3.75 stars/5, rounded up to 4.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book, but it was not without fault. For a fantasy novel, I was surprised to find that much of the book centred around Christianity and faith in God. I wasn't disappointed by this but relatively surprised.

This story follows our main character Sadie as she tries to navigate her life around the curse of four major heartbreaks that came with her magic. She has always stood by her belief that her magic was worth the price, until her third heartbreak, her grandmother's cancer diagnosis comes as a major shock. As this is revealed, she finds out her first heartbreak Jake has returned to town.

The storyline was cohesive and enjoyable but the resolution felt incredibly rushed. We are given a time frame to find a solution to the book's main conflict, and in my opinion, it felt a bit forced. The romance between Sadie and Jake was also marginally unrealistic. I didn't enjoy their storyline, but I enjoyed their friendship funnily enough. I felt they would've been better off as friends.

The sense of community and family is very heartwarming. The feeling is throughout the book and feels like the glue holding the story together. The family was my favourite part of the story, the relationships were very well written and the development felt natural. Raquel her best friend was one of my favourite characters other than the grandmother, her wit and kindness made her a great addition.

All in all, the book was enjoyable but it did have its faults so I have given it 3.75 stars on Storygraph and 4 stars on Goodreads.

I wanted to love this, but I jut couldn't get into the story after several attempts. I guess just not for me.

Unfortunately this book is trying too hard and doesn't quite live up to the description provided. It felt like it tried to cobble together Practical Magic, small town vibes, and Christianity into one book. Those aren't necessarily complimentary topics, and a whining main character doesn't help. We are told all the ways she is isolated and hurt by others while she let's them back in constantly. The recipes are cute.

I wanted this book to be amazing. Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic is such a dreamy combo, and it set the bar high. But, this book just did not get there. There were some things to like. The inclusion of a recipe at the end of the chapters was fun, and the close-knit family dynamic (at least when it comes to some of the characters) was nice. However, the smart dialogue and the wit/humor that you would expect from a book touted as inspired by Gilmore Girls was absent, and because of this, the characters tended to feel either too dramatic or too boring. I either cringed from second hand embarrassment or found myself wishing that the character was just omitted completely because the characters were so blah... I have however recommended this book to some of my witchier friends because the description of generation magic would appeal to some readers. I just don't think this book has wide appeal.

The marketing of this book intrigued me. It was sold as “Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls”. Done and done say less. However, this book just fell flat for me. There were some endearing elements to this story. I enjoyed the big family relationships. I liked the witchy elements that we saw and how it was less “magical” than some others I have read. I also love when cooking, baking and food are woven into stories and I felt like this one did that quite well.

I love witchy books, but this one wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel like it was comparable to gilmore girls.

The writing style was not my favorite. And the main character really dragged the book for me.

I can see some potential in this author though and will try again.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

I read this book a while ago but I have forgotten to write a review.

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this book.

I was very happy to pick this book as it said it was for fans of Practical Magic (I love witchy books) and Gilmore Girls (one of my all time favorite tv series). I was a little disappointed though. It had the small town family feeling but other than that I didn’t get that Gilmore Girl feeling.

I had a little hard time getting into the story. Everyone in this family has magic and with that magic comes a curse. We meet Sadie who and her curse is four heartbreaks. It means after she has experienced 4 major heartbreaks her magic will disappear. This is why she doesn't want to fall in love. We are following her struggles when her dear grandmother gets sick, her twin brother gets home, and her first heartbreak comes back to town.

I loved the heartwarming feeling in the family and that there is a recipe after every chapter.

Before you read this book you should look up some content warning.

I really enjoyed this book. Dubbed a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls book, and it absolutely lives up to that. While you don't get a witty Lorelei character we do get a cozy town and an eccentrically loving family dynamic.
This book cover a lot of ground in 322 pages. While I didn't go into expecting a cozy witchy story it packed much more of an emotional punch than I expected.
I really related with Sadie. Right or wrong I can admit to behaving like her in that age range. I absolutely adored Gigi and her "piss ant" calling ways.

The author did an amazing job creating detailed imagery with the herbs and oils and recepies but then sped through the ending . The book ended well, but rushed. I would have loved a bit more.

This was exactly as described. Gilmore
Girls but make it magical. A good cozy read which was perfect for fall

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for my gifted copy of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall.

Second, I would like to point out that I am a huge fan of witchy books. I will read any and all books based on this theme and I usually love them if not, enjoy them.

Third, I started to love witchy reads because of Alice Hoffman so when I found out this book was being compared to Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls (my favorite show growing up) I jumped on this book. Sadly, this was clearly false advertisement because I saw minimal similarities to either amazing works of art and that is giving this book so much credit.

