Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls? I’m in, obviously.

The characters were all interesting but the main character was incredibly insufferable - which made the whole thing difficult to read. Flair had her reasons to mistrust magic, sure, but the girl could benefit from some therapy to get past her childhood trauma. Her inner monologue is dull and repetitive. And up until the very very end does it feel like Flair had learned literally anything.

The story was a bit convoluted (like I’m still not entirely sure why Renee HAD to be so downright rude all the time) but overall a good time. Worldbuilding was basic but did the job because I definitely would check out the Rattlebones Trail (but maybe not because I hate to be scared).

Thanks to NetGalley, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Penguin Group/Putnam for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Flair Hardwicke moved back to the small town of Rattleboro, Kansas, where her grandmother had lived, she just wanted to open a bakery and raise her teenaged daughter Lucie in relative peace. But it’s almost Halloween, and there is nothing Rattleboro celebrates like Halloween. The town matron Loretta Oakes wants Flair to participate, now that she’s back in town, but the Halloween celebration has a lot of memories attached for Flair, and she’s not sure that she wants to jump in.

Actually, there is a lot about Rattleboro that holds memories for Flair, and she is struggling. The shop, handed down from her grandmother, still reminds Flair of the times she spent there as a child, and there are still the women coming to the back door not for the teas she had sold but for the tarot card readings she had done in the kitchen. Flair learned to read the cards as a child, but they only brought her pain and heartache, so she stopped. And now Flair turns away all the women who still come to the back door of her bakery, insisting that she has nothing for them.

The front of the store, however, remains empty. Flair bakes and fills the displays with delicious pastries, but no one comes in and shops. Until Flair tries to come up with a treat that can be featured as part of the Halloween trail. She decides on cookies, but she can’t decide how to decorate them. Pumpkins? Black cats? Instead, as she’s still trying to decide whether she’s even going to agree to the Halloween trail, she finds herself coming to and looks around. She made tarot card cookies, decorated beautifully, just like the family tarot cards she’d learned to read as a kid.

Although she doesn’t really know how it had happened, Flair decides to trash all the cookies and refuse to help with the Halloween trail. But instead, her cookies become a huge hit, and suddenly there are customers lined up at her shop. Lucie is excited about working the Halloween trail with her mom and starting to make friends with the girls in her class at school instead of wanting to move back with her dad in St. Louis. Life is finally getting a little easier for Flair.

That is, until her mother shows up with Flair’s ex-husband, and it will take more than tarot card cookies to get things back to the normal that Flair was trying to create for her daughter and herself. In fact, it will take all the magic the town has to set things right for Rattleboro and its future.

Playing the Witch Card is the latest novel from KJ Dell’Antonia, whose Chicken Sisters won her thousands of fans wanting more of her stories. This new novel is about the timeless struggles of mothers and daughters to find the right balance between control and freedom. It’s about the magic we create and when to let go of the spells that turn toxic. It’s about making peace with your past so that it doesn’t keep haunting you as you move into your future.

I really enjoyed Playing the Witch Card. I thought it brought a lot of wisdom and insight into relationships as well as heart and humor. It leans heavily into the idea of witches as the women who create the foundation of a town or a family, but even if you aren’t a fan of witch stories, a lot of the talk of magic also works as a metaphor. If you are a fan of the movie Practical Magic, you’ll find a lot of similarities in this story, and it will remind you to celebrate all the small and ways that magic weaves through our lives and brings happiness, surprises, and love.

Egalleys for Playing the Witch Card were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for the digital ARC. This review is my own words. I have enjoyed reading this author previously and while I was well entertained by the witchcraft and characters in this book, I did not enjoy it as much as the others. Halloween, tarot cards, magic, soon to be ex-husband, teenage daughter and an annoying mother figured prominently in this story and it all came together for a fun read. If it wasn't set during Halloween it would be a perfect beach read. I think that the author really must have enjoyed writing this book as it was fun to read.

First of all thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for approving this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately there were just some parts that just did not hit home for me.

Lets start with the plot of this book

The book is advertised as practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls, I honestly felt it was more Halloweentown and Practical Magic, and that did not bother me.

Flair Hardwicke recently lost her grandmother and has come to find out the shop her Nan ran was left to her. Flair returns to the place she grew up and is desperate to prove she can be normal without having use the magical deck of Tarot cards passed down to each daughter in the family. She just left her husband for cheating on her, because of that has a complicated with her teenage daughter and is skeptical of romance.

One day Flair decides to bake for the annual Town Halloween celebration and makes a batch of cookies similar to the magical deck, after doing so weird things begin to happen, what starts as one problem soon becomes much bigger than what she can actually handle.
She soon finds she will have to choose between her reputation and the risk of using the deck to save the one she loves most and overcome her fear.

