What a sweet, cozy, and magical read!
I mean a book filled with gardening, baking, and small town vibes…yes please!!

This book just made me feel good while reading it. And it made me want to try all the recipes that are shared at the end of each chapter.

If you are looking for a heart felt book sprinkled with magic and romance this Fall, look no further. Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book.

This book had a slight undertone of political ideologies throughout it that was really unsavoury to entertain while reading. I found the story to be weak and confused. The saving grace of the book is that there are recipes at the end of every chapter.

This book has practical magic vibes and I really enjoyed it! I loved the small town vibes and family bounds portrayed. I also enjoyed the second chance romance trope. This was a cozy, warm, magical and witchy read. I’m definitely hoping for more books with the Revelare family.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

DNF- I got about a chapter into this, the magic part was too cutesy and pushed too hard. The characters seemed really stereotypical and one dimensional. Maybe others might like this book but not my cup of tea at all.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
by Breanne Randall
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2023

I wonderful heartfelt read, full of recipes and magic 🪄


Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

#TheUnfortunateSideEffectsofHeartbreakandMagic #NetGalley

this was okay, but read a little juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.
With the news of their grandmother’s impending death, Sadie’s estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie’s world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn’t sure she’ll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

It is a cozy book full of magic and wonderful recipes. There are characters that I found strange, like the mother, as well as the relationships within the family. Even so, it is a book with a fantastic setting, which transports you directly to all the scenarios described.

A story of family, friendship and love, and I really enjoyed the witchy nature! It is a delightful story about Sadie in a small town of Poppy Meadows. She bakes goods at her cafe and puts a little bit of love (and MAGIC) into her baking! It is just what the doctor asked for.

Sadie works hard at making everyone else happy, but what does Sadie do for herself? It is more than just another cozy romance book. It is an absolutely delightful read.

3.5 Stars
I absolutely loved that the recipes were included in the book definitely gave me cozy vibes. Sadie's connection to her magic and her cooking were my favorite parts of the book. I do feel like there was maybe not enough interactions between the main love interests and it wasn’t fleshed out enough for me to really feel anything for them as a couple. I know that part of Sadie’s curse is to keep her emotions bottled up to keep her from heartbreak but I wish my girl would’ve told off Jake or her brother at least once, like don’t just fold now girl!
I am also not a fan of the power loss trope and I do hope Sadie somehow gets her magic back.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!

What a great read! Randall did such a wonderful job twisting fantasy into reality, and I especially loved the recipes at the end of each chapter - what a great idea for a book club!

Sadie is of a magical bloodline, and as she ages she has to reconcile her magic with a curse…and when her grandmother starts to ail, more things come to the forefront that make her magic even more at stake.

It is not a Harry Potter read, but it also isn’t a TJ Klune read. This lives somewhere in the middle of fantasy and reality, and it is such a warming tale of small town romance, magic and a little bit of family drama. Great beach read, book club suggestion or a book to gift to an everyday reader! I left this one with a warmth in my heart.

Wonderful read. A story of friendship, family, love, and magic. I loved the recipes provided at the end of each chapter. This will be such a fun book to recommend.

Witchy perfection! So witchy books are my weakness and I cannot resist anything that has magic, cute romances and witches. This book did not disappoint, I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book, I will not spoil it but trust me, you need to read it ASAP!

What a delightful novel.
I received this book as an arc from NetGalley and Alcove Press. This honest review is in exchange for receiving the arc.

I devoured this book. What a wonderfully written novel about Sadie and her grandmother, Gigi. They live in a wistful and homey small town called Poppy Meadows and run a café. Neighbors are nosy, sweet, and have some adorable names like Lavender and Lace. There is a Fall Festival, a house that ‘speaks’ to those who enter and a grandfather clock that chimes when company arrives.

Sadie is the main baker and she puts a little dose of magic into her baking. I loved this aspect of the book because she isn’t doing it to be malicious – she just knows what the community needs. And I absolutely LOVED that recipes were included at the end of the chapters!

