Vengefully Matched

Hallowcross #2

by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff

From the author of Hopelessly Teavoted comes a witchy, sapphic rom-com about a mischievous runaway bride and her prim-and-proper Witchery Council rival that must fake-date in order to catch a would-be murderer—and accidentally fall in love. Priscilla Hart does not do regret—except maybe for the small matter of fleeing her own wedding in a cloud of magical fireworks. Now the town’s most infamous runaway witch, she’s determined to rebuild her reputation on the Witchery Council and prove she’s more than a scandal in heels. Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin, the newly elected council president, is everything Priscilla can’t composed, proper, and infuriatingly perfect. But when a string of dangerous magical explosions points to Priscilla as the culprit, Agatha makes an impulsive move—announcing that they’re dating—to save her from exile. Faking a relationship in public should be simple…until late-night arguments turn into slow-burn attraction, and the two discover that something wicked is brewing in Hallowcross. To survive the magic—and their feelings—they’ll have to stop pretending and risk falling for real.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Fantasy, Queer, LGBT, Paranormal Romance, Witches

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 6, 2026

About the author

Audrey Goldberg writes contemporary and speculative romance and fantasy. She previously also wrote under the name Audrey Goldberg Ruoff. She lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her family, a scrappy but loyal little dog, and a whimsical and witchy cat.

Reviews

[Dallas]

This was very cute! Fake dating, sapphic, an attempted murder and kidnapping plot along with a cute witchy town count me in. I loved the dynamic of Agatha and Priscilla right from the beginning they had such fun banter and chemistry and I always love a good witch story. The middle of the book is where it lost me a little bit, the relationship stopped progressing as much as I thought it should have and I didn’t like the changed dynamic. The plot also was fairly easy for me to guess. That being said I still enjoyed this book and this world. I am hoping that there is going to be a Lex book 👀 it felt like that was getting teased in the last half of the book and I loved his character so that would be interesting to see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria publishing for this ARC!

[SJARR ✨]

Lots of witchy cuteness happening in here!

This is the second book in the hallowcross series, and I’m not sure if there is more to come- but I definitely hope there is! Because I can’t get enough of this.
If you’ve read book one, (hopelessly teavoted), I think you’ll find that book two has a familiar vibe.
The best way I can describe it is a dark Halloween night, or the adult version of a nostalgic, beloved witchy Halloween movie.

Also, I’m happy to announce that along with the similar atmosphere- I actually found this book more entertaining than the first!
So it had the same energy that i liked about the start of the series, but even better.
This especially leaves me hoping to see a third book, (in hopes that we can continue on-trend and get a five star read from that one).

I think these characters, Priscilla and Agatha, are so likable together, and they their personalities and relationship make for such an exciting and moody reading experience!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, for providing me with the eARC of “Vengefully matched”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: October 06, 2026

[Bbecca_marie]

Vengefully Matched✨review✨ thank you so much @atriabooks for the free copy!

Vengefully Matched
By Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
out 10/6/26!

From the author of the “colorful, sweet, and swoony” Hopelessly Teavotedcomes a witchy, sapphic rom-com about a mischievous runaway bride and her prim-and-proper Witchery Council rival who must fake-date in order to catch a would-be murderer—and accidentally fall in love.

✨ My thoughts:

The school pickup line has officially become my favorite reading spot. This book was a DELIGHT! I had so much fun with Hopelessly Teavoted, so this was already going to be an auto read for me, and it delivered. I mean, give me a magical town, witches, fake dating, and two women with undeniable chemistry and I am HAPPY. I really do love the fake dating trope, but pairing it with all the magic and mayhem of Hallowcross made it even more fun. The banter between Priscilla and Agatha was just SO GOOD. Their chemistry was impossible to miss, and I loved watching their fake relationship turn into something that felt a whole lot more real. This is a fun and charming read with just the right amount of chaos and mystery. I flew through it and I’m already hoping we get a third book because I am not ready to leave Hallowcross yet! Give me more witches, more magic, and more of this ridiculously fun series, please!

What to expect 👇🏽
🧙‍♀️ Witches + magic
✨ Magical small town
💋 Fake dating
❤️‍🔥 Banter
🔮 Mystery

Happy reading 📖✨💋

[BookishKB]

🧙‍♀️✨ Vengefully Matched ✨🧙‍♀️

A witchy sapphic rom com with fake dating, rivals, and a magical mystery? YES, PLEASE!

This was such a fun paranormal romance, filled with magical community and cozy worldbuilding. I loved book one and was just as happy with book two in this series.

Honestly, I am just a sucker for fake dating!

🔮 What to Expect
• Sapphic Romance
• Fake Dating
• Rivals to Lovers
• Small Town Magic
• Murder Mystery
• Runaway Bride
_ _ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 4.5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: October 6, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Michele]

3.5 ✨ Cute, opposites attract, sapphic romance. Both FMCs were likeable and I enjoyed the plot. I loved the small witchy town and office drama. The lust hits a little too hard and fast for my liking, which is why I rounded down and not up. I wanted them to be rivals a bit longer but overall it’s an enjoyable romcom. I didn’t read the first book in the interconnected series and didn’t feel lost or like I was missing anything.

