Homegrown Magic is a cozy fantasy that is as sweet as the jam the main character makes. If you're not a fan of cozy stories, this one will likely be a slow read for you. Although there are certainly stakes, they stay low and easily resolved. This is a comfort story, not one to challenge. The magic system of the world primarily focuses around potions and are never really utilized. The elements are there, but they are not a main focus on the book.

The start and end of the book were slow, but the middle is as charming as you could hope. Definitely rounding up for the queer/non-binary rep. It's nice to see a magical world where nonbinary individual are simply a fact and not a cause for ridicule or shame.

Pros:
Non-binary rep!
Queer rep!

Cons:
Slow
Conflicts too easily resolved

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to sum up Homegrown Magic in one word it would be cute. Or possibly sweet, and I mean that in the best way. Yael and Margot’s relationship, from watching it build in the first half of the book and then develop as an actual romantic relationship, is delightful. That isn’t to say there’s no tension or conflict— there is, particularly in the third act— but that aspect doesn’t stick out to me as much as the charming nature of Yael and Margot’s relationship and the setting of Bloomfield.
The main thing about this book I really liked is the characters. Yael and Margot are what really pull the reader in. They’re both well-written characters with their own complex motivations that drive the plot. Even when those motivations cause them to act in a way that is not entirely aligned, they’re so easy to root for, both as individuals and as a couple.
There was only one little thing about the book that bugged me. There were certain parts of the description and internal monologue that I felt didn’t work written in present tense. This might just be personal preference, but I don’t remember feeling jarred by the use of present tense in other books. I particularly noticed this in Yael’s POV chapters. It didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story, but it broke my immersion.
On another positive note, I really appreciate the fact that this is a book with a nonbinary main character (one of the two main characters) but there is no transphobia in the book at all. This world seems to not have any concept of that at all. It’s refreshing.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighter read.

I received an advanced copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was adorably romantic. If anyone is searching for a whimsical, feel-good read about love and gardening, with a touch of found-family, Homegrown Magic is a definite fit. It has that cozy cottagecore vibe, complete with lush descriptions of gardens and plants, and a plethora of beautifully diverse characters.

I loved how queernormative both the story and world was. As a non-binary person, it was so lovely to see a they/them character totally assured with that aspect of themselves.

I think my only real issue was the lack of communication on Margot's part. I feel like so much of the tension and her anxiety would have been alleviated had she just talked to someone about what was going on.

And I see there's the possibility of a sequel! While I love Margot and Yael, I think it would be great to see a story from Sage and Araphi.

Thank you to NetGally and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.


This book took a long time for me to get through. I'm not one who will normally choose a YA novel, so I was weary about this one from the get go. I really enjoyed it surprisingly to me. The relationship was cute. My only grievance is that there wasn't that much magic in it. I woud like more elements in aa book with magic in the title.

Homegrown Magic is a queer romantasy that has found family, magic, and (spoiler) a third-act breakup.
Overall this was a fun read, but I was really missing the magic aspect of it. There just wasn’t a lot of it and I thought there would be more. I did like the relationship, the characters were fun and interesting, and so was the plot.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for accepting my request for an ACR of this book!
3.25/5
“To say yes to you, and to have a life together … The better part of me would be happier in a cottage in the woods with you for as long as you’ll have me there.”
I found that Yael’s darker vibes and Margot’s sunny personality made this the perfect blend of the grumpy x sunshine trope. Though one of my problems I had while reading it was that rhe book was advertised to have found family, with the book I feel that it wasn’t so much as found family, moreso they found each other. Or this could be me, because when I think of found family I think of a group of people coming together, forming a bond throughout the plot. The story overall was very cozy and spicy. That being said I don’t believe it was truly my cup of tea but I decided to give it a go because I’ve read other books by Pacton. Though I liked the story and characters I could care less for the spicy scenes.

This was a cozy, slow burn romance. In this world, some people are born with magic while others are not. Margot is the only child of parents that ran their estate into the ground after the death of the matriarch, promising to their creditors a potion to grant everlasting magic to anyone who takes it. Yael is the only heir to the creditors and unfocused. After running away, Yael stumbles upon Margot, who they knew as children, and starts to work with her in her greenhouses.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

A delightfully cozy romantic fantasy about a plant witch and her village. This book is full of plants, greenhouses, tea, taverns, strawberries, vines, and fabulous outfits. Fans of queer cozy fantasy will enjoy this book!

