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Fake Dating a Witch
Thanks to a spell gone wrong when she was a teen, witch Sirona Goode needs to convince her family she's fallen in love. A fake boyfriend for the Summer Solstice celebration would be perfect. Enter high school crush, Dr. Grant Humphries, who would love to look a little less down on his luck for his high school reunion. It's a perfect arrangement. Until feelings get involved.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 28, 2024
This book was so much fun! If you, like me, love a witchy/magical story, this book should be at the top of your TBR list for this summer!
Set in a fictional town in Wisconsin, this story centers around Sirona and Grant. Sirona is a witch who works for her family’s healing business and wants nothing more than to break the curse she & her younger sisters accidentally cast when they were teens. Grant is Sirona’s high school crush who is back in town while recovering from an injury that put his surgical career on hold. The two decide to fake date in an attempt to make their families happy and hopefully end the curse so that Sirona’s sisters can find love. Despite trying not to, Sirona & Grant develop feelings for each other….and with the help of Sirona’s familiar (aka her cat) and family, all sorts of fun, magical happenings take place. Did Sirona break the curse? Read the book to find out! Author Brigid Hunt aka Liz Lincoln is a Wisconsin based indie author. After you read Fake Dating a Witch, check out all of Liz Lincoln’s other books that are all set in Wisconsin!
Set in a fictional town in Wisconsin, this story centers around Sirona and Grant. Sirona is a witch who works for her family’s healing business and wants nothing more than to break the curse she & her younger sisters accidentally cast when they were teens. Grant is Sirona’s high school crush who is back in town while recovering from an injury that put his surgical career on hold. The two decide to fake date in an attempt to make their families happy and hopefully end the curse so that Sirona’s sisters can find love. Despite trying not to, Sirona & Grant develop feelings for each other….and with the help of Sirona’s familiar (aka her cat) and family, all sorts of fun, magical happenings take place. Did Sirona break the curse? Read the book to find out! Author Brigid Hunt aka Liz Lincoln is a Wisconsin based indie author. After you read Fake Dating a Witch, check out all of Liz Lincoln’s other books that are all set in Wisconsin!
July 14, 2024
I picked this romcom book up because I loved the cover and it’s a comp to my current work in progress- Of Poison & Pumpkins. I enjoyed the stems but wasn’t a huge fan of Grant, even at the end unfortunately. The prose weren’t super strong compared to the typical romcoms I’ve read recently but it hooked me because I read this one fast. With 2 PoV, this is a good easy vacation read when you might want something light and quick.
Here’s my notes while reading.
Sirona had a crush on Grant back in high school, but he only saw her as the mousy sophomore he performed in theater plays with.
All grown up, Sirona is a witch healer and Grant needs her to fix his hand. He comes back into town only to hear that she can’t fix it completely but only help with some of the pain.
I wasn’t expecting Sirona to have a cat familiar she can talk to like Sabrina and Salem. That made it feel a bit more fake. Some of the names are too much on the nose where the intense level of cheesiness makes it mean a little less. Such as Lavender has a lavender farm.
Chapter 11 pissed me off because I don’t like him much anymore. In what world should a guy be mad at her for not wanting to continue physically and saying she needed a break? Yes she had her reasons that he was confused about & she didn’t explain right away. But being angry because she wanted to stop is a HUGE turn off of his personality now.
The way they so easily and conveniently talk to the dieties feel like an authors tool.
Chapter 13 felt like it came a bit out of nowhere to focus on their parents and the past.
At the halfway mark, since Grant is on a sabbatical, he doesn’t really have any agency so far and is falling flat. Sure he has an internal struggle of how he will continue his career after the injury, but all his moping and being horny for Sirona is all his personality so far.
Well their first spicy scene was longer and steamier than I expected and was described well. But it felt a but shallow since he hasn’t opened up or talked about himself much yet.
After Grant’s conversation with his best friend, Tyler, he seems a bit immature for a 32 year old. He angers quickly and seems to be the only other feeling he shows other than lust.
The reunion felt a bit anticlimatic
Having to make a sacrifice is a spectacular idea but the sacrifice she has to make doesn’t make sense because it was already gonna happen. It feels like it should’ve been something that wasn’t already in the cards. But in doing so it seems as if she’d be giving up everything for him and his happiness and he’d be giving up nothing. Plus he never asked what the sacrifice was or seemed to care what she would have to suffer through. Which makes me dislike him more.
It’s a bit convenient that their nana understands the dieties intentions so easily.
And I don’t really have any investment in their dad’s death so that side plot feels strange.
This lesson of “standing up for herself” feels like it got introduced too late in the game.
Here’s my notes while reading.
Sirona had a crush on Grant back in high school, but he only saw her as the mousy sophomore he performed in theater plays with.
All grown up, Sirona is a witch healer and Grant needs her to fix his hand. He comes back into town only to hear that she can’t fix it completely but only help with some of the pain.
I wasn’t expecting Sirona to have a cat familiar she can talk to like Sabrina and Salem. That made it feel a bit more fake. Some of the names are too much on the nose where the intense level of cheesiness makes it mean a little less. Such as Lavender has a lavender farm.