Read if you like:
Sapphic
Runaway bride
Fake dating
Witchy rivals
Pranks
Mystery

[Kari]

I was eyeing this one for Witch Week, and I’m so glad I ended up grabbing it. It was a great balance of witchy vibes and mystery. The best part, though, of this book was the characters. I adored Priscilla and Agatha. They complimented each other so well and had such great chemistry. I loved their individual development arcs as well as watching their relationship progress. It felt relatable and with such enjoyable characters, you can’t help but want their relationship to succeed. I was also pleasantly surprised by how well balanced the story was between the romance and mystery plots. There were some solid misdirections but also enough clues to make sure you can guess the villain if you enjoy trying to solve the mystery before the reveal. Simon Audio made an excellent choice using separate narrators to voice Priscilla and Agatha. I think it could’ve been challenging keeping the POVs straight, but separate narrators ensured it was immediately obvious when the POV switched. I also think both narrators did so well voicing their respective characters and bringing the personalities to life. Overall, this was a great read to get in the spooky spirit.

eARC courtesy of Atria Books
ALC courtesy of Simon Audio

[Tori L]

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I had to DNF this witchy opposites-attract whodunnit, so I can’t give a more meaningful summary than the publisher’s blurb (other than to say that the culprit’s name was a giveaway).

Cover: I was going to say I loved it, and thematically I do, until I saw that one characters legs and torso seem to be facing different directions.

I am grateful that the publisher’s notes chose to market this as rivals-to-lovers instead of the oft misused enemies-to-lovers.

There were a numerous typos/punctuation errors in the ARC, including two on the second page. Additionally, there were some verb tense issues.

I didn’t enjoy that the narration sounded like the characters’ unsuccessful therapist, by which I mean that it was all to ready to baldly diagnose Priscilla’s “defense mechanisms” without letting the reader get to know her on their own terms.

I found myself skimming and skipping ahead as early as chapter 2. By the time I hit the cameos from the author’s previous book in the shared universe in chapter 5, I decided to skip to the first kiss. (Somehow, I was not blessed enough to dodge the comparison to Geralt’s Witcher eyes.)

I wish I had skipped further, but regrettably, I paused for the drunken conversation containing the phrase “I am going to [ask invasive questions] anyway, because I have had many alcohols.” I’m a millennial, so I am loathe to call anything cringe, but if the shoe fits. Also, right after the first kiss, we get a weird aside about abortion rights that was aiming at emotional intimacy but instead killed the mood. (Really not why I pick up a sapphic romance…)

The sex scenes are where the author really shines. There was some phrasal repetition, but the desperation was scorching enough to make up for it.

Recommended audience: anyone who has major UST with their HOA President and can also stand meaningless pop culture references that never quite make it to charming.

[KaleidoscopeLaiReads]

A cute and charming story with witchy vibes and a rivals-to-lovers arc! Even though the story was easy to follow, it didn’t quite have enough to keep me fully invested. The pacing felt a little slow to build, and once things started moving, the story became a bit too predictable for me.

I really loved the chemistry between Agatha and Priscilla, though! Their dynamic was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book.

I also realized that I don’t think I’m a huge fan of books that incorporate a lot of recognizable pop-culture references or real-world events and then slightly alter them to fit the fictional world. It tends to pull me out of the story rather than draw me further into it.

That said, this book simply wasn’t quite for me, and that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good book! If the premise sounds like your kind of read, I’d absolutely say give it a try. It’s readable, quirky, fun, and has plenty of witchy charm.

Thank you to ATRIA and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Anik Doucet]

I had such high hopes for this one because the premise sounded SO good, but sadly, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I really wanted to connect with the characters, but unfortunately, I never felt that connection. I was also looking everywhere for the romance and the comedy… alas, I could not find them 😂. I especially struggled to believe the connection and tension between Agatha and Priscilla, which made it difficult for me to get invested in their relationship.

I think some additional editing could have really improved my reading experience. There were quite a few moments and details that didn’t feel like they added much to the overall story, which made the book feel longer than it needed to be.

That being said, I still think the premise had a lot of potential, and I can definitely see this working for readers who connect more strongly with the characters and their dynamic. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the book for me this time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hemlockelegy]

I received this book free on NetGalley, and I’m super grateful for the opportunity to read it.

This book was an interesting one for me. I enjoyed some of it, and sometimes I didn’t. The best way to describe it is like a rollercoaster. It had some high points and then some low points.

The love story between Priscilla and Agatha was so good, but then it all kind of fell flat for me. Like, when it was good? It was good. Until about the middle of the book, where it just kind of lost that spark. I’m not saying I completely checked out. It just wasn’t quite my sort of taste.

I think it’s definitely worth giving this one a read, especially if you love witchy stories with fake dating, rival to lovers and don’t mind a sprinkle of real-world zingers.

[Quinn]

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and author Audrey Goldberg Ruoff for this ARC. I am happy to leave an honest review.

I think I have officially joined the paranormal sapphic romance bandwagon. Fall time is my favorite and I was craving a book that gave off some delightful fall time/Halloweenish vibes to give me a reprieve from the current summer heat. I was so glad to get my hands on this ARC! While I have typically read mostly contemporary sapphic romance, there have been so many intriguing offerings within the paranormal genre. Vengefully Matched just captured my attention immediately and I was delighted to jump right into this fun and magical world full of funny and incredible spells and charming witches. This book was so much fun to read & I just couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the humorous antics and magical mysteries of this book but the delicious rivals to lovers (with a fake dating kicker) sapphic romance is what kept me happily entertained.