I do so wish it had more magical elements. We are presented with a handful of potions and a few other things I won’t say for spoilers. For a book with magic in the title it is woefully short of on page magic. However; Bloomington it is still a welcome world to visit for cozy novel fans. Just don’t go in expecting a lot of fantasy and magic.

P.S. The description says it’s the YA authors adult debut. It still reads like YA but with a touch of spice, and the characters are in their 20’s, so it is classified as adult. However; if it matters to your reading preference, these characters still read like those in a YA novel.

P.P.S. Please don't introduce a chicken witch in one sentence and then proceed to never tell us anything about her for the rest of the book.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Spice: 0.5 🌶️

I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. The authors set up the scenery and setting so well, and it was very cozy/light hearted. The cover art is also so darn precious and I love the whimsical style. There just really wasn't much plot to me, nor very much character development. This felt very YA with a smidge of spice.

Yael Clauneck (they/them) runs away from their high to do family, and their responsibilities as heir. They drunkenly leave their graduation party and travel to the small town of their former childhood friend, Margot Greenwillow.

Margot has been trying to do spell work to wake up her parents and save the town of Bloomfield, by making a potion that will help replenish powers. Basically She and Yael fall in love, but don't really confess their feelings until the end. Margot is later tasked by Yael's family to bring them back home, or face losing everything (her family is in debt to Yael's family). The 3rd act break up just seemed unnecessary and the ending was a little to easily wrapped up.

I saw there will be a second book, (I'm sure starring Sage (Margot's Best Friend) and Araphi (Yael's cousin)) to have their own romance. I do hope there will be a more significant plot and character development.
***If you're looking for just a light hearted read this may be a good choice. For me it fell short and didn't meet my hopes/expectations.

Homegrown Magic is a cozy and quick read. The two povs each have a distinctive voice and the ensemble cast, which could be better developed and explored, is likeable. The story goes at a leisurely pace which works well with the content and overall aesthetics; although some plot points were a bit contrived. It is an enjoyable choice when looking for something easy to read while relaxing, or a stopgap between longer series, albeit not a particularly memorable one.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I'm not huge on romance, but this one sounded amazing, so I wanted to give it a try. I'm really glad I did!

Overall, I was a huge fan of Margot and Yael's development. Mostly Margot, because she was able to get herself to trust someone else and fall for them, which at the beginning was obviously hard for her. Yael's evolution to finding how they can exist on a different path than the one their parents made for them was also really nicely done.

The only thing that sort of bothered me was how many times I wanted to read about something, like Margot training Yael in the greenhouses, and instead there was a time skip with a small summary. I really wish there had been at least one chapter from Margot's POV where she's teaching Yael about the greenhouse, just so we could have a bit more comedic fun with them and maybe see how Margot starts to loosen up. I also was kind of sad when Sage sort of disappeared at the end of the book. She seemed really cool.

This book was really well done, though, and this is coming from someone who doesn't read much romance. I even thought the spicy scenes were well done, and not overbearing.

I really liked this!!!

Things I loved
- how gay it is from the jump. Everyone is into everyone, as it should be.
-I loved the third act resolution. I was initially frustrated, but I liked that we got some real emotional growth out of it.
- the world building felt very real!

Suggestions for improvement
-I don’t like sir’am. I understand wanting a gender neutral honorific, but I can already see my book club rolling their eyes.
-I don’t think we got great clarity for why Margot wants to do everything on her own. Yael’s motivations feel clear, but Margot needs just a little more fleshing out.
- would have loved to see young Margot at the waterfall early in the book so we understand it’s importance later on.


Overall, I really loved this and will be recommending to friends!!!

Ok, first things first, I don’t give out five stars easily. I am PICKY with high praise. Especially when it comes to romantasy as it tends to be very tropey for my tastes.

And then there’s Homegrown Magic. Which I would argue is a solid blend of cozy fantasy and romance.

Anyway, onto the actual review. Wow. Just wow. Fair warning, I was hyped about this book since the announcement of its deal came out, I was little worried because it seemed exactly my thing. And historically, I hype up things too much and end up disappointed.

Dear fellow readers, that was not the case this time. Homegrown Magic was everything I wanted and more. It feels like reading a novelization of someone’s D&D game. Which is absolutely my thing. We get worldbuilding, but there isn’t so much that the narrative ever feels like it takes a backseat.

Let me talk about the rep in this book for a second. As a nonbinary person, I constantly struggle with queerness in fantasy typically being subjected to real-world issues. Which makes no sense. It’s a fantasy world, why have homophobia?

