I love witchy reads and this one was no exception! Had such a fun time reading and definitely recommend for witchy season

Lucy and Alex had (of course) chemistry, but also were being pulled in opposite directions. Both had some real soul searching to do, and with the help of a little magic, hopefully they both can have their happy endings. The only loose end was her relationship with her cousin - the entire book that relationship felt off or forced, and I wanted some resolution at the end. I'm sure it will be resolved in a future book!

Witchful Thinking is a  light, fun, joyful and a satisfying read that is heavy on family drama as well as romantic tension.

I found this book really lacking. There wasn't enough magic for me, and too many cheesy puns. I had a really hard time grasping the relationships between the main characters and the side characters (their families and friends). There were multiple points where I felt like I had missed something and pages were skipped when I had read every word. I felt like this was a series of books and definitely did not work as a stand alone.

this was a quick and fun read with a slow-building romance and a charming setting. Some aspects of the story felt underdeveloped, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

This was an adorable and fun read! I love second chance romances and the way the magic was included in the story really made it stand out compared to the other romances I have read. I would definitely recommend this book for a cozy and fun fall read.

I went through a dry spell when I rarely read romance novels, and now I find myself gravitating towards them more and more. It wasn't just the romance of this novel though that drew me to it. It had a lot to do with the "witch" part too. I have a soft spot for anything witchy.  While magic does not play a large part in this novel, it is there and I liked how naturally it was interwoven into the novel. 

This was such a fun read. I loved everything about this second chance romance. Freya Grove is a mystic cozy seaside town where magic and magical beings are out in the open. Lucinda Caraway is a high school history teacher and witch. She reads tea leaves at night and loves to garden. She's happy with her life. Mostly. When the opportunity arises to use a wish spell, Lucy, against her better judgement, takes a chance and says yes. That yes turns into quite a few yeses. When she accidentally sends in a fake bio for her upcoming reunion, all those things she mentioned seem to be coming true. She is suddenly taking risks she normally wouldn't, including helping her high school crush, Alexander Dwyer. 

Alex is a merman and award winning photographer who does not believe in putting down roots. He travels the world and never stays in one place too long. He almost did. Once. And it turned out to be a mistake. He won't make the same mistake again. But then, his parents buy him a house and he runs into his old flame, Lucy. He's still determined not to stay, but it's getting harder not to want to. 

I loved Alex and Lucy together. Their romance is one that takes time developing as each of them struggle with admitting their feelings even to themselves because of their conflicting plans for their own futures. It was something they each needed to work through and come to terms with. Oh, and Adam's house! It was like a character of its own in a way. I would not have minded the side characters having been more fleshed out, but I imagine that will happen in future books in the series--which I very much look forward to.

I was provided a copy of this book to read via NetGalley and it certainly did not disappoint. Lucy is such a delightful character and I found myself very sucked into the magical world, hidden within New Jersey, of all places -- a place I often frequent. I loved the references to places such as Jenkinson's Boardwalk in the book! I definitely enjoyed this little witch/merman love saga, and loved that this was very much a book about jumping outside your comfort zone and being your best self. Perfect end to 2022 and onward to 2023!

I was interested in this book because it was a paranormal, second chance romance set in a small town. A witch and a merman sounded really good! Unfortunately the story didn't work for me. It took me weeks reading this on and off to finish it. I really enjoy paranormal romance but the magic was barely part of the story and I was expecting a lot more from a merman besides one or two casual mentions. I also didn't feel the chemistry between Lucy and Alex which was my biggest disappointment in this book. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

I think that this is like if a cozy cup of hot chocolate wrote a book. I thought that it was a super sweet love story, but if I am being. honest I hoped for a little more in the witch department. I think that this is a fun fall read overall, but if there had been a few more magical esque elements it really would have set it a part from other witchy reads.

After another yearly alumni reunion announcement, high school history teacher Lucy Caraway has come to realize that her life is BORING. She isn’t married, hasn’t done much with her life and it has been that way for the last several years. So this year, Lucy was going to do something about it.

Together with her sisters and cousin, they divise a plan to each cast a wish spell. A spell that could alter the course of her life and possibly allow Lucy to find her soulmate. A soulmate that may have gotten away many years ago but has since returned to Freya Grove — a merman by the name of Alex Dwyer.

Witchful Thinking is a slightly steamy romance that follows the friends to lovers trope. But it is much more than a romance novel. There are elements of family connections as well a community ties.

Set in a small town, we have the opportunity to get to know Lucy, her sisters Sirena, and Callie as well as Alex and the rest of the family members. All of them are warm and inviting. A nice touch for a fall/holiday read.

Though I’m not quite a fan of hot/steamy romance novels, there’s bound to be a number of readers that will appreciate the hot romance aspect in this book.

Overall, a Witchful Thinking is a well thought out romance that blends family and love into a nice package. Witchful Thinking is sure to bring a contented smile to fans of the contemporary romance genre. Four and a half stars rounded up.

I received a digital ARC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this book! 

I loved the Caraway sister's and their bond with each other and all things magical. I would have liked to see more spells and other magical elements in the story. 

Alex was an interesting character. I would have liked to have read more about his life as a merman and what that means for him. Martin did touch upon aspects of it throughout the story. 

Overall I enjoyed the story, the chemistry between Alex and Lucy and their little home town.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advanced reader copy. 

Lucy is a young witch who lives in Lucy Freya Grove, a seaside town, where she feels like her life is too boring and she and her sisters/cousin cast a spell to grant them their wishes. She wishes for a life of excitement and re-unites with her high school sweetheart, Alex, a handsome jet=setting merman. This was a charming book with interesting characters but I didn't click with either character and it fell a little flat for me. Overall, worth a read if you're in the mood for a witchy romance.

This was a pretty forgettable book. It's probably worth the read for people really into the current trend of witch romance novels, but it's not the best among them.

This was a good book, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This book was just Meh for me. 
I enjoyed the witchy vibe, but that's about it. The book lacked in ZING for me.
The plot and characters had great potential but i feel that it was missed for me.

Lucy lives in Freya Grove, a New Jersey seaside town, in which creatures of all sorts reside. One night, Lucy along with her sisters and cousin cast a spell that will grant them their wishes. Lucy wishes for a life filled with excitement and ends up doing all sorts of things as a result. This included helping her high school sweetheart, Alex, stage his house so he could sell it and leave town again. In doing so, their rekindle their romance and Alex ends up changing his mind about leaving town. He stays and starts building his life with Lucy. I really enjoyed this one and want to know what happens with the rest of the wishes so I'm really looking forward to those.

This was such a wonderful and charming romance! Filled with great BIPOC characters, I loved the magical and witchy atmosphere of this story. Strong people and great paranormal nods.

Enjoyable read. I could have done with more witchy vibes but I did enjoy the witch and merman dynamics.  I enjoyed the relationship that blossoms. There were a few too many storylines for me with four Caraway witches and two have underlying storylines that didn't add much to the overall story. 

I enjoyed the second chance romance aspect and Alex's family supporting him. I didn't quite love the fact that everything that happened in Lucy's life was because of the wish spell rather than her actively choosing to make those changes. 

overall 3.75/5

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC.

Am I the only one that has felt like we have been overloaded with witch themed romances lately? It was to the point where I was not excited to pick this book up. I am glad it did since it ended up being a fun and fluffy romance. The way they made the town a hotbed of supernatural creatures all living together really worked for me. I liked Alex being a Merman with a bit of wanderlust and Lucinda being stuck with family obligations. The two of them finding a middle ground because of their love worked well and I was glad I read this book. I give Witchful Thinking a solid 3.5/5 stars.