Fabulous paranormal romantic comedy, first in a terrific new series

Violet Maxwell is part of a Magical Triad, a set of triplets born almost 33 years ago, who are part of a powerful witch lineage. A Magical Triad is a rare phenomenon that has always before led to extraordinary powers in the first-born, who ultimately becomes a Prima Witch. Violet’s grandmother, Edie Maxwell, was born as part of a Magical Triad 74 years ago, with 41 years between these two triads. However, before that, there had not been a Magical Triad for nearly 150 years. As Prima Witch, Edie sits on the Supernatural Council and was personally responsible for Supernaturals’ stepping out from the shadows fifty years ago when she was only in her early twenties. She has also been instrumental in preventing numerous wars, both human and supernatural, and her magical power is so enormous, it could light up the entire Northeast electric grid. As the first-born (by just minutes) of herself and her two sisters, Rose and Olive, Violet was destined to be a Prima, but up until the present moment, she has never shown any signs of magic. As a result, her whole life, she has been derided in the paranormal world as “the Maxwell Dud” or “Magicless Maxwell.”

Fourteen years ago, shortly after graduating from high school, after Violet and wolf shifter, Lincoln Thorne, had been dating for an entire year and were madly, mutually in love, they decided to elope together for parts unknown, abandoning both of their families. But Lincoln never showed up at their agreed assignation, and Violet has hated and entirely avoided Lincoln ever since. Until the weekend she comes to the Whispering Pines Ski Resort for her Sister Rose’s Witch Bond Announcement weekend. Violet’s skiing skills are extremely limited, and when she inevitably comes to grief on the slopes, it is beyond humiliating to her that the person who (literally!) leaps to her rescue is none other than her despised ex, Lincoln Thorne.

In the years since they last met, Lincoln has only grown more gorgeous, and while Violet has remained a nonentity in the supernatural world, Lincoln has become the powerful Alpha of the North American Pack, after the death of his father some years ago. When sparks fly between the two of them, Violet is extremely upset to discover that it is not just resentment that she feels toward Lincoln. And the risky reanimation of her former intense feelings for Lincoln only becomes worse, after the two of them mutually conclude that it would be in both of their best interests to pretend they are engaged. It is vital to them both to avoid the horrible fate they are each facing within a matter of weeks: either they find a mate on their own by their 33rd birthday, or they will be forced to accept a mate chosen by the supernatural powers that be.

Over the past few months I’ve read dozens of books from multiple, paranormal, witch-based, humorous, murder-mystery series, which include the same heroine in each book in the series and are written in first-person point of view. It was a welcome change of pace to read, instead, this witch-based novel, which has the classic structure of paranormal romance, and is part of an upcoming series based on individual, stand-alone novels, each of which focuses on a different romantic couple from among a group interconnected characters. This novel is also structured in the traditional, mainstream, romance-novel manner. It is written in the close-third-person point of view of both the romantic heroine and romantic hero; the romance is the central focus of the novel, and the author provides a comprehensive, well-motivated, HEA resolution of their romance.

The magical world-building in this series is not remotely as complex as in a typical, dark-drama, violent-action-packed, urban-fantasy series, such as those written by Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs or Jeaniene Frost. Nor is the world-building as extremely limited (and often inconsistent and sketchily motivated) as the world-building in slapstick-comedy, paranormal-mystery series such as those written by Lucy Score, Danielle Garrett, and Dakota Cassidy. It is somewhere comfortably in between. None of the supernaturals in the magical world of this novel have superpowers such as longevity and instant healing, and they age like humans and live a typical human lifespan. Possibly the author did not consider those abilities to be vital to her storytelling because her protagonists are not constantly subjected to grievous injuries, which are frequently created by the brutal battle scenes that occur incessantly in dark and dangerous urban fantasy. In this series, the tone is light, and often humorous. The occasional action scenes are neither bloody nor terrifying, and there is a main focus on romance rather than mayhem.

