Witches and Wine

Witches and Wine follows Chelsea Stewart, a public relations specialist who moves to Arcane Cove hoping for a fresh start, only to discover the charming little town is filled with gods, witches, shifters, and just about every other supernatural creature imaginable. Even more surprising, the town’s protective magic would never have allowed her inside if she were completely human. As Chelsea begins uncovering the truth about her family, her magic, and the part of herself she never knew existed, she finds herself drawn to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and frenzy, whose interest in her is anything but casual. What begins as attraction soon grows into something deeper as Chelsea learns that finding herself may also mean finding where, and with whom, she truly belongs.

For me, this was a 4 out of 5-star read. As for the spice, this one earns 5 out of 5 peppers. With explicit scenes, group participation, primal chasing, marking, claiming, and Dion’s beast form, this book holds absolutely nothing back. Then again, Dion is literally the god of wine, frenzy, and pleasure, so shy and innocent was never really on the table.

I enjoyed Chelsea and Dion together. Their personalities are completely different, but that contrast is part of what makes them work. Chelsea is organized, careful, and accustomed to keeping herself under control, while Dion is basically temptation, chaos, and bad decisions wrapped in one very attractive package. He encourages her to let go, while she gives him something real enough to make the god of pleasure start thinking beyond his next good time.

Chelsea’s journey was probably the part that interested me most. She moves to Arcane Cove believing she is an ordinary human and quickly realizes there is an entire side of herself, and her family, that she never knew existed. I liked watching her discover her magic, begin understanding where it came from, and slowly allow herself to become someone beyond the responsible, tightly controlled version of herself that she had always been.

I also loved Arcane Cove itself. It was strange, magical, and filled with enough supernatural personalities to keep me nosy. The mix of Greek gods, witches, shifters, faeries, gargoyles, and other mythical beings gives the town its own personality without making the world difficult to follow. The supporting characters added plenty of humor, and Riley deserves special recognition because that thieving little ferret managed to be adorable, useful, and slightly unhinged all at once. Watching him arm himself with a knife may have been one of my favorite moments. Apparently, all it takes to win me over is a small animal with questionable morals and access to sharp objects. I’m comfortable with that.

What kept this from becoming a five-star read for me was mostly how quickly some of the biggest developments unfolded. Chelsea learns a lot about herself, her family, her abilities, and her place within this magical world in a relatively short amount of time. I enjoyed those discoveries, but I wanted more time to experience them with her. The different kinds of witchcraft, her connection to her mother, and the process of learning to control her power were interesting enough that I would have happily spent more time exploring them.

I especially would have liked to see Chelsea struggle a little more with learning her abilities. Discovering you’re a witch is exciting, but suddenly having access to magic doesn’t mean you should automatically know what to do with it. I wanted to see her experiment, make mistakes, and gradually develop confidence in what she could accomplish. That would have made her growth feel more earned and given us a better understanding of the magical world Carly was introducing.

The pacing played a part in this, too. The story moves quickly, which kept me entertained, but some important revelations happened before I felt we’d had enough time to appreciate their significance. Chelsea’s discoveries about her family and magical heritage should have carried considerable emotional weight, and I wanted to see more of how those revelations affected her rather than moving so quickly to the next development.

The main emotional conflict also had an interesting premise because it forced Chelsea to question whether what was developing between her and Dion was genuine. I liked the uncertainty that created, but it was resolved more easily than I expected. I wanted that situation, and the threat behind it, to carry a little more weight before everything became clear.

For me, the interesting part wasn’t simply whether Chelsea and Dion belonged together. It was the question of how Chelsea could trust her feelings when magic might be influencing them. That kind of uncertainty could have created some genuinely meaningful tension between them, especially considering how much of Chelsea’s life had already been turned upside down. I would have liked to see her work through those doubts rather than having the situation settle quite so quickly.