I thought that this book dragged which had a lot to do with the main character, Sadie. I went into this one with high hopes and was let down quickly. You should not compare books to other works of genius, especially cult classics like Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls if it cannot stand in the same room as the two let alone on the same shelf. This just leads to disappointment and does not allow this novel to stand on its own, with its own story to tell.

Absolutely loved this book and will return to it when I’m needing a comfort read. I liked the authors writing and flow. Made for a very enjoyable read that I didn’t want to put down. This will be a highly recommended book for sure !

Thank you thank you for the ARC of this netgalley! Forever greatful. Loved this book so much, I bought the hardcover even thought I already had the ebook just so it can be a trophy on my shelf.

I saw an ad saying this book was like Gilmore girls meets practical magic and I love those both so I was so excited and it was so cute and did not disappoint!

This was just unfortunately not for me. I was not a fan of the writing and I stopped reading around the 20% mark.

Thanks to NetGalley for this digital arc!

I’m entering a witchy era - I do this from time to time and this seemed like an easy place to start! I loved the recipes sprinkled in and I think if this book was selected for a book club, the recipes could make a really fun potluck meeting!

I liked the cozy, family, witchy vibes and it wasn’t poorly written but I did find myself feeling misled by the marketing and it was odd that they were witches but also… seen going to church often? Mentions of “Baptist roots” lead me to believe these are Christian witches? I may need to read it again to fully decide how I feel about it but it kinda took me out of the reading experience.

"For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic."

This was a delightful and charming story with many characters in this small town. It is the perfect read to curl up with a warm drink, blanket and enjoy.

✨(eARC) Book Review✨

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

This book feels difficult to explain succinctly, which I think is partly because it suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. So, I’m pulling part of the description directly from Goodreads:

“Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel. With the news of their grandmother’s impending death, Sadie’s estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie’s world apart.”

So, the novel seems to want to be a magical realism, small town romance, which it achieves to some extent. Sadie and her relationship with her grandmother is lovely and entertaining. I found the bakery she runs selling foods that have magical elements to be especially charming. Yet the combination of the fantasy elements with the small town story didn’t always mix smoothly. I often found myself confused about how the magic fit into the world—did everyone in town know about it, or just this magical family? How many other magical families were there?—and the dialogue occasionally felt unnatural.

Ultimately, I was a little let down by this one. I think it had great potential, but didn’t quite deliver. I think what it comes down to is a lack of significant world-building. In a way, it almost felt like reading a sequel in a fictional world that I should have already been familiar with.

That said, the story it tells is still pretty entertaining, and I enjoyed reading it. This one isn’t high on my recommendation list, but I’d be excited to read more by this author in the future. Thanks to @netgalley and @alcovepress for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This one is out now!

📖: (3/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" by Breanne Randall presents an intriguing premise: combining heartbreak and magic in a contemporary setting. However, despite its potential, the execution falls disappointingly short. The narrative lacks coherence, with a disjointed plot that struggles to engage readers from the outset. Characters feel one-dimensional, failing to evoke genuine empathy or interest.

Randall's attempt to blend elements of romance and fantasy feels forced, resulting in a narrative that lacks believability and depth. The pacing is erratic, with abrupt shifts in tone and direction that further disrupt the reading experience. Additionally, the writing style lacks polish, with awkward prose and clichéd dialogue that detract from immersion in the story.

While the concept of exploring the intersection of heartbreak and magic is intriguing, "The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" fails to deliver on its promise. With its unfocused plot, underdeveloped characters, and lackluster prose, this novel earns a disappointing 2/5 rating. Readers seeking a compelling blend of romance and fantasy would be better served looking elsewhere.

DNF at 37%, and I don’t DNF lightly. Life is too short for books I care this little about.

The main character is a “pick me” girl, and I’m tired of hearing about how she’s so clumsy in this way that’s supposed to be endearing (but it’s not). And she steals a dog?!? That definitely has a collar on! And no one thinks this is a big deal (herself and the dog’s owner!).

The combination of Christianity and magic is weird to me. The grandmother isn’t likable. I started reading some other reviews and I don’t think I’m missing much with this one. It’s just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don't want to make this too long, but everything that was promised from the marketing and the premise did not happen in my eyes. I found everything about this insufferable and had to DnF around the 20% mark. SUCH a shame because I wanted to love it. It should've been the perfect cocktail of everything I love in a story — love, magic, witches, political intrigue. However the inconsistency, and the weird religious tone seeded throughout this made me feel uneasy.

The story was initially captivating, but stalled for me quite a bit at the midpoint. I'm sad to say I didn't end up loving it as much as I'd hoped. I can see how others would enjoy it, though!