The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman continues the story began in Practical Magic. This book features the Owen’s witches we know and love; Jet, Franny, Gillian and Sally. As the next generation of Owens become young adults, Sally’s daughters, Antonia and Kylie are featured in this tale. How far would you go to break the generations’ long curse on your family once you hear the Death Watch Beatles call? This is a question that Kylie and the rest of the Owen’s women must answer when they find love. Hoffman masterfully weaves together family dynamics, love and loss with just the right amount of magic to make this a delightful continuation of the series. I was spellbound!

There is much to love about this contemporary fiction story combined with history and geography, and of course, magic! I always love it when I can suspend disbelief and melt into the story. I also love how the characters are different on the inside relative to their outward persona. That must be difficult to portray. I love the descriptions of Paris, London, Boston, spring, and summer, and bodies of water. I also love how we learn about the meaning of various colors. The mention of characters and events from prior books really made me think - I love being able to do that too! In the end, we find that the overarching theme is love, and I love that too. Thank you Alice for your unique command of words and ability keep me engaged about a topic I didn’t realize I loved. And thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A wee bit overwrought with a case of "get to the point" toward the end, as the writing style can be a bit flowery and repetitive as a way of teasing out what was already phoned home earlier in the plot. I would recommend this book for anyone who is into witchy fiction. The author does have a knack for writing multiple characters in a way that is believable, as each character stands out and apart from the other. And, for this reason, I am curious to read the other books in the series.

*I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley*

I like this author and this series a lot so I was pretty excited to get this ARC. The story picks up with Jet hearing the death watch beetle then follows the Owens women (and a brother!) as they race to save Kylie when she tries to break the love curse on the family.

I must admit, this was a really slow start for me. I know this author has more of a wistful writing style but the first half of this seemed to be even more flighty than her other novels. The latter half of the novel definitely picked up the pace and got less day dreamy, so it still ended up being an ok read overall.

This felt a little under baked, especially since it followed all the different Owens' but didn't make me fall in love with any of their story lines like her other novels have.

It was nice to wrap up the Owens story with the curse breaking and Sally getting what she's always wanted; I just wish the other story lines would've either been fleshed out more or cut out.

Hoffman's genius shines through as she completes the stories of many Owens family members, long embroiled in a curse, nearly impossible to break for more than 300 years. The final book in this series will delight its readers who have longed to see this series to its end. Hoffman's endearing writing style makes the reader want to embrace each member of this family and hold them dear..

I absolutely love magic in all forms. This book was so good, and such a terrific conclusion to the series. I'm absolutely going to miss it! Now feel the need to start all over again, right after I watch Practical Magic! Thank you so much for this series!

Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings the Owens family saga to a brilliant conclusion in The Book of Magic.

When Jet Owens hears the call of the death watch beetle, she knows her time has come. But Jet knows her life isn’t the only one at risk. After 300 years, the Owens family curse has come to a head and Kylie Owens wants to be the one to save them all. Using the clues left behind Jet and help found along the way, three generations of Owens, including lost brother Vincent, will sacrifice anything to save themselves.

Connecting over 300 years of events –and 3 previous novels – The Book of Magic explores the lives of Sally Owens’s daughters, raised without knowledge of their family’s magic and suffering the consequences. The overall pacing of the book felt fairly slow and some of the past events were different from the past books, but the constantly shifting plot and perspectives kept it interesting. The exploration of magic and family, as well as the magic realism and the trust in the reader to grasp the rules was phenomenally written.

The characters in this book are so solid and well thought out. They remain true to their respective prequels and how they come together is masterful. Every character is explained so deeply, with rich backstories and motives and the reader can so clearly see them grow and learn as the novel carries on. I was not ready to say farewell to Jet and Franny, Gillian and Sally, Kylie and Antonia, but their story was told so well.

While I am sorry to see this series come to an end, it could not have happened any better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout Hoffman’s previous books we have come to know the Owen’s family and the curse that prevents them from truly loving someone. In the book of Magic one Owen embarks on a journey to break the curse and free her love from a coma. The family comes together to find the member and to break the curse no matter what the cost. Through 4 books I’d become attached the Owens and it was nice to see the end of the curse and the happiness of the family, even if it came with a little sadness.

Alice Hoffman produces an amazing number of quality books and this one is no different. Lovers of practical magic will especially love this one. It’s definitely a nostalgia-stimulating page-turner.

The only disappointing part of this book is that it’s the end of the trilogy. I wish there were more books to follow the lives of Sally’s daughters and grandchild. Otherwise Alice Hoffman delivers another engaging read, sure to keep your interest from the first page to the last.

A fitting end to the series, but pales in comparison to the others. It lacks much of the magic found in the earlier novels.

Hoffman has delivered a masterful multi-generational chapter in the lives of the descendants of Hannah Owen. Some say this is a fitting final ending to the Practical Magic series. I prefer to think of it as another installment, for the next generation is just being born. Hoffman can draw you into magical realism like no other. author. I think she invented it. The characters and plot are wrapped and wound as deftly as spells. I didn't want it to end.

A fantastic novel from Master storyteller Allice Hoffman. A beautiful and endearing ending to the Owen's family saga. Wonderful elements of magical realism, quirky memorable characters. A great story from start to finish

This is the continuation of the Owens family that we all know and love and their struggle to overcome the family curse. It was great to see my favorite characters again - like going home. I started and ended this book with tears not only because it’s hard to see a favorite character die but because Jet and Franny love their family so much it makes your heart full. This was a beautiful story of loss, love, family and determination. Alice Hoffman is a gifted storyteller. I loved all the Owens family like they were my own.

