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Hopelessly Teavoted
After the deaths of his parents, a witch returns to his spooky family manor and joins forces with his former crush when his parents’ spirits warn them of a sinister threat in this witty and lyrically unique rom-com in the vein of The Crescent Moon Tearoom and The Ex Hex.
Azrael Ashmedai Hart must be cursed. He’s a witch twice named for the devil. He’s making his way back to his family manor in Hallowcross after a failed screenwriting career. He’s adopted a cat he’s allergic to, and if all of that is not enough, he’s also forced to come face-to-face with his childhood best friend and former crush.
Victoria Starnberger, the bubbly girl-next-door Az lost touch with after an awkward incident in college, has just been disowned by her parents for quitting business school and buying Azrael’s late parents’ Hopelessly Teavoted tea shop against their wishes. Being cut off financially is one thing. But, now Vickie also owes a lesser devil for the souls her parents promised him in exchange for her gift to summon the dead by touching something they treasured in life, destroying the object in the process.
When spirits all over town, including Az’s parents, keep warning her about a sinister threat, Vickie and Az are forced to combine their powers to save the Hallowcross. But to do so, they must prevent her magic from immolating him after Vickie’s devil places a curse on them to keep them from touching until she repays her debt. As they race against the clock to find clever ways around their curse, they find it increasingly harder to deny that they’ve been hopelessly devoted to each other all along.
Azrael Ashmedai Hart must be cursed. He’s a witch twice named for the devil. He’s making his way back to his family manor in Hallowcross after a failed screenwriting career. He’s adopted a cat he’s allergic to, and if all of that is not enough, he’s also forced to come face-to-face with his childhood best friend and former crush.
Victoria Starnberger, the bubbly girl-next-door Az lost touch with after an awkward incident in college, has just been disowned by her parents for quitting business school and buying Azrael’s late parents’ Hopelessly Teavoted tea shop against their wishes. Being cut off financially is one thing. But, now Vickie also owes a lesser devil for the souls her parents promised him in exchange for her gift to summon the dead by touching something they treasured in life, destroying the object in the process.
When spirits all over town, including Az’s parents, keep warning her about a sinister threat, Vickie and Az are forced to combine their powers to save the Hallowcross. But to do so, they must prevent her magic from immolating him after Vickie’s devil places a curse on them to keep them from touching until she repays her debt. As they race against the clock to find clever ways around their curse, they find it increasingly harder to deny that they’ve been hopelessly devoted to each other all along.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2025
94 people are currently reading
21769 people want to read
About the author
Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
1 book101 followersAudrey Goldberg Ruoff writes contemporary and speculative romance and fantasy. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her spouse, two children, a scrappy but loyal little dog, and a whimsical and witchy cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
August 22, 2025
Apparently I will just read anything with a punny title and a cute witchy cover, and that's not a smart method to pick your next read, do not recommend. I expected a fun supernatural romance that's easy to enjoy and just a quick entertaining read, but the couple was kinda weird and there was so much unnecessary stuff in here that I didn't like anything in the end. The book is about the witch Azrael who is in love with his next-door neighbor Victoria, a woman who can speak to the dead. But he failed to confess his love when they were teens and then he just never did anything about that ever again. Besides that one night stand they've had in college that is always talked about in a vague way and that both of them act kinda traumatized about, like they accidentally killed someone that night or something. I did not understand what their problem was. Azrael is obsessed with Victoria since forever – really, he is so pathetic for her and not even remotely in a good way – and she is also into him, but they fail to clearly communicate that for years and for absolutely no reason. Now Victoria is back in town and she's fixing up the local tea shop that once belonged to Azrael's parents. I think that she did that anyway, because it's not actually part of the story and we never get much about the tea shop in general, even though it's literally referenced in the title of the book. The book is mostly about Azrael and Victoria being all over each other, and them being interrupted while they're at it. Either they stop because they think the other doesn't actually want it – no idea where these thoughts always come from when they are passionately kissing every time they meet – or someone or something stops them. Later there is even a curse that prevents them from touching and the physical side of their romance is basically drawn out for the entirety of the book. I think that romance readers could really be into that, but I didn't like it and I also didn't care for these two people to be together when they not once communicated straight in their lives. On top of that lackluster romance there was so much unnecessary stuff thrown in here. There is somewhat of a mystery and it's made up of the most random plot elements: there is a devil contract and a curse, a local megachurch, a psychic in a hospital, a grave robbery, a historical serial killer, an asshole boss, and if you're wondering how all of that fits together, then I can't help you either, because I don't know. Some things were rather serious, but every talk between Azrael and Victoria was either horny or it ended in sex straight away, so there never was a balance between the romance and everything else. There were also weird time jumps throughout the story and some things were just beyond my comprehension. I'm writing this with the risk of sounding absolutely tactless, but why in the world would you have Azrael's parents dying from COVID? They are basically introduced as Morticia and Gomez Addams and as very powerful witches who can do literally every kind of magic with the snap of their fingers (don't get me started on that insubstantial magic system). Seriously, why would you write that of all things? I do not understand and it made me feel uneasy if I'm honest. Many other moments made me cringe and overall, I really didn't have a good time reading this book. I can see other readers liking it, though.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
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October 3, 2025✨ Rating: 2.5 ⭐️ DNF'ed at 64%
🫧 Vibes: small town, cozy witch vibes
🎶 Song: cardigan - taylor swift
📖 Favourite Quote: "I'd seal my soul to yours, if you'd have me."
📚 Would I recommend? not really
💬 tldr thoughts: this one missed the mark for me.
In the package:
📦 friends to lovers
📦 witches and devils
📦 second chances
📦 forbidden love
Plot: Victoria is cursed to summon the dead and unable to touch the man she loves, Azrael. Together they must navigate spooky small-town drama, rekindle their romance, and outwit a devil before her magic burns everything.
