The Unfortunate Effects of Heartbreak and Magic has:

🩵 Lgbt Characters
🩵 Mental Illness Representation
🩵 Pro-Therapy
🩵 Unique Curses
🩵 Missing & Reuniting Family
🩵 Heartbreak (obviously)
🩵 HEA

You can tell by the way this is written the author puts a lot of thought into the ingredients and the magic system they correlate to. I also loved discovering the list of magic rules they live by. It’s really unique.

Sadie is a 28 y/o and I find it really refreshing that the FMC isn’t a teenager going through her coming of age story.

The butter incident made me laugh out loud but I felt the worse second hand embarrassment for Sadie 🫣🤭

After every chapter a recipe for something described in that chapter is listed out with instructions and I thought that was so cute.

My favorite quote from Sadie’s sassy grandmother “If you’re going to drag my ass to God’s house, He better know I’m not coming willingly.”

This story takes a bit of a dark twist around 50-60% and it also gets pretty sad, but it tells the story about loss, grief, and healing in a really satisfying way.

Gigi’s letter had no business making me cry like it did ok. Unacceptable. And the mom? I sobbed. I’m heartbroken.

The ending of this book made me cry even more and now the only thing left to do is go stare at a wall for 5 hours.

“The Unfortunate Effects of Heartbreak and Magic” uses the concept of magic as a choice rather than something a person is born with to explore themes of limiting beliefs, distance vs connection, family, vulnerability, and identity vs purpose.

While a promising premise, the plot feels disorganized at times, with new concepts/characters introduced later in the story without previous reference, and continuity issues. The chapters are long, and the prose is, in some instances, extremely descriptive. While there are moments of insight and beauty, plot holes distract the reader from the important themes of the story. Also, a recurring word meant to be used as a term of endearment in Spanish does not exist in that language (the correct term is "cariño").

However, the author did a good job of introducing us to Sadie and her magic, making her feel believable for the most part. On the other hand, her grandmother Gigi’s constant cursing caricaturizes and robs her of depth. As for the romance, I did not feel invested. Jake’s character inspires minimal romantic tension and is left in the background in favor of the more important things going on within Sadie’s family.

I did enjoy Seth’s and Sage’s highlights of their intriguing magic and I hope to get a chance to know more of their stories in the future. I loved the recipes at the end of each chapter, the connection to nature and family, the garden and kitchen magic, and all the information about the uses and meanings of plants, food, and spices. I also enjoyed the brief discussions of mental health.

The pacing felt slow for the first half of the book, and the ending felt disconnected, especially the last sentence.

This is a story that would benefit from strong editing, and I hope issues are resolved by the time this book is published.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Alcove Press for providing me with a free digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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I wanted to love this. I really wanted to love this. And I know a lot of people do love it and it's possible that I'm completely wrong. But I just didn't love this book.

I wanted a cozy fantasy, because that what we're being told this is. This book is being hyped up as Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic, and I think that's probably what it COULD be. But it isn't.

For reasons I don't understand, the main character's grandmother calls her a pissant in the first chapter? I wanted family vibes, and maybe for some people this would give them that, but for me it was jarring and unreliable. Throughout the book the dialogue wavers between jarring and expository.

I love the idea of herbs being magic, using them in cooking. I identify as a kitchen witch, and that side of this was really fun. I also love the representation, especially of mental health issues.

I admire anyone who can complete writing a novel. It's such a difficult thing and every book has its audience. I'm just not the audience for this one, I guess...

When the read the synopsis and saw that this was a cross between Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls I was so excited. I practically clawed my way to request this, sadly it just wasn't my cup of tea. First I couldn't connect to the MC Sadie, she actually made me want to rip my hair out multiple times. Secondly, I just did not like the romance. Jake was just unlikable, and when we hear about why he's even back sniffing around Sadie it just makes it worse to me. I would have loved it if Sadie actually stayed single, as every interaction between them felt forced and flat. Third, Sadie's grandma was annoying, I might just be tired of the 'Hardass but loving Grandmother' trope. Lastly, while in the beginning I really enjoyed Randall's writing, towards the end I felt like she was adding descriptions to make a word count.

The idea behind this sounded so good, it's just the execution could have been better. There are a lot of themes that I would love to have explored like death and heartbreak and how it would affect magic. Also, Randall's magic system seemed interesting.

