I really enjoyed every part of this. It’s a very cozy read with a very interesting witchy world attached to it. I love that it ends each chapter with recipes that I am dying to try!

If you’re searching for a book that will transport you to a world where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where love, loss, and self-discovery intertwine with enchantment, then this is the perfect read for you. Brace yourself for an unforgettable journey through the highs and lows of life, sprinkled with a touch of magic and a whole lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this book. If you are looking for a book to read, that is really cozy, and has wonderful elements of magic and witches, then I would definitely pick up the book. I will be reading it again as we get closer to the fall seasons just because of the vibe that it gives. Definitely a wonderful story!

I was immediately intrigued when I saw it was a Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic story, but unfortunately it was not a favorite of mine. I really struggled with really getting into the story and holding my interest. I think my favorite part of the whole book was the recipes.

The Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic blurb is so spot on. This was a cozy little fantasy read, and I can't wait to make some of these recipes! I liked the representation with things like disability and bipoc characters throughout, but I hated that there was a harry potter reference and wish we could move past Jkr. This was definitely a good and enjoyable read.

When this author came across my FYP on TikTok teasing her upcoming book that she claimed was a Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic I had to stop my scroll and find out more.

I was hooked.

Signed up for the preorder and as soon as the ARC requests were open I put in for one. So glad I got accepted and got a chance to read this early.

This book had the feeling of a long time favorite on the first read through. I can already see myself in a chunky sweater, by a fall fire, eating one of the delicious recipes from the book. (Side note the Carrot Cake cookies are a favorite in our home already)

Even though I just read this, when my copy that I preordered arrived I will reread. It was that good and I want to go back and take the journey with my new friends again and see if there was any nuance that I missed in the first read through.

This is a MUST read for your fall TBR. Put in your preorder today if you haven’t yet.

DNF. I’m sure there’s people who will love this book, but the pace was far too slow for me and I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I love third person POV, but something about the prose just didn’t vibe for me.

You had me at Practical magic meets Gilmore Girls
he Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic was a cozy, magical read with a story set in a small town. The main characters lived in a quirky, magical house that had a beautiful garden. The magic in the book elements with mastery, binding them with tea, oilments, perfumes and, most of all, baking. Fort the most par tI liked the book, the story was a bit slow at times and the romance was ok. I found the main character to be frustrating.

I would definitely recommend this book if you like Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls, whimsical and cozy fantasy

This is a cozy read to curl up with on a rainy day beside the fire. There is lots of witchy, spooky writing and the characters are well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNFed at 15%. I couldn't get into this and didn't like that it was told in 3rd person. This is promoted as being cozy and it definetly is with the description of the town and stores and magical baked goods. For me though it just felt like way too much description and I couldn't get interested in anything.

Fair warning: there were no trigger warnings, but there should have been for: depression, attempted suicide, and cancer.

This book kind of made me feel like I got hit by a bus. There were so many things happening all the time that I felt myself speeding up my reading in an attempt to feel like I was keeping up. I was overly unimpressed with the FMC; in my opinion, she was overly dramatic and angsty. The MMC we barely saw - and I wasn't really impressed with him either. At one point, Sadie uses her magic to force Jake to confess his feelings for her - and then gets mad he leaves. Another point, Jake comes back and spends 3/4 of the book trying to tell Sadie he's buying the house right next to her - but he's engaged and is going to be a father. Then, at the end of the book, they somehow find their way back to each other? Literally, I can't with either of them.

To me, it felt like we spent the majority of the book being bombarded with information, and then the story ends, but not really? The story ended on a pretty big cliff hanger without the promise of there being a sequel, which is frustrating - because I would have liked knowing that prior to reading it. It was all just extremely unsatisfying.

All in all, it was okay. I didn't hate it - but I didn't love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: September 19, 2023

Rating: 2 stars

Reading the synopsis is what originally drew me in. A mix of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic; sign me up! Unfortunately, this book and I ended up not getting along. I was expecting more magical elements rather than the "magical" properties of plants. I felt that this didn't fall into fantasy plus I was hoping for more banter like what you would find in Gilmore Girls.

The characters were just told to me as a reader rather than shown so I found myself struggling to stay connected to the story. I did give a full star for all the mental health representation! Overall, I DNF early in the book unfortunately and have dubbed this book as not a fit for me as a reader.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic was a beautiful and heart-warming book, this witchy, spooky story has plenty of witty dialogue and heart felt scenes. I found the MC Sadie incredibly relatable, her relationship with her grandmother is adorable and the plot is a real mix of fun, romance and laughter.

This small town romance is definitely one that I would read again preferably in Autumn! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall is a cozy, witchy book that's perfect for a vacation read. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of magic, love, and family legacies and would read more by the author - particularly if it were a sequel to this one!

This was an ARC I read for feedback.

This book is a cozy, witchy read. The characters are well written, and likeable. I wish there was more to the Lavender and Lace characters, as their story seems interesting. I'd recommend this as a rainy, fall day read.

Magical recipes, a missing brother, a long lost love, and a supportive best friend all come together to help Sadie when her magic starts going haywire.

Jake, her first love, has returned with secrets, her twin brother disappears without a word, and her grandma is definitely hiding something.

