A mystical, and enchanting story. I enjoyed following along this cozy mystery that incorporates, family, love and healing in an enchanting way. I will for sure be reading from this author again. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of this.

I originally picked this one for the absolutely stunning cover but stay lid for the book. I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. Not what I was expecting but so much better

Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with an arc!

The premise of this book sounded a lot better than what it actually was. I was stuck on this for WEEKS, no thank yous for the reading slump. There is over a hundred pages of the book of nothing, nothing significant happens. it's Mattie grieving and things moving at snail pace until we arrive at the will reading moment where you would consider the book actually starts. Everything moves weird and the characters don't make sense sometimes. The way Penelope for example acted towards Stephen being her sister's lawyer suggests he did something awful when in fact she was at fault 100%, the revelation of Mattie's dad and Lilith choice not to involve him were also weird non explained things. they 'just' happened. Penelope's magic is insignificant, it 'sounds' cool and yet it is barely there. it doesn't affect the story in any way, it's just added for the prospect of sounding cool in my opinion.

Overall, I'm glad this book is over. I may have enjoyed some aspects of it but it dragged on for so long it took out all the enjoyment of the overall experience.

Nothing wrong with a little bit of magic! This didn't pick up for me until about halfway through, so something to know going in if you are not in the mindset for that.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I just finished this book and wow. I was heading into a reading slump and jumping between several books, none of which could keep my attention. Once I started this thar slump was over!
I lived all the characters in the book, and especially the house. What I would give to live in a house that charming!
I immediately went to fond more books by Jennifer and was pleased to see there are several. Now I just have to figure out which one will be next!

This was sooooo good! Everything I love in a story- great female lead, Magic, adventure and a bit of romance. Will be easy to talk this one up!!!

What a very special, fun read this woman’s fiction is. I simply loved it. There is magic all around Mattie as she returns home for her beloved mother’s funeral. Even the house is a character in the book. Mattie finds out she has to complete some very unusual tasks in order to claim her inheritance. Most of the tasks require her to spend time with family, friends and ex-loves in the small town that she loved as a child. The radio in the house plays random music that fits the atmosphere. The pantry rearranges itself to provide meal plans, and there is a mysterious phone that never rings and so much more. Jennifer Moorman weaves a spell of magic in the heart of the reader and had me hooked from the start. Even the cover of this book gets 5 stars. Do not miss this book. Book clubs will love it.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Harper Muse Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Magic All Around is an enchanting book about a family living in a magical Victorian house built from trees grown in the Appalachian Mountains and felled during the full moon. Although the Russell women have always maintained the homestead which bends to their desires by playing tunes they love to hear and magically stocking its pantries with all the ingredients needed for their recipes, Lilith Russell was the exception, raising her daughter Mattie on the road and dropping her off at the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia only during the summers to spend time with Lilith’s sister Penelope. When Lilith passes away, she leaves Maddie instructions to complete a scavenger hunt through her hometown, and as Maddie completes the tasks she learns about herself, her family, and the depths of love.

Moorman’s novel shines with magical realism, and her focus on a family homestead may remind readers of books like Practical Magic, though the story never really hits the brilliant tone of writers like Alice Hoffman. Instead, the book has a simple, cozy feel that offers readers a light escape while exploring themes of art, friendship, mothers and daughters, and discovering an authentic self. Told through the alternating perspectives of several characters, the book presents different romances and relationships that will entertain readers looking for a heartwarming tale. I especially loved the character of the old Victorian house which lends the novel a sense of place and makes readers contemplate the comforts of home. This is a fun book for those looking for a sweet story about life and love.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

What a magical quick read. Mattie was lost after the passing of her mother only to find maybe she has been lost her whole life. Has she been always searching for home? What a wonderful touch of magic and cast of characters. I think this would make a great read for snuggling up with cocoa in the fall. Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to give my review.

Just ok for me. I like the issues of family dynamics. I also like magical realism but here it wasn't handle nearly as well as Alice Hoffman's work. Romance not my thing so that was a downturn for me. IMO, older teens should be the target market.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I am in love with this book's cover. Well done! I don't normally like to read magic and realism books but gave this one a go and was happy I did. Great writing and a good plot with interesting characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

Content warning - there is mention of child loss in this story.

This is a cozy, closed-door romance that spans generations of magical women in a small town in Georgia. You could easily draw connections between this novel and Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls. However, I thought this book was a little messy, and honestly, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I thought Mattie has real "I'm-Not-Like-Other-Girls" energy, and Jonathan continuously puts down other women in praise of Mattie. He constantly refers to how Chicago women know they're beautiful and Mattie is just effortlessly pretty. To me, the family story was much more interesting, and I thought that could have been way more fleshed out.

Lilith, Mattie's mother, is like a manic panic pixie dream girl with magic powers. We don't really see any of this character on the page, even in flashbacks. I thought this was a real disservice to the story because we don't really see Lilith at all; we only get impressions of her through other people. And that impression sucks. She dragged her child all over the US and made it so Mattie has terrible emotional health and has no permanent connections with people. It makes Lilith seem like a fun mom, but a bad mom. Penelope, Lilith's sister, was way more developed as a character and had a heartbreaking backstory. Honestly, the book could have focused solely on Penelope, and I would have liked it a lot more.

