Something Brewed This Way Comes

Hollow Hearth #1

by Tansy Applewood

I just wanted to make espresso and vibe. Now I’m soulbonded to a cursed, grumpy forest guardian with antlers. (For fans of autumn magic, monster boyfriends, and gnomes who won’t mind their business.)

I run a coffee and curio shop at the edge of a cursed forest.
My muffins spark personal revelations. My espresso might be enchanted.
And the emotional support gnomes under my floorboards won’t stop matchmaking me with the guy who just walked out of the woods.

Antlers. Growly voice. Eyes like golden ruin.
His name is Thorn—and according to my accidentally sentient pet Mumblefluff, he’s cursed, dangerous, and 100% my problem now.

Turns out I’m part of some ancient soulbonding ritual no one warned me about.
I thought I was just a barista with good instincts.
But the flamefox picked me. The forest knows my name.
And the monster?

He wants more than coffee.

TROPES YOU'LL FIND Grumpy forest monster x sunshine baristaForced proximity (soulbonded by accident, oops)Small town with big magical secretsEmotional support gnomes (and one sentient Mumblefluff)He falls first (and hard, and silently)Witchy cottagecore cozy vibesFound family (tiny, scarf-knitting kind)She thinks she’s ordinary… she’s notAutumn aesthetic so vivid you can smell the cinnamonLow-stakes fantasy with high-stakes emotional damageMonster smooch tension that will ruin you gentlySpicy monster lovin'
Book One of The Hollow Hearth Series by Tansy
For fans of cozy fantasy, slow-burn spice, enchanted pastries, and emotionally repressed monsters who fall in love with the barista.

Genres: Cozy Fantasy, Fantasy, Monsters

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2025

Reviews

[OneDayI'll · Rating 2 out of 5]

I DNF at 20%

It was ok. But the story was buried under heaps and mounds of metaphors. Every. Other. Sentence. Seriously. There were a thousand likes or as and almost zero storyline. A magic token appears without a summoning circle but those thighs... A flamefox appears and claims her but those antlers... The author makes those events sound important but then immediately drops it for more steamy thoughts crowded with metaphors. I just got tired of wading through filler for story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was funny (I snorted a few times) and spicy. I sent some friends some lines from the book that I thought were hilarious and now most of them are going to read this book. I did reached a point where I felt like the story was going on for too long. But that could have just been me. I was probably just annoyed that I couldn't just read this book all day. Adulting sucks.

[Holly and her Hardbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of cosy autumn vibes! I loved the small town and nosy neighbours (even if they did interrupt a lot). The grumpy x sunshine romance did it for me.This book is full of cosy autumn vibes! I loved the small town and nosy neighbours (even if they did interrupt a lot). The grumpy x sunshine romance did it for me. The plot was a bit jumpy at points, but this book made me feel all the romance.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Allison Cambra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Something Brewed This Way Comes was by far one of the cutest, cosiest, and chaotic, in the best way, stories I've ever read. Each character was adorable and hilarious, set in a town straight out of any autumn lover's dreams. I devoured this book in a day, and honestly, I plan on rereading this book this fall to get even more immersed in the cozy vibe. The story is fast-paced; however, it doesn't hinder the story as there were no plot holes despite it being a shorter and faster read. I look forward to more books in the series and hope we see these characters pop up again. I think my only criticism is that I wish it were longer. I wasn't ready for it to end!

[Katie Mott · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was just about the best ✨ cozy fantasy ✨ that is so heartwarming and steamy and (okay a little insta-lovey) and the perfect 🍂 fall read 🍂for a cozy sunday with the 🍁 crisp fall air 🍁 and definitely some sort of caffeinated beverage! i can’t wait to continue this series 🤩

ALSO can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning this cover is??

[Kat Ficalora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly? It was like the cinnamon challenge circa 2012. Seems funny at first but then kind of horrifying.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I got a distinct A.I.-written sense at some points. I hate making accusations but I still feel the need to say it here.

[Brittney · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 168

I just... This book was a mess. I gave it as long as I could stand.

