3.5 Rounded down

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Sorry it took so long to read.

The first half of this book was a lot better than the second and dropped the rating. Overall, there was a lot happening and it wasn't all fleshed out fully in my opinion. Did we want to focus on the competition or the romance? The climaxes of both were like "oh that's it?"

I wouldn't go out of my way to read it but it's a fun read if you like this sort of thing.

Aria is a witch who can’t manage her magic. She is invited to a competition in her home town to win the Garden of Enchantment. She needs to win to save her grandma’s potion shop. Wealthy entrepreneur/mage, Callan, is also in the competition. Aria’s hate for Callan quickly disappears when he starts to reveal what a good guy he is as he helps Aria in various ways.
I really enjoyed the premise of this story. It was very cute and I liked the characters and the plot of this magical competition and the picturesque setting of Charming Cove. It was a fun read. I did feel like the story could have been a little more developed. It felt like it moved through the plot so fast and did a lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ in the writing (if that makes sense). I wanted a deeper dive into the characters and more details in the events that took place. But overall it was a very sweet story (with a brief touch of spice).

While this was a fun read I do sadly think that the writing let it down and affected my enjoyment level.

This was cute, cozy and the perfect witchy read! This was my first book by Lindsey Hall and I will definitely be coming back for more. The romance had me squealing and kicking my feet and and I was really rooting for both of these characters! I wish I had read this in October with fall ambiance!

What an adorable cozy read this was. Perfect book to curl up with and get lost in a witchy world. I loved all the magic and fantasy and found my self laughing out loud more than once. I recommend for anyone looking for a fun cozy read that leaves you with a smile!

This was an enjoyable paranormal romance. Set in a small village of Cove Town, our protagonist is a witch whose magic has blown up. Aria and Callan's romance was delightful to read about but I felt the plot was kind of lackluster. I did love the setting of a small town though. Overall this was an easy, light, one-time read and I'd definitely recommend!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

This is going to be a weird review, but parts of the book were 4-5 stars and other 1-2 stars, which is why I chose 3 stars.

What I really liked:
- Boris the badger is absolutely amazing and I would've liked to know more about him. What a wonderful familiar!
- Cornwall as a setting was very nice too. As somebody who spent all her childhood summers close to the Lizard peninsula, a fantasy book set in Cornwall was really something I enjoyed.
- the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory idea of a competition to come up with the heir was a nice touch
- Cornish Gardens as magical, inhabited by magical plants and creatures was nice too. Sadly no real Cornish Gardens were references which was unused potential
- Plant witch! Nice idea!

What I really disliked:
- the main character: she's your stereotypical oh so beautiful protagonist who struggles with her magic (what a trope!) but only needs to unlock it because she is so powerful! And of course she needs a man to help her do it! No character development apart from that, petty conflict, her lusting after the dude she supposedly hates is so annoying (no real enemy to lovers).
- the love interest, who is quite the creep, lusting initially after the 17yo old protagonist when he is early 20s. He's also terribly flat character, but he's super rich and handsome and has a magic d*ck, so whatever? No character development whatsoever, just lusting after her and being a Good Guy Greg.
- all side characters are flat and lack complexity, e.g. her best friend with the adopted child, her grandmother, her dead grandfather, the entire little town who stands behind her without question, the rich garden dude too. Nothing makes sense
- all conflict is super easily resolved and it's so predictable that no matter what happens, our protagonist will win the competition
- main protagonist's character background also stupid: what happened to her family? Why did she go to London really and why doesn't she choose a profession where her plant affinity is of help? It just makes no sense.
- world building weak and lazy: yeah, the 'muggles' are just not coming to the town???
- story super predictable and even the romance / sex is boring af

So, I LOVE BORIS TO PIECES but everything else mostly sucked. Sorry.

Thank you, Netgalley, Linsey Hall, and Bonnie Doon Press for the ARC

This book was such an adorable cozy and lighthearted read. I truly enjoy Callan and his determination to win over Aria. His love and adoration for Aria wins me over constantly. Aria is such a lovable main character and I loved watching her grow and evolve throughout the book. I also enjoyed the magicla premise. I see a lot of magic that is intrinsic but the connections to the flora and fauna truly make this a unique and fun witchy read.

This was such a cute story. I loved the town and crew of characters. This has potential to be a very fun series.

I went into this series reading book 2 first, but instantly knew I had to come back and read this one. Cosy, light hearted and perfectly witchy - what more could you want. I absolutely adored the setting, the characters and the story development, hooked from page one into this cute world. I will without a doubt be reading more from Linsey and getting lost in her magical creations!
Highly recommend as a fun, cosy read for all times of year.

Pros; Cute romance, with magical hijinks and the competition of a lifetime. An interesting mix of characters and a fairly easy read. Boris was a hoot. Cons; the romance was only okay, even with the misunderstanding there was no real tension between Callum and Aria. Also I wish Aria’s magical journey had been led more by her and less by Callum. Overall an enjoyable read (3 ⭐️)

A lovely story of a witch that needs to find her inner power, and the people who love and support her through a magical challenge.

“The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic” by Linsey Hall is book 1 in a new, charming series that’s perfect for witchy readers.

This book is fun, magical, and a quick read. The rom-com aspect of it is sure to get any romance lovers attention as well.

I enjoyed it and can’t wait for book 2.

Thank you NetGalley, Linsey Hall, and Bonnie Doon Press for approving me to view this ARC.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. Aria has rules for herself and most of them about the use of her powers. She is a witch after all and that is something that has to be kept quiet. Humans are not to know about it. I found this book kind of sweet and fun in the most magical ways. It is set in Charming Cove. The first book in series of standalone stories.

DNF @ 18% this book just didn’t click with me, I don’t buy the two at all. I don’t get how he fell in love with her after just overhearing her and their dynamic just seems kind of insta-lusty marauding as insta-love and kind of cringe

2.6
Kinda cute, in an underdeveloped and frankly slightly juvenile way, but the magic system was paper thin and the characters were alarmingly unobservant. Ten year old me would have thought this was incredible, probably.

I'm in love - a witch that can't control her magic, a meddling grandma, a billionaire hero, a snarky familiar & a charming potions shop by the English seaside. Pretty much all my favorite things. ✨

Super cute!! The author has this magic pen that transports you in this super cute and cozy book. I will forever be grateful for this founding family.

I really enjoyed this! The characters, the world building and the plot were great. It was slightly predictable but I didn't expect anything too thrilling. I would definitely read the others in the series! I'd recommend to fans of whimsical romances, enemies to lovers, and charming characters.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.