A longtime fan of Hoffman’s <i>Practical Magic</i> series, I was thrilled to discover this final novel (there’s a prequel as well) that features Sally, Gillian, and grown up Kylie and Antonia.

The Owens women have always been cursed in love; this is a well known fact, just as the fact that you plant rosemary for luck and if you save a man once, and you have a heart. Save him twice and he has yours.

Sally fell in love twice and both of her husbands succumbed to the death watch beetle. Just like Aunt Jet’s high school beau and Aunt Granny’s husband. Kylie and Antonia know nothing of the curse because they know nothing of the magic in their veins. Sally has kept it this way their whole lives. And it has worked. Until Kylie fell in love.

And this is the beginning of our wonderful story. Taking place where it all began in Essex, England and in Essex, Massachusetts, we learn the final fate of the Owens women and their curse. And the wonderful ride it is.

Wooh, I read this book In 24 hours. I devoured it as fast
As I could because I needed to know what the Owenses fate was.

Chapter one alone had me balling in tears. Alice Hoffman is such a powerful storyteller and she proofs book after book why she’s an auto read for me always. (Not that this goddess ever needs to prove anything) .

To be honest I had to wait a while to review this book because I went through the stages of grief. The Ownenses have been part of my life for two decades
( dating myself here ). I never want it to end. I do hope that in a couple of years she says psych that wasn’t the last one. Here is more !

For all fans this book is a must read.

An excellent tale of a family of witches cursed to never be able to love without disaster. Deep emotions bring insight into the experience of being a witch during times of persecution and times when towns depended on your gifts for healing. Driven to try and reverse the curse or outwit it, the family experiences great losses and love that transcends all bounds. It's a great story with a depth of wisdom on the challenges of having power that threatens your very life and family. Well written and compelling - a mythic love story. Thought-provoking and darkly moving. It begs the question, how far would you go to protect your loved ones? Enchanting and introspective. A treasure.

Review published on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Alice Hoffman, you have surpassed my wildest expectations!

With The Book of Magic, the fourth book in the magic series, Ms. Hoffman has accomplished what I consider to be an impossible feat. Writing a final installment, that is, in my opinion, better than all prior books in the series.

I adored The Rules of Magic and Magic Lessons and frankly didn’t think any book could surpass those, yet The Book of Magic did exactly that. Bravo Ms. Hoffman, Bravo!

Weaving together all prior books, here we have the final book in the Practical Magic series, with
Aunts Jet and Franny Owens, Uncle Vincent, Sally and Gillian, and Sally’s children, Kylie and Antonia.

Troubling times are ahead for the Owens family, though this should not come as a surprise. The curse that Maria Owens bestowed upon this family still hovers.

When Jet Owens hears the knocking of the deathwatch beetle, she knows her time is drawing to a close and that a lot of work must be done before she draws her last breath.

The Rules of Magic of course, still apply here “Do as you will but harm no one, What you will give will be returned to you threefold” and of course, no falling in love. The issue is of course, that Sally Owens has raised her children as if magic does not exist, thus they know nothing of the curse until it strikes. For Kylie Owens, this spells disaster.

What happens next, is well, pure magic.

Almost from the start, chills ran down my spine and made my pulse quicken at the predicament the Owens family found themselves in. Racing against time, Franny, Sally, Gillian, and Vincent desperately try to save Kylie and destroy the curse once and for all.

Written from the heart, The Book of Magic is character-driven fiction, magical realism and literary fiction all rolled into one.

The Book of Magic is filled with LOVE. Fierce, wicked, and pure. Love is what defines the Owens family and it will prevail.

This is a novel that will most definitely be on my Goodreads best-of-list for 2021.

To Alice Hoffman, thank you for sharing the Owens family with us for all of these years. To Hannah, Maria, Faith, Jet, Franny, Vincent, Sally, Gillian, Kylie, and Antonia Owens: You are loved, Always.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Edelweiss, and NetGalley for the arc.

Published on NetGalley, Edelweiss, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This the book all Practical Magic fans were waiting for. The story of Kylie and Antonia is the true testament to sisterhood.

Alice Hoffman brings the third, and final, novel about the Owens family. From the lavender and rosemary I have growing in my garden, to the sounds insects make, each Hoffman book I read pushes me to look at the world in a different light, and this book was no different. Practical Magic and Magic Lessons follow the Owens family and their struggles and history with a family curse. In this third novel, the dire fight to end the curse ensues. Past meets present and relatives reunite and meet for the first time. With the aunts, Jet and Franny leading the way, Hoffman’s character development was perfection and the tidbits of everyday magic sprinkled in kept me glued to the book. I loved this book. Soul food. So much so, I was emotional when I completed the story, both because I was sad it was over as well as the powerful storyline.