Chapter 11 pissed me off because I don’t like him much anymore. In what world should a guy be mad at her for not wanting to continue physically and saying she needed a break? Yes she had her reasons that he was confused about & she didn’t explain right away. But being angry because she wanted to stop is a HUGE turn off of his personality now.
The way they so easily and conveniently talk to the dieties feel like an authors tool.
Chapter 13 felt like it came a bit out of nowhere to focus on their parents and the past.
At the halfway mark, since Grant is on a sabbatical, he doesn’t really have any agency so far and is falling flat. Sure he has an internal struggle of how he will continue his career after the injury, but all his moping and being horny for Sirona is all his personality so far.
Well their first spicy scene was longer and steamier than I expected and was described well. But it felt a but shallow since he hasn’t opened up or talked about himself much yet.
After Grant’s conversation with his best friend, Tyler, he seems a bit immature for a 32 year old. He angers quickly and seems to be the only other feeling he shows other than lust.
The reunion felt a bit anticlimatic
Having to make a sacrifice is a spectacular idea but the sacrifice she has to make doesn’t make sense because it was already gonna happen. It feels like it should’ve been something that wasn’t already in the cards. But in doing so it seems as if she’d be giving up everything for him and his happiness and he’d be giving up nothing. Plus he never asked what the sacrifice was or seemed to care what she would have to suffer through. Which makes me dislike him more.
It’s a bit convenient that their nana understands the dieties intentions so easily.
And I don’t really have any investment in their dad’s death so that side plot feels strange.
This lesson of “standing up for herself” feels like it got introduced too late in the game.
October 30, 2024
Such a cute witchy book with a fun cover and an interesting cast of characters.
Sirona is a witch healer, that is the eldest sibling, and has an unexpected pressure on her as there is a hex that is on her family which states that she must fall in love first, or her siblings won't be able to. So the pressure is on for sure when her high school crush re-enters the scene and feelings are felt. Grant is a medical doctor trying to recover from a significant injury; he's in a world of pain and reconnects with Sirona hoping that she can work her magic on him in order to heal him.
But there are other plans as well, including some good fake dating. It seems like a good situation - pretend to date someone, and with Grant, Sirona can easily remind people of their history in high school (as everyone but him seemed to know of her crush), and they have some undeniable chemistry which leads to a perfect match.
I had some issues with Grant - his moping, his anger towards Sirona for some certain scenes, his general anger issues, and just the level of his immaturity. It all rubs me the wrong way.
Altogether this is a pretty quick read - I flat out stopped a few chapters in due to my dislike for Grant but then chose to continue. If you want to read something quick and in dual POV's though this is a good one. The writing is beautiful - a bit of a poetic prose to it, which is really nice!
Sirona is a witch healer, that is the eldest sibling, and has an unexpected pressure on her as there is a hex that is on her family which states that she must fall in love first, or her siblings won't be able to. So the pressure is on for sure when her high school crush re-enters the scene and feelings are felt. Grant is a medical doctor trying to recover from a significant injury; he's in a world of pain and reconnects with Sirona hoping that she can work her magic on him in order to heal him.
But there are other plans as well, including some good fake dating. It seems like a good situation - pretend to date someone, and with Grant, Sirona can easily remind people of their history in high school (as everyone but him seemed to know of her crush), and they have some undeniable chemistry which leads to a perfect match.
I had some issues with Grant - his moping, his anger towards Sirona for some certain scenes, his general anger issues, and just the level of his immaturity. It all rubs me the wrong way.
Altogether this is a pretty quick read - I flat out stopped a few chapters in due to my dislike for Grant but then chose to continue. If you want to read something quick and in dual POV's though this is a good one. The writing is beautiful - a bit of a poetic prose to it, which is really nice!
May 28, 2024
Fake Dating a Witch by Brigid Hunt
I've never read a Fake Dating story where the characters didn't fall in love and have their HEA. I think it would be hard to write a good romance, with the fake dating trope, and the characters didn't fall in love. How would they get their HEA? Something to think about, and I would be interested to read. Anyways, we know that with Romance novels, we will get our HEA, and typically the two main characters fall in love, and in fake dating stories where they swear no feelings, there are always feelings. But we keep reading. I do. And it's because each author, each story, each character even gives us a new idea, a new set of circumstances for falling in love.
Enough existential musing, I loved Fake Dating a Witch! I'd hesitate to call it paranormal, it's like reality adjacent. Regular setting with witches using their magic out in the open. And I love the idea! Owl's Cove feels like a wonderful place.
Sirona is bisexual, and we get a look at some of the difficulties that bisexual humans run into. Nana wants grandkids and only sees one path for that. Her family seems to shrug off her relationships with anyone who isn't a cis-man.
The intense, immediate connection between Sirona and Grant is soooooooo wonderful! Their chemistry is off the charts, and the steam!!!!
The magical elements are great, and well thought out. As a reader, we just go along with the story, there isn't any confusion and that is a gift! Brigid Hunt gives us a spectacular series opener. I want to read more immediately!
I received an advance review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I've never read a Fake Dating story where the characters didn't fall in love and have their HEA. I think it would be hard to write a good romance, with the fake dating trope, and the characters didn't fall in love. How would they get their HEA? Something to think about, and I would be interested to read. Anyways, we know that with Romance novels, we will get our HEA, and typically the two main characters fall in love, and in fake dating stories where they swear no feelings, there are always feelings. But we keep reading. I do. And it's because each author, each story, each character even gives us a new idea, a new set of circumstances for falling in love.
