I was really intrigued by the blurb of this novel and hadn’t read this author before. I finally dived into it, and it grabbed my attention, but unfortunately by being a little confusing and trying to figure out what was going on. Don’t take that the wrong way, it wasn’t bad at all, but I think part of it was that the plot wasn’t exactly what I expected, and Flair was definitely not what I expected either. I really enjoyed Flair and her daughter Lucie, her mother Cyn, and most of the other characters. However, sometimes Flair really irritated me with her reluctance to do magic and to have put it aside because of a couple of episodes as a teen. All that aside, though, I was really hooked on the last half of this book. The pace picked up, we learn much more about what happened in the past, and everything moved along much quicker. I’m wondering if there will be more with these characters, and if so, I’ll definitely pick up the next one. Stick with it because it’s really worth it at the end. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is the perfect fall/halloween read. I really liked this story thought it was fun and read it pretty quickly comparing it to Practical Magic is perfect. Flair is trying to start over after leaving her husband in her home town in Kansas. She opens a bakery and tries to ignore the small flashes of magic she sees and knows is real from her own past experiences. She just wants a normal small town life for her and her daughter. Of course there are obstacles to that plan one being her mother who comes into town in the middle of the night with her cursed ex-husband. Flair has to find a way to lift the curse and deal with the magic her family has and it seems the town possess as well. I really liked the character in this book and loved the small town feel. I would for sure recommend this one 4 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read. The main character is going through life changes and trying to juggle it all. I loved the bakery small town setting and all the magic that’s around. This would be the perfect fall read.
#PlayingtheWitchCard #NetGalley

Another beautiful title by an author to watch. The setting is superb as are the characters and the ins and outs of family drama and dysfunction. I adored every word!

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly thought this was great! It's not super spooky, but it's not quite cozy either.

This author writes generational curses so well, and I absolutely loved watching Flair's growth in magic as well as a human being. The details were described perfectly, and I could picture everything so clearly! I can't wait to read what she writes next.

I feel like you don't need me to sell this to you. You already saw that this is a hybridized Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic and I'm here to tell you in that respect, it delivers.

Her husband has cheated again - this time with the babysitter - so Flair has no choice but to escape to a small Kansas town to the house and bakery that her grandmother left for her when she passed. She accepts the inheritance of house and business, but refuses to accept the family legacy of magic, mostly concentrated in a special deck of tarot cards passed on from mother to daughter.

Not going to lie to you, the first 60-70% of this was establishing background, yes, but it's mostly just vibes. We hear about a Jack Skellington decoration perched happily outside of the bakery that Flair wants no part in, we hear about her bad husband and the daughter that wants nothing to do with her mom. I don't know if I'd have been nearly as excited if I'd known that there was a kid involved in this, but I don't think that's the book's failing as much as my taste.

The real plot takes a good 50% to get going. Pacing was SUPER weird for me. We learn that there's a special Halloween event that Flair absolutely doesn't want to be a part of, we learn that she's making cookies without remembering why or when in the shape of cards from her family's tarot deck, then boom - her insane mother shows up with her husband in tow, bespelled, which puts a crimp in Flair's plan to reignite a flame with an old love from when she was younger.

The real winning factor of this book was the author's love for tarot, tarot interpretations, and readings. Though the magic system wasn't particularly fleshed out, the tarot magic was beautiful and interesting. I'd have loved more information about other powers. In fact, I'd have loved more information about the other characters overall - while we got a lot of info about Flair, I'm not sure I felt like I could successfully tell one character from the other.

The last 25% of this book really honed in on the Practical Magic vibes, by the way. Sometimes I wondered to myself if I though the book was even a little derivative at points.

That said, there was still a lot to love in this book, just don't go into it expecting romance with fantasy. It's very much a story about women and their family and it's perfect vibes for the Autumnal time of year. Instant preorder!

What a fun story! I loved diving into the world of Flair, Cyn, and Rattleboro, Kansas. Things I did while reading this book: 1- dust off my old tarot cards and start working with them again; 2- google "Rattleboro, KS" to see if it's a real place; 3- research the best places to celebrate Halloween outside of Salem; 4- wishlist all the books referenced in the end notes; 5- eat some cookies.

Although I initially found Flair to be a bit stubborn and exasperating, my feelings evolved as her story unfolded. I was disappointed to have to leave this world and these characters behind when the story ended. I'd definitely be open to a sequel!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an early peek at "Playing the Witch Card".

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
I don't know I was excited to read this novel, but wow the story just drags on and on. I don't know if it is just me but I can't stand the main character. I think she is boring and grumpy. She doesn't ever think anything positive she is also putting everyone and everything down.
The author repeats herself over and over and over again. This book could be cut in half. Just a miss for me.

This is the PERFECT book to add to your fall reading list. Set during Halloween time, it has all the spookiness that comes with witches while still being whimsical with a bakery and new beginnings. I loved the little spell twists and generational history that gets revealed throughout the book as Flair gets drawn back into the magical world she thought she had left behind.

[Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest review]

This should be a perfectly fine cozy witchy story, but instead draaaaaags you through the one dimensional main character’s messy life. Also, everyone around her is messy and frustrating? There is only one likable character in this, the MC’s friend, that the MC takes full advantage of. She has a poor relationship with her mom, daughter, ex-husband, and work-life balance, and theres no substance to her to make you care about any of it.


The plot isnt worth explaining because it takes you getting 60% through the book to figure out what the plot even is and at that point I hated the characters so I didnt care.

1/5 stars, the characters were just not for me and it put me in a 2 month reading slump.

This was an adorable PNR rom com! I love that we are in our witchy PNR era! This is one to add to your shelves for the fall!

Wow! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

It was a fantastic ride. You are so going to enjoy this one!

Highly recommend.

Five stars!!

The fall vibes are strong in this one. I can see myself rereading it comes this fall with a cozy hot drink and a Halloween themed cookie. I am a fan of witchy goodness and tarot cards, so this book was straight up my alley.

The beginning is definitely slow, it takes awhile to understand who all the characters are and what exactly is going on. After you get closer to the end, it definitely speeds up in pace.

Flair, mother to Lucie, is a soon to be single mother who has moved them to a magical town that she spent a good amount of her childhood in. Flair has a distaste for magic, and blames it for her bad upbringing and her mom's issues. This seems to be a common theme with Flair, her blaming other things for her issues/problems. Most of my issues with this book are because of Flair. I did not vibe with her that much.
Once the book picks up, there are some twists and turns, and Flair faces her feelings towards magic and the such. All in all, vibes are good, Flair a little not my taste, and I am a sucker for fall and Halloween. 3.75 stars

Such a fun and exciting book! Who doesn't love magic and family drama? Well, there's plenty of both in this book, along with hints of romance. When a woman who has denied her magic and built a life elsewhere returns to her family home, the denial can no longer last. I enjoyed this book and recommend it for readers who like magic, romance and drama. I read this book on Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

A perfect fall book contains a small town, a cozy home inherited from a grandparent, a shop that’s been in the family for generations, and a witch or two. And Playing the Witch Card has all of the above! Like The Chicken Sisters, this story focuses on our main character returning to their hometown, ready to face what they’ve left behind. Flair left the town of Rattlesboro when she was a teenager after spending her summers there, learning about her magic that has been passed down through her family. Now, years later, she’s back in town, and trying to hide her magical past. I enjoyed this book, and it definitely kept my attention, weaving small town and mother-daughter tropes together into a cozy mystery of sorts. The action in the book seemed to happen all at once right at the end, leaving me wishing I’d had more time to enjoy the intensity. Overall, it’s a fun Halloween read that anyone would enjoy. For a more detailed review, check out my blog! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book about family and accepting the cards you've been dealt. 5 ⭐️ and I definitely recommend for fans of small town witchy magic.

What a charming read!! KJ Dell’Antonia’s latest novel Playing the Witch Card combines the women’s fiction and romance genres sprinkled with a topping of magic --LOVE that! KJ Dell’Antonia has become an automatic read for me and one of my favorite parts about her writing is that she constantly reinvents herself and this gem is the perfect example of that! The character development was fantastic and I honestly wish she would turn this into a series because I would really enjoy if some of the supporting characters had their own novels. I love that Playing the Witch Card will come out this autumn because the the whole magical aspect of this book would be perfect accompaniment to the Halloween season!!

This was a very cute story. I enjoyed it. Not many cozy mysteries take place in my home state of Kansas. The characters were likable and the villains were just the right amount of unlikable. I would recommend this book especially if you need a fun read after a heavier book.

Playing the Witch Card feels like Gilmore Girls meets Hocus Pocus with a touch of Sabrina.

This is the classic Hallmark story of a woman who moves to a small town to start over after a jerk ex implodes their lives but with a paranormal twist. Flair’s descended from witches but a tragic accident in her past made her give it up. But now she’s back in Rattleboro, the town her witchy ancestors helped found and the magic isn’t willing to be ignored any longer.

Flair already has a lot on her plate - dealing with a struggling business, an angry and angsty teen daughter, a flaky mom, and a jerk ex. Now tarot cards are haunting her with visions and then a magical disaster involving her mom and ex happens with a looming Halloween deadline.

The writing is gorgeously atmospheric and descriptive, you can practically smell autumn magic and baking in the air. I love that Rattleboro goes so hard at Halloween that they spray glitter on the sidewalks.

The relationships - especially between Flair, her mother, and her daughter - are complex and complicated, a study in contrasts. Flair isn’t close with her mom, Cyn, who was always chasing the next sure thing based on the tarot cards. This in turn has made Flair want stability and control with nothing left chance - making her daughter Lucie feel smothered.

And it wouldn’t be Hallmark-esque without the gorgeous high school BF turning up for a sweet, second-chance romance.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Playing the Witch Card was a fun read, full of small town charm and witchy vibes. The story moved along at a nice place with a few surprises to be found. I enjoyed Flairs journey of self acceptance, especially with her daughter Lucie. It would make a great fall read!