Hopelessly Teavoted had a charming premise and some genuinely fun moments, but ultimately fell short in its execution. The chemistry between Azrael and Victoria was a recurring theme, with frequent allusions to a one-night stand, but frustratingly, the book never delivered any real insight or detail about that event. It felt like a missed opportunity to deepen their connection and add emotional weight to their interactions.

Similarly, the subplot involving the mega church hinted at something sinister or complex, but fizzled out by the end. What seemed like a potentially juicy scandal turned out to be the fault of a single bad actor, leaving that storyline underdeveloped and unsatisfying.

The novel also suffered from pacing issues. It was significantly longer than it needed to be, with extensive detail spent on minor elements while more important plotlines and character development were glossed over or left unresolved.

Overall, it’s a cute read with potential, but it could’ve benefited from tighter editing and more depth in key areas.

A witchy romance with a fall feeling, a charmed house, and a bit of mystery focused around a male witch and his female neighbor/friend turned coffee shop owner. The pining between these two characters is off the charts. However, it seems for every step forward, they doubt themselves more. And I’m not sure with all the love Az felt for Vickie that he would be with that many others before even getting to college. The mystery felt very much a runner up to the relationship and it didn’t make much sense to me.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

2.75⭐️ While a fun and festive book for the fall/Halloween season, this didn’t do it for me. I love the premise and the quirkiness of the characters. The actual plot fell flat along with the pacing. So many things were repeated over and over while others (like understanding the magic going on with the characters and the town) were glossed over to a degree that I’m not sure I understand what happened or why. There was a lot of alluding to past stories that were only somewhat described. I had fun reading it but was let down by the overall execution.

This adorable cover and title totally sucked me in. Love anything witchy this time of year. Cute, cozy, spooky.

This has a fun premise and I was excited to read it with spooky season coming up. Unfortunately I struggled to get into the story or become attached to the characters and decided to softly dnf for the time being. Something that is 100% a me thing is that I struggle connecting characters when the story is told in third person point of view. There’s a chance I’ll come back to this sometime in the future to try again.

I think the only thing I liked about this one was the cover. Cute plot but the execution was Lacking.

Hopelessly Teavoted by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
Releases 9/16!

3.5 stars, rounded up

Thank you to Atria and Audrey for entrusting me with an early copy!

Cozy, spicy contemporary read
Dual POV, second chance, childhood friends/neighbors, pining, MMC witch, FMC who can talk to ghosts, LGTBQ rep, sentient house, cutest tea shop, mystery, deals with devils, no third act break up, miscommunication trope

Vickie and Azrael were childhood best friends and then almost something more, but then they weren't. They both have lingering feelings that they are unsure what to do with when they each are surprised that the other has also returned to their hometown. They find themselves working together when spirits are giving Vickie warnings about sinister ongoings in their town. Through these ongoings there ends up being a curse on Azrael that that means he and Vickie cannot touch without him dying. Can they work together and save both the town and Azrael?

This was a cute book with a bit of a twist since the MMC is the witch. Vickie and Azrael are not the best at communicating, which was a bit frustrating. Then by the time they were communicating, there was a curse in the way. But I did appreciate that they didn't give up on trying to fix the curse and be together. The magic system isn't gone into with a ton of detail, but it was cozy and I loved the teashop!

Darn it I wanted to like this one. It sounded like it was going to be so good. But this book was ALL over the place. This felt like we were missing a lot of back story. I just didn’t care for this. It didn’t seem very well thought out.

DNF'd at 43%

Slight spoilers below...

I truly wanted to love this. It sounded like a cute, witchy romance surrounding a mystery in a tea shop in a witchy town. That felt right up my alley, but at the 43% mark, I couldn't take it anymore.

The story feels so disjointed and the MCs are frustrating. They kept going on and on with vague mentions about their ine night in college, you'd have thought they killed someone. And then when they finally discussed it, I didn't get what happened. No joke, I literally read the scene where they talked about what happened in college four times, and I still don't understand it.

I also don't get why Lex got so mad at them to curse them. Maybe if I'd kept reading that would have made more sense, but it seemed like he just all of a sudden was like, "You mean you like each other more than you like me even though you said you were friends? I'm offended! Curses all around!" 🤔 I'm, what? Made no sense.

Also, how is Vicki paying for the tea shop? She's been cut off financially. She literally has NO MONEY! I get that she got a loan before the bank realized she was cut off and disinherited, but she still has to make payments on said loan.

Anyway, all that to say, I won't be continuing this book because the story just did not work for me.

