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?

I had no idea this was part of a series and while you can still enjoy the story, i definitely was really confused at the beginning about sirena’s witch powers, her family and the town as the whole. However, like I said, it’s still a super sweet, time loop story that gives all the fall vibes. And our main characters? Chefs kiss. See what I did there?

Overall I do recommend but you might want to read the previous works first

This one didn’t hit for me. I think the book is completely fine and just didn’t pull me in. I’m a reader that needs banter, the snarkier the better, and tension. I missed both of those in this one. The attraction is very fast paced in this story. There is also a lot of FAST back and forth of ‘we need to slow down’ to pound town a handful of sentences later - this happened at least 3 times. I do think someone looking for a cute spicy read who would eyeball read (I didn’t love the audiobook version) this should still consider it if the blurb catches your attention.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celestine Martin, Hachette audio, and Forever publishing for ARC copies of this read.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy! You can pick up Deja Brew on October 1, 2024.

I absolutely loved this witchy, cozy fantasy! Serina and Gus had impeccable chemistry from the get-go, and I loved Serina's quest to add a little more fun to her life and get her spark back. Their interactions for work and play built such a fun foundation for a relationship, and I love how this monthly do-over gave them time to connect. Plus, the spicy scenes had me flustered and giggling!

Celestine Martin did a phenomenal job weaving magic into this world too. It's rare to have a contemporary romance where magic is out in the open, so I really appreciated that change of pace! And, of course, the sisterly relationships were as sweet as ever.

This book is def the vibe this fall, so don't miss it!

A delightful fall witchy read. This series is so easy to read the vibes are so nice and full of cozy hallmark channel type love stories.

This one has Serena, a kitchen witch that has been having the worst time of it and all comes to a big head at a Halloween party where she ends up covered in fake ghost slime. To soother her heart she drinks some tea and makes a wish for a do over. In the morning October has begun again and she is determined to fix everything that went wrong the last time she lived October.

The romance was pretty cute but I was there for the magic! I love the family of witches and the different powers they have.

It was fun

Thanks to netgalley and hachette audio for an alc

This was such a cute cozy read! I loved the characters in this book. I fell in love with Gus and understood his struggle with being a people pleaser versus doing what made him happy. I also enjoyed Sirena’s journey to get her skills back and become a great kitchen witch. But ultimately my favorite part of this book is the chemistry between Gus and Sirena and I just adored these two.

Having read the author's prior novel, Witchful Thinking, I was excited at the opportunity to read her latest in the Freya Grove series. The novel seemed like the perfect book full of Fall and Halloween vibes.

Although I loved Witchful Thinking, I didn't care for Deja Brew. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. And I seem to think that not reading the second novel in the series (Kiss & Spell,) had a lot to do with my negative reaction.

The storyline was cute with a touch of romance. But for whatever reason, I still couldn't find that groove to immerse myself in the novel. Needless to say, I had to give up at 34%

I may change my mind after I read the second novel in the series. But for now, it's a one star DNF.

I was invited to read a DRC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

This book is fine. It was slow to start and didn’t grab my attention initially but gradually the story picks up. I think the story is cute and appropriately described as cozy. I didn’t necessarily feel connected to Sirena and Gus but I like the concept of them being fated to be together. It was a cute concept given their magical abilities. This will be great for people who like to read for the seasons for fall vibes.

This was the perfect kick off to fall reading!! I loved getting to come back to Freya Grove, getting further glimpses into the town overall but especially into the lives of the Caraways. I loved Lucy and Ursulas stories but man this may be my favorite love story in this universe yet! I could empathize so very well with Si and her imposter syndrome even though she's a badass kitchen witch! Watching her journey to becoming more confident was wonderful and I'm already excited to go back to Freya Grove with any other books in this series that will hopefully follow!

A friends to lovers- with a cookbook- between a witch and a magician! Sirena and Gus are both struggling but things look up once they find one another. It's got good small town vibes, a bit of paranormal that isn't too woo woo, and a positive outlook. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Light, bright. and fun.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC. I started this series on book 2, Kiss and Spell then went to go buy Book 1 Witchful Thinking at Barnes and Noble. This series is light and enjoyful. If you are looking for a lot of drama and angst you won't get that. I have found this entire series to be refreshing and fun. There are very few Black women writing Fantasy and I enjoy this author's take on it very much, Gus and Sirena character's were very sweet. I loved the whole 'redo' concept. The book was giving Fall vibes for me and I fun reading it.