Violet and Lincoln are both vivid, memorable, highly sympathetic characters. The author successfully achieves in this love story the romantic ideal that is only available (unfortunately) in a relatively small portion of romance novels—she convincingly portrays Violent and Lincoln as soul mates whose lives will be forever blighted if they do not get their HEA.

All of the secondary characters in this novel are also well executed, and I am heartily anticipating the upcoming second and third novels in this series, featuring Violet’s fellow triplets, Rose and Olive. I also have my fingers crossed that Violet’s BFF, Harper, a virgin succubus (what a concept!) gets her own novel as well, and that Violet’s other BFF, Bax, a sexy, badass, tattooed guardian angel, becomes the male love interest in one of the books in this series, as well, possibly in an opposites-attracts pairing with Olive.

Finally, I am greatly hoping that the publisher releases this novel in audiobook format at the same time it is released in print and digital format, because I am very much looking forward to revisiting this delightful story narrated by talented voice actors.

I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
World-building: 4 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Action-Adventure Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

This was such a fun read, it satisfied my paranormal romance loving heart featuring a down to earth werewolf alpha and a spunky, tell it like it is witch. It also happened to have two romance tropes that I particularly enjoy; fake dating and past lovers reunited. Lincoln and Vi were two engaging characters and I loved the banter that was a part of every interaction that happened when they were on the page together. The plot moved quickly and didn't lag at all and the characters were all great, especially the supporting cast of friends and family on Vi's side, her grandmother and her sister Olive were my favorites.
A really cute read that I flew through really quickly because I could not put it down.

I enjoyed this book. The plot was well paced and the characters were well thought out. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I ended up liking this one a lot more than I thought when I started it. It started out too cutesy, too much. But once the action really started, it smoothed out.

Enjoyable story.

NOT THE WITCH YOU WED is the first book in the Supernatural Singles World. I believe the stories will need to be read in the order of release.

In the beginning it felt like there should have been a previous book about her sister Rose’s relationship with the European Alpha. By the end, I wanted more books for Rose and Olive, Violet’s sisters. OOOH can I have books with Bax and Harper, too? Those are her best friends and just as important to the story as the Maxwell triplets and the other witches.

Now about that story. It is richly detailed, sweet, lightly suspenseful, and an absolute delight to read. I have fallen in love with these characters and as I’ve already said, I want to read more of this world.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.


Title: NOT THE WITCH YOU WED
Series: Supernatural Singles #1
Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: St. Martin’s Griffin

Every now and then you need a good paranormal romance to mix things up a bit and this romance did just that!
Magic Less Violet has always kind of been known as the dud of her family, she didn't have magic and things between her and the Alpha Lincoln did not go as planned when she was younger. Well Now in politics both Violet and Lincoln are put into a position where they are being forced to date or force to basically find their mate.
Well with the help of some of Violet's family members Violet and Lincoln are trying to give themselves some breathing room so they agree to fake a date. Things start out a bit bumpy when the paparazzi get a hold of the new dating couple, and Violet ends up in the emergency room because someone trying to take pictures and driving do not always end well.
The thing is Violet is starting to get her powers and her and Lincoln are starting to realize that their feelings towards one another are not just make-believe!
Now if you are looking for a fun, sexy, and quick paranormal romance then look no further this will have you cackling and giggling with all the blushing! I definitely recommend it and it definitely has the potential to become a series!

what a cute romance book with a wolf and witch. I loved the sisters rose and olive. I can't wait to read their stories. I loved the gran and how they came together. I loved her friends. Overall I loved this book.

Spicy frenemies to lovers/second chance romance. Mildly entertaining. I speed read most of it. The characters were not super interesting and the plot a little dull but the romance scenes were spicy.

I read the premise of this and was like yes, this. This is so fun...
Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. It was exactly like every other romance. They had a chance to be very original, and didn't take it. No world building, no humor.

