Elliot Croft has two secrets he guards with his life.
He’s a healing witch. But not a very good one. His magic never actually works when he needs it to.
He has a crush on his best friend, Damon Montré. But it’s just a teeny, tiny crush. It’s inconvenient, but it’s not like he’s in love with him or something.
You’d be surprised which one of those secrets caused him more trouble.
A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush is a short, spicy MM friends-to-lovers romance with a touch a paranormal magic of the “my powers only react this way with you” variety. Perfect for readers looking for the adorable obliviousness of a possessive jock going through his bi awakening and the aching tension of a nerd’s unrequited crush on his best friend.
This novella (30,000 words or ~110 pages) follows two high school seniors (both guys are eighteen years old).
Alexandra Larson is a business woman by day, romance author by night. When she’s not writing or reading, she's trying to soak up the limited amount of sun the Northern Hemisphere provides.
ARC REVIEW A WITCH’S INCONVENIENT CRUSH di Alexandra Larson Voto: 3.75⭐ 1 🌶 RECENSIONE: Questo è il primo libro che leggo di Alexandra Larson e le premesse erano perfette per farmi piacere questo libro. A Witch’s inconvenient Crush è un Paranormal MM romance. Il protagonista, Elliot, ha una cotta per il suo migliore amico d’infanzia, Damon, ma non glielo ha mai confessato perché ha paura di perderlo. Ma non è solo la cotta a spaventarlo: da anni gli tiene nascosto il fatto di essere un mago guaritore e vive con il rammarico di non essere riuscito a salvare il padre di Damon dopo un incidente stradale. Il loro primo incontro avviene quando sono bambini di circa otto anni, Damon cade dall’altalena e si rompe il braccio e Elliot glielo cura. Passano gli anni e i due hanno diciotto anni e devono trovare un partner per il ballo di fine anno. Damon è etero ma si infastidisce quando scopre dalla sua partner per il ballo scolastico che Elliott è gay e i due non si parlano per settimane perché Damon ci resta male perché accusa Elliott di non essersi fidato di lui e non averglòi detto la verità. I due nonostante tutto torneranno a parlarsi e Damon capisce che il fastidio che provava per Elliott in realtà erano dei sentimenti per lui che non riusciva a comprendere appieno. La storia è carina, ma forse con cento pagine in più mi sarei potuta affezionare di più ai due protagonisti. Mi è piaciuto molto il rapporto tra Elliott e la sua nonna, anche lei maga guaritrice che gli ha insegnato come usare i suoi poteri.
ENGLISH REVIEW: I haven’t read anything by this author before and this was a quick read! A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush by Alexandra Larson is an MM paranormal romance. Elliot has two secrets: has a crush on his child best friend Damon, and he is a healing witch who can’t control his powers until he discovers that he needs to be very close to Damon. Unfortunately the pacing was too fast and sometimes I found difficult the start of each chapters because it felt like they weren’t linked with each other. I’d liked if the book was at least 100 pages more, because I really loved the relationship between Elliot and his grandmother (who teached him how to use his healing magic) and I’d like to read more about Elliot and how he can use his powers with the help of Damon. Anyway if you want a cute and fast read, this novella is for you!
This was a very cute and quick read! Elliot has had a childhood crush on his best friend Damon, and has healing magic, but the magic really only works when he has Damon by his side. Seeing Elliot's various sides of, nervous around his best friend, but also confident in bed, makes him a cute and relatable character. Very nerdy in the streets, flirty in the sheets. And Damon is definitely a best friend that anyone would love to have. Accepting and very defensive of his friend.
My critiques *SOME SPOILERS*: The pacing was a bit too fast. We went from: introducing the characters in first grade in prologue -> awkward boner in chapter 1 -> best friend finding out from someone else that our Main MC is gay -> Bi panic -> acceptance -> first sex scene -> more Bi panic -> dating, all within a 2-3 hour read. I felt like there wasn't much space for the characters to truly shine and have growth.
I feel like the prologue could have included a section of them in middle school as established friends, and Elliot beginning to understand his feelings for Damon. Going straight from blushing first grader to 18 year old boner was a bit of an aggressive jump for me.
