My mother taught me that if I didn’t have anything nice to say, to not say anything at all which I will exercise here but just know….I’m not thinking nice things about this book.

The cover is cute at least!

I wasn't the right reader for this book. While I could see the similarity to Gilmore Girls, the snappy banter didn't translate as well to text as I'd hoped. I might have stuck around longer, but the family conflict was centered right off the bat. Imagine if we never got to see Lorelai in her element in Stars Hollow, and instead jumped right into the scenes where she confronts Emily & Richard. My own experience makes those scenes tough to watch, but they're balanced out by seeing Lorelai as a (more) capable, relatable person at work, in town, and out in the world. In the 15% of this novel that I read, there were only allusions to the protagonist's life in San Francisco; we only saw her under trying circumstances that I had to imagine would bring out the worst version of herself.

What a quirky, fun, cast of characters! If you love Gilmore Girls, Practical Magic, strong female characters, and small town settings, THIS is a must read!

Unfortunately I dnf'ed this book at around the 40% mark. I was excited for the Gilmore Girls vibes that it was seeming to give off, but I found the main character unlikeable. I thought that the pacing was off, and this felt like too much of a wattpad book that hadn't been edited enough.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Living as a 'muggle' in San Francisco, Scarlet had all but turned her back on her messy family and even messier personal life-- but when her older sister leaves her a desperate phone call begging for her help, she has no choice but return to her beloved, and magical, hometown of Oak Haven. However, when faced with the very real possibility of Oak Haven losing its magic, as well as her own past mistakes, Scarlet has to decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice for the sake of her loved ones.

As you can tell based on the reviews, IMPRACTICAL MAGIC is a bit of a mixed bag. The author did a great job of capturing the quirky feel and dialogue of Gilmore Girls-- but that fast paced, randomness doesn't always translate well into print. Additionally, I spent the entire book feeling like I was reading a sequel. I constantly felt two steps behind on character relationships, inside jokes, and even plot lines... which made the reading experience a little difficult.

5/5 fall vibes, 2.5/5 (rounded up) plot.

This one was a little rough to get through. I loved the setting, the characters and the atmosphere. But some of the current references and some of the writing was not my personal cup of tea. Could do with some more editing. Thank you so much for this review copy!

This was a cute feel good read. I enjoyed it. It was fast paced and I was able to get through it quickly.

While the premise was promising, the book overall fell flat for me. The writing felt choppy and awkward, which didn’t help with the pacing. I’m bummed I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would!

Had to DNF at 13%. Although I’m intrigued by the plot and want to know what’s causing all the issues with magic, I’m not invested enough to try and push through the book. The writing style is jarring and feels like it was written by a teenager. The main character is irritating and for a 28 year old, she, along with all the other characters, act and speak like they’re 15.

While this was a cute premise, I hated the writing and the lack of follow through in the plot. Scarlett is summoned home by her sister to her childhood home. After her first visit in a decade, Scarlett comes home to a town whose magic has gone haywire. What I found frustrating was Scarlett commenting on how much has changed and how no one has told her, yet at the same time she said she had no contact with anyone by choice. Scarlet, along with her sisters and mom, try to figure out the reasons behind the magic situation despite having tension between them. Scarlett keeps running into her former crush Nate who wants to know why she left.

The slow burn was obvious, and I wanted to like it but the writing really got on my nerves and I didn't like Scarlett has a narrator. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy read. Good banter between the sisters. Look forward to reading more from this community.

If you took all the good vibes from cozy witchy fall books and shows/movies like Gilmore Girls and Halloweentown, it would be Impractical Magic.

The whole idea of something being off with the magic of Oak Haven and the three sisters needing to come together to fix it was really fun, especially considering Scarlett hasn’t been there for 10 years.
I also found it really unique that muggles could interact with the town but would have no memory of it afterwards.
Not only was the setting fun, it was full of amazing New England setting descriptions that made me nostalgic for a place I’ve never been.
I love a second chance romance and this one between Scarlett and Nate was so cute. Friends who never explored the something more, despite everyone knowing it was there, has so much promise and this one was done really well.
There were so many fun quirks throughout as well, like the mishaps of the broken magic causing the dining room to change settings. I also liked the fun modern references sprinkled in and nods to tv shows and the like.