Overall, This just wasn't for me but it could be for you.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
By Breanne Randall

I absolutely love this fantastically woven tale of Sadie and her family, navigating buried secrets, heartache, & complicated relationships. This witchy Gilmore girls is definitely the vibe and Brianne Randall made me wanna pack up and move to Poppy Meadows. This beautiful story had me cackling at the witty banter and ugly crying and missing my own crazy spunky gran-gran. I wholeheartedly can’t wait to have a physical copy of this and will be hanging onto hope for more Sadie and the rest of the Revelare’s

📚Expected release date
September 19, 2023📚
❤️Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, & the brilliant author Breanne Randall. I’m super appreciative & gave my honest opinion❤️

I was given a copy of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreaking Magic by Breanne Randall from NetGalley in return for a honest review. This book was Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls. The FMC Sadie is a witch who’s magic doesn’t always cooperate and often leads to disastrous situations. She has stayed in her small town with her brutality honest grandmother, GiGi, while everyone she has ever loved has left. Including her twin brother Seth, for reasons unknown to her. This story was a beautiful tale of family, love, second chances, and heartbreak. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a redemption tale with main character growth and family love and humor. Solid 4 stars.

This book pulls you in from page one! It's whimsical and enchanting. I loved it! I love the added details of recipes. I'm even going to try one out with my kids.

I think the marketing is heavy handed with "Gilmore girls meets practice magic" that's a lot to live up to. But definitely worth the read if you like cozy, magical books.

I found this a little hard to get into mostly because of the grandmother calling everyone pissant, and the like. When I got past that, the grandmother is actually a very likeable character, it was an enjoyable read. I think it is very fortuitous that this comes out in the fall because, it is a very atmospheric read. Fun romp through spells and heartbreak.

This book was amazing!! Loved it from the first few sentences all the way till the end. I can not wait for this author to come out with another book. This one was a joy to read.

Oh I really wanted to love this book. The marketing of Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls got me hook, line, and sinker but the thing is, by the time I was reading this I had already read a good amount of witchy cozy books set in small towns. All I could see in this one was a collection of tropes taken from other, better written books, that just felt really stale here. The pacing is strange and everything just felt far too much tell, very little show. 40 pages in, I couldn’t get myself to care about any of the characters or what might happen to them.

What I will say is that the recipes included were just a sweet touch, and I loved the way the author wrote about plants and herbs. Those descriptions were the highlight of the book for me.

This was a really fun, unique read. While I wouldn't agree that it is "Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic" (as was the initial marketing hook that attracted me), it definitely embodies a quirky, whimsical essence that I haven't encountered in many books.

Very cute. 3 Stars.

This book felt like a warm hug from a friend and a cup of tea to soothe the senses. Very well written and certainly bingeable. If you are looking for a heart warming read that will satisfy the senses and the heart, this is the one.

This is easily one of my all time favorite witchy books that I have read!! It’s the perfect cozy, witchy read. And is very comparable to Practical Magic.

The writing is so amazing and so descriptive that you feel like you’re actually in the book.

My favorite part of this was how unique the magic system was and how they could manipulate emotions and behavior based on the food and spices that they gave to people!

I have nothing bad to say about this book. I binge read it in a day and cried pretty much the entire time.

I love this book so much and will recommend it to everyone! I’ve already mentioned this a few times on my TikTok and I’ve been getting preorder sales from my Amazon storefront!!

Easy 5 ⭐️ read. I’m so obsessed with it!

Will post a detailed TitTok and goodreads review soon!

2.5 ⭐️

I think the main problem that me decided to take away some stars was the pacing. The beginning is very slow, for example, the description mentions how Seth returns to town, making me expect that it would happened in the first chapter or so, but that doesn't happen till chapter 6 (out of 19). Then the last 2 chapters feel very rushed, trying to complete everything, with some ideas still feeling unfinished.

Another problem I had was while Sadie was a fairly good main character, everything we know about her was told to her/the audience by the other characters. The audience didn't learn about her through her actions, but simply through how Gigi and Seth view her. Her romance with Jake also felt forced at times.

I discovered this book while scrolling through Instagram. As soon as I saw it described as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls I was hooked. I’m so glad I was able to get an early copy to read!!

Immediately greets you like an old friend. I loved the cafe, A peach in thyme. Combining baked goods with magical properties because we all know the magic of a good treat. And the recipes added between chapters was so cute! I actually may need to make some of them. They all sounded so lovely and magical.

The town is a melting pot full of diverse characters. I love how open everyone was about their struggles with mental health. Anxiety, bipolar, OCD. No one judged they just supported.

I made myself savor this book. I wanted to devour it but I wanted to allow myself to fully enjoy each word. My eyes would skip ahead because I wanted to know what was coming but I made myself go back and take my time.

Let’s talk about the cover. I’m obsessed!! I’d get that tea cup tattooed in a heart beat.

The second half of the book left me with my heart in my throat. On the verge of tears until the damn opened up.

Grandmas are magic. My grandma was one of the most important people in my life. When she passed everything changed so I immediately connected with the author and Sadie. It warmed my heart to hear that the author wrote this book in honor of her grandma.

