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.

The Revelare family is known for magic, but it comes at a price, your own personal curse. Sadie is determined to shut everyone out in order to avoid hers, four heart breaks. But as she fights to save her twin, Seth, she realizes magic has been what defines her.  And it's cost too much already.  Will she be able to save him before his curse takes hold?

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book.  It was a cozy, magical read that definitely reminded me of Practial Magic. This story was set in a small town, and the main characters lived in a quirky, magical house that had a beautiful garden. There was generational magic with a matriarch who held the group together.  The plot was interesting and engaging and held a lot of promise. It was also really cute to include recipes since it was a big part of Sadie's magic. I loved her Grgrandmother "rules" and wish they were listed in the front of the book since they were mentioned or repeated quite a bit.  I just personally wanted to see them all written out in one place since I enjoyed them. 

What I found frustrating about the story was the characters' actions.  Sadie was so stubborn that she had to push everyone away multiple times and still didn't learn her lesson. Seth and Sadie spoke to each other like they hated each other through most of the book even though it was clear they loved each other.  Jake, Sadie's love interest, was way too trusting. I also didn't get the Gilmore Girl reference since the banter wasn't particularly funny. Maybe because it took place in a small, close-knit town?

I think this would be perfect for you if you're looking for cozy, fall, witchy vibes.  Just expect the characters to be frustratingly flawed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic by Breanne Randall.

So cute, magical and cozy. Beautiful magical romcom. Recommend.

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 read.. You are so going to enjoy this one!this is a great romcom! I recommend! I need a physical copy in my life!

This seemed like a book I would love considering it was described as a crossover between practical magic and gilmore girls. There were definitely some similarities but I found the pacing of this book to be extremely slow. I did enjoy it but was hard to get through.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

This was pitched as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls, which isn’t inaccurate, but it gave me different expectations. We follow Sadie, who runs a cafe in a small town. Sadie’s magic enables her to incorporate herbs in baked goods and other food to imbue them with some power (based on the magical correspondences of the herbs).

The inspiration from Practical Magic is evident and quite cosy. There is a strong sense of family and hereditary magic. Going into this, I was expecting the wit and humour of Gilmore Girls, but was disappointed. Instead, the Gilmore Girls inspiration seems to be more related to the small town vibes and the amount of drama and messiness that was in the show.

Some aspects of this were really enjoyable - it’s always heartwarming to read about a close-knit family, and the descriptions of baking and cooking put me in a baking mood. Each chapter also ends with a recipe for a cake, meal or drink that was referenced in that chapter, and the recipes look delicious for the most part.

Where this didn’t work for me was in the characters. We’re in Sadie’s head for the whole book, and quite often she seems to do, say, and think stupid things which got quite frustrating. I didn’t connect to any of the characters, and I found some of the side characters irritating. I found the motivations and behaviour of the romantic interest, Jake, to be unbelievable (for reasons that would be spoilers).

I would recommend this if you like a lot of messy drama and some magic. then this would be a good pick. If you’re after a book with the quippy dialogue of Lorelei Gilmore, then this will probably disappoint. I point this out because that was what I was hoping for (it’s what I enjoy from Gilmore Girls), and having the wrong expectations affected my enjoyment of the book, which is a shame.

I really wanted to like this book but it just wasn’t for me and I ended up DNFing it. The characters and plot is very fluffy and cute, with a few hard knocks thrown in and every chapter ending in a recipe which others would definitely find charming but definitely not my style of book

This book has the air of a Taylor Swift song, self-titled era. If you are a fan of Jane Linfoot and books like 'The little wedding dress shop by the sea' this book is totally the same vibes.

The story starts with Sadie who works with her Grandma Gigi in a cafe. Sadie and Gigi both have magic and Sadie bakes her magic into the items for sale in the bakery. The setting is a small american town in a modern era. The towns foke are aware of the magic and are accepting. Sadie has a curse on her which means if her heart is broken she will lose her magic.

This is not anything like I normally read and didn't realize it was exactly what I needed right now. Randall's descriptive narrative puts you right there with Sadie. Such a fun journey!

