I love Alice Hoffman stories and as always she does not disappoint. She tells a story with a heartfelt theme of family, loss and the ever enduring power of love as one tries to find themselves. Franny, Jet and Vincent have been told all of their lives they are cursed and not to fall in love. They come from a long line of witches and it does not end well if they fall in love due to the family curse but one cannot control who they love and as they try to find themselves in world they must discover on their own they always have each other. When their parents die unexpectedly their whole world changes and they soon realize everything must change. A great read and I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.

I loved this book. I loved the story. The writing is tight, descriptive and beautifully rendered, in my opinion.
This is a love story. But what makes it extraordinary is that Hoffman describes the pain of growing up and maturing, the heartbreak of loss that every human experiences and the need to keep loving without having to underscore it or rub our face in it.
The story just jumps along page after page never slowing down until we come to the moment when "Practical Magic" starts. I didn't want the story to end so I immediately went on Netflix and watched "Practical Magic". Since it's been almost 20 years since I read the book and first saw the movie, my memory isn't what it should be. However, I think this is the better story.
If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman, you will enjoy this book immensely. If you don't know her work, this is a good place to start. And if you just appreciate a really good story well told, I urge you to read "Rules of Magic"

Fans of Alice Hoffman's brand of magical realism will be thrilled with this prequel to Practical Magic. The backstory of the aunts is wonderful; I also appreciated the visuals of New York/Greenwich in the 60s. This book stands alone; no need to have read Practical Magic to appreciate the story. However, I can't wait to re-read PM now. Alice Hoffman has long topped my list of favorite authors, and The Rules of Magic keeps her firmly in place.

The prequel to one of my favorite Alice Hoffman novels, Practical Magic, THE RULES OF MAGIC takes us back to when the Owen’s siblings, Frances ( Franny), Bridget ( Jet), and Vincent were just beginning their lives.
Raised by parents who never wanted them to know the secret of their magical history, one summer during their teen years a letter from their Aunt Isabelle, an aunt they had no knowledge of, summon them to her ancestral home on Magnolia lane. The trio arrives at the house and their lives are forever changed.

While the curse of Maria Owens looms—always – in the background, the siblings mature, find love and eventual loss ( that damn curse!), and move about their lives in a constant state of towing the line between magic and living normal lives.

The biggest impact on me as a reader was Hoffman’s telling of the story of these three wonderful and tragic figures along the backdrop of the 1960’s and 70’s during the turbulent and militant times of those decades. She interweaves their stories to coincide with the times and as a prequel, it hits every spot of info I wanted to know about after reading Practical Magic.

Here, we’re introduced to the Sally and Gilly’s mom, Regina, and learn how she is related to the family – it’s a great way, BTW, and I was a little shocked when I discovered it.

Tragedy, loneliness, loss, and love are all highlighted into the siblings stories and I wept more than a few times at how their lives were shaped by Maria’s legacy and how it could so easily have been changed.

THE RULES OF MAGIC is one of the few prequel I’ve ever read that is almost as good as the book that came – chronologically – after it. In fact, I venture to say, it is equally as wonderful.

I was given an ARC of this book thru my association with Netgalley for an honest opinion. MY honest opinion is that this book is terrific. 5 well deserved stars.

Totally blown away by this book. Fell in love with all the siblings in the first chapter. It is chock full of magic, humour, sorrow and mostly love. I absolutely loved it.

I am a huge Alice Hoffman fan, but not a fan of magic books. I haven't read Practical Magic and when I first started this book wasn't sure if I was going to like it. But, afterall if was written by Ms. Hoffman who pulls me in every single time with her talent. She did not disappoint with this one either. I found myself unable to put the book down and read it in one day. Thankfully I'm down at the beach and was able to park in a chair for the day.

The Owens sisters and brother Vincent are enchanting and their story will linger with me for a bit as the characters in Hoffman's books generally do. Their tale is quite sad and the curse put upon the family really led to much heartache and worry. Franny, Jet and Vincent leave me wanting more and I will now have to order Practical Magic to continue this saga.

