I've tried reading this book a few different times and tried listening to the audiobook and it's just not the book for me. I DNF'd this book.

Brewed with Love by Shelly Page enchanted me with its cozy, small-town magic. Sage, the plant witch, is fighting to save her family’s apothecary when Ximena—her ex-best friend and first crush—returns. I felt every swoon and awkward moment as they brewed tonics, solved a mystery, and revived old sparks. The world-building rooted in plant magic felt fresh, and their slow-burn romance hit all the right notes .

Perfect for when you want a lighthearted sapphic romantasy with heart, humor, and a dash of mystery.

I love the aesthetic and concept of this book, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I had originally thought I would :(

I have 3 main issues with Brewed with Love:

1: For starters, Sage is a really annoying main character. She's kind of a brat and I much prefer Ximena to Sage.

2: The mystery was also lacking in my opinion because I felt like I was given too many clues along the way.

3: It felt like sometimes the story was moving really slowly, and I would find myself losing interest when I would hit those lulls.

I have been slow to posting reviews due to some health issues, but this took me what felt like ages to finish because I just couldn't get immersed.

I will say, I love the concept, the aesthetic, the cover art is GORGEOUS. I may try to go back and re-read this just to see if it makes me feel any differently, but for now I have to give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5, because I did like parts of it, I just wanted more.

I received an arc from NetGalley and the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I feel like this book is the perfect mix of cozy, romance, mystery and fantasy. I would love to live in a world where witches were real and brewed potions you could buy for whatever you need. I also liked the burglary aspect, it gave a solid reason for the Sage to work with Ximena without forcing something too hard.
I loved the sitting of Black Claw and how the magic system was rooted in plants and sharing of knowledge and resources.
Once I started reading I could not stop! I was so engrossed in every aspect of this story.
And I especially appreciate that while this is YA the focus was not on a coming out story.

Page is an author to watch out for. A cozy, magical time, loved every minute in this world. The characters were strong, the magic made sense in the universe created and the romance, just chef kiss! Wonderful in all ways!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this arc!

This book follows a teenage witch, Sage as her grandmother’s apothecary is framed. The book explores Sage’s friendship and romantic relationship as she tries to find out who is the culprit. I enjoyed this book but I wished I loved it. I would buy this book for a teenager. I wish I had this book when I was younger. This is more of a 3.5/5

Shelly Page's debut novel offers a delightful blend of magic, mystery, and romance. The small-town setting of Blackclaw is richly imagined, with a unique magic system rooted in plant-based brews. The evolving relationship between Sage and Ximena adds depth to the narrative, balancing lighthearted moments with emotional growth. While the mystery element is engaging, the story's charm lies in its character development and the cozy atmosphere Page creates.

the perfect october read especially for sapphics who love a little magic in their romance! this was so good i knew i had to get a physical copy! it was absolutely incredible and i really loved the writing and the main characters! cannot wait for more from the author!

I thoroughly adored this one.
We have a mystery, a childhood friends to almost more to frenemies to lovers, and a Black, lesbian plant witch whose family business in jeopardy? I loved it.

Sage was such a wonderful character to read. I loved reading about her powers and her magic and the potions she could make.
The mystery was excellent - it kept me guessing, and I don't think I picked the ending (ish? for once lol (one part I absolutely did guess)).

And I adored the sweet as heck romance between Ximena and Sage. Those two were cute as!

I have developed an unexpected soft spot for second chance romance for queer stories specifically and that plot point in this book was excellent. I have already recommended this to several people and used it for an event giveaway at my previous library.

It's one of the best YA books I've read in a while. The cover really tells you the tone of the book: cozy and magical. There's also a magical resource sharing message that I think can translate well to helping younger readers understand the need for things like water conservation.

The mystery was done really well, I would think I had a good guess and then be wrong a few times, but once the big reveal happened, everything made sense.

I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to read about a young person standing up for their family business, an enticing mystery, and a second chance at friendship and maybe something else.

