I wanted to love this as much as I love Practical Magic. But that just didn't happen. I'm grateful for the ARC

I absolutely loved The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman. The final book in the Practical Magic book series. The strong women are the focus in the series. Alice Hoffman creates complex characters and I enjoyed this story so much.

This is the wrap up of the Owens saga, I recommend this series to read about the Owens women and you'll meet interesting characters along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review

I have been a fan of the Practical Magic series and Alice Hoffman at least for the last 20 years. I have read almost all of her books, and while Here on Earth and Magic Lessons remain my favorite books from her, The Book of Magic was so enjoyable. I loved being back in the world with the Owen family, this time with a new generation (Sally’s daughter). Ms. Hoffman’s writing is so beautiful and lyrical. The way her writing can come to life on the page is truly something special. The Book of Magic concludes the story of the Owen family and what a journey it has been.

“Once, a long time ago, before we knew who we were, we thought we wanted to be like everyone else. How lucky to be exactly who we were.” ✨

Hoffman's Practical Magic series is a bit like coming home. It’ll wrap you in warmth and love, remind you of who you are and where you belong—first in yourself.

The Book of Magic is the conclusion of the Owens women and follows them as they try to save one of their own, discover more about themselves, and deal with the curse of their ancestor, Maria Owens.

It’s a satisfying end (though I could perpetually live with the Owens women) to the series, while also introducing a few new characters, returning to old, and answering a few questions from the previous stories. Though there were a few details that were changed (some felt pretty major) to old story lines.

As always, Hoffman is a master with the causal line that will change your life, make you smile, or bring a tear to your eye. Here’s a few of my favorites from The Book of Magic:

“Who is lost can be found. Who is found can be repaired. Who is lost can be found once more.”

“If a woman doesn’t write her own history, there are very few who will.”

“Words were everything, stories were more powerful than any weapon, books changed lives.”

“You can hope that the following generations will be immune to whatever plagued their ancestors, you can do your best to keep your children safe, but you can't entirely change their fate. The only ones with the potential for doing so are the individuals in question themselves, according to the choices they make.”

After having this series on my shelf for a while and hearing wonderful reviews, I have finally been able to get to The Book of Magic and it did not disappoint! What a magical ending to the story of the Owens family that truly does justice to the entire series.

A terrible curse is bestowed upon the Owens family, condemning them to generations of being unable to fall in love, without having to suffer the consequences. This fourth book brings back characters from previous books and takes you on an adventure throughout the world in hopes of finding an ending to this dreaded curse. It is beautifully written, with prose that is magically captivating and masterfully thought out.

I honestly wish this book had focused more on Sally and Gillian/Franny and Jet. It felt like there were too many characters and too much repetition to make it a really good finale.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm a big fan of Alice Hoffman. I love her writing style and the magical realism she incorporates into her stories. The Practical Magic series isn't my favorite of hers, but I really enjoyed the second two novels to be published. I was a little nervous about reading the conclusion since it so heavily featured Sally and Gillian, who are not my favorite characters in the series. I was pleasantly surprised. Hoffman gave all the Owenses roughly equal page time, so I never got dragged down by Sally and Gillian's unpleasantness. Also, they have grown (a little) as women, so I suppose their rough edges have smoothed out a little.

THE BOOK OF MAGIC is all about the Owens family quest to end the three-hundred-year-old curse that causes their lovers to die. To remain spoiler-free, I will say only that it is a family affair. All three generations are involved, and the story of their efforts is engaging, occasionally humorous, and often educational. Hoffman knows so much about the lore of magic and witchcraft, and she sprinkles these delightful nuggets throughout the book.

BOOK OF MAGIC was a satisfying conclusion to the Practical Magic series. I only docked a star because it dragged in places. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series or Hoffman.

In typical Alice Hoffman form, she has delivered a enthralling and magical tale. The final book in the Practical Magic series, Hoffman perfectly sums up the story leaving her readers in a wistful tale of everlasting love and laughter.

I had to sit with this one for quite a while before crafting even the meagerest of reviews, because I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to the Owens family. I’ve spent so much time with them over the years, they feel like my own family.

In the final installment of the series, the family comes together again, perhaps to finally break the curse. A young man’s life hangs in the balance as the Owens traipse the globe in search of a lost brother and a solution before he dies. It’ll take sacrifice, patience, and a lot of love to make things right.

As usual, the characterization is amazing. The story is well-paced, and it feels like an adventure with your cousins that you don’t see for a few years but always pick right up where you left off. Some familiar faces from previous books come back, and there are a few new members of the clan as well.

I split my time between the print and audio format, because Jennifer Ehle, who narrates, holds part of my heart always. If you’ve read the other books, I hope you’ll think this a good ending for our witches, and if you haven’t, go read all of the others then conclude with this one, and get a tad wistful as I did, a few tears falling at work as I finished the final pages at my desk.