Beyond being constantly confused by the inconsistencies in the details of the story, the story itself was something else. The two main characters are fated to be drawn together, and every time they do almost get together, one of the side characters were there being all, "oh boy, have fun you two," and then before the main characters could get anywhere with each other that same side character would show up and interrupt them to ruin the moment. Once is funny. But it happens over and over and over again. Like, every single time. That's the plot for the first 150 pages. Yeah, no, I just can't.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy smutty hilarious

I had no idea what to expect out of this. It was deep. It was funny. It was cozy. It was smutty. Found family and hilarious descriptions. 5 stars

[s · Rating 3 out of 5]

so much potential! but excruciatingly overwritten and stuffed with far too many overwrought metaphors

[Moonburst · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tilda runs a magical coffeeshop in a small magical town on the outskirts of the sinister Gloamwood. One day a bark-covered antlered monstrous man enters her coffeeshop and orders some tea. Tilda can't deny the attraction and connection she feels for the mysterious Thorn. Can the two manage to complete their soulbond and break his curse?

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the autumnal Hallmark-movie small town that Tilda lives in is entirely inhabited by loud, obnoxious, monster-smut obsessed characters with extreme disregard for boundaries. While I do enjoy humorous characterization, these side characters' "zany" actions actively detracted from the plot and action of the book, and often didn't make much sense. For example, for the first half of the story, Letty interrupts multiple intimate interludes between the main characters while actively encouraging them to be physically intimate with each other. Any time there's the threat of exposition, Letty is there to interrupt and derail the conversation. Heaven forbid we actually understand all that a soulbond completely entails and why Tilda might not want to complete one.

Furthermore, both the main characters had very little back story or personality. Tilda's personality is almost nonexistent, as she's essentially the straight man for all the gnome shenanigans. We really needed some time for Tilda to be alone by herself and to have some sort of dream or task that she was working toward. Even if she just wanted to fall in love, or continue to live in her coffeeshop, she just needed something. Instead, we just get detailed descriptions of her clothing. Heck, even at the end of the book, the reasons Thorn mentions for loving her essentially boils down to 1) she smiles, 2) she didn't actively recoil when he entered her coffeeshop and 3) she chose him (for some reason, even though she has literally no reason to do so). That's all about what she does for you, bro! Not about who she is as a person.

Unfortunately, Thorn is equally undeveloped. For the first half of the book, Thorn largely says some variant of "mine." His tragic curse is largely left unexplained for the majority of the book, leading to confusion rather than tension. It's hard to care about whether he will bond with Tilda when we don't know what the nature of his curse is, or why a soulbond might be problematic for him. Without his background, the story has almost no tension whatsoever. And since Thorn and Tilda don't really spend any major time getting to know each other as people, there's very little in their relationship to make me want to root for them.

A little less zaniness and a little more character development would have made for a stronger, more compelling read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hannah Shumpert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to like this book but there's some things I just cannot see past to truly enjoy it. I don't usually write negative reviews like this, but I just needed to voice my thoughts because it genuinely hurts that I cannot love this book.

- The author uses a lot of Ai to represent their characters and book on their social media. AI is not something I like to touch. It made me question the authenticity of the cover. The author mentions it's created by her daughter but uses the phrase "art takes many forms."- add to it a review I stumbled upon on the "jungle app" who speculated that the cover was ai I just...I can't not doubt it now. and that leads me to doubt the contents of the book, to which I'm sorry but I just can't be sure anymore. Some of the content below leans towards my skepticism now too.

Beyond the debate of Ai, some of the contents of the book seemed pushed to the side. One minute you'd be getting details about the magic/world and the next it was being shoved aside for a side character to shout something sexual. The side characters were obsessed with the thought of the main characters doing it- even thought they kept interrupting. They'd scream about monster d ck across the coffee shop. It started to drown out the relationship building.

There's also be times where during one chapter / POV an event happens in a certain way but then in the next chapter with the other's POV the event doesn't play out / conversations don't play out the same. -He says she "Half dragged, half guided" him up the steps from the back "yard" and to the sofa in one chapter with hardly any conversation and then the next chapter there is a whole added conversation in the yard, other characters, and a whole stop into the coffee shop. I genuinely don't understand the flow.

