Review - The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic by Linsey Hall
⭐ 4,5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Aria decided to move to London when her magic abilities didn't manifest and kept blowing up around her. Unfortunately moving away from a magical village doesn't stop her from abilities from blowing up her plans (and jobs!)

After getting fired from (another) job, Aria comes home to her apartment to see her grandmother waiting for her. Her grandmother asks her to help save the family shop by winning the competition to be the new owner of the garden they get their ingredients from.

Unfortunately she's not the only one participating in the competition, so is her long time nemesis, the sexy billionaire Callan Hawthorne. Hawthorne is determined to change Aria's opinion on him though...

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Do you need a cozy and lighthearted read for summer? Then absolutely don't look any further, because this is a cute romance book, fulfilling just that need.

This book is written in a lighthearted language, with a lot of humour strewn in in sentences, which makes for an enjoyable fast read when you're in need of a good pick me up book.

I loved all the the characters in the book, and the joy of reading a book with (mostly) supportive characters and a positive environment makes for a perfect cozy comfort read. The (almost but not really) enemies to lovers dynamic between Aria and Callan also work well, even though it's not *quite* there due to Callan's overall good natured and soft boy personality.

The fact that this book is about witches and plants doesn't hurt either, and is honestly just another plus in my book.

This was such a fun easy read!! I love a good witchy book. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series.

3.5/5 ⭐️
If you’re looking for a cozy, lighthearted read with witches and magic this is for you!

Enemies to Lovers
Cozy Fantasy
Rom Com
Dual POV

Aria is a witch who can’t control her magic. Everyone in her hometown knows this so she moved away but when her Gran asks her to come back and save their shop, she does. Now she’s back home in a competition with her former bullies and the guy she loathes, Callan, to win the magical garden that will help save her family’s shop. Callan decides to use the competition to try to change Aria’s opinion of him.

-I thought this book was really cute. It does have a little tension and spice but I would say it still reads more like a YA book. It’s light and low stakes. There’s no real surprises but it keeps you hooked with the cozy setting and the townspeople. There’s also a talking badger! The world building was fun and whimsy.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an easy and light fantasy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnie Doon Press, and Linsey Hall for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a cute and cozy read! It's all about Aria, who's a bit of a mess regarding her magic. She's back in her hometown and competing against her archenemy, Callan. But guess what? They're falling for each other! The romance is enemies-to-lovers, and there's even a "one-bed" situation. The story is light-hearted, funny, and full of magical fun. The characters could have been better developed, but overall, it's a fluffy and enjoyable paranormal romance that's perfect for a relaxing read.

What a sweet hearted book. I loved the characterization, friendships, growth and problem solving and the sweet romance. I am a sucker for someone who is lost finding her way, and this was done well.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cd9cff8e-8b26-417c-a27b-d6ccb8f51c55

This book was so magical and cozy and just the right amount of tension and spice I like in a romance ✨️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.75/5)
Set in the small town of Charming Cove. Aria is an unconfident witch. Everytime she tries to do magic, it goes wrong. Callan happens to be "Magical Britain’s Sexiest Bachelor". They have a little bit of history and end up competing to take over the biggest magical fortune of England. Aria has the support of her Gran, bestie and talking badger. If you are in the mood for magical plants, cozy cottages, all the coffee, tea and pastries you will love this!
Possible spoiler: I really loved this! Towards the end while the competition was going on, I was hoping to read Callan's perspective. I feel like he kind of just disappeared. Then at the very end I felt like there were still some questions unanswered.. was Callan really the bachelor everyone says he is?! I hope the next book we will get more on Callan! But overall this was such a sweet romance and I want more!
Thank you Netgalley and Linsey Hall for the arc!

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a cute, fluffy, low stakes read. It was marketed as an adult novel, but it reads more as a YA.

I’ll start off with the positives: I loved the badger familiar. Having a fluffy sarcastic companion is always a win in a novel.
The story was slow to start, but it really picked up about 50% of the way through once they’d gotten into the magical competition.
The overall feel of the novel was fun and humorous. There were moments when I laughed out loud.

However, my enemy, the first person dual POV 🥲 It wasn’t done effectively, and kept taking me out of the story. It could be a personal thing, I truly don’t enjoy FP dual POV, especially within the same chapter.

I also took issue with the romance, which affected my enjoyment overall as this is a romance novel.
I started off on the wrong foot with Callan as he inwardly corrected his driver stating: ‘I didn’t correct him that the car was an it and not a she.’ As soon as he said this he was my enemy.
I’m all for an age gap romance but WHY did it have to start when she was 17 and he was 21 it gave me the heebies. I didn’t find the romance believable, and a lot of that was down to the characters lacking depth in my eyes.

I’m sure this book will appeal to many who are after a cozy read with little angst.

I read this book while traveling, as it was advertised as a ‘’fun, light romantic comedy’’ read - and it most definitely was. It is such a cute book and you will definitely have a few enjoyable hours while reading it!

As with most romances, it was rather predictable, but I will not hold that against the book. I am not sure how I felt about Boris - maybe because it is a step further away from reality than some of the other books, maybe because I am unsure what exactly the character adds to the story - but it did make it a little more unique of a story. However, I adored the setting of the book: such a cute town, where everybody knows each other. I particularly liked the idea of 'finding' your destiny, as it were. Sometimes, it is much closer than we think.

Overall, I’d rate it 3 stars, and would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a romance with just a little more (and where he, the second time around, clearly falls first).

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It’s Gilmore Girls meets The Worst Witch meets Charmed…the perfect amount of witchiness with plenty of banter, hijinx and romance thrown in!