Because Chelsea and Dion appear to have some history before this book begins, there were moments when I felt like I had walked into their relationship after part of their story had already happened. Their connection still worked for me, but a little more context about what came before would have given their romance even more emotional weight. I enjoyed their chemistry and the way their personalities balanced each other, but I wanted more opportunities to understand what made their connection meaningful beyond the attraction and supernatural circumstances bringing them together.

I was also genuinely interested in the larger supernatural story developing in the background, particularly the mystery surrounding Arcane Cove and the developments involving the High Priestess and Rumpelstiltskin. That storyline raises questions that clearly reach beyond Chelsea and Dion’s romance, but much of it remains open for future books. It made me curious about what comes next, although I would have liked a little more progress or clarity before this part of the story ended.

I don’t mind a mystery continuing across multiple books. In fact, I enjoy having something to look forward to. But I would have liked the investigation to involve a little more uncertainty and a stronger sense of danger. Some developments felt relatively straightforward, and the larger conflict didn’t always have the tension or consequences I expected from the situation. I’m not asking for a body count, although I certainly wouldn’t object to a villain getting what’s coming to them. I just wanted the threat to feel a little more substantial.

Overall, the humor, characters, chemistry, magical setting, and Chelsea’s personal journey outweighed the areas where I wanted more depth. None of those issues ruined the story for me, and I don’t want my criticisms to suggest otherwise. I genuinely enjoyed reading it. My frustration came from wanting more of the things Carly had already made interesting, not because I disliked what she’d written.

This was a fun introduction to The Mythical Mates of Arcane Cove, and it left me wanting to learn more about both the town and the creatures living there.

WOULD I RECOMMEND WITCHES AND WINE?

Absolutely. If you enjoy witches, Greek gods, fated mates, magical small towns, plenty of humor, and a whole lot of spice, this one is well worth adding to your TBR. I particularly recommend it to readers who enjoy romances between characters with completely different personalities, especially when one is a responsible woman trying to keep her life together and the other is a pleasure-loving god who considers restraint a personal insult.

Readers who prefer extensive fantasy worldbuilding, more gradual emotional development, or complicated supernatural mysteries may find themselves wanting a little more depth. But if you’re looking for an entertaining paranormal romance with likable characters, fantastic chemistry, and a wonderfully unusual setting, there’s plenty here to enjoy.

MY FINAL VERDICT:

Witches and Wine gave me an entertaining romance, characters I genuinely liked, plenty of humor, and a magical town I’d happily visit again. Chelsea’s personal journey was one of my favorite parts, and I loved the contrast between her carefully controlled personality and Dion’s complete disregard for anything resembling restraint. Riley was just the icing on an already wonderfully chaotic cake.

What would have made this a five-star read for me? More time exploring Chelsea’s magical heritage and abilities, a little more background on her connection with Dion, stronger development of the emotional uncertainty surrounding their relationship, and greater tension and progress within the larger supernatural mystery.

Those elements could have made an already enjoyable story even better, but their limited development didn’t take away from the fun I had reading it. I laughed, enjoyed the romance and spice, and finished the book curious about what Carly has planned for Arcane Cove. That’s why I gave it four stars. I can recognize where a book could have been stronger and still genuinely love the experience of reading it.

I also noticed that the books in this series are all relatively short, each coming in at under 300 pages, which may explain why some of the bigger developments move so quickly. Now I’m just hoping Carly decides to spoil us with expanded special-edition hardcovers someday because I would happily take more character development, more supernatural lore, and a whole lot more time in Arcane Cove.

And Carly, if you ever decide to expand these stories, I’d happily read them again and reconsider my ratings. There’s so much potential here, and I’d love to see more of it explored. If that ever happens, I’ll be first in line with my money ready. Just point me toward the preorder button!

Final Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) | Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (5/5)

NOTE: This review reflects the purchased Kindle eBook edition I read as of September 16, 2026, and may not reflect any revisions, corrections, or updates made thereafter