Thank you NetGalley & AvonUK for this ARC but book was not for me. I usually love the cozy, magical romance books filled with fluff during this time of year and don’t judge them too harshly. Unfortunately, the writing and plot of this felt a bit empty and forced to me - almost as if the writer wrote it solely for the reason of it being an “autumn book” without adding too much weight to the characters or story. I tried to read it for what it was - but I also could not get behind the FMC and her forced quirkiness.

Just not my cup of tea but might be for someone else!

It's a bit rough. About 100 pages too long. An insufferable main character. Premise was cool! References in poor taste (harry potter, donald trump). Perhaps I'm too gen-z for it. I'm typically a huge fan of witchy, fall books. This fell flat.

Impractical Magic was a fun, witchy rom-com that gave me cozy fall vibes. The story was lighthearted and an overall easy read during a stressful week.

The concept of this book deserves a 10 out of 10, but the execution is where it falls flat. I spent most of the book confused not only on who was talking but where we were. At times it seemed like this was not a stand alone but instead several books into a series and information was just being dropped with no context. While I largely enjoyed many of the side characters I found many of from the main cast unlikable. Scarlett and Nate's relationship was a small bright spot but it still felt like instalove given how little we a total learn of their relationship before she leaves. Overall the ideas presented had lots of potential but the story fell flat.

Impractical Magic is a delightful blend of mystery and romance that makes for a perfect read during the witchy season. While it doesn't fit all the classic definitions of a cozy mystery, it certainly carries that cozy, whimsical vibe that fans of the genre will enjoy.

The story follows Scarlett, who, after leaving her hometown of Oak Haven a decade ago for a new life in San Francisco, returns only to find that magic in the town has gone completely haywire. Books are coming to life, random portals are opening up everywhere, and there's a bizarre culinary twist where entire menus taste like Spam—it's ridiculous, but in the best possible way.

Scarlett teams up with her two sisters and her long-lost maybe-boyfriend, reuniting after 10 years apart, to solve the mystery of why the town’s magic has gone off the rails. Their dynamic adds a charming layer of tension and humor to the story as they work together to restore balance to Oak Haven.

The book is cute, enchanting, and filled with just the right amount of magical chaos. It's a quick, enjoyable read that’s perfect for readers looking for something lighthearted and fun. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Emily Grimoire!

I enjoyed this book - quick pace, and I liked the characters. The conclusion felt rushed, however this might have just been more down to the format of the proof rather than the writing.

When a book has a tagline like Gilmore Girls meets Charmed you have very high expectations and sadly I felt this fell a bit short. I’ve read quite a few witchy books recently and this didn’t really bring anything new to the party. It was a pleasant enough easy read, but it was very slow getting into. I’d say the second half redeem itself a bit and then I started to enjoy it more. But that just averaged it out to 3 stars.

“It’s hard out here for a witch.”

rating: 3.75/4★
a cozy mix of gilmore girls, halloweentown, and charmed.

i thought the mystery was fun and i enjoyed the sister dynamics. i can see why ppl got annoyed w the fmc being really guilt-ridden and self sabotaging, but i didn't think it was anything awful. the romance took me a min to get invested and it's fairly simple, but a romantic second chance friends to lovers.

it was kind of exactly the vibe i wanted and gave major stars hollow vibes. i couldn't help but read it in that amy sherman-palladino tone w its quick banter and endless references but with the added creativity of fantastical elements. are there silly pop culture references and puns? yes but that's part of the gg charm.

quick fluffy urban fantasy read, with an added bonus of a diverse small town including a trans side character.

an honest arc review ♡

While the premise of this book was really cute and the setting was what really drew me in and got me excited to read it, it really missed the mark when it came to execution. This read felt really slow and while there were pieces of it that had me intrigued, the plot just moved too slow for me to really sink my teeth into it. Definitely potential but not my favorite read unfortunately…

**Thank you NetGalley and Emily Grimoire for sending over an arc in exchange for an honest review!**

I enjoyed the story, but it could have used a little bit more editing and tightening up of the plot. There were a few things that seemed undealt with, including the the mother/daughter relationship. I liked the world building, but the romance seemed to take a backseat to the towns problems, and while that makes sense, it doesn't help develop those lovey vibes a romance needs. Overall, an entertaining story. *I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Impractical Magic by Emily Gilmore was a cozy hallmark style good witch book.
Although I rated this book 2.5 stars it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good? The writing was mediocre at best and felt VERY clunky / choppy. It’s like the author had a lot of ideas but couldn’t make of their mind on how to flow through the novel. This problem isn’t necessarily all on the author as much as the editing team and could have done better overall.
Slow paced , cliche ( which makes it “ cozy” ) but not for me I guess.

I picked up Impractical Magic hoping for a whimsical escape, but it fell a bit flat for me. The premise of Scarlett Melrose returning to Oak Haven to help her estranged sisters and fix the magic at their mother’s inn was intriguing. However, Scarlett herself came off as a bit whiny, which made it hard for me to connect with her journey.