Enough existential musing, I loved Fake Dating a Witch! I'd hesitate to call it paranormal, it's like reality adjacent. Regular setting with witches using their magic out in the open. And I love the idea! Owl's Cove feels like a wonderful place.
Sirona is bisexual, and we get a look at some of the difficulties that bisexual humans run into. Nana wants grandkids and only sees one path for that. Her family seems to shrug off her relationships with anyone who isn't a cis-man.
The intense, immediate connection between Sirona and Grant is soooooooo wonderful! Their chemistry is off the charts, and the steam!!!!
The magical elements are great, and well thought out. As a reader, we just go along with the story, there isn't any confusion and that is a gift! Brigid Hunt gives us a spectacular series opener. I want to read more immediately!
I received an advance review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 31, 2024
Heartwarming
A teenage spell gone wrong is at the heart of this wonderful story. Three sisters, Sirona, Morgan and Bronwen, end up magically cursed against falling in love.
Grant has suffered a career-ending injury to his hand, as a last resort he comes to Goode Witches in the hopes that magic will fix it.
He happens to be the boy Sirona crushed on in high school, so with a hopeful plan in place to break the curse for her sister’s sakes she convinces him to fake date her, while she searches for a spell to help him.
Real feelings quickly take over but their time together has an expiry date, and love was never really meant to happen.
Warm, sweet, cute and whimsical with deep emotion, romance, steam, great friendships and big family dynamics.
This is the beginning of what promises to be a great new series and I am eagerly waiting for book two.
Thank you to the author.
A teenage spell gone wrong is at the heart of this wonderful story. Three sisters, Sirona, Morgan and Bronwen, end up magically cursed against falling in love.
Grant has suffered a career-ending injury to his hand, as a last resort he comes to Goode Witches in the hopes that magic will fix it.
He happens to be the boy Sirona crushed on in high school, so with a hopeful plan in place to break the curse for her sister’s sakes she convinces him to fake date her, while she searches for a spell to help him.
Real feelings quickly take over but their time together has an expiry date, and love was never really meant to happen.
Warm, sweet, cute and whimsical with deep emotion, romance, steam, great friendships and big family dynamics.
This is the beginning of what promises to be a great new series and I am eagerly waiting for book two.
Thank you to the author.
May 10, 2024
**I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review**
Well-written, fast-paced, compelling story. Too often "witch" stories either get bogged down or gloss over the aspects of the magick, but Hunt found a middle ground that, for me, was just right. Lots of characters, so the reader knows there will be sequels, but it was easy to keep everyone straight because of distinct personalities and names (none of them so offbeat one couldn't pronounce them). I loved how not every witch's familiar was a cat. So far we've seen an owl, and--wait for it--a goat. The book has a comfortable small-town vibe.
My only issue with the story (written in first person present tense) was at the beginning of chapters I had a difficult time figuring out whose point of view the story was in and that was distracting for me.
Well-written, fast-paced, compelling story. Too often "witch" stories either get bogged down or gloss over the aspects of the magick, but Hunt found a middle ground that, for me, was just right. Lots of characters, so the reader knows there will be sequels, but it was easy to keep everyone straight because of distinct personalities and names (none of them so offbeat one couldn't pronounce them). I loved how not every witch's familiar was a cat. So far we've seen an owl, and--wait for it--a goat. The book has a comfortable small-town vibe.
My only issue with the story (written in first person present tense) was at the beginning of chapters I had a difficult time figuring out whose point of view the story was in and that was distracting for me.
April 8, 2025
While a little predictable it's a fun read! Some new twists to the trope include witches being part of everyday society and deities talking to witches. Sirona needs to break a curse she and her siblings cast when they were kids. Otherwise, they will never get their own perfect happy ending, but what way around it than to fake date your first crush?!
September 28, 2024
Okay so, this was not the one for me I'm sorry to say. It's got fake dating in the title, but there's barely any fake dating in here. Things start to become real like 20% in or something. The blurb also mentions the reunion, making it seem like a significant event in the book, colour me surprised when we gloss over the event and nothing interesting happens there. Anyway, before I just continue rambling stream of consciousness-style, I'll try to bring some structure to this review...
Starting off with our main character. Sirona is nice enough, her healing magic is cool (if very unclear, the magic system is extremely soft) and I can understand the feeling of responsibility she has regarding the family business. She is also very odd, in the sense that the idea that fake dating to fool her sisters would do anything to help this curse situation they're in. What a ridiculous idea? Like, throughout the book we keep hearing about energy and the power of the deities etc and she thinks fooling her sisters into believing she's in love is going to end a curse that's been on them for almost 20 years? Don't make me laugh.
