This book will be a great fit for those who like cozy queer D&D style fantasies. I appreciated the non-binary protagonist and thought this would be a fun read for me but I struggled to get into it personally.

very cute and cozy romance. I liked the relationship between Yael and Margot - it was so sweet! the only constructive criticism I'd like to give is regarding the beginning: this book was pretty hard to get into. I'm not sure if it was the prose or the character's point of view, but I had a difficult time getting invested initially (it might've just been me!). Overall really enjoyed my time with this book and think other folks who enjoy queer cozy fantasy romance would have a blast with it! 3.5 stars total!

₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ. COTTAGECORE COZY FANTASY ROMANCE WITH FARMING GAME VIBES ₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

Oh, boy. This was just a superb type of book. I seriously want to read it again for the first time. If you're looking for a cozy fantasy romance, this for sure will be something you would adore. If you loved The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, hands down you need to read this book when it comes out.

🧺🍓🍄🌿🌻

I don't want to give anything away because it hasn't come out yet, so the only thing I will say is that it's adorable, fun, romantic, and feels like a warm hug. It's about a plant witch and a flirty runaway heir who reunite in a small town. There's a slow-burn romance, strawberries, lots of tea, remedies, pining, masquerade balls, and cute dialogue.

Absolutely loved this book! It's so cozy & sweet. The characters were super charming and interesting. I really liked the romance too. It was adorable and gave me butterflies. I couldn't stop smiling while reading.

If you want a cozy, queer romantic read that's filled with lovely characters, magic, gorgeous setting, and a masquerade ball, give this story a try!

This book was fine. It was the story of Yael, the heir to a noble family who is expected to step up and take on their responsibilities in order to join their family. Unfortunately, Yael isn't really interested in the life their family has built and doesn't much like the family patron who bestows magic upon the family, so their magical skills are quite weak. One night during a party, Yael leaves and finds themself out in the country, near the home of a former friend. They stumble into Margot's life and don't expect that it's going to completely knock their own off its current track. Margot is a plant witch who needs help escaping from a plot in which Yael's family has ensnared her. The two come together, fall in love, and figure out what that means for each of them.

I really liked one of the twists that came late in this book, but wished it had more substance. The cozy vibe was great, but didn't grab me as a reader (most cozy reads don't, upon reflection, so if you're into cozier titles, you might enjoy this one more than I did). I did like the gender representation and overall storyline, but would have liked a little more grit to things. Also, it bothered me how excited they were to ruin garments that were basically works of art. The romance through-line about destroying gowns and getting down in mulch piles was simply not for me.

Totally fine. Easy to read. Not that memorable.

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy in return for this review.

3.5- I enjoyed this cute and cozy queer fantasy! I enjoy queer stories where being queer is simply part of the plot line and not part of something difficult or traumatic that happens to the main character, and the author does a wonderful job of that here. I enjoyed both characters and the development of the relationship in the novel. The fantasy components were a little weak and the pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but I enjoyed the setting of the small town and enjoyed the way the story was wrapped up. Part of the story line was a little too miscommunicationy for me, which is why I enjoyed the beginning and the end much more than the middle. Overall enjoyable!

Thank you to random house publishing group Ballantine Del Rey and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

such a cute and cozy queer romance. i adored the relationship between yael and margot, and i have been DYING for more queer romantasy with spice. this was the perfect low stakes easy read. more of this please!!!!

Wonderful, enticing, honestly was such a different fantasy than I usually go but did not disappoint! Please EVERYONE read this amazing book, I cannot talk more about the characters, settings, and everything in between! Some points felt off to me, but none of it took away too much! 3.5/4 stars!

I wanted to like Homegrown Magic; however, I felt the plot was not strong enough to last 300 pages and would have been better suited for a novella. Perhaps this is less of a problem with the novel and more of an issue with the cozy fantasy genre, as authors create worlds that go unexplored because the focus is placed upon almost nonexistent plots. Pacton and Podos are competent writers who create characters that are easy to like, and you want to see succeed; however, once again, the lack of plot is holding this book back from me genuinely falling in love with the characters and their romance.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, I think that Homegrown Magic will be. It's a fun addition to your collection, so long as you're all right with the plot being a little light.

Brief overview:

Margot and Yael, having not seen each other since they were kids, meet up unexpectedly to take on an adventure.

My thoughts:

It's like a D&D Romeo & Juliet! Except Romeo is non-binary and Juliet is a plant witch. Homegrown Magic is a story of moderate stakes magic, family expectations, and finding love when you least expect it.

Yael runs away from their crushing family responsibilities and run straight into their old friend Margot. Margot, meanwhile, is shocked to be reunited with her old crush. She's been so focused on keeping her family legacy intact that she hasn't had time for much else. Is Yael's arrival a blessing? Or a burden?

