This was okay, I just felt that it was missing something, like some parts seem to go from point A to point z and it left me feeling like I missed something. The concept was good but the overall execution fell flat for me. To be fair I was generous in giving this a 3 star rating, 3 stars for me is I will most likely read again and recommend. I will most likely never read this again. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, some parts I felt could have been fleshed out more or stretched out but ultimately I love the way this book felt with feelings and how you view yourself and how you act when your scared and hurt and alone. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. This book screamed buffy and willow to me. I also was super invested in both POV and really loved the world buildings that was at the heart of this read. I also loved that this book was solid standalone. It was super engrossing and fast pace read. The LGBTQ romance def captured me and really grew on me. This story does also include a plague elements as well, but I really enjoyed this read, def a new fav for me! ( )

I really enjoyed this book. This book screamed buffy and willow to me. I also was super invested in both POV and really loved the world buildings that was at the heart of this read. I also loved that this book was solid standalone. It was super engrossing and fast pace read. The LGBTQ romance def captured me and really grew on me. This story does also include a plague elements as well, but I really enjoyed this read, def a new fav for me! ( )

The book was a pretty easy read. I did not see the twist coming. I liked how ernest and willing to help Wren always was and how that impacted Tasmin even before she fell in love. I also appreciate that this fantasy world had such a normalized view of queer relationships.

I felt like the pacing was a little slow, which worked up until the very end. I feel like the novel could've ended right after Wren's final visit home. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. ( )

It’s fine. Mostly it’s just very noncommittal. The twin is evil, but she’s not. The witch can’t love, but she can. They will stay together forever, or maybe they won’t. Its disappointing. ( )

‘Sweet & Bitter’ is about Tamsin, the most powerful witch of her generation and Wren, a magical source proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.

All things considered—this was a fairly decent debut. The polar opposites queer duo, character development, the non overly romanticize plot, and how the author touched based on death and mental illness were my favorite portions of the read. Otherwise—bland/mediocre the writing style wasn’t up to par with what I envision for the novel, the romance between Tamsin and Wren wasn’t believable and there was a lack of chemistry, agonizing info dumps, and dragful scenes that had me skim here and there.

Ultimately, this novel has the capability to hold your attention till the last page and it wasn’t completely terrible so 8/10, I will give this author another go.

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I thought this was going to be a cheesy read based on the cover and didn't expect to fall in big love with it. Tamsin is a powerful witch who was banished from the coven at 12 because she used dark magic to save her twin sister. She was also cursed with the inability to love so she traded for other's love to feel sometimes. A plague befalls the world seemingly brought upon by dark magic and she had to team up with Wren, who is a source of magic, to try and save the world. I'm not usually a fan of romance novels but their love story had all my favourite tropes (slow burn, enemies to friends, soul-binding pacts, idiots in love) that got me very invested. It's like Anna from Frozen and Jessica Jones clumsily and reluctantly catching feelings. It's cute as shit. It's a story about family, grief, and love magic. Big heart eyes. ( )

Nice blend of hopelessness and the journey of two very different girls on a path to figure out if either or both can find a remedy. Both Tamsin and Wren are appealing, even if Tamsin's guilt and self-loathing get in her way endless times. The gradual awareness on both girl's part of their attraction is nicely laid out. The ending's a tiny bit soft after most things are resolved, but that's a very minor matter. ( )

Literary Merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
Recommend: Yes
Level: High School

I went into this book skeptical because witches are not really my thing, but it completely pulled me in and I fell in love with these characters and the writing. The setting and atmosphere created by the writing style immediately pulled me in because it is written like a new fairy tale. Our two main characters are a banished witch living on the outskirts of a village trading magic & healing for love, and a seemingly "normal" girl who is really a magic source in hiding trying to take care of her ailing father instead of living her own life. When a plague caused by dark magic sweeps over the queendom, the two team up to hunt the dark witch, which means returning to the Coven who banished one and doesn't know about the other. Their journey together was an awesome, almost episodic at times, adventure. The banter between the two is hilarious, full of sparks and romantic tension.

Both show very real vulnerabilities in believing they are powerless or failures, and the self doubt they show and work through is extremely relatable. Nothing is instantly "fixed" by magic but it takes talking about their doubts, opening up to support from each other, and coming to trust themselves again that "saves" them, though the ending is authentic because there is still more growth to happen. I appreciated that it wasn't a "chosen one" or "fallen hero" story that wrapped up with a bow. these characters feel so real and personal because they have faults and missteps along the way, in lots of ways I could relate to as a reader. The romance between the two was also fantastic. It similarly drew from real insecurities and miscommunication into something founded on trust and understanding.

I highly recommend this for lovers of fantasy, magic, journey adventures, romance, and those struggling to find their own place in the world. ( )

This book seems amazing and I NEED to read it right now!!! ( )