A witch without a spell All Ursula Caraway wished for was to live happily ever after in her hometown of Freya Grove. The self-proclaimed Jersey Shore Witch Princess was set to begin her perfect life—until a twist of fate changed everything. Now, she's telling fortunes to the lovelorn, selling crystals at the local psychic shop, and reclaiming her missing magic. Ursula desperately wishes to shake up her life—so much so, that she’ll do just about anything. Including befriending a very cute, very enchanted prince.
A prince in search of a kiss Prince Xavier Alder needs to find The One, but his lack of social skills has made that a challenge—and being cursed by the Faerie Queen isn’t helping either. So when Ursula, eager to believe in magic again, agrees to help Xavier find a perfect, curse-breaking kiss before Midsummer, it’s the ideal opportunity for them to get what they want. So long as they don’t let their mutual (and inconvenient) attraction get in the way.
A native of New Jersey, Celestine Martin writes whimsical and flirty paranormal romance that celebrates the beauty of everyday magic.
She spent her formative years buying as many romance novels in bulk from the local secondhand bookstore. She’s inspired to write happily ever afters and happy for now endings starring the people and places close to her heart.
When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys organizing her massive sticker collection with her husband while spoiling their daughter in New York.
Another charmingly cozy small town romance, this time with a fae prince who has been cursed to find his perfect kiss before he can return to the fae realm! Ursula also has the chance to redeem herself after what happened in book 1 and has done a lot of self-reflection and working to discover her true self. It's a slow-burn, low stakes, cozy romance with a bit of magic. If you're a romance reader and you've been enjoying the cozy fantasy trend, you should check this series out.
I liked the first book a little better, it had more magic and the characters were a bit more likable, but I still had fun listening to this. I think my biggest problem was with the pacing, it was a tad too slow and the story wasn't as engaging as it could've been. I'll still be reading book three though.
Kiss and Spell by Celestine Martin 2nd book in the Elemental Love series. Witchy paranormal romance. Diverse own voice. Can be read without reading the first but it is the same family, yet doesn’t really overlap much. Prince Xavier Alder of the fae is cursed. He needs to find the perfect kiss to be able to go back home. For now he’s trying dating apps on the New Jersey boardwalk. Ursula Caraway wished for happily ever after when she thought she had found her perfect man. That wish caused the relationship to fall apart and now Ursula is reading fortunes on the boardwalk “free with purchase”. She meets Xavier by chance when he gets lost and walks him down the boardwalk in the right direction. She offers to help him find his perfect romance and gets tangled up in attraction and longing herself.
An adorable and witchy story with Ursula and Xavier looking for something like love, and finding fascination in each other. She’s a romantic while he doesn’t believe in love. Expectations may need to be juggled a bit. Cute, campy and lovely.
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley and the publisher.
Being that this is the second book in the Elemental Series, it is definitely an improvement and has me looking forward to the third book in the series. This can also be read as a standalone.
Ursula Caraway is back again for redemption and amends. She has gone on a self-healing journey and is now less of a witch (no pun intended) than before. Ursula now wishes for her true HEA. Xavier, the fae prince has an enchantment over him that can only be broken with the perfect kiss. Will they be able to help each other, read and find out.
This book was cute, cozy, and light just like the first one. It was set in the spring which I found a little odd based off the cover and context, but the atmosphere of this book is palate cleansing. I feel like Kiss and Spell really lends itself to the Grove community because we learn so much more about the creatures that co-inhabit it in book two, but it doesn’t take away the focus on the two MC’s at the same time. Going into this expect a slow burn, with smedium steam at the end. It had nods to famous fairytales and it was an easy book to follow.
Just like the first book I wanted more magic again and I was given a little bit more, but it still didn’t satisfy me enough. Need more magic, please. This book was also a turning point for Ursula being that she literally was the meanest cousin ever in Witchful Thinking and I don’t think that apology to Lucy was enough for me because she was completely evil in book 1. I also did not enjoy the pet name “Madame” it was overused in this book imo. Despite that though I did like her and Xavier’s story together for what it was and I think this is a good book to recommend no matter the season.
First of all, while Kiss and Spell is the second book in a series, I think it’ll work fine as a standalone.(That’s something I always want to know when I’m contemplating reading a book that is part of a series.) You gradually get a lot of backstory so you won’t feel lost.
It was so nice to be back in Freya Grove! The town itself is one of the best things about this series. It’s a fictitious town on the Jersey shore that’s somewhere in the vicinity of the real Asbury Park and Ocean Grove - and it’s magical! “Regular” humans live there, but there’s also a large contingent of witches, mermen, vampires, gnomes and so forth. So it’s a special place. And being familiar with the area made it even more fun.