Overall this was a fun, cute and cozy read perfect for this time of year. I really enjoyed it and thought it was a great debut novel!

Thank you to Emily Grimoire and Avon for this eARC via NetGalley.

The magic of family, love, perseverance, and devotion is all encompassed in Impractical Magic. The Melrose witches have all the pressure to solve the town of Oak Haven's malfunctioning magic. Ten years prior, Scarlett lost her father in the grove when things went awry. Now, a decade later, she's willing to do what it takes to save the town of her ancestors and those she loves.

Scarlett returns home to Oak Haven, a magical town, after ten years away. The premise was a good one.
A problem for me was how dysfunctional the relationships between sisters and mother were. Scarlett wallowed so long in the guilt and issues of the past that I did not progress quickly with the book.
I like the things eventually worked out, but even then the solution was drawn out. I can’t go into detail without spoilers.
From the acknowledgments this appears to be a debut book for the author. She shows promise.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this book.

I was instantly drawn to Impractical Magic by the cover and promise of a Gilmore Girls-esque fall read. The town of Oak Haven was so quirky and cute, just like Stars Hollow. A lot of the characters were even similar to Gilmore Girls and made this a super cozy read. I did feel like we got a little bogged down in the details and the backstory and kept addressing old issues before the plot/characters would move forward. Read if you like second chance romance, magic small towns, enchanted inns, family drama, and of course Gilmore Girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy!

As a practicing witch, I found this book to be the perfect autumn read, blending cozy magic with heartfelt romance. Scarlett’s journey back to Oak Haven is filled with charm, humor, and a touch of spellbinding drama, making it easy to root for her as she faces old flames and new magical challenges. The mix of family, love, and magic felt authentic, like a beautiful blend of Gilmore Girls meets Charmed. If you’re looking for a sweet, magical story that warms your heart, this is definitely the book to curl up with this fall.

This really is like Gilmore Girls small town mix with Charmed sisters. It was a fast, cute and predictable read. Scarlett goes back home to her witch town after 10 years away. Her sisters and mom called her home because magic is acting funny. Together, they have to fix it while Scarlett reconnects with a long lost love, Nate.

DNF at 40%. I tried, I really did.

I'm a huge fan of Gilmore Girls, and tying this book to that brilliant show is a marketing mistake.

The things that are supposed to give it the Gilmore Girls vibe actually make the writing seem lazy. It's an excuse to put random details in there with no explanation or reason so that Gilmore Girls fans will what, enjoy it more? Like that the love interest owns a hardware store that, for some reason, serves the best coffee in town. I heard there is a Four Thanksgiving chapter, featuring a deep fried turkey, and I am not willing to read that type of Gilmore Girls rip off. I freaking love that episode.

Wow, is the main character unlikable. She refuses to take responsibility for anything. Her attitude was abhorrent. There has been no good dialogue/banter with the MMC. The plot was okay to start, then got more and more lame. A few good ideas couldn't save this story, though.

This review was published on Goodreads on 10/12/24.

This book had a really cute premise and I’m such a sucker for small town witchy romances. Unfortunately with this one I just felt it started quite slow and sped through the ending, and I also wasn’t a massive fan of all the modern pop culture references.

However, I did really enjoy the whole backstory to the town and all the background characters so that got me through the storyline!

Gilmore girls meets Halloweentown in this fun fall read.

Scarlett Melrose is a witch who returns to her hometown of Oak Haven after 10 years away only to find out something is wrong with the magic in town.

This book is super fun and quirky in just the right way. I loved reading about the quirky witchy town Oak Haven, and the Melrose family felt real with their drama. There were also tons of fun references and the author is clearly a big Gilmore Girls fan. The plot was bumpy at times, but I just kinda went along for the ride. Overall a super enjoyable fall read.

4 stars