I absolutely adored this book. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is such a comforting and compelling story. I loved all of the characters and I’m hoping to learn more about the family in upcoming books! This is a book that I would read again on a cozy afternoon.

“Hold on to hope no matter the cost, because as long as there’s hope, everything else is just the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic.”

Cozy fantasy is fast becoming one of my favorite sub-genres—and with a romance subplot, this book was right up my alley, despite a few sizable, and mostly lazy, storytelling flaws. 3.5 stars.

This book had it ALL: romance, magic, family secrets and drama. The storyline came together wonderfully at the end, pulling all the pieces together so that every plot line made sense in the overall story. I loved the main character and how she changed and grew throughout the book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt like a warm hug from an old friend.

I enjoyed every page, every homey recipe, every joke that made me crack a smile. I really, really loved the sense of family and community, and the message that having those you love most around you can help you combat any curse out there.

Sadie was an incredibly relatable character to me. I related to her insecurities and dreams, to her wistfulness and anxiety, and to her ability to hold a grudge until the end of time. However, I also related to her wish to become better, let go of the past, and embrace a brighter and better future for herself.

The story itself hooked me from the beginning, and I couldn't put the book down. Still, I have to say that some parts were quite predictable, so the plot twists weren't as hard-hitting. But in the case of this book, it really didn't bother me! I had an incredible urge to see these characters happy and to have their conflicts resolved, so I truly didn't care that it was easy to guess how all of it would go about.

I just really, really loved this book and I'm incredibly grateful I got the chance to read it before its publication date. If you're into cozy fantasy with beautiful familial vibes and characters you can't help but love, and if you're a sucker for second chance romance and stories that explore grief and what it brings into our lives, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I know I enjoyed every single word.

Such a wonderful witchy read! It has so many of my favorite things from a small town setting, to second chance love, mental health rep, and undeniable family bonds. Plus there’s magic! I truly loved each character and what they brought to the story. Be prepared to both laugh and cry as you grieve alongside the Revelare family, while they lighten the mood with a little sibling banter. Perfect for fans of Rachel Griffin.

It wasn't for me. BUT you may like it if you are after a simple, charming book about Southern family with some magic sprinkled in! Some of her descriptive writing was really lovely, and that was definitely my favorite part.

That said, this book was a bit of a mess. I would have DNF'ed it if it wasn't a Netgalley arc, but I wanted to give it a fair shot, so I stuck it out until the end. The plot and character dialogue were rough. The first half of the book gives us Sadie Revelare, a small-town girl from a family of Southern Christian witches (though they don't call themselves that), who is navigating her deep codependence and feelings of betrayal at her brother and boyfriend both moving. Every member of her family has a different kind of magic that is also accompanied by a curse, and the second half explores how her family will break a curse that comes into action following the death of her grandmother. The plot jumped around so much in the first half, but then repeats itself over and over again (down to the description of the grandfather clock) in the second. I feel like this story had potential! The magic of the different characters was interesting, but almost nothing was actually done with it. The characters could have been fun to explore more deeply, but they ended up being flat, as most of the focus was on the plot (in which, again, not much actually happened). There was even a love story in there, but I found myself struggling to care very much, since the characters felt so one dimensional. I wanted to like it, and didn't, but I feel sure that someone else will!

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started this book, and I'd only quickly read the synopsis. A chapter or two in I was convinced this was actually going to be a witchy romance, but it was so much more than that. The romance actually takes a backseat in this story. The family is where it's at.

I want to preface this review by saying, I LOVED Sadie's magic. I love to bake myself, so the fact that her magic basically involves gardening, cooking, and baking was super enjoyable to me. And, those recipes at the end of every chapter were such a treat! I've saved a few of them to try!

The family dynamic shifts so much during this story that you're on a rollercoaster of emotion. I cried at least twice, maybe three times. I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil the book, but the characters are incriminating endearing and the author definitely creates a world where you can feel both their pain and their joy.

I will say that there were a couple "twists" that I definitely saw coming, although I think the author was setting it up so that the reader saw them coming, but our MC Sadie did not. I think that knowing where the story was leading, but Sadie not knowing, is part of what keeps the pages turning in this story. You want to see her work it out, you want to see her put the puzzle pieces together.

This was also definitely left very open for another book, which I wasn't expecting. I really wanted this to be wrapped up nicely, but the author did exactly what she set out to do and left us with HOPE.

This is a beautiful story of love, and magic, and family, and all the things that tie us together.

I will say, it feels like we missed a big chunk of the story with Raquel and Seth. While it doesn't come out of left field, we really never see any chemistry between them. Maybe an idea for....a prequel!

One of the best parts of reading is when you feel it - the magic in the words, the magic in the mundane, the magic in the characters. Breanne Randall didn't even give me the opportunity to feel it because from the first page she was literally shoving the magic down my throat. I continued on with the hope that the writing style would improve but it did not. I honestly cannot recommend this book.