Going into the book, I really struggled to stay focused and stay in the story, it was just very slow to start, and that would have been fine but sadly these characters felt very unmemorable, and the choices that were made by the characters were at times not well thought out.

I went into this hoping for some magic and romance, with family and small towns, but sadly the romance was barely existent. As romance reader that was disappointing, would have liked to see a bit more of the romance side .

The parts I did like though were great.

I found the magic of the Tarot cards really interesting, and anytime there was magic involved the story flowed really well, and grabbed my attention.

Despite having a very slow first half, the story really ramped up at end, and I found myself itching to find out what would happen next.

This book was very humorous and I found myself laughing out loud anytime hilarity ensued and was overall very well written.

One of my favorite examples of this was when you first find out the husband is under a spell.

While this was not a personal favorite I do believe that a lot of people would enjoy this story and the themes would resonate with them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a story about motherhood and healing from your childhood pains with magic and dash of romance.

This book is perfect for any Halloweentown or Practical Magic fan who wants something cozy and simple for the spooky season.

Many thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC!

This was a whimsical book filled with delicious baked goods, unexpected magic, and complex family relationships! I must admit, the writing style threw me off initially, as the description of the magic system was complicated. After the first 40 percent mark, things started to get really INTERESTING.

I liked how layered Flair's character was. Seeing her grow and accept her magical abilities (all over again), as well as the town of Rattleboro was really uplifting! The mother-daughter relationship between Flair and Lucie stood out to me too. Small-town vibes never fail to amaze me, and Playing The Witch Card was full of that! The unexpected twists and turns added a fun outline to the story.

I'd recommend the story if you're a Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic fan! <3

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

@kjda how do you continue to surprise me?! Each and every one of your books has been so different from one another! I love the way this author continues to craft stories that center around self-discovery, growth, and love.

The latest KJDA Book, Playing The Witch Card has the mystical vibes that are perfect as Spooky Season draws closer!

Quick synopsis:
🎃 Flair has returned to take over her grandmother’s bakery.
👻 She isn’t loving the random people knocking on her back door for “different” advice
🦇Magic is real and Flair has sworn it off
🕸️As she tries to get the bakery off the ground, Flair is forced to confront her complex relationship with her family’s gift.

I loved the characters and I appreciated that at times this book made me laugh out loud. Generations of Hardwicke women are in this novel and I love generational themes.

KJDA has the ability to create magic on paper and this book made me really feel like magic is all around me every day!

🔮A huge thank you to @putnambooks, @netgalley, and @prhaudio for granting me access to this title!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Playing the Witch Card comes out on September 12th, 2023
3/5 Stars

This story follows Flair, a woman who has split from her cheating husband and returned to her hometown with her teenage daughter, Lucie, to turn the tea shop she inherited from her late grandmother into a bakery. Halloween is the highlight of the year in Rattleboro, but Flair is hesitant to get involved in the festivities and finds that not everyone wants her to participate. In fact, one of the few people who seem happy to see her is her former high school crush, Jude, who has come back to town to help his family with the Halloween festivities. Things take a turn when Flair makes a batch of sugar cookies that look just like her family's deck of tarot cards, which have been hidden away for many years. Flair has no intention of resurrecting the past and tapping into her family's power, but the cookies seem to have a mind of their own. Can Flair escape the magic of the tarot cards, or will she embrace her past as Halloween approaches and wield their power to stop a sinister force of magic?

I found this to be a fun, easy seasonal read but it is honestly not a book that I would return to and I don't think I would have liked it as much if I had read it during a different time of year. While I did enjoy the smalltown charm and Flair's kookie mom, this book seemed a little unsure of what it wanted to be. It was mostly a family drama surrounding Flair, Lucie, and Flair's ex-husband with a little bit of second-chance romance mixed in. I got very tired of the ex-husband plotline and found Flair to be very immature in how she handled it (I often had to remind myself that she was (supposedly) a forty-something year old woman). I did like the dynamic with Flair and Jude, but didn't think it received enough airtime to feel fully earned at the end.

Overall, this was a fairly quick read and one that I would put on par with The Ex Hex from a few years ago. I imagine that people with an appreciation for tarot cards would get even more enjoyment out of the story.

Highlights:
Small town setting
Witchy/Halloween vibes
Magical Tarot cards
Mother/daughter relationship
Second chance (mature) romance.

