I received a copy of Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Ink Monster LLC, for the opportunity.

What first grabbed my attention on NetGalley was the cover, I mean, did you take a look at that gorgeous thing? Hello! I requested access and crossed all my fingers, toes, and eyes that I'd be granted access to this purple literary gem. And I was! I was cutting it close on the publication date but I read Deadly Sweet in two sittings and only two because I fell asleep at 3AM Saturday morning reading it. Then as soon as my errands were over for the day, I settled in to finish the final half of the book that night. And I loved it.

I enjoyed my time reading Deadly Sweet, it was a relatively relaxing read with an easy to follow storyline. Anise and her fellow characters were nicely developed and they each had their own personality and tone of voice. She made some friends for the first time in years and she even managed to get a smile from the assigned bodyguard who has a perpetual scowl on his face. Most of all, Anise got to bake her heart out in that drool-worthy kitchen.

Deadly Sweet was well-written and very entertaining, from the immolation at the County Fair to the Thriller dance at the sleepover. The descriptive details in Deadly Sweet were pretty good. I loved the eclectic architecture of Witch Way. I truly appreciated how Ms Dodge showcased the eternal bonds of true friendship between Nora and the friends she'd lost contact with 20+ years ago by passing them on to the trio's children, Anise, Blair, and Gabi. I could tell that Lola Dodge put a lot of her own experience into the culinary aspects of Deadly Sweet, nobody knows the baking world better than someone who's actually been there and done that. I fell in love with Agatha's kitchen and would love a chance to cook up one of my special recipes, maybe my chocolate bourbon pecan pie with a good fortune spell slipped in with the caramel?

What I didn't like is that Gabi is introduced as this friendly and bubbly girl and it seemed that the author was building up for Gabi and Anise to become bosom buddies but then, she pretty much disappeared for most of the book. I'm hoping that Gabi has a more active role in the sequel.

It was rather obvious to me who the Big Bad was but I enjoyed Anise's journey to discovering what I already figured out. It was like watching one of those cheesy horror movies where the entire audience is telling the vacuous blonde not to go investigate the creepy basement alone. I found myself yelling at my kindle at two in the morning, telling Anise not to do the thing that will probably kill her.

I enjoyed Deadly Sweet and I look forward to reading its sequel when the time comes. But throughout the book, there was also something missing, and I know not what, that made me incapable of falling truly madly in love with the story.

All in all, I'm going to give Deadly Sweet 3 out of 5 stars. I'm totally going to buy it and reread it in a few months, but it's not a contender for my Top Twenty Literary Loves.

"Deadly Sweet" is the first book about Anise Wise, a young witch that would love to make baking her job, but can't find work or go to pastry school because most people are afraid of magic users and shun them. When she gets the chance to be an apprentice to her great aunt Agatha, a powerful woman who owns a magical bakery, Anise is happy to grasp this opportunity with both hands - at least until she finds out that her predecessor went missing and nobody is quite sure what happened to her. And she appears to be the next target...

I was curious to read this book, mostly because the idea of "baking with magic" intrigued me - even more so since magic is often only used for big stuff like fighting battles or protecting some important person/artefact. This is of course fine, but I like it when magic is a central part of witches or wizards' lives and they use it for little things as well. Because of that, I couldn't wait to see what magic system the author would use. As I expected, I enjoyed this aspect of the story very much. It is fascinating to see magic being used to make cakes or to see what has to be considered to make a truly magical pastry, but I have to say that I wish there had been more about magic itself.

The spells that are crafted are very interesting and I loved to see what powerful witches could do, be it small things like making cupcakes that can cause happiness or bigger matters like keeping someone safe. Still, the focus of "Deadly Sweet" is the baking, mainly because the protagonist just began her training and has to start from the bottom up. The descriptions of the delicious pastries Anise was creating (or helping create) made my mouth water and it was nice to get all the details about it, but I hope book 2 will have more background on the magic system since I'm still not totally sure how everything works.

Most of the characters in this book are female, which is kind of to be expected in a book about witches, and I enjoyed that there are lots of strong women who were ready to protect one of their own in trouble. Anise herself is a nice enough protagonist; sometimes I thought she was terribly naïve, which was sort of understandable considering how she grew up, but it still annoyed me a bit when she was inconsiderate of the very real danger that surrounded her. I DID like that she never wanted to give up, her determination that she would succeed, no matter what and her immense will to prove everyone that she was worthy of the opportunity she had been granted. All in all, she has a well-rounded personality with strengths and weaknesses and I can't wait to see how what happened to her in this book will influence her in the future. I'm also curious about the different background stories of secondary characters and hope that the future instalments will give us more information.

