This is my first book from this author and I’m eager to read all her other books. It’s well written and I adored the characters. It’s a really sweet YA story with a touch of magic, and I loved the California setting. It’s a quick read and you will enjoy every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for my ARC

This young adult read was a cute story that involves childhood friends turned enemies (to lovers) and magical communities. I especially enjoyed the prank wars, road trip and bucket list adventures in this book. I would have liked to have read a bit more of the “after” at the end of the story, to see where all the characters ended up with more time.

I really love magical realism. Some of my favorite books contain elements of magical realism. I feel that could have been more fleshed out in this one but Ellie and Jack’s relationship was adorable and this book is so much fun! I loved the friendships and family aspect as well. I loved the list and the heartfelt and energetic atmosphere in this book. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

The Charmed List by Julie Abe

Now I’ve loved every book by this author so of course I had to read her newest venture into ya and it did not disappoint! It follows the self-dubbed wallflower Ellie, who’s convinced this summer is going to change everything, after all she has a list, but one wrong move and she’s forced to go on a magical road trip with her ex best friend.

I’d describe this as a comfort fantasy in an urban setting. I mean, Childhood friends to enemies on a road trip to visit magical towns along the coast of California? Yes please. I read this all in one sitting and could not have used my time better. It’s so cute and I got very invested in the drama (my one tiff is that Lia should have apologized but instead the blame was all on Ellie? Like what? *sigh* if you know you know). Warning this will probably make you want to eat a cupcake or dance under the stars or both.

I’d recommend it to lovers of urban fantasy, road trips, and bucket lists!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC!

This was a really sweet and cute young adult romance. I'm always a sucker for the childhood best friends trope and having that friendship shift to enemies had me turning the pages to find out what went wrong in Ellie and Jack's relationship. The magical elements were a little confusing at first, but after I got used to the world, they were a fun and creative addition. I also really enjoyed the California setting and it was great to see cities and local establishments highlighted.

The premise of The Charmed List (ex-BFF's reconnecting/getting a second chance on a road trip) was great, but the pacing overall was on the slower side. Things went into overdrive at the end though, and it made the conclusion feel very rushed - especially after so much build up about why things between Ellie and Jack went south. The ending was very sweet though and left me smiling. A cute and quick read!

3.5 stars

CW: death of parents/loved one (past), grief, financial insecurity, classism

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

The summer before senior year is supposed to be a road trip with Ellie and her best friend but when her bff finds out Ellie has magic plans change. Turns into road trip with ex best friend Jack.
Throw in some magic, a summer bucket list and you have this cute coming of age love story

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this, but unfortunately it was a miss for me. The concept was interesting, but the pacing was slow in the beginning and rushed in the end. I also had trouble figuring out the appropriate audience. The main characters were 16 and heading into their senior year of High School, but with the exception of a few awkwardly placed “damn” and “hell” swear words, the book read more like grade level 4-5 (ages 9-11).

I also found that the main characters lacked chemistry and the the magic aspect wasn’t really developed. It actually drove me crazy that the best term the author could create was “magic aware” and “non magic aware”. I get that “muggles” was taken, but certainly something more creative and less awkward could have been used. How about “magicals” and “non-magicals” or “regulars”. That’s just off the cuff, but already an improvement in my mind.

Thank hate giving less than stellar reviews, but based on this book I really think this author might be better suited for grade school chapter books.

This was an adorable YA romance filled with magic and friendship. Ellie and Jack used to be best friends, until life changes and they no longer are close, except that they live next to each other. Ellie and Jack are two of the lucky magic blessed and are able to use and see the magic that exists in the world. I loved the way that Abe created magic and wove it throughout the story. Ellie makes a mistake and it leads to her being stuck on a road trip with Jack that ends at a magical convention. This story that was so much more than I expected. Full of swoony moments and well written characters, I look forward to more from this author! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ellie’s family run a magical store in what they referred to as Sorcerer’s Square. Their biggest rival in the area is CharmWorks, run by the Yasuda family. Jack Yasuda happens to be Ellie’s oldest childhood friend, and current greatest enemy. So of course a forced proximity road trip is the perfect setting to put them in. Loved the childhood-friends trope because it added so much chemistry. The Charmed List is a very entertaining and quick-paced read.

