Member Reviews
This book turned out to be super cute! I’ll be honest, I was just reading along. Not super invested in the characters or the story, but intrigued. Then, BAM. It hit me right in the chest and the tear ducts.
Yael Clauneck is worried about living up to their parents’ expectations and runs away on a stolen steed. They end up in Bloomfield, where they run into their childhood friend Margot. Margot runs her family’s greenhouse by day, but by night she is suffocating under the pressure to create a spell for Yael’s parents or risk losing everything. The ensuing story and adventure is adorable as you watch them find themselves, each other, and community.
I don’t really have anything bad to say. The book was cute. The beginning was slow, but it didn’t drag on to the point of exhaustion. And the characters were nice enough (with the exception of Yael’s parents). Also had some really great queer representation. Loved that
Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes or Swordcrossed - this sweet fantasy romance was the perfect cozy start to my year of reading.
A series of events reunite former childhood friends Yael and Margot. Yael is the heir to the Clauneck family - arguably the most powerful family in the kingdom - but instead of taking on any of that responsibility they'd rather faff around and spend the family money. Margot is a plant witch struggling to keep her deceased grandmother's greenhouse and potion business afloat. Some bad decisions on her parents part mean they're neck deep in debt to the Clauneck family (mmhmm you see where this is going) and could potentially lose the only home she's ever loved if she can't fulfill the terms of her debt by the end of the summer.
This is definitely a romance set within a charming fantasy world, the world building is light and you only really get what you need to know for the function of the story, which worked for me here because the romance was centralized so successfully for me. I loved both characters and found their storylines compelling - this does have a heavy miscommunication/lack of communication trope happening but i feel it's usage here is well justified and made sense to me.
I texted a friend that reading this felt like reading an AU plant shop romance fic of a beloved D&D campaign (and i mean this to be complimentary) and was delighted to see at the end that the characters were inspired by a D&D game!
I look forward to more from this author duo!
3.5 stars
This is a cute, cozy, sweet, and spicy queer romantasy book, with a love story between Yael Clauneck -- banking family heir and (iirc) studying-to-be-lawyer -- and Margot Greenwillow -- plant witch. There's history and drama between their families interrupting the course of their love. This is a welcome addition to the cozy fantasy/ romantasy genre these days. The story was well-fleshed out and the motivations made sense. The world-building was cute and cozy, and the queer representation was lovely.
This is a cute story answering the question about finding love and acceptance. When the nonbinary heir to the kingdom chooses not to marry the heir of industry they run away. They find themselves in the village of their childhood friend and become her helper. the friend is a plant witch indebted to their parents, but they are not told this. So while they are falling in love and cleaning greenhouses, their friend is trying to figure out a spell for open casters. This spell will not work.
After a time they are called to return home for a party and forced to return home and to the job they don't want. While working for their parents they find that all is not as it seems and gives away the family jewels to a city plant witch so she may grow food that pleases her rather than flowers for perfume. They steal valuable papers and return to their friend. The village is saved.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(¼)
Homegrown Magic is an emotional, heartfelt romance that grapples with the pressures of family, society, and the ways we hold ourselves to impossible standards in search of the person everyone expects us to be. With a hopeful twist and a sweet (and a little bit spicy) romance, Paxton and Podos present a shockingly resonant message, sapphic and nonbinary representation, and a story that demands to be devoured, possibly in one sitting.
“‘Your deviation from your parents’ expectations of you is not a failure on your part. It’s a failure of imagination on theirs if they can’t see you for who you are. And… well… you’re pretty spectacular.’”
What I loved:
- Margot and Yael felt like real, fleshed-out characters with strong feelings and clear motivations, which made them easy to follow and root for. Additionally, I always love a good sapphic romance and nonbinary representation.
- While I’m not usually a fan of lack of communication as a trope or plot device, I think this particular instance was handled realistically and added to rather than detracted from the overall plot
- The approach regarding the themes of unpacking and overcoming the expectations put on us by family, peers, society, and even ourselves resonated with me deeply
And what I didn’t:
- I wish the magic system was further fleshed out and the worldbuilding a bit more solid, though I acknowledge that this may be a result of me expecting a fantasy with romantic subplot rather than a romance with fantasy elements.
