This third book in Martin's Elemental Love series can definitely be read as a standalone and is full of cozy small town vibes, features two paranormal Black characters caught up in a magical time loop as they try to fill wishes made the previous year. Good on audio and a perfect, feel-good, spicy, spookyseason read! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such an adorable romance. Sirena,
a kitchen witch who's experiencing the most insane run of bad luck, one day she gets the chance to make a wish that enables her to redo her month of October and August; an ex-star of his magician families reality TV show meet and cuteness ensues. Sirena and Gus were sweet friends that turned into lovers and Deja Brew is such a swoonworthy and sweet romance, perfect for fall. The autumn vibes in this book were perfect. Celestine Martin does an amazing job immersing the reader in hayrides—the games of fall, witches, magic, and romance.

Thank you to @readforeverpub for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

🎧 +📙: Deja Brew-Elemental Love Book #3

✍️ By: Celestine Martin-I read Wishful Thinking & Kiss and Spell and gave them 3.5/4 ⭐

🗣️ Narrator: Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton voice the characters. The narrators' voices fit the characters with standouts Sirena, Gus, and Diana. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along with the eBook and audio.

🏃🏾‍♀️Run Time: 9:55

📃 Page Count: 356 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 10-1-24 | Read: 9-29-24

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Rom-Com, AA Interests. Mystery

Tropes: fated mates/kindred, small town, witches/vampires/gnomes, magic, Halloween, fantasy, time travel, plus size h/body positivity, slow burn romance

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Hachette Audio, and Celestine Martin for this ARC and ALC 🎃! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

🌏Setting: Freya Grove, NJ

POV: dual H/h, 3rd person

💭 Summary 💭 Sirena needs a reset on her life because October was disastrous. She lost her job at Ad Astra and sabotaged her interview for a new job at Lighthouse Restaurant with her non-working magic. Gus runs into Sirena who he always had a crush on as he heals his broken heart. They make a deal for Gus to help Sirena rediscover fun and her magic if she helps him understand a mysterious cookbook sent to the historical society.

🚺Heroine: Sirena Caraway-a chef and kitchen witch. Has a cat- Shadow

🚹Hero: August "Gus" Dearworth- 33, a former reality star and magician, steward of Freya Grove Historical Society. He is divorced, left family business because he didn't like his personality as "Good Time Gus." Has a black cat-Cinder.

🎭Side cast:

* Lucinda "Lucy" Caraway-Sirena's oldest sister, a tea witch, marrying Alex

*Callie Caraway-Sirena's youngest sister, an event planner

*Diana Dearworth-Gus's sister, an actress who works at Freya Grove Playhouse

*Zeke-Gus's friend, a newly discovered empath

*Jessalyn Clarke-Gus's ex-wife, a singer, getting re-married to vampire Igor.

*Anais + Peter Dearworth -Gus's parents who work a magical act in Vegas and have a reality TV show "Dealing with the Dearworths. "

🤔 My Thoughts: This definitely got me into the Halloween spirit. The cover was beautiful and the reason I requested it. I loved the African American representation in this paranormal romance between Sirena and Gus. They didn't play games with each other, but Sirena had doubts about getting serious. She was so focused on her career that she couldn't see his love was more important. Gus's mother was overbearing about him rejoining the family business. Gus hated who he was while on the TV show and moved to Freya Grove to reinvent himself. It was nice seeing the past couples Lucy and Alex & Ursula and Xavier as well as possible couples- Zeke and Diana maybe?

🌶️: Spice 3/5
🎧: Narration 5/5
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 5/5

Now I need to go back and read the other 2!

This was such flirty, witchy fun and most perfect for autumn. Sirena and Gus were the absolute cutest and I enjoyed their love story. The body positivity was also a breath of fresh air and I couldn’t have been happier.

Celestine’s writing was beautifully descriptive and I felt like I was experiencing all the food and festivals.

Thank you so much to Forever for the arc copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is the epitome of witchy, cozy Fall vibes! If you are looking for slow burn, sweet romance, in a magical small town, then this is the book for you! Celestine Martin writes such lovely characters and a very cute little town.

I did not read the first two books before this one, and I wish I had as there were times I felt very disconnected from what was going on. This is on me for not reading them first, but there was not a lot of background given and even a little would have been helpful.

Deja Brew is a cozy and magical hug of a book and Sirena and Gus were perfection. Celestine Martin writes magic with such a solid and whimsy hand that makes it easy to fall into Freya Grove without question. I loved the glimpses of Lucy/Alex and Ursula/Xavier since their stories. I'm sad to see the end of the Elemental Love series but excited for what Martin brings us next.