What a lovely story! I understand why it was compared to Gilmore Girls: all the cozy feelings and food are indeed special. This is a nice read for when you want an escape from heavy, dark and deep plots, but are not necessarily looking for a romance novel. Yes, there is some romance, but the core message here is about family, friends, bonds, and trust.
I’ll give it 4 stars because some of the major issues and internal conflicts of the beginning of the story suddenly disappear. Not giving any spoilers here, but imo some of these mysteries could have been better developed. They are a huge topic in the beginning, but all of a sudden are taken for granted.
But all in all, a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I lovee this book!! I love Revelare family!! Every magic in this book make me happy, magic is around us, you cab see it through sign and symbol. Sadie and Seth curse was different to save each other sacrifice needed. Sadie so strong and stuborn but she love and care her family. Then there is Jack the old flame, her true soulmate but WTF???!!!!! SIRIOUSLY!!! UGH!!

“Hold on to hope no matter the cost, because as long as there’s hope, everything else is just the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak."

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheUnfortunateSideEffectsofHeartbreakandMagic #BreanneRandal #AlcovePress #NetGalley #ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. The review below is all my own opinion

This book is the perfect combination of witchy, magical, and cozy very much like a witchy warm hug. My only criticism is that I read this when the weather was warm, this book gives me fall vibes and I wanted to lean into that aesthetic TOTALLY.
The story grabs you right from the beginning and doesn't let up. I never felt that the story was dragging, not once. The blurb about this is absolutely correct, if you love Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic then this is the book for you.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I readily admit that witchy magic stories are not my usual style. However, the title of this one caught my eye, and the description of it as "Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls" is pretty much spot on.

It's light and easy, although I found the second half a better read than the first - the writing style didn't quite sit right with me but that's more likely my preference. The characters were strong, and it has a recipe at the end of each chapter which is sweet.

Sadie's life has always been under her control, just the way she likes it. Her business is good, her garden is great, and life with her Grandmother Gigi is wonderful.

As we all know, though, there must be times of change - and Sadie tries her best to ignore all the warnings, but just cannot stop the waves of change headed her way.

Far from being heartbroken, my heart is very full after reading this magical story of family and forgiveness.

Sadie’s magic and her grandmother Gigi are everything to her, and that’s how it’s going to stay: After two heartbreaks, she can’t afford any more or else trip a curse that will destroy her life. But when her grandmother reveals she’s dying and her first love - and first heartbreak - Jake comes back into town, looking every bit as gorgeous as she remembers, Sadie is determined to protect her heart and herself.

This is billed as a paranormal romance, and while Sadie and Jake’s story is enjoyable (if maybe a bit predictable), it’s Sadie’s magical family where [book:The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic] really shines. Gigi is an absolute riot, and her relationships with her twin brother Seth and her (lack of a) relationship with her mother, who is “gone” are imbued with love, loss, pain, and ultimately, healing that show they’ll be all the stronger for it. Add a pinch of Sadie and Gigi’s amazing baking and cooking, therapeutic gardening, a hilarious and (very) minor subplot involving the musical version of <i>Carrie</i>, and several adorable animals and you have the recipe for a delicious confection.

[book:The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic] by [author:Breanne Randall]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 stars rounded up
🌶️🌶️ A lot of heated looks and suggestive touches, bit of action.
🥐🍪🧁 When they say her baking is magical, they mean it
👨‍🚒🐶🐈‍⬛ Is it relevant to the plot that Jake is a firefighter? Not a bit! Is it great anyway? ABSOLUTELY.
🍀🌿🪻🌾 Next time I’m gardening, I’m going to pretend I’m also spellcasting

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The book overall does a good job of building cozy fantasy vibes. Our main protagonist Sadie infuses magic into the treats she creates at the cafe in the small town and is known for her delicious desserts. There is a lot of baking in the book (and doing dishes) along with recipes at the end of each chapter if you too want to fall into a magical sugar rush, LOL. Not kidding.

The book starts with the “sign” of a river flooding, which apparently means someone from the past is going to return. Sadie has some past angst with her twin brother, an old flame, and her mother, all of whom left her without explanation years ago, so it’s clear pretty early on who will be returning.

I appreciated the twin dynamic / magic part of the story but wish it had gotten deepen into some of that. You don’t get a sense of what the twin’s magic really is until the end of the book, and even then it’s all a little fuzzy and things are quick to be resolved. (Not sure if this is first in a series but the ending did leave some opening there.)

Things that bugged me about the book was the overly descriptive nature of things and repetitive nature of the storytelling, especially at the beginning. Like I said there was lots of baking and doing dishes… again and again.

There wasn’t much tension being built given the length of the chapters and menial details that seemed like they could have been edited out to keep things moving quicker. The chapters were all pretty much 20 - 30 minutes long on my Kindle and I found myself skimming plenty of times. And seemed like the recipes could have been moved to an appendix at the back to help keep chapter closings from being disrupted.

