with a hint of romance. It's not flawless but I enjoyed myself so much my cheeks turned red with excitement.

Desserts and magic tick the boxes for me! While I could have used a little more magic, this one series opener was satisfying and the descriptions of sweets helped sweeten me up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ink Monster for the opportunity to read and review Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge! Anise wants to be a bake chef for a living but she’s having difficulties being accepted into college. After she causes a large fire at the fair, Anise believes that her future is over until her Aunt Agatha reaches out to her to become her new apprentice. A new world opens up for Anise when she reaches the magical community where Aunt Agatha’s bakery is located. Anise is able to attend college, make friends and is even given a bodyguard for her protection. Because Anise is Agatha’s niece, she’s considered to be rich and therefore in danger of being attacked. Little does she know that a warlock is after her and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. The magical bakery makes the whole setting fun and the suspense and danger build as the story is told. The fun setting and loyal characters make this read a sweet treat worth 4 stars.

Review found on https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I cracked the lid and gaped at the hodgepodge. There was one bottle of water— brown water—along with bunches of herbs, a tube of crackers, jars and jars of pills, a block of chocolate , plastic bags, wet wipes, gauze, earplugs, and a glass of tiny red toads and grass with holes cut in the lid.

I must’ve interrupted Lonnie’s scavenger hunt. Otherwise, why?

Anise wants nothing more than to go to culinary school to bake delicious treats infused with her brand of kitchen witchery- but all she has gotten is rejections. Fearing that she will be forever forced into hiding her witchiness and working in a grocery store bakery, Anise sends a last chance email to an estranged family member who owns one of the most successful magical bakeries. When she hears nothing back, she accepts a rare offer to hang out with coworkers, her night ends up in epic disaster- but Anise also received an invitation she has waited her whole life for.

​Anise and I had a really rocky start for me predominantly due to her lack of confidence. She was a quiet, shy creature, most likely due to her upbringing and most recent rejections, but I just wanted to shout at her to stand tall and be herself. I was as proud as a momma-bear when she learned her own powers and talents as the book progressed, figuring that she would be herself and others could accept her as is or go away. There, my friend, is some woman power!

To be perfectly honest, Wynn, aka Sleeping Beauty, was my favorite character! No he is not the narrator or particularly a main character, but an incredibly important side character who stole my cold heart. He was mysterious, prickly, judgy, suspicious and ever so protective- such a strong, self assured person, pretty much the opposite of Anise really.

​I highly recommend reading this book with some sort of sugar concoction because I can 100% guarantee that you will​ crave cake, pie, candy...any and all baked goods, really! Lola was able to describe the treats so amazingly that not only could I see how drool worthy they are, but I could practically taste them and feel the sensations they were enchanted with. Seriously, I need some cake, STAT! If Anise was a real person with a real bakery, I would be her best client...and probably weigh 500 pounds.

Just read a snippet of the description and tell me you don's desire this:

There were piles of baklava dripping honey and happiness. Massive meringues puffed up with prosperity spells...
When I managed to suck in little blobs of air they tasted like toffee, mocha, caramel, and fresh strawberry. Every sweet looked like a piece of art, decorated with black gum paste flowers or precision-placed sprinkles.


This is actually my first book by Lola even though I have been eyeballing the Shadow Ravens for a long time and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to jump into her writing with such a fun, yummy adventure! Deadly Sweet is just the start to this world and I am excited for more.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book

This book is the first in a new series. Anise wants more than anything to be a baker, but no one wants a witch baker; everyone is scared of witches. Her only hope is her great aunt who owns a witch bakery, but her communications go unanswered. However, unexpectedly, her great aunt needs an apprentice and Anise will fit the bill. Anise fails to get the reasons behind the sudden opening, and her life is a stake. Can she find out what’s going on before she’s toast? I really, really liked this fun mystery. I can’t believe how intriguing the characters were, and I really enjoyed the setting. Anise’s passion for baking really shown through, too, which made me want to bake. The mystery was great, too, and kept me glued to the pages to find out what was going to happen. I do have to confess I’m still not exactly sure what the villain was angry about, but in no way did it affect my enjoyment of the book. I can’t wait to read more in this series! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Ink Monster LLC for the e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Lola Dodge’s Deadly Sweet is a really great and unique first entry in The Spellwork Syndicate series. It’s a quick but fun read with a decent plot and great diverse characters.

Our protagonist is teen baker and kitchen witch Anise Wise who has spent her life hiding her magic. She dreams of going to pastry school but is constantly rejected because people are terrified of witches. After her powers cause a disastrous accident, she escapes to New Mexico to apprentice in her great-aunt Agatha’s magical bakery. After years of seclusion, Anise is finally surrounded by an exciting world of magic. However, there’s something brewing. Agatha’s former apprentice mysteriously disappeared, and now, someone wants to kill Anise!

This book is so unique! Dodge does a great job of shaping this magical world. I know a lot of other readers want more details about the magical world. However, the book is well-balanced and there is enough information to keep me interested but not too much to weigh down the plot. While the plot is a little predictable, the book is fast-paced and entertaining. The delicious descriptions are wonderful and I really appreciate the cute dessert puns.

Anise is a wonderful and well-developed protagonist. I like how relatable and realistic she is. She tries to solve the mystery without going overboard and I really like that she makes mistakes because, after all, she’s just a teenager!

I love that there is little romance in this book. Instead, Anise learns about herself and her magic and tries to fit into this new world. Too often, young women’s storylines are reduced to romantic relationships while downplaying personal growth and platonic relationships and I’m really glad Dodge avoids this here.

I really love that most of the supporting characters are strong and fascinating women. I’m so happy that Deadly Sweet has women of colour playing major roles because YA lit is usually sadly very white. However, I would have liked more depth to certain characters like Anise’s new friend, Gabi, who seems to have a fairly major role but appears too sporadically.

However, I do wish the mystery was better crafted. The villain is obvious and their intentions could have been clearer. Additionally, certain aspects of the mystery are vague and didn’t seem to fit together very well.

Deadly Sweet is a deliciously entertaining and quick read filled with interesting characters. While the plot could have been a little stronger, I still love this book. Although this is a YA book, I think this book is perfect for both teens and adults who love cute and easy reads filled with fun, baking, and magic. I would definitely recommend this book and I cannot wait for the sequel!