I wanted to like Homegrown Magic; however, I felt the plot was not strong enough to last 300 pages and would have been better suited for a novella. Perhaps this is less of a problem with the novel and more of an issue with the cozy fantasy genre, as authors create worlds that go unexplored because the focus is placed upon almost nonexistent plots. Pacton and Podos are competent writers who create characters that are easy to like, and you want to see succeed; however, once again, the lack of plot is holding this book back from me genuinely falling in love with the characters and their romance.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, I think that Homegrown Magic will be. It's a fun addition to your collection, so long as you're all right with the plot being a little light.

Brief overview:

Margot and Yael, having not seen each other since they were kids, meet up unexpectedly to take on an adventure.

My thoughts:

It's like a D&D Romeo & Juliet! Except Romeo is non-binary and Juliet is a plant witch. Homegrown Magic is a story of moderate stakes magic, family expectations, and finding love when you least expect it.

Yael runs away from their crushing family responsibilities and run straight into their old friend Margot. Margot, meanwhile, is shocked to be reunited with her old crush. She's been so focused on keeping her family legacy intact that she hasn't had time for much else. Is Yael's arrival a blessing? Or a burden?

Read if you like:
-Cottagecore
-Queer Romance
-Magic
-Family Legacy & Secrets

Homegrown Magic was just ok. I was neither impressed or disappointed with it. It had the potential to be better, but it wasn't terrible either. Very surface level when it had the potential to go deeper. I did like the cottagecore vibes and the ending. But otherwise, it really wasn't for me.

I absolutely adore Jamie Pacton, and absolutely devoured this book! 📚 A must read for sure, and I may have to get myself a hard copy as well!

an awesome queer-normative romantic fantasy with a non-binary protagonist? be still my heart. it was so incredible. the romance was gorgeous and the magical aspects were perfect. 5 stars. would recommend.

Homegrown magic is a delightful cozy, queer romantasy that that focuses on the relationship between the protagonists set in a lightly magical setting. I love my cozy fantasy to have enough of a plot to create interest, even if it’s character driven plot, and that is what Homegrown Magic gives me. It reminds me of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea meets the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. It is very light on the magic elements but a good fit for those who like a cozy romance. Little bit of 🌶️ without that being the focus of the book which I enjoy. A non-binary rich kid runs away from home to fall in love with a green witch who runs a farm? Excellent mix of familiar tropes and modern love.

I will say at first I found the 3rd person present tense jarring, but I did get used to it. Overall rating is a 4.0, but rating within the cozy fantasy genre would get a 4.5.

I read this book as an Advanced Readers Copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

A Deeply cozy story interspersed with intense drama, romantic feelings, and a dozen unspoken secrets. this Dungeons and Dragons inspired story holds so much packed into one book that there's going to be something for everyone! with themes like healing generational trauma, overcoming family expectations, mutual pining, learning who you are and what you want to be, standing up for oneself, and more, this was a warm hug wrapped in dramatic adventure as two people stand up against the odds, and achieve the dreams they never thought possible... or allowed themselves to think about.

This was super cute! A cozy f/nb romantasy with a queernormative world and vibes that are both cottagecore and DnD--but that doesn't overlook the actual hard work involved with the cottagecore lifestyle, which I was very pleased to find. Recommended for readers who like low stakes, high heat, and a lot of strawberries. This can definitely be read as a standalone but I'm looking forward to a sequel with a different main couple.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This book was given to me by net galley however all opinion are my own.

I breezed through Homegrown magic, it was such a cute book to keep me company while being under the weather. I found Yael and Margot to be such wonderful main characters with fun banter that made me smile. The plot was reminiscent of fairytale which was very nostalgic and the added cozy elements of the gardening aspects and magic made this book a true delight. I found the dual-pov to be just the right choice for these to characters and definitely feel like the story would have been lacking had we not have had that. I loved the novel highlighted the differences between familial exceptions helped with the authenticity of the novel. While I had some nitpicky opinions on the dialog I found the book to overall be a hit for me, and I definitely recommend it all the lovers of queer books and cozy fantasy!

This is my official application to curl up and live in this book forever. These people are my friends, this life is perfect and I want to live and die by them. I love witchy cottage stories and this was a WIN.

I tried so hard. So many times. I had to dnf. I might try again in the future but my head wasn't in the space for this one.

I DID like the queer rep and having the non binary character start off the book. The world building just crippled me.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of their upcoming book, Homegrown Magic, which will be available on March 11th, 2025.

Yael Clauneck is the heir of their extremely wealthy family that prides itself in being involved with every business venture in the realm. Knowing the predetermined life that their family has planned for them, Yael finds themselves riding away during the night of their graduation party looking for some adventure. Margot Greenwillow’s life is far from being an adventure. She’s a tea lover, greenhouse owner, and a wonderful plant witch that is trying to keep her family’s magic remedies business from failing. When she encounters her childhood friend and crush Yael in her village, she agrees to let them be her assistant in the greenhouse. Yael does their best to learn new skills as they flirt with Margot, while the plant witch tries to execute a plan to save her home. But with ruthless parents and mutual attraction, will Margot and Yael’s rekindled friendship blossom into something more as they try to fight for the lives they want to live?

