This book was the sweetest cozy cottage magical romance. I was nervous coming off more high stakes fantasy that I would be underwhelmed, but I was utterly and thoroughly charmed. Yael swept me.off my feet immediately and Margot picked me up and dusted me off. The magic system and world building were interesting without being too overwhelming, and the characters were all unique and interesting. A little slow burn here, a little spice there, a little heartbreak on the side, and a healthy dose of family politics made this the perfect fireside read with a cup of tea.

Yes for the witchy queer fantasy representation!! Loved the chemistry between Yael and Margot and both of their character developments. The descriptions were vivid and lovely!

An incredibly cozy and heart-warming story of friendship, family, love, community, and all the hardships that come with them. I am so so honored to have been asked to review this book. It was everything I thought it would be and more, I couldn't have asked for a better cozy fantasy! This book shows that life certainly isn't all sunshine and rainbows and that everyone has their faults, but that you can find the good in every situation no matter how difficult.

Homegrown Magic was a delightfully cozy romantasy steeped in tea and enchanted with a love spell. I thoroughly enjoyed my journey alongside the characters while exploring the queer and wonderful land of Harrow. There are lessons on found family, forging your own path, and being honest with yourself and others as much as possible. I thought that the story showcased the lessons well and did so within a beautifully crafted and envisioned world.

I think the book was well-written in terms of spice and tenderness. You really feel the love blossoming between Yael and Margot in alternatively tender and heated ways.

While this is an adult debut from two accomplished YA writers, I do feel that the writing was stuck in the YA sphere. The prose was simplistic and very descriptive, like they were preparing a set director to paint the scene. I thought we lost a bit of emotion in the physical details. The overall plot was predictable in the way that many YA books are. This was a personal feeling, as I am not normally a YA reader.

Grade: A (4.75 rounded up for NetGalley)
Queer representation: nonbinary main character, queer-normative world

Yael Clauneck is heir to the Clauneck family - a wealthy family known for their ruthless business practices. One night, Yael steals a horse and flees the city, finding themselves in Bloomfield, a tiny town that holds Margot Greenwillow: Yael's childhood friend and sole proprietor of Greenwillow and Bloomfield after the death of her grandmother. Yael, intrigued by Margot and wanting something different than they knew, decides to stay and help Margot around the Greenwillow estate. Together, they work to build the business back, all the while building their relationship, amidst secrets on both sides, and forces seeking to separate them...

For me, cozy fantasy only works if the world is VIBRANT - a feast for the senses, and "Homegrown Magic" delivers. I feel as though I can see the colors, taste the food... Yael had really great character growth - from flaky and spoiled at the beginning, to knowing what they want at the end. I enjoyed the development of Margot and Yael's relationship, it felt mature without being too heavy. I also really enjoyed that Yael didn't actually need to be taught what hard work was, only given the chance to do work they cared about. My largest "con" was that I wanted more of a confrontation at the climax of the book; however, given there will be a sequel, I suspect that will handle most of it, so I'm not too fussed about it.

All in all, a lot of fun!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

Homegrown Magic is a magical, cozy, and addictive fantasy novel with a breathtaking romance and captivating characters.

Oh my goodness, this one was fantastic! I devour everything Jamie and Becca write, and Homegrown Magic is no exception. From the spectacular (re)meet-cute to the beautiful ending, this book had me hooked. The pacing was wonderful, and the prose was lovely. The characters and character development were great (I LOVE Yael and Margot and how relatable they were), and I adored the LGBTQ+ representation. The romance was everything I wanted it to be (this entire book was everything I wanted it to be) and was so sweet, tender, and magical. The setting was atmospheric and very fun, and I enjoyed the intriguing magic and magic system. I highly recommend this cozy fantasy!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

Such a cozy book and a great read for my entrance into autumn. It perfectly encapsulates the feel of being wrapped up in a cozy blanket, drinking hot chocolate, and watching the leaves fall outside. It is a witchy tale with potions, magic, and an LBTQ+ friends-to-lovers romance. Loved following Yael and Margot's relationship blossom with low-stakes! The world and the characters easily sucked me into the book each time I would come back to it.

I love magic, and I gardening, and this book combined the two! It was great. This was a really sweet read that gave me warm fuzzy feelings. It was just like getting a warm hug on a cold day. This book is what I would consider low stakes. There weren’t any intense moments, or anything to get your heart racing, it was quaint. I’m in no way implying that is bad. It was lovely, it was a nice change of pace for me. It allowed me to take things down a notch and just slow down, which can be fantastic and much needed. The story was well done, and I think it is perfect for those hectic days when you just need to take pause. The characters were great, and I especially loved how they communicated so wonderfully. I strive to be a good communicator in life, and it’s always nice to see these values resonated in what I read as well. Because this book is whimsical, I felt it was a little wordy at times, but honestly, it fit the vibes of the book.

If you are looking for a quaint book with cottagecore vibes, then you need to check this one out.

I really enjoyed this low stakes fantasy with gardening magic. This one was a lot of fun and I will be reading more. Overall I had a great time with this fantasy.