The plot kept me engaged from the first page onwards and provided a nice mixture of dangerous moments and the peace and quiet of baking which worked well for me. I have to say though that I found it easy to discover who the opponent would be and in the end, I'm not sure if his motive is totally convincing to me. Another point of criticism would be the inclusion of a love story. It bugged me a bit and it seemed to distract from the main plot, even more so since I just couldn't see why Anise was interested in the guy she was falling for. Therefore, I detracted 0.5 stars, but I will definitely read the second book to see what happens next.
3.5 stars

This book was so weird and confusing to me that I didn’t even really get into it!

Deadly Sweet is the first novel in the Spellwork Syndicate series. It is a story about a young witch who wants nothing more than to attend college and become a pastry chef. I thought it was a really cute story with a nice magical touch. I would have loved to experience a little bit more of the magical world, but it was still thoroughly entertaining.

The novel was a little on the short side, but I enjoyed that because I thought all of the information included was pertinent and not too much fluff. The story was slightly predictable, but it was really cute and I didn't mind that I could figure out most of the mystery before it occurred. I loved Anise's character and I really enjoyed the fact that she was pretty ordinary. Yes, she was a witch, but she wasn't a prodigy or princess. She was just a young girl who wanted to live a somewhat normal life as a pastry witch!

Overall, Deadly Sweet was a fun and entertaining read. It was straightforward and had steady pacing with interesting characters. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy YA fantasy. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series when they are available. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3/5

Mix delicious cakes and frosting with spell-binding magic and adventure, add a pinch of intrigue and this is a treat readers won't want to miss.

Anise carries the perfect name—she wants nothing more than to be a baker with her own shop. Too bad, she's a witch and is shunned by anyone who notices. Colleges won't accept her, bakers don't want her. . .the only place she finds a job is decorating sheet cakes. When her silly magic gets the best of her, and she's about to end up in jail, a long silent aunt comes to her rescue. Anise escapes to an all witch area and finds her dream job as an apprentice in the town's most successful cake shop. But things aren't all sweets and dreamy spells as death knocks on her door and someone wants to kill her.

This author is slowly becoming one of my favorites as she adds yet another terrific tale to her list. Unlike the last one I read from her, a compelling science fiction series, this dive into flour and whisks has an entirely new flare. . .and sits. It's a delight to be submerged into a baking world and experience Anise's enthusiasm for cakes. (Who can blame her?) Her disappointments and mistakes make her human, while her excitement and determination make her easy to root for. She does make sometimes bad, gut decisions which aren't always thought out, but then, this is a YA novel.

Although there is action and scenes full of tension when Anise's life really is on the line, it's balanced out with a playful spirit of fun. There's never a boring moment and Anise has to fight for every success, big or small. Her group of friends is a little odd, and it's fitting to the scene. The witches are strange to Anise and presented that way to the reader. Trust isn't instant, but friendship is true and blue. It's just a matter of figuring out whose intentions are good and whose are not, which is not an easy task.

There's a special spice with Anise's bodyguard, and the relationship is refreshingly different. Lots of secrets still need to be exposed in this area as well as many others. In other words, book two promises to be just as intriguing.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.

This book kind of reminded me of a cooking show with witches and assassins thrown into the mix. It was interesting but im not sure if i would read it again.

Anise wants to bake for a living. She wants to attend a good school and work her way there. But there are no takers. Rejection letters clutter her mailbox, and she’s all but lost heart. She’s a great baker — one of the best — and anyone would be lucky to have her. There’s just one little thing: she’s also a witch. She’s amazing with potions, and she’s mixed baking with magic before. And that’s why no one wants her. She’s not a bad witch or anything, but no one cares. She has no choice but to travel to New Mexico and work for her aunt Agatha, who owns a successful bakery. Things take an odd turn from there. Anise’s life may be in danger, and her witchcraft might not be enough to save her life, for she’s surrounded by dark forces she’s never encountered before.

