This book followed a coven of witches who were trying to restore magic in their hometown. Not only was this happening, but a romance was budding. This was a good story but fell short. It would make a good Hallmark movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Emily Grimoire for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Sadly this did not do it for me. I wanted to like it, Gilmore Girls is my favorite, it just didn’t speak to me. The writing felt amateur, and I just couldn’t get into it.

Not read a book about magic and witches for a long. This was great really enjoyed learning about Oak haven and all the different characters. Will definitely be looking out for more books by Emily.

I think this book will be a hit with romance readers this fall. My library has seen an uptick interest in cozy witch romances so I am sure patrons will be excited to see this. Gilmore Girls is also a perennial favorite, so I think this book has a lot going for by combining the two.

I was excited about this one and the expected witchy Gilmore Girls vibes, but I was underwhelmed. I didn't love the characters and just didn't get into the story. If you're looking for a quick, light read to get you into the fall spirit, go for it!

In a small mystical town called Oak Haven lives the Melrose family. When Scarlett Melrose receives an urgent call from her sisters, she is forced to return to their small town which she has been avoiding for years in search of a normal life away from magic.

The magic in Oak Haven is wreaking havoc across the town, someone has upset the balance and now each spell is creating more problems.

Themes:
☆ Grumpy-Sunshine
☆ Slow- burn
☆Cosy Small Town
☆Witchy Aesthetic

This book had the backbone to be something I’d really adore, autumnal, witchy and cosy but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I found the characters moderately irritating and under developed, while the setting was nice, the lack of investment in the characters was a shame. The ending felt rushed after a nicely built slow burn.

Thank you to NetGalley for a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
THERE ARE SPOILERS, DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM.

This book is decent if all you're looking for is a quick "cozy" fall/witchy themed book you don't have to think about. However, there isn't much else to it. I was torn on if I wanted to give it 2 stars or 3. I think ultimately it wasn't written bad enough to deserve 2 stars, but I have some specific gripes I'll get into below.

I'm not one for "cozy" genre anything, so I was a little annoyed with HOW COZY she was trying to set the novel up to be. Essentially, the first chapter did nothing but scream AUTUMN to us, and I was immediately aware of the dated outlook/takes on things, as if the author is either Gen X or older. This set the tone of the story to feel unrealistic, and the references to be outdated. Luckily for me, I grew up exposed to older media & was able to catch majority of the references (younger millennial myself). However, I could see a lot of people my same age not catching over half of them. Not exactly a great way to engage your audience with humor. I did read the acknowledgement page and she is aware and proud of all her references to 'inspirational media' so it was very much intentional but missed correct execution in my opinion.

Here's one of our Gen X/Boomer "hot takes" - Teenagers are whiny, ungrateful, and always on their phones. Honestly, her depiction of the one and only teenager in this novel was appalling. Give teenagers more credit. If this is the only way you view them, YOU are the problem, and they're using their phone to escape you.

I had some questions about the in-world magic/forgetting spell stuff that never really was touched on. The thing about the delivery boy coming into town and then immediately leaving and forgetting the girl that likes him - what if the girl just went to his place of work to pick up the food? Does the amnesia set in as soon as she re-enters Oak Haven? I think the answer is, Obviously Not, since Scarletts place of work never forgot about her. It seems like for Violet specifically, she could carry on a normal relationship with any boy she wants, so long as she dates them outside of her hometown (which she can leave/move out of as soon as she's of age to do so). This leads me into another topic.

It's also really stupid of violet to think that literally no one else in this town experiences the same things as her. Like obviously her mom and every other single person in that town can't make friends outside of the town because of the forgetting spell. It is so irritating listening to Violet BOOHOO over something manageable as stated in my previous paragraph's point. However, I think this was intentional (to make her stupid/weak) given the author seems to hate teenagers (https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-209829/emily-grimoire/#:~:text=%3Cp%3EEmily%20Grimoire%20is%20the%20author%20of See linked bio here, I think she thought it was quirky/funny but tbh just feels annoying & I'd hate to be her "ungrateful" family).

Another weird Hot Take was, people of the opposite gender apparently aren't allowed to just be friends. Nate, and a local girl Polly, "seem close". As the author points out, Polly is a struggling single mom to an "ungrateful" teenager. Nate is a Good Boy that just likes helping everyone. Why can't they be friends again? Why does their friendship automatically mean they are together? Sheesh. Another Middle School take -- why can't everyone just leave Scarlett and Nate alone? What's with the "OOOO Scarlett & Nate sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g" non-sense?

