This book is a mixture of cosy, small-town romance and family drama with some mystery and magic running through it.

There were some obvious similarities to Practical Magic – the main character avoiding love for fear of its loss; eccentric family members including a runaway sibling and a ‘responsible one’; even a midnight margherita moment!

Unlike Sally Owens however, Sadie is something of a self-centred main character and seems to think everyone’s lives revolve around her. The characters around her feel underdeveloped, the writing is repetitive and often overly descriptive, and the plot is unevenly paced and zips all over the place – it feels like the author is trying to fit so much into the story that nothing really gets properly resolved before the book moves on to something else.

And yet, with all those flaws, I did still enjoy reading the story, so clearly there is some of that Revelare magic captured within the pages!

I would definitely read more from this author, because while this story felt a little scattered and unfocused, there was plenty of potential in the writing, characters and plot so I feel sure there is more magic to come.

I Dnf this title around 35%. This book was all over the place. I felt utterly bored and it couldn’t keep my attention.

A cozy little read perfect for fall! Not a lot happens and I likely wont remember it too much, but this one will definitely be a fave for many others out there! compared to gilmore girls and practical magic, the book didn't exactly have the same appeal of either comparison for me!

This was a cozy, witchy, fun fall romance. I loved getting to know this small community and the witches who live there. A delight!

I think this story leaned a little too much into hype-marketing on social media. I cannot tell you how many ads I saw promising this would be akin to Gilmore Girls, before I gave in and requested it. And while I do think this felt "cozy" in nature, with the setting being a small town, and easy familiarity existing between characters, that's where the similarities ended. Which is okay! I thought the little recipes sprinkled throughout was very cute, and it's a sweet romance novel. It just wasn't quite what I was hoping for when I began it.

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I was immediately drawn in by the comparisons to Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls (a few of my favorite things), so maybe my expectations were a bit high. I think the author tried to do too much with this book and that made it hard for me to connect with the story. We have a charming small town, a second chance romance, magic and curses, and a whole lot of complicated family dynamics. That’s a lot! Combine that with even more subplots involving secondary characters and it all gets a bit muddled.

I did appreciate the recipes sprinkled throughout, but wish they had been at the end of the book. Ending each chapter with a new one took me out of the story and was a bit distracting. While I didn’t love this one it definitely wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read and I would consider reading from this author again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.

This book was so sweet. I loved the quirky small town vibes, the food magic, and the complex interpersonal familial relationships. The recipes at the end of each chapter was a sweet touch too. I liked the unique take on magic and twins who have different feelings about wielding it. I was pleasantly surprised by the elements of self discovery. I loved the characters dearly and rooted for them immediately. This book was far more character centric than plot centric and I thought it was perfect for the story. I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat. I had the best time reading, which is exactly what I look for when reading. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a sweet, magical story about love and self discovery.

The Unfortunate Side Effects was marketed for fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls. While the former comparison is pretty spot on with the quirky family and romantic relationships, witchy elements, and curses, the latter comparison feels misleading. To me, if someone compares a work to Gilmore Girls, I’m expecting a close mom and daughter relationship and quippy dialogue, neither of which quite describes this book.

Cute, warm and romance! Will order for the sixth formers and maybe some of my library student in y11!

This book was marketed as a blend of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, a comparison that, while not entirely inaccurate, set my expectations in a different direction. The narrative follows Sadie, the proprietor of a café in a quaint town, whose magical abilities involve infusing herbs into her baked goods. This story has a bit of a "Second Chance Romance" trope that I do not entirely admire, but that's a personal preference and not at all an indication of the story itself.
The story evolves around a close-knit family with a ton of trauma and magic. Additionally, the inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter was a great touch.
However, my experience with the main character, Sadie, was somewhat frustrating. Her internal thoughts often seemed incongruent with her actions, leading to a sense of inconsistency. Her decision-making appeared questionable, and her behavior came across as immature. While the overall tone of the book presented a cute and cozy atmosphere, it deviated from the fun and quirky themes reminiscent of Gilmore Girls. If you're seeking a story that aligns with the lighthearted and whimsical nature of Gilmore Girls, this book may not be the ideal choice. Nevertheless, it does offer a charming and cozy reading experience, particularly for those who appreciate family dynamics and the culinary arts.

You had me at 'Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls' and I wasn't disappointed! This cozy small town debut delivered on all counts, and even though it deals with some heavier issues, it never felt weighed down. I look forward to more from Breanne Randall.