Thoughts: Sadly this book wasn't for me. I really hate DNF'ing books, especially ARCs, but I couldn't keep going. The constant push and pull and lack of communication with the characters was extremely frustrating. There is so much yearning from the first page and yet I'm not sure if the pay off would be worth it. This type of book might work for others if you really love angst, pent-up emotion and yearning. The book was also just very wordy with a lot of internal monologue that felt repetitive. There was so much potential but unfortunately it missed the mark.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
🫧 Vibes: small town, cozy witch vibes
🎶 Song: cardigan - taylor swift
📖 Favourite Quote: "I'd seal my soul to yours, if you'd have me."
📚 Would I recommend? not really
💬 tldr thoughts: this one missed the mark for me.
In the package:
📦 friends to lovers
📦 witches and devils
📦 second chances
📦 forbidden love
Plot: Victoria is cursed to summon the dead and unable to touch the man she loves, Azrael. Together they must navigate spooky small-town drama, rekindle their romance, and outwit a devil before her magic burns everything.
Thoughts: Sadly this book wasn't for me. I really hate DNF'ing books, especially ARCs, but I couldn't keep going. The constant push and pull and lack of communication with the characters was extremely frustrating. There is so much yearning from the first page and yet I'm not sure if the pay off would be worth it. This type of book might work for others if you really love angst, pent-up emotion and yearning. The book was also just very wordy with a lot of internal monologue that felt repetitive. There was so much potential but unfortunately it missed the mark.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
August 16, 2025
Dark and spooky; while also being cozy and cute! I am calling it now that “Hopelessly Teavoted” will be a big hit this Halloween!
This story follows Azrael and Vickie.
Azrael is a powerful witch that has recently lost both of his parents. Vickie is Azrael’s childhood neighbor and crush, and a human who has the ability to speak to the dead. Both of them have recently returned home, and after reconnecting they discover that something very sinister is brewing around them.
They must work together to uncover the truth, break curses, and reap evil souls to save any chance they may have at love.
I really thought this was so fun.
There is actually quite a heavy fantasy/magic system going on in this story- something I wasn’t expecting! It was a nice surprise though. I feel like heavy romance AND heavy fantasy is hard to come by, as one typically ends up as a subplot on the back burner. This however balanced the two quite perfectly.
This story was really well developed, and there was a lot of background information, which I think is great for this type of book.
The romance here is goooooood. They are YEARNING.
For part of the story it becomes dangerous for them to touch each other, which just made things so much better.
The longing that came from that? Beautiful. 10/10.
Overall, I just love the vibes this story gave. Perfect for the magic lovers out there.
I mean, who wouldn’t love a witchy teashop/café around Halloween time?
This was a very anticipated read for me, and I was quite pleased with it!
Side note: I have to mention that the cover is this book is GORGEOUS!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff for providing me with the eARC of “Hopelessly Teavoted”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 16th, 2025
This story follows Azrael and Vickie.
Azrael is a powerful witch that has recently lost both of his parents. Vickie is Azrael’s childhood neighbor and crush, and a human who has the ability to speak to the dead. Both of them have recently returned home, and after reconnecting they discover that something very sinister is brewing around them.
They must work together to uncover the truth, break curses, and reap evil souls to save any chance they may have at love.
I really thought this was so fun.
There is actually quite a heavy fantasy/magic system going on in this story- something I wasn’t expecting! It was a nice surprise though. I feel like heavy romance AND heavy fantasy is hard to come by, as one typically ends up as a subplot on the back burner. This however balanced the two quite perfectly.
This story was really well developed, and there was a lot of background information, which I think is great for this type of book.
The romance here is goooooood. They are YEARNING.
For part of the story it becomes dangerous for them to touch each other, which just made things so much better.
The longing that came from that? Beautiful. 10/10.
Overall, I just love the vibes this story gave. Perfect for the magic lovers out there.
I mean, who wouldn’t love a witchy teashop/café around Halloween time?
This was a very anticipated read for me, and I was quite pleased with it!
Side note: I have to mention that the cover is this book is GORGEOUS!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff for providing me with the eARC of “Hopelessly Teavoted”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 16th, 2025
May 9, 2025
SO CUTE SO COZY SO SPOOKY
July 15, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
What a great debut! I love me a good witchy romcom and this one was so satisfying. If you want a super cute, cozy, witchy read definitely check this one out. As long as you don’t mind some spice…
After the death of his parents, Azrael returns to the small town of Hallowcross and runs into his childhood crush. Victoria has just been financially cut off by her parents for dropping out of college to buy Azrael’s parents tea shop. She wants to focus more on magic and the spirits. She was cursed with the ability to see the dead by touching an item the deceased loved, but it destroys the item in the process. And now because of the demon that created said curse, they can’t touch each other until they find a solution to the town’s current magical issues.
What a great debut! I love me a good witchy romcom and this one was so satisfying. If you want a super cute, cozy, witchy read definitely check this one out. As long as you don’t mind some spice…
After the death of his parents, Azrael returns to the small town of Hallowcross and runs into his childhood crush. Victoria has just been financially cut off by her parents for dropping out of college to buy Azrael’s parents tea shop. She wants to focus more on magic and the spirits. She was cursed with the ability to see the dead by touching an item the deceased loved, but it destroys the item in the process. And now because of the demon that created said curse, they can’t touch each other until they find a solution to the town’s current magical issues.
November 5, 2025
This was pretty cute, actually it was really cute, perhaps too cute?
This will work for a lot of people but I found myself wanting to rush to the end. The pacing was a little too slow and the content a little too silly and cute for my tastes. The man did yearn though!
Whats to love…
- Second chance romance
- small town
- magic
- yearning
- queer MCs
- a little mystery
What didn’t work for me, but might work for you…
- so many pop culture references
- slower and overly descriptive at times
3.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This will work for a lot of people but I found myself wanting to rush to the end. The pacing was a little too slow and the content a little too silly and cute for my tastes. The man did yearn though!
