ARC REVIEW: Home Grown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Home Grown Magic is a cozy fantasy-romance following two childhood acquaintances - Yael Clauneck and Margot Greenwillow who are reunited by chance (or fate?) after many years. Yael ran away to the countryside to escape the pressure and expectations set by their wealthy family, while Margot has taken over her grandmother’s greenhouse and is barely making ends meet. Yael and Margot are inexplicably drawn to one another and their love story is tender, filled with steaming cups of tea and long days spent in the garden.

This book was sweet, I liked the romance, but overall the stakes were too low for me to feel worried/anxious for the characters. The magic system felt unique and I enjoyed that different families tapped into their magic in different ways. Margot and Yael were both flawed characters and I loved the way they loved each other, but occasionally it felt like each only blamed themselves for their mistakes and never saw fault in the other. I loved that this fantasy realm didn’t feature any negativity toward Yael being non-binary or toward the queer relationships in the story. I love when writers create a space where no one encounters hate or malice based on who they are.

Home Grown Magic releases March 11th 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a digital ARC of Homegrown Magic in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a book for me. Definitely more of a me issue than a book issue. I am coming to find I do not like cozy fantasy. I ended up DNF’ing at 35%.
The writing in this book is whimsical and lends well to the world building, which is very detailed and fully immerses you in the world. I really appreciated this as so often lately world building is just glossed over in favor of tropes. The world felt like a cozy fantasy game full of mechanical steeds and lots of strawberries. I did wish there were more concrete details around the magic and maybe more magic in general.
While the world was lovely, I struggled with the characters. This was supposedly adult, but read like a YA. The characters were in their early twenties but felt younger. I struggled to connect with them because of this.
This is cozy fantasy so the story unfolds slowly with a lot of character interiority. Things were happening and there were stakes, but I didn’t feel invested, probably because I didn’t care about the characters.
I’m a sucker for slow burn romance, which is pretty much why I picked this book up. But the part where they would be falling in love was skipped! We go from them meeting and starting to work together to skipping forward in time. I wanted to see all the small moments of them falling for each other. As written, it’s more of a second chance/insta love.
I was excited for this. I loved the idea of a non-binary character (from what I read, this felt well done!) and a slow burn romance. But that really wasn’t what I was getting and I lost interest.

This was such a charming read from start to finish. I loved the cozy, magical setting. It was romantic, low-stakes but still engaging, fantastical fun. The details in this book were so enchanting (I definitely have to drink some tea now). If you're looking for a comforting read, this is a good pick!

When I first heard of this book, I assumed it would be a cozy fantasy, like Legends & Lattes. It's definitely cozy, but its core is a (very sweet) queer romance.

I definitely recommend it, especially for those who are fans of small town, friends-to-lovers romance!

Nonbinary Yael Clauneck comes from a prestigious and insanely wealthy banking family. After graduation, the looming specter of a preplanned life and family expectations sends Yael fleeing into the night on a stolen horse. After aimlessly riding into the darkness, Yael finds themselves in a small town where their childhood friend, Margo Greenwillow still resides. Hoping to duck reality, Yael volunteers to assist Margo with her work in her family's greenhouses. Margo is delighted to have the distraction from her childhood crush, Yael, but what they don't know is Margo is under threat from the Clauneck family. If Margo doesn't complete a powerful potion within a certain time, Yael's family will repossess the town. Feelings blossom as Margo and Yael race against the clock, but will they be able to bring the town and their relationship to a successful harvest? This was sweet and light with themes of community and finding your place and people. Stardew Valley players will recognize the city to country life trajectory, the community vs commerce debate and the town filled with quirky, loveable characters.

(Actual: 3.5⭐, rounded up) A cute – and perhaps even cottagecore-coded (? lol actually... maybe definitely cottagecore-coded 😅) – sapphic Friends-to-Lovers romcom, filled with plenty of heart, humor, found family AND *rival* family shenanigans.... and honestly just a whole lot of fantasical coziness, like a warm hug almost. Yael and Margot are both very well-defined and developed MCs, and I think they both equally show strong character development throughout the course of the novel. I further appreciated how the pacing of the novel felt just right (at least, to me anyway)— my attention was held and no plot points or moments stood out to me as feeling like they dragged on too long. Overall, this book is a great example of a cozy fantasy read imo; one that is light yet still filled with plenty of depth and lovable characters to get behind!

