Let’s start with the good. I was granted an audiobook ARC of “Remedial Magic” and I liked Jeremey Carlisle Parker and Max Meyers’ narrations. I appreciated the distinct character voices and the spoken header at each chapter to identify the character’s POV. Everything worked well from an audiobook standpoint and I will be looking for other books these two have narrated. It’s definitely not the audiobook’s fault that I DNF this at 20%.

I really enjoy, and want more, diversity in books. I was very excited about “Remedial Magic” which was described as a cozy sapphic fantasy novel set at a magical community college for adults. Unfortunately, this book turned out to be none of these things. It does have a magic college for adults- but it’s a lot more mysterious magic boarding school and a lot less evening community college classes. Additionally, I was completely shocked at the rather graphic near death experience in chapter two. Definitely not cozy at all. I’m not one to normally need trigger warnings but in this case I would have appreciated some indication in the synopsis, cover, or category that this was going to be very “real life” and not “hallmark movie”. Finally, the sapphic romance is just one of several relationships in the novel and is not a major narrative focus nor is it well developed.

Also, the writing is very repetitive. This might be more noticeable in audio format than book form but it really took me out of the story. Several times in the first couple of chapters Ellie talks about “going into Pittsburgh” and “making the hour drive to Pittsburgh for dates”. Moreover, the author describes the town of Liogneer twice in two paragraphs - not by adding new information but rather summarizing what was just written. And yes, Ellie is ordinary - we get it! The reader doesn’t need this constant repetition within pages, or even sentences.

I wish this book had been marketed differently. A vastly different cover and synopsis would’ve given me a much better idea of what this book was actually about and would have helped to temper my expectations.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Bramble Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I think the world building in this one was really interesting and it had a lot going for it, but somehow still failed to completely hold my attention. Overall, I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I will probably read more in the series because of the cliffhanger at the end though! The narrator did a good job.

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr

Remedial Magic is a fast paced multi point of view sapphic fantasy. The beginning of the book was really good, albeit very confusing with the multi points of view. When three different people, Dan Maggie and Ellie, are in a near death experience or dying, they get transported to a small town called Crenshaw. Crenshaw seems like it’s a perfect idyllic place, where witches go and learn magic, but it’s really anything but perfect. The water is poisonous, witches are dying, and witches that violate the rules are turned into badgers. Why badger? They never say why.. When the three main characters are transported they all have some insta love lust with witches they meet. They really don’t have time to develop a relationship, just meet and bam 💥 attraction and love.

I liked the authors skill at world building. I loved the imagery and the way Crenshaw felt like it came to life. I liked the way the book explored multiple relationships including m/m f/f and f/m. The author incorporates fantasy with some spice and drama. I liked the way they could transport and transmute objects and people.

I disliked a few things but will leave some of them out because it’s major spoilers. While I enjoy a morally grey love interest, I’m some ways this was too much. I also got irritated with the political stereotypes, for a book that was inclusive, this could have and should have been avoided. I also didn’t like the cliffhanger, especially with the ending being what it was (won’t go into details as not to spoil the end) I didn’t like the way they could alter memories, maybe because they used it for punishment, although in some aspects I could see this being a positive experience.
The multi points of view was confusing in the beginning but as you continue in the book you can follow the characters better. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. I was definitely pulled into the story because of them.
Overall while I liked many aspects of the book, it was just an ok read for me. The author could easily have created something amazing using the mystery and appeal of magic but it was just ok for me. While I enjoyed the many facets of the different styles of relationships, the other. Issues in the book overshadowed the good parts.

Overall, I just had a trouble getting into this audiobook. I came to try it again, but found the same issue.

Oh my, this book was a roller-coaster. I really enjoyed that the witches' magic is awoken by almost dying. Maggie and elly though, are not the normal run of the mill students. Maggie wants to go back home and elly is the key to saving everyone. The mystery and relationships kept me so involved I didn't even realize we were at the end of the book and it had such a not what I wanted ending. Now I'm impatiently waiting for book 2.