3.5⭐️ rounded up! Thx to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of my arc in exchange for my review!

What an absolute joy it was to read this low-stakes, cozy, cottagecore, queer, adventure between Margot and Yael. Can I also note how nice it is to feature a nonbinary character who doesn’t once get questioned about their gender (or lack thereof or fluidity)?

Yael escapes their high-society family to Bloomfield, where they find Margot, a friend from childhood. Margot, a plant witch, is keeping secrets from both Yael and her town’s residents. She’s being blackmailed by Yael’s parents, and must whip up a [redacted] potion if she doesn’t want her town and its residents to be seized and left with nothing. Together, they build the most adorable cottagecore life imaginable. Like I want to build them in the Sims 4 cottagecore expansion pack.

I enjoyed the low stakes of this story, and how communicative the characters were with each other. Did they keep secrets sometimes? Yes. Did it tear them apart? Definitely not. We have effective communication happening, baby.

I found the passages and descriptions to be a bit too wordy at times, and ended up having to re-read certain paragraphs cuz I found myself getting lost in them.

All in all, a really sweet and fun read inspired by authors and their DnD campaign!

Also,,, need to know more re: Araphi (and Sage). Pls

This was a cute, fun, cozy, queer fantasy romance! I loved the non-binary representation, and the characters’ relationship development felt realistic and organic.

Homegrown Magic is an adorable cozy fantasy romance!

Yael and Margot were once childhood friends, but now they live entirely separate lives. That is until Yael, the heir of the wealthiest banking family, escapes their responsibilities and finds refuge in Margot’s tiny town where she’s using her plant magic to keep her family business (and the town itself) afloat.

This story was delightful! Margot lives in a cottage in a tiny town and has a greenhouse where she makes magical strawberry jam… truly, what more do you need! The plant magic element was so fun and made it feel like it would be an especially perfect springtime read.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for access to the eARC in exchange for my review!

I want to live in this world and never leave. Yael and Margot have a piece of my heart. Both characters have strong, individual voices and felt as thought they were crafted with so much love and care.
If you’re looking for a good queer cozy fantasy, this is it.

Homegrown Magic is a cozy low stakes fantasy with plant/gardening magic. A cute read with solid non-binary and queer representation.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eArc.

This is cozy fantasy and coming of age and discovering oneself and a bit of a love story all combined. When Yael needs to escape the box their family is trying to make them live in, Yael runs off and finds themself in a small village, which happens to be the hometown of Margot, a childhood best friend. Margot is exhausted trying to keep up the family business and keep the village safe when Yael stumbles into town. It turns out they may be just what the other needs - if they can be brave enough to open up to those possibilities.

I really enjoyed reading Homegrown Magic. I think the characters felt very vibrant, and the tension built well throughout the book. By the end of the book, I cared a lot about Yael and Margot, and I would definitely read another book just about Yael and Margot, or more about their childhood friendship. Both Yael and Margot had very distinct narrative voices, which I felt remained very consistent throughout the book.
The one part that was a little confusing for me was keeping track of how much time had passed. While the time jumps did make sense for the plot, the time jumps felt a little haphazard, and sometimes I didn't realize that a time jump had happened until a few pages into the chapter. While I always figured it out eventually, some of the time jumps, particularly the first one, were not very smooth for my reading experience.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc of this book!
Rating: 4.5/5

If you’re in the mood for a delightful escape filled with plant magic, cozy vibes, and a sprinkling of queer romance, look no further! This book is like the perfect cup of herbal tea: warm, comforting, and just a tad whimsical.

This book is a cozy gem, perfect for curling up with on a rainy day (or, let’s be real, any day). The descriptions of greenhousesI and whimsical flowers are enough to make you feel like you’re frolicking through a pastel fairyland. And with a pansexual main character and a nonbinary love interest, it checks all the boxes for a fabulously inclusive read.

I am excited to see what the authors do in the future, because despite being marketed as their debut adult novel, it did still read a little closer to YA for me. Not that that's a bad thing in the slightest!

This was such a cozy fantasy and I wish everyone could read this right now! I love that the main character is pansexual and the love interest being nonbinary. The whimsical settings, lovable characters, and a healthy amount of conflict!

This was swoony and romantic and very much the perfect cozy romance. The spice was very tasteful and the chemistry between Yael and Margot was off the charts.

The conclusion maybe felt a little too easy (as was the ease with which Yael broke down the spell they opted into), but I can't complain too much since I was kicking my feet by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for allowing me to read this book!

I feel terrible, as I'd been looking forward to this for some time, and was hoping the "cozy romantasy" aspect would work for me, although it typically doesn't. I did love the queernorm world of it all, and Yael being called "Sir'ram" (something I liked to say as a kid).

But I do think that was... mostly it. The book read fairly YA, even middle- grade save for the semi-explicit romantic scene, and I often found myself forgetting the characters were adults. I feel too, the main conflict was solved far too easily and conveniently, and Yael's sacrifice brushed over in so few words that it felt the purpose of it was to provide conflict for a third act break-up.

It'll be good for some, I think. Just not me.