5 out of 5 stars

Brewed with Love by Shelly Page is advertised as a cozy, sapphic romantasy, and honestly, it’s so much more than that! This adorable YA story is like a warm hug—or maybe a glowing tonic—packed with a smoothly flowing mystery plot. I found myself constantly trying to decode the clues, wondering what was a red herring and what actually mattered. While obsessively piecing together who broke into Bishop Brews and why, I started to pick up on hints that something deeper was off with Ximena herself.
All the characters are incredibly lovable, but Sage and Ximena especially make a delightful duo. The way the story handled themes of identity and fitting in was so sweet, and I was genuinely captivated by even the minor side characters’ relationships and interactions.
Page’s writing is light, fun, and fast-paced—I devoured it quickly because I couldn’t put it down. The scenes move briskly enough to keep you hooked while still giving space to little moments that showcase characters’ magic, like growing flowers for decoration. The vivid world-building is gorgeous, making me wish I could see these scenes in real life—I'm pretty sure they'd be perfect!
Brewed with Love is an ideal pick for a sapphic teen looking for an escape, but honestly, I think just about anyone could enjoy it. It’s a lovely mix of love, comfort, suspense, action, and mystery all woven together.
Overall, this book really is the perfect tonic—it hits all the right notes. If you’re searching for a fun, cozy, sapphic read, I highly recommend giving this one a try. Thank you so much to Shelly Page and her team for the ARC—I loved it!

Sage wants nothing more than to keep her family's potion shop thriving, and to perfect her heartbreak cure potion while she's at it, which she has a lot of motivation to finish since her ex-best-friend/crush Ximena moved back to town...and then Sage's grandma hired her at the shop. You'd think that would be enough to deal with, but then a shop break in results, messily, in a girl losing her memories and the town council is threatening to close the shop and a corporate potions store is trying to move in and also Sage's feelings towards Ximena definitely aren't gone. The two girls will have to work together to save the shop and maybe figure out their lives while they're at it.
This book was cutesy. It was predictable and a little cliché maybe, but ultimately it was a sweet little romance with some mysterious and suspense. Sage was a little annoying at times, but she was also 17, so like, it happens. It was like a bag of chocolate chips: not super nourishing, but a nice treat.

3.75⭐️

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Intrigue: 7
Narrative: 7
Build-up: 7
Originality: 7
Wow Factor: 8

Brewed with Love is the kind of book that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. It’s warm, steady, and quietly confident—like the perfect brew meant to make things feel whole again.

The atmosphere is rich and comforting—you can practically feel the steam from the espresso machine and hear the clink of ceramic mugs. There’s a satisfying layer of emotional intrigue that keeps the story moving. Each reveal, each heartfelt moment, feels earned.

Page’s narrative style is smooth and deliberate, letting the relationship develop naturally although there does seem to be a bit unnecessary drama. The pacing might feel slow to some, but for readers who love a slow build with sweet payoff, it’s just right.

What really elevates this book is its emotional resonance. The final chapters land with a power that lingers.

Brewed with Love doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It does exactly what it sets out to do: wrap you up in warmth, hold your heart gently, and remind you that love—like a good potion—is best when it’s brewed with care.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for the copy in exchange of an honest review.

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

I've enjoyed all the books I've read from Joy Revolution so far, so I was optimistic going into Brewed with Love, even if, as a contemporary fantasy, it was less likely to work for me.

And sadly, while there were things I enjoyed, this book ended up letting me down.

One of the issues I often have with contemporary fantasy is the world building, but I actually didn't mind that aspect here. The detail into the different types of witches and the types of magical practices was a lot of fun, and the little interstitial brew recipes add a both texture to the magic system and a dash of humor in places.

The major characters, while not super captivating, are also decent. Sage is set to take over her family's apothecary Bishop Brews one day, and she's working to invent a tonic to cure heartbreak that will also contribute to the apothecary's legacy. Ximena, meanwhile, is a new hire at Bishop Brews, as well as being Sage's former friend who ghosted her. The proximity, plus them working together to solve a mystery, was a great basis for them to reconnect and for romance to grow. They were generally easy to like and root for throughout.