I went into this book a little blindly as i didn't reread the synopsis or any reviews of it before hand. I'm so glad that i did. I loved this book. I think that it was a fantastic fantasy novel with some spice and darkness all wrapped up into one. I enjoyed the narrator and thought that they did a great job with bringing the story to life. I thought the premise of the story was interesting. I liked the added mystery of the vanishing people in the beginning and thought that it played a neat role throughout the story. I really liked the majority of the characters and think that for the most part they played their parts well in moving the story line along. There were a few characters that I wasn't a huge fan of but i think that in any novel you are bound to find a character or two that if you met in real life you would not be friends with. I am conflicted on the ending. It didn't tie up in a neat little bow for me and even though that would normally bug me I'm actually pleased with it. I think that it really kept the tone of the story and and that it was appropriate.

I had high hopes for this book but I did not finish it. I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. Maybe it was me as life had been crazy. I may try again another time.

i am so sorry, but i just feel like this book is very wrongly marketed. i have tried numerous times now to get through the 25% part of this, and it's just a lot darker, dealing with some very triggering things, that the synopsis, cover, and lack of tw/cw at the start lead the reader not to believe.

When I first heard of the premise of this book, I was immediately hooked. It sounded just fascinating and like it would be a good time. I haven't read this author before (or that I can remember) so I was excited to dive in. But after I got through the first few chapters, I quickly realized that I had made this story up to be more in my head than the reality of it.

This is certainly a more laid back type of urban fantasy. It felt like there was a lot of sitting around often feeling without direction. And once some action started happening I was already not invested in the outcome. Overall it took a bit too long for me to truly care. But the premise still holds a certain appeal.

If you're in the mood for a book that goes a little slower paced, then this might be a good one for you.

At first it was hard to keep whose point of view it was. But after the first few chapters it became easier.

3 people have accidents that would have killed them trigger their magical ability’s. Causing them to be forced to go into a hidden society and attend magic school. However two witches escape into the normal world to get their families back. And then punished by having to marry people they were already falling for.

The ending was like the writer wanted to be done and just wrapped it up the quickest way possible. Was started off god then it was just rushed.

While the story and characters are, for the most part, quite interesting everything is explored so shallowly because so much is going on. I particularly think the back cover copy gives a false impression of the type of reading experience people are in for.

I feel like I'm being a bit generous by giving this book a three-star review. It wasn't at all what I was expecting after reading the description. Although it's categorized as a fantasy romance, it includes themes that require a trigger warning, such as abuse.

The main reason for the three-star rating is Melissa Marr's remarkable ability to vividly depict her story. Her world-building exceeds expectations. While I did enjoy the book, it left me wanting more. I likely wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't wanted to give it a fair chance.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley. I'd like to thank the author, publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to share my honest and voluntary thoughts on this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

I had such high hopes for this book based on the description, but I felt like I was expecting something this book wasn’t. I was expecting a cozy wlw fantasy book, but this was definitely not that. All the relationships present in this book were kind of toxic. I thought the story was kind of interesting, but I also didn’t like how the characters are basically taken from their deathbeds to come to a magical place where all of their physical problems disappear.

It was engaging enough to keep me interested , the characters were good , the storyline was ok , maybe a second book will help this story reach its potential .

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio!

I loved this book!! So good!!!!! I finished it in one sitting! Such a cute romcom.

First of all, this book is WILDLY mis-categorized. If I was the author I would be rioting in the streets about about the mismanagement of marketing this book to the correct audience. This is NOT Cozy Fantasy. It is NOT RomFantasy. There is romance and fantasy inside, but it is not a feel good, snuggle in for a comfort read type.

Second, if you loved The Once and Future Witches you are going enjoy this book. Not because "oh they're both witches and they're gay plus political." But because this is a multi-POV expansive-plot book with a big picture situation happening while all these other characters have their own situations happening. There are at least 10 characters that have in depth moving parts.

That being said I did enjoy this book and look forward to the next installment. There's so much high powered emotion happening, many people that aren't willing to be woo'd with the pleasures of being magical. We need more of these grey witches books. Economics, politics of both worlds. So many secrets and moving parts, it's a wild ride. Worth it 100%, it's just such a shame that the publisher has shoved it into Cozy Fantasy. This is a book filled with villain's, strong willed woman and high stakes. It's a dark fantasy dealing with grey morals, and untrustworthy narration.