And, why can't we leave Scarlett alone to grieve how she needs to? No wonder she has issues and completely ran away for 10 years! Ya'll act ridiculous towards her, mock her, berate her, etc. Her mom is the absolute worst person in the entire novel, but for some reason we all forgive her and still love her? No Ma'am. Last thing you're gonna get from me is help if you treat me like shit. I don't know what her mom's issue is, but I was actually LIVID for Scarlett at multiple points. Inexcusable behavior towards her own daughter. Then suddenly by the end she loves her so much, boohoo, etc? No. Ma'am.

The most disappointing part - the novel had a PERFECT set up for an anti-prejudice message, and completely wiped out tripping over it. Just COMPLETELY gave right into nonsense that should have never been humored. The whole novel, Scarlett talks about how Magicians aren't real magic users, shits on them, berates them, says they can't be trusted, etc. Meanwhile Luna, who ought to know, says they DO use magic, they're their own kind of magicians/witches, etc. and should be respected. Scarlett continues to just be shitty towards Max, then sees him do ONE odd thing and IMMEDIATELY blames him for the entire towns misfortune. This author had the perfect opportunity to create a loving, meaningful situation where "THINGS ARE NO AS THEY APPEAR" or some other anti prejudiced answer, but NOPE. The magician was the bad guy all along. Why. I felt nothing but Bad for Max the whole time, then suddenly he's the scapegoat? Disappointing to say the least. And it made for the worst, anticlimactic twist.

All in all, 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for me. It was disappointing, and boring, but ultimately readable. It's too bad certain things had to turn out as they did, and I hope next novel pushes this author to challenge herself and her beliefs more.

Witchy Gilmore Girls but the author didn't quite pull it off. I think maybe with some editing this book could pull it off.

Came for the stars hollow but with witches vibe and stayed for the fun mystery of how to save magic!

Oak Haven is a magical town full of female witches and himbo house husbands. Anyone other than a witch who comes to town will forget all about it within 3 days- great for the witches but not so much for their men!! Scarlett Melrose took off and never looked back after high school, but when magic goes awry she has to return to the town (and high school best friend/will they won’t they partner Nate) to help save everything!

This has a great premise, and the focus on the town and the connection between the sisters was the shining highlight, with the romance underdeveloped and living as a simple subplot. It was a good fall read, not the most inventive but not too shabby!

Thank you so much to Emily Grimoire and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

This book had all the elements I normally enjoy—witches, magic, a quirky small town, strong family ties, and a sweet love interest. However, despite all of that, I just didn’t love it. I didn't feel like I connected to the characters and I found them all pretty irritating. The vibes were great but the characters not so much.

Impractical Magic is a cute, cosy book that’s a great addition to anyone’s autumn reading list.
The story was easy to follow, funny, light hearted and wholesome. The characters were relatable and I loved seeing the relationship between Scarlett and Nate build with the sweetest ending.
I was slightly confused with the time jump in the final chapters but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story.

A cute, whimsical witchy fantasy with a mystery plot at the heart of it- a lovely light read for the spooky season.

If you like small town, Gilmore Girls but make it witches, and cinnamon roll MMCs, this is going to be right up your alley.

The plot is interesting and suspenseful, with stakes just high enough to keep your attention, but not high enough to detract from the lightheartedness of the book. This is a quick read and has some interesting characters and a sweet, somewhat slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance running in conjunction with the main plot throughout the story.

This was an enjoyable read, but had just a few things that somewhat diminished the reading experience. Scarlet, the FMC, is the daughter of the town’s matriarch and head witch. The way that she was treated by her mother, and her sisters -yes, both of them- was infuriating. I would’ve stayed away for 10 years too, if that were my family. There was a little too much miscommunication and over-complication of easily solvable matters in the romance between Scarlet and Nate; the relationship and everyone’s attitudes towards it was a little too cutesy for my personal taste.

I do think that a lot of people will like this one, especially in the fall/winter months- it’s a great book to curl up with on a slow weekend when you’re in the mood for something light and fluffy. Overall a good time!

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the Earc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Cozy witch vibes are always a fun way to get into spooky season. This however was a very disjointed story. It should have been executed and edited with more care and precision, If it goes through a re-vamp it could turn into a wonderful witchy season story. It feels rushed and band aided with pop culture and out dated references.

I was not invested or entertained.

Gilmore Girls and Charmed, sign me up! When I heard the premise for this book, I was ecstatic to receive an ARC, a perfect way to kick off fall! This book had great potential, as the cozy fall vibes were prevalent, but its execution fell flat. Some parts seem to be over descriptive and extremely slow while other crucial conversations related to both character and plot development were very rush. I understand this is a debut novel and it appeared to need a bit more editing before being released. This was a 2.5/5 stars from me.

