I usually love young adult but I couldn't get into the magic element of this one. I thought I was going to like it but it didn't work for me this time.

I know this will be other people's thing but I couldn't get into it for now. Maybe another time I'll try again. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing the chance to read and review.

This book was so good! The romance was adorable, the characters easy to root for, and I was never bored. I highly recommend this book.

This is a fun spunky story about becoming more comfortable in their own skin and growing into their own. She is taking steps and checking off her list. This is a fun and spunky read that I highly recommend as a great light read.

The Charmed List by Julie Abe is not my typical read - I tend to stay away from books with magic or fantasy themes. But this was a really sweet YA drama with a best friends to enemies to lovers romance that I enjoyed via audiobook. Narrator Natalie Naudus really made this one fun for me - I had started to read my ARC and was struggling to get invested in the storyline. The main character, Ellie, makes an “Anti-Wallflower List” to help her check off the things she’s done/doing to actively become more outgoing before her senior year of high school. I am such a list maker, and this sounds right up my alley. Just glancing around me now I see a list of books to read and review and three different to-do lists (one of which has EVERYTHING crossed out!). I liked Ellie’s goal and that she found measurable steps to help her feel successful in the process. I will definitely recommend this one to my high school students - if you enjoy fantasy reads and YA romance, this would be a good recommendation for you, too! Thanks to Wednesday Books, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Received this book as Ebook ARC.

I was hooked within the first 30 pages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it while at work on a Tuesday.

Childhood friends turned enemies turned friends again to Lovers? Emotional rollercoaster of feels. Got some weird looks while i was reading it. I was very invested in the characters and their story.

The magic aspect was a very nice touch. It was descriptive enough for it to not be super vague about how its explained in the story;

So, I didn't like this one.
I'm well aware that i'm not the target demographic for this (me being 22 and all), but I also read a lot of YA books, mostly contemporary romances and fantasy. So when i read the synopsis of this one i though it felt right into my alley and that i was going to love it. I was wrong.
The writing style wasn't for me. Most of the dialogue felt forced and read weirdly (I kept thinking in my head 'People don't really talk like that' for most of the book), some of it was also totally redundant. Also, not a fan of the pop culture references that the author chose.

I though the romance was cute and I liked the story overall.

I would recommend this one for more younger readers of YA as i think it falls more on the lower end of YA.

3.5 stars = Good+

It took a bit for me to find my footing with this one. Early on I couldn't get the hang of the magical world and the characters. By the end I was all in on the world (the village, the cottage, the convention - all brilliant!), and the supporting cast was enjoyable. In the end I wasn't convinced enough by Jack's explanation to really click with this one. (Language)

Thank you to @NetGalley and @wednesdaybooks for gifting me a copy of The Charmed List in exchange for an honest review.

🌌 Mini Review ✨
When I read the synopsis of The Charmed List by @julieabebooks I knew I had to read it. I got an arc from NetGalley but ended up listening to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it.

Ellie and Jack, once best friends, now enemies, are stuck taking a road trip together. Ellie and Jack are part of the magical community and both own different shops. They are both sworn to secrecy and are not able to tell anyone about their magical abilities and if they do they can get severely punished. A prank gone wrong opens the world of magic to Ellie’s best friend and the punishment for that is the road trip with Jack, which was supposed to be with her bestie.

Ellie is determined to not let Jack ruin her summer list though. 13 items she wants to have checked off by the end of the summer. What she doesn’t realize is that Jack may actually be helpful in checking her list off… in more than one way…

Ellie and Jack were super likable characters and I loved their interactions with one another. I liked the magical element to the story. It wasn’t super over powering but the system was interesting and totally fit into the regular world.

If you like books with magical realism and forced proximity, then I totally recommend this book to you! I gave it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫.

Enemies to lovers ...yep I'm there for it. Ellie and Jack were best friends until the day that they weren't. Jack suddenly abandoned Ellie in middle school and left her to flounder on her own in a world where it's difficult to navigate your way already. Now, they are finishing their junior year in high school and they are still on opposite sides. He runs with the popular crowd and acts as if he never knew Ellie.

But Jack and Ellie have one thing in common - - they know about magic. In their world, not everyone does. Therefore, it's a big deal to keep it from those who are unaware. When there's a slip-up, these two are thrown together as a punishment. Will this be their opportunity to figure out where everything fell apart? Or will it drive them further apart?

This was a really enjoyable young adult read. It's a well-done enemies to lovers with a good back story. I liked the characters which helped me to invest in the story even more. Also, the side characters add to the depth of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Love is all you need- but a dash of magic never hurts.