This was marketed as a cozy practical magic and boy did it not disappoint. My heart was breaking for Sadie constantly. She deserved so much more than the pressure she was under. I did not like the mother for the choices she made. The grandmother was amazing. Loved her. The brother is exactly what I would imagine a brother being like. (Only child 😭). The story was just as much heartwarming with how the family came together as it was heart wrenching. Definitely recommend for a cozy cry if that makes sense 😅.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall.
Magic, curses, cancer, and heartbreak make up this novel. Easy to read, this light-hearted book digs deep at the heart of love and family.

Wow. This was the fall read I didn't I know I needed. Love, magic, curses, long lost family, recipes, this book had everything. The dialogue was delightful, it really did remind me of the Gilmore Girls. I want to make every recipe in this book! I didn't want the book to end. I want to know more about Revelare family. I will be on the look out for the next Breanne Randall novel.

While this story wasn't quite what I was expecting, I really enjoyed it! Gigi was by far my favorite character, though I thought some of the dialogue came across as forced throughout the book. There were a lot of moving parts in the book, and I felt somewhat unsatisfied at the end - some story points needed more closure on (i.e. Sadie's mother), but perhaps this makes a good setup for a sequel. What made this book really unique for me was the recipes at the end of every chapter. At first I was put off by the interruption in the story, but after a couple chapters, I found myself looking for which food from the chapter would be featured in the end! Overall, this book was an enjoyable read for me.

I liked this book but it was definitely more practical magic vibes mixed in with the good witch rather than Gilmore Girls. I didn't really get the GG feel from it. Otherwise I enjoyed it.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by author Breanne Randall is her debut novel. It’s for readers who enjoy magical realism but it also deals with many of life’s everyday issues. There’s love, hurt, betrayal and forgiveness. It’s about a family’s love for each other and the extent that they will go to to do what’s best for each other. There’s also a 10 year old romance that gets rekindled. It was a good read and one I enjoyed. I’d like to thank Alcove Press for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc to read and review. It’s a magical story that left me feeling like things will always work out as they should as long as you have love and your family beside you. I’m giving this a 4 star rating.

This book is described as for fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls and I can totally see that. There's a small town vibe to it reminiscent of Gilmore Girls and the messy lives of a family of witches like Practical Magic.

Sadie loves her magic - it's what makes her her. So the fact that she has a curse that if/when she experiences four heartbreaks she'll lose her magic she was fine leading a lonely life away from people that could cause her heartbreak. She's already had two and she's as guarded as can be. But when her first heartbreak and childhood sweetheart, Jake, moves back home and her second heartbreak, her estranged brother, also comes back home she has her walls up. Then her grandmother who raised her and her brother is diagnosed with cancer her world is turned upside down. As family secrets comes to light Sadie is doing everything in her power to maintain some semblance of control.

This book was both exciting and like being wrapped in a warm hug. I found the FMC, Sadie, to be kind of annoying and frustrating but I also loved her dearly. It made her character arc so much more satisfying. I did fall in love with every other character and I think my frustration with Sadie was not seeing herself the way the people around her saw her (for good or for bad).

The small town setting was also so perfect. And the magical aspects made the book.....magical for lack of a better word. There was some great buildup and foreshadowing that kept me intrigued through each chapter. And each chapter has some recipes that, along with the descriptions in the book, will make you hungry and want to curl up with a cup of tea. The ending was great and could be a satisfying ending to a standalone or open it up to have a sequel. I, for one, would be ecstatic for a sequel as I've fallen in love with these people and their town.

Highly recommend - perfect read for any season.

I desperately wanted to love this book as it was marketed as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls. If that’s the vibe you’re expecting, this book may not be for you either. There’s a decent storyline, but I didn’t connect with a single character. They were way too immature for their age and there was way too much detail on their inner dialogue. I think this might have been more successful if it was written for YA. The undertones of Christianity throughout the book was a strange choice to me.

When I read that comps for "The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" were Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, I was excited to read it.

This is a solid book but lacked the humor that was implied by the comps - "heartbreak" is more accurate, as this was a lot heavier than anticipated. I did finish it, but it wasn't an easy read at times. It was good, but not my top pick for the month.

TW for a suicide attempt.

I was so excited about the Unfortunate Side of Heartbreak and Magic. If you say Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic, I am in. However, this didn't work for me, and I had to DNF at 50%.

This is far from the lighthearted novel I was expecting. While I do not think the marketing was disingenuous, I mean the word heartbreak is in the title, I don't think it succeeds at what it claims to be. It is missing the humor and heart of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic. I found much of the trauma the author puts the characters through poorly handled, including a suicide attempt. I could not go on.

Thank you to Alcove Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.