Big Spoilers below:

I'm also left very confused about the magics /species. They wrote about them all like we were supposed to know what they were...and then there were times where Thorn being called a hollowborne was his magic- the part that gave him his antlers and all, but others that it was the curse the witch had placed on him after he became what he is... "I was bonded once, Centuries ago. It was supposed to anchor me. Settle the magic- that lives in Hollowbornes." then he mentioned the witch that came in and took advantage of the bond.....but then at the ending the witch talks about hollowing him out again and he says at the very end "Because I was no longer Hollowborne."????

I'm just very underwhelmed and sad and confused.

I found this book as an ARC offering on Booksirens.

[Fionna Guillaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story goes down like a stack of honey hotcakes, served with a cardamom oatmilk latte, and a side of uninhibited monster-thigh-appreciation -- in short, it is an absolute treat.

I loved the cozy fantasy world the author created, with hilarious magical creatures, witchy coffee drinks, and sexy monster men from the very start. Right away I felt at home in town, and that emotional connection remained throughout the engaging, witty, and charming story. The romantic elements are well done, with an appropriately brooding forest guardian and a perky heroine I would enjoy hanging out with. However, be forewarned: there will be lots of gnome interruptions, including at times when you (and the characters!) would really have preferred to be left alone. Honestly, one interrupting gnome would be funny, but if it keeps popping up time and time again? Well, that's a bit much. Had me wanting to play whack-a-gnome and get back to the good stuff.

The writing style was instantly engaging, fun, lighthearted and direct. It felt like riding along with a best friend, giggling the entire time. However -- much like a best friend's conversation -- what it at first a delightful surprise and cute turn of phrase, eventually becomes predictable and a bit repetitive. While I love the author's descriptions, eventually I appreciated them less, because the formula is overused. Same is true for the three-adjective descriptor list: loved it the first time, but the fourth? Meh. That's a picky thing to note, perhaps, but I did notice it; it took me a bit out of just pure enjoyment of this super-fun story, creative setting, and charming characters.

All in all, I recommend this book to any monster-romance fan -- or really, anyone who wants a trip to a magical café with inappropriate gnomes, love spells in your drinks, and a fun group of friends to hang out with. I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, sassy, low-stakes romantasy with open-door spice. I loved the autumn aesthetic, the main characters, and the truly atmospheric writing. Everything was described in wonderful colour, smell, and taste details. (Note: There is an instance of a POC's skin colour being described with a food, and while it fits the book's vibes, it's something that should have been edited out IMO.)

The characters were believable, and the light sprinkling of lore over the open door spice was just the kind of smut I wanted to read. A lot of tropes are in this book: insta-lust, slow burn, grumpy x sunshine, chosen one (her), he falls first, found family (nosy, shameless family!), and arguably fated mates.

This book is very self-aware, sassy, and cheeky throughout and towards the end it gets close to breaking the fourth wall entirely so if that's going to bother you, this might not be the book for you. Thank you to the author for providing a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligation. I reviewed this book voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

If you want an unserious, cosy, low-stakes, low-fantasy with insta-lust and some lore thrown in for good measure, give it a read!

[SassypantsReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well. I can’t say I loved Something Brewed This Way Comes. I wanted to love it. I really did. Monsters, cozy autumn vibes, magic… it’s basically a recipe for success. However. Big however here. It didn’t translate to the page well. I felt like it was probably perfection in theory, but too many details were left out to be coherent. What was the Gloamwood, and how did it get that way? What was Thorn? Why was he the forest king? What was Hobble and its significance? Same with Ember? What were the other characters? Gideon was…what? Santos? Gran? What exactly was Ravnell? How did we go from some random spices from a stranger in coffee to a soulbond? There was just so much that didn’t make sense and wasn’t answered. I also felt that the writing itself tried too hard to be poetic and flowery. And goodnight, the repetition - so many people making sounds like a tea kettle; things glowing gold, especially Thorn’s ancient, tree-ring-like eyes; chests and hearts cracking or breaking wide open - I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again.