Thank you Breanne Randall, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the book, especially what one could call the atmosphere: I enjoyed the magic, the senses, the smells – very descriptive. Maybe it was a tad overdone, but still... That magical atmosphere was the best part, for me. I appreciated how much the author payed attention to all senses! The sounds of everyday life in the shop, the smells... And yes, it may be akin to Practical Magical, but not so much to Gilmore Girls – and for me, that’s a plus! I don’t care that much for Lorelei’s endless banter, but the small town vibes are really cozy, really nice.
The story is well written, although in the beginning, Sadie, the leading character, felt sometimes a bit like a pushover – but forgiving was important to her story arc, so be it. There’s also the trope that magic has a price – it was already four heartbreaks, she shouldn’t pay that and lose her magic.
By the way, it is fall in the Southern Hemisphere, so it’s a perfect reading for this season, here.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC.

The comparisons to Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls is apt. I wasn't convinced of Gigi's character. I think she was supposed to be brusque and no-nonsense, but loving, but shortcuts like her cursing didn't quite fit. The sense of place felt off as well - I never felt grounded in a specific region. Perhaps that was intentional. The inclusion of mainstream religion was an interesting choice, as you don't normally see that alongside witchcraft. While there was a lot going on the actual conflict was fairly passive. Not bad, but for most people seeking witchy reads today, it's probably not a top-20 choice. However, if there's a devout Christian who doesn't mind Halloween, I'd probably head straight for this.

I had mixed feelings about this book - it had some definite positives, and also some things that were a little frustrating and difficult for me as a reader. I appreciated the magic and the witchy vibes, but I think the characters were not for me. There was a lot of introspective angst but I never felt like it was leading to character growth or change, which can be exhausting to buy into as a reader.

The writing improved as I made it though more of the book, and I can absolutely see where the appeal will be for some. I can see how this will definitely be a fun read for some who like cozy book, but overall the writing was not for me. It felt too slow and I struggled to get into it. I also found the main character to be fairly mean spirited, and some of the things she's said and done in her past felt like bullying. The best friend character felt a little flat and two dimensional to me.

I did appreciate the focus on all types of love, not just romantic. I think that's sorely lacking from many recent releases. Overall, I would probably not read a sequel, but I will definitely keep this in mind because I firmly believe the right reader is out there.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and magical! I loved the cozy vibes. Felt like a nice fall day while reading this!

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is described as being a cross between Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic.
It definitely is more Practical Magic set in a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business.
I really loved when the whole family came back in town. Such sweet characters and I want to be a part of this family.
I did guess the riddle and ending pretty early on but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. The ending definitely lends itself to a sequel which I cannot wait for!
I loved the recipes at the end of each chapter! So fun!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Breanne Randall for a eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very sweet and cozy read. I did have a hard time getting into this book at times. I am not sure if it was the pacing or just my reading mood. The world does give me Practical Magic vibes and I had no issues imaging it. This gives such cute small town vibes. The plot has a lot of drama, and messy relationships. But I did enjoy the magical elements. This was a solid read but I did expect more? I couldn’t really connect with some of the characters. I am not sure but I wasn’t 100% in love. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars! A really solid debut novel. I look forward to what else the author writes in the future.

What I did enjoy:
- the magic! I loved how the magic worked in this book. I loved how everyone had their own specific powers
- The Practical Magic vibes! I love Practical magic and I felt that in this book. The cozy small town and magic were my fave parts.
- The recipes! They were so cute and sounded really delicious!
- Cozy vibes from this book make it a perfect fall read.

I did enjoy this book! This feels like the perfect read for fans of small town romance and cozy vibes. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hearing this book was supposed to be like Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls, I was excited. This book was slow like Practical Magic, but nothing like Gilmore Girls. The book takes place in California, but it felt like it belonged in the Southern US. The beginning felt choppy, but I felt the writing got better as it went on. But it was so slow, I was skimming large chunks of the book to just find the important parts. It took about 60% of the book to finally pick up and get more interesting. A lot of people will (and do) love this book, but it just wasn’t for me or what I was I was expecting based on the description.

The Unfortunate Side Effects Of Heartbreak And Magic is an absolute gem of a novel filled with cozy magic and heartwarming family.
This book is the story of Sadie, a young woman who is having a bit of a rough time. Her twin brother has left town, she's measuring her heartbreaks against her magic because she's worries she'll lose it, as per her curse, after too many.
This story is well paced and was a joy to read and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves magical realism.

For my more indepth (but still spoiler free) review, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6wKwiIlyV4