“Down in the Valley, Oak Haven hid coyly behind a veil of autumn leaves, which made a patchwork quilt of crimson, amber, and evergreen.” 🍁🍃
⭐️⭐️⭐️.8/5

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for gifting me this ARC. It is perfect for fall season.

Scarlett is living a normal life in San Francisco when one day, her sister calls her asking her for help, so she needs to go back to her hometown, Oak Haven.
Scarlett left 10 years ago when something very bad happened, which she blames herself for. Oak Haven is a very different small town compared to others, and what makes it very special is that it is magical and every woman living there is a witch. But something has been happening, and the magic is a little crazy. Everyone in town is worried because they don’t know how to fix it. Hence, Scarlett coming to town to help her two sisters and mother fix this problem. When she comes back, she needs to deal with everything that she left behind when she left: family relationships, using magic again, and Nate, her best-friend/almost-boyfriend that she hasn’t seen in 10 years.
Things in Oak Haven are certainly a mess, but Scarlett has the opportunity to finally heal all the traumas she has while saving her hometown and her family.

I really liked this book. The vibes that it gave me were very similar to Halloweentown and Gilmore Girls. The small town energy mixed with magic is so cozy but spooky at the same time. It has amazing references to fantasy books and magical culture in general.
The main character was very funny and relatable. She had certain attitudes that made me want to scream at her, but overall, her character development was really good and she was a good heroine. Her dynamic with her sisters was fun to read, and even though, at first, I didn’t like Delilah, I understood her a little bit more at the end. Luna was so quirky and cool, she was incredible. At times, the dialogue was a little cheesy and it made me cringe.
The romantic aspect of the book is well done, I love a friends-to-lovers romance but it had a certain change that made the relationship have more sense.

I would recommend this book during fall and Halloween season. It really made me fell like I was in this small town, surrounded by witches and magic, and it was fabulous. Just what I needed this time of year.

It comes out October 1st, 2024!!! 🧙‍♀️🪄

Thank you Netgalley and UK Avon for the ARC opportunity. This novel was a fun witchy, cozy read. It did have all of the small town elements I love. This novel did have quite a bit of description which I really really appreciated. I did enjoy this novel. It will not be for everyone but it was a cozy, small town, witchy romance. This was my first romantasy ish novel.

This is a great novel for fans of cozy, small towns, slow burns, and grumpy sunshine.

I was excited to start off my October TBR with this book, marketed as "witchy Gilmore Girls". And while this did read like GG fan fic, it also felt extremely juvenile to me.

Scarlett is summoned back to her hometown of Oak Grove by her older sister for a magical emergency. After ten years away, Scarlett is reluctant to return but decides she is overdue. The magic in town does appear to be on the fritz, but Scarlett has not been practicing in the decade that she has been away so in order to be helpful she will need to resolve the trauma of the spell that went bad that drove her away in the first place.

The banter between Scarlett and her two sisters, Delilah and Luna, felt more fitting for middle schoolers than grown adult women. It had potential but the writing style was not my scene at all. Why ask your sister to come back if you're just going to be catty to her every time she opens her mouth? Yuck.

This book gave me just enough breadcrumbs of things I enjoyed to get me to the finish, but it was honestly a slog. Honestly the spice was minimal enough that I feel like it would be better enjoyed by a younger reading audience.

I was very happy and interested in this book when I saw that it was for fans of Gilmore Girls and Charmed, two amazing shows and this book did deliver some of those vibes, a family of 3 sister witches with their mom that owns the inn in a small town.
It was cute but it didn't work for me as much as I wanted too. It had alot going on for my taste. It was a bit all over.

I only read the first few chapters, so maybe it gets better, but I don't care. The writing and the dialouge are ridiculous and cheesy and I don't care about or like the main character.

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire

Release date: October 1st

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️/5

My Thoughts💭

Gilmore girls and charmed? Sign me up! This story was a cute read filled with lots of fall and witchy vibes! Definitely gives charmed vibes(3 sisters), I really enjoyed the pacing and the overall fun aspects of problem-solving of how to restore the towns magic(definitely gives some Halloweentown vibes). The subplot of the small town romance between Scarlett and Nate’s romance was adorable (Lorelai and Luke vibes) but I was definitely more interested in how Scarlett was going to help her sisters recover the magic in the town. The only thing that sort of took me out of it was the fact that it is set in modern times, so we saw some references to Uber and TikTok but that’s just my personal opinion. Overall  if you're looking for a fun autumn read filled with witches, cozy small town vibes, and entertaining plot lines, look no further!

If you’re looking for

-Small Town Witchy Romance
-Grumpy/sunshine
-An enchanted inn
-Cozy Fall vibes
-Charmed vibes
-Magicians

Then this is the book for you!