Whats to love…
- Second chance romance
- small town
- magic
- yearning
- queer MCs
- a little mystery
What didn’t work for me, but might work for you…
- so many pop culture references
- slower and overly descriptive at times
3.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
dnf-2025
September 9, 2025thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all opinions are my own.
unfortunately, this is a DNF at 30%.
initially, i picked this book up because the cover & synopsis sounded intriguing and like something i would greatly enjoy!
things i liked:
- the writing/narrative were well written and easy to read.
- it had a cute & cozy setting perfect for the upcoming halloween season.
- the overall concept of the book sounded super intriguing.
- it’s a classic small town witchy romance that many others will find charming.
things i (unfortunately) did not like:
- the dialogue felt far too corny,
- too insta-lusty (note i said LUST, not love). while i understand the characters have history, i would have liked more tension/yearning/background that is typically standard for a second chance romance or childhood friends to lovers. also, the MMC only seemed to talk about the FMC in terms of how hot he thought she was, what he wanted to do to her, etc. and rarely had inner monologue that was actually sweet or romantic.
- there were too many odd pop culture/other modern references that took me out of the story. examples: the COVID situation, taylor swift’s “you need to calm down” music video, disney princesses, etc. this can be one in a subtle, tasteful way - but the references here really took away from the atmosphere of the story.
overall, i chose to DNF this because i could tell this story was not for me. it was a bit too quirky for my taste, though i 100% understand why others have and will greatly enjoy this one!
unfortunately, this is a DNF at 30%.
initially, i picked this book up because the cover & synopsis sounded intriguing and like something i would greatly enjoy!
things i liked:
- the writing/narrative were well written and easy to read.
- it had a cute & cozy setting perfect for the upcoming halloween season.
- the overall concept of the book sounded super intriguing.
- it’s a classic small town witchy romance that many others will find charming.
things i (unfortunately) did not like:
- the dialogue felt far too corny,
- too insta-lusty (note i said LUST, not love). while i understand the characters have history, i would have liked more tension/yearning/background that is typically standard for a second chance romance or childhood friends to lovers. also, the MMC only seemed to talk about the FMC in terms of how hot he thought she was, what he wanted to do to her, etc. and rarely had inner monologue that was actually sweet or romantic.
- there were too many odd pop culture/other modern references that took me out of the story. examples: the COVID situation, taylor swift’s “you need to calm down” music video, disney princesses, etc. this can be one in a subtle, tasteful way - but the references here really took away from the atmosphere of the story.
overall, i chose to DNF this because i could tell this story was not for me. it was a bit too quirky for my taste, though i 100% understand why others have and will greatly enjoy this one!
May 15, 2025
♥ My Thoughts ♥
This book came with a great whimsical tone and wonderful world building! I enjoyed the main characters. However, I felt like the minor characters really stood out! This was a cozy romance mixed in with magical realism. It includes spooky and mysterious vibes. I think this book had a great premise and I found it to be well executed. I really wanted more character depth, especially between the two main characters of this story. It started off slow, but came with a strong finish. I feel like this was both plot and character driven, came with lovable characters and was easy to read.
This book made me feel hopeful, lighthearted, reflective and adventurous. It is all about forgiveness and second chances, healing from past trauma, finding purpose, a romance and family dynamics. This book also comes with supernatural elements such as ghosts, a witch, magic and making a deal with the devil. I really liked the setting of this story and how it came with vivid descriptions! I also loved the themes of this book and how it ended!
♥ Synopsis & Rating ♥
“Hopelessly Teavoted” is about a witch named Azrael, who goes back to visit his parents tea shop, after his parents’ passing. He visits the Crescent Moon Tearoom, only to discover his childhood crush named Victoria now owns it. Spooky things happen and they need to figure things out fast! They end up forming a bond and ultimately become very close. Overall, I rate this a 3 out of 5 stars!
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff and Atria Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Who I think would enjoy this book & Content warnings ♥
I think anyone that enjoys a good cozy and twisty romance, along with magical elements, would really like reading this one! It gave me the movie “Hocus Pocus” and the movie “Casper” vibes. Content warnings include death, grief, sexual content, cursing and mentioning of the COVID pandemic.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is expected to be published on September 16, 2025!
♥ Quick Review ♥
👻 Romance / Fantasy
✔️ Childhood Friends to Lovers
👻 Magic & Ghosts
✔️ Whimsical Tone
👻 Cozy / Spooky
✔️ Easy to Read
👻 Making a Deal w/ the Devil
✔️ It gave me the movies “Hocus Pocus” and “Casper” Vibes
》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《
❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥
ツ౨ৎ
This book came with a great whimsical tone and wonderful world building! I enjoyed the main characters. However, I felt like the minor characters really stood out! This was a cozy romance mixed in with magical realism. It includes spooky and mysterious vibes. I think this book had a great premise and I found it to be well executed. I really wanted more character depth, especially between the two main characters of this story. It started off slow, but came with a strong finish. I feel like this was both plot and character driven, came with lovable characters and was easy to read.
This book made me feel hopeful, lighthearted, reflective and adventurous. It is all about forgiveness and second chances, healing from past trauma, finding purpose, a romance and family dynamics. This book also comes with supernatural elements such as ghosts, a witch, magic and making a deal with the devil. I really liked the setting of this story and how it came with vivid descriptions! I also loved the themes of this book and how it ended!
♥ Synopsis & Rating ♥
“Hopelessly Teavoted” is about a witch named Azrael, who goes back to visit his parents tea shop, after his parents’ passing. He visits the Crescent Moon Tearoom, only to discover his childhood crush named Victoria now owns it. Spooky things happen and they need to figure things out fast! They end up forming a bond and ultimately become very close. Overall, I rate this a 3 out of 5 stars!
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff and Atria Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Who I think would enjoy this book & Content warnings ♥
I think anyone that enjoys a good cozy and twisty romance, along with magical elements, would really like reading this one! It gave me the movie “Hocus Pocus” and the movie “Casper” vibes. Content warnings include death, grief, sexual content, cursing and mentioning of the COVID pandemic.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is expected to be published on September 16, 2025!
