Didn't like this book. I thought it was cheesy from the beginning and like it was just trying to easily click off tropes to get readers. I think YA readers are actually much more critical about what you offer them and this wouldn't be one I would suggest.

This was a fun quick read to kick off the beginning of summer! Coincidentally, this book also starts on the first day of summer for the main character Ellie (which was extra fun because it helped me get into the summer mood!) I enjoyed all of the characters a lot especially Remy and Cam (I mean who wouldn't because THEY ARE THE CUTEST). The only thing I really didn’t connect to was the romance. I just wasn't feeling any butterflies and and I wasn't all that excited to see them finally get together.

The magic system in this book was definitely my favorite part. It was very simple but that's what I liked about it. Everything about it was so fun and simple. Cupcakes that gave you courage luck or joy, clean up spells for spilled paint, puzzles that after completion give you an award of luck? How fun!

Also so in love with all the shops. I must go to that gluten free cupcake café and I also was craving matcha from Ellie's parents store the whole time! And those macaroon smore's? And also that blackberry jam???? YUM! And of course the references to books and songs (paper rings I see you) were very fun. You could tell how much love was put into this story and that just makes me so happy and made this such a lovely reading experience.

Ellie’s growth was very well done. She reminded me a lot of myself when I was in high school. I loved how she learned to be unafraid to put herself out there and to do the things she always wanted, not caring about other people's judgments and thoughts on who she's supposed to be based on the label they chose for her. I'm just going to include this whole quote because I love it:

“I’d thought my list was to make me stand out. To become “somebody.” A girl who deserves a label. But I’m already someone worth my own time and my own labels. I’m me. I’m a girl taking chances, every day. Because taking chances is what life is all about, right? And, I’ve realized, I don’t have to be all one thing or the other. And just because someone else has slapped a label on me, it doesn’t mean that I have to accept their definition of who I should be. My list was never about standing out and getting attention, but to make myself someone I admire. And I don’t need a bottle of luck or a charm to change my life.”

Overall this was just a very fun and super cute read with a really good message that was perfect to start off my summer!

The Charmed List begins a bit choppy, almost adolescent. Led me to believe this was Abe's first novel. It did take me a bit to get used to the style of writing. I did start to enjoy it as it appeared to become less forced.
The character development was okay.
Magical elements were fun.
It was a good young adult novel about friendship and loss.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Ellie, the wallflower, has a list of thirteen things she wants to accomplish this summer while on a road trip with her bestie, Lia. When item number 4 on the list goes wrong, she suddenly find herself on a road trip with Jack (her nemesis) instead of Lia. They are into forced into close proximity. Though Ellie thought of Jack as her enemy, I'm not convinced he felt the same way. The story line is predictable, as is expected with the genre, but definitely an enjoyable read. Rated: 3.5/5
A sincere thank you to NetGallery for this book.

Ellie is looking forward to summer break. Not only is she planning a road trip with her BFF, Lia, but she wants to work on coming out of her guarded shell. She has created The Anti-Wallflower List that includes 13 tasks to help push her outside of that shy comfort zone. Something on the list doesn’t go as planned and Ellie soon finds herself stuck with Jack. The two have grown up together, but their friendship drifted apart after the passing of Jack’s mom. And so the story begins, as we watch them slowly work through their emotions and find their way back to one another.

I really liked Ellie. She was spunky and insecure in a very relatable way. She makes several bad choices, but it was fun watching her character mature as the story progressed. Jack played the part of the mysterious, grumpy love interest perfectly. The one you can’t help but adore as you learn more and more about his past. The forced proximity played excellently in this storyline. You could easily feel the uncomfortableness, despise, yet flickers of attraction. The two shared countless sweet moments together.

“Our magic is special because it can brighten someone’s day, but it can’t save a person’s life.”
Julie Abe does such a fantastic job of creating magical worlds. The setting in this YA contemporary romance takes place in California. However, all of those well known west coast towns have residents hidden amongst them who have special abilities. This part of the story was so enchanting. I loved seeing what each family specialized in and especially enjoyed visiting the magical village.

I was excited to learn that Ellie and Jack’s siblings, Remy and Cam, have their own story - Our Cursed Love. They were such adorable side characters so I look forward to seeing if these two friends can have their own HEA.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

I requested this on netgalley a while ago and found that's it's too young for my enjoyment. It was written as a show, not tell story. It took away from my ability to engage with the text because there was little space to infer about the characters.