Moving swiftly on to Grant, our love interest (and second main character really, he's got his own p.o.v.). He's a bit bland if I'm honest. We know he's hot, he's got barely any friends, has daddy issues and has an injured hand. And he's basically obsessed with Sirona from the moment he sees her again. He also had a tendency to get angry and run off when people told him harsh truths. Like dude, calm down and let's talk like grown-ups, yeah? But going back to the injured hand for a sec, there was no real consistency in how injured/disabled he really was imo. Like he can hold a fork, but not a knife (and apparently he can't hold one in his left hand either, are right-handed people really that bad at using their left hand? He couldn't even cut up a hot dog, is that normal? Asking as a lefty), braking on his bike hurts a lot, he doesn't have sensation in some fingers... !but! during sex scenes, there doesn't seem to be any dexterity issues whatsoever. That confused me a bit. Also a thing that I thought was weird, and this might a bit of a spoiler so... . It made him seem incredibly selfish is all I'm gonna say.
As I said in the beginning, there is barely any fake dating in this book, so the title is a bit misleading imo. The main story is much more about the curse on the sisters and Grant's injured hand. Both are pretty interesting, but neither brings a satisfying ending in this volume for me. The curse was vague to begin with, no-one seems to really understand what is necessary for it to be broken. Well, I say curse, but actually, it's just a spell that affects how their love lives will be going. Nothing actually gets broken, as everything just happens the way the spell/deities want(s) it to. But then quite late in the story, suddenly we get 'new' information about the spell and it just feels like we needed a setup for the next books in the series tbh. Speaking of, so many things happen that don't get an explanation or any sort of resolution because as it turns out, it's just exposition and set-up for the next book(s). That was a bit annoying, as it made it feel like this can't be read as a stand-alone. One or two things is fine, but this was quite a lot. Also the ending with the hand...
Final thing about the writing... it was fluid enough, but for some reason it took me ages to read this. Maybe because in the middle nothing much happened besides sex scene after scene (I might be in the minority here, but they get boring or even annoying after a while, get on with the story please), but I was dragging myself through it at times.
So all in all, there are some interesting elements here (with the magic and the curse/spell), but they get lost in everything else for me. Chemistry was okay, but nothing mind-blowing. I didn't really buy the love story if I'm honest, I feel like I would have needed more time seeing them together connecting on a deeper level for that. It might sound stupid, but I feel like they don't know each other all that well? 😂 Because the writing also didn't really click for me, I'm not sure if I'll be continuing this series, despite the premise sounding interesting. I just fear I'll be disappointed again.
Starting off with our main character. Sirona is nice enough, her healing magic is cool (if very unclear, the magic system is extremely soft) and I can understand the feeling of responsibility she has regarding the family business. She is also very odd, in the sense that the idea that fake dating to fool her sisters would do anything to help this curse situation they're in. What a ridiculous idea? Like, throughout the book we keep hearing about energy and the power of the deities etc and she thinks fooling her sisters into believing she's in love is going to end a curse that's been on them for almost 20 years? Don't make me laugh.
Moving swiftly on to Grant, our love interest (and second main character really, he's got his own p.o.v.). He's a bit bland if I'm honest. We know he's hot, he's got barely any friends, has daddy issues and has an injured hand. And he's basically obsessed with Sirona from the moment he sees her again. He also had a tendency to get angry and run off when people told him harsh truths. Like dude, calm down and let's talk like grown-ups, yeah? But going back to the injured hand for a sec, there was no real consistency in how injured/disabled he really was imo. Like he can hold a fork, but not a knife (and apparently he can't hold one in his left hand either, are right-handed people really that bad at using their left hand? He couldn't even cut up a hot dog, is that normal? Asking as a lefty), braking on his bike hurts a lot, he doesn't have sensation in some fingers... !but! during sex scenes, there doesn't seem to be any dexterity issues whatsoever. That confused me a bit. Also a thing that I thought was weird, and this might a bit of a spoiler so... . It made him seem incredibly selfish is all I'm gonna say.
As I said in the beginning, there is barely any fake dating in this book, so the title is a bit misleading imo. The main story is much more about the curse on the sisters and Grant's injured hand. Both are pretty interesting, but neither brings a satisfying ending in this volume for me. The curse was vague to begin with, no-one seems to really understand what is necessary for it to be broken. Well, I say curse, but actually, it's just a spell that affects how their love lives will be going. Nothing actually gets broken, as everything just happens the way the spell/deities want(s) it to. But then quite late in the story, suddenly we get 'new' information about the spell and it just feels like we needed a setup for the next books in the series tbh. Speaking of, so many things happen that don't get an explanation or any sort of resolution because as it turns out, it's just exposition and set-up for the next book(s). That was a bit annoying, as it made it feel like this can't be read as a stand-alone. One or two things is fine, but this was quite a lot. Also the ending with the hand...
Final thing about the writing... it was fluid enough, but for some reason it took me ages to read this. Maybe because in the middle nothing much happened besides sex scene after scene (I might be in the minority here, but they get boring or even annoying after a while, get on with the story please), but I was dragging myself through it at times.
So all in all, there are some interesting elements here (with the magic and the curse/spell), but they get lost in everything else for me. Chemistry was okay, but nothing mind-blowing. I didn't really buy the love story if I'm honest, I feel like I would have needed more time seeing them together connecting on a deeper level for that. It might sound stupid, but I feel like they don't know each other all that well? 😂 Because the writing also didn't really click for me, I'm not sure if I'll be continuing this series, despite the premise sounding interesting. I just fear I'll be disappointed again.
