This book was such a cozy, D&D-inspired, cottagecore, friends-to-lovers romantasy, with a dash of smut. I was instantly transported into a fantastical world full of magic and whimsy.

I absolutely LOVED this story and its characters, one of whom identified as non-binary. This novel was full of queer representation throughout the narrative that was treated with the utmost care and tastefully written.

The plot was also captivating from the start, which made it hard for me to put it down. The poetic language of both writers complimented each other flawlessly and painted a vivid picture of this magical world and the lives of those living within it.

My favorite part of this book was the connection between the MCs and the strong character development they endured. I was obsessed with them, and even some side characters, too!

I am for sure locked in and will be reading Pacton's and Podos' next book set in the same fantastical world. I give this 4.5 stars!

If you're a reader who love a sweet and heartwarming romance, magical adventures, playful banter, steamy encounters, and memorable side characters, then this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A queer cozy romantic fantasy featuring a friends-to-lovers story and garden magic, the perfect read for anyone who enjoys D&D or a cute Animal Crossing/stardew valley soft story. The story follows Yael Clauneck, the scion of a wealthy banking family who is tired of the rich life and wants a break.. so they decide to visit their old crush/school friend, Margot Greenwillow who disappeared during their school time.. Margot is a talented plant witch who has been trying to keep her family's magic remedies business alive, and the last thing she expects is for Yael to come crashing back into her life and offering to help Margot with her business. As they both reconnect and try and keep Margot's business alive, they also feel a romance beginning to bloom between them. This was definitely a story... but it just wasn't for me. I adore cozy romance fantasies, but this was just way too slow for me and I felt like there was no real moving plot. The romance also didn't really feel all that much there for me and I didn't find myself falling for either characters. While this one was not for me, I do think if you enjoy slow D&D-esque/ Stardew Valley/ Animal crossing, everyday easy going small village romances, this would be for you.

Release Date: March 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Look, I’m all for flowery writing. I love me some purple prose. But when it’s this forced and unnatural, it just is a bit cringey and boring.

Homegrown Magic is a queer cozy romantasy about Yael Clauneck, the heir to a wealthy banker family who flees their graduation party (and family obligations) and happens to run right into Margot Greenwillow, their childhood friend. Margot, a plant witch trying her best to keep her family’s remedy business afloat, offers Yael a job as an assistant in her greenhouses, which Yael happily accepts. As their rekindled friendship begins to turn into something more, Margot and Yael must work together to stop the actions of their respective families from tearing them apart.
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This gave me all the cozy gardening vibes I wanted! This book features a queer-normative world with bi and nonbinary rep. I enjoyed all the characters but Yael’s charm was especially delightful! Each character’s arc felt complete. The relationship between Yael and Margot was very sweet and I loved the many moments we got with them. I do, however, wish Margot and Yael had a few more moments showing the growth of their relationship in the first half of the novel (especially with how many time skips occurred prior to their relationship turning into something new).
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Cozy fantasy can be hit or miss for me, but the plot here is strong enough to keep me reading. The genre excels when it focuses on keeping personal stakes high, and this story succeeds at maintaining those stakes throughout. I only wish the ending had something like a final confrontation, as the ending felt a bit abrupt. This story is perfect for fans of cozy games like Stardew Valley and anyone looking for a cute story with plant magic and a friends-to-lovers romance!✨
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Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Homegrown Magic in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I did have fun while reading it. Watching the dynamics of Yael and Margot as their friendship rekindles and their relationship grows is a lot of fun. I appreciated the dynamics between them and the different themes that came up in those dynamics. For example, what does a relationship look like when people come from two very different backgrounds or financial situations? How far are you willing to go to save those you care about if it means hurting the ones you love? The relational aspects of this book was fabulous and ones that I really enjoyed. It was the plot for me that I struggled a bit with. Thinking about it, I feel like this book had some great themes and dynamics at play, and brought up a lot of important topics. The issue for me came with the fact that I feel like as a result the plot took a bit of a backseat. Normally, that is something I love, a book that focuses more on character development than the plot. What I struggled with was I felt like the plot itself could have been the main focus on the book, rather than the character development and relational components. It almost felt like too much was going on or could go on and there was not enough time for it all. I think the concept of the plot was great, I just wish the split between character development and the plot was more 50/50 rather than 75/25. I needed more of the plot and the suspense. to buy into it. I do think there are going to be readers out there, especially the cozy fantasy/fantasy-romance readers who will love this book, it just was not necessarily my cup of tea which is okay. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it my absolute favorite? Not really, but that is okay. We all have different reading tastes and for those readers who love this kind of a book I think will fall in love.

Let me start with, I love cozy fantasies. This started great with a likable 'sick of the rich life and corrupt expectations' protagonist with non-binary representation and a potion witch trying to save her town.... I was so excited going in. Until Margot became insufferable. All her problems come from herself. She's exhausting to read about. I think the book focused too much on the wrong protagonist if that makes sense. I personally don't see myself hand-selling this, but I would like to make sure my store has it, because it definitely has it's audience.

Green witch Margot is frantic to keep all that she inherited from her grandmother, including the entire town of Bloomfield. Trouble it, the drunken scion of the family who is threatening to take it all away has fallen into her life...and in love. Sweet, queer, and full of the magic of green growing things and found magic, Margot and Yael must find a way to be true to themselves and each other.

This was very cute. I had some qualms with it because I'm a little tired of being told cozy fantasy and then finding several spicy scenes that just feel out of place with the atmosphere of cozy. I'm just really tired of every romance I read have to include explicit scenes when the vibes are sweeter and don't need to have the characters suddenly have filthy minds and mouths.

That being said, the overall story is good, I liked the character arcs and I can see the potential for furthering the world with other characters, which I believe is happening based on the last page.

I do feel the book ended rather abruptly. I was hoping for a confrontation for Yael and their parents rather than what felt more like a cliffnote in the epilogue. I would have liked this to be longer to further flesh out things. How exactly did Margot figure out the cure for her parents? It's not mentioned except that she did. So it felt like all these loose threads were just cut short rather than tied up by the end.

Still, it probably sounds like I hated the book but I didn't, I'm just better at stating what I don't like than what I like. I enjoy this world, the magic systems, the characters. It's quaint and lovely it just didn't need some things and need more of others to make it a five star for me personally.

DNF at 9% I can NOT read a “cozy fantasy” about a woman who has kept it a secret for FOUR YEARS that her entire village WHICH HAS A MAIN PRINCIPLE OF COMMUNITY CARE will be foreclosed on. Margot starts her first chapter with “they can never know” LADY THEYRE GONNA KNOW. I fail to see how things like this are considered cozy, it feels abhorrent.

*Received as a free ARC*
I? Somehow forgot this was queer? I would have been much more eager to read it if I had. (Not that I wasn't to begin with!) This was actually quite delightful. A cozy fantasy perfect for that point in winter when you're ready to not. Would definitely recommend, and am looking forward to book two!

3/5 stars: This is the first entry in Pacton & Podos's Homegrown Magic series which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ Fantasy Romance that follows a wealthy family's scion who's fleeing family expectations as they wind up at their childhood friend's, a talented plant witch and greenhouse owner, home where the two will have to overcome obstacles to get their much deserved happily-ever-after. With plenty of wit and humor, Pacton & Podos's writing and character work are great; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Yael and Margot are both great characters and I enjoyed seeing them dealing with their individual issues and getting their HEA. The romance is nicely done with plenty of swoony banter and the OPS is quite steamy. While there are plenty of heartfelt and lighthearted moments, Pacton & Podos does take on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check CWs. Overall, a fun queer romantic fantasy full of friends-to-lovers chemistry, found family, rival family drama, and cozy garden magic.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

The cozy fantasy genre and I have a <I>relationship.</I> I wouldn’t say it’s love/hate. More like yearning/apathy. I keep dreaming of a book that will make me feel the way I felt when watching a Ghibli film, or playing Stardew Valley. Yet every time, my heart sinks and I’m left unfulfilled. And in fact, yearning->apathy (with a side of annoyance) pretty much describes my personal journey with <i>Homegrown Magic</i>.