Thanks for the ARC @netgalley.

SO. CUTE. I wish I would have had this during my post-twilight teenage years. Fake dating? Check. Supernatural? Check check. This is the book I didn’t know I needed to read!

I would have enjoyed this book had the not been an excess of profane language. These characters related to and balanced each other nicely however, their lack of respect for each other left me disappointed and frustrated.

Violet is a small woman with a big personality. Born into a well-known witch family, Violet is the eldest of her triplet sisters which means she should be the next Prima. However, being magicless the title was passed to her middle triplet, Rose. Suddenly, her magic awakens which may or may not have to do with a run-in with her super hot ex-boyfriend. Lincoln is tall and handsome; exactly what one would expect of a wolfman shifter! What begins as a charade between Violet and Lincoln to pull the wool over everyone's eyes to buy them time to figure their way out of ritual marriages, turns into a steamy and complicated magical love plot. Violet's succubus and angel best friends along with her triplet sisters are along for the ride. This book has all the good witchy rom-com vibes!

I am a devotee to the science fiction genre, and when sci-fi cross breeds with romance it’s like a canon of fireworks have exploded in my mind. So when I read the synopsis for Not The Witch You Wed, which features Violet, a “dud” magic-less witch finding her match in Lincoln, Alpha Pack Leader of North America, I was tantalized. Spook season is officially here and I want to be delighted by independent witch women who can brew as well as they curse! Not so in this cornball piece of fiction. The world building is nil and never gains any momentum, so the reader never has any idea how the supernatural lifeforms gained their powers, or where their magic is from. You never figure out if there is a hierarchy within the world of witches, vampires, shapeshifters, angels and demons. What you have in this book is a romance that has a lot of corny “hell’s spells” dialogue and a fake engagement trope that takes precedence over any other detail. I also felt like I was starting in the middle of a series instead of the beginning of one; April Asher was for sure heavily building up future couples within this book, and I wish that she had focused more on world building and crushing cliche tropes instead within this story.

I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Following magic-less witch Violet Maxwell and Alpha/wolf shifter Lincoln, Not the Witch You Wed is such a fun fake-dating, paranormal romance! After both are backed into a corner by an arcane Supernatural Laws to find a mate, the two form a plan to fake date. In addition to fake dating, this is also a second chance, which is my favorite trope, so I loved that addition to the story! And as old feelings resurface, so does Violet’s magic.The writing is quirky and funny and original. I loved how Violet referred to heels as “torture stilts” and that she names her magic; she was such a breath of fresh air and I just loved her! The beginning felt kind of rushed though—April Asher had so many amazing ideas with the world building for this book, but I think it felt a little heavy in the information that it was a touch hard to follow for the first couple chapters. But the characters were so well developed, and I did love the magical society and political system built into this story! Again, Violet was funny and smart and a great friend and sister, and her sisters and friends were just so alive and original. I loved the dynamics in this one. Violet’s friends, her sisters, her grandmother, as well as Lincoln’s best friend, are all so vivid and funny in their individual ways. I also love that Linc is an actual alpha. He’s sexy and assertive with such a good heart. There’s some angst as Linc and Violet struggle with their past and learning to trust each other again, and even though it is a closed door romance, it is sexy! Violet and Linc are perfect together and their chemistry is so perfect. He is so supportive of her and she is so independent and strong. The character dynamics and the originality of this story are just absolute magic! It is sweet and charming and funny and just so refreshing!

Asher created some new and wonderful elements to add to Witch and Shifter lore in Not the Witch You Wed. There were aspects of this book that delighted me and others that left me wanting a little bit more. The Good - Asher created a universe with interesting and innovative takes on the paranormal romance genre. The Bad - The characters felt underdeveloped to me as well as the world building itself. I would have loved to know more about why the council was created and what exactly a Prima. I wished the steamy scenes were steamier. At times it felt like the characters were contradicting themselves and the dialogue felt too cliche at times, especially during moments of flirtation and banter between Violent and Lincoln. Still, despite the aspects that I didn't enjoy I found myself having a hard time putting down my kindle.