October 5, 2024
✔️witchy romance
✔️healing witch x doctor
✔️fake dating
✔️teenage spell gone wrong
✔️small town
3.5⭐️
The premise of this book is really cute (and I love fake dating trope), but just a couple of things missed the mark for me. Overall I enjoyed the story even if there were a couple of things that didn’t work for me.
First, I never really bought into the MMC actually falling in love with the FMC before the third act breakup. He spent the majority of the time worried and angry about his hand (understandable) and being physically attracted to the FMC (also understandable). Once he figures out he is in love with her he does absolutely nothing about it and is still determined to have her fix his hand no matter the cost, not even caring to find out how it would really affect her/what the cost would be, just that it “wouldn’t affect him”. I could see him realizing it after they separate, but the way it happened didn’t really make sense for his character or the plot.
Second, the ending was too abrupt. The book ends on a happy-for-now the day they come back together, but I would have liked an epilogue or one more chapter that shows what is going on in their lives past that day. Both main characters made some HUGE life changes and had some major character growth in the third act of the book and we don’t get to see any sort of wrap up other than them getting back together (which is a given since its a romance). I am sure the characters will pop in to the other books in the series since the FMCs are sisters, but that is like a bonus cameo, not furthering the story for these MCs.
That said I liked the story generally speaking and want to read the sisters’ books to see the love curse/teenage spell gone wrong arc completed. The magic elements are interesting, and I love diving into a new magical world because every author builds their worlds and the rules of magic differently.
✔️healing witch x doctor
✔️fake dating
✔️teenage spell gone wrong
✔️small town
3.5⭐️
The premise of this book is really cute (and I love fake dating trope), but just a couple of things missed the mark for me. Overall I enjoyed the story even if there were a couple of things that didn’t work for me.
First, I never really bought into the MMC actually falling in love with the FMC before the third act breakup. He spent the majority of the time worried and angry about his hand (understandable) and being physically attracted to the FMC (also understandable). Once he figures out he is in love with her he does absolutely nothing about it and is still determined to have her fix his hand no matter the cost, not even caring to find out how it would really affect her/what the cost would be, just that it “wouldn’t affect him”. I could see him realizing it after they separate, but the way it happened didn’t really make sense for his character or the plot.
Second, the ending was too abrupt. The book ends on a happy-for-now the day they come back together, but I would have liked an epilogue or one more chapter that shows what is going on in their lives past that day. Both main characters made some HUGE life changes and had some major character growth in the third act of the book and we don’t get to see any sort of wrap up other than them getting back together (which is a given since its a romance). I am sure the characters will pop in to the other books in the series since the FMCs are sisters, but that is like a bonus cameo, not furthering the story for these MCs.
That said I liked the story generally speaking and want to read the sisters’ books to see the love curse/teenage spell gone wrong arc completed. The magic elements are interesting, and I love diving into a new magical world because every author builds their worlds and the rules of magic differently.
June 28, 2024
Sirona and her sisters are under a childhood spell gone wrong. The spell in question states that none of her two younger sisters can’t fall in love before she does.
Getting desperate at nearly thirty-one, she proposes a deal to her high school crush, Dr. Grant Humphries, who has become a surgeon and was most successful till a recent biking accident that led to his right hand becoming seriously injured.
Grant, who is searching for a way to look less down on his luck at his high school reunion, accepts. This is just a fake-dating scheme that should benefit them both, right? No real feelings involved. That’s what they tell themselves, at least.
Something I really liked about this book is that it has the whole magical realism thing going on without tgs details becoming too tedious.
The characters could have been a bit more complex, and chunks of their backgrounds and lives felt thrust upon the reader, more showing than telling. I still liked the relationship between Evan and Sirona, but the romantic relationship between her and Grant felt a bit too forced.
I could be a little biased here, because I usually enjoy reading first person POV told in dual narrative, but I’m a creature of habit. I liked the writing style in this one, but at the same time the narrative often lacked variety and pretty often repeated the same stuff over and over again.
The ending didn’t really satisfy me, the way they didn’t really talk much and hinted about miscommunication, and the HEA was a bit unconvincing for me. It just felt a bit strained.
I would recommend fake dating a witch to fans of three days to fall in love by Rey Luca, sweet bay summer by Samantha Jane, and Mia’s journey by Diane Byington.
Getting desperate at nearly thirty-one, she proposes a deal to her high school crush, Dr. Grant Humphries, who has become a surgeon and was most successful till a recent biking accident that led to his right hand becoming seriously injured.
Grant, who is searching for a way to look less down on his luck at his high school reunion, accepts. This is just a fake-dating scheme that should benefit them both, right? No real feelings involved. That’s what they tell themselves, at least.
Something I really liked about this book is that it has the whole magical realism thing going on without tgs details becoming too tedious.
The characters could have been a bit more complex, and chunks of their backgrounds and lives felt thrust upon the reader, more showing than telling. I still liked the relationship between Evan and Sirona, but the romantic relationship between her and Grant felt a bit too forced.
I could be a little biased here, because I usually enjoy reading first person POV told in dual narrative, but I’m a creature of habit. I liked the writing style in this one, but at the same time the narrative often lacked variety and pretty often repeated the same stuff over and over again.
The ending didn’t really satisfy me, the way they didn’t really talk much and hinted about miscommunication, and the HEA was a bit unconvincing for me. It just felt a bit strained.
