“Read as many books as you can. Choose courage over caution. Take time to visit libraries. Look for light in the darkness. Have faith in yourself. Know that love is what matters most.”

Alice Hoffman really wrote this for the fans - this tied together all the other books in the series and let us see all the characters we've grown to love. She closed the open doors, and tied up the ends.
While some of the other books in the practical magic series can be read as standalones, this one really is one that requires the rest of the books and it should def be read last.

As with all the others, Alice has made a family and magic structure that feels like home. I love her writing, it's so easy and fast-paced, and she never fails to make me cry. This one was certainly an emotional roller coaster.

Overall, I enjoyed it and was happy to have one more book to hold on to before the series ended, but I would only recommend it to those who are invested in the series.

“Time is out there. Everything that ever happened is still happening. For instance, if I took your hand in mine.” Which he did as he was speaking. “It would be happening for hundreds of years.”

"Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end".#Alice Hoffman's writing is a joy to read. #The Book Of Magic is the conclusion to the #Practical Magic series. I honestly rarely have to buy books. But when the Publishing company Simon & Schuster gave me this advance copy I bought the rest.
For over three-hundred years a curse has kept the Owen's family from love. The story begins in the library when Jet Owen's hears the death watch beetle. She has only 7 days to live.....
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, #Alice Hoffman, and #Simon & Schuster 💜🐾🐾

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Was so excited to finally read this book. It was a bit slow at times, but the set up and story are worth hanging around. Loved all the books in the series, looking forward to what else the author has in store.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of ‘The Book of Magic’ by Alice Hoffman. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a fan of this series and have read all of the previous books. That being said, this was my least favorite. The first time I tried to read it, I ended up putting it down early on in the story and not picking it back up again for a while. I struggled in the beginning because all these characters I’d read about from the previous book started this book miserable and dying. I know it wouldn’t be a book without conflict and having the characters have space to grow, but it was just such a jarring way to begin the book that made me not want to continue. Eventually I did come back and read the whole thing but I definitely struggled at times.

The journey the characters take was rather meandering and boring at times. I kept forgetting who a lot of the side characters were even though I’ve read all the previous books. A lot of reviews have pointed out inconsistent elements with previous book details. I hope this is the last installment to the series as I don’t think this book did the series any favors.

A big element of this series is all the listings and sorts of recipes for the practical magic. Until this book, I’d never been compelled to actually look up if those herbs were good for what ailments were described. But this book was very jarring in that multiple times a tonic to help with conceiving is listed with ingredients that have the opposite effect. This seems really irresponsible on the part of the author. It also threw all the previous cures and recipes into question for me as a reader.

The creepy Tom character really unsettled me. I don’t enjoy stories where I’m just bracing myself for a when a character is going to be assaulted. I don’t like to read those particular triggers in books so I really hated his interactions with Kylie even though I don’t think that’s what ended up happening. I know he’s not supposed to be a good guy obviously and he definitely came across as a villain I just wish he hadn’t been included at all.

I think some storylines wrapped up in an ok way, but overall I wish most of this book had been handled differently. I do think a book addressing the Owens’ family curse made sense, I just didn’t really enjoy a lot of the book and can see how it could have been better with more attention to detail and more editing.

3/5 stars

The Book of Magic Alice Hoffman
In the final book of the “Practical Magic” series, the story of the beloved characters of Jet, Franny, Sally, and Gillian continues. The book opens with the death beetle’s appearance to announce the death of Jet within seven days. As the boyfriend of Sally’s daughter lies in the hospital, doomed by the three-hundred-year-old curse that those loved by the Owens family are destined to die, the family unites to find a way to break the curse. A long lost uncle joins the quest, which takes the story to England. Sally encounters a man destined to be her true love, and all unite to finally bring to an end the deadly curse.
Prepare to be bewitched as you follow the results of left-handed magic that leaves its mark on the entire family. The theme is magic, the prose is magical, and the message is universal: “Read as many books as you can. Choose courage over caution. Take time to visit libraries. Look for light in the darkness. Have faith in yourself. Know that love is what matters most.”

Magic happens whether you want it to or not. Sally doesn't want anything to do with magic and especially the family curse. She raised her daughters this way. They had no idea what was going on when the curse activated. And that opened a Pandora's box of events.