This was a super cute book filled with the sweetest magic and characters!! It was a quick read and will be perfect for people who are looking for an uplifting read. I loved the way the magic worked in this one that made it not heavy or confusing, instead just a wonderful surprise. I will definitely be recommending this one to my students.

The Charmed List is a such a sweet book, and I truly enjoy the way magic is incorporated in this world. It’s more Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the 90s show with Melissa Joan Hart, not the quasi-horror soap opera that’s streaming nowadays) than Kiki’s Delivery Service (like Abe’s Eva Evergreen books tend to be) as far as how magic (and romance) are handled.

Ellie and her family are part of a hidden magical world (sort of like Wizarding London) and she loves it. Ellie is just finishing up her junior year at Palo Alto High School and looking forward to summer, when she can put her Anti-Wallflower List into action with her best friend, Lia. Lia isn’t allowed to know about Ellie’s magic until a prank goes wrong and she finds out. Despite her fury at Ellie, she signs a contract which requires her to take what is basically an orientation to the magical world and swear never to reveal the existence of magic, but Ellie is still banned from seeing her all summer and sentenced to spend the next week on the road making sales pitches with her ex-best friend, Jack Yasuda, who turned into a huge jerk when his dad started fighting with her parents after his mom died, though their younger siblings managed to stay friends and are utterly adorable.

This is an easy book to recommend, and I absolutely do.

This is cute! Usually, stories like this that deal with miscommunication between characters have dual POVs, but that wasn’t necessary at all here because I felt like I always knew what Jack was thinking and intending to get across. I’d recommend this to people who enjoy rom-coms with the tropes of enemies-to-lovers (maybe more ex-besties to lovers) and forced proximity. It’s very light and short, and Jack is a great character! My main note is that, even with the magic element, it doesn’t really offer anything new, but why mess with a formula that works?

Spell-binding, spine-tingling, whimsical, witty, The Charmed List is the YA romcom this summer needs. Ellie and Jack used to be best friends and now are enemies as their families run rival magic shops. After years of being a wallflower, Ellie decided to make a bucket list of things she wanted to accomplish to overcome her shyness; She and her best friend Lia will go on a road trip to complete the list. However, after a failed magic prank trying to get revenge on Jack goes wrong, Ellie is forced to complete the list and go on the road trip with JACK INSTEAD. This was adorable with the banter between the two main characters. I loved how Ellie and Jack walked down memory lane, and we got to learn and understand them. Nevertheless, the best part of this is how the magic is in everything. I adore witchy vibe books, and this is a perfect addition to my collection. This needs to be on your shelf.

📖Book: The Charmed List
⭐️Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏼Author: Julie Abe
📚Genre: Teens & YA
🗏 Pages: 304 – Medium-pace (short chapters)
💌Tropes: Childhood Friends to enemies to lovers, slow burn, forced proximity, one bed, bucket list, banter
⚠️TW: Cancer, Death of a parent, Racism

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books & St. Martins Press for an ARC of the Charmed List in exchange for my honest review.

Full review with spoiler with be posted on my blog during the week of July 5th

The Charmed List, by Julie Abe, was a fun read. I don't often decide to read stories about magic or even science fiction, but I'm glad I decided to read this one. The magic was done in such a way to make it seem natural and real. The relationships were as human as you'll find in any book and the story was a story that mended a broken friendship. What's not to like? This is a YA book that I will recommend to young adults for fun and entertainment.

The charmed list was an amazing story of love, friendship, and finding yourself. The main character Ellie wants to take more control of her life which was so relatable. Loved the side characters and would love to know what happens with Remy and Jacks brother. Speaking of Jack he was a good character who was selfless and a great love interest. This book exploration of all types or relationships from romantic to platonic to familial this book showed everything. The magic aspects were charming (you see what I did there) and integrated perfectly with the setting.