Also way too much swearing, IMO. That started to grate on me and doesn’t really fit with the cozy vibes this seemed to be going for. Some of the characters talked to each other quite disrespectfully.

I’m gonna do a count real quick to show y’all how many times curse words or derogatory / insulting words showed up…

“Shit” - 29
“Stupid” - 27
“Ass” - 24
“Fuck” - 19
“Idiot” - 11
“Bitch” - 6
“Dumbass” - 3

If that list offends you, probably not a good fit here, haha. I get putting in a swear word for emphasis but using them on every other page seems like lazy writing, and honestly felt like a YA fantasy novel trying to be more adult.

And the romance piece was not much to write home about. That part was weak and unbelievable. How many times Jake’s “secret” was dragged out for half the book only to quickly be resolved at the end with a little food magic 😂

Ok, all in all this is for those that like the cozy fantasy witchy vibes and fits nice into the upcoming fall season, and it is a debut, so promising, strong bones to the story… but not exactly what I was hoping for.

Potential triggers: death of a loved one and suicide

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it didn't disappoint! I binged it in a day. It was a fast, fun read. The characters, the magic, the friendships, the humor made for a great combination. Calling it a book for fans of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic was spot on.

Okay found this book at random here on netgalley. Blurb is what drew me into this book and i can honestly say that im happy i gave this book a chance. Kept me pulled into it and i couldnt put it down at all. 5 star book and i highly recommend that you give this book a chance I have already told a few people that they need to read this book and i hope they do read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

It was really difficult for me to feel invested in this book, which was disappointing as it was marketed as Practical Magic Meets Gilmore Girls. While I will admit that I find Practical Magic (the movie) slow, but I thought that combining it with the quips and wittiness of Gilmore Girls sounded so promising. To be honest, it says difficult to find the Gilmore Girls influence beyond the overwhelming similarities and inspiration clearly drawn from Practical Magic.

Even with an interesting baking/gardening based magic system and recipes to conclude each chapter, this book just fell flat for me. I never really found myself rooting for or even liking Sadie, but instead I felt frustrated with her and her choices. I also didn’t root for the main love interest, which makes a romance book distinctly difficult to want to continue reading.

3.5/5. This book is definitely whimsical, was a cozy fantasy read, and the ending cues up a sequel well. Some of the scenes felt a little scattered but it’s easy to fall in love with the characters. Even though it lost me at some points, I couldn’t stop reading! The journey that Sadie and Seth have to go on to break the curse was interesting, but I do wish there had been some more drama when Florence came back (and with a daughter in tow!!). If a second book is written, I would love to see more dimension for Jake’s character and more conflict around them learning to be together again after a decade apart. The addition of the spoons was a cute touch. I also love Raquel and Seth; if I correctly recall, there was a mention of her being one of the few people he doesn’t “hear” and I would love for that to be explored more too! The recipes included between chapters was also a fun touch.

This bookkkk.... omg
Based on the preview and everything I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this. But I am not disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised. It is such a cozy read. I didn't want to put it down and it was nice curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and just reading away. The second half of the story had me at the edge of my seat just needing to know more.
Sadie's relationships with everyone warmed my heart and I'm sad the books over and I can't keep up with everyone. I feel like I was really a fly on the wall of the crazy lives of the Revelare's and I got to experience such sad and beautiful moments with them.
As a debut novel I have to say I am super impressed and excited to hear more from this author. I can't wait to see what she has planned.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was one of the best I've read so far this year!

This book is perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and fans of Practical Magic! Written in a beautiful lyrical prose, I knew from the first page I was going to love this book and it did NOT disappoint. Sadie was born into a magical family where each member inherits his or her own special power. This isn't like a coven of witches, but more like a normal family that has a special niche in some way. But, with each power the members get, a curse comes along with it also because magic likes to keep things even. Sadie's curse is that she will suffer from four devastating heartbreaks after which she will lose her magic, something that keeps her living half a life for fear of her emotions and the loss of her powers.

The story begins with a series of omens telling Sadie that something terribly wrong is going to happen. After experiencing two heartbreaks already when the love of her life abandoned her, later followed by her twin brother, Sadie isn't prepared to face either of these men again. To make matters worse, Sadie's mom didn't raise her or her twin brother, her grandmother who is also her best friend did. She soon receives bad news about her grandmother all while reeling form the sudden reappearance of her first and only love. Upon hearing of her grandmother's condition, her twin brother also returns. Together, they learn that their magic isn't exactly what they thought it was and if they don't solve the mystery they are connected to, lives will be lost.

This story had everything I love! Beautiful writing, subtle magic, an eccentric family, a thrilling mystery, ghosts, curses, a love story, and a great twist at the end. I feel like the ending left this open for a possible sequel and I sure hope that there is a sequel with Sadie and her family!

Perfect for the fall around Halloween!