- I’m not the biggest fan of spice beyond a fade-to-black, and I wasn’t expecting it in this story. However, it rarely had a direct impact on the plot, could be easily skimmed or skipped, and didn’t distract from my love of the characters or immersion in the story.
You Should Read This If:
- You love to explore complex emotions and internal pressures in the vessel of a cosy romantasy
- You are a fan of plants, gardening, and other witchy nature vibes
- You don’t mind a bit of (easily skippable) spice
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
I’m DNF’ing this book at 35%. It’s definitely a case of poor timing for me. Everything about this book is exactly what I look for, and I was really excited about it. I’m just finding it hard to get into, and it’s a little too slow for me. I really wanted to love it, but it’s ultimately not a book I see myself finishing.
Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos is a cozy romantasy about reunited childhood friends and the complexities of their relationship. Margot and Yael are our main characters. I feel like they are both well developed and likeable characters. I appreciate the inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community with Yael being non-binary. I would consider this a low level fantasy as there isn’t much world building. The plot centers around Yael trying to escape the aristocratic life that has been thrust upon them and Margot trying to keep her small family business afloat on a very pressing timeline. I feel like this started out as a slow burn but ultimately I did enjoy this novel. The romance is very genuine and enjoyable. There are spicy elements but nothing over the top. This is the first novel for both authors that removes them from the YA category and the beginnings of this novel were developed over a D and D table.
If you're trying to read a cozy, magical, queer fantasy.
This is another great one to add to your list. It's very swoony and cute.|
Homegrown Magic offers a cozy fantasy with charming small-town vibes, plant magic, and queer representation. While the dual POV and romantic tension were enjoyable, the pacing felt uneven, and some characters lacked depth, making it hard to stay invested. The imagery and whimsical setting were highlights, but the story occasionally felt predictable and underdeveloped. A decent pick for fans of lighthearted romantasy, though it didn’t fully capture my interest
Typically any book that starts with a map is going to be an auto-nope for me because that usually means it too high fantasy for my interest. I was obviously intimidated when the first thing I saw when I started this book was a damn map. BUT this book was actually so approachable and zero parts intimidating and I learned my lesson: don’t just a book by it’s … map?
Anyway….. getting to the actual story? It was so good! I love a book that has a dual POV and goes back and forth every other chapter, and this book executed that so well! Each MC was a fully-formed lovable character (with very real flaws). The imagery through the book was beautiful. I’m not one for pages and pages of descriptions of what something looks like. I feel like the authors were able to give perfect descriptions to allow me to picture the setting without going on and on and on as in some fantasy books. The ending of this book felt a bit rushed and predictable but it did not ruin my feelings toward the book.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.
If you are looking for a cozy fantasy queer romance book this is a good read. It was an enjoyable read but I wish there was more world building and magic, but the romance is very cute!
Homegrown magic is a delightful cozy fantasy featuring a dual POV of two very different characters who eventually learn how they complement each other. Yael is a wealthy young warlock escaping their family’s expectations while Margot is a plant witch working overtime to save her family and their legacy.
There is a lot of detail about Margot’s small town and plant magic, which could be a plus or a minus depending on your point of view. At some points I wanted the plot to move faster, but overall I really enjoyed the story, world, and characters.
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of HomeGrown Magic in exchange for review.
3.5 stars
This is the epitome of what I want from a cozy fantasy book. We’ve got magic, nature & plants, queer representation, small town, high stakes without feeling overwhelming, with a ton of whimsy and sparkle.
We have two main characters which the story switches POV between witch Margot and warlock Yael both heirs to well known families, one attempting to live up to their family legacy and the other attempting to escape it. I truly love a POV switch as it keeps the story flowing so smoothly.
I also loved the sort of slow flirty romantic tension and longing both characters were experiencing it was written to wonderful romcom perfection.
