⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (rounded up!)

In a cozy New England town called Oak Haven, our story about a charming little town full of witches takes place. The Melrose Family comprises the matriarch Kelly, and her three daughters Delilah, Scarlett, and Luna. Following the tragic death of her father a decade prior, Scarlett has been living a magic-free life outside of Oak Haven. One day her older sister Delilah calls her begging her to return - something is wrong in the town and their magic isn’t working as intended.

Our main character and protagonist Scarlett was not dealt an easy hand in life. She wasn’t the most responsible daughter nor was she the smartest, which left her feeling like she was the worst daughter. In fact, she was often on the receiving end of a lot of emotional abuse from her mother and older sister, none of which was earned. It was hard to understand the vitriol hurled at Scarlett most of the time and it really impacted her self esteem and ability to function in her family and in the town.

You really get a feel for the town of Oak Haven. Shops like the Spellbound Books bookstore, the All Who Wander travel agency, the Hexpresso cafe, and Tout Le Temps (a store dedicated to selling and repairing time pieces) line the streets. There are town meetings, a hardware store that serves coffee, a gazebo, and festivals that add atmosphere and nostalgia to the story.

Certainly fans of Gilmore Girls will find themselves transported to a magical version of Stars Hollow. “Impractical Magic” was sometimes a little on the nose in its references (some chapters literally play on episode names from the show) however; the plot of the book is nothing like its inspiration and I genuinely enjoyed the book. The story felt well crafted and I understood its beginning to its end. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC of “Impractical Magic” in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book. It is pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic, which is right up my alley. Unfortunately, though I did not enjoy this book. You do get Practical Magic vibes, but not Gilmore Girls ones. The only thing that really connects this book to Gilmore Girls is that its set in a small town. There is none of that quirky small town charm or fast witty dialogue that would give it those Gilmore Girls vibes that I was looking for.

The story is interesting enough and its pacing is steady. Emily tries to hook readers in with this dual mystery plot. The first one is around the town’s magic that has suddenly stopped working correctly. Spells are backfiring, left, right, and center, and no one knows what the cause is. The second mystery is about what happened between the Melrose sisters ten years ago, which ended in such a disaster that Scarlett no longer wanted to live in their small town. I enjoyed the magical world that Emily had created. It was interesting enough and Emily does a good job at giving her readers the information they need to understand what is what. The author does a good job of capturing those fall-ish vibes and weaving them throughout her story.

What fell short for me was Scarlett’s character. I just didn’t like her. For whatever reason, I couldn’t connect with her character. She has weird combinations of pricky and snarky attitudes and is also childish. Don’t get me wrong, I love a heroine who is prickly, snarky, and sarcastic, but Scarlett’s character just rubbed me the wrong way. I liked her sisters and I didn’t mind Nate. But their interactions felt forced and were lacking that witty banter I was expecting. Things just weren’t clicking for me. The relationship between Nate and Scarlett was ok. If you like childhood friends to lovers, forced proximity, and small-town romances, then you should enjoy the relationship between these two. I could see the chemistry Emily was trying to go for, but it wasn’t clicking on the page.

Impractical Magic is a small-town witchy romance bursting with cozy fall vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sending this ARC my way. This book was presented as a cozy fall read with the following:
Grumpy x Sunshine ☀️
Slowburn Romance 🔥
Witchy aesthetic 🔮✨️
Cozy small town 🍂☕️

"Magic is something you are. You can deny it, ignore it, push it away... but magic is still there, alive in you."

Unfortunately despite everything above being all the things I love in a fall read, this book fell flat for me. The biggest hurdle I had was the FMC. She's a total martyr and no matter how many times LITERALLY everyone around her tells her it's not her fault she won't accept it. The first few times it was annoying but hey I'd let it go. After that it was clearly a point the author was driving home entirely too hard.

The next thing is probably just a me peeve, but the book could benefit from some additional editing in the sense that the language used is either not consistent OR feels very out of place. The characters go back and forth on either swearing or using swear place holders. Pick one. Either they swear or they don't. I also found it VERY jarring for the author to use the term "muggle". I'll just leave that there I don't need to go into why that's off.

The "slow burn" was basically a no burn. I wasn't buying into the second chance romance the author was trying to sell. It wasn't believable and didn't feel organic. Nate just felt like a character I barely knew by the end of it all. There are some other unbelievable plot points that I think again, the author could have benefited from extra editing. I get that this is a magical town but somethings here are still beyond belief.

