Vengefully Matched: A Novel

by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff

From the author of Hopelessly Teavoted comes a witchy, sapphic rom-com about a mischievous runaway bride and her prim-and-proper Witchery Council rival that must fake-date in order to catch a would-be murderer—and accidentally fall in love. Priscilla Hart does not do regret—except maybe for the small matter of fleeing her own wedding in a cloud of magical fireworks. Now the town’s most infamous runaway witch, she’s determined to rebuild her reputation on the Witchery Council and prove she’s more than a scandal in heels. Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin, the newly elected council president, is everything Priscilla can’t composed, proper, and infuriatingly perfect. But when a string of dangerous magical explosions points to Priscilla as the culprit, Agatha makes an impulsive move—announcing that they’re dating—to save her from exile. Faking a relationship in public should be simple…until late-night arguments turn into slow-burn attraction, and the two discover that something wicked is brewing in Hallowcross. To survive the magic—and their feelings—they’ll have to stop pretending and risk falling for real.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Rom Com, Magic, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 6, 2026

About the author

Audrey Goldberg writes contemporary and speculative romance and fantasy. She previously also wrote under the name Audrey Goldberg Ruoff. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her family, a scrappy but loyal little dog, and a whimsical and witchy cat.

Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧙‍♀️✨ Vengefully Matched ✨🧙‍♀️

A witchy sapphic rom com with fake dating, rivals, and a magical mystery? YES, PLEASE!

This was such a fun paranormal romance, filled with magical community and cozy worldbuilding. I loved book one and was just as happy with book two in this series.

Honestly, I am just a sucker for fake dating!

🔮 What to Expect
• Sapphic Romance
• Fake Dating
• Rivals to Lovers
• Small Town Magic
• Murder Mystery
• Runaway Bride
_ _ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 4.5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: October 6, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers and fake dating and witches and a mystery? I joked to my friend that this was the holy grail. And while I did enjoy the book for the most part, I do think it had some problems, and it unfortunately didn't quite live up to my hopes.

First off, I loved both Priscilla and Agatha, though I think I slightly preferred the former. They’re interesting in different ways and enjoyable together. I liked seeing them growing as people, and their chemistry was perfect in the beginning, but I did think that petered out a bit along the way as they lost some of the tension that made their chemistry so good. I also enjoyed many of the side characters and the world as a whole, and there were some things and lines that truly made me laugh out loud.

On the downside, I sometimes felt like I was missing something while reading this. At times, I had to reread a page just to figure out what I had missed, only to find out that I hadn’t actually missed anything. It just didn’t particularly make sense. I don’t know if there were just weird segues or if something was actually skipped in the writing or what. I also felt like there was a bit too much going on at times. The romance, the main plot, the side plots. Sometimes, I felt like I was getting whiplash from all the things that were happening. The pranks also didn’t help anything; they were too plentiful and childish for these adults to be doing, and I felt like it bogged things down even more when those pages could have been used for something a little more interesting. Like the things that were randomly skipped over when they would be going to go do something and then suddenly the thing is done. Or better segues.

I also love a good mystery, but it was completely obvious to me from the very beginning who was behind things, so that was a little disappointing. Even then, it could have been fine, but I also thought everything with the mystery was wrapped up far too quickly and easily for it to be a satisfying end to it.

I didn’t hate it, but sadly, I don’t think this lived up to its potential, which is a shame because it had so many of the things I love in one book and it easily could have become a favorite.

Vengefully Matched is a solid 3.5 for me, but since I couldn’t give it that, I rounded up, although it really could have gone either way. I primarily rounded up for the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Allix · Rating 3 out of 5]

VENGEFULLY MATCHED is a little bit all over the place, but it manages to weave together a believable sapphic romance and cozy small-town vibes with witchcraft, office drama, and actual murder attempts pretty well.

I liked Agatha and Priscilla, and the side characters were interesting without outshining either of the two FMCs. Agatha and Priscilla are both incredibly relatable in different ways, and while I’m not buying that they ever hated each other, opposites definitely attract here. I wasn’t a fan of the nicknames, but I did enjoy the rom-com vibes and the back and forth between Agatha and Priscilla. I predicted the ending around 30% in, but that didn’t take a way from my enjoyment of the story. I have not read the first book in this series, but thankfully I did not feel as though I was missing a ton of context, and I was able to enjoy this story as a standalone.