Really, I had high hopes and wanted to love this, but I was sadly disappointed. I received a copy of Something Brewed This Way Comes from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Selina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilda is a witch, She dosent know it yet, but she will.
Thorn is a forest spirit? Cursed god esc like hallow creature.
She is his tether to to the world's solid form and their love is destined in the stars.
The book is really good, But sometimes a bit funny, They are about to get it on, only for grandma, gnomes and other creatures to barge in, make a few jokes or comments and leave. Literally 2 minutes of cockblocking which is amusing.

All in all, its a steamy book, the actual smut is fairly short however there is a ton of build up throughout the book before and after which is really enjoyable!
I do wish that they would explain things a bit more rather then dragging them out. Seems like the side characters know more about what she is and what they are. But dont actually TELL the MC anything. So you get like 80% in and finally get a bit of information. Its not bad, just confusing sometimes.

[Jessie Blackmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to re-read this as the leaves change colours just for the vibes again! I loved the aesthetic this book gave. I loved the characters and the side characters were amazing! There are two reasons this didn't get a 5 star from me, one I needed more book, I felt like I didn't know where I was but I should of, I also felt that the magic needed a bit of explaining I needed a bit more lore, and maybe some more in depth backstory. The other reason is cause the best bit for me is the fuck it and go for it point of the romance, however this point is soo messy, one second we are out side the next we're inside on a couch then back outside and then we're going inside to a different place completely it hurt my head.
I did really enjoyed this read and hope that the author goes back to it and doesn't hold back cause the writing is amazing! It just needs that bit more! Please!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Roxie's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Stunning and Fun Monster Romance"

The story is funny,exciting, and steamy hot. It is so much fun to read! The characters are unique and awesome.
Tilda is a spunky witch barista. She inherited the Hollow Hearth coffee shop in Wren's Hollow. A small town full of paranormals and magic. Tilda's shop even has Gromes living in it. Tilda was raised by an Aunt above the shop. What she didn't know is her shop and home is full of magic. In fact until a sexy wood monster came to her shop that Tilda was a witch! Thorn is a sexy Woods Monster with antlers. He lives in the woods outside Wren's Hollow. One day he feels a pull to the town in fact to Tilda's shop. When he goes there and sees Tilda he knows the pull is a mate bond! There is a problem Throne is cursed to the woods. An evil witch had cursed him and now she is back!
Can Throne claim Tilda and protect her from the evil witch?
You will love this super unique and fun to read five star plus story!!!

[JLyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was seriously giving all the cozy witchy coffee shop vibes it promised. Letty and Gran were absolutely HILARIOUS and very insatiable when it comes to monster smut. I want to be a member of the monster smut book club 100%!

The romance between Thorn and Tilda was EVERYTHING. Thorn being the grumpy brooding cursed forest god and Tilda being the barista with an army of caffeine riddled gnome rodents who was happy with her life and not necessarily looking for love but found it anyways, is exactly what I needed.

I also like that there was a little bit of suspense and action, but the plot focused around their bond and feelings.

This book is a lovely palette cleanser that I could read over and over! I’m hoping that Gideon and Santos get books! I need more of Letty and Gran though!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessalyn Flint]

I don’t give my DNF read a star ratings for many reasons I won’t go into, however I almost broke that rule for this book… (the rating would be one star…) The overall story line is very interesting and I was so excited to read this book. The execution of this book is done poorly. I’m not sure who edited this book but I don’t feel like it was properly done. The amount of repetitive phrases were extremely difficult to get past. I can’t say for certain but to me this book seemed AI. Maybe not written entirely but perhaps edited in some way. When I checked the authors insta it is flooded with AI images so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say AI was used in some form of the writing.. there is a whole scene that plays out differently in the FMC and the MMC POVs and it was incredibly confusing. It felt like something a human eye wouldn’t have missed.

[Ally W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept, weak execution

I rarely write reviews, but Something Brewed This Way Comes left me torn. The premise had real potential — I wanted to love it and was invested enough to finish — but the writing made it a struggle. The prose is overloaded with similes and metaphors, often repeated throughout the book, which made it hard to stay immersed. Words like “cinnamon,” “thighs,” and “want” appeared so frequently it became distracting. The main characters felt shallow, and the supporting cast came across as more irritating than endearing.

