I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

While I enjoyed the cute romance and friendships developed in the first book of the series, I was not inspired by the darker plot of the second.

This is such a feel good read that leans more to the side of paranormal than contemporary so it's perfect for lovers of fantasy that need a break from high fantasy. The characters are likeable and the plot moves along quickly. I really enjoy the transition of high school to post-high school and the questions on relationships and destiny that this book brought up.

DNF

Amber's narrative voice charmed me in the first book, but I'm struck by all the girl hate and judgment she has now, and I'm no longer finding her witty. The constant jealousy towards Kim gets old fast, and her loathing of Ivy, without coming fresh off the justification (presumably in book one) feels cruel.

“The Sweetest Kind of Fate” is a fun follow-up to the original “Windy City Magic.” It is a quick and light read perfect for fans of magical realism. While there are some intense scenes in terms of magical creatures, there are very few curse words or sexual situations of any kind, making it a good choice for younger readers of the ya genre.

The Sweetest Kind of Fate by Crystal Cestari is one of those sweet young adult novels with a twist. The twist being the magical fantasy element in this series. Yes, it threads throughout the story, but I think the theme of jealousy held strong from the very first page. I enjoyed reading it from Amber's perspective, but she annoyed me at times for her assumptions! So what if her "gift" haven't failed her yet? A story about stepping out of one's own preconceived idea of how life will be versus living it as you want to. There are moments that seems illogical and the end was anti-climatic leading me to believe there is a possibility to a third book. Though, I still think this can be read as a standalone novel. In all, I find The Sweetest Kind of Fate have its moments of sweetness and whimsy that brings a smile to readers.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

This was adorable and it got even better than the first. Very enjoyable.

Okay, so I will say that unfortunately, I just wasn't as crazy about this book as I hoped I would be. This doesn't mean that I didn't like it though (because I really did!) but just that compared to the first book, it was a little bit of a let-down.

So this time, instead of just having one main storyline (Amber being a matchmaker who falls for a boy who already has a match) there are two: the impending marriage of Iris to a mermaid (which would require Iris to turn into a mermaid) *and* the "matchmaker in love with a boy who has a different match. And while I think that the first part with Iris and the fact that it centered around an LGBTQIA+ couple was amazing and all kinds of awesome (!), I just felt like the way Amber was handling her situation was really immature. Amber spends so much time believing that Kim and Charlie were a definite couple, that she doesn't even stop to realize that that's not even *close* to what's going on in reality.

Also, while the conclusion to the story was okay, it didn't leave any room for another book in the series, which kind of also bummed me out because even though I heard that it was only supposed to be a two-book series, I guess I got my hopes up in the possibility that the author might continue it!

Overall, I would give this book four stars (because there were a lot of other parts that I enjoyed) but I would only mainly recommend this book to younger YA readers, mainly because the older ones will definitely be able to see through the sugar coating! (See what I did there? ... Because Amber is also a wannabe baker? No? Oh, well ...)

'The Sweetest Kind of Fate' is the second installment in a fun YA paranormal series that fans of the genre are sure to love. I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before this one - it's not completely dependent on it, but will give inside perspective and you'll be in the know about what's been happening. I'm always immediately drawn to any book that has to do with magic and witches, so this was a no brainer for me.

The plot was interesting and full of little surprises. I liked getting to know the characters better - especially Amber and Charlie. Their romance is sugary sweet and normally would be a bit over the top for my taste, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. Even though her magic says that he's destined to be with another girl, I found myself totally rooting for them as a couple. The secondary characters got a little more depth, although I think they could be more rounded. One thing I loved was the different kinds of supernaturals throughout the story - witches, sirens, mermaids, vampires, werewolves, and everything in between.

Overall, this was a pretty light and quick read that was fun and quirky. I really enjoyed it and I'm happy that it was just as good as the first in the series. I definitely recommend it to fans of YA, fantasy, paranormal, and romance.

This book was pretty good
I loved the idea behind it, the characters were so well done. An excellent follow up to the first in the series. Can't wait to read more by this author!

<i>Happy endings do not always stem from seamless beginnings. Life is not linear; there's not one straight path. Mistakes and misfortunes are part of the game; the Fates certainly see to it. Love is a surrender, giving in to the unknown and hoping for the best. But no matter how much we stumble and fall, we eventually find our way.

I've found mine.</i>

Again, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! I started reading this right after I finished the first book because I DESPERATELY WANTED TO KNOW IF CHARLIE AND AMBER GET THEIR HAPPILY EVERLY AFTER.