This book was lovely. You have Yael, a young, handsome, kind person that has always balked at the individual that their family expects them to be. You have Margot, a determined, hardworking, beautiful, and talented young plant witch that is protective of her community. I liked the banter between Yael and Margot, and their interactions throughout the book were thoughtful and sweet. Discussions of the difference between familial expectations, reality, and people’s journey to becoming themselves were well written throughout the story, and I cheered for both of the main characters to find the courage to get what they wanted. Sage was lovely, and I wanted to give many characters a big hug. Overall, if you like great banter, wonderful found family, plant magic, lovely worldbuilding, thoughtful discussions, LGBTQ+ representation, and sweet romance with quite a bit of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link for more information: Homegrown Magic - Kindle edition by Pacton, Jamie, Podos, Rebecca. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

A wonderful queer fairytale of a good witch and evil moneylenders.

Margot Greenwillow is a plant witch who inherited her grandmothers magic and her parents problems. She is doing everything she can to protect her grandmother's legacy, but a powerful family expects the impossible.

Yael Clauneck is the heir and only child to the most powerful family around, with absolutely no ambition to live up their family's expectations. The only thing they take seriously is running from responsibility.

Their struggles only get more complicated when Yael runs into Margot, and the two begin an unlikely friendship/romance that may just be destroyed by the secrets they both carry.

This book was so cozy! I was immediately sucked in by the title and the cover. It looks like a cottagecore dream, and it kind of was. There's a plant witch, a whimsical garden setting, queer romance, and a delightful cast of characters. I honestly loved it. I also really appreciated that there was a plot (it's not just slice of life), but the stakes and tension never felt too high. It maintained the cozy atmosphere and pace while still feeling like the characters were working towards something. I would really recommend this to any lovers of cozy fantasy or as a YA/Adult crossover (the writing is very accessible).

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so delightful! It had everything you'd want in a cozy fantasy.... magic, gardening, friendship, found family, community, love..... And yay for the queer representation! I loved the chemistry between Yael and Margot.

Speaking of chemistry...there were a few spicy scenes, and one thing that stood out to me was the practice of consent. I thought that was refreshing and worth noting how much thought the authors put into that particular subject.

So overall, it was a lovely read that I would definitely recommend. Especially as a palate cleanser between more high-stakes fantasy books.

This book was the sweetest cozy cottage magical romance. I was nervous coming off more high stakes fantasy that I would be underwhelmed, but I was utterly and thoroughly charmed. Yael swept me.off my feet immediately and Margot picked me up and dusted me off. The magic system and world building were interesting without being too overwhelming, and the characters were all unique and interesting. A little slow burn here, a little spice there, a little heartbreak on the side, and a healthy dose of family politics made this the perfect fireside read with a cup of tea.

Yes for the witchy queer fantasy representation!! Loved the chemistry between Yael and Margot and both of their character developments. The descriptions were vivid and lovely!

An incredibly cozy and heart-warming story of friendship, family, love, community, and all the hardships that come with them. I am so so honored to have been asked to review this book. It was everything I thought it would be and more, I couldn't have asked for a better cozy fantasy! This book shows that life certainly isn't all sunshine and rainbows and that everyone has their faults, but that you can find the good in every situation no matter how difficult.

Homegrown Magic was a delightfully cozy romantasy steeped in tea and enchanted with a love spell. I thoroughly enjoyed my journey alongside the characters while exploring the queer and wonderful land of Harrow. There are lessons on found family, forging your own path, and being honest with yourself and others as much as possible. I thought that the story showcased the lessons well and did so within a beautifully crafted and envisioned world.

I think the book was well-written in terms of spice and tenderness. You really feel the love blossoming between Yael and Margot in alternatively tender and heated ways.

While this is an adult debut from two accomplished YA writers, I do feel that the writing was stuck in the YA sphere. The prose was simplistic and very descriptive, like they were preparing a set director to paint the scene. I thought we lost a bit of emotion in the physical details. The overall plot was predictable in the way that many YA books are. This was a personal feeling, as I am not normally a YA reader.

Grade: A (4.75 rounded up for NetGalley)
Queer representation: nonbinary main character, queer-normative world

Yael Clauneck is heir to the Clauneck family - a wealthy family known for their ruthless business practices. One night, Yael steals a horse and flees the city, finding themselves in Bloomfield, a tiny town that holds Margot Greenwillow: Yael's childhood friend and sole proprietor of Greenwillow and Bloomfield after the death of her grandmother. Yael, intrigued by Margot and wanting something different than they knew, decides to stay and help Margot around the Greenwillow estate. Together, they work to build the business back, all the while building their relationship, amidst secrets on both sides, and forces seeking to separate them...

For me, cozy fantasy only works if the world is VIBRANT - a feast for the senses, and "Homegrown Magic" delivers. I feel as though I can see the colors, taste the food... Yael had really great character growth - from flaky and spoiled at the beginning, to knowing what they want at the end. I enjoyed the development of Margot and Yael's relationship, it felt mature without being too heavy. I also really enjoyed that Yael didn't actually need to be taught what hard work was, only given the chance to do work they cared about. My largest "con" was that I wanted more of a confrontation at the climax of the book; however, given there will be a sequel, I suspect that will handle most of it, so I'm not too fussed about it.

All in all, a lot of fun!