Also, there is a small section at the end with Damon running after Elliot and being stopped by the teachers. The teachers bring up how Elliot is a model student who wouldn't get in trouble, and the way they phrase it makes Damon think that it was a subtle racist comment. As a POC, this is definitely something that happens in schools, and the author missed a chance to really expand on that. Because while it is a valid concern, it came out of no where basically at the end of the book, and then went no where. Also, Damon was essentially cheating on his girlfriend (who seemed like she was trying to set him up with Elliot, but we don't really know that until the end), but that was basically ignored and glossed over. No feelings of remorse, just Bi panic. I'm all for bi-awakening and panic, but not at the expense of another character who seemed like a good person.
Overall, this is a good read for people within the age group of the characters (the spicy scenes definitely felt awkward to read as a 30 year old), and someone wanted a quick LGBTQA read. Would definitely read another book by this author.
A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush by Alexandra Larson is a fun paranormal friends-to-lovers romance novella. It follows nerd Elliot Croft, a healing witch who is in love with his best friend Damon Montré, who plays in a baseball team and is rather popular.
I had such a great time reading it. The romance between the main characters was really cute. The dynamic between Elliot and Damon worked really well for me. I thought the “my magic only reacts when I'm with you” idea was fun, and I enjoyed their chemistry a lot. I also liked the slightly possessive energy between them.
Since this is a short romance, there isn’t a huge amount of time for deep character development. I don't have a problem with things going fast, but I think especially Damon coming to terms with his bisexuality could have been explored a bit more. He’s confused about his feelings at first, and then in the next chapter he’s basically accepted it already.
Overall, it was a quick and very enjoyable read. The paranormal elements were pretty decent but entertaining. The relationship was sweet, and the story was easy to get pulled into. I wish it had been a longer.
This book comes out on March 3rd, 2026.
Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Elliot is a young healing witch, preparing to graduate but he is keeping his status as a witch and his crush on his best friend Damon a secret.
When Elliots asked his girlfriend’s friend to prom, Damon starts to wonder if his feelings for Elliot are just friendly or something more and Elliot struggles with his feelings when Damon confronts him about his sexuality.
This was a cute story of bi awakening and Eliot coming to terms with his magic being more profound when he is around his best friend.
I went into this wanting a short story but I also wanted more of Eliot and Damon. I would love it if we saw them more at college and someone starts flirting with Elliot and Damon gets all mad and possessive. I love a possessive Damon. Or if we get more Elliot learning and controlling his magic. He helps his Grandma at the clinic, maybe he takes that path or finds another occupation where he can use his healing magic without it being noticed.
I saw the author had other books and I will be adding them to my TBR.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm incredibly grateful that I received this book before it was released. I never thought I'd get ARCs for the reviews I write, so thank you so much for that. I found this book incredibly heartwarming and sweet. The characters are teenagers, and you can really see how they discover themselves and fall in love for the first time. I thought the characters' thoughts and actions were so similar to those of real teenagers, which made it even more realistic and fun. I also really liked the witchy element; it added an extra dimension to the story (one of the characters is a healing witch). Personally, I found it a bit too spicy, but you could read past that and still enjoy it. It was a novella of only 110 pages, which made it a very quick read, but it also lacked some depth. I would have preferred it to be a bit longer so it could have had more emotion. Overall, I thought it was a good and enjoyable book, and that's why I'm giving it 3.5/5 stars.
A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush by Alexandra Larson is an MM paranormal romance novella that follows the developing relationship between Elliot and Damon. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, especially how much character development she managed to pack into a shorter story.
The slow-burn romance was a highlight for me, and the witty, playful back-and-forth between the characters made the dialogue especially fun to read. Overall, this was a charming and engaging novella, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of paranormal romance. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.
The only downside is that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Elliot and Damon! I would happily read a longer story or another book featuring these characters. I definitely wanted more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Larson, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush is a novella follows Elliot a healing witch who can’t control his powers and who has a crush on his best friend.
Elliot and Damon were cute together, as childhood friends and Elliot has a crush on his friend. Their friendship was sweet and you did see that they care about each other. The healing witch aspect was also a unique take on magic.
To be honest this book wasn’t for me. I found the pacing off and sometimes difficult to tell how much time was passed. I also will say the writing style did not work for me but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for other people. The characters were also 18 year high school seniors, and you can definitely tell how young the characters are. As someone in my 30’s it was just a little too young for me.
Not a book for me but can work if you’re looking for a friends to lovers, paranormal romance novella.
Thank you to the author and Intentional Breath Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a shorter book that I felt struggled to decide what it wanted to be. Elliot and Damon have known each other since they were kids and, unknown to Damon, he helped Elliot tap into his magic.