It starts out well. We have one protagonist, Yael, at a breaking point, running away from their stifling, emotionally abusive family. We have another protagonist, Margot, facing the daunting task of creating an impossible potion to keep not only her home but her whole beloved village from getting repossessed. Both the leads start likable. Yael’s great non-binary rep. There are stakes!

And that’s when it all goes wrong. It soon becomes clear that in many ways, Margot is the author of her own problems. I absolutely believe and empathize with her not wanting to tell the people of Bloomfield they might be on the verge of losing their homes. (Though now that I’m typing it out, leaving them without a chance to prepare is its own kind of selfish.) What I cannot wrap my head around is her failing to tell someone like Sage or Yael, who wouldn’t take it as personally and might be able to help her. Her pigheadedness keeps her from making any progress in her goals . With her own happiness on the line, it would be a believable character flaw. When she holds other people’s lives in her incapable hands, it’s contrived, self-absorbed dumbassedry.

Fortunately (?) the shallow writing of Bloomfield and its citizens keeps me from raging on their behalf too much. And here’s the thing: I’m a co-housing resident. I am <I>primed</I> to care about a plucky intentional living community! If only a single one of these townsfolk had a single trait aside from name and occupation. At one point, the narrative goes “they say goodbye to [insert five names here,]” and it was prime-grade character soup. I could identify only one of those named, and cared about none.

(At first it seemed like Margot’s friend Sage was better characterized, but then I realized, she’s not a supporting character here to further this book. She’s sequel bait. And there went that.)

Going back to Margot, ironically, the thing she angsts about the most is something she turns out to hold no actual responsibility for. Which transforms it from a believable source of guilt and anguish to wangst. If the authors’ intent was to show how guilt distorts reality and festers, it should not have been immediately fixed by an earnest appeal from Yael. I really wish writers—not just Pacton & Podos, but writers in general—had the guts to let characters actually earn their guilt. Let the character do something bad! An honest mistake that still harms someone is a lot more forgivable (to say nothing of interesting for the reader) than the mental loopty-loops required to believe the character is stricken by something she clearly didn’t do.

For the first half of the book, Margot’s inability to communicate or take useful action is pretty much the only source of tension. She and Yael have no reason not to hook up—except she doesn’t date friends, apparently. Contriiiiivvaaaaaance. The relationship building is theoretically slow burn, except we keep cutting away via time skips and not showing much depth or development. Just a whole lot of nothingburger.

Yael’s role in said first half is both to be a good deal more likable and active than Margot, and to not have much of an arc of their own. If things kept going the way they did, I’d be grousing about this lovable character getting shafted to prop up Margot’s stagnant tuchis.

This will change.

Yael’s parents, mustache-twirling villains though they may be, clearly have the book’s best interests at heart. Around the 50% mark, they finally kick the plot into plotting by trying to drag Yael back home and spoilers ensue, resulting in Yael gleefully grabbing the Idiot Ball and sprinting toward their own goalposts.

I will say, I found the concept of Yael’s warlock patron—an evil ancestor feeding on family glory—to be an interesting one. I wish the book dug deeper on both him and a spoilery development connected to him late-on in the story.

To give a bit more credit, I appreciate Pacton and Podos offering a somewhat more nuanced take on cozy fiction’s tendency to characterize rural life as good and cities as bad. (An uncomfortably reactionary trend in a genre which at least wants to be seen as progressive.) While the protags’ time in the capital is mostly characterized as lonely and stressful, the narrative does acknowledge that it contains great cafes and gardens, as well as its own common folk who deserve better that late stage capitalism. It’s a small gesture, but one I appreciate.

