Absolutely delightful!!! I fell in love. The characters are wonderful, the magic is sweet, the magical villages and cottages...amazing.

The Charmed List is charming, delightful, super cute, and invites you into a fun world of light magic.

This book focuses on the romance between Ellie and Jack, two teens whose families have neighboring magical shops, and how their romance and friendship blossoms after being childhood friends who drifted apart. The romance is sweet and cute and perfect for kids and teens.

The magic aspect is a lot of fun and you really feel immersed in this world of magic-aware people, their charms and magic-infused baked goods, and delightful magical towns. It's a world in which I would love to be able to visit in real life. If only!

There are emotional moments throughout and death of a parent is a recurring theme, which adds weight and grounds the story in the real world.

I will say that I wish I got more of the friendship between Ellie and Lia in the story, but it makes sense why you don't once you read it and you know it's a good friendship when you miss Lia like Ellie does.

Overall, it's a cute and charming read that many will enjoy!

Okay this is everything I wanted this to be and more. The magic system in this book was honestly the most practical and enjoyable I have seen and I wish I lived in this world! The romance between the characters was amazing and I just loved the enemies to lovers bickering banter they had (heart eyes). This just checked all the boxes for me and I wish there was more because I am not ready to say goodbye to this story, these characters, and this world.

This was an adorable read. Perfect for a summer beach read. I enjoyed reading about Ellie and Jacks relationship journey. Especially it being a friends to enemies to lovers trope. It was so much fun navigating the growth of that relationship. The magic system in the book was very well done. Something I'm happy about. I was initially a little worried about it being overdone. This was a sweet little book and I'm happy I got the chance to read it. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this little gem.

This book is CUTE. I loved the magical element & I was definitely invested in Ellie and Jack’s romantic journey. I felt all the feels at the end (and may have shed a happy tear or two), which is always the sign of a good romance novel. That said, I felt like the dramatic scenes were a smidge too contrived for my taste & that the author threw in a few too many flashback scenes. I would have preferred that time to be spent in the “here and now” instead. It wasn’t enough to turn me off the book, but just enough for me drop the rating from a 5 to a 4 star book. I would still happily recommend this book to anyone though! The characters were relatable & very sweet.

Note: I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was such an absolute delight to read. As a fan of Abe's middle grade Eva Evergreen series, I had an idea of what to expect, but Abe's writing truly shines in The Charmed List. It is just as whimsical and magical as the worlds she creates and I am constantly upset that I do not live in this alternate magical California. I loved the idea of gathering magic and the charms embedded in delicious foods and drinks, which have a lovely Ghibli-feel to them. She brings such a fantastic and beautiful light to the mundane, and it is such a magical way to view the world.

She also brings to life these characters that feel like me in high school (except, unfortunately I had no magic), and they're each so wonderfully endearing and flawed. Ellie is relatable and so much braver than I could ever be, and I was cheering for her with every item on her anti-wallflower list she crossed off. Her and Jack's friends to enemies to lovers story was so fun and romantic, and the flashback scenes made my heart ache with nostalgia. I really felt Ellie's pain at losing Jack as a friend, and Jack's struggle through losing his mom to cancer, and several scenes brought tears to my eyes. While this is a romance, what's really important in this story is the friendship between Ellie and Jack, and that's what makes them such a good couple as well. They know each other's pains and fears so well, and while they initially use this against each other, they're always looking out for each other, and the moments that bring them slowly back together over the course of the book are just *chef's kiss*.

I also ADORED the side characters. Remy and Cam are just too sweet and quietly mischievous, and such big supporters of their older siblings. Lia is a badass, fierce best friend, and I deesperately need her story as well!!

I'd recommend this to anybody looking for a light-hearted and hopeful read with a fantastic cast of characters with strong elements of friendship and familial love. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

CW: Parental death (car accident, cancer), grieving, mentions of needles, mentions of surgery

(4.5 stars)

When Ellie decides one summer to complete her Anti-Wallflower List, she has no idea the role it will play in turning her life upside down.

THE CHARMED LIST was CA-UTE. I was a little nervous diving into this one because of the whole magic aspect, but it was done SO well and didn’t read like a fantasy, which was a big concern for me.

This one had adorable characters who had a lot of depth to them, a road trip, simple and beautiful uses of magic, and a ‘friends to enemies to lovers’ romance?!?!?

This is definitely one to read if you want to feel all of the feelings, most of them being the really heartwarming ones.

I’m glad I took the leap and stepped out of my comfort zone a bit with this one because it paid off tenfold!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 05, 2022

This book was adorable, I loved the slight magic element and the enemies turned lovers story. This book was an easy read and kept me hooked

This book was absolutely adorable! I adored the (unexpected) magical world of little charms and enchantments - I wish that would’ve been mentioned less subtly in the synopsis because I would’ve picked this book up in an instant if I’d known about it!