I would recommend fake dating a witch to fans of three days to fall in love by Rey Luca, sweet bay summer by Samantha Jane, and Mia’s journey by Diane Byington.
June 3, 2024
If small town romance with a side of magic is your vibe this book is for you. This bi for bi fake dating romance gives the most paper thin excuse for a burnt out witch and her high school crush who comes to her seeking a magical way to heal his injured hand to join forces in fake dating. Even they know their excuses are paper thin. Sirona is lying to herself that pretending to date him will help break an old family curse while Grant, who is feeling like a loser after his injury puts him behind in his residency, gets to have company at the class reunion coming up soon. Their lame excuses turn into something real pretty quickly and the they burn hot and heavy. The scene in the middle of the festival now lives rent free in my head. Both Grant and Sirona are so dumb in love it's frustrating, though Grant wins for being dumb in general, so blinded by what he thinks his life should be rather than what it could be. I spent a lot of time yelling at him in my head while reading because the big dummy deserves love and happiness and has it right there and can't see it. But don't worry, this is a true romance and does delivery a very happy ending for everyone.
Things I loved:
The richness of the magical world
Magic being an integrated and accepted part of the town
The quirky characters and vast family dynamics setting up for chances at a lot of interconnected sequels
I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author for the advanced copy.
Things I loved:
The richness of the magical world
Magic being an integrated and accepted part of the town
The quirky characters and vast family dynamics setting up for chances at a lot of interconnected sequels
I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author for the advanced copy.
August 18, 2024
They faked their way to true love. - Sirona needs to break a curse she and her siblings cast when they were kids. Otherwise, they will never get their own perfect HEAs. What better way than to fake a relationship with her first crush? She already has some feelings for Grant, youthful awe though they might be. Plus he can get his family off his back about his melancholy related to his damaged hand. And Sirona is hot! It's the perfect solution for them both. Until their teasing banter and innocent touches become heated kisses and passionate embraces. Until their hearts take over from their heads and they each realize their feelings for the other. But her life is in Owl Cove, his in Chicago. She's a Goode witch, raised and trained to work as a healer for her family's company. He wants to be a surgeon, something he can't accomplish in his small hometown. Pray, what will they do?
This is a great witchy read, with great characters living in a lovely witch-friendly town. The MCs are perfect for each other, but they can't get past their parents' plans for their lives. They are fire together, but have to figure out how to keep their eternal flame alight. I'm glad they figured it out in the end, with a little nudge from Nana. I can't wait to read more stories about the Goode witches of Owl City and their partners.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a great witchy read, with great characters living in a lovely witch-friendly town. The MCs are perfect for each other, but they can't get past their parents' plans for their lives. They are fire together, but have to figure out how to keep their eternal flame alight. I'm glad they figured it out in the end, with a little nudge from Nana. I can't wait to read more stories about the Goode witches of Owl City and their partners.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 31, 2024
This fun romance tells the tale of a witch suffering witch-burnout (it's a thing!) while also coping with the side effects of a spell gone wrong many years before. Sirona works for the mystical family corporation in Owl Cove, serving as a healer in one of their family stores. As a natural-born healer, she's tasked with a steady stream of clients who come to her for everything from a burn to a broken hand...
Which leads us to Grant, a surgeon whose hand was badly damaged in an accident. He comes to her as a last-straw effort, having seen and been treated by the best hand surgeon in the world. While he grew up in Owl Cove and, so, knows that magic is real, he doesn't necessarily believe in it.
There's a spark between them from the start; but, rather than accepting that, Sirona comes up with the brilliant (??) idea of "fake" dating to break the curse - the spell she and her sisters cast when they were young, that went horribly awry.
The entanglements and complications that stem from her attempts to heal Grant; the magic; the bond between Grant and Sirona, and Sirona and her sisters... all of this ties together to create a wonderful love story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Which leads us to Grant, a surgeon whose hand was badly damaged in an accident. He comes to her as a last-straw effort, having seen and been treated by the best hand surgeon in the world. While he grew up in Owl Cove and, so, knows that magic is real, he doesn't necessarily believe in it.
There's a spark between them from the start; but, rather than accepting that, Sirona comes up with the brilliant (??) idea of "fake" dating to break the curse - the spell she and her sisters cast when they were young, that went horribly awry.
The entanglements and complications that stem from her attempts to heal Grant; the magic; the bond between Grant and Sirona, and Sirona and her sisters... all of this ties together to create a wonderful love story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 20, 2024
Welcome to small town Wisconsin, a high school reunion and a plot to save to souls!
Sirona works in the family’s healing business and works to despell a spell gone wrong that she and her sisters cast as teenagers.
Grant, Sirona’s high school crush turned surgeon in residency, is back in town for his high school reunion.
In order to appease both of their families since their lives haven’t taken the course they would have chosen, they decide to fake date. A date to the reunion for Grant and a date to summer solstice for Sirona.
Can’t these two make it through with catching feelings?
I enjoyed their chemistry but felt sad for them at the same time. There’s a huge cloud hanging over what could be a HEA and it toys with your emotions for the characters.
It will be interesting to see where the series goes in book 2.
Thank you to the author, Brigid Hunt, and BookSprout for the opportunity to read this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sirona works in the family’s healing business and works to despell a spell gone wrong that she and her sisters cast as teenagers.