♥ Quick Review ♥
👻 Romance / Fantasy
✔️ Childhood Friends to Lovers
👻 Magic & Ghosts
✔️ Whimsical Tone
👻 Cozy / Spooky
✔️ Easy to Read
👻 Making a Deal w/ the Devil
✔️ It gave me the movies “Hocus Pocus” and “Casper” Vibes
》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《
❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥
ツ౨ৎ
September 9, 2025
Sabrina the teenage witch meet a small town, super whimsical romance.
Book Stats:
📖: 368 pages
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: eARC from NetGalley
Series: Standalone
Tropes:
💗: Small town romance
💗: Childhood friends to lovers
💗: Second Chance
🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
This book was sadly a miss for me. But may be a hit for others. In fact, I can see why other people would absolutely adore this. It can be seen as cute, quirky, and cozy. It was a little too whimsical and cutesy for me. Throwing bubbles filled with glitter? Not my jam honestly. The pieces and various plot lines did just not fit together well or create a cohesive story that I was interested in paying attention to. It felt like the author was trying to do too much with the storyline instead of focusing on one main plot. The main character's parents and the way they died seemed very weird to me considering they're two very powerful witches. And the mystery was just jumbled and seemed out of place within the story.
That being said, the writing was decent. But ultimately a little repetitive. It was so frustrating to watch the characters dance around each other for 70% of this book when it was completely unnecessary. I did also find some pacing issues throughout the book, where it slowed down a little too much for me to maintain my interest.
I was really looking forward to some Grease vibes here. Grease is one of my absolute favorite movies/musicals and I was so excited to see the play on the hit song in the title. But I got none of those vibes. It was more Sabrina the teenage witch then it was Grease and that was super disappointing.
But if you're into small town chaos against a cute romance with witches and supernatural beings and humans. Then this might be for you. Unfortunately, I just like my romance with a little more banter, more tension and less of whimsical glitter.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Book Stats:
📖: 368 pages
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: eARC from NetGalley
Series: Standalone
Tropes:
💗: Small town romance
💗: Childhood friends to lovers
💗: Second Chance
🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
General Thoughts:
This book was sadly a miss for me. But may be a hit for others. In fact, I can see why other people would absolutely adore this. It can be seen as cute, quirky, and cozy. It was a little too whimsical and cutesy for me. Throwing bubbles filled with glitter? Not my jam honestly. The pieces and various plot lines did just not fit together well or create a cohesive story that I was interested in paying attention to. It felt like the author was trying to do too much with the storyline instead of focusing on one main plot. The main character's parents and the way they died seemed very weird to me considering they're two very powerful witches. And the mystery was just jumbled and seemed out of place within the story.
That being said, the writing was decent. But ultimately a little repetitive. It was so frustrating to watch the characters dance around each other for 70% of this book when it was completely unnecessary. I did also find some pacing issues throughout the book, where it slowed down a little too much for me to maintain my interest.
I was really looking forward to some Grease vibes here. Grease is one of my absolute favorite movies/musicals and I was so excited to see the play on the hit song in the title. But I got none of those vibes. It was more Sabrina the teenage witch then it was Grease and that was super disappointing.
But if you're into small town chaos against a cute romance with witches and supernatural beings and humans. Then this might be for you. Unfortunately, I just like my romance with a little more banter, more tension and less of whimsical glitter.
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
June 24, 2025
This book really just wasn't for me. The synopsis sounded amazing and I was really excited to read it but unfortunately I just didn't enjoy it.
Vicki and Azrael are next door neighbors who have been in love with each other for as long as the both remember but neither of them ever told the other one. The prolouge takes place as they are both leaving for college and then the next chapter jumps to 8 years later when they are both back in their home town after the death of Az's parents from COVID. (which made no sense that in a world of magic 2 seemingly pretty powerful witches died from COVID of all things)
Then we find out that Vicki and Azrael had actually gotten together during college but it's extremely vague about if it was a one night stand type of situation or if maybe there was some kind of long distance thing going on before he came to visit her, but it made the relationship feel like immediately after a 3rd act breakup scene when both characters are miserable without each other but also afraid to be hurt again. Except it goes on forever. 70% into the book these two were still pining after each other and half of their internal monolog was that they should tell the other one how they feel. But do they? Of course not. It was all just extremely repetitive and boring after about 20%.
Then you add in the mystery which felt thrown together and made very little sense, side characters that almost all felt flat, and the author throwing in multiple political statements that added nothing to the plot, there really just wasn't anything about this book that was enjoyable to me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Vicki and Azrael are next door neighbors who have been in love with each other for as long as the both remember but neither of them ever told the other one. The prolouge takes place as they are both leaving for college and then the next chapter jumps to 8 years later when they are both back in their home town after the death of Az's parents from COVID. (which made no sense that in a world of magic 2 seemingly pretty powerful witches died from COVID of all things)
Then we find out that Vicki and Azrael had actually gotten together during college but it's extremely vague about if it was a one night stand type of situation or if maybe there was some kind of long distance thing going on before he came to visit her, but it made the relationship feel like immediately after a 3rd act breakup scene when both characters are miserable without each other but also afraid to be hurt again. Except it goes on forever. 70% into the book these two were still pining after each other and half of their internal monolog was that they should tell the other one how they feel. But do they? Of course not. It was all just extremely repetitive and boring after about 20%.
Then you add in the mystery which felt thrown together and made very little sense, side characters that almost all felt flat, and the author throwing in multiple political statements that added nothing to the plot, there really just wasn't anything about this book that was enjoyable to me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 14, 2025
i absolutely LOVED THIS. bonus points for the beach read reference tossed in 😭
this just gave such cozy vibes. az and vickie’s love had me tearing up nearly every chapter. a million stars ✨
this just gave such cozy vibes. az and vickie’s love had me tearing up nearly every chapter. a million stars ✨
September 4, 2025
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.
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.