The focus of the plot is on getting Elliot and Damon together. When Damon realizes for the first time he is attracted to Elliot, he is in all in from the start and barely wants Elliot out of his sight.
If you are interested in heated 18-year-old best friends, but can be lenient on the plot, you might then want to check this out.
I really enjoyed A Witch’s Inconvenient Crush! It was short, sweet, and surprisingly spicy for a novella. Elliot was such a lovable mess! His unreliable healing magic paired with his very inconvenient crush on his best friend made for some great tension and humor. I loved the friends to lovers dynamic, especially the oblivious, slightly possessive jock energy from Damon as he slowly figures things out. The paranormal element was a fun twist, and the “my powers only work like this with you” trope was chef’s kiss. Overall, this was a cute, quick read with just the right mix of magic, longing, and spice. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something cozy but still swoony. Highly recommend!💫💙
This is a nice quick read, I think I finished it in 2hrs with a few breaks. It was an enjoyable sweet lil novella about a baby healing witch and his crush on his best friend. I absolutely adored the story and characters, the only thing I kind of struggled with was the best friend’s storyline. He went from straight, to bi had no issue processing that, okay some people don’t. But then within a day of accepting he was bi he decided he was in love with his best friend without anything to really lead to that conclusion. That realization felt a bit quick, but I think that’s the only thing I really had an issue with or made me pause. Such a cute and sweet lil novella.
This was a cute story. I liked both Elliot and Damon and their relationship felt real and earned. I just wish there was a bit more information about witches in this world. We really only know about Elliot and his Grandmama and that healing magic is usually hidden but it doesn't mean much without any context of other magics.
Overall, this was a fun, short read and I would recommend it and likely would read other works from this author, just wish it was expanded a little.
Thank you to NetGalley and Intentional Breath Publishing for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.
This was such a sweetie, cutie pie, heartfelt good time 🥰
I loved watching Elliot and Damon fall in love! They’re both so cinnamon roll for each other and I rooted for them from page one!
I also really loved and appreciated how coming out and having bi-awakenings was handled, it felt very true to reality both internally and externally. I loved that they both had safe spaces and safe people surrounding them too 🥹🖤
I received an ARC of A Witch's Inconvenient Crush by Alexandra Larson thanks to the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute friends-to-lovers romance with a touch of magic. The magic did feel odd, like it was added after the rest was written. It just was not blended well. However, even with that being said, I still really enjoyed all elements of the story. It was also a well done coming out and realization of sexuality story.
This was a super cute, quick read. The characters were so perfect for each other with Elliot and Damon going from friends to lovers once Damon realizes that his instincts are drawing him to his magical best friend. I loved the way they balanced each other out once they were honest about who they were and what they needed from each other. Overall, this is a great read for when you want a happy story that you can read in one sitting.
This was so stinking cute and hot! I haven’t read anything by this author before but this was so good! the chemistry between the boys was amazing and I loved how Elliot’s magic reacted to Damon’s touch when they were close! OnlyOne thing wrong I wished it was longer! They were adorable together and I wish we got to see more!
I loved this book so much. It is such a sweet story. The magic is very straight forward and there’s not a ton of intense world building. The plot moves quickly and keeps you hooked!
Elliot is a healing witch and Damon is his childhood friend. This is a fast paced story, with humor, romance and plenty of spice. Truly enjoyed the book.
This novella was a wonderfully cute story! It is pretty fast paced, but you’re going to love the boys (18 year-olds) in this one. Elliot is a fun character who struggles with some confidence and has a thing for his best friend, Damon. Elliot is also a healing witch, a secret he is trying to keep. Damon is learning new things about himself. The story covers the friendship between the boys from early childhood through their senior year in high school and beyond. For such a short story, there is a surprising amount of spice.
If you are looking for a short, cute and spicy story to read, this is a good choice!
This was cute and fun. The characters of Elliot and Damon were enjoyable to read and they were fun to follow.
It was interesting to have the witchy aspect of Elliot be reasonably central to the plot but also get put on the back burner a bit. I think I'd have liked to see more of the full healing but what we got I liked. I also liked the gay panic of Damon which felt fairly believable although obviously on a slight speed run with the number of pages we had for the story.
Overall I liked it, I'd be happy to read more from the author and I'd also recommend it to others.