I thought some of the dialogue was a bit awkward, and that made parts of the book feel a little bit corny. The best example that comes to mind is when two characters are discussing an abortion one of them had in their past, and that character says something about being very glad that they live in a time where abortion is accessible and only between a person and their doctor. That’s a fantastic thing for the character to have experienced, and I loved the very normal representation of abortion, but it did not read like a thing this character would naturally say out loud, and that made the whole section feel just a bit awkward. I don’t think the awkward dialogue makes the book unreadable by any means, but it did detract from my enjoyment a little bit. I also thought the book could have been about fifty pages shorter; the book took a couple of detours on its way to the resolution of the main conflict that I thought were unnecessary, and because it took so long to get there, that resolution fell sort of flat for me. I did think this book was extremely “unputdownable” though – I read probably 80% of it in a single three-hour reading session.

I will most likely go back and read the first book in this series, as well as any future books written in this series! I think the magic is really fun, and the blend of magic and mundane is one that I really enjoy. I would recommend this to goth x pastel edit enjoyers, those who were very into Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and anyone who is instantly suspicious of “pretty” men.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books for this gifted ARC!

I ARC read Hopelessly Teavoted last year and absolutely fell in love with the Addams Family vibes and the overall atmosphere of the world. And this book really delivered on the vibes I was expecting and the shenanigans and romance I was anticipating based off of how Hopelessly Teavoted was.

This book has amazing bisexual, gay and pansexual representation. Especially for a later in life character that has feelings of being "too late" to be their authentic self. I loved the aspect of one of the main characters being in their 30's, I thought it was so relatable and added another element to Agatha and Priscilla which I loved.

Their romance was so well done, it was tension filled, prank filled, and also really intimate. They grew together in many ways, and healed a bit too from previous relationship trauma. The shenanigans in this one are so fun, the pranky nature of Priscilla really carries through and we get elements of that from Agatha in retaliation as well. I did guess the "villain" character pretty early on, but I don't think it detracted at all, there was pretty heavy foreshadowing so I think you're honestly supposed to guess who it is.

If you enjoy a queer romance with Addams Family vibes, really cute and interesting magic, and some fantastic characters, absolutely pick this up. I do recommend reading Hopelessly Teavoted first though, there are so many nods to it and character appearances from it that I think it would be so much more enjoyable having that book under your belt first. This releases October 6th!

*This ARC was given by Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.*

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vengefully Matched by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Publisher: Atria Books

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A witchy sapphic rom-com with fake dating, rivals-to-lovers tension, magical shenanigans, and a murder mystery? Yes, please!

After absolutely loving Hopelessly Teavoted, I was so excited to return to this magical world, and Vengefully Matched did not disappoint. It delivers all the cozy, spooky, Addams Family-esque vibes I loved in the first book, along with a delightful romance that had me hooked from the start.

🔮 What to Expect
• Sapphic Romance
• Fake Dating
• Rivals to Lovers
• Small-Town Magic
• Murder Mystery
• Runaway Bride

Agatha and Priscilla's relationship was filled with chemistry, tension, pranks, and genuinely sweet moments. As a fake dating enthusiast, this romance checked all the boxes for me. I also loved the bisexual, gay, and pansexual representation, especially the exploration of finding your authentic self later in life.

The mystery was fun, the magical community was charming, and the characters were impossible not to root for. While I guessed the villain fairly early, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

If you love queer romance, cozy magic, playful rivalries, and Addams Family vibes, definitely add this one to your TBR. I do recommend reading Hopelessly Teavoted first to fully appreciate the returning characters and references.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call Ginger, Posh, and Sporty ‘cause we’re going to Spiceworld. The characters waste no time psychically flirting with each other. You kind of get whiplash from the first chapter with Priscilla leaving someone at the altar and then next chapter, on to the next. You don’t have to wait too long for it to get real. The book is definitely too spicy for me, but I know this is someone’s jam.

Yes, there is a witchy/magical theme to the book, but honestly it’s just the flavor. This book is straight up romance. Not my typical thing, and I was hoping for more of the plot to emerge, but honestly, this is great for what it is. I know this is someone’s thing. I do appreciate the fun the author has with the setting though - a little hexing here, a little precognition there, throw in a witchy council. Summed up with a quote from the book, “kooky, strange, and wonderful.”

This one knocked me for a loop, but you’ll likely beef up your vocabulary a bit over the course of the story. There are some $10 words garnished throughout, so this onion has some layers!

Overall, I’d recommend this to someone looking for an enemies to lovers romance and appreciates some urban fantasy in the mix. 4/5 stars.

*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.

