Book Title: Deja Brew (Goodreads)
Author: Celestine Martin
Narrated by: Marissa Hampton & Christopher Hampton
Format Read: Audiobook
Deja Brew is a cute and easy magical, autumnal romance.
Sirena Caraway is a magical chef witch who seems to have lost her culinary magic. She drinks a magic tea and makes a wish only to find herself reliving the entire month of October. Enter Gus Dearworth, a former reality TV star and celebrity magician, who's now working at a historical society in hopes of settling down and leaving his flashy past behind. He vows to help her find her magic and become more fun, and she'll help him with some cookbooks at his historical society.
I’ll admit, I picked up this book because the cover screamed cozy autumn romance, and I was totally on board for some pumpkin spice vibes. The title had me expecting something fun like pumpkin beer or lattes—but within a few minutes, I realized I had stepped into a paranormal romance featuring witches and magicians. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I was expecting.
While the magical setting is integral to the explanation behind the time loop, I felt that the world-building wasn't as developed as I’d hoped. I almost felt like I could connect with the characters more if they weren't magical. The book juggled a lot of elements—soulmates, family drama, career struggles, ex-relationships, and of course, the time loop. It made the story feel a bit scattered, as if there wasn’t a clear goal or focus for the characters.
That being said, I really loved the scenes at the historical society! Having worked at one myself, I couldn’t help but cheer when Gus started talking about the provenance of magical items—it was such a fun detail that resonated with me.
Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton both did a solid job bringing Sirena and Gus to life. Their voices worked well together, and they added a nice energy to the story. It was easy to listen to and enhanced the cozy vibe of the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced reader copy.
