Adored it from start to finish, I was utterly invested in Sage and her romance with Ximena. A cozy book but so important with the representation it offers readers, chock full of amazing elements and a satisfying swirl of different genres.

This book was fine. I like the mystery in Blackclaw Valley. Because you get different witches, and then there’s a mystery going on why somebody would take a heartbreak potion. Get to see Sage and Ximena rekindle their feelings. They are working on opening up with each other again to see if something is still there. And they’re also working on saving Bishop Brews, so Sage’s families’s legacy can go on. Also together and solving the mystery on who took the potion. and I like the fact that you get to see these characters open up to each other again, but you also get to see them in different lights because they are not the same person. They were four years ago. They’re learning to move forward with their lives so they can have a better future. And I like that they learned that it is fine to move on. They will always be a place for them in Blackclaw Valley.

Cozy saphic romance fantasy, mystery, forced proximity, second chance romance, who-done-it, giant wolves, magic potions. This book had a lot going on. So much! But it never feels like too much. Shelly Page has very comfortably and very skillfully packed this story full of all the best things.

I would love nothing more than to visit the town of Blackclaw and spend the day checking out the different shops! Shelly made this town sound like a vacation destination that would top my list!

There were a few things I predicted pretty early on, but that could just be me, and it didn’t make the story any less enjoyable.

This story gave off Twilight fanfic vibes, with witches of vampires, and im so here for it.

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

If I know a book has witches, I'll add it to my TBR right away. So when I heard about Brewed with Love it didn't take me long to decide to read it. This book pulls you in from the start and I read it in just about one sitting. The synopsis describes this book as a cozy, contemporary romantasy and I have to say I completely agree.

I have to start off by saying I loved the setting Brewed with Love took place in. I would love to live in this magical town and work at this apothecary. Sage's family is known for their ability to make potions and they help the town as much as they can. After having her heart broken by Ximena (her former best friend and crush) she decides to make a potion to help people who have their heart broken. So far her attempts haven't worked, and when Ximena comes back to town it's complicated.

We get a forced proximity, second chance friendship/romance. In the beginning Sage really wants nothing to do with Ximena, but having to work together has them slowly bringing up the past and learning about how they've changed. I think that the apothecary being broken into and a bad attempt of her potion being stolen and someone losing her memory definitely had them connect quicker, but it was still great to see. Their connection was still there and it was nice seeing Sage open her heart again.

Brewed with Love is filled with family, magic, love, small town vibes, and secrets. I think at some times the author wanted to add too many things to the story, and that left some aspects a bit underdeveloped. All in all, I still really enjoyed this witchy story. I hope Shelly Page writes more magical books.

This review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on February 1st.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.

I enjoyed this story a lot! The magic being tied to nature was a very cool aspect to the plot. Making it a more finite resource as well worked wonders for the book too. I enjoyed Sage an Ximena as characters. They were really funny together and super cute! I clocked right away that (spoilers) Ximena was a werewolf. It just made sense to me given her sense of smell and how secretive she was being about everything. What I didn't enjoy was how Sage went after Poppy relentlessly. I really enjoyed her (Poppy) as a character and I didn't feel like Sage was being fair with her accusations towards her, especially with how Poppy was clearly going through something that was upsetting her. I understood that sage was trying to get answers but her and Poppy used to be friends and they are Coven members so she should have trusted that Poppy wouldn't be the person behind this.

This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a heartwarming and enchanting blend of magic, romance, and self-discovery, particularly those who adore LGBTQIA+ stories, young adult adventures, and tales of overcoming adversity with courage and wit.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!! I really liked this. At first, I was skeptical due to the setting, but the description of magic really helped me keep this grounded. But really, it's not about that. We all need help reconciling our old emotions and overcoming our anxieties. I have really been on a kick of these trauma healing, emotional, cozy romances and this is another one that is like that. Plus you get fun little remedies with lots of honey. There is one part that confused me throughout the whole book, but it might cause spoilers soooooo . . . . I am going to ignore it and continue through my day.