Favorite scene (in 1-3 word): Carnival game

- A kitchen witch
- FALL VIBES
- Mouthwatering food
- COZY
- Romance

If you can tell, this book has everything you need to bring in that October weather with a cozy book. I read the first two books in the series, but you can read this one as a standalone. This was an easy read and had the perfect amount of spice. And I'm talking romance spice and pumpkin spice.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for my eARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Deja Brew is the third book in Celestine Martin’s Elemental Love series. It can be read as a standalone, but I’ve enjoyed the prior books and the cozy, diverse small-town with magic Martin has created. The lore, while not super-deep, also continues to be quite fun, and one of my favorite parts of the book. This one is also the most chock-full of fall vibes, with the story set against the backdrop of fall itself, and covering the months of October, November, and a little bit in December.
Sirena and Gus are both compelling characters. Sirena in particular is struggling with her life, with nothing quite going her way, only to receive a do-over via a wish. She’s easy to root for, as she tries to figure her life out. Gus is in a similar place of trying to rebuild his life after divorce. I loved the balance between them both figuring out what they want as individuals and exploring their attraction to each other, with them trying to figure out if they are each other’s second chance.
The romance is a sweet, slow-burn, and that pairs rather well with the time-loop element. Sometimes the timeline resulted in some uneven pacing, but it’s more or less enjoyable in other respects.
This was a fun, sweet read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for paranormal romance with Black leads.

3rd book in series, loved going back to Freya Grove! Second chance romance, magical/witchy infused and totally fun!


Sirena Caraway, chef & witch, is having a very strange October. The first time around, nothing went how she hoped but strangely has gotten a second chance.
Gus Dearworth, magician, and former reality star has distanced himself from his famous family, moved home and taken a job with the local historical society.

Gus makes Sirena a deal after reconnecting at the town's fall festival. If she’ll help decipher a mysterious cookbook in his collection, he'll help get her magical groove back.

the way this book was written was unfortunately not for me. i love the representation and the unique little universe. however, there were too many things i did not like about this book to give it anything over 2 stars. someone else might totally love this writing, personally i found it hard to follow.

I was thrilled to dive into this one, especially since it's just about at the perfect time of year for it. The story is set in a cozy town in New Jersey, and the main character, Sirena, is a witch—enough to get my interest.
Sirena is having a rough month, which leads her to make a wish that sends her back in time for a do-over of October. The main male character, a magician on hiatus, is hiding out in this charming Jersey Shore town, working as a historical society director. Both characters are lovable and add a delightful charm to the story.
However, I found that the plot lacked urgency. While the premise was intriguing, nothing particularly exciting or pivotal captured my attention as much as I had hoped. Despite this, the cozy setting and endearing characters make it a pleasant read.

Overall, I would give Deja Brew 3 stars.

It's a nice book for those who enjoy a light, magical read, especially during the fall season.

If you're looking for books with witches and magicians, cozy fall vibes and steamy romance scenes.. this is the book for you!
Sirena is a Kitchen Witch and feels that she's lost her spark for cooking and all her dishes aren't as good as they used to be.
She's in a rut and figures the help of a very handsome magician named Gus can help her!

I loved how vulnerable and open they were with each other and their banter was off the charts!

I do have to say that I didn't know that this was the third book of a series BUT you can definitely read this as a stand-alone as I did not find myself confused at all.

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever, Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC!

Let me begin by saying I did not read the two other books in this series but I loved the cover so much and I wanted to read a Fall romance book. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ This is such a cute Fall romance book! Look at the cover and it totally represents everything about the story. It’s cozy, it has witches, a magician, food, romance, magic and pumpkins! I also like the feel of community in this book.

+ The romance is sweet. Gus and Sirena are friends first and then grow steadily into lovers. It’s a slow burn but I thought their relationship was really cute because he’s a nice guy and she’s a sweet lady and there wasn’t any huge problems between them. The spice is mild but I think it goes well with how the story is told.

+ This can be read as a standalone but it made me curious about the first two books.

Dislikes:

+ I think the romance was cute but I didn’t feel very connected to the characters.

Final Thoughts:

This story is full of FALL vibes and I think it’s definitely something you should add to your reading list if you are looking for something witchy, magical and cozy.

I love witch romances so much! This was so good and it made me aware of another book in this series before this one! Yay! Sisterly, witchy relationships as well as romance! That’s a win!!

Deja Brew was an enjoyable read overall. I appreciated the chemistry between Gus and Sirena and found their personal growth and individual issues well portrayed. Gus was a particularly well-crafted character, endearing and relatable. However, I found the slow burn romance to be a bit too slow for my liking, which affected my enthusiasm for the story.

Despite this, I believe the characters contributed well to the overall narrative. If you enjoy heartwarming and comforting romance, I'd recommend adding this to your fall reading list.

Thank you to ReadForever and NetGalley for the eARC of DEJA BREW by the fabulous Celestine Martin,

Brief synopsis:
Sirena, a ex-celebrity chef, has cooking powers that are on the fritz and has a last ditch effort to save her career by working the town's Halloween party. She makes a desperate wish for a chance to turn her life around. To her surprise, she wakes up the next morning to find herself reliving the entire month. This magical do-over brings with it the unexpected chance to reconnect with Gus, a former reality star who has retreated to Freya Grove to mend his broken heart and rebuild his reputation. Will this second-chance be happily ever after or a bittersweet memory?

Review:
Deja Brew is a captivating cozy mystery that will appeal to fans of the genre. Celestine Martin has crafted a story that is both entertaining and heartwarming, with a mystery that keeps readers guessing until the end. This is the perfect cozy, fall romance to kick off your autumn season!