DNF @44%

I agree with everyone that this book reads as very AI written.

What this book promised:
Grumpy x sunshine ☀️

Slow burn 🔥

Witchy aesthetic 🔮✨

Cosy small town 🍂☕

What we got:
immature FMC

Outdated References

No Coherent characterization

Forced Romance

Thank you, NetGalley, for my arc in exchange for a review! The magic system was hard for me to follow & I was bored at times, but this author nailed complicated sister relationships & small town autumnal setting!

Ahem, google play the bolter by taylor swift!!!

This was a very cute and cozy read perfect for autumn! I love the idea of a hidden witch-only town that feels like Halloween year round! The drawn-out, will-they-won't-they relationship between Nate and Scarlett was super cute and I loved seeing their relationship evolve to a place where they both felt comfortable being together. Reading Scarlett overcome her grief and feel confident in her abilities was so special, and I loved how her relationship with her family impacted the plot.

This book has the perfect cozy and magical atmosphere for fall. Unfortunately I couldn't fully get invested in this story. I didn't really see any chemistry between the FMC and main love interest. I also wasn't a huge fan of all the references to modern day music, movies, social medias, etc. I know it's set in a modern day but it just felt like there were references every other page. I also felt like the FMC brought up about why she left way too often for how long it takes to even get the true backstory on what actually happened. Overall I feel like a lot of people would love this as it is a more cozy mystery for fall! I will also be including a review in my monthly wrap up on my YouTube channel

Although this is a cosy, autumnal read, I did struggle with it feeling a little disjointed. At times I found it hard to follow the conversations with the characters and it felt like it flitted from one thing to another without me noticing until I was confused at how we got to where we were.
I did like the characters and the plot, I just didn't love it. There was alot of random references thrown in like Taylor Swift, Star Wars and The Office to name a few and it just felt like they were being forced in there to make it more popular with people. I also wasn't 100% sold on the ending, it felt very rushed towards the end and was kind of wrapped up but also left open for a possible sequel, which I just don't think is needed at all. I would have preferred a less rushed ending that left me feeling satisfied.

My review will be posted on goodreads and my bookstagram @hanreadingjournal

I love a grumpy x sunshine and witchy vibes romance so I immediately fell in love with this book, this was the perfect read for me on my holiday and gave me all the cosy vibes that I was searching for.

When Scarlett Melrose is called back to Oak Haven suddenly by her estranged sisters, she has no choice but to face her past and save her witchy hometown. Not only does she need to face her sisters and mother after significant time away, but also her friend-turned-almost-lover, Nate, as well as the rest of the residents of the nosy town. Something strange is going on and it is up to the Melrose family to save the day without any major losses.

I've read quite a few books that claim to be a "Gilmore Girls" fall book, and while they usually disappoint, this one did not! The setting had a variety of quirky characters that lived there that were all enjoyable and I found myself wanting to know more about. I enjoyed the second-chance romance between Scarlett and Nate, as well as the plot line of Scarlett needing to save her town. I thought how the town operated was super interesting and it made a lot of sense with the forgetting spell instead of the typical idea that witches just hide their powers within a town.

The one thing I didn't love was the miscommunication between Scarlett and her family, especially concerning her father's death. It obviously wasn't only Scarlett's fault and had she just had an open conversation with her family, a lot of the heartache they all experienced could have been avoided. The ending of the book also felt a bit rushed in my opinion, and then everything almost wrapped too quickly and perfectly, despite presumably being "a year later."

I hope Emily Grimoire continues the series with stories centering on Scarlett's sisters. Perfect book to kick off a season of witchy, cozy reads!

This is a super easy cozy autumnal book although not super memorable. Although marketed as a romance I found the main couple a little insalovey however I found they lacked chemistry. I liked the family dynamics between the sisters and their mother and wish there was more focus on them fixing their relationship instead of the main characters romantic relationships.
The setting gave a really cozy atmosphere which I enjoyed! Perfect for this time of year.
A quick read but not one I’m likely to remember years from now.

This book was so cute! I really love a great witch coven read, and this didn’t disappoint, I loved Scarlett as a character, and the growth she experienced internally, with Nate, with her sisters, and especially with her mother. I wasn’t expecting the twist of saving the city, and how it was accomplished, but it really completed the story as a whole, I would definitely read a part 2 of this book!

