This book was a fun, cozy read. If you enjoy magic, enemies to lovers, and feel good, gooey reads, I suggest trying it.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

Aria is a witch who just blows things up any time she tries to use her magic. Bullied for her lack of ability, she escapes her Cornish home town, Charming Cove for London. Eight years later, after losing her home and job because yet again her faulty power got her fired, her grandmother brings her home to participate in a competition to win the Garden of Enchantment, which supplies her family's potion shop. Her competition? Some of the bitchy witches who bullied her, and sexy billionaire and property developer mage Callan Hawthorne, the man who she vowed to hate after he ruined a special spot of hers.

I adored Aria and Callan. I loved how Linsey Hall addressed him being a billionaire and how gross they are. (I know these billionaire trope books are fiction but I detest capitalism and the fact we have them so I can't suspend disbelief even for a book of fiction). Callan was supportive, sensitive and just the best kind of book boyfriend. He believed and could see Aria's power even when she couldn't, and supported her to find it. I also loved the supporting characters, especially Boris, Aria's badger familiar.

This book was cosy, fun and sexy. I couldn't put it down. It was also refreshingly free of the same old tired cliche obstacles that are placed in books that feature a competition. Instead it was a lovely fun character-driven book about a young woman having the confidence to claim her power. I'm really looking forward to what I can see will be a new series, I hope we see her best friend's story next.

ETA: I bought the audiobook of this and I have to say I'm disappointed that the publishers cast someone who clearly isn't English or could do a decent English accent. WHY????!! There's so many amazing English actresses who could've done this!

Thanks to Bonnie Doon Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was just the break from reality I needed. Let's start with our characters, we have Aria a witch who's magic is questionable at best, Callan a man with more money than common sense at times, a town full of magical folk all trying to win, and a badger that just wants to eat everything in sight while spying on Aria for her grandmother.

This competition is complicated though for more than one reason, you see Aria and Callan have a history, one that neither of them can forget but for very different reasons.

Fast forward a few years and they meet again, this time competing for something they both want very much but again for very different reasons.

Through our competition, getting to know each other, and learning more about themselves than we expected these two bloom into one of my favorite couples so far this year.

Did I mention the ending, it is swoon-worthy, downright swoon-worthy and I'm here for it.

Thank you to Bonnie Doon Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Modern Girls Guide to Magic had a little bit of everything I love 🌱 plants, 🌙witches,✨magic, competition, 'enemies' to lovers!!

I'm a sucker for a witchy romcom and the balance of magic, romance, and of course laughter was perfect. I will most definitely be recommending this and 🤞hopefully we see more from this (spell)cast 😉 of characters in the future.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an arc!!

BRB, packing my bags for Charming Cove 🧳

The Modern Girls Guide to Magic by @linseyhallauthor
This was the perfect cozy witchy story that I needed. I loved the feeling of closeness Aria had with her grandmother and other characters in the small town.
I love when a book is well researched and I definitely got that vibe from this book. Such a heartwarming book with perfect characters and development. I can't wait to come back to Charming Cove and visit with these characters again.
5⭐️ & amazing vibes
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What an absolute gem of a book. It is packed full of warmth, charm and wit and with a host of wonderful characters you can't help but root for. This is the perfect summer read.

This is a sweet small-town romance with an enemies to lovers, competition setting. I enjoyed the small coastal witchy village of Charming Cove and all the neighborhood characters. You can imagine the small community clearly. Everyone has an intertwined story. Even the animals can communicate and who wouldn’t want to have a cute familiar they can talk to? This was a light and engaging read. The romance was heartwarming and endearing. Aria grows significantly as a character throughout the story with the help of the community she left behind for so long.

Thank you to Linsey Hall, Quill and Bonnie Doon Press, and NetGalley for a digital copy of The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review. I love a witchy romance and this ticked all the boxes for me. The characters were so cute and it was such a cosy read. Boris was amazing and a true highlight of the story. He really made me giggle. There was many little elements that made me feel all warm and happy inside: Gran, Boris, the cat in the library. It was wonderful!
It would have been a higher star read for me if it wasn't for the age gap which made me feel a bit icky.