September 10, 2025
Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced reader copy of Hopelessly Teavoted by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hopelessly Teavoted is a steamy small town witchy romance paired with a complicated cozy mystery. The main plot centers around Azrael Hart and Victoria Starnberger. Azrael is a lovable witch who returns to his hometown after the death of his beloved parents. “Vicky”, a spunky human who can communicate with the dead because of a deal with a minor devil, is his childhood best friend and forever crush who bought his parent’s tea shop after their deaths.
The book attempts to bring together a variety of different plot points. Unfortunately the over complicated plot did not work for me. It seemed as if the author was trying to do too many things at once. There’s a primary second chance romance, a touch-him-he-dies curse (but they get creative with magic), a corrupt megachurch, someone stealing souls from witches and humans to fuel their power, a fake medium in a coma, a villain boss who sexually harasses female colleagues, a queer sister who is dating the interim president of the witches council, and even a sword fight with the villain. All of the side plots felt like a distraction from the spicy supernatural romance I had anticipated. If readers can tune out the noise from the extraneous scenes, I think they will enjoy the love story between Azrael and Vicky. 2.5/5⭐️
Hopelessly Teavoted is a steamy small town witchy romance paired with a complicated cozy mystery. The main plot centers around Azrael Hart and Victoria Starnberger. Azrael is a lovable witch who returns to his hometown after the death of his beloved parents. “Vicky”, a spunky human who can communicate with the dead because of a deal with a minor devil, is his childhood best friend and forever crush who bought his parent’s tea shop after their deaths.
The book attempts to bring together a variety of different plot points. Unfortunately the over complicated plot did not work for me. It seemed as if the author was trying to do too many things at once. There’s a primary second chance romance, a touch-him-he-dies curse (but they get creative with magic), a corrupt megachurch, someone stealing souls from witches and humans to fuel their power, a fake medium in a coma, a villain boss who sexually harasses female colleagues, a queer sister who is dating the interim president of the witches council, and even a sword fight with the villain. All of the side plots felt like a distraction from the spicy supernatural romance I had anticipated. If readers can tune out the noise from the extraneous scenes, I think they will enjoy the love story between Azrael and Vicky. 2.5/5⭐️
September 28, 2025
Hopelessly Teavoted by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
Contemporary witchy paranormal romance.
Victoria Starnberger quits business school to buy Hopelessly Teavoted. They cut her off financially and burden her with a bargain with a devil. She teams up with Azrael Ashmedai, a long time crush, to save Hallowcross but they are cursed from touching. And they definitely want to do a lot of touching now that they are together.
Interesting elements and magic building. Snap. Ghostly parents showing up to break up a make-out session? Embarrassing!
The slow pacing and convoluted and complex plot made the story feel too long and drawn out. I did like the lesser devil taking the bad souls but hated her parents for putting her in the contracted position.
Hard won but appreciated hea. Steamy and magic on repeat.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
Contemporary witchy paranormal romance.
Victoria Starnberger quits business school to buy Hopelessly Teavoted. They cut her off financially and burden her with a bargain with a devil. She teams up with Azrael Ashmedai, a long time crush, to save Hallowcross but they are cursed from touching. And they definitely want to do a lot of touching now that they are together.
Interesting elements and magic building. Snap. Ghostly parents showing up to break up a make-out session? Embarrassing!
The slow pacing and convoluted and complex plot made the story feel too long and drawn out. I did like the lesser devil taking the bad souls but hated her parents for putting her in the contracted position.
Hard won but appreciated hea. Steamy and magic on repeat.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
August 4, 2025
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.
This is an amazing book. I would like to say, for a book all about breaking a curse where the two love interest cannot touch, the smut level was crazy high. I understand the whole sexual frustration, but risking his death and her having to go in front of the witch's council, not sure I would trust a piece of saran wrap or a pair of gloves with my life. I can see the leather gloves, maybe, but SARAN WRAP???? The whole, well it's fiction'' you can't tell me there aren't people who would do the exact same thing if this happened to them. Okay, rant over (for now).
I loved everything about this book. There was so much going on but not so much that you couldn't follow it. Would love to see more books set in the same world. Either way, I will be looking out for more books by this author in the future!!!
This is an amazing book. I would like to say, for a book all about breaking a curse where the two love interest cannot touch, the smut level was crazy high. I understand the whole sexual frustration, but risking his death and her having to go in front of the witch's council, not sure I would trust a piece of saran wrap or a pair of gloves with my life. I can see the leather gloves, maybe, but SARAN WRAP???? The whole, well it's fiction'' you can't tell me there aren't people who would do the exact same thing if this happened to them. Okay, rant over (for now).
I loved everything about this book. There was so much going on but not so much that you couldn't follow it. Would love to see more books set in the same world. Either way, I will be looking out for more books by this author in the future!!!
October 9, 2025
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an arc of one of my most anticipated reads!
If you want an Addams Family vibe, queer characters, a lil mystery, and a LOT of yearning (that pays off at the end🥵)….then please read Hopelessly Teavoted!
I really took my time reading this arc because I knew it was going to make me feel a lot of emotions and cry…and wouldn’t you know?! It did!
Hopelessly Teavoted was so fucking beautiful and dorky and spooky and sexy and funny, and I just adored it. 😭😭😭
I can’t wait to hug a physical copy of this book AND THE AUTHOR, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, herself the next time I see her! 😘
This was a 5⭐️ read, and I already have it preordered!!!
If you want an Addams Family vibe, queer characters, a lil mystery, and a LOT of yearning (that pays off at the end🥵)….then please read Hopelessly Teavoted!
I really took my time reading this arc because I knew it was going to make me feel a lot of emotions and cry…and wouldn’t you know?! It did!
Hopelessly Teavoted was so fucking beautiful and dorky and spooky and sexy and funny, and I just adored it. 😭😭😭
I can’t wait to hug a physical copy of this book AND THE AUTHOR, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, herself the next time I see her! 😘
This was a 5⭐️ read, and I already have it preordered!!!