I think I quickly settled into the small magical town of Hallowcross even without having read the first book in the series. This book worked well as a standalone for me and I didn't feel like I was in the dark about anything. I loved the whimsy and charm of this town and its magical inhabitants. I was able to jump right in and fully immerse myself in everything and that is a testament to the writing of Audrey Goldberg Ruoff!

We meet Priscilla, a witty and stylish witch with a bit of a propensity to flirt her ass off. The book opens with her leaving her girlfriend and the altar and her sort of dealing with the fallout of that. People judge her a bit too harshly if you ask me. She was able to escape a relationship where she felt invisible and just wasn't right…albeit at the worst possible time. She was brave to leave and I respected her decision to choose the scary option of walking away instead of the safe option. She’s funny, charming, charismatic and warm hearted…I really liked her a lot. She loses her chance at President of the Witchery Council to Agatha Vanderbilt, a member of the town's most respectable family. Agatha is highly respected, follows the rules (as far as everyone knows) and is seemingly the opposite of the more unpredictable Prissy. The attraction between the two is obvious and immediate but there's no instant love here. They kind of bug the shit out of each other but in a cute and endearing way. They go so far as to constantly prank one another magically and that definitely made me chuckle. Some crazy magical explosions start happening and people quickly blame their scapegoat, Priscialla. In an unexpected effort to save her, Agatha announces that they are together…er…romatincally. Yep! Ha! And that's the beginning of our delightful fake dating shenanigans!

There is a lot to like in this book! I was smiling wide throughout the entire book. Priscilla and Agatha definitely stole the show for me and I very much enjoyed the romance above all. The story navigates a mystery that is sort of woven throughout and is fun to dunnit kind of thing. While the mystery was a fun and entertaining aspect of the story, I just revelled in the growing romance between Prissy and Agatha. They are very cute together and their chemistry just continues to build. I enjoyed watching them let down their defenses and let each other in. The emotional intimacy develops at a believable pace and I must admit these steamy bits were fantastic and made me blush! Very good!

I enjoyed the writing a great deal. Ruoff does a wonderful job of worldbuild and I felt that the town of Hallowcross and its inhabitants was done to perfection. The magic is carefully curated and feels so real! I appreciate the laugh out loud humor that was ever present as it just helped the book feel so special and light hearted. The characters were all quite charming but I was particularly smitten with Priscilla and Agatha. Their banter was addictive and I just found myself becoming more and more enamored with them both. The dialogue just helped me become better invested in their sweet love story and I loved it!

Vengefully Matched was a fun read! I really liked all of the different elements from the magical mystery to the comedy and of course the sweet and genuine romance. If you enjoy a fake dating sapphic romance full of humor, sincerity, witchy goodness and delightful magic then this is for you. Wonderfully sweet and delightfully spicy, I loved this book and can’t recommend it enough!

[adrie rose]

i received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

ew, a man. 3.7/5 stars

potential triggers: kidnapping, biphobia, runaway bride, off-page abortion, deeply irritating FMC

was it entertaining?

i want to give an unequivocal yes, but i think it gets a little lost in the telling.

agatha vanderbilt voisin is the newly elected president of the north american council of witches. she won the election, fair and square, despite what priscilla hart believes. and she doesn’t care what hart believes. she does not. at 37 years old, she’s too old for the childish back and forth, constant sniping, and being undermined by a sore loser in her own council meetings. however, none of this stops her from engaging in a little, collegial mutual pranking to maintain dominance. it’s only sporting. but when the pranks start becoming lethal, agatha makes the rash decision to lie to the international council of witches about a relationship with hart — but only to protect hart from being hauled off to interrogation. that’s it. there’s definitely no ulterior motives or secret longing happening here.

priscilla hart should have won that election. it doesn’t matter that she’s only 25, has no real leadership experience, and still thinks hexing the office fridge to smell like tuna is a reasonable response to being annoyed by her boss. she’s a hart and that job should be hers. thwarted from her rightful climb to power, priscilla resorts to an arena she can comfortably compete in — pranks. harmless things, for sure. until offices start exploding, kettles start spitting out knives, and apartments start going up in flames. forced to hold hands with her annoyingly hot nemesis to stay out of ICoW custody, the clock is running down on proving her innocence. 4/5 stars

was it enjoyable?

it wasn’t… not enjoyable? i think there was just a little too much going on for it to be a totally smooth ride.

the first ~third of the book is constant lust, and i do mean constant. every other line is one of the MCs fantasising about the other, getting distracted by the other, or trying to deny their attraction to the other. it’s interminable. i have no problem with WLW/sapphic romance or 2 MCs who are hot for each other, but it made it kind of a slog to get into the actual story. oddly enough, the story became much more enjoyable after the fake dating aspect was introduced, because they actually started spending time together and having conversations. i understand that there wasn’t much to go own, because they are functionally rivals, but surely they have some kind of personalities beyond “i hate her” and “i want in her pants.”

