What a fantastic book !

This book screamed all the autuminal witchy season feels from start to finish , don’t be fooled it wasn’t as “ fluffy “. As I thought it was going to be .

The book is written in the character of Sadie who is narrating her story I felt like we really got inside her head ! She’s magical and combines herbs with baking . Loved the touch of recipie sat the end of each chapter for something that had been in that chapter .

I don’t want to give too much away but for me just a superb feel good book .

Sadie Revelare, like every member of her family, has magic. But, like every member of her family, she also carries a curse and her curse is that she’ll lose her magic if she experiences four heartbreaks. She’s two down, and has decided to staunchly guard her heart to minimise the chances of it getting broken again - except her high school love, Jake, has just moved back into town, and her beloved Grandmother has just revealed that she’s sick, which doesn’t bode well for heartbreak avoidance…

This one missed the mark for me, unfortunately. Dubbed as a cozy cross between Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic, two pieces of media I absolutely love, I was super excited to receive an arc copy. However - this book didn’t feel cosy to me. The small town setting is there, with the varying characters and shops, but we don’t spend a lot of time with them. We do spend time in the bakery that Sadie runs with her Grandmother, and there’s a LOT of baking, and recipes in-between the chapters, which ups the cozy feel, but the actual story was filled with death, fear, heartbreak and grief. Heartbreak is in the title, so I was prepared for that, but it was just way more heightened than I’d been expecting, and no amount of overly long food descriptions, random pets, or quirky family members, could even that out.

Another weird little point for me was the Christian themes that run throughout the book - our main character is a church goer, but then comes home and makes salt rings and tries to convene with the dead? There’s a lot of talk about praying, and even two references to bible stories when trying to explain different situations. I have no problem with religion in books, but it just felt at odds with each other, and isn’t what I expect when I pick up a ‘magical’ book.

The actual story just felt a bit off-kilter and odd, and there are moments that are played off as ‘cute’ that just….aren’t? Her dog-napping a puppy, for one, and then just refusing to give it back after she finds out who the owner is.

There’s a lot of plot points that would have been interesting if they’d been more built upon but…they’re just not, and most of the conclusions just felt messy. Also, Jake is kinda of an asshole for not getting his reasoning for moving home out right away, and then continuing to carry on in the way that he does.

So, sadly not the cozy magical fantasy that I was hoping for. There are glimmers of good in this book, and I felt like it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it was all drowned out by the above. I bet some of the recipes are fun to try out though…and the title and cover are still great.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

I’m going to be honest this is a DNF. It would probably get better if I kept reading but I made a promise to myself this year to try to DNF if I'm not loving something.

The FMC, Sadie is too annoying. She started out good and I thought I'd love it but she very quickly got insufferable. She’s a control freak who takes no responsibility for anything. She constantly complains about being alone but then does nothing to change that and just pushes people away when they try to get close or be there for her. Everything is always everyone else fault, because “they always leave”.

I am also begging publishers and authors to stop comparing things to Gilmore girls when it is just set in a small town. There is so much more to that show and the vibes aren’t even particularly similar.

Gilmore Girls is my comfort show and witchy magic books are my vibe, so how could I pass up the opportunity to read this book?!

Perhaps my expectations were too specific, but I am sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this book.

When I think of Cosy books, a huge part of the feeling is created in the setting and the characters. An intimate setting where we get to immerse ourselves in the small details and feel like we could step right in. A group of characters who feel like our friends, who we care about and look forward to spending time with.

Although this seems to have been the plan for this book, it didn’t feel cosy to me. I could see the attempts, the small town where everyone knows everyone, a family bakery where magic is woven into the baked goods, the main character who is nice to everyone.

I was ready to settle in for a cosy visit to this small town but I could not connect with the characters. Perhaps it was the repetitive explanation of their personal struggles or maybe the way that most of their choices didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I also craved a deeper exploration of their connections with one another.

My biggest character issues were:
-our main character Sadie, who was in her late 20’s but read like a teenager. She was so unsure in herself, so focused on her teenage crush a whole decade later and almost unable to function without others. It was hard to invest in her story.
-Sadie’s Grandma who I think was supposed to be a funny, strong snarky older lady but just came across as rude and mean.

I was also surprised by the story which included some tough issues, sometimes mentioned quite briefly yet still not what I was expecting in a book which was marketed to be a comfort read.

Another disconnect for me was the polarity of being both magical and a religious family who attended church. It was not explained well enough for me to see the merging of the two.

I hope that it was my high and specific expectations that ruined this read for me and that others go on to really enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC, I hope that it finds its perfect audience.

So in anticipation for Autumn I requested a few cosy witchy/magical vibe books and so perhaps this review is coming from a place of comparison with the great ones I have read either side of this book, but this one just didn't quite do it for me.

This book is paced quite slowly, which is absolutely fine for me usually, but I did start to get a bit tired of it being overly descriptive and just didn't gel well with the main character. Overall just wasn't for me, but I would recommend to anyone wanting to give the cosy fantasy genre a try.

A tremendous introduction into this magical world. It truly lives up to it's "Practical Magic" vibes!

The magic varies from person to person and each persons magic just seems to suit them perfectly. Sadie is perfectly depicted as the town baker and undercover "fixer". Her cakes are imbued with magic that help with whatever is aches/pains/worries that the townfolk have. But she is also flawed - she has walls around her heart and a determination to keep everyone at arms length due to her curse. She is not at all the cookie cutter FMC. She has attitude and flaws and sometimes she's a PITA!

Jake has some apologies to make but makes a ham-fisted attempt at it. It just made him feel that more real. I loved the whole "dognapping" storyline!

The Revelare family are wonderfully weird, close even though they are far apart. They come together when needed and just support each other. Raquel is just another part of the family rather than Sadie's best friend but I was kind of shocked when she made her big reveal! Gigi just reminded me so much of my own gran, attitude and all! I did have a compete weep and a big lump in my throat at one section of the book. So have tissues at the ready.

Sad, sweet, funny, heart-warming and life-affirming. The writing is wonderfully descriptive without bogging you down in prose. I'd be happy to read a lot more tales from this world.

PS I'm attempting some of the recipes this weekend!

Sadie Revelare's life begins to unravel when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer, her first heartbreak Jake McNealy returns to town after a decade and her estranged twin brother Seth returns to town. She has a curse where if she has four heartbreaks then she'll lose her magic. As Sadie faces her last heartbreak, she has to decide is love more important that her magic?

At the beginning of this book, I was seriously debating whether I wanted to continue reading as I wasn’t really interested in the characters or the storyline. Everything seemed to be happening really slowly until around 30%, where I’m not sure what happened to the writing but I enjoyed it so much more. I began to want to know more about the characters, their curse, their magic and the town they lived in. I absolutely loved the setting of the town and the descriptions were so vivid in my mind. I really liked all of the characters but my favourite has to be Sadie, although at the beginning I did find her quite immature and annoying. The more that I learn about her, the more connected I felt to her and saw myself in her. But I still have some unanswered questions and I wish that certain aspects weren’t left until the last 5% to be explored as it felt like they didn’t have enough time to develop. I kind of wish that the ending was longer just to see what the character’s lives would be like. I also wish that the chapters weren’t so long, as well as the recipes being included after each chapter as I feel felt like it took me out of the story. I think it would work better if all of the recipes were at the back of the book.

I would love to read more about Sadie and her family so if there’s a series in the works, I’d be buzzing.

⚠️ CWs: cursing, bipolar disorder, OCD, cancer, alcohol use, death, suicide, vomiting; mentions panic attacks, murder, rape, overdose, physical assault, suicidal ideation ⚠️

Thank you to Aria & Aries, Aria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

What drew me into this book was the fact it’s described as for fans of practical magic and Gilmore Girls…which is basically my whole identity

I also loved the sweet add ins between every chapter which I will definitely be trying (don’t want to spoil it)

Sadie’s journey is a rough one but worth it, her magic and her grandmother have been the only things she can rely on so her dealing with a lot of changes in a short amount of time really takes it’s toll!

It’s probably the most heartwarming heartbreaking book I’ve ever read…in a good way…there was a trope that I’m not to fond of but that’s just me, overall I still think this is a great book and amazing for spooky season coming up

They definitely got the book description right!!

I struggled with this one the ending was cute but it took a lot to get through this book for me I liked the end but to get there was a lot

If you enjoy the film Practical Magic then you will enjoy this one. My favourite part was actually the recipe that was included between each chapter, so different! Witchy, romance, family, and autumn vibes!

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a story about Sadie, a small-town witch who runs a cafe and bakery with her (also witch) grandmother. Her organized, predictable life was turned upside down by her ex who came back to town after a decade, and her grandmother cancer diagnosis.

I had to DNF this at 30%, for multiple reasons. But first I have to state that fantasy is my favorite genre, and I usually don’t mind slow- to medium-paced stories. This book, however, is a pain to read. I would say it’s medium-paced, but there were too many descriptions of things and people that has nothing to do with the story. There were also a lot of coincidences where the ex-boyfriend was involved but I’ll let that pass. I haven’t read that far into the story anyway.

The biggest reason of me DNF-ing was the personality of Sadie. Simply put I would not have the patience to face a person like her in real life. If the character was 5-10 years younger I would probably understand why she acted or felt that way. I do hope she get some character development later in the story.

eARC provided by NetGalley and Aria & Aries from Head of Zeus.

I absolutely loved this! It is magical, emotional and wonderfully witchy. I loved all the characters! I love the concept of every witch in the family having their own unique power however it also comes with a curse.

The fear of heartbreak is a thing most people can relate to, this book connected me on an emotional level I wasn’t expecting

The writing is so descriptive and gripping, the whole book had a nostalgic feel to it for me, reminding me of little me curling up to watch Halloweentown

I can’t wait for the UK release date to come around so I can recommend it on my booktok

I absolutely loved this book!

I was really drawn to the Practical Magic vibes this book gave off. I love all things full of love and witches. Poppy Meadows absolutely made me want to move to a small town immediately. I loved the community feel in the town.

Sadie was a truly beautiful character. She wasn’t without her flaws, but I love the growth she went through throughout the book. Her love for her family and friends was something I was drawn to and it made me love her. She really came into her own as the book went on and I was really happy with the way it ended.

I’m so sad I’ve finished this book, as I could spend all day in Poppy Meadows. Hopefully they’ll be another Poppy Meadows book. Can’t wait read more from Breanne.

DNF -52% through

A wonderful concept and dripping in practical magic style setting and description. Clearly set up plot points that had clear foreshadowing and fit within the confines of the world building that the author meticulously described. While the characters and setting were enjoyable, sadly, the pacing threw me.

The slower pacing, while making it a incredibly cosy atmosphere, made some of the clearly intended plot points feeling flat. This meant that I couldn’t invest fully in the storyline or the characters. I didn’t feel empathetic towards our protagonists troubles and moments that should have been brimming with sexual energy and tension felt incredibly flat.

Sadly just not a win for me, but some brilliant ideas and World Building presented.

Thank you Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Love the premise of this - food that's magic? Sign me up 😂

What I liked:
The magic
The setting
Autumn/fall/witchy vibes (although this kind of fizzled out for me)
The recipes after each chapter! so cute!!

The first 30 ish % of this book was good - I was intrigued by the magic and the family curse. Unfortunately this did end up as a miss for me! I really struggled with the pacing and found the dialogue quite repetitive. The plot didn't go quite the way I expected (but not in a good way) and I struggled to stay in the story. I really didn't like the plot twist or how it was handled (or how it was resolved? honestly not sure how to describe it).

Not for me, but might work for you! Thank you again for the arc!

The unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic is a cozy low fantasy read. And my favourite one yet. It’s a et in a wonderfully small town, heavily centred on family, with some romance sprinkled throughout. And I absolutely adored the recipes sprinkled through out the book, of which I am desperate to try out a couple.
I found this easy to understand, could picture myself in the cafe or Gigi’s kitchen surrounded by the noises and smells of the kitchens. It was like a big hug the whole way through. I will definitely be on the look out for a special edition of this, I loved it so much. Cannot wait to see what else Breanne Randall has written, and will follow her carer closely.

Three and a half stars rounded up to 4.

This book is the perfect book to read this autumn. Cosy, witchy vibes with a side of comfort food. It’s a really easy read with likeable characters and strong sense of family and community. The storyline of Sadie and Jake was quite predictable but didn’t make it any less enjoyable to read. There are recipes included at the end of every chapter and I felt like this was such a nice touch.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC.

Publication Date - 12th October 2023

Sadie lives with her grandmother, Gigi in her childhood home, where they practice magic and share it with others in their community through baked goods and salves. After having her heart broken twice in the last ten years, Sadie is happy to continue living without letting anyone else into her fragile heart. This all changes when her ex-boyfriend Jake returns to town, her estranged twin brother Seth also returns home, and Gigi announces the news of her impending death. Sadie has to ensure she doesn't get her heart broken anymore or else the family curse will be enacted. How can she do this when old loves are resurfacing and family is being threatened to fall apart?

Despite the premise of heartbreak and death, I was expecting this book to be lighthearted and comedic. Sure, the first three or four chapters are lighthearted enough but this book grabs a hold of your feelings pretty quickly and stomps all over them until you're sobbing into your book. I think it was around chapter six, but after that, I kept crying every now and then. This is an emotional book. It's about love, heartbreak, family, death and grief. The author describes grief in such a poignant way that it brought back memories for me. Even though it felt like my own heart was breaking all over again, I had to continue reading because I needed to know what would happen to Sadie. I was just hoping that everything would be alright in the end.

Above all else, this book portrays a grandmother-granddaughter relationship, the strains of being estranged from family, dealing with heartbreak and grief, and learning to overcome your fears of the future. This would be a perfect read for autumn but perhaps keep the tissues close by. I would recommend this book to people who are fans of Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Thank you, NetGalley & Head of Zeus, for letting me read an ARC of this book.

When i heard this was practical magic, meets cosy small town/Gilmore Girls, i was sold!

We have witches, cosy bakery, which serves baked goods with lots of ingredients linked to natural magic and an all-knowing elderly grandmother.

Sadie is a witch who has a curse linked to her magic, which results in 4 heartbreaks, and she will lose her magic. She's already suffered 2 heartbreaks when we start the story. Bring back the man who 1st broke her heart 10 years ago and some tragic news and we've got the start of a great story.

This book was so much more than what I thought it would be (fluffy witchy story), and the plot just keeps developing more and more.

I highly recommend you check this out over the autumnal/spooky season.

Faced as a child between a curse of four heartbreaks, or losing her magic, Sadie chose her magic. Two agonising heartbreaks later she is faced with an old love returned, misfortune and her grandmother's impending death.

I initially struggled to focus on the story, I was so entranced by the poetic way in which it was written. This quickly passed, and I was captivated by the will-they-won't-they of a returned love, the tragedy of a dying relative, and Sadie's struggle to let anyone in.

A family reunited by grief, magic and heartbreak. A wonderful read indeed.