(Looklooklookatthecover. SO. CUTE. And huge bonus: it looks so good together with the cover of the first book!)

Amber keeps pushing Charlie away and I was like, ?sdfafasda???? why are you doing this girl? He's the man of your dreams! But she insists that she wants what's best for Charlie and aghhh it was really annoying and kind of pissed me off because they are adorable together and she is just throwing their relationship away :((

I'm so glad to see the huge bully from the first book, Ivy, and Amber start to understand and accept each other. Amber helps Ivy even after what she did to her in the past, and I really admire her for doing it!

There are also a lot of magical / mythical? creatures in this book, like mermaids and sirens and witches and werewolves and vampires and trolls. SO FREAKING COOL. (YES, MAGICAL REALISM IS DEFINITELY MY THING.)

I didn't like this as much as the first book, because 1. Amber keeps pushing Charlie away and 2. the ending feels kind of rushed? (+ WILL THERE BE A THIRD BOOK IN THE SERIES BECAUSE I NEED MORE AMBER + CHARLIE)

<b>Overall rating</b>

★★★★

THIS IS SO GOOD. I highly recommend this to fans of fantasy and contemporary YA (because fantasy + contemporary = magical realism, right?) + Crystal Cestari, if you're reading this, please tell me - IS THERE GOING TO BE A THIRD BOOK?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. I thought Amber was such a delightful character. Unfortunately, I felt like she wasn’t quite as delightful this time around. I think some of that centers around her jealousy of another character. It was just kind of annoying and immature. I mean, what did she expect to happen? I just feel like she should have had more foresight and done something about it.

Amani and Kim were great secondary characters even if we didn’t get to see too much of Kim. Charlie seemed a lot less present in this book than in the last one. His relationship with Amber is kind of weird for me though. Because she knows that he’s not her match, so I don’t really understand how she can justify feeling jealous or why she thinks that their relationship will last.

The plot itself was interesting, but I felt like it got pushed to the side at times to deal with Amber’s drama. There seemed to be an overarching theme of “love” throughout the book and the author hit it pretty hard a few times–I’m just not exactly sure why. It almost felt like this book had some kind of deeper meaning, but if it did, it went over my head.

Overall, this book was still pretty good, but not as good as the first in my opinion. I still love the descriptions of Chicago and all the baked goods, but there were just some other things that weren’t quite as enjoyable.

Overall Rating: 3
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild

The Sweetest Kind of Fate picks up where we left off. Amber is much more comfortable with her inabilities as a witch and her ability as a matchmaker. Although she continues to struggle with in her relationship with Charlie and seeing his “True” match.

I like Amber. She is your typical teenager, working towards her dream of getting into Culinary school. Which she really does work hard at it, having three jobs that keep her busy but help her for experience toward her goal. I still like her close relationship with her mom. Maybe they don’t always see eye to eye. Mainly the amount her mom reveals about her past to her. Even though she might not be talking about it, they are able to have a conversation where her mom says, hey this is something I don’t want to talk or tell you about.

Lots more teen angst. As Amber struggles with her friendship with her boyfriends match. She finds herself pulling away. Unable to deal with the constant visions that feel like they are being thrown in her face. I don’t think you can really blame her on how hard that can be. It also strains her friendship with bff Amani. I felt like everything happening though was a natural course. You could see where everyone was coming from in the situation. Yes maybe there is some overreacting but it wasn’t out of the realm of normal human emotions. It was all very natural.

I like this books other plot. Which is dealing with the supernatural transformation of a siren to a mermaid. There is of course drama involved in because of who is making the transformation. Also the resurgence of nemesis Victoria. So there is a bit of mystery involving that, especially tying into her mother’s past.

I love Amani. I would love to see a book featuring her POV. I think it would be really interesting.

The Sweetest Kind of Fate is a great mix of witchcraft, cuteness and drama. I really enjoyed this installment.

Excellent follow up to the series. A great mix of happy, heart and fun. You won't be disappointed.

Another cute installment in this series! I love the Windy City Magic store and all of the paranormal happenings around Chicago. Amber is approached by her enemy, Ivy, because her sister, Iris, is going to be married... to a mermaid. Once matchmaker Amber confirms that the mermaid is Iris's match, a loooot of ~bad things~ are set in motion with a certain enemy of the family. Meanwhile, Amber can't get over the fact that Charlie's match is the new girl, Kim. This causes a lot of problems and tension in the friend group.