This was a very well-done Enemies to Lovers novel, but what set it apart for me is the magical realism central to the novel. I love that it was just sort of an accepted thing that magic existed, and that there would be both small and more big-box approaches to handling it. The road trip was another wonderful trope that was executed enjoyably. There's a lot to like here.

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

This YA novel was just wonderful and has a little magic in it which normally i'm not into but loved it!

The Charmed List is a very cute friends to enemies to lovers story, with a magical flair. I thought the characters in this book were cute and were a lot of fun together. I very quickly started to root for them as they continued on their road trip. I loved the magical system in this book, with its simplicity and sense of ordinary but extraordinary wonder. I think the background story of the magic and how it played into their lives, causing both aid and conflict, worked very well and have a backdrop that was just complex enough without overshadowing the romance and friendship. The ending of the story felt maybe a little quick, but it did not really detract from my enjoyment of the story. Ellie and Jack were wonderful, and I love that this left open a story for Remy and Cam in the future.

This was a very cute YA romance. I loved the story (ex-best friends end up going on a business road trip together) and as someone who fell in love with her best friend at 17 and ended up together, I connected with and cared about the two main characters. I do recommend this as a YA romance and can’t wait to read the author’s next book.

3.75

I really enjoyed this book! I found the magic system to be very sweet and interesting as well. It didn't need a lot of explanation and it wasn't very complicated. I love YA contemporary romances like this. This really captured a sweet story filled with magic, friendship and forgiveness. All of the side characters felt like they were necessary to the story and added an extra layer. I really appreciated the healthy family dynamics shown by the main family in the book. I loved this book and would read other stories in this world if they were to ever come out.

This is a lovey friends to enemies to lovers romance! I admit that at the start of the book I wasn't sure how I felt about it- things felt a little overboard. The dislike between the two Main characters felt a little... silly. However, as the book went on, I fell in love with the characters and this story. I liked the magic woven into the story and felt it was a lovely coming of age-esque story.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

The Charmed List is a really sweet book. It's about love, loss, magic, family troubles, money, and what happens when friends reconnect.

My favorite part of the book is the magical locations - the shops, the inn. It made me want to visit. I liked how some people can be magic-aware. The author delves into what that entails. I always find it a bit of a relief when 'non-magical' people can know about magic, in books.

The characters felt pretty authentic and true to their ages. A nice, comforting, easy read.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This book was everything I always want in a YA book. The characters, the siblings, the banter, I love books with magic. So much. And this one did not disappoint. It’s just such an enjoyable story, . I absolutely recommend it.

The Charmed List is a quirky, genre-bending book. It’s romance mixed with magic. Ellie lives in a city full of magic gatherers and spell makers. Most of them want to help others by making their lives a little happier, better. Jack’s father seems to just want to make money using the magic. Ellie and Jack used to be best friends until his mother died and he distanced himself from her and chose other friends that make fun of her. Ellie and her now best friend Lia plan a prank on Jack and he uses magic to get rid of it. He doesn’t realize that anyone is watching him. Lia doesn’t know magic exists and the magical community has strict rules about sharing magic, information or anything, with those who don’t know it’s real. When she sees Jack use a spell, she’s overwhelmed and everyone in Jack’s and Ellie’s families find out what they did. Jack and Ellie get in trouble and are sent on a work trip for their parents’ shops. They’re told they have to work out their differences and being wisely magic-aware. The first part of the trip, Ellie is frosty towards Jack. They won’t open up to each other but their siblings planted charms in the lunch they packed, so Jake and Ellie have to compromise if they’re going to eat. They start to relax around each other and actually enjoy their time together. When both families arrive at the convention, Jack’s father blows up and says cruel things about Ellie and her family. A roller coaster ride of emotions, crossing items off a bucket list and cute charm make this a fun read, 5 stars!

I've read Julie Abe's other stories and ultimately find that the author's writing suits middle grade more. To me, the main character was slightly immature and lacked character depth. I loved the side characters though, they definitely added a fulsome account to the story. While I didn't love it, The Charmed List is a great summer coming-of-age for teens.

this had so much potential but unfortunately was a let down for me. Friends to Enemies to Lovers is always a trope I can get behind but I couldn't continue reading this book past 40% because of the fact that the main character was just not enjoyable to read about. I wasn't able to make that connection and had to put down the book multiple times because of that. Apart from this, i'm sure it would've been an enjoyable read for anyone else but this book just wasn't for me.

- thank you to the publisher for an early copy !!