on the subject of personality, priscilla is obnoxious. and not in a fun way. this is a fully grown adult, with a job and familial reputation, who takes pride in wearing crop tops and thigh-high slits to work, while pranking her boss. i don’t know if this an appeal to a gen z audience, but it’s very difficult to buy a relationship between an almost-40 year old MC with national power falling for someone who treats work like a hobby. i don’t mind rivals to lovers, i don’t mind age gaps, and i don’t mind opposites attract, but it honestly strains credulity that these 2 would actually be able to sustain a relationship.

the dialogue and professions of love got a little absurd towards the end, but this is purely a personal issue. there were also several side plots and characters introduced that felt superfluous, and added to the length, without really adding much to the story. overall, it was fine, but i wouldn’t consider it a standout. 2/5 stars

was it well-written?

i read an ARC with the understanding that any errors will be corrected before final publication. 5/5 stars

[Krissy]

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Releases October 6, 2026

Looking for a sapphic witchy rom-com this spooky season? Especially one that has a bit of The Addams Family vibe going on? Vengefully Matched is a delightful read!

While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone and fully enjoyed without reading Hopelessly Teavoted first. I had not read the first book, and was able to jump right in without feeling like anything essential was missing. I do feel like some of the characters had been featured more heavily in the first book, and I may have appreciated seeing their cameos here more had I read the series in order. I will 100% be reading Hopelessly Teavoted soon because I fell in love with the magical town of Hallowcross and need more!

What to Expect
✨ Sapphic Romance
✨ Age Gap
✨ Fake Dating
✨ Rivals to Lovers
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Small Town
✨ Mystery

Priscilla and Agatha have such a fun dynamic. The rivalry, the pranks they pull on each other, the chemistry, the attraction... and then the care that they develop as they get to really know each other is just so sweet. I'm such a fan of fake dating, and very much enjoyed it here. And once they finally got to kissing and more... the spice was beautifully done and was where Audrey Goldberg Ruoff really shines as an author. *chef's kiss*

I really, REALLY appreciated Agatha's backstory, and felt like the bi-representation we get with her character was true and poignant, especially as a character who comes out later in life.

The side characters were all a lot of fun as well, and are a big reason I want to go back and read Hopelessly Teavoted (Az and Vickie, I need your story!).

I did guess our villain early on, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of the story at all. With that said, the final confrontation that led to the villain's capture happened very quickly, and I might have preferred to get a bit more into what was going on inside their head.

I felt like the pranking between our two FMCs may have been a bit much at times, given the ages of the characters (late 20s and late 30s). But there is some character growth that happens that ties back to that, so I'm more than willing to forgive it and enjoy the pranks for the fun that they were.

Overall, a very fun read! Thank you again to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. I really enjoyed this story!

[Megan]

Enemies to lovers and fake dating and witches and a mystery? I joked to my friend that this was the holy grail. And while I did enjoy the book for the most part, I do think it had some problems, and it unfortunately didn't quite live up to my hopes.

First off, I loved both Priscilla and Agatha, though I think I slightly preferred the former. They’re interesting in different ways and enjoyable together. I liked seeing them growing as people, and their chemistry was perfect in the beginning, but I did think that petered out a bit along the way as they lost some of the tension that made their chemistry so good. I also enjoyed many of the side characters and the world as a whole, and there were some things and lines that truly made me laugh out loud.

On the downside, I sometimes felt like I was missing something while reading this. At times, I had to reread a page just to figure out what I had missed, only to find out that I hadn’t actually missed anything. It just didn’t particularly make sense. I don’t know if there were just weird segues or if something was actually skipped in the writing or what. I also felt like there was a bit too much going on at times. The romance, the main plot, the side plots. Sometimes, I felt like I was getting whiplash from all the things that were happening. The pranks also didn’t help anything; they were too plentiful and childish for these adults to be doing, and I felt like it bogged things down even more when those pages could have been used for something a little more interesting. Like the things that were randomly skipped over when they would be going to go do something and then suddenly the thing is done. Or better segues.

I also love a good mystery, but it was completely obvious to me from the very beginning who was behind things, so that was a little disappointing. Even then, it could have been fine, but I also thought everything with the mystery was wrapped up far too quickly and easily for it to be a satisfying end to it.

I didn’t hate it, but sadly, I don’t think this lived up to its potential, which is a shame because it had so many of the things I love in one book and it easily could have become a favorite.

Vengefully Matched is a solid 3.5 for me, but since I couldn’t give it that, I rounded up, although it really could have gone either way. I primarily rounded up for the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Allix]

VENGEFULLY MATCHED is a little bit all over the place, but it manages to weave together a believable sapphic romance and cozy small-town vibes with witchcraft, office drama, and actual murder attempts pretty well.

I liked Agatha and Priscilla, and the side characters were interesting without outshining either of the two FMCs. Agatha and Priscilla are both incredibly relatable in different ways, and while I’m not buying that they ever hated each other, opposites definitely attract here. I wasn’t a fan of the nicknames, but I did enjoy the rom-com vibes and the back and forth between Agatha and Priscilla. I predicted the ending around 30% in, but that didn’t take a way from my enjoyment of the story. I have not read the first book in this series, but thankfully I did not feel as though I was missing a ton of context, and I was able to enjoy this story as a standalone.