Ellie and Jack and the other characters were cute and well-developed, but the shining star of this book was the worldbuilding. Abe’s imagery was stunning and so real and I would love to see more from her that takes place in the magic-aware world!!

The only things I didn’t love were the character interactions at the beginning and end - the writing in the beginning just felt so different from the rest, and I’m not sure why. The characters were annoying and the buildup to the road trip didn’t really make a lot of sense to me (why did Lia overreact so much so? why did Jack use magic in front of her? why was the only punishment option for Ellie and Jack to go together?). I’m not objecting to the sequence of events because I loved how the rest of the story went, but the beginning just didn’t flow like the rest of it did. I also didn’t love the dialogue for most of the book because it felt stilted and inauthentic, and the ending felt a little bit rushed. I would’ve liked to see more from Jack and Ellie and more development in their relationship.

This book took “summer road-trip romance” to another level and I can’t wait to read more from Julie Abe!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!!

The Charmed List is a "charming" book about a group of Japanese families who own stores in Santa Cruz in a world where magic is real, is only used to help people, and is kept hidden from non-magical people who have not been indoctrinated into the culture. Ellie Kobata's parents run a magical tea shop. Her former best friend, Jack Yasuda, lives across the alley with his father and brother over their family's magical stationery store. Ever since Jack's mother died, and Jack dumped Ellie in middle-school, Ellie has felt invisible, a wall-flower. Fortunately she met Lia soon after Jack dumped her. Lia is everything Ellie is not - bold, beautiful and completely unaware of the magic surrounding her. Ellie is looking forward to road-tripping with Lia down the California coast to set up for the family's trade show in Huntington Beach. She's made up an Anti-Wallflower list of things to do to help her finally come out in the world, including get revenge on Jack, riding the Santa Cruz rollercoaster and 11 more tasks.. After a disastrous trip to the amusement park, Lia helps Ellie plan her revenge on Jack. Of course the revenge backfires, exposing Lia to magic and opening a whole new can of worms. Lia feels betrayed and Jack and Ellie's parents are furious. Lia must now attend special magic classes, there is tons of paperwork to fill out and Ellie's punishment is to drive with Jack to set up the booth at the trade show, making stops along the way to contact customers and deliver stock. Furious and hurt, Ellie and Jack head off down the coast on a trip designed to make them talk to each other and try to find a way to repair their friendship. The Charmed List was a fun, quick read - young adults will enjoy this book immensely. Anyone who enjoys a magical rom-com, or books about friendship will love this. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

The Charmed List is a heartwarming coming of age story with a little bit of something for everyone as we follow Ellie on a journey to repair relationships with those around her, as well as herself in a world full of magic hidden in plain sight.

A prank gone wrong against her former best friend turned arch-enemy (and neighbor) Jack upends Ellie's summer road trip with her current best friend Lia; putting her ability to stay in the know about the magical community, as well as her friendship in a precarious position. As punishment Ellie and Jack must now go on the trip together taking care of family business errands along the way, ruining Ellie's chance of completing her Anti-Wallflower (bucket) List, to prove to their families that they are responsible enough to remain a part of their magical community.

While predictable at times, it was very easy to get lost in the descriptively immersive atmosphere of this story while watching Ellie discover that sometimes you can find what you're looking for in the most unexpected places - sometimes, even, right in front of you.

This book was so cute!
I loved the main character and her growth!
The magic aspect was a lot of fun as well. I can honestly say I've never read a book like this before, but I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This is SUPER CUTE! I absolutely loved it! The magical system is perfect and not over done or complicated. I am a sucker for a young adult romance and this is one of the best I have read.

Adorable YA road-trip story with magical elements and lessons in friendship. Ellie was a bit self absorbed for my liking and wasn’t the most reliable of narrators.

This wasn't super memorable, but it was still short and enjoyable. I really liked the exploration of grief in this book and the development of Ellie and Jack, A quick summer read!

Guys. Why am I getting into romcoms now. Who am I. What’s happening.

The Charmed List is a cutesy, contemporary romance brimming with hidden magic and spells. It’s a best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers plus a road trip and some forced proximity, and some very sweet foods.

I didn’t think I would care about the plot very much, which was kind of true, since rom-com type books don’t generally hold a lot of substance for me. But it was very entertaining and quick-paced.

Ellie’s perspective was what really drew me in, because she was very relatable and conveyed her emotions very clearly in her narrative. I liked that she was such a direct protagonist who made it easy to understand her.

I liked how Ellie, being an artist, had such vivid descriptions, and I liked that her emotions came through strongly. She and her personality were pretty simple, not one of the complex characters that I usually read, but it was refreshing - I could read exactly what she thought and how she felt about things.

That was kind of what drove the plot - Ellie’s ambitions and feelings.

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. Naturally, Jack Yasuda happens to be Ellie’s oldest childhood friend, and current greatest enemy.