Fingers crossed there will be a sequel!

Thank you NetGalley and Breanne Randall for allowing me to read The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. I have written this review voluntarily.

This is absolutely the Practical Magic version of Gilmore Girls...like 100%. It is very rom comy in the sense of the dramatics and goofyness but overall a decent story. It is sad at times but honestly the HEA at the end is what kept me going.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gilmore girls with witches? Sign me up! This book gave exactly what it promotes - a cozy story with romance and magic. This is going to be a perfect fall read.

3.5/5⭐

Thank you netgalley and publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book
This book was amazing. It made me fall in love with the characters and really feel for them. I cried a few times, not gonna lie. Sadie in the beginning is so closed off to everyone because she is afraid of another heartbreak, yet she does so much good for her community. She feels realistic and I like that she is 28 rather than the younger protagonists that are in most books. It shows how an adult handles the challenges of life. Also, she is relatable to most who love to read from when Raquel says, "No way. Time ceases to exist for you in bookstores, and I'm not sitting by for three hours while you get hot over books you have no intention of buying," and Sadie responds,"But they need me." Yes, Sadie, I too drag my loved ones around book stores to look at books.
I think the book does a good job of invoking a sense of community as they come together to help her family in their time of need. I also love how the family works together despite past troubles, finding a rhythm that is familiar. My heart also goes out to Jake who is really just a sweet guy trying to do what is right and doing his best.
On another note, I think the recipes in between chapters is a really unique idea and it feels like we're getting to see Sadie write her cookbook as the story unfolds. I have the recipes bookmarked and plan on trying a few, especially the orange honey vanilla scones. I also had fun trying to guess what recipe was going to be at the end of the chapter based off of what Sadie had made, it was like a little mystery that was revealed.

2.75/5

When I saw that this was <b>a mix of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic</b>, I knew I needed to read this right away. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Although there was definitely a sense of community and cozy small time vibes, I didn’t think that it screamed <i>Gilmore Girls</i> specifically. I definitely saw the <i>Practical Magic</i> side of it, in the setting, family relationships, and main characters.

However, Sadie came off selfish and one-dimensional until the very end so it was hard to root for her but I did like her relationship with her grandmother. Jake, the love interest, felt bland and only there to create road bumps. I didn’t feel a connection between the two of them and it seemed like we were just supposed to accept that they had a really strong bond from ten years ago that carried over to present day and blossoms. I didn’t really get the point of the dog Bambi or the cat Simon..? I also didn’t really understand the plot until about 40% in because that first part was just Sadie reiterating that people left her. I know this is important but it seemed dragged out and repetitive. The last 50% was more interesting and fast paced and I wished the entirety of the book was like that.

I liked the rest of the characters. They were lively and fun. <b>Big families are my jam</b> and I wished there was more of it! Their reunion and journey through grief was warm and heartfelt and hands down my favorite part about the whole book.

Anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder were mentioned but almost as an afterthought and though I commend the inclusion of this representation, it just made it seem like therapy was the answer to all and that’s not always the case.
<spoiler> This also made me mad at Sadie when Seth admitted to her that he’s depressed and all this darkness he’s feeling and she can only focus on herself: on her curse and “fixing” Gigi and so unforgiving for him leaving even after she finds out this is what he was dealing with. He persists on keeping a strong face up for her, but she can’t even keep an open mind about why he needed to be away. She makes a lot of things about herself. </spoiler>

The kitchen/garden-magic system was fun, and the recipes at the end of each chapter were a nice touch, but there were <i>so many</i> similes that were food related. Or there would be too much description within scenes that you lose the feeling of it. Or there would be past/present mixed together in the same paragraph. All of which made the writing/pacing a bit awkward.

Overall, I think the premise is fantastic and the feels are there, but there were too many nuances that I couldn’t ignore to truly enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Breanne Randal for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. Not because it is a literary masterpiece, because it’s not, but it is the perfect comfort-read and a perfect book to get you out of a reading slump.

If you’re a fan of magic and cosy fantasy, then this book is for you.

If you’re a fan of second-chance romance in a small town with conflicted, yet lovable, characters then this book is for you.

If you like “Legends & latte”, “ The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” or T.J. Klune, then there is a very good chance that you will love this book and the characters in it.

Yes, the plot is bit drawn out at points, and the writing gets a bit repetitive from time to time, but it doesn’t matter because I still couldn’t put this book down. It is funny, emotional and downright full of magic and love in all its forms. It will make you want to bake cookies, drink tea, sit in a garden full of flowers and call everyone you love to tell them to come by.

Side note: The recipes throughout the book is a very nice touch, and I will definitely need to try some of them out!