Read if you like:
-Cottagecore
-Queer Romance
-Magic
-Family Legacy & Secrets

Homegrown Magic was just ok. I was neither impressed or disappointed with it. It had the potential to be better, but it wasn't terrible either. Very surface level when it had the potential to go deeper. I did like the cottagecore vibes and the ending. But otherwise, it really wasn't for me.

I absolutely adore Jamie Pacton, and absolutely devoured this book! 📚 A must read for sure, and I may have to get myself a hard copy as well!

an awesome queer-normative romantic fantasy with a non-binary protagonist? be still my heart. it was so incredible. the romance was gorgeous and the magical aspects were perfect. 5 stars. would recommend.

Homegrown magic is a delightful cozy, queer romantasy that that focuses on the relationship between the protagonists set in a lightly magical setting. I love my cozy fantasy to have enough of a plot to create interest, even if it’s character driven plot, and that is what Homegrown Magic gives me. It reminds me of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea meets the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. It is very light on the magic elements but a good fit for those who like a cozy romance. Little bit of 🌶️ without that being the focus of the book which I enjoy. A non-binary rich kid runs away from home to fall in love with a green witch who runs a farm? Excellent mix of familiar tropes and modern love.

I will say at first I found the 3rd person present tense jarring, but I did get used to it. Overall rating is a 4.0, but rating within the cozy fantasy genre would get a 4.5.

I read this book as an Advanced Readers Copy courtesy of Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

A Deeply cozy story interspersed with intense drama, romantic feelings, and a dozen unspoken secrets. this Dungeons and Dragons inspired story holds so much packed into one book that there's going to be something for everyone! with themes like healing generational trauma, overcoming family expectations, mutual pining, learning who you are and what you want to be, standing up for oneself, and more, this was a warm hug wrapped in dramatic adventure as two people stand up against the odds, and achieve the dreams they never thought possible... or allowed themselves to think about.

This was super cute! A cozy f/nb romantasy with a queernormative world and vibes that are both cottagecore and DnD--but that doesn't overlook the actual hard work involved with the cottagecore lifestyle, which I was very pleased to find. Recommended for readers who like low stakes, high heat, and a lot of strawberries. This can definitely be read as a standalone but I'm looking forward to a sequel with a different main couple.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This book was given to me by net galley however all opinion are my own.

I breezed through Homegrown magic, it was such a cute book to keep me company while being under the weather. I found Yael and Margot to be such wonderful main characters with fun banter that made me smile. The plot was reminiscent of fairytale which was very nostalgic and the added cozy elements of the gardening aspects and magic made this book a true delight. I found the dual-pov to be just the right choice for these to characters and definitely feel like the story would have been lacking had we not have had that. I loved the novel highlighted the differences between familial exceptions helped with the authenticity of the novel. While I had some nitpicky opinions on the dialog I found the book to overall be a hit for me, and I definitely recommend it all the lovers of queer books and cozy fantasy!

This is my official application to curl up and live in this book forever. These people are my friends, this life is perfect and I want to live and die by them. I love witchy cottage stories and this was a WIN.

I tried so hard. So many times. I had to dnf. I might try again in the future but my head wasn't in the space for this one.

I DID like the queer rep and having the non binary character start off the book. The world building just crippled me.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of their upcoming book, Homegrown Magic, which will be available on March 11th, 2025.

Yael Clauneck is the heir of their extremely wealthy family that prides itself in being involved with every business venture in the realm. Knowing the predetermined life that their family has planned for them, Yael finds themselves riding away during the night of their graduation party looking for some adventure. Margot Greenwillow’s life is far from being an adventure. She’s a tea lover, greenhouse owner, and a wonderful plant witch that is trying to keep her family’s magic remedies business from failing. When she encounters her childhood friend and crush Yael in her village, she agrees to let them be her assistant in the greenhouse. Yael does their best to learn new skills as they flirt with Margot, while the plant witch tries to execute a plan to save her home. But with ruthless parents and mutual attraction, will Margot and Yael’s rekindled friendship blossom into something more as they try to fight for the lives they want to live?

This book was lovely. You have Yael, a young, handsome, kind person that has always balked at the individual that their family expects them to be. You have Margot, a determined, hardworking, beautiful, and talented young plant witch that is protective of her community. I liked the banter between Yael and Margot, and their interactions throughout the book were thoughtful and sweet. Discussions of the difference between familial expectations, reality, and people’s journey to becoming themselves were well written throughout the story, and I cheered for both of the main characters to find the courage to get what they wanted. Sage was lovely, and I wanted to give many characters a big hug. Overall, if you like great banter, wonderful found family, plant magic, lovely worldbuilding, thoughtful discussions, LGBTQ+ representation, and sweet romance with quite a bit of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link for more information: Homegrown Magic - Kindle edition by Pacton, Jamie, Podos, Rebecca. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.