What a fun little trip to a magical New England town! Do I want to live in Oak Haven? Yes. Do I want to be best friends with the Melrose sisters? Also yes. This book was full of magical drama and romance and small town quirks and I enjoyed every moment of it! Impractical Magic is a cozy book to read while sitting by a warm fire and drinking some hot tea while eating your favorite fall snacks. What more could you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I started out really excited about this book because the blurb on it says that it’s very much like Gilmore girls. And while I did get some of those vibes. I felt like it tried a little bit too hard to be like it.

We start out with Scarlett, returning to her home town. She has always sworn she would never go back to because until she receives a call from her sister. Her mother’s inn has been cursed and her sister needs her help to break the curse.

All of the family drama and conflict was just very awkward to get through. It made it very hard to read, and I almost didn’t want to continue.

I feel like if this had more time to add more depth to some of the characters and maybe work on the dialogue between the characters a little bit more this would’ve been a higher stars for me, but as it was, it kind of fell flat .

1.5 out of 5 stars for me.

Fun read - I loved the relationship between the sisters and the magic going awry, it felt like a Hallmark film level of cosy fun.

I really wanted to love this one because it had the potential to be a sweet and fun fall read. It's Gilmore Girls fanfic with magic and honestly, that description should be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. It was TOO cutesy and over the top with the references not only to Gilmore Girls but also to current pop culture - I don't think the book will survive relevancy past a few months before some of these are forgotten altogether. It also has one of my personal pet peeves in a book, which is mentioning the characters names every other sentence. You definitely won't forget the female MC, her love interest, or her sisters, because they use each other's names every time they speak. When's the last time you used your sibling's real name when talking to them?!

Emily Grimoire’s Impractical Magic sets the stage for a cozy autumn adventure that promises a delightful blend of Gilmore Girls and Charmed, all wrapped up in a second-chance romance sprinkled with magic. Scarlett Melrose returns to her hometown of Oak Haven when her sisters call for help to lift a curse plaguing their town. It sounds like the perfect setup for an enchanting read, especially with the charming old flame Nate reentering her life. However, what could have been a whimsical tale falls short of its cozy aspirations.

While the premise is endearing, the execution leaves much to be desired. Scarlett’s journey of reconnection and self-discovery feels muddled, primarily because we learn very little about Nate beyond his handyman gig. It’s hard not to draw parallels to Luke from Gilmore Girls but lacks the depth to bring the character to life. Scarlett’s mother channels an Emily Gilmore vibe and not in a flattering way. The dialogue feels stilted, and the magical elements often leave you scratching your head rather than delighting in their whimsy. The story meanders without clear explanations for the villains’ motivations, leaving me wondering why their antics unfolded as they did. I kept turning the pages, hoping for clarity, but it never arrived.

Ultimately, Impractical Magic feels more like a rough draft of a cozy story than a polished final product. The absence of a satisfying resolution—especially regarding Scarlett’s family—left me perplexed and unsatisfied. While the concept of blending Gilmore Girls’ witty charm with a touch of magic is intriguing, the pacing and clarity hinder its charm. It has potential, but the execution makes it hard to follow. If you’re looking for a light, magical read, you might find a better fit elsewhere, as this book stirs up more frustration than warmth sometimes.

Oak Haven is a magical small town story with echoes of Gilmore Girls and Charmed. Scarlett, returns to her hometown, a place that non-witches forget as soon as they leave, after a decade-long absence. She had left for San Francisco following her father's death and is only now returning because something's up with the town's magic. Cue the mystery!

The dynamic between Scarlett and her two sisters felt like what you'd expect from a family full of witches - lots of quirks, arguments, and some definite personality clashes.

There’s also a second-chance romance between Scarlett and her old flame, Nate. It’s sweet, but I didn't think it was the heart of the story. The main focus is definitely on unravelling the mystery behind Oak Haven’s errant magic.

Overall, the characters are well-rounded, and there are some funny moments peppered throughout the book. The numerous pop culture references add a contemporary flair, and the book’s quick pace makes it an easy read for those looking for a light, autumnal story. However, despite these strengths, I felt there was something missing. While I can't pinpoint exactly what, the story didn’t quite grab me the way I had hoped.

For readers who enjoy witchy vibes, autumnal reads with a mix of family drama and magical mayhem.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books

I thought this book was insanely charming. It is described as Gilmore girls meets charmed, and I can say that’s pretty accurate, sometimes too accurate but it was cute.

This story follows our lead Scarlett, who ten years ago left her charming, yet very witchy, hometown to process the loss of her father, and has not been back since. This left her family, friends and potential love interest in the lurch. Scarlett is then summoned home by her family, because the magic in the sweet hometown is on the fritz and they need the help. In this world, only women can yield magic, and any man who passes through will not even remember they have been.

I really enjoyed this one, I thought the writing was great as well as the world building. There were a few times where I thought that Scarlett was great at magic even tho she hadn’t used it in ten years, that just didn’t make sense I’m summing this book up to a 4 star ( 3.75) but that’s because there was a moment I got a bit emotional and that will always boost a rating for me

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC!

Impractical Magic is hilarious, heart wrenching, and perfect for a cozy fall day. There are references to musicals in it that had me doubling over with laughter. They were so clever! Be prepared to laugh and cry and maybe throw your book across the room only to pick it right back up again. You’ll enjoy Impractical Magic if you like musicals, slow burn romance, rekindled love, and a touch of impractical magic.