This is the perfect read for fall and witchy vibes! I love the representation of a real woman! Real women have curves. Period. I am obsessed with all things witchy and loved hearing about different kinds of witches and spells. It took me back to my visit to Salem, MA! I curled up with a blanket and tea on a rainy day to read this one-the perfect way to spend a Saturday in my opinion!

In the pile of witchy romances I've been reviewing the autumn, Deja Brew stands out for, firstly, a unique witchy identity. While it isn't well-explained (or maybe it is in previous books in the series), I found I was more than happy to roll with the "kitchen witch" and "magican" powers and the hand-wavey explanation. The book is also pumpkin-spice saturated vibes, but not in an overly-forced or sweet way. Instead, October provides a perfect backdrop for Sirena and Gus's love story. I found Sirena and Gus to be well-written, but again, the setting was poorly explained. Again, maybe the town and Gus's family issues are better explained in the first two books that I didn't read, but since this isn't advertised as a true sequel, I'd have expected a bit more "catch up" for new readers to the series. I feel as though readers of Martin's other two books will love this, and I think most romance readers will also enjoy this, since likely the issues with worldbuilding are me being an overly nitpicky English teacher--as usual. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Foever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Sirena is a kitchen witch who lost her mojo. She hasn’t been able to cook since a business deal went bad and her book of recipes and plans was taken by a grifter. She had an unlucky October and wants a do-over. She drinks some wish tea on Halloween and wishes for a second chance. The next morning October has started over again for her.

Gus is a magician turned steward of the Freya Grove Historical Society. He notices that something is off but chalks it up to deja-vu. He get a chance to come to Sirena’s rescue when a carnival game operator gives her a hard time. That gives her the idea to ask him to help her make the most of her do-over time.

There were literal sparks between these two from the beginning. I really enjoyed watching these two fall for each other. I was glad that I read the first two books in the series because it gave me all the back story I needed to really enjoy this book. This was a delightful series. I hope there is a book for Callie Caraway.

The vibes were so right for me to like this book but once I started reading, I realized I am a little fatigued with a Groundhog’s Day (this is a me issue LITERALLY NOT THE BOOK’S FAULT DEJA IS IN THE TITLE) I definitely would recommend this book if someone was looking for a cute fast Fall read!!

3.25⭐️

Thank you to Forever Pub for the review arc of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celestine Martin for the opportunity to read this book. This book will give you all the fall feels with a kitchen witch, a time loop and a magical town. I unfortunately started this book without realizing it was the third in the series and was subsequently a bit lost with the magical town. If you read and enjoyed the first two books then you will love this book. I did enjoy the chemistry between the two main characters even if I was a bit confused on the difference between a magician and a witch in this town as they both seem to be able to cast spells.

This book is truly an autumnal delight. From the cozy small-town to the heartwarming friends to lovers trope, this book is perfect for your fall TBR.

The novel follows the lovable and hard-working kitchen witch, Sirena Caraway reeling from an unusually unlucky October. When she asks for a do-over, she's granted it and is determined not to waste it. She did not anticipate a charming and sweet historian, magician named Gus that relights her magical spark.

If you're a fan of the family bonds with magic from Practical Magic or the romantic comedy style of Abby Jimenez, you need to try out the Elemental Love series. This one has a special place in my heart because the main character is a plus-size Black kitchen witch is loved patiently and sweetly. From the mixing of entertaining and endearing content that doesn't use pain as the catalyst of the climax.

I love the mix of paranormal romance in this cozy small town of Freya Grove. Teeming with vampires, witches, and mischievous garden gnomes, it is the perfect place for us who love magic to let our minds wander.

The characterization is strong and if you're a lover of Hallmark movies and magic you can't tell me you don't want to visit Freya Grove.

Objectively as a fall, magical, cozy read.. this was fine. It was fun, quick and creative. I enjoyed the idea of the book - i liked the different powers / magic and the time loop element.

The narration was done very well, i actually really loved the female narrator. She had such a soothing voice.

I liked the dual POV. It was giving slow burn romance, friends to lovers, paranormal romance.

While i enjoyed it, I just didn’t feel connected to any of the characters which made it hard to be invested in the overall story. Due to that it felt lack luster for me and forgettable.

Overall, I would still recommend this to my peers and would absolutely read more by this author! This particular one just didn’t land for me.

I'm a firm believer that a book's first chapter is the equivalent to a movie's trailer. If you do not impress me with the first chapter, then I'm more inclined to cut my losses. That's what happened here.

