This was a wonderful book. Filled with cozy witchy vibes which I loved for the upcoming spooky season. Plus you can never go wrong with a little bit of romance ✨

Very cute!
Scarlett has stayed away from her secret hometown for years. But when she gets a desperate call from her sister she goes home, reuniting with an old friend (maybe more) and her family. But things aren't well in town. Magic has gone haywire and it's up to the family to figure out why.
Loved the story. My only hiccups were a conversation Scarlett has with a sister while chasing a bad guy (felt toobflippant/humorous compared to how the sister is portrayed elsewhere in the story) and what felt like a missing celebration with Scarlett's "return" at the end.

Impractical Magic is a delightful blend of witchy charm, family dynamics, and a sprinkle of romance that makes for a cozy read. Scarlett Melrose’s return to Oak Haven pulls her into a magical whirlwind as she faces not only her estranged sisters but also her old flame, Nate. The small-town setting is rich with atmosphere, perfect for autumn vibes, and the story’s slow-burn romance adds just the right touch of warmth.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me. I found the pacing to be off, and I wasn’t able to form a connection with the characters. There surely is a target audience for this book, but I’m not it.

Thank you Avon books UK and NetGalley for an advance copy of Impractical Magic in exchange for my honest review.

If you're looking for a lighthearted cozy fall romp of a read, this is your girl. If you love pumpkin spice latte's while watching adorable Lifetime movies, you're gonna wanna pick this up. If you want a bit of romance and a bit of magic, you will not be disappointed.

I loved that this seemed geared for a younger adult reader. I definitely felt this could be appropriate as YA. I also loved the low stakes wholesome vibes. Nothing too crazy, not a whole lot of complications or plot, just sweet small town love with a magical twist.

The book leaned heavily into a “cutesy” vibe, which felt overdone, particularly with the constant references to Gilmore Girls and other current pop culture. I worry that many of these references will quickly feel dated, losing their impact as time passes. One of the things that really detracted from the experience for me was the repetitive use of character names in dialogue. It became frustratingly frequent, to the point where it felt unnatural—people just don’t use each other’s names in conversation that often, especially not with family. This habit made the dialogue feel forced and disrupted the flow of the story. Overall, it left me feeling a bit disappointed.

I dfn’d this one and I wanted to like it so bad. I felt zero connection to any of the characters and everything that happened (until I stopped reading it at 65% through) didn’t entice me enough. The idea of it was so so interesting and I’m a HUGE fan of Charmed and Gilmore Girls so I was hyped up about this one. I wish I could have liked it. I even gave it a longer chance than I usually do when I feel like I’m not gonna finish it. But when I would switch to other books while reading this one, finish those, and have no desire to return I had to call it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I LOVED this book! Scarlett and Nate’s romance is beautiful, the mystery of magic being haywire was intriguing, the banter all throughout the book was perfectly timed and funny, and the ending was actually the most perfect idea I’ve ever read. Absolutely a fantastic book for spooky season- and outside of spooky season!

What can I say about this book that others have not? I'll keep it brief. this book is cute af this town is quaint af . If you love fall vibes, beautifully described scenery, witchy hijinx and second chance romances, pick up this book! It was a quick read and it was thoroughly entertaining throughout.

This was a cozy and intriguing read! While it’s not fully Gilmore Girls vibes, the banter sure is!

The plot really had me intrigued the entire time but I feel the depth to the connection to the side characters could have been more. I didn’t really care much for the main character, Scarlett either. I didn’t really feel the romance vibes with Nate either besides knowing that they had some backstory to them. The spice was 1 🌶️ out of 5.

There were some points where I was really confused on who was speaking or who the character was speaking to.

I really did like the witchy vibes! It’s a good read for this time of year! Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I really enjoyed the fall coziness and atmosphere of parts of this book, but unfortunately most of the rest of it fell flat for me. The characters, especially the FMC, were so very one-dimensional (when they weren't direct rip offs of Gilmore Girls characters-- I'm all for an homage to beloved characters, but this wasn't it). Overall, it felt like it needed a lot more originality, and a lot more editing. The premise was cute and fun, but the delivery fell short.

