Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy. You can pick up Homegrown Magic now.

While I wanted to love this one, I unfortunately had to put it down. I did not expect so many blatant Jewish stereotypes to appear in this book, and seeing the recent response from the authors doesn't give me much faith that the depictions will improve. Though this book has immense potential and great non-binary rep, I'm afraid it wasn't for me.

This book is like a vivid painting, with lots of color, detail, and texture. It's so full of beautiful descriptions, you can walk right into Bloomfield and make yourself at home.

Yael and Margot tell the story of being weighed under, living up to, and breaking through, parental expectations. The story is almost a bit fable like, with the marked difference between a life of gold and greed vs a bountiful beautiful life in the wilds of nature.

I found the writing to be quick and easy to read. Although the story slowed down in the middle, it was filled to the brim with so much garden gloriousness, the whole thing was cute, cozy, and comfortable. The resolution was a long time in coming, and felt a bit rushed that everything had such an easy solution.

For romance, it was a combination of sweetness with a dash of spice. It's not earth-shattering, but more of a comfortable friends to lovers story.

Overall, this is a feel good story of small town love against the big bad city folk.

Cozy books like this is just proof that I need to marry rich…

I did not know what to anticipate from this book considering I did not like Jamie Pacton’s ‘Absinthe Underground’, but I was hopeful the addition of a co-author would ease some of the writing issues. Luckily, whether that was a one off or not, Rebecca Podos was a refreshing voice in this novel. Every little description felt magical and floral which I really loved.

The characters were really the best part of this, I fell in love with both Yael and Margot and their relationship was incredibly sweet and well suited. Also GOOD SMUT!!! I keep saying that traditionally published sapphic books have short, watered down, and/or just BAD smut. This was good. Satisfactory. Thank you.

My biggest issues with this was the world building. First two chapters were absolutely bloated with world building and backstory that was just unnecessary. Things were either never brought up again, or we were reminded of it when it became relevant to the plot. Seemed like it would have been a better flowing story if this information was spread out, also would have allowed me to have a connection with the characters and world before having to care about seemingly meaningless court politics. It slowed down the beginning quite a lot, but the momentum picked up about a quarter in.

I loved this cozy story of found family & community. Very much looking forward to the rest of the series (SAGE LOVE STORY PLSSSSSS)

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 50%, but up to that point would rate 2.5 (rounded up to 3stars). On paper, this book would have been perfect for me, I love cozy fantasy, Stardew Valley, interesting magic systems, and LGBTQ+ stories. Something about this fell flat, and I can't pinpoint where it was. I think one of my main complaints is that even at the halfway mark I did not understand the world and the chemistry between the main characters felt forced. I would have preferred to learn more about the magic system and seen more world-building, even within the cozy confines of a small village.

I thought this sounded really cute but I am just the wrong reader for cozy fantasy romance. It didn’t work for me but definitely a case of it being me and not the book. Please try if it appeals to you!

I will not recommend this book to any of my students. Unfortunately, there is too much overt and implicit antisemitism contained in the story. I would much rather center voices that accurately and compassionately reflect Jewish beliefs and sentiments.

What a cute and cozy read for spring! This made me so ready to get back in my garden as it warms up and create some garden magic of my own! And it also kinda made me just want to pull out my switch and reboot Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley until I can do the real thing. But maybe I'll just stay curled up and read my favorite parts of this little story one more time instead. I love a cozy book with witchy vibes and this delivers on that plus some giddy queer friends to lovers cuteness!

Thanks to the authors, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I tried to start this twice and couldn’t get into it. I barely made it past the first chapter each time. I thought maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it, but now I’m glad that I didn’t give it a third (!!!) try. Del Rey needs to listen to their readers and address the antisemitic issues within this book.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for giving me access to this e-ARC. The description promised story elements that usually appeal to me: friends becoming lovers, found family, a queer-normative world and cozy fantasy. I'm even into gardening. It sounded perfect for me.

The first setback was a technical one: I'm not a fan of novels written in second tense. The fact that I noticed means that the story was not engaging me and, therefore, I was focusing more on the writing technique. I can overlook minor technical issues if the plot and the characters grip me, but here they did not. Unfortunately, Margot's decision to keep certain things secret and make life-changing decisions for presumably competent adults without their consent reminds me of someone in my real life. It made it near impossible for me to connect to her. I didn't look forward to reading it and ultimately did not finish it. If I give it another try, I will update my feedback.

This was a sweet, cute cozy fantasy. I loved the intersection of magic and mechanics in the world built in this story, and the little utopian community at the center was endlessly charming. I found much of the storyline to be predictable, but that’s often part of what makes a cozy book so cozy.