Lastly I love that this book is D&D adjacent. It made me deeply miss playing with my group of friends and how spontaneous creativity can weave such a beautiful story. Super glad I read this one! Thank you so much.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t hit the spot. The writing style felt a little clunky, but that may be my preference. The concept of queer representation in that time period was what made me want to like it. Missed the mark unfortunately.
When I pick up a romantasy I know I'm in for a mediocre fantasy and decent romance that's part of the deal. Unfortunately Homegrown Magic doesn't even deliver on the romance part. As for the fantasy, we've just taken the authors' DND setting and put everyone in a cottagecore small town.
The book is decently written. Decently as in the prose is not cringy millennial as way too many romances nowadays but tragically lack introspection or inferiority. The real problem of this romance is that thw characters never grow beyond their given archetype, they're flat. Yael is a fuckboy (fuckperson?), the scion of a rich family but they don't actually want to be (ultimate spoiled child). They don't want to settle but the story will prove them wrong. Margot is the serious one who must live up to all expectations and save her family. So far no big originality. And there will not be any particular nuance. That's normal because the authors clearly wanted to write a run of the mill romantasy with the least interesting plot they could come up with. No one cares about the romantasy plot I'm here for the romance plot. But nooooo we must spend time on the plot instead of romantic development. Besides the lack of chemistry the friends to lovers trick means that they've not bothered to create meaningful tension and build up for the relationship. All the weeks reconnecting and forced proximity are skipped just like that. Why write the romance in a romance book? That's so outdated.
Thank you to Del Rey for allowing me to read a copy of this book as long as I provide an honest review.
Homegrown Magic is a queer romcom in a fantasy word, featuring Yael, the heir to an extremely weathly family who feeds that they don't fit in as they should, and Margot, Yael's childhood friend, who has had to shoulder the legacy of her grandmother's plant magic.
When Yael flees their own graduation party, feeling trapped and overwhelmed by their family's expectations, their path (or mechanical steed) leads them straight to Margot. Margot has her own troubles, though. Her inheritance, house, and her town are on the line if she cannot perfect a legendary potion by summer's end... and she has yet to make any progress.
My favorite part of this story was the vibrant imagery of the town of Bloomfield, as well as Pacton and Podos's amazing prose. Truly, they make you feel like you are right at home in Clementine's tavern with Yael and Margot, or in the greenhouse, or feeling the deep emotions plaguing our characters.
Additonally, whenever Margot's potion making skills were showcased, I was enraptured. As any child who stirred leaves and water and dirt together in the back yard can atest, it is so much fun to see the recipes from Granny Fern's book come together, whether completely successful or not.
My least favorite part was Yael's character for the first 75% of the novel. At the beginning, they are naive and privileged, constantly making impulsive decisions with no mind for the consequences. When they arrive in Greenfield and Margot allows Yael to work with her, there is a 2 month time skip. Afterwards, all the townspeople have adopted Yael into their midst. They continue to make impulsive and reckless decisions, but Margot finds them endearing rather than challenging. Personally, I feel like those first two months could have been great to show Yael battling with their privilege, having to work for the first time in their life, but no. This left a sour taste in my mouth for them, because they really don't start to grow, at least in my eyes, until the last portion of the novel.
Homegrown Magic is a fantastic addition to the growing 'cozy fantasy' genre. Looking forward to more from this writer duo!
This is such a magical story of love, growth, acceptance and beauty. Who doesn't love a romantic tale where two people defy the odds and live happily ever after? I'll be looking forward to telling my fellow romcom and fantasy fans about this book. And I'm really, really hoping for a sequel!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If the vibes of cozy video games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing could be transformed into a book, I am very sure it would be this book. I absolutely love cozy fantasys, especially in the winter time so this truly warmed by heart to read. The romance was a living room fire, kindling with comfort. It was slow-burn and I absolutely loved it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the digital Arc!
I loved this book! It was cozy, and cute. The chemistry between Yael and Margot was great. The spicy scenes were so well written and I really enjoyed the time and thought that went into them. This book overall was a great cozy read!
I'm quickly realizing that low stakes cozy cottage core fantasy is not my thing. I wanted to like this but I could not get into the writing, which I found to be plodding and overly stuffed with detail.