Surrounded by chaotic love, Sadie has to navigate a lot while keeping her magic in check.

The Jake and Sadie romance felt off-kilter as it seemed a lot of the relationship development happened off the page and internal to the characters. The main plot is about Sadie and her family, which isn’t necessarily how this book is marketed.

Also, A LOT of information was casually tossed out in conversation and this method did not lend itself to the story as it was easy to miss several large plot points.

This novel is more about family love and less about romantic love, so if you like magic, family dysfunction, and delicious recipes check this out! If you like magic, family dysfunction, and delicious recipes check this out!

Can you think of a book idea better than, "it's Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic"? Because I certainly cannot.

I stumbled upon Breanne Randall's TikTok, like so many others, when she appeared on my For You page gushing about her new "Gilmore Girls x Practical Magic" book, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic...and obviously I flew to NetGalley faster than my internet could carry me. Within a day or so, I was approved!

You'll immediately fall in love with Poppy Meadows, the picturesque Northern California town that is the the setting for The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, and one of its most beloved residents: Sadie Revelare. Sadie hates the term witch, but she, and her family, are descendants of the seven founding (and magical) families of Poppy Meadows. Sadie owns the local cafe and bakery, A Peach In Time, and all of her recipes tend to…make things happen. You ate one of Sadie's scones and suddenly had the courage to spill your heart to your crush? It happens!

While she lives in the picture perfect town, Sadie's life is anything but cozy. She knows that she's the victim of a curse that will leave her heartbroken not once, not twice, but FOUR times. She's experienced two of the heartbreaks so far, as she's been abandoned twice by the men closest to her: her previous love, Jake and, even worse, her twin brother Seth. Then, Jake returns to town and her grandmother reveals a terminal cancer diagnosis...and Sadie's life all but crumbles from there.

I really enjoyed this book! It got the Practical Magic vibes PERFECTLY--it's as if Sadie lives in the same town as Sally and Gillian, just with another POV. That part of the story was so insanely cozy that I found myself, a SUMMER PERSON through and through, wishing I was reading this book on a crisp fall day with a warm cup of apple cinnamon spiced tea. The Gilmore Girls nod was also there, but more muted; Poppy Meadows is so reminiscent of Stars Hollow! There's even one resident in particular that was so clearly a Mrs. Kim that it made me miss her so much it hurts--and that means it's time for another Gilmore Girls binge!

I found Sadie to be a pretty relatable main character. She's a bit selfish at times, and totally out of touch with her own needs, but my gosh do I understand her on an elemental level: I'm also the one who has to help everyone around me before thinking about helping myself. I'm working on it, and it was nice to find a character that has some of the same struggles. I refer to it as "oldest daughter" syndrome, personally, but it could also be "the twin who stayed," for Sadie. This book is also full of a diverse cast of characters! Poppy Meadows seems to be a haven of people from so many different cultures, and I felt like Breanne did a lovely job of respecting different cultures without appropriating them--and I hope that once you read it, you'll agree.

Perhaps my favorite parts of the The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic was the end of every chapter: there were RECIPES! We've discussed so many books that made us starve on my podcast, and I'd find my mouth watering over a baked good, or a fried chicken recipe, or an infused honey, only to turn the page and find that I have the recipe there and ready to make it myself! Talk about giving the people what they want!

I also had the sweetest interaction with Breanne. I knew that there were more heartbreaks coming, and then a dog was introduced, and, well, you know me. So, I did what any insanenormal person would do and immediately DM'ed the author for a trigger warning. Thankfully, she is ONEOFUSONEOFUSONEOFUS and said that she could NEVER harm a dog, so, reader be confident: Bambi and Abby are 100% totally fine throughout the entirety of the book!

Before I wrap this latest ramble up, you know I'm going to drop the content warnings. There is talk of anxiety, depression, and suicide, murder, allusion to rape that resulted in pregnancy (this may not be 100% the case, but it was my takeaway), terminal illness, cancer (including *SPOILER ALERT* death by cancer on page), and (SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT THIS IS A BIG SPOILER ALERT) a faked pregnancy.

Every Revelare has a curse. It’s the price of their magic. Sophie’s is that if she suffers four heartbreaks she’ll lose her magic. She’s already had her heartbroken twice. She’s happy to close herself off and run her bakery with her grandmother.

A whimsical book that mixes Practical Magic family magic and curses with the small town charm of Stars Hollow. I loved the world building but do wish we’d seen more of the town. This is also a hetero romance which is not normally my thing.

Trigger warnings for: Suicide attempt, death, cancer, murder, cheating.

Is cozy romance, a thing because this book felt like being wrapped in a blanket with a viper of hot chocolate. Breanne Randall wrote the practical magic inspired romance novel of my dreams. I loved the unique magic system and casualness in which everyone accepts magic in the town. I know heartbreak in its title, but I did not expect to be as sad as I was halfway through the book. Sadie and her grandmothers, beautiful relationship was truly the heart of the book. There was such a well done, full circle plot. Plus the tension between Sadie and Jake was absolutely perfect!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect witchy book. It was warm and witchy and it was just a joy to read. I fell in love with all of the characters and the world was a joy to be in. You definitely need to read this book around the spooky season. It is perfect for it. I cant wait to reread it.