Rating: 5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Randomhouse Children's for access to this e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.
My first five star read of the year! This book tugged on my heartstrings like no book has in a while. Following Sage's story as she tried to figure out the mystery was quite fun, and seeing her connect, but also struggle, with other people in town really captured how it can be in a small town life. I enjoyed getting to know all the side characters especially Mercer and Tiva. The development of the plot went at a steady pace and helped keep me focused the whole time I was reading. I also loved being able to see the ingredients that Sage was using in her tonic recipe. I consider myself spiritual, and loved seeing how the author represented spirituality and different kinds of "unusual" practices. The author also does an amazing job at not appropriating any culture or spirituality throughout the book. And the romance was just icing on the cake. I can't wait to see what else this author writes!

Oh, how I loved this book!! I was super sick while reading and stayed up way too late anyway reading it multiple nights in a row. It's nuanced and well-crafted, and just hit every note I wanted and then some. The romance (I am a total simp for friends-to-lovers, obviously)! The mystery (WAY PAST MY BEDTIME)! The incredible descriptions of herbs, botanicals, flowers, spices...to die for. I highlighted so many passages of beautiful writing, and loved Sage, Ximena, and the whole cast so much.

“You make me want to embrace every part of myself”
I adored this book. It felt like a cosy mystery with magic. I loved the vibes. Nature, earth, cosy, whimsical, mysterious and queer. It was a forced proximity and second chance romance between two girls who fell in love at thirteen.

There was a mystery that I genuinely enjoyed. I liked how Sage fought to save her families business. I enjoyed Sage and Ximena having to team up to find out who broke into and stole from their store. I liked how they had a coven in this story and how they were mostly women.

Sage and Ximenas romance was so sweet and I think lots of queer teens will love this story. 4.5 stars

Brewed with Love is a cute romantic mystery that surrounds 2 high school students Ximena and Sage. Throughout the story, I fell in love with the characters and their relationship. For me, I am usually not a big fan of a "who done it" plot, but for this story there were a lot of cozy vibes that really fit well with the mystery happening. Also it focuses on a queer witch as well, need I say more? If you are looking for a magical cozy queer story, I think this is a fantastic choice!

So let's break down the characters a little bit. My personal favorite character was Ximena. I was intrigued by her from the start. Sage and Ximena were really close friends before Ximena suddenly disappears. So imagine Sage’s surprise when her ex best friend ends up getting hired at her family’s potion shop. Ximena is a complex, but lovable character that is trying to protect those around her. Also the twist, I didn’t notice at first, but was such a cute addition to the story. Plus their relationship is relatable, Sage has to regain trust, and I find the characters realistic to teenagers and how they would react through tough situations.

Now, honestly another highlight of the story is the vibes of the town. I am not usually one to be interested in a mystery plot, but the world building of the town, the rivals and the magic was just pleasant. I was invested in the coven, and how they were dealing with the rivalries of another town/potion shop. The community felt homey, and as someone who craves a small town community this has that idealistic feeling. Yes the community in the story has its issues, but that is also human nature, and I am allowed to have a fictional town I love.

So should you read this book? I would suggest this read to those that are looking for a low stake, second change, young adult, cozy, queer romantic mystery. I think this is the perfect book to read in a nice pair of socks while drinking tea and just trying to enjoy an evening.

Two ex best friends who were on their way to dating suddenly break up and now they're reunited again working under the same witchy shop... and now have to figure out who is trying to steal from the shop while facing their broken relationship and seeing if they could get a second chance. Sage is a plant witch who helps run her family's apothecary. She used to be best friends with Ximena, in fact they kissed and were going to become something more... except Ximena then moved away and ghosted Sage. Yet now Ximena has moved back to their small town and is hired as the new worker at Sage's family apothecary. Ever since moving back Ximena has pretended like Sage doesn't exist but now they're both working under the same store and tensions are rising. When someone steals from the store, its up to them to figure out why and who did it, yet that would require them to actually talk to one another and face what happened between them. Sage doesn't know if she is ready to open up her heart again to the one girl who completely broke it. Yet Ximena is hiding her own secret and reason for why she couldn't tell Sage she left... and when the truth gets out, can Sage forgive her? Can they get a second chance to make it right? This was definitely a light hearted witchy romance that focuses on friendship and second chances. While this one didn't necessary wow me or get me heavily investeed, I do think that others can enjoy this. Very low stakes and an easy read. I think YA readers will enjoy this and that it would make a cute read for younger YA teens who are looking for a quick and sweet sapphic witchy romance.