I looked forward to visiting with these characters. I was not disappointed. I pretty much loved them all. I liked that many, if not all of them, experienced growth in this book.

Parts of the book were slower than others, but it suited the story. By the time you get to the end it was flying.

I liked the continuation of the difference between the Owens natural magic and the darker magic that was found in the book. And I liked the way the author tied up all the loose ends in the series in this finale.

I gave this book 5 stars. I enjoyed reading it and will miss the characters. If you have read other books in the series and enjoyed them, this one is a must read. If this is your first book in the series: it could be read as a standalone, but reading the other books first will make it a richer experience.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was a great followup to Practical Magic. I loved seeing the characters grow and learning more about the family's magical roots and their pursuit to break the curse.

I get lost in Alice Hoffman's writing. Returning to the Owens family story feels like coming home. I love these characters so much. I love how Hoffman writes about women and their internal struggles. I love how much whimsy and imagination go into every little detail, every little sentence. She's one of the greats for a reason! Her writing is pure artistry. She never takes a story where you expect it to go and that, I think, is her own brand of special magic.

I have enjoyed reading this series. I'm sad to see it end but it was wonderful from beginning to end. I have spent hundreds of years learning about the Owens and their curse throughout the series and The Book of Magic was the perfect book to end the series. This book gave me the closure that many book series seem to lack. It wasn't perfect it was messy and that's just life. Live life to the fullest.

The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work.

A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. T

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is the story of the women in the Owens family, a family with a history of witchery. Maria Owens, over three hundred years before, put a curse upon love on the women in the family. She, in the first page of her journal, wrote that the Owens women should beware of love that is dishonest, disloyal, and a love that can never be trusted. A book about love and secrets, the younger generation sets out to try to break the curse. This well-written, suspenseful book is magical; I simply didn’t want it to end. Great read!

Unfortunately, I found this book to be rather boring. There are a lot of characters to juggle and most of them do not have particularly memorable personalities. The book was slow and the characters were not very engaging.

I enjoyed this book, but certainly not as much as I did the others in the Practical Magic series. I enjoyed the overall story, but found it to be repetitive at times and I didn't have the same connection to the characters in this one as I did the others (Sally's daughters, Tom, Ian, etc.). I think it closes the series well and I'm happy with the ending, but it was definitely not one of my favorites.

Sorry to be a bit late with this review. It's Alice Hoffman. Everything she crafts is breathtaking. Every icy breath, every sweltering afternoon so suffocating, even dogs can't find energy to wag their tails. The Book of Magic brings the family story to life, as we meet new family and remember old family members. It's a wonderful escape.

The final book in the practical magic series. I won’t say much just I love all of Alice Hoffman’s writing!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oh, where to begin! I knew this was the last installment and was looking forward to it. I think Alice Hoffman was stuck a bit with this one because she needed to catch up the readers who may not have followed the whole series. The beginning of this book was too much of a recap for readers who had read all of the other books of the Owens family. It also felt a bit like all of the little side stories that she wanted to include in this series were crammed into this book.

But overall, the writing was amazing and I felt swept away with the family that I've come to love. The characters are well known and feel like old friends. It was a rich and vivid story just as the other books have been. If you liked the other books in this saga and can get through the recap portion, you'll love this conclusion.

Everything Alice Hoffman touches is pure gold and this book was no exception! Drenched in all of the emotions this book is gripping and powerful. The writing is lyrical and paints such a beautiful picture. I just love everything Hoffman creates and can't wait to see what she cooks up next!

I love Alice Hoffman and have read Practical Magic about 4 times. I was very excited to read the new book in the series and she did not disappoint!!! Another one of my favorites was Turtle Moon. I love her characters and their quirky characteristics. I loved the library angle with the recipe book and each characters acceptance of their heritage regardless of their journey to get there

I love the Practical Magic series, so of course I was so excited to get the final book in the series! It was wonderful as always, and was great to see the stories wrap up! I loved reading about the new generation, and to see the Owens family try and finally break the 300 year old curse that had plagued them and caused so much angst. Even though I thought it was a little slow in places, I still loved it! A must for fans of this author and series!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I adore the Magic series and loved reading the final book, The Book of Magic. This entire series left me thinking about the characters long after I finished reading. There were some unexpected twists that I didn't see coming. Alice Hoffman has written yet another "unputdownable" book! This one kept me up late in the night reading til the end!