Thank you for granting me an ARC for this book.

This story has enchanting world building, a compelling main character, cute and heartwarming side characters and even an ever hungry talking badger sidekick. There was nothing not to love about Charming Cove and its inhabitants. I liked the magic and the people. I loved Aria too, from the dejected disaster to the journey she braves to find herself. The book plot was solid and stayed away from too many cliches and those it did, it did well.

Unfortunately, where this book dropped the ball in my opinion was the love interest and therefore the romance between the two. Whether accidentally or on purpose, I ended up hating him in his first two POVs because he’s knowingly entitled and condescending, he uses magic to circumvent rules and to get images of people he probably shouldn’t have, he destroys things and thinks he’s improving them and he thinks disparaging thoughts of others without knowing them. This was all just his first POV, in his second he realized he had hurt Aria pretty badly in the past and his first thought isn’t to try to figure out why and apologize, it’s to think how do I convince her she’s wrong to be hurt and I did the right thing! Then he proceded to cap it all off by threatening a man so far beneath him that he really needn’t have bothered. The man in question never makes a come back in the story so it’s not even plot relevant. At this point I consider him a walking red flag parade!

His outward behavior does improve a bit through the story and he does do helpful things for the plot however when in his head after this, everything he’s thinking is about her. We never really sort through the mess that is him. It means that by the time I have to close the book on this couple I think the ‘I love yous’ are premature and that this relationship won’t survive past a few months, not unless he goes to therapy. A man who has somehow made it to adulthood without a single good friend, a man who made his whole young adult life about his father and then immediately latched onto a woman and has now made his life about her isn’t one capable of healthy relationships long term. I need a sequel where this man goes to therapy.

Sorry about the ranting. I may have made you believe the book is bad. That’s not true, we don’t spend enough time with the guy for it to end up bad and it’s mostly about Aria and her journey and that’s told very well through a very interesting plot I don’t want to spoil. I did enjoy the story overall and I would read other stories happening in this world because it’s a beautiful wistful world.

🥰 I saw this book all over bookstagram and really wanted to read it! So I’m so glad and lucky I got an eARC.

🫶🏼 After some intense books (most recently Fourth Wing), I really needed this adorable cute book. It was quick to read, and the lovable cast of characters kept me hooked. Boris the Badger and Catrina were my favourite cheeky little characters 🦡

I would’ve given this 5 stars (who doesn’t love a cute book with magic, plants and competition?) but the typos started to annoy me in their frequency… I don’t know if this was just in the ARC, but eg Tabitha v Tabatha early on caught my eye, and there were a few others that took me out of the magical world of the book.

I will be posting a review on Instagram as well.

Thank you to @netgalley, Bonnie Doon Press and Linsey Hall for a chance to read this E-Arc.

What do you get when you throw together a witch who’s unsure of her magic, a sassy familiar named Boris and a sexy mage love interest?

A cosy, heartwarming read that touched on connection and believing in yourself. I liked that it wasn’t a typical romance story in which boy swoops in and sweeps main character off her feet. We got to watch them work together and grow.

I’m looking forward to more in this series, I need more Boris in my life. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to Bonnie Doon Press, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This was a lovely, quick and easy read. The first book in a series which promises to be a lighthearted, magical read. There's definitely some adult content, but to me it read mostly like a New Adult Supernatural Romance. I really liked both Aria and Callan. Aria's character was well-developed, as was Tabitha and Aria's Grandmother. Callan was less developed as a character but served his purpose as wealthy, hot love interest.

My favourite was Boris the badger - just so funny.

This was a very quick and fun read.

A wonderfully cosy story with magic, a witching community, enemies to lovers, and a grumpy familiar who loves bacon sandwiches! I loved the characters, the magic challenges were fun and inventive, and the magic system was interesting. A great read to while away a few hours and immerse yourself in magic and friendship. Recommended!

This book was a delight! I would very much like to live in Charming Cove. Since that’s not possible, I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bonnie Doon Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you, Bonnie Doon Press!

We love a witchy romcom. A sweet, cozy read set in an English village called “Charming Cove”.
While the plot has a heavy focus on romance, I loved Aria’a personal development and I hope we get to see more of her!!
Written like a YA and even though it was a predictable read, it was very comforting.
Also a big fan of Boris the badger!

Aria has pretty much left magic behind in Charming Cove. Not that she was ever that great - all her attempts kind of blew up in her face. But when another disaster befalls her at her job in London, it coincides with a request from her gran - to represent their potion shop in a magical contest. Aria knows she has two outcomes in the competition - losing and epically losing!

Callan is the epitome of mage about town. He's wealthy, driven and has a new woman on his arm every week. But he's become the one thing he didn't want to - his father. When he too is asked to participate in the Garden of Enchantment competition and realises that the Aria is also competing, he sees a chance to make up for the way he treated her the first time they met. But will working together actually help or hinder his plans?

Small village setting in Cornwall, charming scenery, quirky locals and a chance at revenge on the mean girls who made Aria's childhood a nightmare! I loved the warmth and strength of bond between Aria and her bestie, even though they haven't seen each other in years. An independent and interfering gran and her network of buddies and a familiar who is very full of himself!

Callan and Aria are a great match, the banter is strong between these two! Both realise that they need each other to progress but neither is willing to sabotage the other. Sweet with a slice of spice.

THE MODERN GIRL’S GUIDE TO MAGIC - Linsey Hall

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨?”
“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

⭐️ | 5/5
📖 | 316 pages
📆 | released 6/2/23 (YESTERDAY!)
📨 | publisher: Bonnie Doon Press

I have to say this must be one of my favorite books this year. Think Harry Potter meets spicy romance in a cozy small town by the shore. I couldn’t get enough of it.

✨Aria is invited to a competition against others to own the town’s magical garden, with sweeping acres of lush flowers and forests and old iron greenhouses filled with botanicals for potions. She has always had difficulty harnessing her magic, but with the help of some family and a scalding hot billionaire mage she learns that her powers are more special than she realizes. ✨

If you’ve read some of my reviews you know I’m a total sucker for personification of animals - wait til you meet Boris the beaver 🦫 and his sarcastic little nature. He’s Aria’s familiar, an animal that imprints on a witch and becomes her furry companion. 🥹 And he’s the cutest little thing ever despite—or maybe because of—his snarky quips!

The development of Aria and Callan’s relationship is a slow burn but quickly picks up into some spicy 🌶️ scenes which were much anticipated. You quickly grow to love both characters, and fall in love with the picturesque imagery that Hall conjures in this small town of Charming Cove. 🌊

Thank you to @netgalley, Bonnie Doon Press, and @linseyhallauthor for my advanced review copy! 💜🩵

A seaside town in England? Some romance? Plants, magic, and familiars? Count me in! I really enjoyed this story and the main character Aria. The enemies to lovers trope was really well done, they talked about it like adults quite at the beginning to clear up the air. That's how it's done!
I loved all the different types of magic intertwined into the story, I was really into the story and couldn't put the book down. I just wish Callan had more backstory, but all in all, it's a well-written witchy romance, perfect to relax and escape reality for a while :)

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The only thing that stopped this book from being a 5 star was that I feel as though the story wasn’t over. I needed just a little bit more. But overall this book kept my attention. And while it was pretty easy to figure out what was going to happen it still held my attention. And Boris may be my favorite.

This was such a cute take on a competitive, save your family, witchy rom-com and I found myself unable to put the book down from beginning to end. Beyond the plot I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book! Aria was amazing from the get go, with a strong sense of right and wrong and I loved the growth that Aria had in this story from learning to forgive not only others but herself, as well as working to overcome any and all obstacles in her way! If you love enemies to lovers, one bed, he falls first, you need to try this book. If that's not enough, then think about the old pubs and cozy seaside vibes with tea shops, apothecaries, and all the warm comforts of a witchy town!