Lastly, the magic. I actually really like that the author didn't build up the magic system or work to give some sort of explanation. Just that women in the Russell family were a little different and interacted with the world in magical ways. It was more like they had special ways to influence things, like Penelope with her sewing. Though I feel like we never really got a background on any other Russell women, which kind of bothered me. This is meant to be a generational story, which we get between Penelope and Mattie, but I felt like so much more could have been included.

Overall, this book wasn't for me. However, I think if you're looking for a quick cozy read with some closed-door romance, this could be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman


For readers searching for a readable break from thrillers and police procedures, The Magic All Around may offer a respite and a chance to enjoy whimsy and "what if".

The Russell house in Ivy Ridge, Georgia is unlike any other: it holds secrets and makes its presence known when the inhabitants least expect it. Managed by Penelope Russell, she shares the house with godparents Sophia and Robert. When Penelope's sister, Lilith, dies , Lilith's daughter, Mattie arrives in Ivy Ridge for a funeral and to tie up loose ends. She and her mother have been wanderers all of Mattie's life. But circumstances may change as the mystery and paranormal setting point Mattie in a different direction. She will experience
friendship, love and sense of purpose.

The oddities such as particular songs playing when tied to the plot or Lilith predicting the exact time of her death are just a few of the "out of this world" occurrences the characters face.

In addition, readers will learn about plants, making pizza and painting.

The Magic All Around was very similar to Sarah Addison Allen’s books, and I love those. It moved slowly until Mattie began working on Lilith’s task list. The book alternated between Penelope, Mattie and Jonathan’s point of view. I generally enjoy this style, but there was repetition each time the story switched characters. It took awhile for me to warm up to the main characters, but eventually their charm showed up. In fact, I’ve wanted to read more about the Russell family of Ivy Ridge long after finishing the book.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

I enjoyed the relationship between Penelope and Mattie and liked seeing how the backstory with Lilith influenced it. Also liked the concept of the magical house and how Penelope could weave magic into what she was sewing. Charming!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Let’s start with the good!

I love a magic house. This book reminded me of the house in A Discovery of Witches and the magic Encanto house. Loved that quirk, and I liked the magical realism element of this book and the Russell women. I also loved Penelope; her journey and her heartbreaking story were so moving, and really the highlight of this book for me.

One of the problems for me was that — based on the cover, description, and title — I thought this WAS magical realism. And while there are some elements of that genre here, this is really a rom com. And that’s nice! But not what I thought I was getting into (nor is it my preferred genre).

This book has a ton of potential, but the execution felt lacking. For example: There’s a scene with an elderly lady at a festival that COULD have been so powerful, so dramatic. I felt that building… and then the character just tells us her extremely personal life story and makes a dramatic declaration about what she’s going to do with her own mysterious house in a one-paragraph quote. Finding out Mattie’s birth father was similar. Those scenes, and much of this book, fell flat.

I also struggled a LOT with Mattie. The character was very one-dimensional. She wants zero relationships at all because she moved around a lot as a kid? My husband was an Army brat; he, literally, moved more than Mattie. It made no sense to me that she felt like she couldn’t get close to anyone, ever. If she was a real person, I’d say her mom really effed her up and we need to get Mattie in therapy haha.

To round out this compliment sandwich, I will say that the letter from her mom did a decent job of answering some questions. I’m a mother myself, and it made me misty eyed to think of what I would do if I knew I was going to die young. I do think, like Lilith, I would be a little greedy with the time I spent with my children.

Last thought: Sometimes getting arcs can be tricky, because I can’t tell what is still going to be cleaned up. This book still needs a lot of cleaning up. So for me, 3 stars. But it gets tidied up a bit, and if you like the idea of a rom com that feels like it was written with the Netflix holiday movie adaption in mind, that also includes a magic house, maybe this book will appeal to you more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Views expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman Review by Shirley W November 24, 2023

Mattie, the young female protagonist is left alone and a bit adrift after her mother, Lilith suddenly dies. She returns to where she enjoyed family love and protection with her two aunts, Sophia and Penelope and assorted relatives in Ivy Ridge, Georgia. The family lives in an old Victorian home that is enchanted with an old radio that seems to know the resident’s moods, and makes unusual sounds and movements. Mattie is not sure where she is headed, but her mother left a will with certain tasks she must complete before she receives a substantial inheritance. Jonathan is the next door neighbor’s son, now grown up, who remembers a chance encounter with Mattie 10 years ago. Sparks fly as they remember each other and get reacquainted again while they are both in Ivy Ridge for a few months.

A delightful, quick read that holds your attention and peaks your imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed this amusing book!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC or The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman. This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. This is a feel good story with a bunch magic thrown in for fun! The characters are all likable and believable. All the main characters are women with lots of personality. I will be recommending this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, this magical feel-good story surprised me in the best possible way! I really enjoyed it despite the fact that cozy vibes and romance and I don't typically get along. This book was so much more, though, and it grabbed my heart! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Jennifer Moorman for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Magic All Around.

The Magic All Around is a heartwarming novel that explores family relationships, the meaning of “home” and the magic within and all around us.

The characters came to life vividly in the first half of the story and I found myself excited as the plot picked up to see how Mattie’s “requirements” led her toward her dreams — dreams she didn’t even know she had. The love stories were an added bonus, as was the magic of the Russell house.

This book was a beautiful reminder of the magic of love, family and having a place to call home.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.