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The Magic Cupcake
A hot and hilarious romantic story that will leave a huge smile on your face. When they came up with the phrase sex on a stick they could have been talking about my sexy new neighbor. He’s got it all going on. Green eyes, full head of glossy hair, washboard abs, pecs of steel, a sinful smile, and walks like a Greek god.. You name it, the guy has it…in spades. Our relationship is simple. We have none. But that's not to say I don't want one!He goes about his daily business and I fantasize about him before I fall asleep. If not for my dog, my roommate (well-meaning but interfering), my two besties (they really are the best in the world), and a gypsy woman, things might have remained that way until we both grew old and grey. Instead, it’s a massive disaster where the hole I've dug keeps getting deeper and deeper. Still…he does taste so very good though. Divine actually and sooo addictiveA standalone romance with HEA.
284 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2018
1010 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 20, 2019
Started strong then fizzled
By the halfway point, this became hard for me to finish.
At the beginning I felt there were some things left out or not elaborated on.
Once the story was picking up, things chaotic.
The heroine was super nuts. The focus was solely on that "potion" she could not stop talking about. That got really frustrating. I can understand her friend's irritation, honestly.
All of the other vague plots happening around was just confusing.
The hero of the book turned into a completely different character.
Everything just felt rushed, uncoordinated, immature, and unfinished.
I was hoping the reviews weren't as accurate, sadly they were/are.
By the halfway point, this became hard for me to finish.
At the beginning I felt there were some things left out or not elaborated on.
Once the story was picking up, things chaotic.
The heroine was super nuts. The focus was solely on that "potion" she could not stop talking about. That got really frustrating. I can understand her friend's irritation, honestly.
All of the other vague plots happening around was just confusing.
The hero of the book turned into a completely different character.
Everything just felt rushed, uncoordinated, immature, and unfinished.
I was hoping the reviews weren't as accurate, sadly they were/are.
September 8, 2019
Waste of time
I did not like this book. The premise sounded good initially - girl has a crush on her neighbor and she goes to a gypsy to get a love potion so he can fall in love with her. But the characters are annoying. Lauren was constantly blaming Jackson for something and then getting bad afterwards. Jackson seemed so wishy-washy.
I didn't care for any of the secondary characters. Danny, Lauren's roommate is supposedly gay, but in the book dates a girl. Confusing? Yes, very! And there is the friend Andrea who doesn't believe in the gypsy potion thing, but then puts money down to buy the love potion antidote. Andrea also funds some business for Danny. Why is this even part of the story? Did I even care? No! I just wanted this book to end.
I did not like this book. The premise sounded good initially - girl has a crush on her neighbor and she goes to a gypsy to get a love potion so he can fall in love with her. But the characters are annoying. Lauren was constantly blaming Jackson for something and then getting bad afterwards. Jackson seemed so wishy-washy.
I didn't care for any of the secondary characters. Danny, Lauren's roommate is supposedly gay, but in the book dates a girl. Confusing? Yes, very! And there is the friend Andrea who doesn't believe in the gypsy potion thing, but then puts money down to buy the love potion antidote. Andrea also funds some business for Danny. Why is this even part of the story? Did I even care? No! I just wanted this book to end.
November 19, 2018
What does a gypsy, a hot next door neighbor and a love potion have to do with each other? Well Lauren Appleton is crushing hard on her hot next door neighbor but getting him to fall for her is another thing. That's where Madam Zelda and her love potion come into play. This book takes you on quite the adventure and I absolutely loved it.
January 16, 2019
I liked the premise of this story. I loved the cast of characters and their relationships.
The story began fine but about halfway through the book the storylines became erratic and sometimes cheesy. Once I became a little more disenchanted with it all, all of the typo & grammatical errors began jumping out at me even more. It became harder and harder for me to overlook. They were like neon speed bumps. It really slowed me down and hindered my ability to enjoy what I was reading.
Overall, it was just okay for me.