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whooo boy I wanted to love this book so bad. The nonbinary rep was absolutely lovely and the queernormative world was delightful. I also really loved the commentary about anti-capitalism and how it's easy for all of us to get sucked into productivity spirals. That part really spoke to me. However, the authors used some antisemitic stereotypes to make their point and because of that multiple Jewish readers have spoken up against it. Even if the characters weren't intended to be Jewish (according to the author) if they can conceivably be read that way then antisemitic harm can be done. I really wish this book had a sensitivity reader because the overall message is amazing but the execution is definitely doing way more harm than good.

DNFed due to obvious antisemitic stereotypes. I hope they are resolved later in the book, but after seeing others' responses, I'm guessing not.

As a lover of all fantasy books. I was very excited to get my hands on this one. While I sometimes struggle with low stakes fantasy, this one delivered quite a nice story. It was slow at times and I found myself having to remember that this is isn’t an action filled novel, but rather a take it easy “brain break” of a novel.

Homegrown Magic delivers exactly what it claims! It is a cozy, magical novel about a plant witch and a miserably unhappy heir to a wealthy family and the home they find with each other.
There were some parts that were a little slower to get through, but those were few and far between. Mostly the story flowed well and was immensely enjoyable. I also loved reading a book containing so much representation!
The book was very cozy and now I need a cup of tea, a strawberry plant, and some hand-knitted cardigans! A greenhouse filled with magical plants wouldn’t hurt either!

While I appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation, I had to stop reading this one after I began to notice numerous antisemitic stereotypes. I was hoping that the author was going to reveal a plot twist that negated them, but after the horn references, I decided it was best to put this one down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Homegrown Magic was the coziest, softest, most ✨vibes✨ book I’ve read in a while!

What I Absolutely Loved:
💖 REP, REP, REP! The way this world just exists as queer-normative? Perfection. The non-binary representation with the general neutral terms and queer-positive treatment was very refreshing. And seeing how Yael navigated intense parental expectations was an added bonus.
💖 Yael & Margot = Complicated but Relatable – These two are messy in all the best ways. They’re dealing with family baggage, figuring out their futures, and struggling with feelings. I wanted to hug them and yell at them, which means I was 100% invested.
💖 The Romance – Slow-burn to the MAX. The kind where you just know they belong together, but it takes forever (in the best way). I was rooting for them for the whole book, and when they finally reached their HEA it felt very deserved.

Things That Were Just Okay:
✨ The Spice Level: If you’re looking for major romance scenes, this one keeps it on the softer side. But honestly? It totally worked with the cozy vibes that the book was going for.

What I Wanted More Of:
❗ More Magic, Please! – The word magic is literally in the title, but for most of the book, it felt like an after-thought. Then Act 5 rolls around, and BOOM—the magic actually gets some stunning descriptions. I just wish we got more of that earlier on! Margot's magical abilities aren't highlighted the way it seemed like they would be, so it left me a little disappointed.
❗ Plot Holes & Confusing Decisions: While Yael’s complexity made them compelling, some of their choices felt frustrating and at times, even harmful, and weren’t always given enough depth to make them fully understandable. Like, WHY are you making this harder for yourself? I needed a little more explanation to really understand their thought process sometimes.

Final Thoughts:
If you love books that feel like curling up with a warm cup of tea on a rainy day, this one’s for you. It has a great dual POV and the duel narrators for the audiobook was 10/10. This book reminded me of Legends & Lattes and The Spellshop, with its cozy cottage atmosphere and focus on relationships, identity, and self-growth. While I wanted a bit more from the magical elements and some plot details, the book’s heart, representation, and emotional depth made it a delightful read. If you love a slow-burn romance, endearing yet complicated characters, and the kind of book that wraps you in warmth, this one’s for you.

me 🤝 a dual narrative love story. i really enjoyed how cozy and low stakes this was. i’m used to high stakes fantasy with lots of twists and angst and this was a nice reprieve. i’m a lover of the queer-normative setting and how much like a step into stardew valley this felt like. overall, this a solid read, but (as much as i enjoyed the change of pace) maybe a bitttt too low stakes slice-of-life for me.

A queer, cozy romantic fantasy in the same lane as Legends & Lattes or Thr Spellshop. Home Grown Magic takes its coziness from a rural setting, with a lot of conflict drawn between “rich big city folk” and “unsophisticated hardworking rural working class” in a way that is very traditionally stereotypical, but queernormative.