I thought some of the dialogue was a bit awkward, and that made parts of the book feel a little bit corny. The best example that comes to mind is when two characters are discussing an abortion one of them had in their past, and that character says something about being very glad that they live in a time where abortion is accessible and only between a person and their doctor. That’s a fantastic thing for the character to have experienced, and I loved the very normal representation of abortion, but it did not read like a thing this character would naturally say out loud, and that made the whole section feel just a bit awkward. I don’t think the awkward dialogue makes the book unreadable by any means, but it did detract from my enjoyment a little bit. I also thought the book could have been about fifty pages shorter; the book took a couple of detours on its way to the resolution of the main conflict that I thought were unnecessary, and because it took so long to get there, that resolution fell sort of flat for me. I did think this book was extremely “unputdownable” though – I read probably 80% of it in a single three-hour reading session.

I will most likely go back and read the first book in this series, as well as any future books written in this series! I think the magic is really fun, and the blend of magic and mundane is one that I really enjoy. I would recommend this to goth x pastel edit enjoyers, those who were very into Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and anyone who is instantly suspicious of “pretty” men.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

[Amber (whatsamberreading)]

Thank you Atria books for my physical ARC in exchange of an honest review. I fell in love with the town of Hallowcross and it's cast of characters in Hopelessly Teavoted, so I immediately requested a copy of this novel when I saw it was publishing soon. This was an easy, five star read for me and felt like coming home.

Vengefully Matched is a sapphic, enemies to lovers, workplace romance - with witchy spice, everything nice about a small town, and a murderous plot to keep the townfolk on their toes. I loved Priscilla from meeting her in Hopelessly Teavoted, so seeing her get her moment to shine in Vengefully Matched was exciting. I fell in love with Prissy and Agatha's story because of who these characters are - both have backstories with serious topics, that add a layer to not just their romance, but who they are as people. By supporting each other's past decisions, we as readers get to see a strong bond develop between them, and get to witness a relationship that forms on a foundation of mutual respect. It's so nice to see that written out on the page - sometimes romance novels handle tougher topics without care, but that was not the case here. These two have this sexy banter that is electric, and I was yearning for them to finally cross from enemies to lovers - and I was so excited when they did.

I also greatly identified with Agatha and her bisexual exploration. I think her story is very important to have out there in the world, as someone who also is bisexual but is with a man, it was so nice to see a more inexperienced woman get to explore this other side of who she was. The spicy scenes were handled with such care, and were incredibly hot. A library scene - swoooooon. I also loved that Agatha was in her mid thirties while Prissy was still in her twenties. I loved the age gap and how each woman's life experience complimented and changed the other until they were equally tethered together.

Overall this is such a phenomenal read. I finished this in less than 24 hours, jumping the line of the other books I was reading because this story stole my attention and my heart. I could read 100 more books about this town and it's characters and still be completely in love. This novel is great for spooky season, but don't feel like you have to wait for Halloween to dive in - it's just that good.

[Tiffany]

Title: Vengefully Matched-Hallowcross #2

Author: Audrey Goldberg Ruoff-I read Hopelessly Teavoted and gave it 4⭐

Publication date: 10-6-26 | Read: 10-3-26

Format: e-Book 352 pgs.

Genre:
*Paranormal Romance
*Rom-Com

Tropes:
*age gap
*witches/magic/curses
*opposites attract
*fake dating
*small town
*slow burn
*sapphic romance

POV: 3rd person dual

TW: being semi-closeted, attempted murder, kidnapping, hand injury
Setting: Hallowcross

Summary: After being dubbed the runaway bride for leaving her fiancée Evelyn, Priscilla tries to become the witch council president to rebuild her reputation. She lost to Agatha who rivals everything Priscilla stands for. When magic explodes around Agatha several times, the International Witchery Council blames Priscilla. Agatha lies and tells them they are dating to save her from exile. Together they must find out who is after her, interface w/the human mayor, and help Connie Witherspoon.

Heroine: Priscilla "Prissy" Hart-26, goth girl, mistress of darkness prankster, a councilwoman

Heroine: Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin- 37, prim & proper "Weird Barbie" president of North American Council of Witchery (NACoW)

Other Characters:
*Azrael "Az"- 28, Priscilla's brother/a teacher, has girlfriend Victoria "Vickie" Starnberger who owns the Hopelessly Teavoted shop
*Lex-a devil who agrees to help Priscilla deal w/ Connie, Azrael has a crush on him
*Kevin Thomas-Agatha's personal assistant
*Benedict + Persephone Hart-Priscilla's parents (deceased) 
*Tiffany +Vincent Voisin-Agatha's parents
*Larry-Priscilla's uncle
*Constance "Connie" Witherspoon/Madame Cleopatra-a grifter turned oracle(psychic), needs help to balance her new powers and Crystal Balls to the Wall fortune-telling business
*Evelyn-Priscilla's ex-girlfriend/fiancée and 1st love
*Jonathan-Agatha's ex-boyfriend
*Mayor Khalil-the human/mundane mayor

My Thoughts/Likes: 
-The flash mob
-Agatha and Priscilla's pranks on each other
-Their sexy innuendoes when Priscilla has finger injury-hilarious!
-Agatha's woman awakening
-Priscilla's apology to Evelyn

Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice level: 4/5 🔥

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Audrey Goldberg Ruoff for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own. 

