The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is marketed as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls and it does not disappoint...plus it comes with recipes!

We meet Sadie Revelare, she runs her bakery alongside her grandmother Gigi, incorporating magic and enchantment into all of her recipes. Sadie's world is turned upside down when her beloved Gigi is diagnosed with cancer, her estranged twin Seth returns, and her ex-boyfriend Jake moves back to town.

The author did a great job creating memorable characters, especially Gigi, she was feisty, and I loved her. Overall, the book was a heartfelt and cozy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy!

Breanne Randall's The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic promises heartbreak and delivers in the form of four foretold heartbreaks for the protagonist, Sadie. The first heartbreak rears its ugly head after a decade when Sadie's first love, Jake, reappears in Poppy Meadows. The second heartbreak is the disappearance of Sadie's twin brother, Seth, from her life a year prior. And the third comes when Sadie's grandmother reveals that she is dying. From here, with the backdrop of an idyllic small town a la Stars Hollow, the story unfolds, revealing old family secrets and a challenge that could lead to Sadie's fourth heartbreak.

This book is filled with magic, baking, rules, and a community that works together to help each other. I can see the comparisons to Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, so fans of these stories should give it a try. I didn't find myself as emotionally invested in the story as I wanted to be, but it has solid vibes and interesting characters. The recipes at the end of each chapter were my favorite part- I can't wait to try some!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I did not like the premise of her curse and could not get into the story. After not touching this for two weeks, I tried to start again but still couldn't be engaged. If you like cozy magic books, you might want to give it a try, but I have other books to read.

3.5/5

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

This book is very whimsical and witchy, but unfortunately the pacing was all over the place. The first half of the book felt so disconnected with random jumps between dialogue and narration that were very jarring to me.

The second half, once the plot line was revealed, was much better, but still not enough for me.

Oh also the main romance gave me the ick.

I did add an extra half star for the inclusion of recipes in this book. I plan on making one, and I’ll update my review to let y’all know if it’s any good. Just got to decide what to make.

Cute premise. It's easy enough to read and follow along. Unfortunately, I don't see it being successful with our libraries.

I'm not personally a huge fan of witchy books and stopped after chapter 1.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove for the ARC.

3.25/5

I wanted to love this book so much! It’s pitched as practical magic meets Gilmore girls and the plot does deliver on that premise. However, the pacing and dialogue just felt rushed and honestly a little young. I feel like the author had so many ideas that it came out of the gate like a bit of a context tornado that heavily leaned on dialogue. I found it hard to really get into the story as a result, which is a shame because the plot is cute.

I’ll pick up a later book by this author, and if you can get passed a bit of context dumping, you might enjoy this more!

While I loved the idea of this, I found it a little confusing. The random inclusion of magic, in a book that didn't really read like a fantasy, didn't feel like it fit. I also didn't feel connected to any of the characters in particular. I thought the one "plot twist" was a big unrealistic as well.

I wanted to love this book. With the promise of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic fell flat for me. I ended up DNFing early on in the book.

I think this is a case of the book is just not for me.

This book definitely gives Practical Magic vibes with the family dynamic and willingness to do anything for those you love. I loved our MC Sadie, and Gigi was such a great character, she was a spitfire and had me cackling several times. The relationship between Sadie and her twin Seth was very complex but you could feel their love and respect for each other.

I honestly didn’t realize how sad it was going to be which I guess is stupid considering Heartbreak is literally in the title but I think this book handled grief really well.

I also loved the little recipes between each chapter!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of the Unfortunate Side effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

Sadie is a little bit magic and helps people by adding ingredients to her cooking with surprising results.
I loved the recipes dotted through the book.

Sadie has already suffered through some heartbreaks and is tested with a few more during the story. I found it a bit dark and also found the amount of swearing a bit unnecessary imo. Lots of repetitive points which became a bit wearing. On the upside there are lots of positive family and friends relationships involved.

Not my favourite book of the year but an ok read.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for an eARC in exchange for a review. Welp, I did not enjoy this one and that’s okay. Some people will. It was too cutesy for my tastes and the characters just… existed. The grandma was my favorite, but even she fell flat. I wish she would’ve gone more in depth with the characters and the actual magic they possessed. Overall 2/5 ⭐️.

I will preface with the fact that I heard a lot of buzz about this book before reading it and unfortunately found it overhyped. Overall, I felt that there was too much trying to be done in a relatively short book. This made much of the plot and character development flat. I found the main character, Sadie, to be childish and naive. Many of the big "revelations" to Sadie were glaringly obvious. I think perhaps this would have worked better as a series so that more development could have been done.

I ran to request this ARC the minute I heard the concept of Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic.

This book has it all. It has magic, a complicated family dynamic, an ex reappearing with a storied history and lingering feelings, and everything you need for an enchanting, enthralling story. Breanne Randall does an amazing job of capturing you instantly and making you feel like you are a part of a big, dysfunctional, magical family.

