If you’ve been looking for an urban fantasy book in a small town with some secrets, look no further. Brewed with Love is a story that balances second chances, secrets, and love. It’s one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun and swoony contemporary. Keep reading this book review of Brewed with Love for my full thoughts.
Summary
Plant witch, Sage Bishop, is determined to run her family’s old apothecary one day. She spends her time trying to invent the perfect tonic to put Bishop Brews on the map. And she’s going to need one quickly, too, because their biggest competitor is drawing away customers.
Short-staffed, her nana hires Ximena Reyes, Sage’s ex-best friend and first crush, who’s more of an unwelcome distraction than anything. Ximena has always dreamed of leaving their small town behind while Sage wants to tend to her roots. And during one of their first shifts together, someone breaks into Bishop Brews, stealing several tonics, including the one Sage has been working tirelessly on, the same one that wipes a councilmember’s kid’s memory.
To avoid being shut down by the sheriff, Sage decides to investigate. If so much wasn’t at stake, she’d do it alone. But with her grandmother’s legacy and her future on the line, she must partner with her ever smug and unfairly pretty new coworker. As Sage begins to fall for Ximena (again), she’ll have to decide if the comfort of the familiar is worth missing out on a chance at real happiness.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Brewed with Love is a YA contemporary fantasy that reminds us that don’t need to turn our back on home. That just because someone leaves home, that doesn’t mean they’ve left us. It’s a story that has mysteries and investigations, second chances and swoons, and also questions about our home. Multi-layered, Brewed with Love is a cute story which left me with a smile on my face. There’s a coziness to it. Page balances these levels of motivations. Sage wants to save her family business – from encroaching and essentially witchy capitalism – until she can take over. At the same time, she is trying to work out what went wrong between her and Ximena.
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I really enjoyed the idea of brewing potions and the mystery investigation. While I enjoyed the themes of friendship and maybe-romance more, it was a fun added component to force Sage and Ximena together. It’s hard to trust someone with our heart again. It can be tempting to fall back into old patterns, but the heartbreak will destroy us. What happens when we love someone who wants to leave the place we call home? How do we trust they’ll come back? Find Brewed with Love on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.