The story began fine but about halfway through the book the storylines became erratic and sometimes cheesy. Once I became a little more disenchanted with it all, all of the typo & grammatical errors began jumping out at me even more. It became harder and harder for me to overlook. They were like neon speed bumps. It really slowed me down and hindered my ability to enjoy what I was reading.
Overall, it was just okay for me.
January 16, 2019
I should have known when it took me 5 tries to get through the first chapter that this book wasn’t for me, I managed to get to 67% before I couldn’t take anymore. Don’t get me wrong it was alright but it was just beyond predictable, there was no fire or buildup.
January 10, 2019
Dnf @ 69%
January 7, 2019
Nothing interesting really happens...the thing with the magic cake and love potion gets resolved before half way through...the rest is mostly normal people falling in love and lots of friends time.
December 18, 2018
This book started out promising but dragged a little as she kept whining over that bloody love potion.
Didn't know how old they were and their actions made them seen a little immature at times.
It could've ended after he found out about the cupcake but it carries on. This would have been better if ended earlier.
Needed another once over with an editor because it was rife with errors and that's just annoying. Especially if you buy the book. One or two you can overlook but when it continues all through the book, it's annoying.
Didn't know how old they were and their actions made them seen a little immature at times.
It could've ended after he found out about the cupcake but it carries on. This would have been better if ended earlier.
Needed another once over with an editor because it was rife with errors and that's just annoying. Especially if you buy the book. One or two you can overlook but when it continues all through the book, it's annoying.
December 20, 2018
The storyline was good, but the editing was not good at all. The inconsistencies we hard to get over and made it difficult for me to finish this book.
December 11, 2018
Half-decent read, not outstanding by any means
I was very excited to read this book, but after a few chapters I found that this wasn’t anything special.
The book had a decent plot that kept me reading to the end but I found numerous grammar errors.
This is a very basic and easily predictable love story.
Some of the reactions the MC’s had were just dumb. The male is 100% not looking for a relationship in the first few chapters but after a (somewhat forced) date with the female he experiences insta-love.
This book would never make it into even my top 100.
I was very excited to read this book, but after a few chapters I found that this wasn’t anything special.
The book had a decent plot that kept me reading to the end but I found numerous grammar errors.
This is a very basic and easily predictable love story.
Some of the reactions the MC’s had were just dumb. The male is 100% not looking for a relationship in the first few chapters but after a (somewhat forced) date with the female he experiences insta-love.
This book would never make it into even my top 100.
December 10, 2018
I couldn't get past page 3 ......
December 6, 2018
This book would’ve been so much better if it didn’t have so many mistakes. Was it chicken cacciatore or rib? Did they live in an apartment building? They made it seem like he lives accross the hall but she said a couple of times that she was in his driveway. Who the hell is clyde? So many mistakes 🤦🏽♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2018
3.5 stars
I enjoyed reading this book, it had a fun storyline, a fab group of friends, romance, chemistry, family issues, misunderstandings and good connections, not to mention two lovely dogs...however there were some editing issues such as name changes, location changes and food changes which threw me at times. These stuck in my mind even though I enjoyed the book, such a shame because I would have loved to have rated it higher.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed reading this book, it had a fun storyline, a fab group of friends, romance, chemistry, family issues, misunderstandings and good connections, not to mention two lovely dogs...however there were some editing issues such as name changes, location changes and food changes which threw me at times. These stuck in my mind even though I enjoyed the book, such a shame because I would have loved to have rated it higher.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 27, 2018
Started of great but then....
I liked how it started off. The story was pretty fun at the beginning and crazy like any rom com, but after the H found out the truth and the story continued, I felt like it dragged on. It could have simply stopped at that point but instead I felt like there were things that were added in that weren’t as interesting and just made it too boring. I even started to get annoyed with the h because she was starting to get too childish. Sometimes shorter stories are better I guess....
