Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

I started this one and then I ended up skimming it because I knew it wasn't for me. I don't always love miscommunications and that was in this book. This just wasn't the story for me.

**3.5 Stars**

This was a light and fluffy best friends to enemies to lovers YA Contemporary romance that predominantly takes place during a road trip and there just so happens to have happy magic sprinkled throughout the story. I really loved the hints of the magical community that the couple experienced throughout the road trip, the food and charms were so fun and inventive, I would love to be a part of this world.

I will say a lot of the conflict in the story was due to a lack of communication (closely followed by overreaction), which is my least favorite plot device, but overall this was cute and fast. This also had the main character discover her self worth and decide to like herself for who she was which I am always a fan of. This is a great read for anyone who likes YA romance and magical spells that help make the day just a little bit better.

this was cute. however, i wish there was more development on the relationships in the book, particularly jack and ellie reconciling (not just the romantic aspect) and ellie’s friendship with lia.

I have some mixed feelings about this subtly magical romance! The premise was very promising, and on the worldbuilding side of things, it lived up to my expectations. I love how magic was incorporated into the real world; it reminded me of all the fantasy movies/shows and books I used to obsess over as a child. Unfortunately, the plot fell short for me when it came to the complication of the couple’s relationship. While I’m always game for a former childhood, current enemies-to-lovers trope, the actual “enemies” part was underdeveloped. It seemed so unfair for Jack to be treated so harshly by Ellie when he rarely ever showed disdain for her, and the sudden shift in that dynamic didn’t settle right for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review :)

Magical realism is the perfect way to describe the universe where this story takes place. Ellie is part of the magic community that lives among the common people, the magic-unaware. Her best friend Lia, with whom she's been planning a summer road trip had no idea of that secret until her revenge of her former-childhood friend/current nemesis Jack go very wrong, and Lia finds it out the worst way. Magic-unaware have to remain so or there will be consequences to whoever exposes their community. That is how Ellie is grounded to traveling without her friend—who is now stuck to taking classes on the magic community—and with Jack. Of course, the trip will include the "there was only one bed" compulsory stop in any rom com with enemies stuck together.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

The summary got longer than I had intended, the core of this story is really how Ellie and Jack fell apart and how they'll mend the broken pieces of their relationship. But the beginning got me fooled for an even more basic trope, to a point I wondered if this story hadn't started as a fanfic of some enemies-to-lovers manga story. Ellie's issues with Jack are far more interesting, however. I loved the way this was constructed, even if the average reader can more-or-less guess why Jack started ignoring Ellie so it's not big mystery. Still or maybe because of that, the depth this part of the plot went surprised me, it was very pretty.

The magic part isn't like a Harry Potter lookalike, by the way. As I mentioned, the story takes place in our world but with some characters who are able to perform a limited kind of magic. It was a refreshing bonus, giving us obvious reasons for the two to get stuck together and also a background for cuter scenes.

The story itself has its ups but I can't really call it amazing, I won't ever forget it. It was enjoyable, a great way to get our mind off and a have a fun time. And of course, all the world-building wasn't even necessary, so that's where the bonus points come from. I recommend it.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

To be corny, I actually found this book to be quite charming. The world wasn't fleshed out very much but it was cute enough that I didn't mind that at all. The love story was very sweet, and dynamic with the parent relationships and I really enjoyed the siblings that were portrayed in the book as well. It was very nostalgic and I would recommend it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be eating pastries with magic to make you feel good? Teas that instantly relaxes you? Iced coffees to give you strength etc.? I wish I could be at the magic conventions and have that "Harry Potter" feeling without the dangers lurking around you. The premise of the book is interesting but it gets so much better once you read it. This is a light YA romance book that is just too cute. You will not regret reading this book, I swear.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the development of the plot but I found the question of magic a little forced.
The couple won me over and the reading flowed very fast

Such a sweet high school story on taking chances and making the most of your own life. It was a quick and fun read.

I love a good Romeo and Juliet rewrite, especially for YA. This book was so wholesome and sweet and I enjoyed reading it.

This one turned out to be as charming as the title suggests.
Both Ellie and Jack are interesting characters and I loved Abe's decision to keep all character exploration strictly from Ellie's point of view. It's very teenage angst in a way that felt so relatable and approachable.
I also liked how lowkey the magic elements are, keeping things super grounded and realistic despite the obvious magic usage. Having leading lady Ellie see herself as stuck hiding all of herself because she has to hide the magical side of her from non-magical people feels like a great way to explore the feeling of otherness and eventually owning it.
Overall, it's a very quick and charming read that left me feeling positively bubbly.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the endearing read!

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc of this book.

Sadly, another one I could not finish. It's a me thing cause its very YA... maybe less. I could not get pass the over use of the word charms at the very beginning (chapter 1) of this book. It's a me thing, I have very much been struggling with YA books.

I think this is the only YA one I have left.

The Charmed list
Julie Abe

The charmed List was such a joyous and charming read, that my teenage heart fluttered and swooned. This was super cute and I listened to this on audio as narrated by my fave Natalie Naudus and seriously I was magically lost in this world Julie Abe created. This was such an enchanting story about first loves, childhood friendships and family.

While this book was engaging enough for me to finish it in its entirety, I struggled to actually enjoy it very much. So much of this book rested on miscommunication and secrets that I just couldn’t get behind it. It was cute, though!

When I first started reading this book I had a feeling it would be a bit magical, but I wasn’t expecting that to be literal. This was such a pleasant surprise. I loved how the author actually worked in some magic in this cute contemporary read. A story filled with friendship, laughter, heartfelt moments, and a tad of romance, The Charmed List was a great summer read.

Ellie is tired of being a wallflower, so she makes a list to check off while on a road trip with her best friend. When wanting revenge on a childhood friend turned enemy her plans change and her parents make her go with Jack. Ellie still tries and checks things off her list and I feel she grows a lot during this story. Things aren’t always what they seem and that’s something Ellie definitely starts to learn.

Jack wasn’t a character I really liked in the beginning, but that was more because Ellie didn’t like him. I loved that the two of them were forced together and actually had to talk things out. Emotions can cloud things and make you see things in a different way and I thought the author did a good job with that while these two spent the summer together.

Also, I love how magic was added in this world. Magical tea and food. That’s definitely interesting. It was also fun meeting Ellie’s parents’ customers along the way. The Charmed List was a fun summer read and I’m glad I decided to sit down with this book.

This isn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me. I love cute romcoms, but it has to be the right sort of cute and this was... not that. I do think a lot of people would enjoy this, because it has some good tropes and pretty good writing. I'd say try it for yourself and see how you feel.

I found this romance story to be quite cute. I didn't enjoy quite as much as Abe's middle grade work, but the worldbuilding was really nice and the characters were endearing. I really liked the glimpses we got of Ellie and Lia's friendship.

This book was cute. I don't typically read books in the young adult genre, but this had magic so I was intrigued! I enjoyed the magic and fun that it created. But, I felt like the characters could use a little more development and the story moved a little slow. Don't get me wrong, the book was lovely. I think I just needed to adjust my expectations to fit the genre. Still worthy of 4 stars though!

This was cute, and overall I enjoyed it. There were moments I really loved, and others that left me a little let down. I *loved* the world and the plot, but I do wish there had been more angst and drama. I do think I would have liked it more if the characters had been a little older. But overall this was a cute YA contemporary and if you're looking for something quick and sweet with a happy ending, definitely check this out.