Homegrown Magic is a delightful read! There is a good balance between low stakes and an interesting plot and romance that can be hard to strike in a cozy fantasy romance. The two main characters are endearing. The FMC and nonbinary MC each face challenges separately and together, which kept the story moving. There is a fair amount of pining, which is typically done well, but occasionally crosses the line into cheesy (e.g., almost fainting from being touched on the knee). I appreciate the themes of being brave and choosing one's own path, making ethical decisions even when they involve personal sacrifice, and forgiveness.

An absolutely, adorably perfect cozy fantasy. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher, and I am extremely grateful to the publisher for this book. I also preordered the book, and loved it so much that I kept my preorder, so I could have a physical copy of the book.

This book has multiple authors, and I can truly say that you really can’t tell, as you’re reading, that there are multiple authors. They write as one voice, and that is a very difficult skill to accomplish.

Overall, the story is unique and wonderful. A new take on magic and how it operates in the world. The world itself could have been complicated, but the ways the authors introduced various facets of this world were so confident and clear, that it didn’t take much to understand the world itself. I have a feeling that other places (the queens, society members, friends, etc.) are going to come up again in future books. There were some loose ends, but in a way that keeps the door to the world open for future books. I’m excited to learn more about Sage & Araphi (hopefully!) in the next installments.

Without spoilers, the one area I thought missed that last star was Yael’s realization (I’ll leave it at that). I wanted/needed just a touch more about how they put the pieces together and made their realization.


As an aside, I think this book is important for cisgender & hetero individuals to read. Queer relationships are underrepresented and this book provides a wonderful opportunity for those of us not part of the community to learn about queer relationships. I loved that queer relationships were just a normal, accepted part of this society. Ours should take note. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.

Now, I’m off in search of some strawberry jam.

I’m a sucker for a good cozy fantasy, and add in a plant witch and I’m all for it!
Childhood friends Yael and Margot have ended up in very different places, Yael as the heir to the Copper Court, and Margot almost destitute, but with a strong community. When a half thought through escape by Yael leads them together after a decade apart, Yael must learn how to work a day in their life, and Margot has an employee dropped in her lap. This book is just oh so lovely and will leave you with a happy heart and an overpowering need for strawberry jam. I really enjoyed the world building and magic system, and would have loved to get to have a cup of tea with Granny Fern.
I loved that although this was a very cozy book, there were still stakes. Whether Bloomfield would get seized or not had me reading faster and faster, and I love how community based the solution ended up being. We all need beautiful books that celebrate community in this time we find ourselves living in, and oh I so do recommend this one!
My heart is full, my hands are aching to be in the soil, and I have a garden to go plant now. Read this book, it's just like a perfect cup of tea.

Happy Release Day to this lovely little cottagecore gem!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Homegrown Magic. It’s exactly the sapphic witchy cozy goodness that I need to fuel some escapism right now.
Well done, Jamie & Rebecca! 🍓♥️

Homegrown magic is a delightful cozy, queer romance 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 dleightfully warm adult debut from both authors. One of my most anticipated books, have no doubt that th audiobook will be even better!

This book is SO CUTE! A queer cozy romantasy that fills ever teacup for me! It's written in third person, but flips back and forth between Yael who is heir to the wealthy Clauneck banking family and Margot, a plant witch who lives a cozy life in a cute little cottage in a small town that her grandma Fern founded.

The two were friends when they were younger, but different lifestyles pulled them apart. Yael runs away from their graduation party and finds their way to Bloomsfield by accident. Little do they know that this close knit town is on the verge of being taken over by their own family. Margot is doing all she can to make sure that doesn't happen, even if she has to keep it a secret.

Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos are both YA authors and Homegrown Magic is their debut adult romance!! If you like the cozy fantasies you'll love this one!!