Absolutely love this book! You can never go wrong with the owens sisters. Full of magic and mystery! Love love love!

THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman is lived up to my expectations. It was a powerful ending to the Owen family saga. Rules of Magic was my favorite of the series, but I love how this book is tied the entire series together. As much as I will miss the characters, I think this was a great way to end the saga. My advice would be to read the series in the order they were published, starting with Practical Magic. Hoffman’s writing is beautiful and she is such a wonderful storyteller. I feel like I know the Owens family, and I want to be part of it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman wraps up a favorite series of mine with as much magic as it started with. The remarkable lives through generations of the Owens’ family are weaved together to finalize a literary tapestry that was beyond my expectations. The power of words and the power of love collide in this final installment. I found myself often looking at my right hand (the path we are born with) and the left hand (the path we choose) and stopping to think about the many lessons in the final chapters of the book. I enjoyed how the series wrapped up and how it connected all the strings through all the books.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is the conclusion to her Practical Magic series. The book is well written and interesting. I enjoyed the story line and the characters very much.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for the opportunity to read.

I love Alice Hoffman books, but I felt like this was a lackluster conclusion to the Owens family tale that did not do them justice. It just felt more like the rambling inner monologue of a senile old lady than something significant. I kept finding myself losing focus because it felt like the pace was slow and the plot distracted.

This was a great addition to the Practical Magic series. The story was interesting and captures the imagination. It is well written and entertaining.

4.5 stars.

This was a great end to the series! I have read all of the prequels in addition to the original, Practical Magic, and this ranks up there as one of my favorites of the series. (Oddly, my other favorite is not Practical Magic, but The Rules of Magic and I only actually started the series in the first place because of the movie...which I adore.)

Going in, I wasn't sure what I was going to get. I didn't have exorbitantly high hopes since this series has been a mixed bag, but I really wanted the rest of the story and I have such love for the characters (especially Jet...she's my favorite). So, I was pleasantly surprised by the family drama that unfolded. It is a long story, but there is a lot at work and I felt that each character was given their due. The history of the family plays well into the plot and there are a lot of wrapped up feelings in the story. I still prefer movie Sally to book Sally, but there is a good exploration of each character's history that plays a part in how they individually and as a family move forward in the future. I love the characters and the family structure. Also...I love the witchcraft. It's enough to be witchy without being over-the-top and I just find myself so caught up in it.

The plot can be a little slow in places and there is a lot of background setup, but for me it was just an exploration of those things I was fond of in previous books, so I didn't get dragged down by it much. The Book of Magic was a rewarding end to the series for me and left the characters in a place where I can always be comforted in reminiscences of the whole series.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Absolutely love this series by Alice Hoffman. I read this right around Halloween and this witchy tale, was perfect for the season. Alice Hoffman never disappoints!

Great family saga, sure to please fans of the series. That said, it's necessary to have read all the previous books to really enjoy it.

I just love this series by @ahoffmanwriter ! This book is a return to the Owens sisters as they work to protect each other, learn to understand their magic, and work through the struggles of loving with their curse. For the sake of future generations, it’s time for the curse to end.

This is the perfect wrap up to the Practical Magic series, but I’m going to miss these witches. The character development for this book is just as enchanting as the others and you can help but root for the new family members introduced, Kylie and Antonia. Hoffman’s storytelling is magnificent and the style of the narration feels like a fairytale for grown-ups.

5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

For the fourth and final Practical Magic book, Alice Hoffman returns to the beloved Owens family of witches, who are once again trying to navigate their world, protect each other, and better understand themselves and their magic as they grow and learn. This book opens with a death—and a secret. The Owens women have been cursed in love for 300 years, and for the sake of the two girls in the youngest generation, Kylie and Antonia, it’s time for the curse to end. But finding a way to break the spell and save them all from lives without love will prove difficult and dangerous.

This perfect autumn read has all of the charm and magic of the previous Practical Magic books—each character feels like a warm hug, and there’s plenty of black soap and chocolate tipsy cake to go around. Hoffman writes with her well-known gift for comforting, folky storytelling, in her particular tone and style that makes you feel like you’re listening to a tale with friends around a crackling fire on a cold night. We didn’t want this one to end, and our only solace is that we can continue to return to these books and characters often in the future, simply by reading them again next time the leaves fall.

While this is technically the last book in the four-part Practical Magic series, we want to stress that all of the books stand alone and that only the first book in the series, PRACTICAL MAGIC, takes place within the same timeframe and with the same set of characters. So: no worries if you haven’t read any of the books, no worries if you’ve only seen the movie—you can pick this one up without an issue and read the rest (if you’d like) in any order you’d like.