The first book (Witchful Thinking) focused on Lucy, one of three Caraway sisters, but this one focuses on Ursula, Lucy’s cousin. I was a bit surprised to see Ursula as the main character because she was really, really unlikeable in Witchful Thinking. This time, Ursula is trying to rebuild her life, make amends for past bad behavior, rebuild her magic powers, and recover from being left at the altar.
Xavier is a fae prince under an enchantment. He needs to find his perfect kiss to break the enchantment, but it’s complicated by the fact that he doesn’t believe in love.
As with most romances, you pretty much know how it will end, but the fun is in getting there. The romance between Ursula and Xavier is a friends-to-lovers slow burn. There’s a bit of steam, so if that’s not your jam, you may want to skim a bit.
Another plus is that this series centers on wonderful black characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was a bit late to it. All opinions are my own.
This is the second book in the Elemental Love series. I absolutely loved the first book and this one also did not disappoint.
In this paranormal romance, Ursula wishes for her happily ever after. When she meets Xavier, a fae prince on a mission to break a curse that requires him to find the perfect kiss, they work together to achieve their respective goals, but also just can't seem to stay away from each other.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't sure about Ursula being the main character of book 2-considering she was pretty terrible in book 1. I ended up really liking her as a main character, as well as her personal growth journey within the overall storyline.
I'm excited for any future releases in this series and cannot wait to return to Freya Grove. My hope is that we get Sirena's story next... We'll see!
Celestine Martín has done it again! Kiss and spell is a small town romance between a fae Prince who is cursed and a witch who is trying to get her magical groove back. Ursula wants to make amends with her family, but only after she rediscovers/explores her magic, learn to make wishes again, all while giving up on the fairy tale ending she had dreamed for herself. Ursula needed time to rediscover herself.
After being left at the alter, Ursula's life could be better. What was supposed to be her happy ever after ended with her telling fortunes and selling crystals at her family's shop, avoiding most of her family, and trying to get her magic back. She has no desire for another series relationship, but does wish for something exciting to happen. Enter Prince Xavier Alder.
Xavier is a Fae prince who has been cursed by the Fairie Queen to remain in the mortal realm until he finds and kisses The One. Xavier isn't the most social person and has found this task difficult. He runs into Ursula on his way to a date and there's an immediate connection. Needing something to prove to her that love and magic are still real, Ursula vows to help Xavier find the perfect kiss before Midsummer. Their connection may just get in the way.
I received an ARC of this book on Netgalley without realizing this was a series. However, I do think there was enough background information provided for me to get the gist of things without reading the first book.
I liked the concept of Ursula more than I think I liked her. I liked her backstory and the mess she had made of her life to lead her to this point. I liked the relationship she had with her mother and sister and I really enjoyed the scenes where she ran into her ex-fiance. But there was something about Ursula that just read off to me that I can't really put my finger on. It was almost like she was written so over the top to appear quirky that she just comes across as fake.
Xavier was a great character, though, and I enjoyed him awkwardly trying to find The One. I feel like the journey he goes on to find a way to break the curse so he could go home to the Fae realm and then deciding that maybe that wasn't what her really wanted was quite balanced. I also like that online dating is just as much as a train wreck for a Fae Prince as it is for an average person.
Oh, and I definitely could have done without the constant use of 'Madame' as a pet name. That was extremely cringe.
Airy and whimsical and sweet like cotton candy tale of an actual Prince (charming) who is cursed until he can find his perfect kiss and ascend his fae throne.
overall, personally, this was a bit too low-stakes for me. There's pining, but it is very cute. There's heat, but it is muted and lovely. If you are craving a warm, fuzzy read that's like a hug, definitely give Freya Grove a visit!
I enjoyed the elements of magic and the characters were very engaging. The actual story itself was less addictive. Still good, I just wanted more. Looking forward to discussing this one at book club.
I liked this one, but I think book one was a little better. The story itself was cute and full of charm, and I liked how the romance played out toward the end it wrapped up nicely and left me smiling. The characters were fun, the small-town setting was cozy, and I loved the overall magical vibe. It had that feel-good, whimsical energy that makes Celestine Martin’s books perfect for fall reading.
After reading book one I was curious to see what Ursula's book was gonna be like and I'm a fan.
I was so into this book I can not even explain it. This is by far one of my favorite witchy books. I can't even find the worst to explain it because I want everyone to read it.
