I really wanted to love this book as it had everything I’m looking for in a cosy, witchy read but unfortunately, Impractical Magic wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed the small town setting and the concept of the magic system such as the Forgetting Spell. However, I feel that there were parts of the book that could have been expanded and developed. I would have liked to know more about the characters and their backgrounds a little more too.

A perfect cosy read for the Autumnal weather we have been having (in Northern Ireland anyway!).

I ADORE the grumpy x sunshine trope in romance novels so this was right up my street! Add in magic, small-town vibes and a little bit of chaos when spells go wrong and this is one i'll be recommending to my bookstagram friends!

Well I got the Gilmore Girls vibes but not in a good way.
Every single character in this was unlikeable, Scarletle the FMC was so self involved it was infuriating to was. The romance relationship with Nate was also weird as I got friends vibes from them but that's it.
Also the ending was pretty crap and feels dragged out and rushed at the same time. Not much of it made a lick of sense

Such a great autumn read! So cute! I really enjoyed it. The magic with trying to save the town. I’ve never watched Gilmore girls or charmed, but it reminded me of Halloween town. How the witches needs to come and save the town. I highly recommend this book, also loved the little love story!

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of Impractical Magic and for the opportunity to be an ARC reviewer.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. I struggled connecting to the characters and story. Everything felt underdeveloped and the writing felt rushed. The overall concept of the story caught attention and I think it could have been better if it didn't feel rushed.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! This was such a cute fall story, it really got the autumn vibes going for me. This story had alot of angst coming from the middle sister, who's POV we follow. She was a little annoying at times with her interactions with her family but sometimes family dynamics are weird. This story was a good time and was a great start to my fall reads!

Who doesn't love a good second-chance romance?!
Add to that the subtle nods to Gilmore Girls, the autumnal setting, the hint of mystery and the witchy small town vibes and you have what I think is the perfect cozy fall read. I don't give out 5 star-ratings easily, but this one just hit all my marks.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon UK for the ARC.

The book was cute but kind of cringy. Hard to get into and I wasn’t loving it until the last 30%. The characters were not my favorite

**Review of *Impractical Magic***

*Impractical Magic* is a delightful, whimsical tale that masterfully blends romance, family dynamics, and magical mishaps, making it a perfect pick for fans of cozy mysteries and enchanting escapades.

Scarlett Melrose’s return to Oak Haven is anything but smooth. The call from her estranged sisters hints at chaos, and the atmosphere brims with magical tension that instantly pulls the reader in. Scarlett’s reluctance to confront her past and her family adds depth to her character, making her relatable as she navigates her complex feelings about home and responsibility.

The setting of Oak Haven, with its charming inn and quirky magical undertones, serves as a vibrant backdrop that enhances the story’s cozy feel. The author paints a vivid picture of the town, making it easy to imagine the enchanting yet chaotic world Scarlett finds herself in. The blend of familial love and tension is palpable, with the dynamics between Scarlett and her sisters providing both humor and heart.

The introduction of Nate, Scarlett’s old flame, adds a layer of romantic tension that’s both sweet and nostalgic. Their chemistry crackles with unresolved feelings, and their interactions bring a lightness to the story amid the magical turmoil. As Scarlett grapples with her feelings for Nate and the pressing need to restore magic to her home, readers are treated to a beautifully woven narrative of love, responsibility, and personal growth.

The mishaps that occur during Scarlett's attempts to fix the magic are both humorous and relatable, making her journey feel genuine. The theme of learning from one’s mistakes resonates throughout the book, reminding us that growth often comes from the most chaotic situations.

Ultimately, *Impractical Magic* is a heartwarming and entertaining read that captures the essence of magic—both the enchanting kind and the magic found in love and family. With its engaging characters, charming setting, and a sprinkle of romance, this book is sure to leave readers enchanted and eagerly turning the pages. Perfect for those cozy fall nights, it invites readers to embrace the messiness of life and love with a dash of humor and a splash of magic.

This was a cute, cozy, and witchy fall read that I enjoyed in terms of the Gilmore-esque fall vibes of Oak Haven and the 2nd chance romance between the main character, Scarlett, and her best friend growing up turned almost lover, Nate. However, in terms of plot and character development, this book left me wanting more. After a disastrous spell 10 years ago caused Scarlett to flee her cozy, magical town and live as a normal person in San Francisco, she thinks she'll never return to her sisters and mother due to her guilt surrounding her father's death. But when her sisters frantically request her presence because Oak Haven's magic is all scrambled, she reluctantly returns and falls right back into her witchy role and her connection with Nate. As they all work together to figure out what is threatening the magical safety of Oak Haven, Scarlett has to work through her issues with her sister and her mother and if she can ever feel comfortable living in this town again. The mystery of who or what is causing the magical disturbance is pretty easy to figure out and rather too convenient, although I do feel like Grimoire is possibly setting up a sequel here where the same responsible group will attack again. I also felt like the miscommunication between Scarlett and her mother and her sisters wasn't developed as well as it could be. Ten years is a long time to go without speaking about a matter that could have been easily resolved if they would've just talked, and they were all so awful to Scarlett throughout the book that then when they do finally speak about the matter, all is so easily forgiven and tidied up so quickly. It just fell a little flat for me, as I didn't find it believable or well-developed in terms of character resolution. The last chapter of the book also follows this odd, fairytale-esque structure that felt out of place with how the rest of the book was written and structured. If you love witchy, quirky books like the Ex-Hex series, this may be for you, but if not, skip it.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-ARC. This is out October 1st!

A fun, cozy autumn read perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, Halloweentown, and Hocus Pocus! Emily's story gives you witches, small-town vibes, and a sweet second chance romance wrapped in a pumpkin spice bow! I found the pacing to be a bit slow for me and the writing wasn't really my cup of tea, but I'm a sucker for a sister story and this one fit the bill!

I have made it 20% into the book and I feel like it isn’t for me. So unfortunately I will not be continuing on, I may come back to it at a later date.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book.

I wanted to DNF this so many times - and the main reason I didn't was because it was an ARC. I'll admit that I don't read a *ton* of romance, so there are some romance tropes that can annoy me. If you read a lot of romance then there's certainly a chance you'll enjoy this as a low stress, autumn/witchy themed addition to your TBR.

I, however, could not get past the weak writing, annoying characters, and overabundance of pop culture references.

Scarlett grated on me from the moment she refused to listen to anyone around her and smashed a piano. She's stubborn and self-centered to a fault. I hoped she might grow on me as the story went on and while I ended up with empathy for her, I didn't like her at all (and honestly just ended up liking almost all the supporting characters less than when we started). Delilah, the oldest sister, literally stomping her foot at her big age was embarrassing, tbh. And her mother, Kelly, was deeply unpleasant. I know this is supposed to riff off Gilmore Girls but it felt like it took all the flaws of the GG characters and none of the endearing traits that would balance them out.

Magic-wise, I always side-eye magic systems based on gender. As a queer person, I think that these systems can quickly become gender essentialist in their structure and almost always reinforce the binary. I loved Aphra and was happy to see an out and accepted trans person within this world. While it is trans-affirming to say that Aphra always had magic because she was always a woman, it begs the question of where non-binary people would exist in this magical spectrum. I don't think there were any ill-intentions here, it's just something that always comes to mind with this particular magic system structure and my desire to push back on systems that reinforce a binary.

The cheesy Friends reference 20 pages in should've been my first red flag - and the Trump reference jump scare halfway through was unappreciated (this is a trans-affirming story - woo! - so why would I want any kind of reminder of that man in here?? please). I also do not enjoy witchy books that use the term "muggle" for non-magic users. That's a personal preference but as someone who firmly believes JKR has and continues to cause incredible harm to the trans community, I just think we can use another word. Any other word.

Oddly enough, my closest breaking point was when they implied that "famously happily married since 1980" Mandy Patinkin could be their mom's friend with benefits. (I'm joking. But kind of not. Leave that sweet, married man alone).