This was the perfect Halloween, cozy and spooky feel I was looking for to get me in the fall spirit. I loved the relationship between Azrael and Vickie, I liked that Azrael was the witch as the MMC, usually I see a lot of fiction with the FMC in that role, so that was refreshing. The romance between these two and the yearning was on fire. I wanted to keep reading and reading, just to see what was to happen with them. This is a must read this halloween for anyone that loves magic and witches, with a side of heavy longing romance! Thank you to Atria Books for this ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)

This was a quirky, cozy read with a unique magical twist! Hopelessly Teavoted mixes witchy vibes, cursed romance, and small-town charm in a way that’s both whimsical and heartfelt. Azrael and Vickie have great chemistry, and their banter was definitely a highlight for me. The world of Hallowcross is full of fun supernatural elements, and the tea shop setting gives it that perfect autumnal comfort-read feel.

That said, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and there were moments where the story seemed a little overstuffed with ideas. Still, if you're into light paranormal romance with a dash of emotional healing and devilish bargains, this is a fun one to curl up with.

Okay, so I just finished reading Hopelessly Teavoted, and OMG, it was just the cutest! If you're looking for a cozy, witchy romance to get you in the spooky season mood, this is it. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars because it's super fun and has all the good vibes.

The writing is totally my style. It's easy to read and just pulls you right into the story. It feels like you're chatting with a friend who's telling you about all this crazy witchy stuff happening in their town. Audrey Goldberg Ruoff does a great job of mixing the magic and the romance without making it feel too complicated. It's got that perfect balance of "Aww, they're so cute" and "What's gonna happen next?!"

Let's talk about the characters! Azrael is the classic witchy boy-next-door who's been crushing on Victoria forever. And Victoria, who can literally talk to ghosts, is so bubbly and relatable. You're totally rooting for them from the first page. Their history and the whole "we can't touch each other or you'll die" curse from a devil (so dramatic!) makes their romance extra-patience-testing and full of sweet, yearning moments. They have so much chemistry, even when they're not physically close, which is so impressive.

This book gave me ALL the feels. It's a little bit spooky, a little bit mysterious, but mostly just heart-meltingly romantic. It has this comforting, warm energy, kind of like a perfect cup of tea (get it?). It’s the kind of book that makes you feel hopeful and happy. Seriously, if you love rom-coms with a magical twist and a super cute, nerdy hero, you've got to check this one out. It’s a great escape and just a good time all around!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

I was immediately charmed by the cover and the description. I don't think the actual story lived up to my expectations, unfortunately. I found the writing confusing - there is at least a 6-year gap between chapter 1 and chapter 2, but there's no indication of this. I thought when I started chapter 2 it would be from Victoria's POV (which is was), but we'd see at least part of what happened in chapter 1. It was almost completely unrelated to the first chapter. I found the way information was revealed really hard to follow - I'm not entirely sure why. This very much felt like we dropped into the story and missed some information - so much of what was shared was presented as if we already knew the backstory or had been introduced to this world (like Victoria and Az's friendship or how the magic system worked).
At the same time, I felt the book suffered from a lot of repetition. Within the first 15% of the book, we're bombarded with the fact that they are friends, but they hurt each other in college, but they belong together multiple times.

Hopelessly Teavoted has everything I could ask for - a spooky, fall story dealing with witches, devils, ghosts, and a cute teashop. I really thought I would like it, but unfortunately, the book fell flat for me.

It took me 2 months to finish this book. I would pick it up, read 10 pages, and call it quits until the next day. I was so happy when it finally ended. The story had potential: it follows Vickie and Azrael, childhood friends who had feelings for one another but never really acted on it and then grew apart. They move back to their hometown and reconnect. Az is a witch, and Vickie can talk to ghosts after her parents made a deal with a devil. Things happen, there’s an evil church they need to stop, and Vickie and Azrael can’t touch at the moment or else he’ll die. Meanwhile, Vickie bought the tea shop that Az’s mother owned before she died of an illness alongside her husband…from a pandemic illness… can’t say I’m a fan of books having COVID featured as a plot point.

I really wanted to like this, but there was so much I didn’t enjoy. I thought the pacing was off. It was very slow, and then certain plot points happened very quickly (like the conversation at the church). The book also repeats points a lot. 15% of it could have been cut out just because it was repeating things we were already told. Vickie and Az love each other, they hurt one another in college, devil be damned if they don’t end up together, etc. I also thought the conversation/banter was forced and a little cringe. There is also no backstory to their friendship as children, just that they were friends because they lived next door to one another. The idea is there, I just think the execution could have been a little better and thought out more. It felt like it had too many plot points but didn’t fully think them out.