Deadly Sweet is a gripping read. I haven’t enjoyed an SFF novel about a nice-girl witch since Dime Store Magic. The mystery portion entertained me, but it was the relationship between Anise and the other characters that won me over. The girls (and a guy) have unique powers, and they all complement each other. This book reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed, with a touch of mystery and dessert. Have I mentioned that this book made me hungry? I cannot recommend it enough. Lola Dodge is a great new voice in YA fiction and I give Deadly Sweet four out of five Vanilla Cupcake lattes.

Entertaining and filled with baking goodness.
The story is easy to follow and the characters are well developed.
A baking witch trying to strive in a place where witches are frown upon. Her mishap with uncontrolled magic will take her to a place where her dreams might come true or be killed trying.

This was such a cute book and a fun read! Great magical mystery with realistic and fun characters. I feel like this series can go far and can't wait for the next book to come out. I love Anise's character! Sign me up as a fan of this Light witchy mystery series!

First of all, I want to mention that the thing I enjoyed the most about Deadly Sweet were the strong and powerful females that could kick everyone’s ass if they wanted to. All the women that appeared throughout the book had a special power that they knew how to control perfectly, and everyone was afraid of them. However, the most inspiring thing was that they all took care of each other not only because they knew all of them were important but because after some time they all started to love each other as sisters and that was heartwarming for me.

Here are some of my favorite quotes: Anise said, “I wouldn’t change who I was for a second” and “This ------- really should’ve checked out the women in my corner before she made me her target”. And my favorite that other woman said was “I’ve got you tonight. Let anyone try coming after me”.

My favorite character has to be Wynn, so focused and loyal, I know it was his job to take care of Anise, but I could sense he also did it because he knew she was a nice girl. Anise, our main character, was such an intelligent and creative girl, I loved all the scenes where she used her powers although there weren’t many. The antagonist, I won’t say its name, was pretty obvious for me so that took a little bit of the mystery away but no matter what, it was interesting to see how the people looking for it discover who it was.

One thing I didn’t like about the story was that we didn’t actually get to know the secondary characters, I’m honestly so intrigued by Blaire, Gabi and Anise’s mom. I would love to read more about their story specially Anise’s mom’s one because no one said nothing about it and I’m guessing it had to be something big or else the other women wouldn’t be so harsh on her. However, hopefully we get to know more about all of them on the upcoming books.

In conclusion, Deadly Sweet was a book that I enjoyed mainly because of the incredible characters and there were also great things as power and cooking scenes (which were obvious but still really nice to read). The only thing that I didn’t like was that we didn’t get much depth in the secondary characters and it was a little disappointing because I really liked them.

2.5 stars

This book started out great. Well... not for our main character. Anise is rejected by all the culinary schools she has applied to and due to an accident ends up being arrested... For the reader though, this is all quite exciting, if not still sad. The writing, I thought, started out strong and had me somewhat gripped.

The thing is, at about 30% I was so done with the book. The "let's not tell the main character anything including how to do her job" was so, so irritating. No one on their first day of work isn't told where their uniform is or how they are supposed to do something or, you know, why they have a bodyguard.
I need to breathe here for a second, so I don't keep ranting...

The mystery, I felt, was pretty straightforward. I had guessed who it would be and while there was a minute where I was second guessing myself, I was pretty darn sure I knew who it would be. Why? A theory I'm trying to define but what I'm calling --possible spoiler to who villain is: <spoiler> first boy syndrome! Where the first boy seen is the one the MC will end up with, even if she doesn't really like him at first </spoiler> .

As for the characters.... Anise, our MC, felt a little flat to me towards the end. She's a decent character though and has many good traits. Possibly may be considered a likeable character. Everyone else is pretty much wallpaper though and one-dimensional. These characters like Anise immediately, these ones are a mystery, this one is a potential love, etc. But, I see how with the next book this might change.
Wynn is my favorite though. I know, I have a huge thing for anti-heroes or the scowling, bad boy. I need help because he barely even talked! Like, come on, let the poor boy speak!!! Also, Anise is always with him are you telling me she didn't try talking to him about things while he drove her places? Poor Wynn is another character developed off a set archetype. And yet, I totally fell for it.

I was also surprised on the lack of magic in the book. Anise has little training... will no one train her? No magical classes yet? Lame. Wynn is a bodyguard!! who has mountains of weapons.... So, don't come into this thinking it will have a ton of magic, it doesn't. Lots of baking, though, so I constantly wanted cake.