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer)]

Thank you Atria Books @atriabooks Netgalley @netgalley and Audrey Goldberg Ruoff @audreygoldbergruoff for this free book!
“Vengefully Matched” (Hallowcross #2) by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff. Genre: Paranormal Sapphic Romcom. NOTE: LGBTQIA+ inclusive. NOTE: On-page sex, featuring clear consent.
This is a stand-alone companion novel to “Hopelessly Teavoted”, set in the same magical town of Hallowcross, Vermont, USA.

SYNOPSIS:
Gothy, nepo-baby-witch Priscilla Hart (26) fled her own wedding in a cloud of magical fireworks. She’s infamous-a runaway witch with a bad reputation. The Witchery Council president (preppy Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin-37) is everything Priscilla can’t stand: planner-carrying, spreadsheet-wielding, infuriatingly perfect. But they both love pranking others, the messier the better. When magical explosions point to Priscilla, semi-closeted, bisexual Agatha impulsively announces they’re dating to save Priscilla from exile. So they fake a relationship, until late-night arguments turn into real attraction. When Priscilla and Agatha discover something wicked in Hallowcross, they must stop pretending to survive the magic-and their feelings.

FAVORITE BITS:
🩸Clever prose: (…the accidental magic of excessive frustration.”) (“…making her feel like a gentleman rapper from the late 90s.”) (“…beloathed beloved…”)
🩸Socio-cultural references from Geralt’s “Witcher” eyes to “Pushing Up Daisies” songs, to “Manchild” ensembles.
🩸Political references (“…safe and scientifically proven vaccine mandates…”)

WORD I’D NEVER HEARD (or read):
🩸Opprobrious: conduct that brings shame, disgrace, or contempt.

NOT SO FAVORITE BITS:
🩸Switching back and forth between name and nicknames in the same paragraphs.
🩸Does every other sentence really need to be about one imagining sex with the other? (I’d call it 80% Romcom, 20% Mystery).

It’s sweet, steamy, spooky, and it was definitely fun to read!📚👩🏼‍🦳

[Beth]

Thank you to Atria Books for this gifted ARC!

I ARC read Hopelessly Teavoted last year and absolutely fell in love with the Addams Family vibes and the overall atmosphere of the world. And this book really delivered on the vibes I was expecting and the shenanigans and romance I was anticipating based off of how Hopelessly Teavoted was.

This book has amazing bisexual, gay and pansexual representation. Especially for a later in life character that has feelings of being "too late" to be their authentic self. I loved the aspect of one of the main characters being in their 30's, I thought it was so relatable and added another element to Agatha and Priscilla which I loved.

Their romance was so well done, it was tension filled, prank filled, and also really intimate. They grew together in many ways, and healed a bit too from previous relationship trauma. The shenanigans in this one are so fun, the pranky nature of Priscilla really carries through and we get elements of that from Agatha in retaliation as well. I did guess the "villain" character pretty early on, but I don't think it detracted at all, there was pretty heavy foreshadowing so I think you're honestly supposed to guess who it is.

If you enjoy a queer romance with Addams Family vibes, really cute and interesting magic, and some fantastic characters, absolutely pick this up. I do recommend reading Hopelessly Teavoted first though, there are so many nods to it and character appearances from it that I think it would be so much more enjoyable having that book under your belt first. This releases October 6th!

*This ARC was given by Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.*

[Camille]

3.5

This was such a refreshing rivals-to-lovers romance with just enough of a slow-burn! I had some disappointments in this department lately, and this book was exactly what I needed.

Some of the problems Agatha and Priscilla face are high-stakes, but the book never loses its lighthearted tone. The romance between them seemingly moves quickly at first, but settles into a nice slow burn. I do think it took the book the first 20% or so to find its footing, but once it did, it was a fun ride. There's no immature back-and-forth about Agatha and Priscilla's feelings for each other. They approach their relationship like adults, despite some silly behaviors during their "rivals" phase. I particularly adored a line close to the end in Agatha's POV where she points out that one romantic relationship should not be the only thing that sustains her. I found the approach to the relationship responsible and realistic, while still being ooey-gooey enough to melt your heart.

The mystery plot does seem to take a backseat to the romance, almost disappearing at certain times, which did throw me off a bit. There's life and death at stake here, and yet we spend several chapters of the characters focusing on their romance and their families and everyday work. For me, this was the weakest part of the story, but it probably won't bother all readers because everyone's here for the romance anyway.

I have a few other nitpicks, like Priscilla's nickname Prissy (ugh) and the uninspired use of magic (constant finger snapping?) but I was able to just roll my eyes and move on, because the story itself was so lovely.

I enjoyed this so much. It's a perfect spooky-not-scary lighthearted read for fall and I'm definitely recommending it everywhereeee.

[cidney]

Looking for a book to add to your autumn TBR?

In this witchy sapphic rom com, runaway bride Priscilla joins the witches council, but she has a not so great reputation. She’s a big prankster. Agatha, the pastel suit wearing no nonsense witch council president, is trying to figure out why there are dangerous events happening throughout Hallowcross. She’s unsure if Priscilla is the culprit. Determined to solve the case, Agatha tells everyone that they’re fake dating to keep Priscilla close.

***

This cover is giving Wednesday and Enid vibes and I’m ALL FOR IT.

I was completely enchanted throughout this novel. The vivid imagery put me right inside each page. It was cozy but still fast paced enough to keep me interested.