This book is amazing! The perfect close to a perfect series. I have decided that I will be re-reading this series every year in October. A beautiful story of love, magic, family, courage, adventure, even a bit of suspense, it's got it all!!!
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I just reviewed The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman. #NetGalley
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Another great book by Alice Huffman. She knows how to blend romance, supernatural, magic all together perfectly. I always feel so cozy reading her books.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is truly a page turner that pulled me in from the first sentence and did not let me go until the very last word. Alice Hoffman is a brilliant story teller and has created a true gem of a story with the Owens' family. I am a huge fan of The Mayfair Witches as told by Anne Rice and have now been won over by The Owens' Witches that Alice Hoffman has so brilliantly created. I learned after reading the summary that this book was part of a series and was a little apprehensive to begin since I had not read the previous novels, but I can confirm that The Book of Magic can be read as a standalone novel. I never once felt lost in the story, as Hoffman's story telling submerses the reader in any substantial background information the previous stories may have had.


Part one of The Book of Magic begins with the perfectly named title The Book of Shadows. A book of shadows to a witch is his or her own personal book of self growth where she documents her journey on her life path, the curves and twist, ups and downs that attribute to an individual's personal journey. Appropriately named is part one because it gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of the oldest still living Owens sisters, Jet and Franny. These two share a sisterly bond that most sisters can relate to, a bond that helps them know what the other is thinking without words. Because of this special bond Franny, the oldest of the sisters, knew that the clicking sound she had heard was the tick of her sister Jet's time running out, the click of "The Deathwatch Beetle". Jet is fortunate in a sense to know the day that she will leave this Earthly plain so she is able to set all of her affairs in order and say her final goodbyes to her family. She is also able to lend a hand in absolving a three hundred year old curse that has plagued her family by leaving a magical text she discovered on her last day of life.

Alice Hoffman's character development is superb. She made me feel like each character in her novel was a character I had met before on my own life's path. I found myself relating most to Franny, the oldest sister and matriarch of the family. Franny always seemed stoic and icy but once her heart "melted" for someone her defenses came crashing down and the truly selfless, loving individual she was came rising to the top. The strongest individuals, in my experience, present that icy exterior because when they love they love so deeply that they will move Heaven and Earth to protect those individuals they love. Their love is deep and unbreakable so they are apprehensive at first to let their guards down and show the world their hearts. I loved that Hoffman noted that every generation of the family held two sisters with an incredibly close bond, with each generation having the frigid no-nonsense Franny and the peace and love Jet. Each generation had a traumatic circumstance that brought them to the home on Magnolia Street and forced them to rely on family for shelter and comfort, creating a family that shared a magically close connection.

"Everything worthwhile was dangerous, her aunts had told her and they were usually right."

Ultimately I found that although this novel was named The Book of Magic it was ultimately about love and how dangerous and rewarding it could be to let your heart lead you. True, Alice Hoffman sprinkled in large amounts of references to magic but all in all The Book of Magic was about the bonds we form with our families, friends and life mates. Love within families is easy, we are supposed to be able to trust and love our kin. Friendship love is a little harder as we are weary to put our love and trust in to someone we are not as familiar as family with. Life mate love is the hardest and most "dangerous", in my opinion. Life mate love requires an individual to give their heart over completely to another in perfect love and perfect trust that they will return it back three fold. It's a "dangerous" endeavor but the rewards when you find the one for which your heart sings and their heart replies back is priceless.

The Book of Magic was a beautifully well written novel that I greatly enjoyed and I am now in pursuit of Alice Hoffman's other novels. Her writing is beautiful, the characters are so well illustrated, and the stories so captivating that I find myself wanting to read more. Ms. Hoffman, you now have a fan for life.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I was a little upset when I read that this was going to be the final book in this series but it was done so magnificently that I was absolutely floored by it. This book is a fantastic close to the series and I would not want anything to change in it. I loved how the Owens women were fleshed out and allowed to be themselves as they discovered who they were deeper. I would recommend this whole series.

The Book of Magic does a wonderful job of connecting the previous books into one great finale. It tells the story of the Owens family who are unlucky in love. A curse once meant to protect the family from love now destroys them. All three generations will need to come together to break the curse that has plagued their family for over three hundred years.
The current Owens girls, Kylie and Antonia, have not been told about their magic and the love curse that plagues the family, but was this really a good choice? As the family rushes to save one of their own, we see how strong the Owens women are and what they will sacrifice to finally end this curse.

Remember the rules of magic:
Harm no one.
Know that what you give to the world will come back to you threefold.
Fall in love whenever you can.

If you are a fan of the Practical Magic series you are going to want to read this heartwarming conclusion of the story. I do see an opening for another book….
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for sharing this eARC with me to review.

I've long been a fan of Alice Hoffman's, since reading Here On Earth, her re-imagining of Wuthering Heights, and I've long loved Practical Magic, both the book and the movie, though they are so different. And I didn't think any other book in the PM series could bump PM from my favorite until I read Magic Lessons last year which is now my favorite of the PM series.

I was so excited to read The Book Of Magic, but at the same time I'm still not ready for the PM series to be over, and I'm incredibly sad that it is. It's hard for me to wrap up my thoughts now that I've read The Book Of Magic. I don't know what I expected in this book, but I'm not sure yet that this was it. I both loved it and couldn't put my finger on what felt out of place in it to me.

I couldn't put it down though and I feel very lucky to have been able to read this ARC! Thank you again to Simon & Schuster!