All in all, I really struggled to finish this one and personally would not recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a cute witchy book but I wish I liked it more. The fall, witchy vibes are fun, the romance between Scarlett and Nate honestly is what saved this most for me, and I like the magic system and adorable town. But a lot of the book felt like over explaining and random info dumps and less like a well-told story. I wanted to like the sisters more and even wanted to like Scarlett more since a lot of them time she was pretty whiney. Still a cute read though.

If you need transported to New England during autumn with a magical town hidden away from the world ... this is the book for you. There is a feud between witches and magicians, a second chance at romance, and all the family drama one could enjoy.

Scarlett returns from a 10 year absence from her hometown in attempt to escape her past. She is not necessarily welcomed back with open arms and falls back into old habits again. I both like and dislike Scarlett. She is funny, witty, and willing to try things that most would scoff at doing. She is however, also whiney, a bit immature at times, and seems to prefer running to dealing with problems. I can see a comparison between Lorelai (from Gilmore Girls) and Scarlett, especially when it comes to their relationship with their respective mothers.

The sisters definitely draw from Charmed. For starters there are three sisters, a dependable one, a brainiac, and the half-cocked one. I enjoyed the subtle nuisances and saw more of those similarities than the Gilmore Girl comparisons. Del is absolutely the dependable one, holding down the fort with a no nonsense attitude. Luna is the most talented, having spent the last 10 years travelling and learning about different magic types and abilities. Scarlett turned her back on all things magic and pretended to live as a normie as a way of coping. Together, while not the charmed ones, they do have to work together to solve the problem plaguing Oak Haven!

The romance is a little secondary to the rest of the story but was rather cute. A bit will they, won't they. I personally prefer a bit more tension but as it wasn't the main focus it was good enough and absolutely hit. Nate is such a sweet man, and his affections are clear from the beginning. No matter what he is and always will be Team Scarlett in my world.

I would absolutely recommend this book to kick off the autumn season. If you like all things witches and cozy with a little mystery and some cute side moments, this is the book for you. Be forewarned, a tissue or two might want to be handy, as I definitely teared up a time or two!

(I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review!)

Cute, cozy, and perfect for fall. This was a fun read. The will they, won’t they drug on a bit long and was too focused on, but overall still enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a quick fall read. The premise was great. A small town run by witches. The magic in the town has been strange lately and the daughter of the most prominent family has returned home to try to fix it along with her sisters. The book took a lot of inspiration from Gilmore Girls. I hate leaving a less than stellar review but I need to be honest. I love Gilmore Girls... but this was a bit much. It felt like a fan fiction of the show to me. I noticed multiple grammatical errors. The story did not feel polished. The characters were not my favorite.
The inner dialogue of the main character drove me crazy. I liked the idea of the book but the execution just didn't hit for me.

Charm, magic and atmosphere are all found in abundance in Emily Grimoire's Impractical Magic. Scarlett returns to her home town after 10 years to find the town and the magic in turmoil; working with her family, can she save the magic and their town? I really enjoyed the sense of magic and witches in this book, the town has an interesting magical system that keeps it hidden from non-residents. I enjoyed the sister relationship between Scarlett, Delilah and Luna, I love how they bickered, fought and loved each other like real sisters. I struggled a little bit with Scarlett's guilt over her father's death and her relationship with her mother. There were interesting characters and some truly hilarious moments, but also moments of tenderness and love. I would love to see more books focusing on other characters in the town of Oak Haven.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

DNF at 10% in.

I love the quick-witted banter of Gilmore Girls, so I was very excited for this book. Perhaps I am extremely impatient, but I found it really hard to get into. It feels like there are a plethora of details and Grimoire doesn't know which ones to focus on first. The world-building is fun, but it feels almost overwhelming if that makes sense....but perhaps that was intended? Please take this opinion lightly.

Thank you kindly to the NetGalley team and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this book. I hope that everything goes well with it.

Unfortunately, this book was not one I could not finish since I found it incredibly hard to get through, as the main character was profoundly annoying and frustrating. I disliked being in her head and how she interacted with others, and I generally didn't like the writing style. There were too many pop culture references and these days I simply refuse to finish things with JK Rowling/Harry Potter references.

This badly needed more editing.

Thanks to the publisher and net-galley for an e-arc.