I loved this book. There is a deftness to the world building that I find so fun; the author manages to explain the rules of this magical universe in a natural way that doesn't jar the reader constantly out of the story. The characters feel real and so SO funny. The relationship between the two main characters is like a good romantic comedy relationship. I don't usually like when the two main characters have a previous relationship that we have to learn about after the fact, but she does it really well.

I laughed, and I felt like I was reading something fresh. Four strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

This is such a charming and fun story. Vi and Linc's chemistry jumps off the page. Vi and her relationship to her sisters (triplets) is another treat. This is a very witty book. The only problem is it starts out so abruptly with Vi's sister's bonding party (engagement). It's cute and funny but I think the scene needs to be set a little more to world build. It settles down after the first chapter and especially after Vi and Linc have their meet cute. I am really looking forward to reading the two sisters and Vi's best friend's stories.

This is the perfect feel-good, supernatural romance to get you out of any reading slump. Everything in this book (the characters, the world, the fake dating trope) kept me up well past a decent hour, just so I could finish it and find out what happens. So well written, and the chemistry between the two main characters oozed off the page, like its own kind of magic. I loved everything about this book.

Ridiculously entertaining. This is the type of book that will keep you up past your bedtime, grinning from ear to ear, as you devour each page.

I loved Violet from the start. She knew who she was and accepted that she was different. Her relationships with her sisters and her gram pulled at my heartstrings.

And then there’s Lincoln Thorne, an alpha shifter who deserves to be alpha, but doesn’t act like a total jerk. Who doesn’t love a hero who is trying to fight the system to make life better for those he’s responsible for and who is great with kids?!

Mix in the fabulous, witty banter, the eclectic secondary characters, along with a well-written story and you’ve got the perfect book to escape into. I haven’t read April Asher before, but I definitely will be in the future.

Thank you for providing me a copy of this book to review!

My favorite part about reading is when I get lost in a book, and Not the Witch You Wed was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while. I kept smiling while reading this book, and I became so invested in the relationship in this book. If you like paranormal romance books and are looking for something funny and fast-paced, Not the Witch You Wed is the perfect read.

It's an enemies to lovers romance with fake dating, and the banter between Violet and Lincoln was one of my favorite parts of the book. I read this book during my morning commute, and I kept trying not to laugh and disturb the complete silence of the 8 am train. I was also hoping no one on the train saw how much I was blushing while reading this because the tension between Violet and Lincoln is also great. They had so much chemistry, and I found their relationship believable.

I also really liked Violet's character. She has her own problems outside of her relationship with her new magic, and I loved seeing the way she handled it. She's a confident and self-reliant character. I liked seeing her have a strong relationship with Lincoln while still maintaining her own life, from learning to control her magic to nurturing her relationships with friends and family. She's also a curvy character, and I appreciated how she was depicted.

My only critique of this book was that I wanted a little more backstory. Not the Witch You Wed is fast-paced and the story gets started quickly, which makes the book engaging but there were some details that I felt I was missing while I read. Firstly, I needed a little more explanation of supernatural politics and society. I wanted to know more about the supernatural council responsibilities outside of just ensuring that people get married or bonded. Violet's grandmother is on the council, so I'm sure that they aren't all evil and do good things too.

I also wanted more of Violet and Lincoln's relationship in high school. We're told that they had a strong relationship and that's why Lincoln becomes so enamored with Violet quickly. However, we don't know much about what that relationship looked like. I think a longer flashback to a scene in high school with Lincoln and Violet would've strengthened the backstory that becomes the foundation for their love. I kept forgetting that they had been romantically involved before the events in the story.

Ultimately though, I loved the romance in this book, and I couldn't put it down, so it's one I would recommend to everyone.