June 29, 2025
For the yearners among us, Hopelessly Teavoted is a must-read! Vickie and Az are literally so absurdly into each other it made me ill in the best way. And yet, for much of the book, they can’t touch or it’ll kill Az, like actually. The TENSION, y’all! The GLOVE scene. The SHOWER scene. I was shaking through most of this book. But the best part was simply the writing - so many gorgeous lines I highlighted. I was obsessed with the show Pushing Daisies when it was out, so if you are still chasing that high (but want the HBO version heh), you too will LOVE THIS.
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review 🙂
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review 🙂
November 19, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a cute fall read and a great debut but the pacing was too slow at the start and then too fast at the end. It would’ve benefitted from less smut (can’t believe I’m saying that) and more flashbacks to give the relationship depth.
This was a cute fall read and a great debut but the pacing was too slow at the start and then too fast at the end. It would’ve benefitted from less smut (can’t believe I’m saying that) and more flashbacks to give the relationship depth.
May 11, 2025
4.5⭐️
Give this man a PhD in yearning good lord 😮💨 The way Azrael pines for Victoria and the way he thinks about her … this man is THE example of how men should treat women. Childhood friends to strangers to lovers is one of the best tropes ever.
And Victoria ? The ultimate girl boss (who maybe took a little bit too long and over did the miscommunication trope in admitting her feelings but that’s okay) who cut off her toxic parents!! Is running her own successful business !!
The underlying themes of grief also had me sobbing. I went from being swept off my feet by the yearning to then crying into pillows. Azrael’s experience of grief was so visceral - and the representation of a man not being afraid to be vulnerable and show those emotions!!
There were some bits that weren’t my favorite though… the pop culture references (what do I need to do to not see a Taylor Swift reference in a book again?), especially some of the specific booktok references to The Love Hypothesis and Beach Read comparing the relationship between Azrael and Vickie to the relationships in those books … just felt weird.
Thank you Edelweiss for the arc in exchange for an honest review 💛
Give this man a PhD in yearning good lord 😮💨 The way Azrael pines for Victoria and the way he thinks about her … this man is THE example of how men should treat women. Childhood friends to strangers to lovers is one of the best tropes ever.
And Victoria ? The ultimate girl boss (who maybe took a little bit too long and over did the miscommunication trope in admitting her feelings but that’s okay) who cut off her toxic parents!! Is running her own successful business !!
The underlying themes of grief also had me sobbing. I went from being swept off my feet by the yearning to then crying into pillows. Azrael’s experience of grief was so visceral - and the representation of a man not being afraid to be vulnerable and show those emotions!!
There were some bits that weren’t my favorite though… the pop culture references (what do I need to do to not see a Taylor Swift reference in a book again?), especially some of the specific booktok references to The Love Hypothesis and Beach Read comparing the relationship between Azrael and Vickie to the relationships in those books … just felt weird.
Thank you Edelweiss for the arc in exchange for an honest review 💛
September 4, 2025
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
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
May 29, 2025
Thank you to Atria Publishing for this ARC!!
This book was fun. Witches and devil's and magic I believe would be a realistic version if we did, y'know, have magic like that. Azrael is painfully perfect (this is a good thing, I promise). We love a man who's emotionally aware of himself and the people around him. I see a lot of myself in Victoria; strained relationship with her parents and all.
The thing I loved the most about this, was the representation. Characters are queer without it being made their entire personality and multiple religions and belief systems are shown. This brand of witchery blended with Judaism was incredibly interesting to read and honestly one of the only interactions with religion as a whole in media that hasn't left me feeling a bit itchy.
The only qualm I think I have, is the pacing. At times it's hard to fully discern how much time has passed between plot events and it feels a little jumpy in places.
This book was fun. Witches and devil's and magic I believe would be a realistic version if we did, y'know, have magic like that. Azrael is painfully perfect (this is a good thing, I promise). We love a man who's emotionally aware of himself and the people around him. I see a lot of myself in Victoria; strained relationship with her parents and all.
The thing I loved the most about this, was the representation. Characters are queer without it being made their entire personality and multiple religions and belief systems are shown. This brand of witchery blended with Judaism was incredibly interesting to read and honestly one of the only interactions with religion as a whole in media that hasn't left me feeling a bit itchy.
The only qualm I think I have, is the pacing. At times it's hard to fully discern how much time has passed between plot events and it feels a little jumpy in places.
September 8, 2025
Such a sweet, fun, suspenseful, emotional, grief stricken, beautiful story about second chances, life after death, and some magical moments in-between!
I was so lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley and I’m so so thankful I did! This was the perfect book to get me into the fall, Halloween mood, while also still delivering depth, emotion, suspense, and romance! I really enjoyed seeing Vickie and Az find their ways, through grief and hardships, and figure out what works for them! The miscommunication (or maybe just more so not telling each other) did drive me crazy, but I could overlook it as it truly was the main point of the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed and will absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a good, witchy, Halloween read!
I was so lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley and I’m so so thankful I did! This was the perfect book to get me into the fall, Halloween mood, while also still delivering depth, emotion, suspense, and romance! I really enjoyed seeing Vickie and Az find their ways, through grief and hardships, and figure out what works for them! The miscommunication (or maybe just more so not telling each other) did drive me crazy, but I could overlook it as it truly was the main point of the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed and will absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a good, witchy, Halloween read!
May 2, 2025
Thanks to the publisher for an eARC!
📖 Book Review 📖 They say when one door closes, another one opens. Well, break out the sage because the energy is shifting in Hallowcross and a lot of doors have opened up in this adorable spooky little town. Right after Victoria’s boyfriend breaks it off and her parents disown her, the boy next door comes waltzing back into town after a failed career as a screenwriter. Life has a funny way of giving you one wild ride. Even in a world with magic, debts must be collected, grief is still crippling, and emotions and anxiety run high and there’s something oddly comforting that even witches need some help from Zoloft.