I am not a fan of fantasy or magical tales, but this one is a winner. Pre-order it now!

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to my beloved Practical Magic – one of my very favorite books and movies. I’ve read the book once, but have seen the movie countless times. I’ve always wondered about the aunts – Jet and Franny – and this novel is like a dream come true because we finally get to learn about their lives.

Jet and Franny live with their brother Vincent and their parents in New York City. There are so many rules at home – no red shoes, no night blooming plants – that the trio just don’t understand. As they grow older, they start to realize that they are able to do things that other’s can’t, like turn out the streetlights or make objects move. When Franny gets an invitation from Aunt Isabelle at the family estate in Massachusetts, her parents send her brother and sister as protection. While there, all of the siblings explore love, life, and magic.

But remember that the deathwatch beetle always comes to call for the Owens family and the lives of their loves are cut short. But Aunt Isabelle says that it’s possible to beat the curse, so the Owens children are determined to do find a way.

The story follows the Owens sisters until Sally and Gilly move in with them after their own parents die and the Practical Magic story begins. This is exactly what I needed to read this summer. It’s full of witchy goodness: herbs, spells, gardens, and romance. Fans of Practical Magic have something to look for when this book is released in October, which will be the best time of year to cuddle up with it! Now is the time to pre-order!!

I was a little worried about this prequel because I loved Practical Magic sooo much and didn't want to have my opinion of Franny and Jet altered, but it did not disappoint! Beautiful, magical and emotional, I read it cover to cover in one sitting.

If, as do I, you love Practical Magic and all things Hoffman, you'll sit down and read this through. And you'll do it again sometime down the road

I love Alice Hoffman's work. Up until now, Practical Magic was my fave. But it's been replaced now by The Rules of Magic. I intend to pre-order a copy for myself (HOPEFULLY, personally inscribed to me by Ms. Hoffman), and several girlfriends will be receiving this from me for Christmas. I did not want to leave the world of Jet and Franny and Vincent.

Alice Hoffman weaves a spell after every book she writes, and the result is always sheer joy. It's fantastic to be treated to another installment with the Owens family, and to see once again, how multi-fabeted and intriguing the characters are. Bravo indeed, and as always, I can't wait for the next book.

OMG!!! How excited was I to be offered an early copy of The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman? Very excited because I loved Practical Magic, purely absolutely LOVED it!

This book does not disappoint in any way. I was thrilled to visit Magnolia Street again and find out more about the early lives of the aunts that are featured in Practical Magic. There are so very many things to love about this story. I was pulled in immediately and found myself caring for all the characters as well as wishing that things turned out differently for most of them.

I really hope Alice Hoffman lets us visit Magnolia Street in the future, because I quite like it there!

I will admit that I am one of those bizarre people that rarely know what is going on in the movie industry, so I never even realized that Practical Magic was made into a book. I will be watching it soon! I can't believe I was so clueless!

A very special thanks to the publishers for reaching out to me and offering the ARC!! Thanks to Netgalley, as always and to Alice Hoffman, thank you for this wonderful prequel (which can be read stand alone) to Practical Magic!!! Is it too much to hope that a sequel is in the works?

Apologies for all the exclamation points, I'm not usually "that person" but I LOVED this book!

I gave up on this after about 7%. The characters just didn't interest me.

It's been many years since I read Practical Magic. That and Here on Earth made me a die hard Alice Hoffman fan. But she lost me for a while with the Dovekeepers and Green Angel. The Rules of Magic brought me right back.

The Owens come to life in this book - that is one of Hoffman's gifts, her ability to create characters who almost burst from the book. They seem so real you almost think you could find them, if you went to Magnolia St yourself. The Rules of Magic does not require that you've read Practical Magic first, as it's a prequel, but it may send you running off to buy that book next, because this book will make you fall in love. It may make you cry, as well - you can't read a book about a curse on a family without experiencing some tragedy. Especially when that curse involves love. Like real life, people are hurt in this book, people suffer, people hold on to guilt long past when they should. And in the end, they learn that the secret is that in spite of the pain, it is better to love more, not less.