I liked how it started off. The story was pretty fun at the beginning and crazy like any rom com, but after the H found out the truth and the story continued, I felt like it dragged on. It could have simply stopped at that point but instead I felt like there were things that were added in that weren’t as interesting and just made it too boring. I even started to get annoyed with the h because she was starting to get too childish. Sometimes shorter stories are better I guess....
December 3, 2018
Should’ve ended when we found out what happened with the cupcake. Everything after that was just pointless.
November 21, 2018
I think the editor probably needed another pass at this one. The continuity was off on a few points.
It also came to a natural end at about 60% where we hear what happened with the cupcake - which I totally called by the way - and then just kept going with pointless story lines.
It also came to a natural end at about 60% where we hear what happened with the cupcake - which I totally called by the way - and then just kept going with pointless story lines.
November 30, 2018
I couldn’t figure out who Lauren was more attached to. The dog or the guy.
February 21, 2019
Honestly, I’m not even sure what possessed me to read this book. Maybe it’s the deep and abiding love I have for cupcakes? (They’re all magical, in my opinion) I dunno. But I do know that it’ll take more than a pastry-laden title to trick me into buying books going forward; this book has made sure of that.
First of all, I’ll be representing the Unpopular Opinion Crew on this one. Again. Sigh. If you check this book out on Amazon, you’ll see tons of glowy, gushy reviews from people who think it’s just so, so cute. I suppose it’s possible that I’m just a grumpy old bitch because I didn’t see the humor. Whatever. I can live with that.
Here’s what didn’t work for me:
1. The heroine and her friends are super immature. And folks, I’m willing to admit that I enjoy a healthy amount of childish humor, but this crew was even too immature for me to handle. I mean, the heroine got drunk with her friends and decided to go out in search of a love potion to give to her neighbor (a stranger) to make him fall in love with her. I know we’re supposed to write this off as drunken hilarity, but it wasn’t funny, it was just...stupid. I don’t have time for stupid.
2. I’m pretty sure “gypsy” is a derogatory term, yet this book is peppered with the word. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, the “gypsy” in question is a complete stereotype.
3. The idea that a sober adult would even CONSIDER putting a foreign substance in a man’s drink with the intent of making him fall in love with her is, a) ridiculous, b) childish, and c) predatory. Let’s just for a moment imagine, shall we, that this was the story of a man who considered drugging a woman. In that instance, it’d be an episode of Criminal Minds instead of a sweet, funny rom com. Spiking people’s food is wrong, folks. (End of public service announcement) (Note: Based on other reviews, I get the impression that the hero’s food wasn’t actually spiked with anything. I don’t care. The fact that it was considered by the heroine and her friends was enough to make me put the book down and give it a very disappointed head shake.)
4. I’m no grammar Nazi, but holy hell, there were a lot of errors in this book. The editing was lacking, to say the least. And it wasn’t just typos, either. There were glaring continuity errors that I picked up on even though I was skimming most of the book.
So, about 30% into the book, because of everything I mentioned above, I gave up and slapped a DNF rating on this one. Life’s too short to read books that annoy you.
And feel free to join us on the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, book lists, and other fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
First of all, I’ll be representing the Unpopular Opinion Crew on this one. Again. Sigh. If you check this book out on Amazon, you’ll see tons of glowy, gushy reviews from people who think it’s just so, so cute. I suppose it’s possible that I’m just a grumpy old bitch because I didn’t see the humor. Whatever. I can live with that.
Here’s what didn’t work for me:
1. The heroine and her friends are super immature. And folks, I’m willing to admit that I enjoy a healthy amount of childish humor, but this crew was even too immature for me to handle. I mean, the heroine got drunk with her friends and decided to go out in search of a love potion to give to her neighbor (a stranger) to make him fall in love with her. I know we’re supposed to write this off as drunken hilarity, but it wasn’t funny, it was just...stupid. I don’t have time for stupid.