Let’s be honest, life the past few years since the pandemic has been really tough. But with a little added touch of magic and some cameos from the devil, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff makes these difficult topics just a little easier to handle in her debut novel. Add a second chance to get it right with all the slow burn romance readers could want (with a side of sultry Sundays) and the perfect little fall read has arrived! Go ahead and pick your poison (by that I mean cup of tea or a PSL, obviously) and a cozy blanket and curl up for witching season with Hopelessly Teavoted!
📖 Book Review 📖 They say when one door closes, another one opens. Well, break out the sage because the energy is shifting in Hallowcross and a lot of doors have opened up in this adorable spooky little town. Right after Victoria’s boyfriend breaks it off and her parents disown her, the boy next door comes waltzing back into town after a failed career as a screenwriter. Life has a funny way of giving you one wild ride. Even in a world with magic, debts must be collected, grief is still crippling, and emotions and anxiety run high and there’s something oddly comforting that even witches need some help from Zoloft.
Let’s be honest, life the past few years since the pandemic has been really tough. But with a little added touch of magic and some cameos from the devil, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff makes these difficult topics just a little easier to handle in her debut novel. Add a second chance to get it right with all the slow burn romance readers could want (with a side of sultry Sundays) and the perfect little fall read has arrived! Go ahead and pick your poison (by that I mean cup of tea or a PSL, obviously) and a cozy blanket and curl up for witching season with Hopelessly Teavoted!
May 26, 2025
3.5 rounded up.
This book is definitely more romance based than plot. A lot of things were being said but we weren’t being shown, so it felt like the mystery aspect was forgotten. While Vickie and Az were both mutually pining for each other things continued to get in the way, so it’s a slowish burn with some spicy moments. I loved the queer representation as well as the Addams family vibes. I was really tired of Az constantly saying how Vickie smelled like strawberries and lavender, and some of the descriptors were too much. I also was sad we didn’t get any sort of closure on Prissy and Evelyn but maybe that was done intentionally and they’re getting a book?
Overall I think this book is perfect for people who love a girly FMC and an MMC who’s been pining for her forever, this book is also sex positive and has great LGBTQIA+ representation.
Thank you Atria books for the ARC.
This book is definitely more romance based than plot. A lot of things were being said but we weren’t being shown, so it felt like the mystery aspect was forgotten. While Vickie and Az were both mutually pining for each other things continued to get in the way, so it’s a slowish burn with some spicy moments. I loved the queer representation as well as the Addams family vibes. I was really tired of Az constantly saying how Vickie smelled like strawberries and lavender, and some of the descriptors were too much. I also was sad we didn’t get any sort of closure on Prissy and Evelyn but maybe that was done intentionally and they’re getting a book?
Overall I think this book is perfect for people who love a girly FMC and an MMC who’s been pining for her forever, this book is also sex positive and has great LGBTQIA+ representation.
Thank you Atria books for the ARC.
September 27, 2025
I'm definitely happy I went the audiobook route for this. I loved how two narrators portrayed the characters. I thought this was a cute and quick paranormal romance. I'm definitely a fan of small town romance and magic for my books and this one hit the spot. If you like a light , witchy, cozy book with fun characters I'd say give this a try. This is a perfect book for fall.
Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and libro fm for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and libro fm for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
July 2, 2025
The premise and coziness of this story are wonderful. If you like the Stay a Spell series, you may enjoy this as well. Supernatural beings in a modern day world, quirky and silly but with surprising romantic spice.
Unfortunately, it didn't hit with me as much as I had hoped. There were a few aspects that I had issues with.
First, the previous hook-up in college. It was underdeveloped and I didn't understand how it was initiated (she just dreamed about him and he came?) and I didn't understand the big bad event that drove them apart. It needed a bit more explanation for me to understand the full impact. The first chapter is a flashback to before leaving for college, and I think this would have benefited from a second flashback to this college "interlude".
Secondly, everything is happening all at once and also nothing is happening at all. The middle 50ish percent is the same scene in repeat - "I can't touch him or he'll die, let's talk to his parents, let's briefly mention the mystery plot, let's pine about how we can't touch each other and maybe touch each other but with something between us like gloves or saran wrap". It got old quick, and I started getting sick of the "romance" and just wanting to know what was happening with the bigger mystery plot.
Third, the parents' death. These overpowered witches died, within hours of each other, from covid? These witches that had every power in the world to manipulate air and barriers and cleanliness, somehow not only contracted covid but didn't seek medical or magical help for it?
Due to all the above, but primarily due to the lack of progress in the mystery/curse plot, I chose to DNF at 75%. I knew that with having zero progress on the plots outside of the romance meant that they would all be squished up at the end and given very little page time. I will be satisfied to simply read spoilers in the reviews and will move on.
All that said, it is impressive that this is a debut book from a new author. The essence and signature of the writing is distinct and one of the hardest things to develop. Plot and character development can be improved with experience and time, but defining your writing voice is very difficult. The author's voice is distinct and I will certainly read her future books.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Unfortunately, it didn't hit with me as much as I had hoped. There were a few aspects that I had issues with.
First, the previous hook-up in college. It was underdeveloped and I didn't understand how it was initiated (she just dreamed about him and he came?) and I didn't understand the big bad event that drove them apart. It needed a bit more explanation for me to understand the full impact. The first chapter is a flashback to before leaving for college, and I think this would have benefited from a second flashback to this college "interlude".
Secondly, everything is happening all at once and also nothing is happening at all. The middle 50ish percent is the same scene in repeat - "I can't touch him or he'll die, let's talk to his parents, let's briefly mention the mystery plot, let's pine about how we can't touch each other and maybe touch each other but with something between us like gloves or saran wrap". It got old quick, and I started getting sick of the "romance" and just wanting to know what was happening with the bigger mystery plot.
Third, the parents' death. These overpowered witches died, within hours of each other, from covid? These witches that had every power in the world to manipulate air and barriers and cleanliness, somehow not only contracted covid but didn't seek medical or magical help for it?