**it is with much gratitude I thank NetGalley and Simon Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley, Edelweiss+, and Simon Schuster for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The amazing culmination of the Owens family saga.
Sally and Gillian are now grown as are Sally's children, Kylie and Antonia. Each girl has moved onto their own relationship without knowing about magic or the Owens curse. After the death of a main character, the girls learn about the curse just as Kylie's beloved is hit by a car and they are unsure if he will make it. Kylie travels to England to reverse the curse in order to save Gideon. All of the Elder Owens take the trip overseas to save Kylie. It is discovered that a great sacrifice must be made to break the curse - one life for another.

This was the perfect ending to the Practical Magic series. Alice Hoffman has mastered magical realism and makes a complete and fulfilling story. Hoffman has taken us on a journey from the 1600s to the current time detailing the history of the Owens family and the curse that kept them from falling in love. One of my favorite quotes is from the end of the book..."How lucky they'd been to be raised by women who taught them what was most important in this world. Read as many books as you can. Choose courage over caution. Take time to visit libraries. Look for the light in the darkness. Have faith in yourself. Know that love is what matters most." This would make a perfect movie to follow up the original Practical Magic with the original cast and it would be a perfect way to close out the characters.

A gorgeously written conclusion to the Practical Magic story. I was sad when it ended. The Owen family are drawn together when Jet dies. From there, they travel together to Europe to discover the power of the love curse that has been put on their family. Utterly spellbinding.

Exquisite conclusion to the "Practical Magic" series. The interweaving of historical reality, such as Amelia Basswood, adds a sense to the narrative.
There are some sections that drag a bit but, overall, an excellent read. Now I want to go back and read whole series again in chronological order.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A warm hug on a cold rainy day. A visit with old friends. While it was my least favorite in the series, it does wrap up several storylines nicely. The story dragged in pace for me and was a slow build, but the final chapter was (mostly) worth the wait.

Four stars bc the ending is when the book truly comes alive and is magical beyond words. The middle feels like a bit of a retread of earlier ones although the beginning is quite lovely as anything focusing on Jet has always been wonderful

Hoffman is brilliant at weaving a complex and beautiful common thread in each of the novels in this series, and the continued revelation of these characters does not disappoint! You can feel both the passion and heartbreak each person encounters, and I was pleased to encounter one or two characters I never thought would surface again. _The Book of Magic_ is a prefect addition to Hoffman’s intriguing series. A definite read!

Alice Hoffman is the best novelist working today, and the saga of the Owens clan is always top-notch. I inhaled this latest one, and my only disappointment is that it ended. I will eagerly push this title and I always trumpet about her to all who listen. Thanks so much

As a huge fan of both Alice Hoffman and her Practical Magic series, I was thrilled to get the chance to read this ARC...and I wasn't disappointed. I had to force myself to read slower--I was desperate to finish the story in one night, but wanted to make the story last. Everything about the story--the history, the character development--is impeccable. For a series that means so much to so many, it couldn't have ended more perfectly. Once again, it's nothing short of magic.

I'm glad that I got to read the final book in the Practical Magic series. It was great to see where everyone ended up. The story was interesting. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

To be honest, this was my least favorite Practical Magic story (I’ve read Maria Owens’s and Franny’s/Jet’s/Victor’s stories). The plot was extremely slow moving and seemed to drag at times. The best part of the story was the final chapter. Victor’s and Gillian’s characters could have been written out and the story would have ended the exact same way. Antonia was another fairly useless character until the very end. I just wasn’t impressed with this tale, but it does make me want to go back and read the other books again.

It has always been my opinion, and after reading this book, it will always be my opinion that Alice Hoffman is the queen of magical realism. This is a wonderfully crafted story and the words just seeped through my pores, traveling through my heart and into my soul. It connotes the power of women and the strength that centers in everyone of us. But the most important magic is love and the spell it weaves within all of us whether we believe in magic or not. Love is enduring and everlasting and magic is all around us.

This book will touch all your emotions and breaking a family curse is well worth this gauntlet you will experience.

Highly recommended!

I have loved this series (and Alice Hoffman) since I read Practical Magic. A beautiful blend of magic, family, and love, with just a touch of darkness. This book did not disappoint.