I loveeeeed the banter, the silly prank spells, and the friendships. It was fun and spicy and totally entertaining!

“She wanted Prissy Hart, claws and all.”

The villain was a bit too obvious to me, but I enjoyed all the side characters and storyline regardless. Az and Vickie were definite faves.

The slow burn of developed feelings between Agatha and Prissy was just the right amount to help build the tension and make the payoff of their first kiss / spice scene that much better!

And I just have to say, the spice? Ten out of tennnn. So good.

Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Opposites attract
Fake dating
Magical chaos and mayhem
Alll the banter and tension

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Audrey Goldberg Ruoff for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Liz]

Vengefully Matched by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Publisher: Atria Books

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A witchy sapphic rom-com with fake dating, rivals-to-lovers tension, magical shenanigans, and a murder mystery? Yes, please!

After absolutely loving Hopelessly Teavoted, I was so excited to return to this magical world, and Vengefully Matched did not disappoint. It delivers all the cozy, spooky, Addams Family-esque vibes I loved in the first book, along with a delightful romance that had me hooked from the start.

🔮 What to Expect
• Sapphic Romance
• Fake Dating
• Rivals to Lovers
• Small-Town Magic
• Murder Mystery
• Runaway Bride

Agatha and Priscilla's relationship was filled with chemistry, tension, pranks, and genuinely sweet moments. As a fake dating enthusiast, this romance checked all the boxes for me. I also loved the bisexual, gay, and pansexual representation, especially the exploration of finding your authentic self later in life.

The mystery was fun, the magical community was charming, and the characters were impossible not to root for. While I guessed the villain fairly early, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

If you love queer romance, cozy magic, playful rivalries, and Addams Family vibes, definitely add this one to your TBR. I do recommend reading Hopelessly Teavoted first to fully appreciate the returning characters and references.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley

[cloud_9_reads]

Apparently I decided to introduce myself to Hallowcross by jumping straight into book two, but have no fear doing the same because it was super easy to fall into the story and it can definitely be read as a standalone. And I’m also not ashamed to admit that I will 100% be swayed by a cover, which is exactly how I ended up requesting this early ARC. I mean… hello, gorgeous goth queen!! Thankfully the actual premise was a lot of fun so my cover judging habit will continue: strange magical disturbances start plaguing a small town of witches and mundanes, and rival witches Priscilla and Agatha find themselves tangled up in the mystery and forced to work together. My fave part of this book was easily the dynamic between Prissy and Agatha. These two spend SO much time being annoyed with each other when they could simply admit they’re attracted, but I love a little tension and rivalry in my rom-com reads so it worked for me. There were some funny moments with the back and forth banter and prank wars, interesting side characters, and lots of fun magic (I’d LOVE to be able to just snap my fingers and change an outfit!). There was fun chemistry and a couple of deliciously spicy scenes (this is Agatha’s first time to really be with a woman so there’s some “teaching” moments). And the story had enough mystery mixed in to keep things interesting outside of the romance. Overall it was a cute read and a fun intro to Hallowcross. Perfect for spooky season!

[Alex]

Call Ginger, Posh, and Sporty ‘cause we’re going to Spiceworld. The characters waste no time psychically flirting with each other. You kind of get whiplash from the first chapter with Priscilla leaving someone at the altar and then next chapter, on to the next. You don’t have to wait too long for it to get real. The book is definitely too spicy for me, but I know this is someone’s jam.

Yes, there is a witchy/magical theme to the book, but honestly it’s just the flavor. This book is straight up romance. Not my typical thing, and I was hoping for more of the plot to emerge, but honestly, this is great for what it is. I know this is someone’s thing. I do appreciate the fun the author has with the setting though - a little hexing here, a little precognition there, throw in a witchy council. Summed up with a quote from the book, “kooky, strange, and wonderful.”

This one knocked me for a loop, but you’ll likely beef up your vocabulary a bit over the course of the story. There are some $10 words garnished throughout, so this onion has some layers!

Overall, I’d recommend this to someone looking for an enemies to lovers romance and appreciates some urban fantasy in the mix. 4/5 stars.

*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.

[April Haas]

🪄 I received an advanced copy of this ebook on Netgalley 🪄

This is a Sapphic paranormal romance for the cozy mystery crowd. It's kind of soft and fluffy, even with an attempted murder mystery plot simmering in the background.

Agatha and Priscilla are rival witches who campaigned against one another for the Presidency of the Witches Council, and have since taken to pranking one another with their magic—setting charms to alter the other's appearance, making the office fridge smell like tuna fish, and the like. If they had been vying for their high school class presidency, these pranks might make sense, but with Priscilla being in her mid-twenties and Agatha being thirty-seven it feels a bit ridiculous. But it is a magical, fluffy, alternate-but-modern universe, so if you can roll with that you'll be fine.

The tension between Prissy and Agatha is pretty light. They're rivals, but they're both in denial about the fact that they're lusting after each other from the get-go.

I figured out who was behind the attempts on Agatha's life pretty easily, too.

Overall, this was fun but not quite tense enough, either in terms of the romantic relationship or the murder mystery plot, for me personally. But this would be a perfect palate cleanser kind of read, for when you want something low stakes and just...soft.