I absolutely loved this book from the first chapter. I loved that it had modern cultural references in it, although it did make me long to live in Oak Haven. It sounds like the magical equivalent of Stars Hollow, and how many of us wish to live there too?

It definitley gave off both Gilmore Girl's and Halloweentown vibes which also endeared the story to me. While I was able to guess who was behind the chaos, I didn't guess how the problem would be solved. I wished that there had been a couple paragraphs on Scarlett's final reunion with her family and the town, but overall I still loved the story. I also feel like there is room for a second book, which I'm hoping there is because I don;t really want to leave Oak Haven behind.

I am very grateful to the publishers for sending me an adavcned e-copy of this book! It was one my anticipated Fall reads and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations. If you enjoy cosy Magical realism, rom-coms, Gilmore Girls or Halloweentown then you will surely enjoy this book!

Impractical Magic was the perfect seasonal read, in terms of setting, mood, and atmosphere. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the main character and her way of communicating, so for me this read ended up falling flat very early on. The dialogue felt a bit Gilmore Girls in style, with witty and comedic comments forced out that felt unrealistic outside of a sitcom setting - I firmly believe Lorelai Gilmore is only likable because of the form of media she comes from. A written version is a bit heavy handed for my taste.

That aside - the concept of a perfect autumnal town of witches, that humans CAN enter but would forget about due to a spell upon the town, is so fun and clever. Whenever there's a magical town that is just fully hidden via magic, it always sticks out as a plothole to me - in our day and age there's no way that a whole town-sized plot of land could go undeveloped and unseen! This was a great solution, to have it still technically be seen or known to exist (the FMC calls an uber to her family's home, for example, so the address is valid) but the forgetting removes any interest or intrigue. Emily Grimoire definitely knows how to paint a picture, and I loved her descriptive prose when it came to the environments and the clues that the magic is not quite right. A lack of gourds being the biggest red flag upon re-entering the town was so funny.

I rated this read 3 stars due to the dialogue and communication style not being for me, but that's just on personal preferences! Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to say a big thank you to @/emilygrimoire and @/netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was so super excited when I was accepted to be able to read this book as an ARC. It was described as having the feels of the Gilmore Girls and Charmed - two of which I am absolutely obsessed with. I can safely say that I could see the influence of both of these TV series throughout the book. Impractical Magic was very easy and enjoyable to read and would be perfect to add to your autumnal TBR. It is definitely a palette cleanser.

Tropes -
Second Chance
Small Town Romance
FMC Saves Town
Witchy
Cosy Vibes

FMC Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her sister from her hometown of Oak Haven. Something has gone wrong - the town has been cursed by something unknowing. Scarlett doesn’t really want to return home due to conflicting personal issues that she experienced while living in Oak Haven when she was younger. She knows she needs too because her family is in need of help. 10 years later Scarlett arrives home knowing she has to help solve the mystery.

Review may contain some spoilers from this point forward.

All Scarlett tries to do is help, but when her spell backfires, it only seems to make the magic in Oak Haven worse. It seems like nothing is going well, except her past fling with Nate. As soon as they find one another, it seems as though not much has changed since they last met. Scarlett and Nate seem to go back and forth with their relationship status quite a bit. It is obvious that they both have feelings for one another, but Scarlett is determined that she is going back to Sans Francisco once the town has been saved from its magical malfunction.

In terms of the Charmed vibes, it was mostly because of the three sisters, Scarlett, Luna and Delilah. Each of the sisters brought their own strengths to practising magic as well as their individual personalities. I think that because of Scarlett believing that she was responsible for the loss of her father, she holds herself back from being so close with her sisters, and more so her mum. Luna is sweet and kind, and always tries to see the best in everyone - she is well travelled and considered a very diverse witch with everything that she has learned along her sighting. Delilah is very strong, she seems to be the one that is most responsible and feels like it is her role in doing so. Delilah has a heart of gold too, but hides under a sarcastic front.

When Scarlett came up with the bird idea, I knew she was going to have to be the one to do it, considering her younger self turning herself into a fish. Scarlett is the type that once she has something in her head, there's no going back she will be doing it. I felt so bad when she got stuck as the bird. The fact that Nate never gave up on her was so cute, but when he was near the bridge those few times and couldn’t hear her was such a shame. I feel like the fact she was gone for so long kind of just got brushed over. I would have liked to have seen her reunion with her mum and sisters as their connection with them was just as strong, more so since all that they had been through.

The description of the town really did give Stars Hollow vibes, I always wonder what it would be like to grow up in a small town where everyone knows everyone. I loved the community aspect - the town hall meeting was giving Gilmore Girl vibes as well. Overall this was such a cute and fun read.

I absolutely adored this book! I didn’t know what to expect and was hooked from the very first page. I loved that we jumped right in to Scarlett’s return to oak haven. Emily Grimoires ability to make this book have all the cozy comforting vibes of fall classics like Gilmore Girls while also keeping the stakes of the mystery high was masterful! I truly could not put this book down once I started reading. The dynamic between Scarlett and her sisters and mother added such an emotional and relatable depth, it was one of my favorite parts. My man Nate though was one of my favorite characters and he helped make this story so enjoyable for me! Love how hard he went to bat for Scarlett, love his unwavering dedication, and LOVE him calling it like it is always. Earl 13 will always have my heart!

This book is like a spooky fall hug and I am absolutely recommending it to everyone!!

Impractical Magic tells the story of Scarlett, a witch who has to return to her hometown after a decade away. The Melrose family (Scarlett's family) have been in Oak Haven since their ancestor founded it, and so they've always been looked upon to solve the problems the town faces. Ten years ago, it was saving the magic oak grove from poison, which worked, but accidentally killed Scarlett's father. Now, magic is on the fritz again, and so Scarlett must return to the home she swore off to contend with her intense mother, anxious and prickly older sister, drifter/magical prodigy younger sister, the grown-up version of the boy she left behind, and a whole town of disgruntled people. Oh, and the nefarious magicians.
It was less than a romance than I expected it would be. Scarlett and Nate's plot was one of several, and about equally as important as repairing her relationship to her sisters or getting to the bottom of the magician mystery. At times, Nate fell a little flat, but he was a likable enough guy. Scarlett and her sisters were well-done characters, and their interactions were mostly well-written. There was a really fun cast of characters throughout the village. It felt like a fleshed out place. Some of the resolution did feel a little rushed, and there were still some loose threads at the end. But as a whole, it was an enjoyable, cute little fall read.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but oh my god how childish are these people. They are like teens not adults and I would expect the writing to read more mature but it felt like an unedited version of the book. I just felt like I was reading a whole lot of nothing and the mystery of what happened annoyed me cause it was referenced so much. I think the plot had potential but was not executed well.

Cute story!

Scarlett Melrose is a witch who's lived in San Francisco for the past decade. She left the magical town of Oak Haven 10 years ago after her father died. She hasn't been home since. When her older sister, Delilah, calls her with a frantic message telling her that the town's magic has gone awry, Scar gets on a plane to come help. But she had no idea how bad it was until she arrives.

When Scar left, she also left behind the boy she realized she loved; her best friend, Nate. Now he's changed from a skinny teenager to a gorgeous man and those feelings are still there. But she doesn't think that she deserves happiness because she thinks she's responsible for her dad's death.

While the Melrose sisters try and figure out how to stop the chaos with the magical trees, Scar and Nate slowly start to fall for each other again.

Can Scar be the answer to the magical problems?

*I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a cute, magical read perfect for spooky season. I enjoyed the storyline and discovering the mystery of why the magic was going awry. The setting was beautifully described and had me wishing it was a real place I could visit. I also liked Scarlett as a protagonist and her character development throughout the story as well as her evolving relationships with her mother and sisters, The dialogue was charming and funny and I loved all of the pop culture references!

I had a lot of fun with this! It might help that I've never seen Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls, so I was really only going for the vibes. And the vibes were definitely there! I just love books about witches and this one was nice and cozy and cute!