Ellie is a fairly private and shy person, almost to the point of invisibility at school. She and her family are part of a magical community, and she can't tell anyone about magic. It pains her not to tell her best friend, Lia, who hates secrets and lies. The only person her age she was ever able to talk to about magic was Jack, her former best friend. Jack started ignoring Ellie and stopped hanging out with her in middle school, and has since become her worst enemy. In an attempt to come out of her shell and take a few risks, Ellie creates an Anti-Wallflower list, complete with thirteen goals to achieve by the end of the summer. When the fourth task on the list, "get revenge on Jack Yasuda," goes awry, Ellie lands herself and Jack in hot water. As a consequence, she is now forced to take a road trip to a magic convention with Jack, instead of spending her summer with Lia, as planned. As Ellie and Jack embark on their trip, they may end up crossing number thirteen, "fall in love," off the list.
I love a story sprinkled with magic, and The Charmed List was no exception. I laughed a lot throughout this story as Ellie faced many relatable mishaps and embarrassing moments. I also loved the unique way magic was presented in this novel. I listened to the audiobook while reading the eARC, and the narrator portrayed the characters perfectly. I struggled to put this novel down, wanting to know if Ellie and Jack could patch things up, and if Ellie would complete the goals on her list. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a YA romance novel with a magic touch!

The thing that first drew me to the book was it's like Jenny Han meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Well, that, and the synopsis. I got an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Quiet girl Ellie, who grew up in a family that uses magic, wants to have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List. She's looking forward to it, especially an epic road trip with her best friend, Lia (non-magic aware). But when number 4 off her list goes horribly wrong--get revenge on her childhood friend-turned-enemy Jack, she must go to a magical convention with him instead as Lia refuses to talk to her. But as they drive down the coast of California, she might fall in love without realizing it.

I like the childhood-friends-turned-enemies-to-lovers trope. Ellie's irritation towards Jack maybe you want to read the book even more. And a trip from NorCal (Northern California) to SoCal (Southern California) with a twist of magic? Yes, please. I really LOVED the little bits of magic they did, without it being very heavy and unbelievable, especially the stopover and the magical town and the stopped in the cabin off the grapevine.

I don't think there's anything about it that I really can say stood out for me as an I don't like. All the characters were enjoyable, and everything seemed to fit together. Even Jack's angry father.

If you're fans of Jenny Han, the above-mentioned trope, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or teen romance, get this book.

The thing that first drew me to the book was it's like Jenny Han meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Well, that, and the synopsis. I got an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Quiet girl Ellie, who grew up in a family that uses magic, wants to have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List. She's looking forward to it, especially an epic road trip with her best friend, Lia (non-magic aware). But when number 4 off her list goes horribly wrong--get revenge on her childhood friend-turned-enemy Jack, she must go to a magical convention with him instead as Lia refuses to talk to her. But as they drive down the coast of California, she might fall in love without realizing it.

I like the childhood-friends-turned-enemies-to-lovers trope. Ellie's irritation towards Jack maybe you want to read the book even more. And a trip from NorCal (Northern California) to SoCal (Southern California) with a twist of magic? Yes, please. I really LOVED the little bits of magic they did, without it being very heavy and unbelievable, especially the stopover and the magical town and the stopped in the cabin off the grapevine.

I don't think there's anything about it that I really can say stood out for me as an I don't like. All the characters were enjoyable, and everything seemed to fit together. Even Jack's angry father.

If you're fans of Jenny Han, the above-mentioned trope, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or teen romance, get this book.

this was a cute book but halfway through i kind of lost interest. its the story of jack and ellie former best friends turned enemies who are forced to go on a summer road trip together. Ellie was supposed to go on that trip with Lia, her best friend, but something happened that changed their plans. They also live in a community that involves magic!!

this wasn’t the best book i’ve read this year but it wasn’t that bad either. the writing was okay for this type of book and the premise had a lot potential.

overall it was a sweet ya rom-com involving the friends to enemies to lovers trope + only one bed trope!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

The Charmed List

By: Julie Abe

St. Martin’s Press

Wednesday Books

Publish Date 5 July 2022

Teens and YA

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to first thank both St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Good Reads Synopsis:

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

Book Review:

This was a fun and quick read. I gave the book 4 stars.

This is about Ellie and Jack who were best friends for most of their growing up years until his mom passed away and then things changed. Jack decided to leave the friendship behind, and this left Ellie alone. Ellie soon made friends with Lia, and she didn’t alone anymore. The only thing is she couldn’t Lia that she does magic.

