Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my eARC.
This was an enjoyable wee read, the pacing was good however I didn't really relate or resonate with any of the characters in a way I would've liked. The overall premise of the book was good however a few minor plot points could've been improved on that would've made this a 4* read for me.

"The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic" by Linsey Hall is a delightful romp into the world of magic, sprinkled with humor, love, and enchanting escapades.
The protagonist, a self-proclaimed magical disaster from a family of witches, sets forth her rules for avoiding magical entanglements. However, the narrative takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself entangled in a competition for the largest magical fortune in England and grappling with feelings for the very mage she has despised for years, Callan Hawthorne.
As the story unfolds, the quirky charm of Charming Cove, with its ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars, becomes a backdrop for the protagonist's quest to save her family's magical potion shop, Seaside Spells. The romantic comedy weaves laughter, love, and magical hijinks into a captivating narrative.
Linsey Hall crafts a light-hearted and entertaining tale, blending the magical elements seamlessly with the romantic plot. The protagonist's journey, filled with mishaps and unexpected turns, adds a layer of relatability and charm to the narrative.
"The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic" is not just a romance; it's a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the acceptance of one's magical imperfections. It serves as the perfect introduction to the seaside village of Charming Cove, promising readers a series of stand-alone romances with a touch of magic.
In summary, if you're in the mood for a whimsical and heartwarming escape into a world of spells, love, and laughter, this book is the perfect potion.
*I express my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley and Bonnie Doon Press for providing an advanced copy of this enchanting e-book.*

Ich habe das Buch abgebrochen. Irgendwie konnte mich die Geschichte nicht genug fesseln. Die Charaktere waren mir nicht tiefgründig genug.

A feelgood, easy, breezy, cosy romcom! I found it delightful and magical.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I really enjoyed this story – a romcom with some lovely light-hearted magic – and gardening – on the side!

Aria, our main character, is forced to return to the hometown she fled, in order to save her family business (and by extension, the whole town) by competing against her childhood bullies and the man who she most hates (waggles eyebrows in enemies-to-lovers knowingness). But everyone else has magic and hers is wonky and unreliable… who can possibly help her ‘fix’ her magic, save the day and find true love?!

This is a really sweet romance and I LOVED the plant magic and all of the details of the magical competition, complete with unique magical creatures and an interesting magic system. But, as is often the case, it is the characters that really won me over – Aria’s gran, Tabitha and Catrina, Boris the badger, and of course, Callan Hawthorne (boo, hiss, swoon!). And Aria herself. She is a very relatable main character and I was 100% on her side throughout. She has her flaws but is willing to work hard to overcome them, and to admit when she gets things wrong – what’s not to like?!

If you are looking for a feelgood, easy read that will give you a warm, cosy glow on a chilly winter’s evening, then look no further! I look forward to reading more from the Charming Cove series in future.

This book is about 3.5 stars for me. It was charming and fun, and I liked the main characters. I thought the romance was pretty lacking, and I would have liked an epilogue of some kind. I also would have liked to learn more about the main character's magic.

I absolutely loved this. Boris stole the show honestly. Aria has come home to Charming Cove and must work to earn the Enchanted Gardens. Of course, that also means being around the worst person in the world, Callan. Although, after spending a little time with him he's not all that bad...unfortunately. With her familiar, Boris, a bacon loving badger, her family, and eventually Callan, Aria is able to figure out a way to reach her magic and come up with a plan for the gardens. She just may find more than magic and plants once the competition is through though. So sweet, so romantic, and so funny!

This story was sweet, magical and oh so endearing. Gilmore girls vibes- with major practical magic overtones. Fun and super cute!

The MC's in this book were likable and written in a very sweet cosy, very aptly 'charming' way. I enjoyed the read for what it was, no big revelations, just an easy, cosy, sweet read.

This was a light, entertaining book. I
enjoyed the magic but overall
didn’t find the story very compelling.

I really enjoyed discovering Charming Cove alongside Aria returning. It sounds like such a magical little seaside town, I was just transported there. The tension between Aria and Callan was spot on and I enjoyed the added magical competition which was so fun. Only downside is I thought the end wrapped up really quickly, I felt there could of been more. Overall though, I can't wait to come back to Charming Cove.

Stand alone witchy romances are my new bookish addiction. If Hallmark made a witchy romcom, this would be it! Aria is a quirky, adorkable and klutzy witch desperate to save her family's potions shop. She's also utterly relatable in the way that she swoons over men haha. Even though she has some insecurities regarding her magical abilities, her character was upbeat, fun, and she had an enjoyable internal monologue. I love all of this book's fun tropes: cozy small town, billionaire romance, unlikely couple, enemies to lovers, clumsy MC, a magical family threatened to be exposed, etc. I so enjoyed my stay in Charming Cove!

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect read for spooky season! I loved the competition aspect and Aria's unique powers. Although I know the romance wasn't meant to be the main focus of the story, I do wish it was a bit more developed. I would have liked more information about Aria and Callan's past in order to understand their feelings. The journey from enemies (kind of?) to lovers was pretty rushed without that development. Overall though, I liked it and would recommend it!

this was a very cute magical book a light read. I really enjoyed reading and was entertained by all the magic and all the side character shenanigans.

honestly thought this book was cute but extremely boring. Not a while lot happened for most of it. There is nothing great that really stands out. I read this week's ago and can't really tell you anything about it anymore. It was very forgettable.

Thank you to Bonnie Doon Press and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions agree mine and mine alone.

Thank you to @netgalley for the free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aria’s magic has always been a bit wonky. Which led to her running away from her small, charming town and heading to London to find herself.

However, her grandmother shows up to take her home - Aria needs to win a magical inheritance and save her family shop.

Aria ends up partnered with her arch nemesis, Callan Hawthorne, who she’s inconveniently attracted to.

The Modern Girls Guide to Witchcraft is a sweet small town magical enemies to lovers romance. There is very little spice, and despite the sex scene takes place outdoors, it is actually more of a closed door romance.

Things I loved :
- Aria’s familiar, a crotchety, food loving badger called Boris
- The magical creatures
- The garden descriptions
- Unlocking undiscovered magic trope
- He falls first

What I didn’t like :
- The way Aria left her bestie, and then just came back after years and acted like it was nothing. Has the woman not heard of texting? Email? Magical mail? Come on.

This photo was inspired by @amyjanelehan for #bookwolfoct23. Swipe to see her original, and do check out her recently released book that is featured in her photo.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really pleased to get this book as I had seen a lot of good publicity on social media and I really enjoyed the cute storyline. I thought Charming cove was really idyllic and I liked the growing chemistry between Aria and Callan and that the book isn't really over the top with drama. My only thing that would mark it down is that for me personally I thought Aria could have been a bit older what with the way Callan was clearly obsessed with wanting her from a young age but that is just personal preference.

Aria is a witch, except whenever she tries to use magic it blows up in her face. Literally. She left her (magical) hometown of Charming Cove when she was 18 to go to London, but now the town needs her. She has been invited to participate in a local competition to become the caretaker of the magical botanical Gardens and she will be competing against Callan, an attractive mage that she can't stand and some bullies from her childhood. Can she win this thing? Can she forgive Callan.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Charming Cove seems like a magical place to live. The small town community seems like a nice place to be (as long as you get on with everyone). I didn't really get why this had to be set in the UK though (I'm assuming the author is American?), but every time fireflies were mentioned, I was taken straight out of the story. We do not have fireflies in the UK.

Aria was interesting as a main character, but I would have liked a bit more in the book about her magic developing. The magic system as a while wasn't explained overly well. Callan as a love interest was okay, but their attraction to each other seemed quite surface level.

In terms of the romance, it was fine, but meeting when she was 17 and he was in his like 20s(?) was a bit of an ick. Also, the smut scene in this was quick and awkward and didn't seem overly necessary.

The family relationships in this were sweet, and Boris the badger was an excellent character. The challenges were interesting and enjoyable. This book was easy enough to read.

A Funny and Sweet Magical Romance
The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the magical village of Charming Cove. This book was a cute, fun, low-stakes romantic comedy set in a modern city of mages. It made me think it could be the plot of a Disney Channel movie, (Halloweentown anyone?) if the cast was adult and there was some *spice* thrown in. Except honestly, the stakes were higher in Halloweentown.

No matter what she tries, Aria’s can’t properly summon her magic and it tends to backfire on her
The main character, Aria, does have a nice character arc throughout the story as she has struggled her whole life with magic that she can’t control. She doubts her abilities and doesn’t think she has what it takes to be a mage.



In comes Callan, just your typical overly wonderful, philanthropic, self-made billionaire who is also Britain’s most powerful mage.

However, Aria has hated him for years after he bought real-estate and developed on the land that had once been special to Aria’s grandfather. l personally like my fictional men dark and broody – so he’s not my type, but Callan is great if you love that sort of guy. Clearly, Aria does because even though she hates him, and even though he’s her competition for the biggest magical fortune in England, she can’t seem to be able to get him off her mind.

I will admit though, lines like this will get me every time:

“My world had narrowed until she was the only thing in it, and I wanted to drown in her.”
*Swoon*

The book is a one-sided “enemies-to-lovers”, but I think the reason Aria hates Callan is justified from her POV. My one big dislike is the fact that when they met, Aria was 17 and he was older and into her. I give props that he left when he found out her age, but given the way he continues to think of her often after that still in his mind as a teen- it’s a bit creepy.

Honestly, the star of the book is Aria’s familiar, a badger names Boris. He is the true comedic relief of the book with his insatiable appetite and witty remarks. His presence also leads to the question: if only the strongest mages have familiars, why does Aria have one when she can’t conjure usable magic in the first place?

Overall, The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic was a cute magical romance that was a good palate cleanser after reading some darker romance recently.

Aria is a witch, who thinks she's not any good at being a witch, so she leaves where she's from to try to have another life. However, her grandma and a competition to take over the town's magical gardens and help her grandmother's shop. During her time back she's faced with needing to win this competition, figure out how to get good at magic, and face her enemy Callan without falling for him. She also has a fun badger, Boris, who she communicates with, and he helps her along the way.

This book is a light and quick read for anybody looking for something to read. Perfect for fall or Halloween time too! Thank you NetGalley and Linsey Hall for the advance reading copy of this book!