Thank you to Forever pub and Netgalley for the eGalley! I really thought I would love this book. The description gave cozy fall vibes that we all live for. Unfortunately, I really didn’t connect with the characters. I also discovered that this is the third book of an interconnected series. I’m not sure if I need to read the others but I will do so & hopefully I can give it a higher rating on Goodreads

Deja Brew is a solid read to get you in the fall spirit because it's set in October in a town with witches and other magical beings. This is a slower-paced cozy read about Gus and Sirena having a do-over October and falling in love along the way. I love how cozy this book feels, but I never really felt the romance between Gus and Sirena, and they both had some baggage that didn't always make sense to me in how they reacted to things.

Lovely narrator and lovely romance story. I enjoyed the fmc and mmc. A witch and a magician falling in love and brewing up their own kind of magic.

In this spellbinding rom-com about a wish gone wrong, two opposites might just get a second chance at love, perfect for fans of New York Times bestsellers Payback's a Witch and The Ex Hex.
Ex-celebrity chef Sirena Caraway has had the wackiest October ever. Her cooking powers are on the fritz, she failed to land a career-saving job, and she embarrassed herself at the town’s Halloween party. Just before midnight, she makes a desperate wish for a second chance to fix her life. The next morning Sirena wakes up and realizes that she’s repeating the entire pumpkin spice-flavored month. Even sweeter, she runs into Gus Dearworth, whose magic leaves her spellbound.

A former reality star, Gus moved to Freya Grove to rebuild his reputation and heal his broken heart, but his restless magic is tempting him to return to the spotlight. And his secret crush on Sirena is making him want to try something dangerous like fall in love again. When Sirena realizes he can help her fix her powers, Gus makes her a deal. If she’ll help decipher a mysterious cookbook in his collection, he'll help get her magical groove back.

Every encounter offers a new adventure—from tasting menus, harvest mazes, and a growing attraction that’s taking on an irresistible enchantment of its own. But as the month winds down and the wish grows stronger, Sirena and Gus have a decision to make. Will their second chance be their happy-ever-after ending or a bittersweet memory?

My Take:
Reading a Martin book for the first time has been a delightful experience, and it certainly won't be the last. Although I understand there are two other interconnected books, they stand alone as complete stories—I never felt like I was missing out on essential details to enjoy this one fully. It's a perfect blend of cozy and steamy, making it an ideal recommendation for the Hallmark audience that revels in the autumn season.

Thanks to Forever Publishing for the free E-ARC! Here are my thoughts!!

This book was immediately such a great time! It was definitely giving off fall, witchy, cozy vibe, and I really need to read the other books in this series after reading this one.

I love our characters a lot. They had chemistry from the moment I saw them interact on page, even before they knew each other that well. I loved how quickly they became and felt familiar with each other. It wasn’t necessarily a slow burn, but it still felt really natural for them. It was a very real life way to write it. Two people who orbited around each other for a while, but never really quite connected, coming together at the right time. Finding out that there was a magical tether pulling them together added to that feeling.

The family relationships and bonds in this book are very sweet. It feels genuinely written and extremely realistic in nature.

However, I don’t know that this book works as part of an interconnected stand alone series. Stand alone books, even ones that are interconnected to other books, are meant to have the ability to be read by itself without really needing to read the other books to understand what’s happening. There are some world building aspects and parts of the magical parts that don’t really make sense if this is the only book from the series that you’re reading. I haven’t read the previous two books yet, so I was kind of just thrown into this new world without knowing anything. It was kind of confusing, and there were parts where I really was wondering more about how this universe works. I was especially confused about the whole Kindred aspect. I understand the basic premise of them being soulmates, but for their sounds to have spent previous lifetimes together seemed wild to me. I liked that they were tied together, and I found it very cute. However, we don’t really get more information than that, and it’s not until over halfway through the book that the concept of Kindred is even mentioned, so I felt it very out of left field.

Overall, I did enjoy it, and I think I’ll probably read the other two books in this series at some point!

Read This Book If…you’re the mood for a low-stakes witchy romance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Deja Brew by Celestine Martin

Genre: paranormal witchy romance
Series: Elemental Love # 3
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 open door scenes
Setting: fictional Jersey Shore town
POV: dual, 3rd person, past tense
Tropes: time loop/travel, celebrity, reformed rogue, fated mates, friends with benefits

My Thoughts:
As someone who loves all things witchy romance, I was super excited for this read! However, there was not enough conflict for me and I felt bored at times.

For such a magical town, I wish we got to see more beyond our two main characters. I wasn’t able to read the first two books in the series, so maybe the world was explored more in those.

This is a very cozy, slow paced, low-stakes read, which is great for some, but just not for me.

Memorable Quote: “He didn’t want to forget; he wanted to remember everything.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!