As the summer before their Senior comes around there is a trip that girls are going on and Ellie has made a list of things, she wants to do to break out of her wallflower stage. Number four on the list is to get back at Jack. This goes horribly wrong. Lia discovers that not only does Jack do magic but so does her best friend Ellie. This can turn out bad for the two if Lia doesn’t agree to go to some class and learn more about it and keep it secret. Lia is angry and won’t talk with Ellie.

As a punishment the two old friends are now traveling to the convection, and they have to learn to get along. They start to get along and then Jack’s Dad says somethings that Ellie overhears, and she is back at being angry with Jack and not trusting him.

There were a lot of up and downs with book and some fun times. Do Jack and Ellie work out their problems? Does Lia forgive Ellie? You will have to read the book to find out.

This was one of those books I was drawn to because of its gorgeous cover. The colors, fun constellations, adorable couple and "charming" title... I couldn't resist! It took a little while to get into the story-the main characters, Ellie and Jack, just didn't seem likable at first so it took a little while to connect with them. Their friendship growing up seemed so sweet, but I don't know...to me it seemed like Jack said some pretty cruel things so I'm a little surprised they were forgiven and forgotten so easily in the story. What I loved: all the magic, especially the magical shops on their road trip! It was all so whimsical and fun, and I truly enjoyed reading those parts! Overall, I thought this was a fun YA novel that definitely picked up about halfway through. Thank you for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Charmed List is a quiet Young Adult Romance between two former friends who had long ago gone their separate ways but because of a wayward prank returned to each other. I will say that I wanted to reach the end of the story, but didn’t have the enthusiasm for the story as I had hoped. I wanted to read more about this secret magical world that only magical people and magic-aware knew about. But I wondered what’s the purpose of this magic and why keep it a secret? As someone who grew up with brujeria, I have this cultural belief and expectation about magic. Yes, it shouldn’t be put out there and spells should be liberally applied, but when it’s used, there should be a reason—even if it’s slightly selfish. So I wanted to get more in depth with the character’s magical purpose and that distracted me from the story.
The couple were forced (the trope of forced proximity) to take a roadtrip and set up for a magical convention where they’d sell their families wares. And on this road trip, the hero helps the heroine go through her list of milestones to accomplish that summer. While they’re both dealing with repercussions of a prank gone wrong and making the heroine’s best friend magic aware (and I couldn’t understand the true consequence of becoming magic aware). As common in Romance, there’s a lot of miscommunication or lack of communication of feelings and expectations, and there’s an abundance here. But I appreciated how outside forces—siblings—wanted to help the couple come back together.
While this wasn’t high on my list of things I appreciated, the author is a wonderful, often lyrical, writer. There are a lot of creative world building, but the descriptions fell short for me.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this book was adorable! It was such a sweet family romance but it was the magic that just added that sparkling touch. I feel like I need more books in this world.

So… somehow I missed that this book had magic in it? I went back and read the cover copy, and it does talk about there being charms and a “secret magical world”, but I guess I assumed that was metaphorical? Whoops on my part.

It isn’t a bad thing for THE CHARMED LIST to have magic. I just wasn’t expecting that when I started reading, so I felt thrown for a chapter or two. Once I understood the magic system and how it worked, I connected with the story more.

I enjoyed the fact that their families have sort of rival businesses or roles in the community. And the setup of Ellie and Jack being forced to go on the road trip together was great. I loved that.

One of the things that kind of bugged me was the history between Ellie and Jack and even her feelings about him. It felt like she made some pretty harsh judgments about him at a time when he was deeply grieving. I kind of wished they talked more specifically about that and that Ellie had more opportunity to own that perhaps she made some mistakes, too. There’s a little bit of that.

The whole premise is that she and Jack had a big falling out that she’s still nursing hurt feelings over, and I could understand her feeling hurt over what happened. What was hard to understand was that she never considered that he’d just lost his mom, whom they were both close to. I guess I felt like Ellie sometimes came across as shallow and selfish.

That aside, I enjoyed the story’s awkward flirty moments, secret magical towns, and lots of the side characters in the book. Ellie’s sister and Jack’s brother are probably my favorites, but I really liked Ellie’s best friend, too.

All in all, this was a fun summertime read with a little magic sprinkled in. I think readers who enjoy books by Sandhya Menon will enjoy THE CHARMED LIST.

Falling in love is magical. This is a classic case of a young woman trying to find herself. It doesn't help that Jack turned her back on her. He's the only one that can understand her, right?

But forced proximity will force Ellie and Jack to face it all. And that is the part that is magical! I love this troupe and I loved watching Ellie grow!

Loved this quick and easy to read magical friendship to romance story. I enjoyed the author's use of charms to save and use magic as well as the "hate to care about you" banter between Ellie and Jack. There were so many dynamics to this story. I enjoyed every one.