2. I’m pretty sure “gypsy” is a derogatory term, yet this book is peppered with the word. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, the “gypsy” in question is a complete stereotype.
3. The idea that a sober adult would even CONSIDER putting a foreign substance in a man’s drink with the intent of making him fall in love with her is, a) ridiculous, b) childish, and c) predatory. Let’s just for a moment imagine, shall we, that this was the story of a man who considered drugging a woman. In that instance, it’d be an episode of Criminal Minds instead of a sweet, funny rom com. Spiking people’s food is wrong, folks. (End of public service announcement) (Note: Based on other reviews, I get the impression that the hero’s food wasn’t actually spiked with anything. I don’t care. The fact that it was considered by the heroine and her friends was enough to make me put the book down and give it a very disappointed head shake.)
4. I’m no grammar Nazi, but holy hell, there were a lot of errors in this book. The editing was lacking, to say the least. And it wasn’t just typos, either. There were glaring continuity errors that I picked up on even though I was skimming most of the book.
So, about 30% into the book, because of everything I mentioned above, I gave up and slapped a DNF rating on this one. Life’s too short to read books that annoy you.
And feel free to join us on the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, book lists, and other fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
November 15, 2018
The Magic Cupcake By: River LaurentShe'll Bake "The Magic Cupcake," But Will It Bring Her Love!!
Her Bad Day Starts with Dog C*@P on the S€X¥ Neighbor's DoorMat...
You know, the One she's Lusting after from afar!!
Ohh, Did I mention... It was her Dog doing the Deed!!
Of course, from there Her Day only Rolls DownHill Farther...
To Top it off, while Presenting a Deal, she'll Bean an important Client with a Broken Shoe...
Wham! Right in the Kisser, turning him Black & Blue, which means No Deal for You!
Whose Shoe, you ask?! Luck's with her Again my Friend because of course it was hers!
To Cap off the Day from H€LL, it's too many Drinks with her Besties...
This leads to a Magical excursion to Madame Zelda's for Potion de L'Amour (A Love Potion)...
Just Add said Concoction to something Sweet & soon you'll have your Heart's Treat...
What follows is Even better than the day leading to this Crazy Purchase!
"The Magic Cupcake" is a journey like no other!
There's Drama of course... Because the Path to True Love NEVER Goes Smoothly!! Who'd want it to, that'd be boring ;) But, There's also Sooo many LoL moments, that'll make you reach for tissues from laughing so hard!!
I have to say, at one point I was thinking this is a great place to end the Story, but I was WRONG! There was MORE to come, & the Ending satisfied Me... No hints of Spoilers from me!
I was granted an ARC of River Laurent's "The Magic Cupcake;" I happily recommend this book to others based upon its own merits. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!
November 16, 2018
Lauren wants her next door neighbor bad. However when her dog messes on his doormat she figures she'll never have a chance. One night at with her friends they get to talking and Madam Zelda comes up in the conversation. She is a old gypsy lady known for her potions. They end up at her place to get a love potion. Lauren wakes with a massive hangover the next day and changes her mind about using it but her room mate goes against her wishes and makes it in a cupcake that Lauren serves to Jackson on their date. When things heat up between them Lauren feels guilty because of the love potion. Will Lauren come clean about the potion? Can Jackson forgive her for doing the potion in the first place.
This is a hilarious story I laughed out loud multiple times. The chemistry between Lauren and Jackson is sizzling hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. There is a surprise twist that will leave you laughing at how things turn out. I would recommend this to any book lover.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
This is a hilarious story I laughed out loud multiple times. The chemistry between Lauren and Jackson is sizzling hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. There is a surprise twist that will leave you laughing at how things turn out. I would recommend this to any book lover.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
November 17, 2018
River Laurent has just released gold. The Magic Cupcake has everything you would imagine to find in a realistically crafted, 'feel good', romance. River's publication is a gift for lovers of romance (just like me), to become captivated by. And that is exactly what you will be... Completely riveted and absorbed in every part of the journey that Lauren and Jackson take, to get their happily ever after. The part that I enjoyed most was the use/need for a 'Gypsy'. This part of the storyline was easily envisioned and you could imagine doing the same thing with your own friends (should you be fortunate enough to have ones like Danny, Andrea, Nina as well as Pamela.
