The Charmed List was a lighthearted yet predictable story that started off interesting but fizzled out in the middle. I enjoyed the concept of "magic" being around the city and the way it was described. This is your typical "enemies to lovers" trope but I failed to get excited about the main characters and their relationship. While I enjoyed the story I wish it has more excitement and adventure. Overall it was ok.

Audio: Solid performance that portrayed emotions well. I enjoyed the recording.

Ellie and ack must take a road trip to deliver some magical products. During the trip they make a truce to get along. I love the enemies to lovers trope. I like the part were the enemies start to warm towards each other. When they finally come together it just warms the heart. I really liked the characters, Ellie is so relatable. I love road trips, it was nice to hear about one. I hope Julie Abe will write another romcom.

Idk what I was expecting from this book but I really enjoyed it. It’s not my favorite but it had some of the cutest Scenes in it. I truly recommend if you need a light feel good to get you out of a slump

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an arc of The Charmed List by Julie Abe
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Pub date: July 5, 2022
Author: Julie Abe
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Quick thoughts: loved it, very cute, charming and whimsical
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This novel was such a breath of fresh air and I think so many people would enjoy it. There is a magical realism aspect to this book that I loved and the world building and development was done so well throughout the book. I loved Ellie and Jack and was immediately invested in their friendship and relationship. I also loved the secondary characters! There is also wonderful descriptions of food throughout the novel.
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Pick this book up if you are looking for:
-best friends turned enemies
-second chance friendship/romance
-magical realism - I loved how magic was included in the storyline
-mutual pining
-a road trip - it was great!

The Charmed List by Julie Abe was very adorable. The cast of characters combined for laughs and feel-good fun that made me cheer for the whole crew. I enjoyed the references to Japanese-American culture throughout the story, and the ways in which it was incorporated into the charms. There were many small references, from the look of the charms to the flavors of the sweets that paid homage to a long standing tradition of Asian-American life in California.

The whole story begins when Ellie creates a list of her goals for the Summer to transition her into the person she longs to become, The Anti-Wallflower List. The thirteen items that she chooses for her list are sure to alter her status and get her noticed by the start of her Senior Year. These items include everything from conquering (aka surviving) the Giant Dipper (a roller coaster) at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to getting revenge on Jack Yasuda, Ellie’s longtime frenemy. Unfortunately, her revenge plan goes awry and ends up with her best friend, Lia, stuck at home and Ellie and Jack forced to road trip together to a magical convention and work together along the way.

Throughout the story, and their road trip, Jack and Ellie’s frenemies situation develops as Ellie realizes Jack isn’t exactly who she thought he was and Jack figures out that cock blocking Ellie is not an effective form of communication. Without planning to, Jack finds the list, and the two end up tackling more parts of it than Ellie ever imagined. The two have great chemistry, a shared history, and a lot of good will (eventually).

One of the things that makes or breaks a book for me is the supporting cast, and Julie Abe delivered! Jack and Ellie’s younger siblings, Cam and Remy, were a humorous addition to the story with their roasting of the “hate stares” between Jack and Ellie, and their various other antics. Cam and Remy are Jack and Ellie on a different timeline, or maybe in a different universe. In a world where, following the death of Jack’s mother he doesn’t feel so much grief and pressure foisted onto his shoulders, perhaps Jack and Ellie could have remained friends and avoided the whole problem.

Altogether, The Charmed List felt like a warm cup of tea on a cool evening, it was refreshing and joyful and sparked contentment inside.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I did not like this book very much. I didn’t feel like the dislike between the main characters was authentic. I also found the female main character to be so whiney for no reason. This may be due to me not being the target audience .

The Charmed List
Julie Abe

Perfect summer sweet see what’s right in front of you summer read sprinkled in magic.

I found The Charmed List to be everything and more. The dynamics between the characters was was spot on. The dialogue flowed and the comedic air the weaved it’s way between the banter left me want to continue the novel.

Also if you get a chance to listen to the audio…Do It!!! You won’t regret it.

I know it’s not a long review but that’s my review.

Book 55 of 2022

Sweet book about friendships! It falls on the younger end of young adult, and is squeaky clean. I enjoyed the magical elements and the aspects of Japanese culture woven throughout the novel.

The Charmed List is a subtle Urban Fantasy book that has a great summer read vibe to it. With a fun magic system and great friends reconnecting plot.

I love when we mix magic into the real world and I like how it’s done in The Charmed List. Although there is magic, it is subtle in the fact that you can’t do anything extreme like save someone's life. You can however make a charmed cupcake that might give you that little boost of luck or endurance you need. Small things like that. A magic system that you could easily see being real.

Ellie is someone who has been hurt from friendship and in a way has closed herself off because of it. As she and Jack reconnect and she deals with the fallout of a different friend issue. We really see her kind of grow quite a bit. In her understanding and misunderstandings of situations.

I loved the road trip aspect of the book. Just because I love road trips in life plus it kind of has that two people, one bed way of throwing Ellie and Jack together. Which also makes it a great book for summer.

This book is adorable and gives you that little pick me up that comes from quicker read. Makes me wish there was really a world where I could become magical aware of someday. Maybe there is and I just don’t know….