I love the protagonist side characters…so well written and they actually add to the plot. The whole idea of a magical scavenger hunt was terrific. Callan is the ultimate dreamboat and he’s so eager to make up for his past mistakes. Aria is a walking catastrophe with power she doesn’t realise she has, and I love the self-love and explorative journey she gets to go through.

This is a cute, warm and fuzzy paranormal romance and I recommend it!

This book didn't work for me, and I'm so sad.
Witches, a little town, familiars, and delicious food? A combination that should have been for me, but it wasn't.
I couldn't get into the writing and I wanted more from the characters.
The competition, the riddles, the challenges I loved that part and some of the characters I won't forget.

Thank you to Bonnie Doon Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a complete sucker for any witchy read, and this sweet story didn’t disappoint. Aria has returned to her magical hometown of Charming Cove, to compete in a competition to win the rights to the town garden. She’s already coming to terms with returning back to town after so many years away, when she finds out Callan will be competing against her for the Garden. Forced into close proximity with a man she can’t stand, and high stakes of the competition means anything could happen.

I love that we got to see Aria grow as a witch, and grow into her powers. I also loved the cast of characters who always supported her; Boris, Gran, and Tabitha. And the atmosphere of Charming Cove was so scenic, I felt like I had taken a trip there.

My only wish is that we got to see a bit more of Aria and Callan together, because their ending just felt rushed.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a very fun and enjoyable read with compelling and relatable characters.
Aria is a great protagonist to follow through the story and watch her progress as her confidence grows with every challenge.
It's a sweet and light story perfect for summer!

A sweet light story about a witch with powers that have always been poor who finds herself in her hometown trying to win a contest to save her family magic shop. Along the way and old nemesis appears and romance ensues. Not great fiction but still enjoyable but of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I would give this book 3.5 stars, but I am rounding up to 4.

This book started off as a super strong four stars at the beginning. I really liked Callan and Aria's characters, and they seemed to have the typical enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

However, their history was a little strange to me. Callan kept making comments about Aria being "too young for him" when they first met and that creeped me out.

The plot started to lose me once they got to the concept of the competition, which I found to be confusing. I don't think it was thoroughly explained enough to keep me invested in Aria's journey. The middle of the book just dragged on too long without much action.

I liked the subplot of Aria's struggle to manage her powers, and how Callan helped her see how special her abilities are. I enjoyed seeing Callan's character development and how he dealt with coming to terms with his family issues.

Boris was the funniest part of this book, and the fact that he was a badger, made his character seem super original.

Overall, I liked the characters and the story line, but the plot execution just lacked action.

Cute and cozy with some genuine laugh out loud moments The Modern’s Girl Guide to Magic will put a smile on your face. Full of lovable characters, both human and animal, this book is truly a delight. While info dumpy and quite repetitive at times this book was so much fun and I’m excited to see where Linsey Hall brings us next in Charming Cove.

Best part? It’s out now! Go grab yourself a copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Bonnie Doon Press for a copy of the e-arc in exchange for a ho eat review.

Aria has never had a good grasp on her magic, which is exactly why she left Charming Cove for London with no plans to return - until her grandmother drags her back to compete in a magical competition to run a garden full of plants they need for the family potion shop. Callan, a super successful businessman, also decides to compete so that he can make a pretty penny selling the ingredients to the highest bidder; he’s also desperately hoping that Aria will be competing. After meeting Aria years ago he can’t seem to get her out of his head - even if they did part on less than stellar terms - and desperately wants to make things right between them while securing the garden for himself.

I love Linsey Hall’s books. They’re very cozy fantasy, quick read books. I like that if I want something that is very low emotional stress I can grab one of her books and know that there will be no death or violence, and it’ll be a slightly silly romance. I do think that she’s grown a lot with her writing and even though it follows a very prescribed pattern for the plot, I think it’s gotten a little more mature. 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Modern Girls Guide to Magic is an enjoyable read. I really enjoy witchy magic romances. It got a little bit crazy in the middle but overall it was a good read.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find how much fun it is. Aria is a witch living in Charming Cove. Unfortunately, her magic is glitchy and unreliable, and her self-esteem has suffered.
Her family runs a well known shop that provides herbs etc. for potion making. They get most of their supplies from a local garden, whose owner is retiring and giving the garden to the winner of a contest he’s holding.
Besides Aria, another entrant is Callan Hawthorn, a powerful wizard and developer with whom Aria has issues. Can Aria and her glitchy magic manage to win the contest?
The book is well written with quirky characters, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I love all the witchy books and this one not only had all that in spades BUT it contains one of the most charming book boyfriends I’ve read in a while. This enemies (on her part) to lovers romance will have you swooning from the moment that you meet Callan Hawthorne. And Boris! The more I read the more I need these cute magical creatures in my life 😭😂

This was such a fun read and I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you Netgalley, Bonnie Donn Press, and the lovely author Linsey Hall for the ARC! (Teeny tiny spoilers in review 😉)
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🌿Aria begins this book with…quite the predicament. She is thrust into a magical competition to win a flourishing magic garden that, if given to someone else, could tear down her families buisness.🌿
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🌹This book was definitely a page turner but the world building and plot were a bit juvenile at times. The ideas were phenomenal, Aria having to unlock her powers and a competition between powerful witches…great, exciting, but could have been written just a bit better and in more depth, many scenes felt rushed and there was no character development other than Aria unlocking her powers. I truly think that could have been played on more. Callan is the love interest throughout the book and their relationship goes…FAST. It would have been nice to see their love have more trials and tribulations and have been strung along just a tad to create something for readers to hang onto. There is very little angst or climax in this book, which for some is spledid, but for me, I love a larger problem or turning point then the ones that were given and that is my main reasoning for 3 stars.🌹
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🌻Overall this is a quick, easy to read romance with very little spice and lots of magic! If you love happy stories with happy endings then this is for you!🌻