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.

*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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Group for the eARC copy of “Homegrown Magic” by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos.

A cozy read with LGBTQ+ representation, yes please! Homegrown Magic is a story all about Yael and Margot, who grew up living completely different lifestyles - Yael grew up in the city as an heir to the Clauneck Bank and Margot grew up as a plant witch in a small countryside cottage. But together, they’re able to find their own way of life that doesn’t fall under the pressure of living up to family legacies. My only complaint, the book felt very plot heavy with an ending that just made me feel “meh” but still a happy ending!

Yael is trying to escape the boring, controlled life their parents have planned for them. Margot is desperately trying to save her family’s business from predatory lenders. Romance blossoms between them. Things become much more complicated with a lost will, strict disapproving parents, and a magical patron not willing to let go.

This was adorable! The setting was so well done. I could feel the greenery of Margot’s greenhouses, and I felt so jealous. And I loved the characters. The side characters could have used a little more depth, but I adored all the villagers, and the sneaky set up for a sequel romance! And the romance itself between Yael and Margot was very sweet.

I wish the world building had been stronger, as I didn’t really get an understanding of how the magic worked in this world. And the whole world felt so narrow. Everything could have used some fleshing out. And I don’t like time skips over important plot points. We end up missing out on a lot of the developing feelings, and an important piece of the climax at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the arc!

DNF

Let me start this by saying that I have heard great things about the book, but it's not in my cards currently. I would like to give this another shot someday, however!

Very cute small-town plant magic story! I think the vibes/ambience are nice, especially since I don't read a lot of books with this type of magic form. I think at times it was difficult to understand the magic/story, but I had a good time regardless. The characters and plot are very YA but I knew that's what I was getting myself into. I think the characters had some good development, but Margot did annoy me a lot. Just because she was constantly putting herself down and short selling herself, and you can only take so much of that. The conflict resolution felt a little convenient, but I think that just lends itself to the genre of YA.

This book felt like a warm hug, and I honestly don’t know how else to describe it. It’s atmospheric, it’s beautiful, it’s full of heart. It’s about the power of community, about finding your happiness, and about growing into your own. Can’t wait for the sequel.

A cute, cozy romantasy. The story was very descriptive of the visuals so I felt like I was in this world with the characters. As a reader you grow to sympathize with both of these characters' struggles with their legacy and family ties. Overall, a light read. I would definitely recommend this as a springtime read.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Wow is all I can really get out of my mouth when I finished this book. I loved every second of it that I took my time reading it cause I didn’t want this book to end. I don’t want to spoil this book so I will just say I highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a good well written book with Duo POV. I laughed and I even got upset with some characters if you read the book you know what I am talking about. 5 stars will definitely be reading more books by both the authors.

4.25 stars!

Homegrown Magic is a lovely cozy fantasy and was the perfect read after a heavy fantasy book! While it took me a bit to get into it, this ended up being such a delightful book.

Yael was very relatable at times, which made it easy to feel for them. I understood their need to get away from the pressure and loved their development throughout the story. I loved Margot. The way she cares for all of those around her in Bloomfield. The dual POV was my favorite! Yael and Margot were wonderful together. Their interactions with one another were so fun to read, especially their flirting. Two side characters caught my attention, so I hope they get their own story...

This story was mostly lighthearted, but there were some stakes that kept the book intriguing. Overall, it was a fun and hopeful book. I loved the writing and characters, especially Clementine. Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

"Homegrown Magic" by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos is queer, cute, and cozy! In this story, we follow the reunion of a person disgruntled with high society life and a gifted, upcoming plant witch desperately trying to fulfill the obligation of her family's debts. Will Yael and Margot bring balance to their situations or just make them more complicated?

This was a joy to read. If you're looking for a cozy fantasy, cottage-core, (childhood) friends to lovers read - this is the book for you!

Thank you endlessly to Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos, NetGalley and Del Rey for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was in the mood for a cozy, low-stakes book set in a quaint rural village - and that's exactly what I got.

Yael Clauneck is from a rich family that controls the city's wealth - making them the de facto power in this world. Margot Greenwillow, plant witch and greenhouse owner, was their childhood best friend, but she was forced to leave the city for the small village of Bloomfield where her grandmother, a renowned plant witch, built a small idyllic community in the countryside. Yael finds herself in Bloomfield after running away from the oppressive expectations of her family and finds herself face to face with her old friend. As they get closer, Margot must decide if she is going to tell Yael the truth about the hold Yael's family has only her and on Bloomfield.

This was a sweet story, and I enjoyed my reading experience - the cozy setting was just what I needed. I thought Margot's character felt a bit more developed than Yael's, but both were endearing, and they fit well together.

I did think there were some things in the story that could have been better developed. For example, the magic almost felt like an afterthought rather than a key part of the world building and story arc. Some side-plots that I thought would come back at the end of the story didn't return, also.

I think this cozy romantasy will appeal more to romance readers than to fantasy readers, as that was really the plot that moved the narrative forward. The story centers more around Yael and Margot's relationship than anything else, as did the central conflict. I was coming more for the cozy fantasy than the romance, which made this not a perfect fit for me. I also am not a "spicy" book person, so I found myself blushing a bit! I am definitely not the right person to rate those parts.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC to read and review.

I received a free early copy of this book for review. This is my own opinion. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House | Ballantine-Del Rey for the opportunity to review!

<b>Genre:</b> cozy fantasy romance

<b>Tropes:</b> childhood friends to lovers

<b>Spice Level:</b> 1/5 on page scenes, but the most descriptive word is nipple

<b>Content Warning:</b> sucky parents? Is that a cw?

Let it be known how much I appreciate that queerness just <i> exists </i> in this world. It’s not shoehorned in to fit some token idea, no labels are slapped on it, and it’s just perfectly done. This is how queerness should exist in media.

Gosh this was so cute and sweet! I love the cheeky little asides about traveling parties a la DND. As much as cozy fantasies tend to have a DND side quest feel, this felt more like a slice of life, though there were a handful of side quests.

Without divulging all the same information as the synopsis, Margot has a problem. Yael is trying to escape their problems. At the root of both of their problems are Yael’s family, and they work together to solve them, with a lot of plant magic and elbow grease along the way.

Homegrown Magic feels like a Studio Ghibli film, so read it if you’re into that. Definitely recommended for cozy fantasy fans, or those looking for something a little lighter.

Thanks again to Del Rey and Netgalley for the arc!