I’m even more glad for this nuance, because the book’s/protagonists’ stance on class was… wobbly otherwise. And I ain’t talking about the IWW. Sure, capitalism is the vile villain of the piece. But then, we have Yael freely admitting they don’t remember the name of a coachman employed by their family for years and bullying this coachman into taking them where <I>they</I> want to go, even though it could mean reprisal from the man’s employers. This could have been part of Yael’s character arc. They thought they’d set aside their decadent upbringing, but those roots run deeper than they believed. Shame this incident is never challenged or brought up again. Meanwhile, I may not be a dressmaker myself, but I know enough costumers it made me want to slap Margot silly for casually wrecking two couture gowns which probably took a team literal months to make. Together, it doesn’t make a good case for those two respecting others’ labor. Unless the labor is wholesome farming, natch.

To go a bit further, this novel’s take on couture felt like Pacton & Podos wanting to have their cake and eat it too. Look, the protagonists get to dress up real pretty, but it’s not like that <I>matters</I> to them, and besides, <i>bad guys made them do it</i>, and peasant clothes are better! The whole thing is stupid, really, and weirdly smacking of Puritanism.

The world building aside from all of that that was boilerplate LitRPG, the kind that refers to quests and D&D classes by name.

The sex scenes were surprisingly plentiful, but also kind of boring/generic. The lack of tension hurt in this department as well. If I’m not dying for the characters to kiss/bang already, then why bother?

In fact, both world building and smut could have used a greater attention paid to sensual details. To me, sensuality and vibrant sensory detail is what makes a good cozy. I want to smell the flowers, feel the sea on my toes, taste the food. <I>Homegrown Magic</I> was decidedly mid when it came to those qualities.

It did make me crave strawberry jam, though.

All in all, two stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

This book absolutely charming! Such a sweet, cozy, queer fantasy romance.

Yael likes to drink and sleep around, does not want to take their place as heir to the most powerful business in the country. They run away from their own college graduation party, drunk, on a stolen mechanical horse. Meanwhile, Margot’s family has lost just about everything due to their failed financial dealings and large debts owed to Yael’s family. Margot is trying to create a potion that will help save her home and the village around it from being repo’d by Yael’s parents. Yael and Margot were childhood friends and when they reunite, there is CHEMISTRY! I really enjoyed Yael and Margot as characters and as a couple. Yael in particular is quite funny because they are so spoiled and unserious and extremely charming!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos is a third person dual-POV Queer cozy fantasy romance. During Yael’s graduation party, they run away from their parents’ manor and their life of privilege to the village they visited in their childhood and the home of their old friend, Margot. Margot has lost everything: her parents are sick, her old home belongs to Yael’s family, and her beloved grandmother has passed away. To make matters worse, she’s under pressure to finish creating a potion that her grandmother started, a potion that Yael’s family wants very badly.

A major theme is legacy. Yael’s family name, Clauneck, is not only a strong sounding name, it’s also the name of Yael’s demon ancestor who the family is still very much in service to. The way this is connected to capitalism in the worldbuilding and how consumers of Yael’s family’s products feed the demon ancestor feel very relevant to how late stage capitalism does seem to devour everything in its path. On Margot’s side, she’s the only one left to continue her grandmother’s business, such as making her heartbreak strawberry jam, and is responsible for finishing her grandmother’s work. A lot of her drive towards upholding legacy comes from her love for her grandmother and her recognition of the good things her grandmother’s work did.

Margot and Yael are childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in a while, but have a deep understanding of each other from their shared past. Yael wants to call Margot ‘Daisy,’ a nickname given to her by her grandmother and used by close friends, but Margot is initially a bit resistant. There is tension in their relationship because Yael is ignorant of how their family has treated Margot’s family. Yael is the one who wants to initiate their relationship at the start, but it’s Margot who sets the pace as she’s not ready to cross the line from friends to lovers.