[April Haas · Rating 3 out of 5]

🪄 I received an advanced copy of this ebook on Netgalley 🪄

This is a Sapphic paranormal romance for the cozy mystery crowd. It's kind of soft and fluffy, even with an attempted murder mystery plot simmering in the background.

Agatha and Priscilla are rival witches who campaigned against one another for the Presidency of the Witches Council, and have since taken to pranking one another with their magic—setting charms to alter the other's appearance, making the office fridge smell like tuna fish, and the like. If they had been vying for their high school class presidency, these pranks might make sense, but with Priscilla being in her mid-twenties and Agatha being thirty-seven it feels a bit ridiculous. But it is a magical, fluffy, alternate-but-modern universe, so if you can roll with that you'll be fine.

The tension between Prissy and Agatha is pretty light. They're rivals, but they're both in denial about the fact that they're lusting after each other from the get-go.

I figured out who was behind the attempts on Agatha's life pretty easily, too.

Overall, this was fun but not quite tense enough, either in terms of the romantic relationship or the murder mystery plot, for me personally. But this would be a perfect palate cleanser kind of read, for when you want something low stakes and just...soft.

[callistoscalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC and the author for a copy to kickoff the traveling ARC! What a blast!

📖 Book Review 📖 How does the “mistress of darkness, frankness extraordinaire” recover from her dramatic runaway bride moment? If it’s not with an even more sensational journey that involves fake-dating the Witchcraft Council’s newly elected president who could not be more of her complete opposite, then it’s not another gem by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff.

While Vengefully Matched is the second installment in the Hallowcross series, it truly can be read as a standalone (I indulged in a reread of Hopelessly Teavoted right before this and was happy with that decision). Once again, Audrey Goldberg Ruoff’s witty and sharp banter pops off the page as the chemistry of the character sizzles. And while this magically laced novel is rife with humor, it is also beautifully layered with themes of healing after loss and finding yourself in this crazy world (charmed or not).

Buckle up for one enchanting and spicy jaunt back to Hallowcross with Vengeful Matched, as Audrey Goldberg Ruoff showcases her talent once again in this sophomore stunner.

[Stephanie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

What worked for me defintely the sexual tension between the two female leads -Priscilla aka Prissy is from the founding family of this town - of witches and humans - and she is a lesbian - in fact in the beginning of the book she is about to get married - but decides that her girlfriend didn't share similar life goals. (the girlfriend is also the head of the witches organization) -
Agatha - is at the wedding with her beau, and he makes fun of the whole situation. They break up (and Agatha) blames Prissy for it -she then becomes the head of the witches organization.

now we have a magical city, with a bottle of water, that will make one immortal and then we get to the blowing ups and attempted murder -the bad guy I figured him out really quickly -

I think at some points the pranks went to far- but I think it is because they cared so much about each other- and they were trying to throw each other off.

I was rooting for Prissy and Agatha and totally loved this book

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Spoilers


Vengefully Matched was a cute enemies to lovers book. I appreciated the lighthearted moments and humorous characters. I believe with a little more editing, this would be a 5 star book. I rate it 3.5 stars as it is today. There were a few holes in the story where the characters would be in one place but in the next scene they were done with the action they had been headed towards previously. A little heavy on analogies instead of straightforward writing but the characters were loveable and the reading pace was fast with lots of storylines woven throughout. (Love Lex and hope to get the full story on him soon!)

If you're a fan of Hopefully Teavoted, you'll love this book!

[Shelby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & Atria publishing for this ARC.

This book had a lot of potential, but ultimately fell flat. It was all over the place, and several mini plots happening alongside the main mystery element plot, which were left unresolved. I found the fact that it was mentioned a few times of current and past political events as well as the COVID situation was just irrelevant and not necessary, in a book around witches and magic, and a cozy element. While books can be political, as many readers know, having it mentioned several times that doesn’t add to the book was unnecessary. Also the characters felt so very immature and juvenile, sometimes I wondered if I was reading about two middle school girls. Pranking? Not something 30+ year olds are doing, especially at work and often. This book was not great.

[Ashley Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Audrey Ruoff and Atria Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vengefully Matched was a fun witchy romance with plenty of banter, fake dating, and pining between Priscilla and Agatha. I especially enjoyed their dynamic and the harmless prank war that hid how much they truly cared about each other. Their chemistry kept me invested throughout the story.

While I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the plot, I found myself wishing for a little more tension as the story progressed. The romance remained the strongest part of the book for me, and I loved watching Priscilla and Agatha grow closer while working together. The ending wrapped things up nicely, though I was expecting a slightly bigger impact from the final reveal. Overall, this was an enjoyable and charming read that blends romance, magic, and mystery!