Due to all the above, but primarily due to the lack of progress in the mystery/curse plot, I chose to DNF at 75%. I knew that with having zero progress on the plots outside of the romance meant that they would all be squished up at the end and given very little page time. I will be satisfied to simply read spoilers in the reviews and will move on.
All that said, it is impressive that this is a debut book from a new author. The essence and signature of the writing is distinct and one of the hardest things to develop. Plot and character development can be improved with experience and time, but defining your writing voice is very difficult. The author's voice is distinct and I will certainly read her future books.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 10, 2025
How cute is this cover?!
This book totally was giving me Sabrina the teenage witch vibes. A whimsical witch romance.
Hopelessly Teavoted was a very cute and cozy tale. I absolutely loved the characters and the supernatural fun characters.
I have to say this is a very cute cute book. For example... throwing bubbles with glitter. But, it was pure fun!
Loved the representation of queer characters. I have to say this one is a lot more romance then mystery aspect. The only issues I had with this one is the pacing. I struggled with this. It also seemed that the other was throwing a few plot pieces here and there which left me a tad confused and frustrated.
But, it was just a fun and different magical realism book.
Overall, 3/5
Thank you to Atria for my copy!!
This book totally was giving me Sabrina the teenage witch vibes. A whimsical witch romance.
Hopelessly Teavoted was a very cute and cozy tale. I absolutely loved the characters and the supernatural fun characters.
I have to say this is a very cute cute book. For example... throwing bubbles with glitter. But, it was pure fun!
Loved the representation of queer characters. I have to say this one is a lot more romance then mystery aspect. The only issues I had with this one is the pacing. I struggled with this. It also seemed that the other was throwing a few plot pieces here and there which left me a tad confused and frustrated.
But, it was just a fun and different magical realism book.
Overall, 3/5
Thank you to Atria for my copy!!
July 12, 2025
Hopelessly Teavoted was an amazing debut novel, and I think the author, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, knocked this one out of the park with its paranormal romance perfection!
This paranormal romance is a perfect fall romance. There are witches, devils, magic, and a truly amazing supernatural house.
Azrael was the absolute perfect book boyfriend. He was always clearly smitten with Vickie, and boy did he yearn for her unapologetically. He wasn't shy about his emotions and was just the sweetest type of guy ever. Azrael was also dealing with grief, and I loved how the author addressed his journey with it throughout the book.
Vickie was a bundle of sunshine but really struggled with trust and being truly accepted. Even though she was absolutely head over heals for Azrael, it took her a long time to come to terms with her love for him and acting on that love.
The love was sweet, and the spice was hot 🔥 I truly adored this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Expected Publication Date: September 16th, 2025.
This paranormal romance is a perfect fall romance. There are witches, devils, magic, and a truly amazing supernatural house.
Azrael was the absolute perfect book boyfriend. He was always clearly smitten with Vickie, and boy did he yearn for her unapologetically. He wasn't shy about his emotions and was just the sweetest type of guy ever. Azrael was also dealing with grief, and I loved how the author addressed his journey with it throughout the book.
Vickie was a bundle of sunshine but really struggled with trust and being truly accepted. Even though she was absolutely head over heals for Azrael, it took her a long time to come to terms with her love for him and acting on that love.
The love was sweet, and the spice was hot 🔥 I truly adored this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Expected Publication Date: September 16th, 2025.
June 16, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
This was a cute cozy romance mixed with a little bit of mystery. I liked both Victoria and Az’s characters. Their dynamic was lusty and fun while not being too over the top or cringey. Pricilla was my favorite character for sure. She was spunky and always very blunt in a funny sisterly way.
I did feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again. The romance side of this book got very repetitive and kind of annoying after awhile. There’s a thin line between pining and just being pathetic and I think we crossed it several times. I didn’t care for the back and forth of “I’ve always loved you and wanted you” and the “we can’t be together”. It was exhausting. I did like the mystery side of things but overall the whole plot just felt very dragged out. I didn’t really find myself reaching for this book as much as I had hoped.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.
This was a cute cozy romance mixed with a little bit of mystery. I liked both Victoria and Az’s characters. Their dynamic was lusty and fun while not being too over the top or cringey. Pricilla was my favorite character for sure. She was spunky and always very blunt in a funny sisterly way.
I did feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again. The romance side of this book got very repetitive and kind of annoying after awhile. There’s a thin line between pining and just being pathetic and I think we crossed it several times. I didn’t care for the back and forth of “I’ve always loved you and wanted you” and the “we can’t be together”. It was exhausting. I did like the mystery side of things but overall the whole plot just felt very dragged out. I didn’t really find myself reaching for this book as much as I had hoped.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.
October 29, 2025
This is Audrey Goldberg Ruoff’s debut novel, and it makes for a delightful, cozy fall read.
Hopelessly Teavoted is a fun, witchy romance with a refreshing twist on magic in the modern world. I really enjoyed the way magical elements are seamlessly woven into the everyday setting, and the dynamic between the two main characters is especially charming, they’re clearly into each other but hilariously terrible at showing it. It’s full of near misses and missed signals that make their slow-burn connection even more satisfying.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a witchy rom-com full of yearning. The characters are adorable, the atmosphere is warm with just the right touch of spooky and mystery, and there’s plenty of magic to go around.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, and Atria Books for the eARC.
Release date: September 16, 2025
Hopelessly Teavoted is a fun, witchy romance with a refreshing twist on magic in the modern world. I really enjoyed the way magical elements are seamlessly woven into the everyday setting, and the dynamic between the two main characters is especially charming, they’re clearly into each other but hilariously terrible at showing it. It’s full of near misses and missed signals that make their slow-burn connection even more satisfying.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a witchy rom-com full of yearning. The characters are adorable, the atmosphere is warm with just the right touch of spooky and mystery, and there’s plenty of magic to go around.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, and Atria Books for the eARC.
Release date: September 16, 2025
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