An endearing and realistically magical book about family, love and loss.
This was marketed as Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic which immediately had me wanting to read it! Personally, it did not scratch the Gilmore Girls itch, however it was spot on for Practical Magic. In a strange way it felt like Practical Magic meets Sookie Stackhouse’s grandmother’s vibe. (No vampires or sexy time) I just pictured Sookie’s grandmother as the grandmother in this story too.
If you enjoy magical realism and embracing your own inner witchy magic…you should give this one a try. I also loved the recipes that were included!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The setting was so cozy and the author did an amazing job making the environment feel so real. It will easily become a fall favorite.

Sadie is a complex main character who is simultaneously grieving the past, present, and future. I thought so much of this was very well done, and at its heart, this story is about growing up and finding your own identity.

There were a few things I didn’t love about the story but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Some romance between side characters felt a little misplaced or underdeveloped, there were A LOT of family members that sometimes left me a little confused, the main romantic plot felt rushed and I actually would have preferred it not be resolved in this book and maybe featured more heavily in a sequel.

Thanks to Alcove Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“I’d go to every little shop until I found the perfect one. It’s pathetic, I know, but it’s always … “

“Bill brought more sunflowers” - this moment made me sob so loudly, that I woke my husband.

You know those cozy moments that you wish would last longer? A good spring rain, open windows, fire crackling… you get the picture. That is that book for me. First of all, you get a baking/cooking recipe at the end of every chapter. And I’m not talking like boring things the author just threw in the book without much thought. Each recipe is unique, and relevant to the chapter. I am SO excited to try them.
Now about the book, it’s adorable. It’s like mixing cozy magic, with a hefty dash of high steaks, and sprinkling moments that will make you ugly cry (example, the hummingbirds. Enough said). Somehow the author managed to weave heavier topics into something that still felt so whimsical to read. I did find this a smidge predicable with the bigger plot points, and towards the end I found myself wanting to skim some. But that could also just be the ADHD part of me wanting to know what happens. Overall, I loved it, and it exceeded my expectations. I did receive this as an ARC, but I also preordered it after I read this because it was a 5 star for me. Please keep writing in this world!

PS we have a Raquel and Seth book? Pretty please?

The small town magic vibes of this book were immaculate. Overall, it was extremely readable and cozy. I wouldn’t say Gilmore Girls is a great comparative though, this reminded me of a more wholesome practical magic. Either way, I enjoyed this book and thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read it early.

I loved this magic tale about family and sacrifice, and the things we will do for love. Romantic love of course, but also for our family and our siblings - can't beat a twin thing either! The magic is reconciled so that I could suspend my disbelief and go with it. I became thoroughly immersed in this magical world.

Two other ingredients in this magical tale are the joy and power of giving love through delicious food (recipes included!) and equally a love of nature and the natural world. And dogs, and even one cat.

And I so loved gorgeous delicious Jake and his strong, moral compass which brought him back to Sadie. A very sweet and whimsical closed door romance. Thoroughly recommended!

Thank you so much to NetGalley the author and the publisher for the ARC.

I’ve never felt like this with a book before. It was everything it promised it would be and more. Beautifully written, amazing and lovable characters. The coziness of life in a small town, all the accidents and fun of magic. Adding the recipes was a very unique and wonderful touch. It’s a five star read and I wish everyone would read this book. I laughed and cried and broke my heart and mended it all in less than 400 pages.

This was a lot of fun and super unique. It reminded me of magical realism books like the particular sadness of lemon cake. I can’t wait to see what else the author does.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a charming debut novel that tells the story of Sadie Revelare, a young woman who has always believed that her magic and the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies it would be worth the price. However, when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer and her first heartbreak returns to town, Sadie's carefully constructed world begins to unravel. As her grandmother's health deteriorates, and her estranged twin brother returns with family secrets, Sadie is forced to confront her deepest fears and make difficult decisions about her future.

The author, Breanne Randall, creates a magical and captivating world that explores the themes of love, loss, family, and the power of magic. The characters are well-developed and complex, and their relationships are beautifully portrayed. The book also features a strong sense of community and the importance of supporting one another during difficult times.

Overall, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a delightful and heartwarming read that will appeal to fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls. Breanne Randall has created a magical world that will leave readers feeling enchanted and inspired.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I just want to start off by saying I found Breanne Randall on TikTok and I was excited to read this book from the moment she described it as Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls. This book was amazing I loved the recipes included with it and I related to Sadie because of the relationship she has with her grandma. This book was amazing and I can’t wait for when this book is released in September and everybody can have a chance to read it.

While the world felt magical and beautiful and there were a ton of uplifting moments, there were so many editing errors and plot points that went nowhere. So much of this served no purpose and it could've been helped with a lot more editing. Unfortunately, this ultimately fell flat for me.

“The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic” is 100% true to its name! Full of heartbreakingly beautiful moments and magically uplifting scenes I could not get enough of the Poppy Meadows universe!

The story follows Sadie Revelare as she whisks up enchanted goods at her bakery, tends to her garden, cares for her grandmother and tries to help everyone in her small town of Poppy Meadows. Her only worry in the world is avoiding heartbreak because of her curse - that is until her old love blows back into town, her missing brother turns up and her grandma is diagnosed with cancer. Now Sadie must try and protect her heart, save her family and keep her magic all while keeping her sanity.

5/5 magical stars!! I absolutely loved this debut and am so excited to see what Breanne Randall comes up with next!

Pick up “The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic” when it hits shelves on 9.19.2023!

Thank you to Alcove Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

An uneven, if mostly pleasant romance with magic. I feel like it needs a copyedit--there are loads of little errors, and plot devices that don't go anywhere or disappear from the narrative without explanation. There are some weird time-slips as well, which might be from moving sentences around and then not making them fix with their new locations. This surprised me, since the book is from a major publisher. Nonetheless, it's a cute book. It's very predictable and readers will immediately know what Sadie's sacrifice will be, just as we know from her first appearance that Bethany isn't pregnant and that Sadie and Jake will end up together. The characters are solid, and I like the diversity of them, although it's a little heavy-handed. How a town so small supports so many quaint little businesses is one of the things readers will have to suspend disbelief about, but after all, they're reading about magic food.

Is this supposed to be a Practical Magic retelling? Because that’s the vibes I was getting from this book, and I loved it so much. Such a cozy romantic witchy novel.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc!