Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is a perfect quick Autumn read. I flew through this in one evening.
A super cute romance with the absolute best characters I devoured it.

This was a delightful cozy autumnal read. It is perfect for curling up with on a cold autumnal day. I enjoyed the romance. The cover design is also beautiful and really captures the essence of this sublime story.

Overall, Impractical Magic is a delightful and charming romance novel that will warm your heart and leave you with a smile. Emily Grimoire's writing is engaging, the setting is enchanting, and the characters are endearing.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Small town romance featuring a witch who is estranged from her sisters returning home after ten years to face both her family and her best friend/crush she left behind. Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her estranged sister telling her to come home to Oak Haven because magic has gone awry. Scarlett left 10 years ago and never looked back after an incident that caused their father to pass away and Scarlett blamed herself ever since then. Scarlett is scared to face both her family and her old flame/friend, Nate. Yet when her spell to fix everything goes wrong its up to Scarlett to finally face the magical mess and try and make it work this time. This was a super slow burn small town witchy romance. I would say for me it just felt too slow burn and a bit too slow for my liking. The story never really felt like it was moving and the actual book felt like it was dragging for the most part. The romance is suppose to be slow burn but feels nonexistent at this point. I really wish I could like this more but it felt like a miss for me. If you like super slow burn small town witchy romances definitely give it a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: October 1,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon Books UK | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.
I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little bit flat for me. It is marketed as a Gilmore Girls/fall/witchy rom com, but I never felt connected to the characters, and at times the conversations felt stilted and unrealistic. Was not a good fit for me.

Scarlett hasn’t been home to her small town of Oak Haven in ten years. When her sisters call, she knows something is wrong and immediately heads home - but it’s immediately clear that something is wrong with the magic in the town. As Scarlett and her sister’s work to restore the town’s magic, Scarlett comes face to face with her old crush, Nate, and is forced to deal with emotions she’s been ignoring for years.

This is a cute and cozy read with all the fall vibes that you could ever ask for. The plot was interesting enough that I was engaged in the story, but I was hoping for a little bit more romance. I also would have loved a bit more character development, especially for Nate. He was clearly really into Scarlett, but I didn’t feel like we were shown enough of that, and some fun and flirty banter would have really helped demonstrate their connection a bit more. I thought the magic was fun, and I would love to learn more about the magicians in a future book. Overall, if you’re looking for cozy fall vibes, this one meets that criteria!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book for me was a bit tough to follow sometimes, as I felt like it bounced around with conversations and was a bit slow.
I wish we had some more background on the FMC as to why she wanted to leave Oak Haven and not come back and more about Nate! I liked him, but felt there wasn’t a whole lot on him or his background.
The fall cozy vibes were there for sure, but wish there was just a bit more to the story and more depth at times.

This was a 2.5 stars for me.
This author definitely has potential and I would be happy to read another book of hers!

Everything about this book should make it perfect for me. Millennial candy- Gilmore Girls coded, witchy romcom, New England autumnal bliss, a light cozy mystery mixed in?! And snark a la Emily Gilmore?! I’ve been pumped for this read.
Soooooooo, let me just say that although I was excited, I didn’t set the bar too high. I know what I’m getting when I read witchy romcoms. I’m signing up for the fun, the magic, the sometimes insta-love, and the campiness. Give me the cheese, let’s go. But this? This isn’t quite that. This is like a bizarre mash up of a Hallmark quality movie, a millennial drunken dream and a YA family drama. But also maybe written by AI?! It felt disjointed at times; unpolished.

Here we are following Scarlett as she reluctantly returns to her charming New England hometown after 10 years away. Her family’s inn is cursed and it’s all hands on deck to help save it. Of course that means stirring up old family dramas and pains. We can’t forget Nate, our MMC and owner of the hardware store.

It’s really too on the nose for me. It’s all overkill. The 90s and 2000s references abound and they’re not all nostalgic and fun, they’re awkward. The book has the feel of a wattpad story, or an under-edited work that needs a little more. 2.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review!

Impractical Magic

🌟🌟🌟

A perfect cozy autumn read! Fitting for tomorrow October 1st. It was overall a fun read but parts were rushed and the FMC became annoying and almost read like a YA novel. The family dynamic in this was also enjoyable, and the theme of believing in yourself, and finding your special place was a sweet touch throughout the book.

This book is the perfect cozy autumn read. It has everything you could want, a town that is the essence of Fall, second chance romances, and witches. From the very beginning I connected with the main characters and loved Scarlett’s family. I loved that we were introduced to Nate from the very beginning as he was in her house as her families handyman. It’s like he was waiting there the whole time for her to return to their small town. So cute!