The final question: will I continue this series? Probably not :/
I want to know the conditions of Wynn's contract and I want to see his character (and others) develop, but I also don't want to be disappointed... So, I might end up just reading other reviews?
We will see... if the next book goes on Netgalley, I remember it and still am interested, then I might pick it up.

Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge

First book in the Spellwork Syndicate series

3 stars

Anise Wise is tired of hiding from the humans of the world. It doesn’t that matter that witches are a well-known magical species, humans hate and fear them. All Anise wants to do is bake and create cakes that could allow her to have a bakery one day. The problem is that she keeps getting rejected from colleges and she and her mother are barely scraping by. When an incident arises and Anise finds herself in Taos to be an apprentice to her great-aunt Agatha. The catch? Agatha’s last apprentice went missing and Anise finds herself the target of a powerful and out of control warlock. Dodge’s newest series opener is a lot of fun. This is a fun witch novel that takes an interesting approach by making witches common knowledge to regular humans. This incites fear, but it also creates the dynamic of witches being seen as tourist attractions. It makes the story a little bit more complex than the run of the mill witch story, but this story doesn’t go beyond that. It is a very simple story and it can be a bit predictable. While the story is predictable, Dodge attempts to make Anise’s passions the centerpiece of her magic- baking is at the story’s centerfold. The baking makes this story unique and fun. Dodge isn’t the best urban fantasy writer, but the story is fun and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of witch stories and characters who bake.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

The main character is Anise. She isn’t the most original character, but her love and passion for baking made me love reading her PoV because she had a purpose outside of hunting a big bad guy like most UF heroines. It made her dynamic. She isn’t the most fleshed out character, but her passion is so strong that it makes her story fun to follow. Mainly, I’m just rooting for her because I want to see her bake more deserts.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.25

There are two potential love interests in this story. One is a huge character, but I don’t know if their relationship will blossom into more, but I’m betting that it will in later novels because of this guy’s role in her life as a protector. The other well, he isn’t a love interest anymore, but for the sake of not spoiling this incredibly short novel, I’ll leave it at that.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 2

The Villain- I called this one from the moment this character was introduced. Mainly because SPOILER [Dodge seems to depict all men with tattoos as villains. At the beginning of the novel, Anise is nearly assaulted by an older man covered in tattoos. The villain is covered in tattoos. (hide spoiler)] It made the story arc incredibly obvious and I wasn’t surprised in the least.


Villain Scale: 3

The characters are all just kind of there. None of them feel concrete and I didn’t feel attached to any of them and I feel like it is because there are so many characters being introduced and mentioned that the few that should’ve been fleshed out were briefly touched on, but not further expanded upon. I’m sure Dodge will expand upon the friendships that Anise made in the next novel, which I really hope she does because the character friendship could be a lot of fun.


Character Scale: 3

This is a fast, quick story that I definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a quick read to past the time that doesn’t require a lot of concentration and thought. Magical baking is really what sealed the deal for me when it came to this story and I think it will be a lot of fun for readers, especially younger readers who are getting into the paranormal genre.


Plotastic Scale: 3.25

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s purple and the cake looks scrumptious. I’m a definite fan of it.

Thank you, Netgalley and Inkmonster, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

So the description states if you loved Hex Hall this is recommended and I absolutely loved that series even though the ending did not go how I wanted it but that's a different story.

This book is about Anise Wise, a witch. Being a witch is extremely rare and the fact that Anise can bake with her magic is even more rare. But enchantment is frowned upon in society. Because of her status as a witch, she cannot live her dream of going to pastry school and receives a rejection letter in the mail.

In pops Aunt Agatha with an amazing offer for Anise, if she becomes Agathas apprentice she inherits the family bakery at the end of her training. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? Wrong.

She has to move to Sedona and her aunt has got some shady stuff going on in the local magic community. The last apprentice was assassinated and now Anise has to find out who it is before she's assassinated.



So this book is a little bit of almost every category. Ya, NA, mystery, magic. Anyone who knows me via real life or even on Instagram knows I LOVE baking. As a matter of fact I'll be starting school next fall to get my associates in baking (SO EXCITED!!!) So to find a book that was not only interesting but had baking talk in it too made me sooooooo happy! So I loved that there was baking and magic in the book but the mystery aspect was a bit obvious. Overall I would rate it 3.75 stars for baking and humor.