But I think where the book let me down was how "cozy" it

was. It's simultaneously the advertised cozy romantasy, plus it's also a cozy mystery, my ultimate literary nemesis.

While this was hinted at in the blurb, I wasn't truly convinced that the stakes were all that high.

I am now on an ALA committee and cannot leave a real review. Thank you for your patience. Sorry for the inconvenience This is NOT a rating. This just a place holder because I had to.

I wanted to love Brewed with Love, but I really think this is just fine. I always love sapphic witches, and the setting was super cozy. Where this stopped working for me was the mystery at its center involving stolen potions, one of which is misbrewed and causes memory loss for the mayor's daughter. The main character and her love interest hunt for clues, but I found this part to be kind of boring and a lot of the clues to be obvious. I know this is for a younger audience, but even teen readers while pick up on these things and wonder why the characters didn't. Also, the main villain is obvious and cartoony.

The romance is sweet, the friendships are also sweet and deserved more page time. I'd read more from this author and think this would be a fun fall read for certain teens, but not all. Still, it was fun and lighthearted and we all need that at times!

I did not realize this was YA going in, which is not my usual genre. But I’m always excited for a paranormal sapphic story so I finished it anyway. This was a very cozy read with a good dash of high school drama. I enjoyed the paranormal twist in the middle.

Brewed With Love by Shelly Page is the perfect cozy witchy story and I adored this book.
 
The story is about Sage who is a plant witch, and she works in the family business, Bishop Brews, and her dream is to take over one day. But the business faces a lot of competition and therefore Sage tries to come up with a tonic to cure heartbreak. Sage is such a clever and creative person who is very protective of her family, and I really liked that.
 
Ximena is Sage’s ex best friend, and she desperately needs a job and starts working in Bishop Brews and that created the perfect forced proximity situation. Ximena ghosted her in the past and I really wanted to find out why so desperately because I loved their chemistry from the beginning. On her first day someone breaks in and the two must figure out what happened, and I loved how they slowly started to trust each other again and they’re a great team. This mystery aspect added so much suspense and kept me even more intrigued.
 
The story is cozy and magical, and I wish I had read it on Valentine’s Day. The romance is really sweet as well and I loved how these two got a second chance at love and the title especially fits this story so well.
 
I just adored Brewed With Love and it’s perfect for my witchy romantic heart. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

I had a bit of a heard time getting into the novel, but that could have been because of the format (I generally find ebooks more difficult to read than physical novels or audiobooks). But once I had gotten into the flow of the story, I was invested. I really like the mystery aspect of the novel as well as the world building. There are too many characters introduced at the very beginning, including a list of coven members that don't really have any thing to do with anything, but if you just focus on Sage instead of trying to remember everyone else, you can push through it.

The other part I really liked about the book was that it's revealed about halfway through the book that Ximena is a werewolf!!! I'd been reading a different ya novel featuring werewolves recently, and thinking to myself that we need sapphic werewolves and here Shelly Page came to provide! I only guessed this twist a chapter or so before it happened, which made the foreshadowing and pay off feel so good and worth it.Collapse


Brewed with Love was a cute, fun, cozy read. Great if you want something chill and witchy. I think once it's out, it will make a really great audiobook and I recommend it for those who enjoy YA.

Sage Bishop is a plant witch who works at her family’s apothecary. During one of her shifts, an experimental potion is stolen and used on one of her classmates, who loses her memory. Sage must work with her ex, who just moved back to town, to figure out who stole the potion before her shop is shut down. This was a perfect cozy, magical mystery that I couldn’t put down! The mystery element was gripping and I loved the way that the different twists unfolded, especially because Sage is such an easy character to root for and I wanted to see her succeed. The small-town vibes were atmospheric and made me wish that I could visit a real magical apothecary! I highly recommend this book if you’re looking to escape into something light that still has an interesting plot!