The main conflict stopping the two characters from being together (causing quite a slow burn) is essentially “rich heir vs formally (less) wealthy and now small business owner” and the villain is ultimately capitalism, though the solution is also capitalism via small business so I’m not sure what the message is meant to be. For the first half, all of the problems in the book could be solved with a conversation, but eventually outside plot does appear.

The romance is developed fine and it makes sense for the two characters to be together, though there is a lot of repetition of the same discussion of the central themes. Lots of miscommunication, lots of “I must break their heart to save them from pain!!” type vibes. I would call this a medium level of spice—not fade to black, more than a single scene, but not even close to erotica as a genre & definitely meant to move forward the relationship. I appreciated the reference to bindings and other acknowledgment of the nonbinary main character.

This isn’t particularly long for the genre but it did feel overly drawn out and I think could have been tighter.

3.75 “Hibiscus and Ginger Tea” Stars ✰✰✰

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, Jamie Pacton, and Rebecca Podos for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

A queer-comfy-cozy-fantasy that delivers on all of its promises? What more could you ask for!

I binged this story, and not because it was the kind of the story that you couldn’t put down as you have to figure out what comes next, but instead, I binged it because the world created was one I did not want to leave. It gave the soft, queer, cottagecore, fairytale vibes that made me want to be a part of this realm for as long as I could and not think about the real world.

Cute romance with banter >>>
Queernormative world >>>
Unique magic system and world building >>>
Light and cozy and remained pretty low stakes >>>

There are not many downsides to this story minus my cravings for more magical elements (since we were teased with possibilities of what could be done), the pacing from time to time and some of the miscommunication/lack of communication that added to the conflict when the conflict was already set up so it felt unnecessary to me personally. All of that aside, THIS IS A FUN AND CHARMING READ!

I adored these characters and side characters, and hope the authors decide to give us more stories set in this world! On my way to go look for a delicious and much needed strawberry jam recipe, and then hopping into my car to stop by a plant nursery!

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:

E-book

Pace:

Slow/Medium

Cover thoughts:

SO FREAKING ADORABLE!

Triggers:

Classism, Death, Magical Sickness, Toxic Relationships, etc.

Going into Homegrown Magic, I'll admit I had mixed expectations. I'm not huge on cozy fantasy, but I do like a good romance, and I love queernormative stories. Mainly, my gripe with cozy fantasy is that it, like Stardew Valley and gardening, kinda stresses me out? I don't know - I'm so used to cozy things having a secret hidden twist that's actually awful, so that I can never actually relax and get into the story. Fully a me problem, I digress. But anyway!

I think Homegrown Magic hit that sweet spot of having a little bit to satisfy everybody. A little bit of cozy (the idyllic village of Bloomfield where our MCs spend the most part of the novel), a little bit of heightened stakes (plant witch Margot must create a potion by a certain deadline, or else lose the town of Bloomfield to magical heir Yael's family), and a lot of friends to lovers romance. Both main characters are lovable and yet flawed, and I felt they complemented each other perfectly. I found it easy to settle into the story and I loved the writing style; both authors' voices blend very well together, so I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

For me, my favorite part was the way the plot unfolded. It was very much a slice of life fantasy, but a slice of life that never got boring. I think part of that is that we've got a great balance between the two characters - Margot is so entrenched in Bloomfield, but everything is new to Yael. Seeing things through Yael's POV made everything seem like a novelty, while Margot had to adjust her life (reluctantly at first) to having someone new in it shaking things up. The first two thirds of the book had such a beautiful cadence to them, and the romance was so sweet. I also really, really enjoyed the nonbinary rep with Yael. The (predominantly queer) secondary characters were developed nicely as well - I can guess which ones may have their own romances later in the series, but it never felt as though we were building secondary characters for the sole purpose of sequels.

I am knocking a star off because the last third of the book dragged a bit for me. As soon as Yael and Margot have their third act breakup, I felt both characters' arcs struggled on their own. The details of Yael's bargain with their patron felt mildly confusing to me - do they forget about Margot entirely, or do they forget that Margot's someone special to them? Some chapters seemed to imply the former, while most leaned towards the latter. Margot's chapters during this breakup went by quicker than Yael's, and I liked the twist regarding the Natural Caster potion, but I still felt this part dragged compared to when the couple is together. Also knocking off a star because, as one reviewer mentioned, you can't just mention a chicken witch and then say nothing else about the chicken witch.

Still, I enjoyed the blend of romance and cottage-core vibes, and I felt that the village of Bloomfield is such a cozy setting. This is definitely for all the sapphic, goblin-era, cottagecore girlies (me. It's for me).

Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and authors Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I look forward to the next installment in the Homegrown Magic series!