The descriptions are rich and very cozy with a strong focus on gardening. I loved the silk goldfish in a glass bubble that swims around; it’s such an evocative image and does the job to sell small magics in the world. I could feel the magic in the things we take for granted (gardening) and the beauty in nature that requires love and care to keep going.

I would recommend this to fantasy fans who love gardening and readers looking for a Queer cozy fantasy romance

Homegrown magic is a great example of cottagecore cozy fantasy. There's the adorable little village, and the witch making remedies from her plants in her greenhouses.
The story follows Yael, the heir of the richest family in the country, who flees their party and determined path and finds themself in Margot's little village. They were a childhood friend of Margot's, and decide to stay with her and help her out in the greenhouse.
Meanwhile, Margot is stuck trying to invent a natural caster potion (something that would give non magic people magic without needing to make a deal with some entity), because Yael's parents seized basically everything her family owns because of debts, and if Margot doesn't figure this out her entire village would lose their homes.

The chemistry between the two characters was great from the start and I enjoyed reading about them. They already liked each other when they knew each others as teenagers, but time has passed and both are keeping some secrets now, but they still grow to love each other.

The plot felt a bit slow for me early on, and I think that's to do with it being cozy fantasy and a lot of it just being them doing stuff in the greenhouses, hanging out in the village, selling the potions etc, and at times I did get bored, but the plot really picks up in the second half, and I'm guessing the first half was still necessary to show their bond developing before Yael's family starts making it a problem, though I might have liked a little more focus on Margot's task early on.

I liked the world building. While the focus is really on the smaller things and I would have liked to see more of some aspects, there was a lot of fantasy stuff going on in the background, as well as a focus on wealth inequality and the exploitative relationship Yael's parents have with pretty much everything. Yael's family are all warlocks, having some magic power through an entity they all serve, and I thought that was an interesting aspect in how it dictates Yael's life and how they try to flee this too. There's mentions of magical creatures, though I would have liked to see more of that, but I think there will be a companion set in this world which might feature a bit more of that since one of Margot's close friends is an adventurer.

Would recommend this book to fans of cozy fantasy/romantasy who really enjoy the vibes of it, and don't mind a slower plot.

Homegrown Magic is an adorable and cozy queer fantasy, and I loved it so much! If you're looking for something that will give you all the feel goods, then I highly recommend!

This is almost certainly a “me” problem than a Book problem, but I am unfortunately DNF’ing this book at 15%. I am too slowly coming to the realization that I just don’t enjoy “cozy”/cottagecore fantasy stories. I tried to lean into the cozy vibes, but I just couldn’t get into it, unfortunately.

This seems like a very cozy and sweet queer romance, that will definitely be a book that many people will love, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley and for providing me an early copy of this ebook. All opinions are my own.

A cozy, queer romantasy that at times felt a little bit too rushed. There is a heavy influence from DnD which I'm not too familiar with but if you're a fan, I think you'll really enjoy this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was a cozy genderqueer romantasy with cottage-core vibes. If you enjoyed "Legends and Lattes" by Travis Baldree, this is probably up your alley. Not entirely perfect or seamlessly flowing, an enjoyable distraction-from-reality read.

Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos, and Del Rey for the ARC!

3.5 rounded up. I think I need to admit to myself that cozy fantasy is simply not the genre for me, or perhaps I'm reading books that don't scratch the right itch.

Things I loved: I knew I would never be too stressed reading this, I loved the greenhouse vibes and potion making, the community was so lovely.

Things that didn't quite hit the mark: A lot of the characters didn't feel particularly unique - especially side characters, the third act breakup was a trope I dislike, there was a weird burst of plot tension right after it that was brief and didn't fit the tone of the entire rest of the book.

I think people who love cozy fantasy will have a great time with this one, and that's one of the main reasons I rounded up. However I do believe this has solidified for me that it's probably not meant for me; I prefer more tension and more character definition.

Thank you again to all involved for the ARC! Homegrown Magic releases on March 11th. If you love a cozy fantasy about witches, mysteries, and friends to lovers, this is a sweet story.