This was a lovely way to kick off my fall reading list. All the characters were lovely. It gave small town gilmore girls vibes and I couldn't be happier. I loved the Nate and Scarlett dynamic. This plot line was perfection and not dramatic. Many novels in the genre have unjustified 3rd act breakups, and I am beyond thrilled this did not follow suit.
Five stars and will recommend to friends.

Male female, second chance, small town, paranormal (witches), contemporary romance. This slow burn had Gimore Girl (hello - the author is Emily Grimoire/Gilmore) and Charmed vibes. It was a cozy pretty quick read. I'd give it a 3.5 but rounding up because it's definitely not a 3.

DNFed 20% of the way through. I really wanted to love this book, as it has all the elements I tend to love - small town cozy romance with witches and spice. But that’s where the appeal ended for me. There were way too many side characters and little references that just got to be too much. The dialogue felt overwritten and cringe at times, with conversations routinely dragging on far too long, and the main characters fell flat for me. Unfortunately this was not the book for me, though I wish it had been.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Emily Grimoire for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another cosy book perfect for autumn. This book has strong themes of family, romance and witchcraft set in a small town in Connecticut that makes the perfect autumn backdrop.

I’ll admit it kind of took me a little while to get into it. I felt put off by the bickering at the start and the choice to include Harry Potter references seemed odd considering there’s a trans character even if she’s a minor one. I think authors have to realise that including such references these days puts up really big “You are not welcome” signs to a lot of queer readers, myself included.

The references I did enjoy were the Gilmore Girls’ ones. This book was bursting with them. With the entire setting inspired by the show, it was only natural to have a lot of mentions, so I wasn’t disappointed.

A great witchy book to read this Halloween!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading this ARC at the perfect time, it is a cozy autumn filled read which has a mix of Gilmore Girls and Halloweentown. However this book was far from perfect, parts of the book were either over explained or not explained at all so made some of the plot confusing. I also feel that none of the characters were really likeable but again this could just be my own taking of the book. It is still a nice cozy read and does give you the vibe of autumn but I have read better.

This book had a charming small-town magic, cozy vibe. Scarlett’s magical misadventures are as entertaining as they are heartfelt.

This is an interesting witchy mystery with plenty of unusual small town characters that bring some of the Gilmore Girl vibes we all need, with a good dose of wacky magic. I was intrigued by the mystery of the magic in town playing up and causing havoc, bringing with it some funny moments and some less funny ones. It's also made me realise that portals are dreamy, because who wouldn't want to step through a door in their home to an exciting destination? This isn't something I'd usually say as a die hard romance gal, but I could take or leave the will they, won't they second chance romance in this book. I think it wasn't given enough time and attention in the plot to truly develop, and relied more on these characters' history than their present, but since I was happily enjoying a nice autumnal witchy read anyway, it isn't a dealbreaker for me in this book. I would say that I felt bad for Scarlett that the people closest to her weren't far more welcoming, and I know I would have bounced right back out of town if that was my reception! Her sisters, or more Del really, was a bit irritating as a character but I thought everyone else was interesting and worked well into the story.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A cosy read for the change in seasons - the story is set in a small Connecticut town called Oak Haven where the way of life is protected by a charm which makes anyone who is not a witch forget of its existence once they leave.
Scarlett Melrose is from a prominent witch family but following a family tragedy she left witchcraft and Oak Haven behind her to relocate in San Francisco. However a call from her older sister sees her returning to her roots to avert a crisis that has affected the family inn and also the town. Once back in town Scarlett runs into old friends, flames and enemies and at times wonders why she returned. Delving deeper into the mystery curse causes new alliances to be made, discovering new enemies with stable portals to other locations and at last tracking down the cause of the changes affecting Oak Haven.
I found the book to be a easy read and characters affable, the last portion of the story was a little strange but overall a book to read on a dark day with a hot chocolate.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

This was definitely an autumnal read, advertised as Gilmore Girls meets practical magic I'd say that's pretty much spot on, this is the equivalent of a hot chocolate on a cold winters day, comforting and throughly enjoyable, second chance romance was a surprise and loved the pop culture references throughout

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is a charming, witchy novel with cozy autumn vibes, it is perfect for fans of small-town mysteries with a magical twist. This novel is set in the town of Oak Haven, the story follows Scarlett Melrose, who returns home after a decade away to help her family fix the town’s wayward magic. The town itself is steeped in magic, but something has gone terribly wrong, leading to unpredictable spells and a crisis that Scarlett and her sisters must resolve.

Scarlett’s complicated relationship with her estranged family and her old flame, Nate, adds depth to the narrative, while the town's whimsical, enchanted atmosphere gives it a cozy, autumnal feel. The magic system, involving witch families like the Melroses, feels well thought-out, and the novel blends lighthearted humor, romance, and mystery. This is a fun easy-to-read style and the warm homey setting makes it a wonderful choice for fall-themed reading lists.

Overall, while some parts felt a little rushed toward the end, Impractical Magic is an enjoyable, feel-good novel that is perfect for the fall/spooky season

I was really looking forward to this as it crept closer to spooky season. However, I was disappointed in the writing and overall story line. This had a lot of potential, but I just couldn’t get into it. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and at times I found the plot to be hard to follow. This may just be my opinion so if you are looking for a fall book and this looks interesting you may enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this early.

I'm giving this 3.5-4 stars based on the little I was able to read. The story sounds like something I'd really enjoy, and I would love to read a finished copy, but I ultimately had to set this one aside because the formatting on my copy was super weird! All the paragraphs ran together, even with fiddling on my kindle settings, and it was visually hard to deal with. My star rating is based on what I did read added to where I expected the story to go.


Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Grimoire, and Avon Books UK for the arc!