[Andrea]

I’ll admit, I haven’t read the first book in this interconnected series and that did me a disservice. Vengefully Matched lacked in the world building I suspect was given to Hopelessly Teavoted, so I spent a lot of time playing catch up when it came to how Hallowcross and its people work. It’s simple enough to figure out throughout the book, but I still found myself struggling to connect with any of the characters. Hart Manor was actually my favorite character, which might be saying a lot since it's a house. It comes alive when it wants to and that's the exact kind of whimsical quirkiness I was looking forward to when I picked up this book.

Initially, I was excited for Vengefully Matched because it sounded perfect for me. I guess, technically, it was, But that’s just because it’s a mashup of some of my favorite spooky related things like the Addams Family and Halloweentown. There were too many pop culture references that the author relied on to tell this story and it left the main characters feeling hollow to me. They never felt like their own people, just amalgamations of previously existing characters like Elphaba and Glinda and Wednesday and Pugsley Addams.

I'd recommend this book to people who have already read Hopelessly Teavoted, don’t mind the abundance of real world connections mentioned, and just want an escape that allows them to turn their brains off.

[Aggie Allyn]

Vengefully Matched is a cute rom-com full of pranks and hijinx. The real magic isn't the witchcraft, but the way the two main characters, Prissy and Agatha. The opening scene absolutely hooked me and it's a novel intro to an otherwise very familiar and cozy story.

Behind the delicious pining and fake-dating trope, there's a fun mystery at work that helps propel the characters forward (and into each other). Audrey Goldberg Ruoff does a great job keeping things moving with high stakes and high.

Two things prevented this from being the perfect romance book for me: First, the overuse of punny names for every cocktail, food, and business grew irksome. Once is cute, twice is fine, but the wordplay really began to give me eye-rolls. The same for all the pop culture references. Why name drop songs, TV shows, movies, actresses, etc constantly? We get it, they're in the "real" world, but I'm looking for an escape, thank you very much. Secondly, there is a spicy desire mentioned and shadowed in the book and the very obvious payoff is weirdly absent. It's like a book where someone loves to be spanked, someone promises to spank them, but then there's no spanking at all. That's not nice to do to readers!

Thank you Atria Books for the book for review consideration via NetGalley, and said review is written with full honesty.

[Jazz’s Reads and Rants]

ARC Review | Vengefully Matched by Audrey Goldberg Ruoff

I wanted to like this one soooooo badly, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

From start to finish, I found the story confusing and a little all over the place, which made it difficult for me to really settle into the plot. I also struggled with Priscilla as a character. Even once her character softened, I still couldn’t quite connect with her or find myself rooting for her.

And then there was the romance… I’m sorry, but the chemistry between Priscilla and Agatha just didn’t click for me. I never really felt like they matched, and even as their relationship developed, I couldn’t fully get behind them as a couple.

Truthfully, the only part that really grabbed my attention was the wedding chapters—and even those felt a little rushed. I found myself wishing there had been more time spent developing that part of the story.

I really wish I had more positive things to say about this one, but sometimes a book just doesn’t click, and unfortunately, this was one of those reads for me.

That said, I’m incredibly grateful to the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! Thank you for the ARC.

[Gee]

Spooky fake-dating sapphic? SAY LESS! Our FMCs are witchy opposites and rivals. We have multiple dichotomies going on: millennial/Gen Z, prankster/grump, whimsical/orderly, goth/barbie, etc etc. Their chemistry felt stilted at times but their mutual their horniness levels were off the charts— hello, solo sesh!

I enjoyed the bisexual representation and the conversations validating her bisexuality despite her inexperience with women. But overall: the dialogue was a bit weird for me. Even older (parental) characters spoke with Gen Z-sounding-flair. Some of the conversations gravitated toward unnatural, in that I felt like people having a casual conversation wouldn’t randomly trauma dump. But if I suspend belief for the sake of plot in a moderate amount of pages, it does work.

Overall: the concept worked and kept me engaged, and the multiple mentions of the plot of the first book in the series (that I have not had the opportunity to read because these work as standalones) made me want to go read it as well.

3.75 stars

Be sure to grab a copy when it’s released on October 6, 2026!

Thank you to Audrey Goldberg Ruoff and Atria Books for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Julia Carter]

Vengefully Matched, y Audrey Goldberg Ruoff, was definitely a good time. This fun, witchy rpm-com had a great blend of tropes. rivals to lovers, fake dating, magical chaos, and a murder mystery thrown in for good measure. The story was a fabulously enertaining read. Priscilla Hart is a witch who is determined to repair the damage toher reputation.
Her biggest rival Agatha Vanderbilt Voisin , is the current The same kind of president of The Witchery Council. When a series of magical explosions make Priscilla look like she's the murderer, Agatha announces that the two of them are dating to protect her. They never expected that their fake relationship would turn into a real attraction as they work together to uncover who's behind the attacks.
For me the romance was the strongest part The cozy small town witchy atmosphere, humor, pranks, and a touch of spice, made this feel like the perfect fall / Halloween cozy read .
It can be red as a standalone altough reading Hopelessly Tevoted first will give you even more appreciation for the returning characters and the references. Vibes*** Witc Absolutely hy Sapphic, fake dating ,rivals- to- lovers, cozy magic, murder mystery, spicy 4 out of 5 Stars I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange from my opinion