My fellow readers, that isn’t an issue here. Being queer, either in your sexuality or gender identity, is not an issue in this world at all. Yael, one of our main characters, seems to be aware of being non-binary from a young age, approximately 12 or even younger. And it’s never an issue. There doesn’t seem to be any deadname. There’s no one misgendering them. They’re just Yael, they/them from page one. And I can not emphasize how much that meant to read. There is also a term used in the book which was clearly come up with. Sir’ram, which seems to be a gender-neutral honorific like sir or ma’am. And it isn’t just used for Yael. It’s used for everyone. Which makes me even happier.

Ok now that I’ve waxed on about the rep, let me talk about the plot and chemistry between Yael and Margot. The vibes are cozy, but the stakes of the plot are high. Margot is trying to save her town while Yael is trying to figure their shit out. In the midst of all of this, these two who were formerly friends reunite and there is instant chemistry. There is the issue of class disparity clearly shown and done well. There is found family. There is cool magic (seriously, the plant magic alone constantly had me green with envy I hadn’t thought of that but also utter delight).

And then there’s the chemistry. Now, I loathe insta-love so when Yael first shows up in Margot’s lil town and they are making eyes at each other, I was WORRIED this would ruin the book for me. Pacton & Podos masterfully write two characters who are clearly VERY ATTRACTED to each other without instantly thinking they’re in love. The chemistry is present from the get go, but the friendship between Yael and Margot comes first. It is only after that relationship is built up more that they feel comfortable acting on their mutual attraction. Which is MY JAM.

Let’s talk about the other things I would normally loathe. Fair warning, there’s a wee spoiler here. Margot is keeping a big secret from Yael. One that leads to a third act breakup. Now, if you know me, you know I LOATHE a third act breakup. Most of the time, it seems to be simply for the point of drama and could be solved with a simple conversation.

Well, this time, the breakup seems inevitable from the time we realize the decisions Margot has been making leads to. The cause of the break up is a BIG DEAL. One that neither Yael or Margot seem to fully know how to handle. One that can not be solved with a conversation. Heck, at the time it happens, I really didn’t know how it’d be reconciled. Plus, the parting of our main characters allows for genuine character development apart after they’ve spent most of the book together. So we see what happens when they’re left to their own devices. (Also the breakup made me legit cry and I have to give the authors credit for that.)

Oh, let me talk about the vibes again. Because this book, while it gets serious at times, never strays too far from being cozy. Even amidst the capitalist hellscape main capital it is occasionally in, there is whimsy and softness in the interactions between characters. Bloomfield is a cottagecore dream, as Margot’s greenhouses. This book is like drinking your favorite tea )maybe ginger-hibsucus) and eating scones with heartbreak healing strawberry jam while wrapped in a blanket.

I hope this book takes off. I hope it finds others like me who feel so seen in Yael. Who see a cozy fantasy world that accepts their existence as just being. Thank you Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos for creating that.

This is absolutely about to be one of my top reads of the year. I read it in the span of a few days and I wish I could read it for the first time again.

Cozy fantasy, centering around gardening (a topic I like!), with a meandering pace that's a good fit if you're looking to feel immersed in a pleasant magical world. I agree with those comparing it to Legends and Lattes: has that kind of vibe. Nice to see a they/them main character, and the couple's scenes got spicy, which I also liked! I would be interested to see a spinoff about Sage and Araphi, so I hope that's in the works.

Margot, a plant witch struggling under the debt her parents left her with after spending all her late grandmothers money, is trying to save her family greenhouse and remedy business. One night Yael, a former childhood friend, who is fleeing their own familial responsibilities of working at the bank for the rest of their days, shows up in Margot’s tiny town and tiny tavern. With an old childhood friendship and new adult crush forming between them, Yael helps Margot with the greenhouses while Margot herself works on solving a potion that would clear her debts to Yael’s family entirely.

This is super cute. The only tiny complaint I have is about words that should not exist in any fantasy novel. At one point something is described as merlot red but, similar to champagne, these are French terms. Since France doesn’t exist here these terms can’t either. I would’ve also enjoyed a slightly longer epilogue or more upfront conclusion of the fight with the Clauneck company but overall I’m pleased with how it all shook out.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

For a long time I thought I didn’t like cozy fantasy just because I read one really boring book that people describe as the peak cozy fantasy so I went into this with pretty low expectations. I can’t tell if I didn’t like the beginning because it was bad or if I was bitter that I was reading a cozy fantasy. I definitely had a bad start at it but when it got into the story It felt so soft and warm that I can’t help but love it.