Sadie’s family are descendants of the 7 founding families of Poppy Meadows and we learn about those various families a little bit; however, the entire book focuses on family, found and blood (the good, the bad, the in-between) as Sadie is trying to not experience heartbreak, as that is her curse. Sadie works very hard at loving and cultivating her magic and maintaining her garden, all while caring for her sweet grandmother, Gigi. She works very hard at making everyone else happy and doing for others that Sadie doesn’t do much for herself.

And Jake – firefighter ex-boyfriend returning to Poppy Meadows – love him and his dedicated spirit.

I don’t want to spoil this book, but it was such a great mix of love, loss, heartbreak, happiness, grief, and soul-searching – not just for Sadie. What a treat of a book. Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press, but also, huge thanks to the world of social media and Breanne Randall for writing a book that combined a Gilmore Girls-esque town with some magic. What a treat.

And when a second book is written…watch out. Just pure loveliness in a cup.
#netgalley #theunfortunatesideeffectsofheartbreakandmagic @breannerandall

Let me first say that the thing that caught my attention first in this book was the title. I found it compelling and interesting, and it made me want to find out more about the story.

I found the way that the author created magic and how it is used to be so unique! The idea that the level and power of magic can be controlled by food or spices is actually fascinating. I am sure there are cultures that actually tie this into their own folklore and practices. It made it so much more realistic in my eyes because it became something tangible. I am so used to perceiving magic in certain ways when it comes to fiction and how it is presented, but I think this aspect really strengthened the world and character building.

Of course the plot of the story also allows the reader to anticipate the consequences of power. After all. "with great power, comes great responsibility". I liked that the author did not shy away from how magic can cause "heartbreak" as the title states.

Overall, I would rate the following out of 5 stars:
❥ World-building: 4/5
❥ Character Building/Growth: 3.5/5
❥ Writing-style: 3.5/5
❥ Romance: 3/5
❥Storyline/Plot: 4/5

Sometimes you just need to take time with a book and this one was that book for me. I struggled with pacing and long chapters but it paid out in the end. This lovely book made me cry, laugh, giggle, fear for life of various pets ( don't worry everyone is safe at all times) and most of all it made me fall in love with it.
Truly a delight to read!!!!

From this cover, you think you're getting another cozy romance book, but it is so much more! The romance truly is great, but my favorite relationships are ones of family and friends- the twin bother, the grandmother, and the best friend. The magic was never too much- just a sprinkle of power that comes with awesome recipes (that I cannot wait to try!) Just such a cozy book with great relationships all around!

I did think that the ending was maybe too obvious, and all the twists and turns were predictable. I also felt like we had a few too many characters in family members that lost connection to the reader.

All around, I did enjoy the drama, relationships, and felt for this genre that it was typical to know the ending.

Sadie Revelare has always been convinced that the four heartbreaks tied to her magical abilities are a price worth paying. But when her grandmother receives a terminal cancer diagnosis with limited time left, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, resurfaces in town after ten years, Sadie's meticulously organized life starts to crumble.

As their grandmother's imminent passing looms, Sadie's long-lost twin brother Seth makes a sudden reappearance, unearthing buried family secrets that have the potential to shatter Sadie's world. With their grandmother having been the pillar of the family for generations, Sadie is unsure if she can muster the strength to hold the family and her magic intact once she is gone.

As Sadie's emotions for Jake reignite and her grandmother's health deteriorates, she confronts her final heartbreak. In the midst of this pivotal moment, Sadie is forced to make a choice: is love more valuable than magic?

I heard of this book on TikTok first, and I almost screamed when I logged onto NetGalley and saw that it was available to request. I usually put this at the end, but, thank you so so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored everything about this book. There are so many characters to love, and I really think there's something different for every reader to relate to. I'm super close with my grandmother, so reading about Sadie's struggle with accepting Gigi's cancer was really close to home for me.

Anything with witches is basically going to be a huge success for me, but this was extraordinary. It's funny, sweet, sad, and just such a captivating story. I can't wait to read more from this author, and I recommend this book 1000 times over.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic comes out September 19, 2023!