I don’t want to sound harsh because the author clearly has creativity and passion — the story idea itself is great — but tightening the writing style, toning down the repetitive imagery, and adding more emotional depth to the characters would make her future work much stronger.

[Julie Quintero · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried. I really did. I wanted a shorter cozy, warm, autumnal, magical kind of read. This popped up on Booksta and I thought perfect. Looking at the synopsis for this book it checked all the boxes. But it did not deliver. There were so many similes. Like SO MANY. Everything thought, feeling, expression was like this huge adjective laden mess. I was 148 pages in and literally there was no story. The FMC and MMC had said maybe 100 words to each other and most of them were just “Mine”. They are so one dimensional, there’s no chemistry except the forced kind where things get naughty for naughtiness sake. The side characters are insufferable at best. I hate to give less than 3 stars but this book literally made me start a DNF shelf because it was so painful to slog through.

[Bookwyrm_in_KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tilda lives in a magical village near a cursed forest. She spends her days brewing espressos and lattes for the odd collection of magical folks that inhabit the town. 

She doesn't realize she is descended from witches and has magic of her own, until she accidentally triggers a soulbond with Thorn, the guardian of the forest. So now she has to figure out how to deal with her new fated mate, a pack of absolutely shameless (and 🍆-blocking) gnomes and an evil witch who cursed Thorn and is trying to unravel their bond.

This story has all the cozy fall vibes, romance with plenty of spice and a colorful cast of delightfully zany background characters. (The gnomes have their own smut book club 🤣)

[Tzippy Sheffi Elgar]

Something Brewed This Way Comes is a fun and spicy read. I enjoyed the characters of Thorn and Tilda so much and the gnomes! They were making me laugh so hard! It was hilarious how the entire village kept intervening in Tilda's love life and making puns at her and Thorn's expense. I loved the atmosphere in the book. I could easily imagine the colors of orange, yellow and red of autumn and the smell of the delicious pastries and coffee Tilda was making in her coffee shop. The attraction between Thorn and Tilda is electrifying. At first, she is a little worried about this attraction, but when they finally meet, she realizes she can't stay away. This is a charming read with cute characters and an interesting world-building that I would like to see more developed in the next books in the series.

[Amanda Ricchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilda was loving her coffee house chaos goblin family of smut loving gnomes and various magical friends. Thorn walking in with his throbbing magic and fan fiction inducing thighs turns the chaos up to 11! I loved reading this with so much laughter, and really wish Letty would make me a sweater to wear to her book club. Definitely looking forward to many more in this series!!!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angie (Momma's Readin') · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was like getting wrapped up in a smutty fall day! I absolutely loved it! So cute and cozy with more than a hint of spice, what's knot to love ( see what I did there 😉 ) I want to live in that coffee shop and read monster smut while knitting inappropriate things, that just sounds like heaven.

I can't wait to see what happens next for this band of horny misfits.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's a good start to a cozy autumn series but it had some points that just dragged it down for me. The over use of "she smelled like", "he smelled like". It felt like every page had this sentence in it, it became distracting and tedious before I even reached halfway through the book.
I personally am not an insta-love type of reader, this was very insta-love and it felt very shallow.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun, quirky read! The characters had me laughing from start to finish. Tilda’s chaotic coffee house crew of smut-loving gnomes and magical misfits is a blast, and Thorn, with his throbbing magic and fanfic-worthy thighs, takes the chaos to a whole new level. If you’re after spice, humor, and a curse-breaking plot, this book’s got it all. Can’t wait for more in this series!

[Debbie Alcorn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20%. If I seriously read "thighs" one more time, I may go insane. The writing is just not good, and the characters are annoying. The so called friends are downright verbally abusive to the FMC, and since you read from her perspective its almost like you yourself are getting annoyed and frustrated by them.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this new read. The characters were fun to get to know, and the first time I've ever read of an enchanted espresso causing two individuals to unite. And I loved the cozy autumn vibes, perfect for a rainy day in.

[Ninosleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smouldering forest guardians with glowing ......ahem ......just read it

This book will make your bones melt and your knees tremble I thought I was in for a cozy romance instead I was pulled into a magical land of coffee chaos and the hottest forest guardian with thighs that can make women faint with pleasure just looking at them 😜