This book was great and the perfect fun read

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I needed a light and enjoyable read and this one hit the spot! It had all the greatest tropes such as the bucket list plot, forced proximity and enemies to lovers. Ellie was a super likable character who I saw myself in more times than not which really kept me captivated in the story. Thank you so much for the ARC and I will definitely be rereading when I need a pick me up.

I’ll give this book 3.5/5 stars because overall it was a cute sweet story about two friends who after being separated for a while ended up together in love (a little of friends to lovers). Something I don’t remember from the book is the exact reason why they take distance in the first place (there was the intention of adding a enemies to lovers maybe)?… Ellie and Jack, I’m sorry but I couldn’t feel the chemistry in them. I think the story had so much potential but I found it a little boring at times 😞 the magical world where they live in was not explained enough for me to understand how they were living life hiding their magic from non magic people.
Also a little unrealistic, I love road trips! But how is that these 16 kids go on a trip alone? I just couldn’t take that seriously I know it’s a book and everything can happen in it but that was something I could not ignore 😅
Now talking about the plot of this book, I would’ve love for it to be way earlier in chapters instead that on the last ones, I think because of that I was just wanting to finish it soon because I wanted to know what more could happen at this point I was waiting for them to kiss or confess their feelings and that’s what happened! But it took them so long to reach that point. But that’s just my opinion, maybe if I would’ve read this on my 15teens my opinion would be different, I just think there was so much more that I was wanting to feel with this book and sadly couldn’t fully enjoy it. But I hope other people like it more 🤍 definitely this is more for ages 10-15 in my opinion!
Thank you to Net Galley, the editorial and author Julie Abe for providing an ARC for me to read The charmed list! 📚

“I’m hoping some of these bucket-list items that feel cursed will turn out to be more charmed. To change things for me, you know.”

This book is an adorably magical coming of age story. I love the details in the magical section of the characters world. I also love the culture that was infused so beautifully into the story. The details felt so rich that I wanted to try everything!!!

Sadly, I had some issues with the plot. The set up for the road trip didn’t make sense to me, so that took me away from the story itself. I also felt like we missed out on more organic growth from the two MC’s, both as individuals and together.

Jack was an interesting character, a hustler for sure! He did so much that I didn’t know how he didn’t tap out from exhaustion. I can’t decide if that was too much to envision for a character of his age or not. Either way, kudos to him! That’s a hardworking lad right there.

But overall this was cute as heck and I will continue to read this authors work! It’s so charming and light.

3.5/5⭐️’s

Thank you so much Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

#TheCharmedList by Julie Abe is a YA novel in which former beast friends who have become enemies find their way back to each other. Full of magic and friendship this book is an enjoyable and entertaining 📚🤓❤️

Thank you to #NetGallery and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review

For release July 5, 2022

This book is a ya romance with magic, what else can I say? It’s friends to enemies to lovers and is a pretty slow burn, but it’s so worth it!

Our main gal is a wallflower who wants to break away from her shyness, while our leading man is seeming confident and carefree- including caring about our girl.

I loved both Ellie and Jack, I think they were both very likeable for the most part and their development was great! The book is full of charm and charms lol!

The magic was really cool and the system was explained in a way that wasn’t overwhelming, which I enjoyed. It doesn’t go deep into how everything works, but given that it’s a romance book and not fantasy, it doesn’t take away from the story at all. In fact, it probably made it a lot easier to jump into the story because we knew the consequences and rules while not being bombarded with history and politics.

The locations are so cool! I really want to stay in a magic cottage now!! Seeing the magic-aware places, people, and items was so fascinating! Plus the fact that they have Magizon is hilarious, magic amazon haha! I wish things could magically appear at your doorstep right after pressing the purchase button in real life lol.

Overall, this book was adorable and heartbreaking and beautiful! I almost cried near the end, but rest assured all ends well! I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys heartfelt ya/teen romance and magic/witches!