Ellie, being a shy, quiet girl, has made it her goal over the summer to grow out of being a wallflower. To achieve this, she makes a list of thirteen things she wants to do on a summer road trip with her best friend, Lia.

1. Conquer (aka survive) the Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz boardwalk
2. Pierce my upper ear cartilage and (hopefully) don’t faint
3. Crash a wedding with a +1
4. Revenge on Jack Yasuda
5. Go on a picnic date
6. Win a contest, any contest
7. Dance under the stars with someone
8. Make my art Instagram account public. Maybe.
9. Have a fake model shoot to use as a senior yearbook photo
10. Sneak onto the beach for midnight s’mores
11. The perfect first kiss
12. A summer boyfriend (or maybe for more than just the summer?)
13. Fall in love

When the revenge on Jack Yasuda entry goes wrong, thanks to a failed magical prank, Ellie finds herself punished by having to go on the road trip not with Lia, but with…Jack.

The romance was very cutesy. I can’t say I really shipped it, because I try not to let myself ship too easily (yes, I do try to be a romance and book substance snob), but it was very definitely adorable.

I love the childhood-friends trope because it adds so much chemistry. And it did exactly that with Ellie and Jack. They had such strong memories of each other and understood each other so perfectly, even though neither of them wanted to at the beginning. It added another layer to their relationship.

The forced proximity was also perfect for these two, because they were forced to actually deal with their emotions and opinions. It tied together all the history that they had.

“When I walk into a room, I see you,” he says. “It’s always been that way, from when we were kids, to when we didn’t talk much, to now. I always see you first, and to me, you light up the room in color.”

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t actually like Jack that much. He just seemed like an asshole at first, and I know that was what his character was supposed to be in the beginning. But the way he acted around Ellie felt so condescending and I wasn’t a fan of how he dealt with things.

There was nothing really wrong with his character, I just personally didn’t care about him very much. Which was the main reason I didn’t really care for the romance as much as I could have.

The main thing that I loved was the setting, with the magic that was included. I loved the idea of raw magic stemming from emotions, and spells being used in foods or magical objects. The hidden magical community felt so pretty and sweet, and I was in love with how well it was written into the modern world.

I loved the way the magic literally infused everything. I would die for a tea shop that sells happiness-enchanted matcha or a bakery with courage baked into the cupcakes. I want to live in this version of the world, please.

“But these spells we can do - clean things up, give a hint of joy or courage to someone’s day - it’s never enough to save someone's life or truly change the world. That’s what’s so bittersweet about the powers that we have. It’s like the chance to get everything we ever hoped for is just within reach, but knowing that hope, sometimes, isn’t enough.”

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book if you like cute bewitched themes, enchanted settings, sweet romances, and contemporary romcom-books. It was very cute, quick and fun, and I liked it way more than I thought I would.

Witchy rom com vibes. This book gave me everything I wanted I am here for it! Julie knocked it out of the park!

so cute! i loved it. i was not expecting too much, because sometimes rom-coms are hit and miss for me, but this one made me feel so seen. i loved the asian rep, and the main character was so relatable. 5 stars.

4 Stars | Content Warnings: Grief, Loss of a parent

Thank you to the publisher (Wednesday Books) for sending me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so adorable! As a general fan of contemporary novels, I don't think I have ever seen anything like The Charmed List! Julie Abe combines everything you look for in a sweet, fluffy summer read while adding aspects of magical realism. I'd especially recommend The Charmed List to younger teens that are looking to get into the young adult genre, but are not too sure where to start!

Readers follow Elissa (Ellie) Kobata as she tries to navigate through her summer after a prank gone wrong completely destroys all of her plans with her best friend Lia. For the longest time, Ellie dreamed of going on a road trip with Lia, checking items off of her "anti-wallflower" list along the way. Now? Ellie isn't sure whether or not Lia wants to talk to her anymore. She doesn't even know if she'll ever come out of her shell and show the world who she really is. Just to make matters worse, Ellie is now forced to go on the road trip with Jack Yasuda, the boy who went from being her childhood best friend to the one person she cannot stand. At this point, magic is the only thing that can save her summer.

What to look out for:
-I think it's safe to say that I love any mention of a pet in books, especially when the pet in question is a dog named Mochi.
-References of popular YA books and authors! (Just to name a few, Spin the Dawn and Jade Fire Gold!)
-Food descriptions, need I say more?
-The best trope of all time, best friends to enemies to lovers

Release Date: July 5th, 2022

Thank you to #Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of #TheCharmedList in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! This book was fantastic and I was not expecting it. I thought the book would be enjoyable to read but didn't anticipate how it would captivate me. I felt like the magical realism (which I didn't actually realize was part of the story) was really well done in this book, sometimes that can be too much but the author did a great job keeping it real. The Charmed List was a fun YA read that mixed in some heavier topics. The friends to enemies to lovers storyline was fun to navigate. I hope this is an eventual series because I would love to read more about the magical village and Ellie and Jack's future relationship. Not to mention their siblings!