If you are looking to curl up with a low-stakes, quick and easy romance read for the fall, this book is for you. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the couple Scarlett and Nate in this story! The grumpy x sunshine was so good I couldn't put this book down! One of my favorite movies is Practical Magic and this has the same witchy, fall vibes. The romance isn't the only remarkable part of this story. So are the family relationships, personal responsibility and growth. I LOVED this book and I can't wait to pick up a physical copy!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. The town was magical and so much fun to be a part of.. I loved the characters, including all the side characters. It was great to watch the dynamic of the sisters in their relationship.. I do believe this could use another run through the editor as there was quite a few spelling mistake mistakes missing words and issues within the dialogue. Overall, a great fall read.!

Super cute fall romance book, but also felt a little bit rushed. I feel like some parts could have been more developed. The FMC was a tad annoying. I also got a little bit of YA vibes.
Still a cute read for fall.

One unexpected and urgent call from her sister and Scarlet knows she must return to Oak Haven. However in doing so Scarlet is going to have to revisit the life she left behind (ran away from) 10 years ago. She must come face to face with the family, friends, and community she abandoned. She will have to face her own struggles with self blame and feelings of inadequacy. Upon returning home it’s clear that things are greatly amiss. The magic in Oak Haven is completely on the fritz. It’s up to Scarlet and the other Melrose sisters to work together to figure out how to fix the magic and restore Oak Haven.

This book was like a warm cup of my favorite beverage. It was cozy and atmospheric. It was also utterly magical making me want to hop into the pages of the book. It’s the perfect autumnal witchy read.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I really wanted to live this book. But in general it just felt rushed. Things happened so quickly that I feel like I wasn’t able to really enjoy the story. It read very elementary. The FMC deserves more back story; she just comes off as so unlikeable. It was a fun read just felt like I was missing pieces of the story and wasn’t able to “love” any of the characters.

I am all for the cosy, autumn reads right now, and this one was definitely cosy!

Scarlett comes from a family of witches but hasn't returned to her magical hometown in 10 years. But when her sister gets in contact and says something wrong in the town, Scarlett knows she must return.

This was such a cosy romantasy. I loved the magic system of the witches in this, and it was the perfect read for fall.

Small town, magic, witches: what's not to love?!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. The start of this book had the best fall/cozy vibes. The beginning had me hooked. But towards the end it got a little too silly for my liking. But with mild spice I think this would be a great read for a slightly younger reader (late teens) it was cozy and did have some Gilmore Girls references that I think people will enjoy! The family dynamic in this was also enjoyable, and the theme of believing in yourself, and finding your special place was a sweet touch throughout the book.

Overall fun read, but somewhat lacking in excitement.
I love the small-town feel, strong family ties, likeable characters, witches, magic, etc. However, the plot was really lacking.
A slow burn book that feels rushed and missing pieces. There's some romance and that even seems like an incomplete storyline.
Overall, the ending seemed to drag on and the plot was predictable.

Scarlett returns home after receiving an SOS from her estranged sister. Something is wrong with the local magic, and it needs fixed ASAP. To add to the chaos Scarlett runs into her childhood friend Nate. Nate has lots of questions and there is definitely chemistry there

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is a delightful mix of whimsy and charm, perfect for readers who love a little magic in their lives. With lovable characters and a quirky storyline, it offers a sweet and fun journey through spells, mishaps, and heartwarming moments. This enchanting tale is sure to leave you smiling!

Scarlett Melrose has been away from her magical home of Oak Haven when she gets a call from her estranged sisters that her help is needed immediately. Scarlett arrives home to a very different Oak Haven - there's a problem with the magic and it's affecting the entire town! As the magic is only through the women in Oak Haven, it's up to Scarlett, her sisters, her mother, and their friends to figure out how to fix the magic. Meanwhile, hunky hardware store owner, and non-magical being, Nate is trying to help where he can including reconnecting with Scarlett. With the charm of Gilmore Girls and the witchiness of Practical Magic, this is a fun read that will keep you entranced.

This book was an absolute DELIGHT! It was cozy and cute, I read it in one sitting and it felt like a warm hug.

I had high hopes for this one. I love books that are witchy and/or cozy and this felt like it was going to be a perfect fall read. I ended up not finishing it, I just couldn't get invested in the characters. The whole family seemed immature and rude and it hard to root for characters who aren't likeable. The writing felt a bit under developed also. By the third mention of "muggles" I tapped out. Not for me.