The Charmed List

I Picked Up This Book Because: The cover was cute.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 7/22/22 - 7/26/22
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Natalie Naudus

The Characters:

Ellie Kobata:
Jack Yasuda:
Lia, Cam, Remy, Parents

The Story:

This was a really cute and really interesting friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. Jack and Ellie grew up the best of friends but after Jack's mother passes away something changes and all of the sudden Ellie is invisible to Jack and quite miserable until Lia comes along and befriends Ellie. Fast forward to the summer after their junior year of high school and prank gone awry now Lia is hurt/angry and Ellie is stuck on a road trip with her nemesis Jack.

Writing: This is my first book from this author and I loved her writing style. It is straightforward and unambiguous yet there was still the mystery of why Jack flipped on Ellie.
Forward Motion: The story progress was not overlong or rushed.
Overall Interest: I liked the characters from the beginning and became quickly invested in their story.
Length of Reading Time: Perfect.
Re-read-ability: Probably not but not because it is unworthy but more because I love where the story ended and I don’t feel it needs to be revisited.


The Random Thoughts:



Challenges:

#192025 Challenge - 2022
Goodreads Book Bingo 2022 - N3 - Free Space

I loved this little friends to enemies to friends to enemies to lovers clean romance. It was sweet, and had a hint of magick, which I love.

Plus, I want to stay in a magical cottage, so damn bad. This was wonderful.

This was a delightful book. Adding magic to my every day life is a dream come true. I will say that I wish someone would infuse my morning warm beverage with some luck or comfort - it would make all of our days that much bette. Unfortunately for us normal folk, we are not provided to the fact that magic exists in the real world. I so deeply want to believe this is true.
The main characters, Ellie and Jack, were once friends, but that is before this story takes place. When we are introduced to them, they are enemies. Ellie is getting ready for the road trip of a lifetime with her best friend and when revenge on Jack goes wrong she is forced to forgo the fun stops and memory making events to go on deliveries with Jack. Well, what happens when you force two people into a confined space (car) for an extended period of time? Many revelations, that’s what. As the trip progresses, they get closer and closer.
This book is more than simply an enemies to lovers story. Friendships are tested, shy and reserved Ellie learns what it means to live and let go, Jack learns to stand up for himself and choose his own path. I can’t think of anything that I didn’t enjoy. It was a pleasant, uplifting story.
The was a wonderful summer read.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator, Natalie Naudus. I have listened to a few other books that she has narrated and I enjoy her narration.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to listen to a review an audio version of this book.

I went into The Charmed List by Julie Abe without knowing anything about it except what the cover told me and I was pleasantly surprised! It's a cute f/m road trip romance with MAGIC. Didn't realize this book would be low-key urban fantasy, but I have to admit that added some fun and creativity to the plot. This book is an ex-friends to lovers romance and I think that worked well. There's a lack of communication that has led to the MCs being estranged, but the circumstances for that made sense to me. Young people respond to difficult and traumatic things in unhealthy ways sometimes. While I found the MC Ellie's repeated "ugh, I hate Jack" thoughts TOO repetitive at the beginning, this story quickly pulled me in and that repetition faded. Content warnings for aftermath of a death in the family, food descriptions, and hopefully nothing else I'm forgetting? Overall, this was a cute and fun read that would be perfect if you need something simple but a little magical!

best friends to enemies to lovers? oh sign me up!! this was such a fun book. i enjoyed the characters journey. i love a book with a good road trip especially when you add a little forced proximity!! such a sweet heartfelt romantic comedy!! already looking forward to rereading.

This was a very solid middle ground read for me. It wasn’t bad by any means. However, parts of the stories progression just didn’t connect with me. The plot seemed…I guess simple, and felt predictable. Like I said, that didn’t necessarily make it bad either. I think It was a very simple, easy, and quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

First off I want to say if you’re looking for a set during the summer, cute, light, rom com to take you temporarily away from everything going on in real life this is a good one! The magic is fun and you learn a lot about the rules and how it works which really made me like it more because it felt almost like it could be real. I’m not usually into books that have magic but this one may have changed my view! Ellie the main character felt really relatable and I loved seeing everything through her perspective. They visit a book and boba shop on their roadtrip to the magic convention?! Ugh I need that in my life haha. Also Jacks family sells bullet journals?! I love it. I listened to this as an audiobook and felt like it was easy to follow along while doing other light tasks which I love so much with audiobooks!

Thai book checked off several plot topics I enjoy. It has bucket lists, and somewhat enemies to lovers. I didn’t believe they were enemies more that they were friends who fell away. I liked the fantasy twist. It was a perfect beach read.

This was such a magical story! I loved following along on the adventure back to each other and all the magic drop ins throughout. Plus it was a delight to watch Ellie grow out of her “wallflower” status. A cute listen and the audio was really fun!

Check this one out if you’re looking for
🪄YA Romance, fantasy
🪄 Second chance, enemies to lovers tropes
🪄 Only one bed 🛏
🪄 Magical society with fun twists
🪄 Meddling siblings

Thank you so much for the ALC! The Charmed List is available now!

3.5-4 rating

I didn't connect with the story, but this is a cute YA story. The story is well written, I liked the storyline and how the author pulled her culture into the story (along with a little bit of magic). The characters are likable and have good character development. The issues the characters face in the story are issues the target reader would face. As a reader I did feel the chemistry between the two main characters.

I liked the choice of narrator. She brought the voice and emotion to the story. This is how I would imagine the story and the character to sound.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillion Audio/Young Listeners for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I love a book that includes a list of things the main character wants to accomplish and this one was cute though predictable. I did like that we got to see what happens when someone who isn't suppose to know about magic accidentally found out; there was such a big process they had to go through.