Playing the Witch Card has a fun witchy premise, perfect for the fall season. I wanted to love this book, but it didn't quite work. I found the story confusing because I struggled with the writing style, especially in the beginning. The main focus is on the mother/daughter relationship and moving on after divorce. I wanted more romance, but romance was not the main focus. Also, the romance is very chaste. The premise of a witchy small town and magical Tarot cards were my favorite parts of the book. I recommend Playing the Witch Card to readers looking for Halloween-themed women's fiction with a touch of romance.

Full of family drama, Tarot, spells gone wrong, a Halloween festival and LOTS of tasty treats, this is my newest favorite K.J. Dell'Antonia book that gave the best Practical Magic vibes and was a perfect balance of action, romance and all things witchy! Good on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

My thanks for this ARC goes to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons. All opinions are my own; I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Witchy Romance
Spice Level: Sweet
Tropes: Second chance romance, Bakery, Lost love
Language: Pretty clean

PLAYING THE WITCH CARD was such a fun surprise! A witch who didn't want to do magic, but it keeps sneaking up on her and made me smile.

When you get to the "tarot cookies," I hope you laugh like I did. It was so delightful.

I also loved:

Secrets
Family drama
The Cadillac
Unexpected spell
Halloween
Cookies
Famous candy maker
Grumpy kid
Cyn's books ;)

The magic in this book was delightful. I felt like tarot cards are used in a good way and not tacked on to add magic—they were essential to the plot. Also, the backstory was wonderful in this story; not overdone but just right to give flavor for the entire book.

I highly recommend this book for fun Halloween reads, witchy romance reads, and for a chance to smile.

Happy reading! (I just realized the witches read tarot cards—so I hope you read that as a double entendre.)

Playing the Witch Card was a bit darker than I anticipated, with a touch of romance, and a lot of family secrets and drama. The main character, Flair, is a witch who after finding out her husband has had an affair with the babysitter decides to leave him, taking her 13-year-old daughter and settle back in her old home town. Her home town celebrates Halloween in a BIG way, with a special festival, and a haunted trail that randomly chooses participants. While Flair is trying to escape her magic, it keeps coming back to her. Her magic is channeled through an antique deck of tarot cards, and Flair resents the cards for her own life, and her relationship with her mother. Will she figure out the magic, keep her daughter safe, and with her? Will she be reconnected with her old high school flame (who of course comes back to town?) Read and find out. Thank you to Netgally for an advanced reader copy.

This book had it all. What started as a cozy fall small-town romcom turned into a dark magic and edgy witch book.

After her marriage ends and her beloved grandmother passes, Flair and her daughter Lucie move to Rattleboro, Kansas, where Flair spent summers at her grandmother’s. Flair opens a bakery in her grandmother’s former tea shop. Business at the bakery is tough and many women show up unannounced at the back door hoping Flair can provide a magical service her grandma provided, but Flair has sworn off magic. Suddenly Flair’s estranged mother shows up unannounced in the middle of the night with her ex husband, who has somehow been bewitched. 🧙

Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for the advanced readers copy. I love spooky season! 👻

Favorite quote: “Love and a cough can’t be hidden.” 💜

Favorite character: Flair 🧙‍♀️
Steamy rating: Cool ❄️
Profanity: Low 😇
How I discovered: Bookstagram 🖥️
Method: Advanced copy from NetGalley via Kindle 📱

This book was about 40% longer than it needed to be. Lots of filler and fluff and unnecessary bits. Too much. All the din drowned out the actual story, which wasn’t bad. Just presented in a bad manner.

I wanted to enjoy reading this book, and thought I would based on all the elements noted - cozy small town, bakery owner, witchcraft and Halloween. I kept reading hoping it would get better, and all make sense, but it fell flat.

Flair has returned to her hometown, begrudgingly, after discovering her husband slept with his nanny. I was surprised her daughter was so old given the way the early parts of the story were told, and why she couldn't just tell the truth.

The plot about Jude, with a moment in the forest, seemed farfetched - an amazing moment abruptly ended and that caused what seemed to be self-imposed distancing and escape... then driving rude, avoidance behavior...

David, her ex, seemed to be in the story way too much - I didn't get WHY? Yes, he's a jerk but it seemed a distraction versus adding to any bit of the plot.

Then the drama with her mother, Renee, her young daughter.... not listening to anyone. Just wasn't my cup of tea no matter how I tried.