ROMANCE: Romfantasy is laughable as a genre for this book. There are 3 major "romances" I assume by the blurb they are pushing the lesbians' one as being some soulmates type situation but babe, that's not how soulmates work. Out of the three this is NOT the romance I'd be focusing on, like I'm invested in the outcome of their entanglement but in a how is she going to get away manner, not how are they going to tell their future children about this sh*t show. The gay romance is the one they should have used as flagship, as it's the healthiest relationship in this tragedy. Though, how Maggie's story ended, they are going to be the one I'm rooting for moving forward. Honestly, partnership against the baddies. They are all being handed a bad deck, but it's who you choice to align with and trust that makes the difference.

TW: It's 2024 HP references aren't okay. I get it, peOpLe DisCovErIng MaGic would relate it to modern media, but there are hundreds of better books to give a reference to, let's not have an LGBTIA+ book that is literally being political about LGBTIA+ and then drop HP references. Performative support isn't support. Do better.

Also TW: Abusive spouse/parent, suicide, death-ish scenes. Mind meddling, forced marriages.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

**Review ⭐⭐.5/5**
This book had so much to offer for me, and I wish it could have lived up to everything it promised. I wish I could describe what the book is about, but I actually don’t think I can. Basically, the story is about a magical society that secretly exists in the world, which people only go to when their magical abilities are revealed in traumatic events. People go to the Remedial School of Magic to learn to use their powers and either stay forever, or are stripped of their power and memory and returned to the normal world. Throughout the book, we meet a variety of characters who are transported into the magical world, and another series of characters who run this magical society. The society is under threat from a mysterious disease that is impacting the land and witches there, and it seems that some of the new arrivals may be the key to saving it.

>> What I loved: The narrators of this audiobook—Jeremey Carlisle Parker and Max Meyers—were great. The potential of this book was so great. There was some sneaking fun dialogue and conceptually a really interesting world the author was creating, both also great.

>> What I didn’t love: I think a big miss with this book was the way it was marketed—while it bills itself as a sapphic fantasy romance, it is not really that at all. This is a multiple POV story with a wide variety of characters, and includes many relationships. The description would also lead one to believe it was a cozy fantasy. It is not. The balance of the different perspectives was an interesting choice, and in this case I felt like it worked against us getting to know any of the characters beyond a surface-level, which really hurt the characterization of the book. All of this I was doing ok with, but around halfway through the book the plot really took a turn that grew more confusing, which culminated in an ending that, while I won’t describe, I will just say that I immensely disliked.

Unfortunately, I can’t see myself recommending this book. However, I know this is planned as a series, and there is enough in this first book that is interesting that I think a second book could build off in really compelling ways and I would consider reading it.

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Marr, and Macmillan Audio, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

“Remedial Magic,” by Melissa Marr

Ellie likes her life in a small town; baking and working at the library is everything to her. One day she meets an alluring woman in the library. When she almost dies, she is transported to a world of witches and magic.

Okay first off, I didn’t like this book much. The number of characters were annoying and confusing. I have an ick of accents in books and this had so many accents that I can’t believe I finished it. A good thing in the book was its transgender friendly with gender neutral characters. The relationships between characters felt weird to me and out of place. I was really bummed I didn’t like this book because Melissa Marr is one of my favorite authors. I listened to the audio book version and the audio aspect was okay, not bad but also not outstanding. 2 out of 5 stars.

-Magic
-Alt Dimensions
-M/M and F/F

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

"Remedial Magic" by Melissa Marr is a captivating fantasy romance that combines magic, mystery, and romance in a delightful tale. With enchanting characters and a thrilling storyline, Marr weaves together a spellbinding adventure that will leave readers eagerly awaiting more.

This wasn't really what I expected it to be and I honestly had a hard time getting into it and keeping up with all of the characters. I ultimately did not finish it and don't anticipate that I'll come back to it.