I was incredibly fortunate to have requested an advanced reader's copy of The Magic Cupcake in exchange for my honest and voluntarily given opinion. Besides River's latest publication, romance reader's everywhere know that River is a wonderfully talented Author that delivers only the best; time and again.
I was incredibly fortunate to have requested an advanced reader's copy of The Magic Cupcake in exchange for my honest and voluntarily given opinion. Besides River's latest publication, romance reader's everywhere know that River is a wonderfully talented Author that delivers only the best; time and again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2018
Good story line that flowed along well. The scene setting and descriptions were very detailed and really enlivened the tale. This reader got a good sense of places, all from the descriptors used by the author. The characterizations of all involved were well done. I can see more stories developed as these characters were so well depicted that they each deserve their own story. The main female character's self-talk was hilarious, perhaps because it borders on what this reader has contemplated from time-to-time. Comical. Good line: "I feel like a prize cow getting looked over at the state fair.". I really enjoy this author's works and whenever I have the opportunity to read one of their novels, I am on it. Recommended read and author!
I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.
I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.
November 24, 2018
This was a excellent read. It is a romantic comedy that will have you giggling like crazy, while embracing all the feels. A cute storyline is filled with plenty of heat and humor. I loved Lauren and Jackson! They are a great couple with amazing chemistry and watching them get together was priceless! It was so easy to feel for poor Lauren. I mean, haven't we all had those kind of days? When things just go from bad to worse, and just when you honestly can't even fathom a single more awful thing happening; because I mean come on, what are the odds? And then Whammo!! The hits just keep coming. A wonderful cast of supporting characters in Lauren's friends, a scene stealer of a dog and a touch of gypsy magic provide the proverbial frosting on this delightful treat! This is totally honest & completely truthful review.
November 27, 2018
The name of this book had me wondering if I really wanted to read it or not and boy am I glad I decided to give it a try. I was laughing so hard at one point that I had tears running down my cheeks and my husband thinking I had lost my mind. This story is sweet and funny with a little dash of magic. Great well developed characters that were easy to become invested in. This is a bit of an insta love story, remember magic cupcake, but the story and supporting characters especially the dog make the insta love work. Lauren and Jackson are some of my favorite characters that I have read lately. I would have loved to give this one 5 stars since I enjoyed the story so much but there were a few story errors that really stood out keeping me from giving it a perfect rating.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 31, 2019
Typos, missing words, disappointed
Facebook ads for books are either hit or miss for me. Lately, they have been missing more often than not. The only good news is that I borrowed this book with Kindle Unlimited. Harsh,? Maybe, but I was really frustrated by this book. The Magic Cupcake is full of typos, missing words, and strange punctuation. They happened so frequently, I was pulled from the story every few pages.
This story had promise, but it reads like it was never fully fleshed out. Full of weird and unnecessary coincidences and half formed thoughts, it feels like it needed to be beta read and long rewrites to form a complete story minus the kitchen sink that was thrown at us. The characters needed more depth, too. I found myself skimming around 70%, wondering when it was going to end. I’m bummed, I was hoping for a lot more.
Facebook ads for books are either hit or miss for me. Lately, they have been missing more often than not. The only good news is that I borrowed this book with Kindle Unlimited. Harsh,? Maybe, but I was really frustrated by this book. The Magic Cupcake is full of typos, missing words, and strange punctuation. They happened so frequently, I was pulled from the story every few pages.
This story had promise, but it reads like it was never fully fleshed out. Full of weird and unnecessary coincidences and half formed thoughts, it feels like it needed to be beta read and long rewrites to form a complete story minus the kitchen sink that was thrown at us. The characters needed more depth, too. I found myself skimming around 70%, wondering when it was going to end. I’m bummed, I was hoping for a lot more.