As a young witch in a world where witchcraft is frowned upon, Anise struggles to fit in. She wants to be a world class baker, but can't even be admitted to school because of her abilities. When she accidentally burns down the county fair, she's sent to live with her Great-Aunt  who owns a famous witch-only bakery in Taos, a city steeped in witchcraft and folklore. Anise is excited to finally start her baking career, but someone else has other plans for her.

I initially picked up this book because of the title. Deadly Sweet has a cute but ominous feel to it and that sounded like an interesting dynamic for a novel. Once I discovered the book was about baking, I knew I had to read it. My sister in law is a great baker and the idea of mixing baking and magic seemed to make so much sense. I was worried the book would lean too heavily on magic or baking, but not mix the two very well, but that was definitely not the case. The elements go hand and hand and in the eyes of our narrator, Anise, one can not exist without the other.

First off, the setting for this book was a beautiful breath of fresh air compared to the stories I've read for the last couple of months. While I've loved all the books I've reviewed on here, they seem to follow a formula for their settings. We're in the regular world and there is a magical world secretly in the shadows, usually with some scenes at a high school. This was completely different. We're immediately told that witchcraft is real and everyone knows about it, although it's not welcome in most places. Also, while there are some college-esque class scenes, the majority of the story takes place outside of a school, which was a welcome change from the "formula".

All of the characters in this story really jumped off the page. They were vibrant and dynamic. The element of magic and other special abilities helped with this, but they also just had strong personalities. Anise's aunt, Agatha, for example is a mostly minor character but she commands a presence in every scene she's in, from her dialogue to her mannerisms. She's strong-willed, rebellious and intense. Each character is similarly well done, thought there are obvious variations in personality. I did wonder if the cast of this story was too large. We're introduced to a number of characters who are exciting and likable, but we only see them once or twice. One of Anise's friends we're introduced to and she has a big personality, but then as the plot progresses we only see her one or twice. It's a strange decision by the author, but this book is the first in a trilogy, so she may become more central later on in the series. 

The plot for this book definitely matched my initial impressions of the title: cute and ominous. There's a lot of dark magic, looming evil and impending threats in the story. There's definitely some scary and thrilling moments, but overall this is a sweet story about baking, family and friendship. The plot is good and compelling, but not the reason I invested in reading this book. The plot was fairly simple and one-dimensional. I also predicted most of the plot twists. I was more interested in the relationships of the characters and the setting, than the plot itself. 

Deadly Sweet is a fun, sweet story about baking, magic and friendship. It's a quick read that is perfect for those of us with a general interest in baking and love for fantasy. Expect a vivacious and large cast of witches with unique setting. Order a copy on Amazon, Barnes or Nobel, or as your local bookstore to buy a copy for you.

This was just the right amount of witchcraft and baking. While I wish the set-up for the sequel was done more throughout than at the end, it exceeded my expectations for witchy-baking books, a thing I didn't know I needed really.

The pace was super fast, the characters were bland & uninteresting. MEH.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley & Ink Monsters, but this does not shape or influence my review.

Anise Wise is a young witch with a passion for baking and problems controlling her powers. She's sent to live with her Aunt Agatha, a powerful witch living on the Vortex in Taos, New Mexico. Here, Anise is to become Agatha's apprentice and attend school to become a full fledged pastry chef. Shortly after she arrives in town, she becomes the target of several attacks, and discovers Agatha's previous apprentice has gone missing.

The story kept me interested at every turn, with lots of unique touches (love the witch handshake and the ritual descriptions), and the author authentically captures the feeling of being a teenager. Taos works brilliantly as setting here, and feels like a character in this book. I would have enjoyed some more baking-specific descriptions, and I want more Fondant in the next installment!

Overall a fun way to spend a few hours, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book was adorably sweet! Baking and magic, what more could you want? Whenever I read a book that involves any sort of baking, I instantly have to go out and bake that item. Since starting this book, I have made brownies and blondies. I plan on making those nutella peanut butter brownies that Anise made for the sleepover. The book was a tad predictable, since I figured out who the warlock was pretty early on, but that did not take away from my enjoyment. I could not put it down, and I cannot wait for the second one!

It would be amazing if there were recipes included in the book. I'd love to bake just like Anise and Agatha.

This book is great I love the cooking/magic genre. I could not stop reading it. Can not wait for the next one.