My favorite part of the story was that the cat’s name was Emily Lickenson. I also really liked the cover and the title; the marketing got me. This might be a good fit for someone who just enjoys a fall, witchy book. It’s a 2.5 - 3.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Atria books for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

3 ⭐️

There was a lot going on here and unfortunately it made it hard to keep my interest. Half the time I wasn’t even sure what was happening! The connection between Victoria and Az didn’t seem to be very deep for a childhood love on his part. Instead, it was more like they were sex crazed, and not just with each other 😅 overall it was cute fall read if you can keep up.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF 42%

A really cute idea without the execution.

I'm so torn here because I really did like the writing, the narrative voice and the flow of the prose. I feel like that sometimes is the opposite, but here I could read the internal narratives all day long. But as soon as these characters started talking, the flow was gone and conversations just didn't feel natural.

And then there were aspects of the story that just didn't jive. The characters would communicate, and then walk it back, communicate, walk it back. There is a character that's supposed to be a dark, devilesque character, but his personality felt very forced and something that he did right before I stopped reading didn't make any sense. It just felt very immature and downgraded his character a bit.

And I would honestly sum up this story with one word: FRUSTRATING. And frustration can be a good ingredient to have at times, but there didn't seem to be a payout for the continues frustrations.

But I also think that some readers thrive on that kind of story, so I still think this might be really cute for some, but it didn't hit the mark for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Hopelessly Teavoted was on my radar since I saw the puny title. The story follows Azrael and Victoria, two childhood friends who are in love with each other. However, after an incident in college, they stopped speaking with eachother. After the death of his parents, Azrael returns to their hometown, where Victoria has taken over her parents tea shop. As they reunite, they discover that something evil is happening in their town, and they join forces to fight it. I really enjoyed the story. The chemistry between the characters was fantastic, and I appreciated the spooky elements in the background, which created an eerie atmosphere. Overall, this book is perfect for the upcoming spooky season. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a cute story with a touch of spookiness. I saw that the author has written another book set in this universe, and I’ll definitely be picking that one up too.

Victoria "Vickie" Starnberger is the girl next door that can talk to dead people. Her gift comes from her parents making a deal with a devil, the debt is transferred to her when she tells her parents she no longer wants to go to college, and they wind up cutting her off. She is left footing the bill for the power she never asked for and must pay it off by doing a devil's tasks before time runs out. What does one do when cut off from everything you know? Buy the tea shop that your childhood best friend/crush's mom used to own.

Azrael "Az" Hart keeps striking out in life. His failed career forces him back into his childhood home with his sister while he figures out his life and teaches at the local school. He cannot keep his mind off Vickie though and she desperately needs help in completing the tasks before time runs out.

Hopelessly Teavoted is a surprisingly spicy paranormal romance. Some of the scenes will have you fanning yourself while others will have questioning why. The plot itself was entertaining, though the mystery element fell a bit flat for me. If you are a fan of spicy paranormal romance books you might enjoy this book!

Hopelessly Teavoted is a cute and spooky childhood best friends romance with magic, witches, ghosts, a handsome devil, a town mystery, a curse and much more.

I enjoyed the devil bargain debt plot a lot and also the town mystery.
I also liked the anxiety rep, we don't see that often in books with magic.

However I didn't really care for the romance. Childhood best friends is my absolute favorite trope but it didn't work in this book. Apart from them saying they were horny, I ddin't feel any chemistry or tension between them.

The writing was very repetitive and it made me skip paragraphs because I had just read that exact thought from the previous chapter. Overall there was a lot of telling, not showing. Like they kept saying how in love they were but not showing me??? They kept having the same conversation and inner monologue over and over again it was very annoying.

I think I would have enjoyed it more if the writing was first person (there is 2 POVs but it is written in third person).

I wanted to love this book so bad but unfortunately it was not for me.

I didn't like this

This cover is so cute and the synopsis sounded like something I would love. Unfortunately this book was just so choppy and disjointed. At the 15% mark I started looking to see if I missed a book I was supposed to read first because this book was making no sense. It felt like the author expected the reader to already know these characters, and I just felt lost. There is no book 1. This is debut novel.

The next thing that bothered me is the writing style. The author jumps time a lot and then has a character explain in their head what happened during the time jump rather than just showing the reader what happened. This book reads more like two people telling a story of what happened rather than telling a story of two people.

The characters aren't consistent in this book and after finishing it I couldn't tell you any consistencies in any of these characters. None of the motivations are clear and they constantly are making decisions that make no sense as a way to try and further the plot.

Lastly it felt like this author tried to put too much into one book. Editing down ideas before writing would have helped this significantly. So many plot lines are started and then forgotten about for chapters at a time before going back and addressing them. It left for a very confusing experience all around.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy