This audiobook was a breath of fresh rom-com air. Think practical magic with a happier sweeter touch rather than a dark edge. #JenniferMoorman created instantly likeable characters and such a fun plot that you can't help but wish the magic would also call you to Ivy Ridge. So lovers of happy fun stories, make sure to pick up #themagicallaround to join Mattie on a quick trip home that will be anything but.

#arc #netgalley #harpercollinsfocus #harpermuse

Very pleasant and heart warming story. A coming of age of sorts showing that you can always come home again. Magical elements are subtle. There’s no witchcraft.

For readers who enjoy Heather Webber and Sarah Addison Allen.

This was a cute story about a family with magical abilities. I liked how different the abilities were from other stories about magical families. It's a story about finding family, finding oneself and finding love.

Very enticing. Caught my attention easily and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Definitely will read more of this author's books

This was a cozy, small town story with a little romance and magic thrown in. I loved the idea of the tasks Maddie had to complete in order to get her inheritance and the magical realism sprinkled throughout. I think I would have liked it even better if I had read it instead of listening to the audio version. The narrator started out fine, but after a while I started noticing all these pauses in her speech that made it sound a little robotic. It became very distracting, which got even worse when she would change her voice to a super high pitch for a particular scene or character. Then I became confused as to how old Maddie actually was, and kept asking myself if how she was acting made sense for someone her age. That being said, it was an enjoyable, light, fun read.

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman is a contemporary women’s novel with magical realism elements. Mattie’s mother dies suddenly and she travels back to her mom’s hometown to be with her family. Her mother leaves behind a list of tasks for Mattie to find her birth father, to connect with new friends, and to find her place in the world.
This is a great book for readers who enjoy contemporary novels and would like to explore the magical realism genre. Family drama and secrets keep you interested while the magical elements give the book a mystical flair. The narrator’s voice matches the main character and she has a nice cadence to her voice.

Thank you Harper Muse and Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary audiobook. All opinions are my own.

The Magic All Around captures the enchantment of small town life, weaving a tale that intertwines the moments of life and family with a touch of magic.

The Russell women have the ability to make life better for themselves and others around them through their talents. While decisions made by some kept the family apart, her death brings them back together. It is also about looking past the choices made in your younger years to discover your destiny for today.

Jennifer Moorman brings out the charm of community connections, making this a delightful read for those who appreciate the mafic within the simplicity of small town life. It's like a warm hug.

Thank you to Haper Muse, NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me and ALC of this book in exchange for my own opinion.

While the overall premise of the book was good - old loves reunited and a mother’s last wishes to help everyone do so - the whole thing was so dysfunctional, and excused itself for being so most of the time, I didn’t care for it.

You’ve got a mother who just wants to have fun, no matter what detrimental attachment/security issues she’s causing for her daughter, everyone just constantly leaves when things get tough and refuses to have hard conversations with any sort of relationship - love interest or family, all the male love interests refuse to pursue the women when they leave or things get uncomfortable, a father who suspects her has a kid but does absolutely nothing about it, even waits for he to “say the words”. And no one confronts or challenges each other on it. They just leave ambiguous clues on what they feel or they let the house (yes the house) convey “its” feelings.

Kept hoping it would get better but, while it ended with a neat bow, no one really learned anything out of the dysfunction. It was all just to-each-his-own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Mattie returns to Ivy Ridge Georgia to bury her mother. After her mother had Mattie they basically lived like gypsies and moved every 2 to 2 1/2 years living paycheck to paycheck every summer her mom would send her back to Ivy Ridge for her vacation and to stay with Penelope. Upon the reading of the will Mattie has 4 months to complete a list of tasks that have to be verified to receive her inheritance the amount was mind blowing from the frugal way they lived. Lilith had never told a soul who Mattie’s father was but with her list of tasks she leaves the clues to put in together and figure out who her father was.
I enjoyed The Magic all Around and thank NetGalley for ARC.

The Magic All Around is a charming and whimsical novel that explores the power of family, love, and magic in shaping one’s destiny.
The book’s overall impact is positive and uplifting, as it celebrates the power of love, family, and magic in shaping one’s life. The book also inspires the reader to appreciate the magic in their own lives, and to follow their dreams and their hearts. The book is a delightful and enchanting read that will appeal to fans of magical realism, southern fiction, and romance. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written, heartwarming, and magical story.

Firstly, the character's names suit the book's theme (Lilith, Penelope). The book does have the aspect of magical realism that shadows the lives of the Russell family.

It's a tale of motherly loss and the accompanying life-altering changes our protagonist has to go through in a coming-of-age scenario. Dash in the elements of charm, luck and magic, creating a soft whimsical tale in a small city, away from the hustling metro lives. You will particularly enjoy reading this one if you are in the mood for a gliding butter-like storyline with not a lot of high-stake enigmas. I found it a bit predictable, but I do feel that was intentional from the author's end so it is fine.

This book will make you feel happy from the inside and I am contended to have chanced upon it.
Thank you @netgalley @harpermusebooks @harpercollinsfocus and @jenniferrmoorman for the Digital ARC.
Genre: #contemporary #magicalrealism
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Also, this book was a pick for my #februaryreadingprompt of #valentine that had to be #magical and #dreamy
#TheMagicAllAround #NetGalley

Magical family. Quest of finding Inheritance and findingntruth about her mother / family, but also herself. As daughter grow up in the world of superstions and magic of unknown they follow mothers steps not realizing repeat of past is hard to break and faith of women in this families are same. Is now the time to break them.

I loved the family aspect of this book. Magical realism is slowly becoming my new favorite genre. I really enjoyed this book, and the audio was great.

This was a low stakes, predictable story, with heavy magical realism and a bit of whimsy. . Things rolled along and there wasn't a lot of investment for me, like, I never got anxious or nervous or truly involved in the characters. There was a lot, I mean, A LOT, of description, about how people looked and where they were, I think I know more about the house than the personalities of the main characters.

When I got to the author's note at the end and she said this was originally a short story that she had to stretch to a 90,000 word book I kind of understood why there was so much description and so much repetition.

Every time Maddie had a thought, it was essentially the same one. For as much introspection as the book had, these characters were really shallow. She cared only about not staying in Ivy Ridge even though she had no plan or direction in her life. She didn't want to make connections with people but then GASP her life got better when she did.

And then there is our equally vapid main man Johnathon, who wouldn't go home because he didn't want people to ask about his injury that prevented him from becoming a professional baseball player? Okay, what a cool way to tell us there is nothing to your life except your failed sports dream.

This book was slow, as in, the stuff on the synopsis (the will reading, the tasks she must do) don't come up until 40% into the book. The book was mostly about Maddie finding her way but her Aunt Penelope also had a main plot line that was decently interesting.

I liked how it came together at towards the end but then the the third act breakup and obvious unnecessary stalling for the happy ending annoyed the crap out of me.

In short, low stakes, whimsical, easy listen, good narration, slow but steady.

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman is an enchanting tale that is perfect for anyone that loves subtle magic and whimsy. Practical Magic meets The Good Witch but in Georgia!

If you enjoy Magical realism similar to Heather Webber`s books such as Blackbird Cafe you will enjoy this book of self-discovery, mixed with a bit of magic. Mattie grew up with a free-spirited mother but her mother has passed away and to receive her inheritance she must complete specific tasks laid out by her mother. While carrying out these tasks, she discovers more about herself and what she really wants out of life. I found the beginning of the book a bit of a slow burn but once I got around 30% into the book it really took off and I couldn`t put it down— the characters are interesting and learning their secrets and more about the tasks was really fun. — I enjoyed that the house was its own character as well. The Narrator did an excellent job of using her voicing of the characters to entice you and pull you deeper into the story. Overall a magically charming story.
Thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse for this audiobook ARC. This is my honest review.

This audiobook wasn't exactly what I expected though I'm not sure why... the entire plot is completely spelled out in the blurb. I guess I was hoping for something more. It was a cute story, but a little too cute for my taste. I think this book will appeal to many readers, but personally, I didn't love it. I found the magical realism components didn't subtlety move the story forward, they were just there all the time.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was just the book I needed. Light-hearted and hopeful with amazing characters, I could not put down The Magic All Around. A story told through magical realism with themes of happiness and fate, I was fully invested in Mattie, her aunt Penelope, and her mother Lilith - they were believable, unique, and inspiring each with their own story and struggles. This might be one of my favorite books I read this year. The narration was excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

This was one of those books that immediately started out giving me that 5 star feeling from the first page and stayed there throughout the whole first half. Somewhere in the second half when resolutions started happening though, this quickly dropped down to a 3 for me, unfortunately.

The good: this story really succeeded with creating a fantastic atmosphere. The house being its own character, the light magical realism undertone, and the descriptive beautiful writing all pulled me in immediately. I loved the practical magic, Gilmore girls, vibes that I was getting and the familial relationships were another big plus.

The bad: this book really started to let me down when we started getting resolutions. Every one seemed so rushed and lacking depth or tension. Things were so quickly tied up with a neat little ribbon and it almost felt as though the author really just rushed the last third of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Magic All Around" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. Well I was going to give up on this book. There was a lot going on in the beginning but I gave it a day and started listening again. I'm really glad that I did. I enjoyed the story, heartwarming and inspiring. Magical realism usually draws me to books and the narrator was awesome. I loved how the magic and the tasks all fit together. A lot of the story touched me, especially about looking for signs, as I am dealing with grief that I think will never go away. I would have given it 5 stars if it didn't start off slow. 4.5 is my review and I am now searching for the authors other books.