I was gifted an ARC of this book, but all opinions expressed are my own.

I was very disappointed with this one. This was obviously advertised as a must read fall book with Gilmore Girl vibes. Gilmore Girls is probably my favorite show of all time so I was excited but this was not it.

I am going to be honest I could not even bring myself to finish this one. At times this felt like it was written by AI. There was way too much description in certain spots and not enough in others. The toxic relationships with family members was hard to read. This needs some work.

Impractical Magic wonderfully blends magic, romance, and personal struggle. The story begins with Scarlett, who hasn’t set foot in Oak Haven for ten years, ever since the last time the magic went wrong. Fleeing to San Francisco to escape her father’s death and the town’s unstable magic, she’s reluctantly pulled back when chaos ensues once again, and her sisters urgently call for help. Her return forces her to confront not only the magical disturbances but also the guilt that’s shaped her life for years.
We feel her burden as she struggles with both her emotions and the doubts surrounding her magical abilities.

Scarlett's unresolved feelings for childhood friend Nate add tension, with a “will they, won’t they” dynamic that’s as frustrating as it is engaging. Nate's patience and kindness make him perfect book boyfriend material, while Scarlett's emotional barriers make their relationship complicated.

One of the most fascinating aspects is Oak Haven’s magical forgetting charm, which erases memories of magic for those who leave town, except for witches like Scarlett. Unfortunately for her, the memories remain painfully vivid. Meanwhile, Oak Haven’s magic is failing, leading to bizarre incidents: house-sized pumpkins, rogue garden gnomes, and even a giant squid escaping from a book, causing chaos. Scarlett’s family inn is also riddled with random magical portals, transporting guests to strange places.

The arrival of mysterious magicians adds another layer of intrigue, particularly Maximillian, whose ability to take on a new persona each day leaves everyone wondering who he really is underneath his ever-shifting identity, and his potential connection to the magical disturbances plaguing the town make him a key figure in the unfolding mystery.

It’s an enchanting read that leaves you spellbound and eager for more.

#AD-PR PRODUCT Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because the premise seemed great, but it is in DIRE need of some editing and the FMC was too unlikable for me.

It has a lot of potential with the Gilmore girls meets hocus pocus vibes, but the writing (especially the dialogue) was messy.

I wish this book was for me but sadly it fell flat 🥲 I like the blurb. I like the cover. But I think the execution is what I didn’t vibe with. This story is a bit hard to follow. It very much has promise but it just needs something else. Thank you for the ARC!! Definitely check this book out if you’re looking for a read for fall, who knows? It may just be your new favorite book.

I enjoyed the story and the potential it had. Sometimes I felt as if the storyline was not as well organised as it needed to be to make it an easy read for anyone, but I was able to follow along nicely and I liked the book. What I particularly enjoyed was the few sprinkles of references to other magical stories many of us know. I believe I recognised a Harry Potter reference for example. Not using the plot for the book, but as a side comment without naming HP. Kind of a "if you know the story you’ll know what I’m talking about"-situation. I liked that a lot. To discuss two of the main characters, Scarlett I found to be a nice FMC and an interesting person. What I had my difficulties with was her not communicating with her mom and others to solve issues and guilt from the past. Sometimes the plot might have benefited from some more communication on that front. Nate, as one of the main side characters, is a real cute character and I liked how he just loves people for who they are and helps out where he can. Scarlett's sisters Luna and Delilah were fun as well, but I felt as if they cold have gotten more spotlight. All in all a nice witchy story for October reading! I can recommend it to you all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Impractical Magic is a cosy witch fantasy set in New England during the fall. There’s a magical mystery but set in the modern day with many pop culture references. It’s cute a Gilmore Girlsesque easy read

Review posted to GoodReads 29/9

Scarlett and Nate are a cute couple with a lot of shared history. I was rooting for them and the magic to get back on track. This is a cute, cozy read just in time for Fall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

I actually would give this book 2.5 stars, but half stars can’t be done on here.

I wanted so badly to love this book. The setting and vibes itself are definitely cute and give off a witchy, fall vibes. However, I found the FMC to be quite insufferable and whiny. The MMC definitely made it better, however, I didn’t feel a huge connection between them until more toward the end. The idea behind the plot is good, but I felt like had some gaps and was predictable.