I thought this was cozy and soft but also still had an engaging story. I enjoyed the characters love story so much probably cause I love a second chance romance plot but still. Am I turning into a cozy fantasy lover?! I think so

It’s a short and sweet distraction of a book - I had a great time with it. Alternating POVs are distinct, but there were a few too many contrivances that could have been easily resolved by a mature conversation. I wasn’t in a critical mood and had a fun time, though.

This book had its charms but wasn't really quite for me. Though the romance was sweet, at times it leaned too heavily into "this problem could be solved by a single adult conversation" territory, which is always frustrating, and the "villains" of the story were just a bit too one-note. It also may be petty and my own issue but I cannot stand that the book was entirely in third person present tense.

That said, the cozy was amply provided by plant witchery and I loved the entire concept of the plant witch helping the town and making heartbreak curing jam and little potions for her neighbors. I also love when a book universe just doesn't have homophobia - when queer and trans characters just get to exist and none of the conflicts are about that aspect. That's a whole other level of cozy and I always appreciate it.

I just finished an interesting sci-fi novel. Homegrown Magic was an engaging and engrossing story that kept me thinking.

Homegrown Magic has all of the beats of a cozy fantasy-romance with some additional twists and turns. (Some which work better than others.) Our Protagonist is Yael Clauneck, the young heir of a prestigious (and very rich) family of warlocks, who also own a bank. (The most important bank in the kingdom, which is also the kingdom's mint and money exchange.) Yael, who is overwhelmed with the knowledge they are just another cog in the wheel of the family machine opts to run away from home on the night of their graduation party.

They steal a mechanical horse and head off for Bloomfield, the home of Yael's childhood friend Margot.

On Margot's end of the plot, Our Heroine is struggling to keep her business afloat. She's a plant witch with a grandmother whose remedies are famous. Thanks to some really bad financial decisions and recklessness on the part of her parents, her home and the town she lives in is in danger of being foreclosed if she can't create a potion that her grandmother had been working on before her death. When her childhood friend Yael Clauneck turns up, she is stressed and desperate enough to view Yael as mostly a business opportunity. Her feelings become more complicated when she takes Yael in as an assistant.

Yael meanwhile stumbles into this situation without any knowledge of what Margot has been going through. Despite this, they and Margot quickly renew their friendship, though Margot spends a lot of time holding back on her feelings because of Yael's family, and the problems she's been having with her research. Yael in turn finds a lot of enjoyment in working for Margot and living in a place that makes them feel less stressed and feeling like they have to perform. As Yael and Margot become closer, and become more open with each other, they enter a more intimate romantic and sexual relationship.

The plot went in a lot of directions I didn't expect, or found frustrating. As an example, Yael is written as being emotionally abused by members of the family, including the family's patron. (The family are Dungeons & Dragons-style warlocks. Which means they get their power from an eldritch patron of some variety.) We don't get a resolution on this situation, and I think it could have been handled better. We're told that Yael doesn't fit in, and they've ruined their potential according to their parents--but we aren't shown what potential the family thinks they see in Yael, when Yael's predestined job is a middle management desk job they have no interest in.

With Margot, Yael seems to have some innate skill at marketing and making deals--which should have met with family (or at least patron) approval--but for some reason, it doesn't. Yael's family are presented as stock villains (except for one cousin who seems too nice to have had an abusive toxic upbringing Yael's feelings toward their family imply). I really would have liked to see Yael sitting Margot down and working with her on front end sales and marketing. It would have been a bonding experience, and brought some more depth to their partnership (on the business side) and their relationship (on the romantic side).

We also have the usual romantic "misunderstandings that could be easily resolved if the characters would just talk to each other." The characters tend to talk past each other, or aren't completely honest about the situations they're in, so the misunderstandings are at least valid--if still exasperating in the face of their otherwise good dynamic. Margot and Yael rapidly become a team, so it's a little frustrating when Yael rushes ahead before checking with Margot, or Margot holds back on the bad situation she's in with Yael's family.

Homegrown Magic is a cute, cozy fantasy romance that turns more serious toward the the end, with higher stakes. It's a very fast, light read despite the darker dip toward the end. Yael makes some tough, though still reckless decisions. The characters are engaging, but I would have liked more depth concerning Yael's relationship with their family. It leaned more toward tell than show. Granted it would have made the novel less light and cozy, but complicated family dynamics are my jam.)

This review is based on a galley received from NetGalley.