I was so excited to read this book. The description sounds fun, right? Magic, family, romance. Jake the MC's love interest returning after a decade lead me to believe that the MC would be a lot more mature. She has a strong family connection, and she runs a lovely cafe. Yet Sadie seems so immature to me. Jake, ugh. Such a coward, wrapped in "I'm honorable and want to do the right thing". I'm big on honesty and I felt that he lead Sadie on.
The book got off to a slow start. Lots of things happening, and the introduction of characters but no real substance given to them until later made it a bit confusing. Once it picked up I came to really like Sadie's grandmother. Her family is where the beauty of this book was for me. I loved reading about their dynamics and love for each other. I was able to see the charm in the house and the town. As one other reviewer said, it's more of a quaint southern town feel. The story with Sadie and Jake's romance as a side thought was a good read.


Description from the publisher:
For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.

✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

**Review: ⭐⭐⭐/5**
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic follows Sadie Revelare, a woman gifted with family magic she loves but which comes with a terrible curse: her magic can only survive four heartbreaks, and then she risks losing it forever. While Sadie has kept her life under control for a while, things quickly start to spiral: her first love (and first heartbreak) returns after 10 years; her twin brother reappears after leaving suddenly and without notice the year prior (her second heartbreak); and her grandmother Gigi (the woman who raised her) receives a terrible cancer diagnosis that leads to the reveal of some dangerous family secrets that put the family’s lives in the balance. Sadie has to figure out how to protect herself and those she loves before everything falls apart.

This book had so many promising elements that are right in my sweet spot—magic, romance, drama, and a fun cast of characters. I was interested in many of the characters, and in particular I found the storyline around Gigi surprisingly impactful.

On the whole, things just didn’t click for me as much as I hoped in this book. I think a lot of this was due to the pacing of the story. In the first half of the book, there is a lot going on in the plot and with the characters, but not a lot of information is really given about any of it. Rather than creating a sense of mystery or suspense, I think the lack of context actually works against the narrative of the book and adds a level of confusion to the story. About halfway through the book the plot gains a clear sense of direction, and from there things happen fast—so fast, that I felt like we missed some great details about the development of the characters and the story itself. I would have loved to see the first half of the book streamlined a bit so that more time could have been spent on the details—the family dynamics and relationships, the setting, and the magic. In particular, I think the magic was largely unexplained and under-described throughout the whole book, which added a level of muddiness to the plot points related to magic. I also had a tough time with the characterization of the main character—Sadie is supposed to be 28, but she reads to me about 10 years older than that.

All this being said, I do think this book could appeal to adults who like heartfelt, realistic fiction with a bit of magic. I would also recommend it to those who like K.F. Breene’s “Magical Midlife Madness” series, even though the protagonist in this series is younger. The book touches on a lot of relatable issues and experiences that would resonate with many individuals or even work well in a book club discussion. I could see there being a promising follow up to this book, and if so, I hope that we could dig deeper into some of the relationships and magical elements that were not thoroughly explained in this first book.

This book is marketed as having a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls vibe, which is what led me to not expect the tragic moments I experienced from the story, despite the title containing the word "heartbreaks". I liked the book and very much enjoyed the cozy, mystic vibes it brings forth, though. Sadie, Seth, Raquel, Jake, and the whole Revelare family with the quaint town of Poppy Meadows feels like people I'd love to have in my daily life and a place that would feel so welcoming and homey. Some of the major plot points felt predictable for me, but I do read/watch a lot of witchy stories that involve curses and related problems. The small town aspect is also very familiar to me. These types of witchy tales tend to have a formula, but the characters and the house as its own character are written alive so wonderfully that I really wanted to know their fates. Predictability found within is no fault of the author but stems from the setting and characters pushing everything into inevitable ways. I also loved the family stability instilled into Sadie both from the town and her blood ties, yet another component that only made the story stronger to me and conclusions best fitting as written.

The book releases this fall, and everything about it is perfect for crisp fall weather reading. Reading it in the heat of July made me imagine escaping the overbearing summer for a little while.