Grant, Sirona’s high school crush turned surgeon in residency, is back in town for his high school reunion.
In order to appease both of their families since their lives haven’t taken the course they would have chosen, they decide to fake date. A date to the reunion for Grant and a date to summer solstice for Sirona.
Can’t these two make it through with catching feelings?
I enjoyed their chemistry but felt sad for them at the same time. There’s a huge cloud hanging over what could be a HEA and it toys with your emotions for the characters.
It will be interesting to see where the series goes in book 2.
Thank you to the author, Brigid Hunt, and BookSprout for the opportunity to read this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 26, 2024
Fake Dating a Witch conjures up an enchanting blend of small-town romance, witchy vibes, and wicked humor, all served with a generous helping of spice. As the first book in the Bewitching Billionaires Series, it introduces the reader to the charming small town of Owl Cove, Wisconsin, home of the Goode Witches. The story features Sirona Goode, a witch with healing powers, and Grant Humphries, a surgeon from Chicago who just happens to be Sirona’s former high school crush. Once they reconnect, a fake dating scheme ensues, which naturally leads to a spicy friends-with-benefits situation. Though they’re both trying their hardest not to fall for each other, romantic feelings inevitably ensue. I loved their connection so much that I was totally rooting for them to make it work. Overall, there’s so much to enjoy about this story, including the cozy small-town setting, the lively cast of characters, the swoony romance, and the steamy love scenes. A great start to a magical new series.
June 10, 2024
So cute!
A childhood spell gone wrong by the three Goode sisters has left a lasting curse on all their love lives. The other two sisters can fall in love only after Sirona, the eldest, falls in love.
When her high school crush, Grant, comes to her office seeking help to heal his hand they pretty much zing and spark at their mere touch of hands. Sirona gets the idea that if she can convince her sisters that she's found love with Grant, they then could find their own loves. A few fake snuggles and smooches here and there and the curse should appear broken at any moment. Or so she plans.
The deities have other plans, of course.
This is a nice, light read but have a fan near because there is a lot of steam! Sirona & Grant's chemistry is off the charts spicy!
This is the first in a series and it is pretty much a standalone. There is a uncovered family secret they are trying to figure out that will still be ongoing in the next book, Hating a Witch. I'm looking forward to it!
A childhood spell gone wrong by the three Goode sisters has left a lasting curse on all their love lives. The other two sisters can fall in love only after Sirona, the eldest, falls in love.
When her high school crush, Grant, comes to her office seeking help to heal his hand they pretty much zing and spark at their mere touch of hands. Sirona gets the idea that if she can convince her sisters that she's found love with Grant, they then could find their own loves. A few fake snuggles and smooches here and there and the curse should appear broken at any moment. Or so she plans.
The deities have other plans, of course.
This is a nice, light read but have a fan near because there is a lot of steam! Sirona & Grant's chemistry is off the charts spicy!
This is the first in a series and it is pretty much a standalone. There is a uncovered family secret they are trying to figure out that will still be ongoing in the next book, Hating a Witch. I'm looking forward to it!
August 3, 2024
This is book 1 in Hunt's new Bewitching Billionaires series. I absolutely love this book! I thought is was a great start to a new series and delivered introductions to not just our main characters Sirona and Grant but others that add so much to the overall feel of the read. Hunt delivers not just the sweet and steamy romance but also a bit of mystery and some emotional heart sting pulls as well. I'm a little torn as I loved the read in itself but eager for more since we're left with unanswered questions. Overall, for me this book was fantastic and while this is the first book by Hunt I've read, I can't wait to read more!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 26, 2024
I love Fake Dating stories. There are elements we know will always exist (let’s keep feelings out of this, let’s just do it once to get it out of our systems), and those are all present in this book. But there are also so many fresh elements that make this such a fun story. Grant and Sirona are both great and have a ton of chemistry. The side characters are just as fun and really work to enhance the plot. Koko is definitely my favorite. Mostly the plot is light and fun, but there are some elements that will definitely put you in your feels. Be prepared for those. It’s worth the ride. Happy reading!
July 4, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up because it was pretty low angst and cute, even if the writing wasn’t really my favorite (and some stuff was missed in editing, like the name of her cousins’ band changing mid-way and changing back lol. And didn’t Grant say he was a hand surgeon at the beginning but then it somehow changed to him wanting to do plastic surgery…?). The backgrounds of the characters are definitely just told to us and the thoughts/them zoning out does get kind of old. Also didn’t like her mom much because of what we know about Sirona having to take care of her little sisters even when she was so small… idk these things didn’t really get addressed.
June 1, 2024
This was just a joy to read. After a spell turned curse, Sirona is determined to convince her sisters she’s fallen in love, hoping to break the curse and give them a chance to find love as well. So of course pretending to date her devastatingly handsome old high school crush is a great idea…right?
Sparks fly that are both pretend and real and the two have to figure out what they both really want and need, both for themselves and one another.
This is a fun, silly, spicy read that’s low angst and full of fun characters. You can’t go wrong and your summer needs this book.
Sparks fly that are both pretend and real and the two have to figure out what they both really want and need, both for themselves and one another.
This is a fun, silly, spicy read that’s low angst and full of fun characters. You can’t go wrong and your summer needs this book.