[Sarah S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witches, opposites attract, and good natured hexes? Sign me up. This book follows two strong women who start off as work rivals and end up falling in love. We have a budding out of control psychic, a devil who falls in love with everyone, a himbo, and a murder plot. I really enjoyed the idea of this book. It fell a little flat with me in some slower spots. At times I felt like we were packing in a lot of current event topics in a way that didn’t feel natural. The chemistry between Agatha and Priscilla was so good and had me rooting for them and waiting for the tension to break each time. I loved this little town it was giving me small town, cozy vibes.

Open Door Romance

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vengefully Matched was a chaotic little witchy delight. Fake dating, a runaway bride, and just enough magical drama to keep things interesting? I was in.
I didn't read the first book, but I had zero trouble jumping in and didn't feel like I missed anything critical. Priscilla and Agatha carry this story with sharp banter, slow-burn tension and a dynamic that's equal parts frustrating and fun to watch unfold.
There are a few slightly clunky transitions and moments where the writing leans a bit heavy on description, but the chemistry and humor more than make up for it.
Overall, a charming, sassy, magic filled romance that absolutely worked for me.

[Ayelet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this ARC read from netgalley.com

This a light cozy mystery/sapphic rom-com. Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, rivals, and magical realism. The mystery itself was pretty obvious, almost like an afterthought, but the story was quick and light and definitely doesnt take itself to seriously.

I do wish that I had read the first book "Hopelessly Teavoted" first. This can definitely be read as a standalone but there were a lot of mentions of the story and characters from the previous book that always makes me feel like im on the outside of an inside joke.

[lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

i really really really wanted to love this especially after enjoying the previous book but it feels like the plot truly dominated this story and the romance took the backseat. that’s totally fine and dandy but i wasn’t particularly invested in the plot 😅 these work rivals were something else- these pranks felt so juvenile and unlike anything you would realistically do in a workplace. going from that to very lusty without the emotional beats felt a tad unearned. i otherwise breezed through it and enjoyed seeing my favorites from the past book!

[Tiffany Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book. A cozy witchy read. It fell flat for me. The plot was a little all over the place with plot holes. The devil/ more satanic references aren’t my thing so I didn’t really enjoy that anytime it came up. To each their own.
Anytime I started getting into the book, it would just all of a sudden jump, make no sense and then I was pulled straight out. It would randomly change the pov, the timeline everything. The characters were very immature. Two stars because SOME of it was a little funny.

[Bailey Mullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

2.5 stars

This book was (mostly) an unserious, light read with some fun (for some people) pranks and theatrics. However, random mentions of real life current events (political figures, COVID, etc.) that didn’t pertain to the story really took me out of it. There were mentions of a lot of important things that just didn’t land. Overall, not a terrible read, but a LOT of potential that fell flat for me. I will be giving this author another chance though!!

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but we aren't allowed to do half stars :(

This was a really fun read. I think that this has the potential to be an amazing book. There were a few times that I got a little lost or felt like I must have missed a paragraph/page, or something like that. It felt a little like things happened "off screen" and it made it a little confusing. But the romance was run and the mystery was interesting (albeit a little obvious) but I definitely enjoyed it regardless.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
This was a classic opposites attract trope with a magical twist. The cover gives Netflix's Wednesday vibes and I loved watching two people who are different find common ground and fall in love. It was an easy read with mid-level stakes. It had me laughing and loving watching these two learn to appreciate each other.

[Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute read! I had some complaints about the pacing and also found it to be a little on the repetitive side. I think it could also have included some more actual magic, which would have made the story cozier. It was on the spicy side, which was okay, but the enemies to lovers' aspect didn't really land for me. It felt more like a low-stakes workplace romcom with a sprinkle of magic.

[Emerald Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for access to this ARC!!
Yippee!! More Hallowcross books!!
I was so excited when I saw this, I love Priscilla so much in Hopelessly Teavoted so I was so excited she got her own book! And Agatha was a fun surprise of a character too!! The vibes in these books are so fun and chill and I love them.
I will say the beginning felt a little slow for me, but it wasn't too bad!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my exact sense of humor, and includes all of the things I love!





(because I wrote it!)

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look for my full review in Library Journal.


This was a fun, romantic story with a dash of spice--a sapphic enemies to lovers trope with good paranormal twists and humor.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! It was so fun and romantic, and gorgeously written. I simply adored it!