Release Date: January 14,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Joy Revolution for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love this cover so much. It drew me in. This story is cute and fast paced and I enjoyed the journey. The magic here was interesting and I love the idea of the magical community that has built up. Sage and Ximena’s relationship felt like a speed run. There wasn’t really a lot of time between the hate and the crushing. I also called the twist pretty quickly. It was done very well but very obvious. I love a good mystery with a deadline so this was fun. Looking forward to more books by this author!

I enjoyed this sapphic cozy paranormal mystery. The mystery kept me interested until the end and Sage and Ximena just made it so much better. I love Sage and Ximena; they just had the greatest chemistry. Watching them grow as they move forward after their bad past and falling in love with one another was just great.

As soon as I saw the gorgeous cover of Brewed With Love, I knew it would be one of my most anticipated books of 2025! In this book, former best friends, Sage and Ximena, are forced to work together to save the potion shop they work at (and maybe fall in love along the way). Overall, I enjoyed this book! I liked the characters, the cozy fantasy setting of the town, and I thought the romance between Sage and Ximena was adorable. However, I do feel like the writing fell short for me at times. It felt like a lot of the aspects of the mystery and the interactions between the characters were told to the reader rather than shown. That being said, mysteries are difficult to write and I think that the way this one wrapped up made sense. I also thought the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked to see more of the aftermath of the mystery being solved and Sage and Ximena reconciling. I'm excited to see what Shelly Page does next!

i think this was a fun and quick read. I loved the spahic rep in this book and found it to be fun and quick read. I think i would call this more of cozy mystery set in a parnomal world. It def was paced a cozy mystety and i overall enoyed it. I struggeld a bit with the writing style and wish the world was flesehd out more but it was a fun read!! i would def read by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Joy Revolution for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Cozy, atmospheric, romantic, and all the things, Brewed with Love by Shelly Page is a phenomenal debut romantasy. I had such a fun time reading this. A bit of a mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish. Sage and Ximena's sapphic childhood friends to strangers to lovers was so good! If you like witches and werewolves and overthrowing big business pick this one up.

I loved this relatively straightforward mystery novel set in a witchy little town. Sage and Ximena had a great dynamic, and I loved seeing their young love blossom as they grew to communicate with each other despite being hurt by each other in the past. I think I wanted this to be a bit more cozy in that I wanted even more fluff and whimsy in this magical world, which was lost to the serious focus on the mystery (i.e., I felt like the mystery wasn't exactly cozy and was actually pretty high stakes and intense!), but I still enjoyed this read and am chalking up this disconnect to a marketing miss. I will be looking forward to where Shelly Page's work goes hereafter though.

As someone with a side hobby reviewing perfumes, a deep love for flowers, and an educational background in chemistry, reading this book was an absolute sensory-olfactory dream. I absolutely loved the setting, world-building, and imagery throughout this book. Shelly Page has a refreshing writing style that highlights her exquisite attention to detail and thorough research. Brewed With Love is a charming young adult contemporary romance with magical realism and a mystery subplot. This book had so many joyful, tender, visually beautiful scenes. I also picked up on many important life lessons that individuals of any age can learn from and feel seen by. This was a lovely sapphic young love story with additional themes of respecting and honoring Indigenous land and the cultures and people of that land, being emotionally intelligent and empathetic even at a young age, and the gift of having family and friends love you unconditionally so that you feel safe being your authentic self. I highly recommend buying and reading Brewed With Love!
I am already anticipating and excited about any future releases by Shelly Page.
Thank you to the publisher Joy Revolution (Random House Children's) and the Author for an eARC (Advance Reader's Copy) to enjoy this before publication!

Looking for a fun witchy sapphic romance? This one is it. I could feel the magic amongst the pages. I loved the relationship Sage had with her grandmother and Tiva. Plus we had older queer rep? Loved. Sage and Ximena had really great chemistry! It was nice to see communication happening. Plus fighting against corporate greed? A cherry on top. This was a fun breath of fresh air in between heavy reads. Highly recommend!