June 2, 2024
The tropes were fire I mean fake dating witches magic and reunited with her high school crush? I loved them together but it was frustrating how they kept making themselves not be together.
The writing was weird and awkward at times and the back and forth was really annoying esp their reasoning esp his for leaving at that point was kind of ridiculous. I want to def read Bronwyns book but am skipping next one with step bro and Morgan don't care to read about them.
✅fake dating
✅witches and magic
✅high school crush reunion
✅dual pov
✅spice
✅slow burn
The writing was weird and awkward at times and the back and forth was really annoying esp their reasoning esp his for leaving at that point was kind of ridiculous. I want to def read Bronwyns book but am skipping next one with step bro and Morgan don't care to read about them.
✅fake dating
✅witches and magic
✅high school crush reunion
✅dual pov
✅spice
✅slow burn
July 23, 2024
First book in a new series.
I really enjoyed the relationship building between the 2 main characters.
Both have clearly got their own demons to deal with, and I would have liked to have learned a little more about why Sirona is such a yes person and Grant is wanting his dad’s approval. It was a theme but I didn’t feel like enough reasons were given.
However I really enjoyed the book and read it in about 6 hours.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed the relationship building between the 2 main characters.
Both have clearly got their own demons to deal with, and I would have liked to have learned a little more about why Sirona is such a yes person and Grant is wanting his dad’s approval. It was a theme but I didn’t feel like enough reasons were given.
However I really enjoyed the book and read it in about 6 hours.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 1, 2024
Sirona and Grant
Fake Dating a Witch is my first time reading a book by Brigid Hunt and it was a great start to a fresh new series Bewitching Billionaires. It's a magical summer solstice romance that is cute and enchanting. Sirona and Grant are well developed with compelling back stories, strong motivation, and goals. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginative and so well done that you're drawn into a fantastic world unlike any other. I can't wait to read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fake Dating a Witch is my first time reading a book by Brigid Hunt and it was a great start to a fresh new series Bewitching Billionaires. It's a magical summer solstice romance that is cute and enchanting. Sirona and Grant are well developed with compelling back stories, strong motivation, and goals. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginative and so well done that you're drawn into a fantastic world unlike any other. I can't wait to read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 26, 2024
DNF -quit at 20%
I don’t know, I just couldn’t get into this book. The characters are flat and don’t inspire me to care about them or if they can get a real relationship out of their fake dating. The curse/spell and his damaged hand just seem stupid, not really viable for the story to balance on. Also, the MMC comes across as super shallow.
At my age (63), life is way to short & my time is to important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
I don’t know, I just couldn’t get into this book. The characters are flat and don’t inspire me to care about them or if they can get a real relationship out of their fake dating. The curse/spell and his damaged hand just seem stupid, not really viable for the story to balance on. Also, the MMC comes across as super shallow.
At my age (63), life is way to short & my time is to important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
June 10, 2024
I absolutely loved Sirona and Grant’s story. Part of that love is the world building. It’s definitely a fresh take on the concept of magical and mundane existing in the same world. The lack of hiding magic from non-witches was refreshing.
Then we get into the love story. I’m a sucker for a fake dating story and this did not disappoint.
I also have had quite a bit of upheaval and angst in my life, so the level headed, self aware characters and story line was such a balm to my soul.
Then we get into the love story. I’m a sucker for a fake dating story and this did not disappoint.
I also have had quite a bit of upheaval and angst in my life, so the level headed, self aware characters and story line was such a balm to my soul.
July 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Sirona is a healing witch working for her family business and Grant is a surgeon who has to take leave from his residency due to a hand injury. He goes home to his small town to heal before final surgery which probably won't work. Their road to HEA is entertaining but not quite smooth. Highly recommended reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 29, 2024
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It is an interesting start to a new series. Fake becomes real but to heal Grant, Sirona sacrifices happiness. I'm glad that both Sirona and Grant decide to do what makes them happy professionally and if it brings them back together, it is only good. There is a price to be paid to be together but they both accept it to share their love.
September 17, 2024
My second foray back into romance novels. I enjoyed the characters; they all had their own personalities and desires. It was good to see them grow and really go for what they wanted. However, the relationship between the main characters did happen quickly. I’m more interested in what’s going on with the sisters and mother though I did somewhat connect with Grant because I’ve had a recent wrist injury.
October 5, 2024
It looks like this is a large world with a lot of (single) witches to read about. Can't wait for all the stories.
Otherwise, I really liked this book. It wasn't only the fake relationship to a real relationship that I enjoyed. The aspect of growing up and following the career course that you believe you have to do because of family - that resonates with many.
Sirona and Grant are adorable, they're hot, and I really love this whole thing.
Otherwise, I really liked this book. It wasn't only the fake relationship to a real relationship that I enjoyed. The aspect of growing up and following the career course that you believe you have to do because of family - that resonates with many.
Sirona and Grant are adorable, they're hot, and I really love this whole thing.
December 12, 2024
I do apologize to those I hung out with in the past I am not as skilled in relationships as these two characters. There are a lot of characters in this first book possible 40 or so. It seems that this series of books could go over a dozen or so stories. Oh the troubles that millions of dollars and unbelievable powers can have on a family. It seems that most of all their problems are solved by magic.
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