Homegrown Magic is a queer novel that feels like a warm loving hug. This is a great story for when you need something low stakes but still contains heart and care. I loved the chemistry between our two main characters as they got to remet each other after years of separation and family conflict. The magic and world building in this are easy to understand. This book makes me want to start playing Stardew Valley and this is a great audiobook to listen to while you do so.

This book is perfect for readers who crave a whimsical escape into a tender, queer love story that weaves together the enchantment of rediscovered connections and the quiet rebellion against a predetermined fate.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos

Homegrown Magic is a sweet romance with a cozy fantasy setting. Margot and Yael are childhood friends who are separated by their circumstances of their family’s choices. When Yael has had enough of their family’s predetermined life for them, they venture to a nearby town of Bloomfield and reunite with Margot.

This book had so many positive elements! I loved the cozy Bloomfield town and its inhabitants. I loved the greenhouses and the plant magic. I thought Yael and Margot’s romance was cute and nice to see the non-binary representation. Despite all of that, I didn’t find myself excited to pick it up. This could have been a wrong mood situation, but I’ll do my best to explain a few things that could have contributed. I would have loved to see more of the magic and how it works. There was plenty of telling and little showing when it came to the magic and Margot’s attempt to find a solution to save her town. This led me to feel like there was a whole lot of nothing being done to fix the problem. This left me less invested in the plot. The time jumps in the relationship development was also an instance of telling not showing. Would have loved to see more of the nuances and day to day life of being reacquainted. Without the build up and little details of life both the cozy fantasy and the romance of this story felt underwhelming.

Homegrown Magic is out today March 11th, 2025

Thank you #netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I would categorize Homegrown Magic as a cozy queer romantasy with a surprising amount of spice. I received an advanced copy and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

The story follows Margot, a plant witch living in a charming countryside town, quietly burdened with the responsibility of protecting its future. Enter Yael, the heir to powerful nobility and Margot’s childhood friend, who runs away from their own obligations and ends up in Margot’s town. As they work together, their relationship begins to mend, but looming responsibilities, secrets, and personal struggles threaten to pull them apart.

I really enjoyed the characters and the way the conflicts—whether familial, financial, or tied to duty and betrayal—felt fleshed out and meaningful. The romance between Margot and Yael had a wonderful balance of tension and tenderness, with beautifully written, lush descriptions that made the world feel as if it were blooming around them. While the book was much spicier than I typically prefer, I appreciated that the romance had space to develop outside of those moments as well.

This book does lean into certain tropes, such as a third-act breakup and some lack of communication, which may not work for all readers. However, if you’re looking for a cozy yet emotionally engaging fantasy with a queer romance, a nonbinary main character, a touch of witchy magic, and plenty of spice, Homegrown Magic is a solid choice.

i didn’t quite finish this by pub date, but so far this is THE perfect cozy fall season book!!!!! i picked this one up at the perfect time, as i needed a quick and easy book to delve into, and it’s delivering! the characters are cute, the rep is on point, and the swoon worthy lil romance has me geeking 🙂‍↕️

*3.5 Stars*
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Homegrown magic was everything that it was promised to be. Cozy, queer, lovely! I very quickly fell in love with the characters, and the plot definitely caught my attention and held it from pretty early on. The only thing that keeps me from rating it higher are just some tiny personal preferences, as a few of the tropes just weren’t for me; however, I can see so many other people absolutely devouring this wonderful read!!

The perfect springtime read for lounging about on a picnic blanket in the grass with some great wine. Homegrown Magic just has all the warm, cozy, whimsical feels.
Margot is trying to save her stuffy-over-indulgent family from being penniless. She’s a garden witch and heir to some very powerful magics, her parents are kind of *awful* and squandered her grandmother‘s fortune. Yael is a bit rakish and carefree, wants nothing to do with the family business. Their father also seems a little off-kilter, a bit villainess—in my opinion. And what do these two have in common? A childhood crush you say?! Stop it right now!! This book was full of humor, so much delight, adventure, banter, and mischief, loved the friends to lovers arc. Can’t recommend enough.

They mentioned this novel was garden gay and disaster gay vibes during book promotion and I heavily agree 🤭💕

Thank you to DelRey for the ARC.