While the setting had a charming small-town vibe and the stakes were high with magic going awry, I found myself wishing Scarlett would embrace the chaos instead of constantly wanting to flee back to her San Francisco flat. The reintroduction of her old flame, Nate, added some tension, but I felt their chemistry could have been developed more fully.

I appreciated the concept and the potential for a great story, but Scarlett’s reluctance made the read feel more frustrating than fun. It’s a 3-star for me—there were moments I enjoyed, but ultimately, I wanted a bit more from both the characters and the plot.

If you’re looking for a light read with a hint of magic, this might be worth checking out, but don’t expect an all-out magical romp!

This book had all the right ingredients, romance, cozy town, witch sisters and while I did enjoy scarlett and the inn, the relationship between Scarlett and Nate kinda fizzled out for me quickly and Nate was just so one dimensional.

A perfect fall read with witchy vibes and small town feel with sisterly love tied in. The sisters lean on each other in time of turmoil and when Scarlett receives a call from her sister she knows she must rush back home to help out her family.

2.5/5⭐️

I really wanted to love this one and so I'm disappointed to say that I didn't. I requested this book because I really loved the cover and the premise of Practical Magic meeting Gilmore Girls and all of those nice, cosy, autumnal vibes. Quite soon after starting the book however, I found I wasn't as keen to pick up the book as I initially expected to be.

The story follows Scarlett Melrose who is a witch, born and bred. However, Scarlett has been away from home for a long time after an incident she feels responsible for. After no contact with her family for years, she is summoned home by her sisters as their magical town is crumbling around them.

I did really enjoy the initial worldbuilding, it was lovely and descriptive and I found I could create a clear image of Oak Havens in my mind, and it was charming! But it was from this point on that I found the story fell flat for me. I didn’t find myself particularly connected to any of the characters apart from Scarlett and her sisters, although I would’ve liked to see more from their relationship. The part I was particularly disinterested in was that of Scarlett and Nate’s relationship. I could immediately tell what was going to happen from the get go and I didn’t find that their banter made up for it either. Also it was mentioned multiple times that most characters were in their late twenties yet (Scarlett particularly) thought, spoke and acted like a whiny teenager most of the time. Already being disengaged with the story, I also really didn’t enjoy the ending.

All in all, this story was not for me in the way I had hoped it would be. Although I didn’t love this story, I have no doubts that others probably will and I hope that they do!

I really struggled to engage within this book.
The pace was very slow despite there being a lot of talking, not much was happening. Sadly wasn’t for me.

Okay… is this book just the plot of Gilmore girls with some added practical magic charm? Yes it is. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily…

I enjoyed this book. I think it was the right pace and level of stakes for me at the right time. That being said, it wasn’t blow my socks off amazing…

I enjoyed the love story, the characters and the charm of it all… but sometimes I think the story fell a bit flat. Because it was pulling so much from well known stories, I think it became a bit predictable and lost some momentum you need in romances.

I also didn’t really like the ending… or maybe I didn’t like the beginning? The tonal difference between the first 90% and the last 10% was quite stark to me.

That being said, the worldbuilding was fun and I liked the lightness of it. There were some bits that made me giggle and as a Gilmore girls/practical magic lover I did like being able to do that Leonardo Dicaprio pointing at the screen thing whenever I got a reference.

Overall a light and fun read that I just needed a little bit more from…

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was… alright. It’s cutesy and has the potential to be awesome but it has wonky timing and it seems cut up and put together. The premise is adorable. It’s a cute little town with magic that has turned to chaos and the girl ran away was called home to help. So much potential. I felt like I needed more and I also somehow needed less? It was a cute fall read but I’m not sure I’d read it again. And remember, just because it wasn’t my cup of tea, it totally might be yours!

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC 🫶

#impracticalmagic #emilygrimoire #ARCcopy #ARCcopyImpracticalMagic #obsessed #octoberreads #fallreads #spookyreads #paranormalromance #romance #fantasyromance #romantasy #childhoodfriendstolovers #read #books #bookish #booksta #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #arcreader #arcreads #booktok #indiereads #indiebooks #indiebookstore #bookmark #avonpublishing #magicgonewrong #nateandscarlett #ilovereading

I have only recently got into cosy magic themed books in the past year so I was excited to give this a go.

It had all the elements of a cosy autumn read, magic, romance and a quest to save the town! If you love small town romances and strong female characters this was a great book. Plus if you’re fans of Erin Sterling you will especially like it

A solid small town paranormal debut about estranged sisters, second chances, forgiveness and magical curses that has Scarlet Melrose returning home to Oak Haven where her mother's inn has been curses and her sister's need her help. As the middle child, Scarlet always felt like the screw up especially when she believes herself to have been responsible for their father's death. Returning home drudges up all those feelings and also forces her to confront her first love, Nate. Full of Gilmore girls meets Charmed vibes and a dose of Practical magic, this was good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Lana Harper, Hazel Beck and Erin Sterling. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I hope we get more stories in this world featuring the other two Melrose sisters! Makes for a great spooky season cozy romance read!