This book wasn't AS enjoyable for me as the first one because Amber annoyed me for more of the book than I hoped. She does a good job of communicating sometimes, which is great compared to other books, but there were plenty of other times I thought she could be more honest and have better results. The last chapter was a bit cheesy and super heavy-handed with the morals and messages for multiple pages. However, I love these characters (overall) and the concept too much! I liked the addition of mermaids and werewolves in this one, plus Amber figuring out her future. We learn a bit more about Amber's mom in this book too, which was really interesting. She's kind of an enigma while still being around for all of Amber's antics. I hope if this series continues, we see more of Ivy and Amber as their relationship grows. There are a lot of directions the author could go with another book!

I really enjoyed the first and second books in the Windy City Magic series. Some parts are quite cheesy, especially the ones with Charlie, but the storyline is interesting enough to me that I kept reading anyway. I like how there is a more complex storyline in the second book including Iris’ journey to becoming a mermaid. I got angry at Amber when she used her matchmaking visions to justify breaking up with Charlie, because she couldn’t know that her visions would always be right - and spoiler, they weren’t! Besides that I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading a third book if there will be one and seeing if Amber gets into culinary school.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, it was a cute quick read, so I was excited to see that the series was going to continue. I love that the book takes place in Chicago (where I"m from) so it's so easy for me to picture all the places that the characters visit. Just like in the last book, this book was a quick fluffy read. It's fun with all the supernatural creatures. There's a touch of romance that doesn't get much past PG which makes this series great to take on book talks to Junior Highs. I love all things witchy and this is a perfect little edition to that genre. The characters are likable, and the dialog between them seems to mirror the way I hear teens talk in my library. I was able to "sell" teens on reading the first book, and I don't think I'll have a problem doing that with this book, especially with the extra sell of mermaids.

Cover are will definitely catch browsers attention. I read this as an eBook, so the shadows of fins in the water were lost. Nice detail, though.

Overall, I enjoyed this follow up to THE BEST KIND OF MAGIC (2017). There was a lot more going on in this book that tended to be a distraction. Conclusion was a bit underwhelming.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


The Sweetest Kind of Fate is Crystal Cestari’s second installment in the Windy City Magic series. It continues Amber’s adventures in matchmaking although this time around, her nemesis, Ivy, comes to her and asks her to check out her sister and see if her true love is really her match. And when Amber complies the answer is not to Ivy’s liking and so begins the tale of the mermaids!

So I got ahead of myself there, as we know already, Ivy is a siren as is her sister, Iris. Ivy loves to use the power of her voice to get what she wants. When her sister falls in love with a mermaid and wants to find a spell that will allow her to turn into a mermaid as well, Ivy wants to put a stop to it in any way possible. For Iris will basically be leaving land, never to return.

But Ivy’s family drama is only the beginning of Amber’s problems. Lately, she’s been trying to be nice to Kim, the new girl in school who also happens to be Charlie’s soulmate, the girl she sees him with in his happily ever after future. She sees Charlie within Kim’s eyes as well, and it puts a strain on the friendship she has with Kim for she is genuinely a great person and super nice. When it seems Charlie is spending an ample amount of time with Kim lately, Amber goes off the fritz.

But this story doesn’t just focus on possible romances all around, there’s still some good old fashion mystery elements in here too! Amber is looking into her mother’s past through her old grimoires. Add in the return of the wicked witch Victoria and you got on your hands quite the page turning read!

This book series is really turning out to be a cute read! The humor is so quirky! It’s definitely the lighter side of paranormal reads if you’ve ever wanted to read one but didn’t want it to be all dark and doom like! It surprises me that I enjoy it so much since nearly all my paranormal reads are dark and doom filled! Lol! Guess we all gotta take a bit of a break once in a while! Like switching from white cake to yellow cake! I’m sure Amber would appreciate that sentiment!

There’s not a great deal of kissing in this one. Things are light and fluffy in the beginning but by the middle, things are on the rocks. But there are still a few surprises thrown our way that doesn’t totally throw romance out of the book! It’s just not the romances you’d expect to see after everything that’s happened!

The ending to this one leaves me befuddled. While the first one didn’t quite end on a cliffhanger, it did end in a way that leads you to believe the story is far from over. While I can’t say that the story ends all happily ever after like, it does end in a fairly decent place. Nothing to really worrywart over, perhaps a one or two straggling questions. That’s what makes me wonder if there might be at least one more book! I feel like the characters were just starting to make some progress when I realized I came upon the last page! So much harder to tell when that happens when reading on a kindle! The Sweetest Kind of Fate will sweep you up with its tale of magic, love, and friendships…throw in some decent humor and a healthy dose of action and you’ve got quite the read in your hands!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


The Sweetest Kind of Fate releases February 13, 2018