As a fan of Practical Magic, I admit I wanted a sequel, so this prequel seemed a bit surprising. And if there was to be a prequel, I would have wished for one in the 1600s, to better understand the Owens Family curse, among other things. Obviously I’m one of those readers who has read Practical Magic more than twice and has seen the movie more than a few times. So having admitted all of this, with either embarrassment or pride, depending on your level of interest in same, how’s this new book, The Rules of Magic?

It’s a really good stand alone Alice Hoffman book; high on the list of her better-best books on magic, families, and love/ friendship bonds tested over time. That it connects to the characters in Practical Magic is only a mild connection in both books. Neither of the character connections are at the forefront of the other book. It’s mostly for the reader to appreciate rather than a major plot point.

It does provide the reader with a taste for a witchy power, though. It gives us all the power of sight, we know where the lives are heading. We just have no idea how they will get there. I liked that bit. The author’s gift to her readers.

As with all of Hoffman’s best books, when this one ends, I was left lonely at first, wanting more. By the next day I was recounting scenes in my mind and enjoying the tale even more. I suspect I will read it again. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley and am most appreciative.

Let me start by saying that I did NOT read Practical Magic or see the movie. I will definitely be changing that, soon.

I loved this book! It made me laugh right out loud and then it made me cry like a baby. I loved the subtle and then not so subtle hints of magic throughout the book.

I recommend this to anyone and everyone that likes a book to be entertaining, depth of characters and just well written.

My thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced readers copy.

I've seen Practical Magic once, but have never read the book, so I was running off of vague memories from the movie. This is basically the prequel to Practical Magic and the story of the aunts in that book. They're an eclectic group of siblings who push back against their mother's aversion to magic, like any typical teen who is told they are forbidden from doing something. It's an easy, interesting, and at times heartbreaking read. Definitely great for fans of Practical Magic but also anyone interested in fantasy set in the 1960's. After I finished it I had to go watch the movie again and am now looking for a copy of the book.

I love Alice Hoffman and Practical Magic is my favorite book by her.

I was super excited that I got an advanced copy of The Rules of Magic from NetGalley.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be.

I was immediately immersed into the world of the Owens family again - and I was unable to put it down.

You don't need to read Practical Magic first, but I would strongly suggest you read it after this.

I asked to review this book because I love Alice Hoffman. I honestly didn't read the blurb, as I said, I like Alice Hoffman - lol!

It's the prequel to Practical Magic, the story of the Aunts!!! Can I get a fangirl scream?!

And it doesn't disappoint. I had to do some digging, trying to figure out how the sisters from Practical Magic fit in. But the story literally carries to the very beginning of that one. Should you have read (or watched) Practical Magic to read this? Nope, this story of the Owens siblings completely stands on it's own.

We've got Franny, with curly red hair. Jet (Bridget) with beautiful black hair. And finally Vincent, the brother we never even knew about. He's so charming, a nurse tried to steal him when he was born.

They also have their own aunt, Aunt Isabelle. She teaches the children the summer when Franny turns 17. They meet their cousin, April. There seems to be a lot of Owenses out there, but that's about all we really get to know.

We follow these siblings from that first summer until the beginning of Practical Magic.

You know the end result, but the journey is new and beautifully woven.

I had a little bit of hope for this book because I enjoyed Practical Magic, but I am all the way off the Alice Hoffman bandwagon now. Frankly, this is lazy writing that really doesn't do justice to the originality of the earlier work. The writing is repetitive and nearly histrionic, and the plot is paper-thin. I fear that the Hoffman who came up with the daring, absorbing worlds of Seventh Heaven, Second Nature, and Turtle Moon is lost to us forever. Too bad.