When I saw that Playing the Witch Card was on NetGalley, I requested it so fast! Practical Magic meets Gilmore girls is the witchy vibe of 2023! There is something about that small town witch that just does it for me. In this book you get yourself a comfy cozy fantasy. Imagine baking tarot cookies that accidently unleashes your magic?? Sounds like a good time... until it isn't. I enjoyed mama Flair, and I felt for her when her daughter is moody, and her ex-husband is a cheating scum bag. I mean sometimes being a mom is so hard. If you're looking for a fall book with magic that makes you want to curl up with a knit blanket, open your windows, and listen to the winds howling in the background, pick this one up! Playing the Witch Card is out 9/12/23.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Playing the Witch Card by K.J. Dell’Antonia
Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky
Rating: 3 stars
Pub Date: 9/12

When I saw "Playing the Witch Card" described as having Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic vibes, I knew I had to read it! And I’m glad I did! It offers a fresh twist on the age-old theme of rediscovering one's magical heritage and is a delightful blend of magical mayhem and complicated family dynamics.

Flair Hardwicke has sworn off magic and love due to her mother's tumultuous past. But when she inherits her grandmother's home and bakery, she can't escape the enchantment that surrounds her family's magical Tarot cards, which seem to have a mind of their own. Add that to the unexpected arrival of her ex, a small town obsessed with Halloween, and a cast of quirky characters, and the stage is set for a lighthearted Halloween tale.

This reads more like women’s fiction, as it shines a light on the complexities of motherhood and the sometimes complicated relationships between generations of women. Dell’Antonia skillfully explores the messiness, regrets, and fears that come with being a mother, making the story relatable and heartfelt.

As much as I enjoyed the cozy fall vibes and the Halloween themes, I couldn’t rate this one higher because of it being extremely slow to start (the story didn’t pick up until 40%), having very unlikable characters, and a plot that was difficult to follow. The magical Tarot cards added a unique element to the story, which at times felt too much like Practical Magic. The miscommunication between the characters also made me a little crazy after realizing that everything would have been fine if they just talked to each other.

Minor issues aside, I think the atmosphere and Halloween charm make this a fun seasonal read. Thank you so much to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy and to PRH Audio for my free ALC.

Read if you like:
*tarot cards
*witchy vibes
*Practical Magic
*haunted trails
*complicated mother/daughter relationships

After Flair’s grandmother dies, she moves to Kansas to take over her bakery. But there’s one part of the business Flair refuses to continue: fortune telling. Although the women in Flair’s family, as well as a few other families in town, have had magical powers passed from generation to generation, Flair wants nothing to do with magic. But a set of Tarot card cookies Flair bakes unleashes those powers, and leads Flair to chaos and needing to fight for the people she loves the most using her own magic.

This was a great book that gave me all the Fall vibes. It’s pretty reminiscent of Practical Magic and I was here for that! A small town that loves Halloween and even has a few magical residents is exactly the setting I needed to get me in the spooky season mood. I loved the importance of family in this story, the touch of romance, but most importantly I loved the Tarot card readings. I thought that’s where Flair as a character really shone. This was a fun and quick read that is a great addition to any Halloween TBR.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was the perfect book to read ahead of fall and get me in the cozy season vibes! It took me a bit to get into the characters and I'm glad I stuck with it! I think it has similar vibes to The Ex Hex series and would recommend if you're a fan. Perfect light October read.

I have been a fan of KJ Dell'Antonia since Chicken Sisters, so I was excited to read this book with Halloween vibes. However, I was not a big fan of this book.

It had spunky and fun female characters, which I really enjoyed. Flair was a fantastic character even though I thought she was a bit too lenient with her daughter. I liked the witchcraft incorporation and thought it could potentially be a fun book for the fall.

I did not enjoy the tarot card aspect (that is not something that I understand or am interested in), and I thought the backstories of how the characters knew each other to be very clunky.

"Playing the Witch Card" by K.J. Dell'Antonia had the potential to be a captivating tale, blending elements of romance, magic, and family drama. However, it fell short of expectations due to several key issues.

The book's first chapter left me feeling disoriented and disconnected from the story. It was filled with emo foreshadowing and references to unexplained elements, making it a challenging start for readers. Additionally, the protagonist's conflicting desires regarding her hometown felt implausible. Wanting to return but rejecting the day-to-day aspects of her hometown life seemed inconsistent and made it difficult to relate to her character.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the book was the main character's stubborn refusal to acknowledge the importance of magic despite clear evidence that it played a significant role in her life. Her flimsy reasons for rejecting it added to the frustration. Furthermore, her decision to move back to her hometown under the ultimatum of "learn magic or leave forever" felt contrived and questionable.

The character of Flair is unlikable and comes across as a know-it-all who is willing to disregard the well-being of others to achieve her goals. Rooting for her or becoming emotionally invested in her journey was challenging. Ultimately, unlikable characters, a rushed plot, and unlikely and bizarre character choices hindered the story's potential.

While the publisher's description promised a blend of "Gilmore Girls" and "Practical Magic," the execution fell short of delivering on this enticing premise. Overall, "Playing the Witch Card" had potential but failed to live up to it due to these issues.