This book was written for you if:
1) You like the idea of a witchy, warm novel
2) You are interested in a love story that is not just limited to romantic love
3) You are looking for a quick, cozy read that you can dive into while you bake one of the recipes found within these pages!

I did enjoy The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. While it did definitely seem to be fluffy, I still liked the characters and the plotlines. I think we will have patrons that will enjoy it, so we will be purchasing for the collection.

This was an enjoyable read. It was pitched as GILMORE GIRLS x PRACTICAL MAGIC, and I definitely felt the family connections and small town influences. However, I wished for more of the banter and humor of GG, and more of the stakes of PM.

A cozy Gilmore-girl-esque witch book. Small town, trash talking witches+ friends with complicated family lives and stubborn streaks managing their cafe, if that sounds like what you want to read about, then pick up this book and enjoy the comfy drama of heartbreak curses and healing.
I loved the recipes at the end of every chapter echoing what we just read, especially when it came with a warning (those are magical cake recipes!) and I certainly want to try making some of them.
What I was less of a fan off was how aggressive everyone sounded, and sadly I didn't really connect with the main character... I also remembered I never really fell into the whole Gilmore-girl thing, so the magic didn't quite operate on me. But this book definitely has its own voice which is always fun.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a delight to read! It really did feel like it could be Practical Magic adjacent, like you could hear a little anecdote about the Owens family not being able to make it to the gathering but they sent along soaps and favors.
The main character Sadie was a almost a little too relatable for me, but I loved the different story threads of family, responsibilities, creativity, and magic being all intertwined with love. The love interest is a little Too Perfectly Bland for my taste, but in that 'childhood friend forever love' kind of way. He's really the B-plot part of the story compared to the family drama of the A-plot.
Speaking of, the giant knot of family sometimes got a little too big to follow who was whom with all the aunts, uncles, cousins and such, but the rollercoaster of family dynamics was a fun ride.
I would recommend this book for someone who enjoys modern witchy fiction, someone who is looking for some very tasty recipes with their story, and someone who is looking for some mostly fluffy, low-stakes Hallmark-movie fun.
Hoping we get another book in this world, as I'd love to hear more about Seth and his whole side of the story.

This was a very interesting read. I loved the writing, and felt like I was watching a movie or being in the present with the characters. I read this on my kindle in almost one sitting during a road trip. I could not put it down. I loved the characters and the banter/humor/interactions with each other felt very natural. I wish I saw a little bit more interaction with Sadie and Jake. I would highly recommend this for a cozy chill weekend read.

Side note: I did notice one of the "carino" did not have the "ñ". I think it was the second time it was used towards the beginning.

Overall, I think this book is good but it definitely needs some improvements. It's small town familial/friendship connections and love, and I have thoughts.

The good:
- I enjoyed the magic system, and how all of it together is what seems to keep the family a cohesive unit.
- The family itself. I love how the love they have for each other is shown in the family scenes.
- The recipes at the end of each chapter. I will definitely be trying some of them.
- Talks about seeing a therapist, and how it is good to talk to somebody.
- The small hometown feel.

The bad:
- Author has a Hispanic/Latin character and she misuses the word "cariña" A LOT. There is no such a word in the Spanish language, the word is actually "cariño." It drove me nuts seeing it pop up constantly.
- The male "love" interest and the relationship was very predictable. I knew what would happen even before it did.
- There was no deep connection to any of the characters. You get bits and pieces of their personalities but it is all very superficial.
- The main character is hard to like. She's so stuck in her own head and her own independence and she doesn't want to listen to anybody. It's annoying.
- There were times in the story where there was a disconnect. Characters being involved when they weren't there originally, or you were in one area and then all of the sudden in a different one.

Again, I think this is a good cozy read. It can definitely be improved but overall is a cute story.

I received this book from NetGalley and Alcove Press as an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak & Magic is something magical. I laughed, cried and felt every emotion in between. I feel like it could pull anyone's heart strings. It's been compared to Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic and I agree in a sense; it has characteristics of both, but it has a heart of its own. Ms. Randall has spun a story that is so charming, but real. The importance of self-care and being mentally healthy is a huge in this novel, but it's done subtly so it doesn't feel as if you're listening to a self-help lecture. I can't recommend this book enough. I loved the recipes included; it made you feel like you could bake something alongside Sadie. I feel the same way about The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak & Magic that I do about Legends and Lattes. I could reread this again and again.

Here's some quotes that held meaning for me:
“No, your problem, carina, is that it’s practically impossible for anyone to get in that heart of yours. And when they do, you love them forever. No matter what. No matter how much they shit all over you.”

'"Time ceases to exist for you in bookstores, and I am not sitting by for three hours while you get hot over books you have no intention of buying.”“But they need me,” Sadie argued.'


'"All the cousins there and endless games of hide-and-seek and secrets and sprinklers. Sticky watermelon fingers and sidewalk chalk. As the years went on, the memories stuck, but the get-togethers didn’t."' - This could have come from a page of my life.

"I will love you every moment of forever."

When your heart is split in two, you can’t be true to either piece. It’s like you’re two different people with one beating heart.”


Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.