More or else, Ursula's life went down hill after she made a wish with her cousins. Her fiancé left he at the alter and after a year she is trying to figure out how to get back to her old self. Insert a fea prince who has been cursed. They can't seem to stay away from each other.
So many cute moments. Ugh. Loved every second of this book.
This was raggedy. Not romantic. Not entertaining. Part of that is on me. I really thought we were going to be serving fall vibe realness and this was set in the fucking summertime. As a Gilmore Girls appreciator I even thought I could get down with the small town vibes of this one. Again, this was for the book club and it had me singing the fucking blues. I thought the whole thing was just downright foolish and certainly part of why the girlies are dragging romances written today. Just a hot mess from start to finish and absolutely not worth anyone's time.
This book was adorable. I love the "Prince charming" and the "no more fairy tales" heroine that was happening here. Both of our leads were relatable with their situations, and their relationship was everything I wanted it to be and more. Why don't I hear more people talking about these books and this author?? It's a shame! Had a great time with this one, and will continue to read in this series as long as the author wants to write in it.
This writing style is 100% not for me. There aren't enough details about the town or the background situations of the characters. And the word choice is off ("moist" to describe someone's body after a steamy scene... no thank you)... so yeah I will not be finishing this book.
Special thanks to the author, @readforeverpub, & @rpmystic for my gifted copy‼️
It took a while but I finally got into book two of the Elemental Love series. Same as before I loved the vibes just wish we got a little more magic. Unlike book one Kiss and Spell seemed to be a combination of fairytale-like retellings with references to Cinderella and the Frog Prince but with its own twist.
Ursula Caraway was in search of her own happily ever after. If being left at the altar wasn’t enough she’s ridiculed for not seeing her own fate and can’t really use her magic the way she wants. At this point she’s desperate and will do anything to have her chance at love again. When Prince Xavier arrives in town in search of the one to help break his curse he bumps into Ursula sealing their fate. Unfortunately it would take a couple failed attempts with online dating, Ursula being his wingman, and Xavier not actually believing in love before the two give in to what’s meant to be.
This was a really cute and swoony story with excessive pining and a whole lot of wishing on a star energy. The chemistry was undeniable so it was like come on already just say you’re in love. Wish we had gotten more backstory on the enchantment curse placed on Xavier. I also like Ursula’s character a lot more compared to book one where she was giving bridezilla.
Overall, it’s a cozy small town romance I’d recommend. My only downside was the pacing being really slow and I kind of wish it had more of a fall type vibe. But I’m excited and ready to read book three Deja Brew.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ursula has been left at the alter. She meets Xavier a far prince who has been cursed by the Faerie Queen and is looking for a kiss to break the spell put on him. Ursula and Cavier are perfect for each other and I enjoyed the build up of their relationship going from strangers to friends to lovers. This was a little bit of a slow burn but it was a good read.
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This was another super fun paranormal small town friends to lovers romance between a cursed Prince and a jilted witch looking to regain her mojo. Ursula got left at the alter and takes Prince Xavier under her wing when she shows up in her Jersey Shore town looking for the woman whose kiss will break his curse. They bond over a shared love of gems and magic and ultimately fall in love. Steamy and sweet, this was just a feel good magical romance and I was here for it all. Good on audio too narrated by Henriette Zoutomou. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
This was an absolutely cute read! I loved the premise and magic of this. Xavier and Ursula were so great together. I loved the bits and pieces of town lore we get and learning things about the many creatures that co-exist in the Grove.
While there was so much sweetness between the MCs there was some steam too eventually! You just have to be patient as there's alot of tension between them before we get the kiss and more.
I must say I thought we would at least learn Xavier's true fae name at the end of the book! I was so curious about that and i need to knowwwww.
Another cute one. The pattern with these books seems to be characters looking for love and ending up falling for a person that they spend the bulk of the story pining over but also telling about how they’ll never be together. There’s a little magic tossed in and overall the story is just cute. A good pick up if you’re looking for something light, fluffy and palate cleansing.
You have a faerie prince who needs to break an enchantment spell with the perfect kiss. Then you have the witch who believes in a happily ever after, even after she was left at the alter. They quickly form a friendship while she helps him on his journey. It was cute, I like the theme settings of this series. Cute and cozy.
If there had been more worldbuilding and detail to all of the supernatural in this book, I think I would've liked it more. It was so vague and I had a hard time keeping track of things because of that. There were some good moments, and the couple was sweet, but it never enchanted me like I hoped it would.