November 15, 2018
The Magic Cupcake written by the author, River Laurent was such a fun book to read. The story had a close knit group of friends that supported each other and held each other accountable when necessary. But it's the crazy things they did together that is most remarkable. Case in point, going to see Madam Zelda so Lauren can obtain a vial of a Love Potion and use it on her gorgeous neighbor, Jackson. Once the deed has been done and she believes the potion is successful, she has second thoughts. What to do. What to do.
I loved this story and all the characters and how the storyline unfolded. Therefore I'm highly recommending this book for your reading pleasure and enjoyment.
I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book.
I loved this story and all the characters and how the storyline unfolded. Therefore I'm highly recommending this book for your reading pleasure and enjoyment.
I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book.
November 26, 2018
3,5
Pretty cute story with a naive but not innocent heroine
I enjoyed the beginning, but Lauren's naive and candid character sometimes infuriated me. The story then stays pretty simple and cute with some hot sex scenes between Lauren and her neighbor Jackson.
I liked the unusual beginning during which Lauren thinks that her new neighbor Jackson does not appreciate her and that after a drunken night she decides to go see a clairvoyant to buy a filter of love. Nobody believes it, not even her, and she abandons the idea, until that by accident, she discovers that Jackson would have ingested it. After Jackson confesses his feelings, Lauren decides to cancel the spell, but nothing happens as planned.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Pretty cute story with a naive but not innocent heroine
I enjoyed the beginning, but Lauren's naive and candid character sometimes infuriated me. The story then stays pretty simple and cute with some hot sex scenes between Lauren and her neighbor Jackson.
I liked the unusual beginning during which Lauren thinks that her new neighbor Jackson does not appreciate her and that after a drunken night she decides to go see a clairvoyant to buy a filter of love. Nobody believes it, not even her, and she abandons the idea, until that by accident, she discovers that Jackson would have ingested it. After Jackson confesses his feelings, Lauren decides to cancel the spell, but nothing happens as planned.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
November 16, 2018
I absolutely loved this story and I agree with another reviewer that you should never judge a book by its cover because I didn’t expect this hilarious sexy romance. Jackson and Lauren are next door neighbors they are very attracted to each other but they don’t know how to ask the other out, Jackson has been burned by his last relationship and Lauren doesn’t have enough confidence. This is one of the best stories I’ve read by far of River’s and I just can’t wait to see what she brings out next. A fantastic story a 5 plus ⭐️ read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
November 16, 2018
This author has written a highly entertaining romance, it certainly kept my full attention until the last page was turned and it definitely was a pleasure to read.
The plot is well-written and entertaining with unique & quirky characters that reacted with varying emotions to unexpected situations they found themselves in, of course the dog also played a good role.
There is enough sexual tension, humorous situations, magic, steamy scenes & a delightful ending with a twist to keep the readers interest.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this highly entertaining romance and really would recommend it to people who enjoy reading this genre. I sincerely doubt you would be disappointed.
The plot is well-written and entertaining with unique & quirky characters that reacted with varying emotions to unexpected situations they found themselves in, of course the dog also played a good role.
There is enough sexual tension, humorous situations, magic, steamy scenes & a delightful ending with a twist to keep the readers interest.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this highly entertaining romance and really would recommend it to people who enjoy reading this genre. I sincerely doubt you would be disappointed.
December 2, 2018
Lauren has had a crush on her neighbor since he moved in. Lauren ends up having a bad day starting her dog ending up pooing on her neighbors door mate and work was a disaster. Lauren ends up going out for drinks with her girlfriends and ends up buying a magic love potion. Jackson is only renting the place next to Lauren until he place gets done. He doesn't know why he is acting the way he is because he tells his self that he has no time for a relationship. I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the storyline and plot. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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