Homegrown Magic delivers exactly what it claims! It is a cozy, magical novel about a plant witch and a miserably unhappy heir to a wealthy family and the home they find with each other.
There were some parts that were a little slower to get through, but those were few and far between. Mostly the story flowed well and was immensely enjoyable. I also loved reading a book containing so much representation!
The book was very cozy and now I need a cup of tea, a strawberry plant, and some hand-knitted cardigans! A greenhouse filled with magical plants wouldn’t hurt either!

While I appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation, I had to stop reading this one after I began to notice numerous antisemitic stereotypes. I was hoping that the author was going to reveal a plot twist that negated them, but after the horn references, I decided it was best to put this one down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Homegrown Magic was the coziest, softest, most ✨vibes✨ book I’ve read in a while!

What I Absolutely Loved:
💖 REP, REP, REP! The way this world just exists as queer-normative? Perfection. The non-binary representation with the general neutral terms and queer-positive treatment was very refreshing. And seeing how Yael navigated intense parental expectations was an added bonus.
💖 Yael & Margot = Complicated but Relatable – These two are messy in all the best ways. They’re dealing with family baggage, figuring out their futures, and struggling with feelings. I wanted to hug them and yell at them, which means I was 100% invested.
💖 The Romance – Slow-burn to the MAX. The kind where you just know they belong together, but it takes forever (in the best way). I was rooting for them for the whole book, and when they finally reached their HEA it felt very deserved.

Things That Were Just Okay:
✨ The Spice Level: If you’re looking for major romance scenes, this one keeps it on the softer side. But honestly? It totally worked with the cozy vibes that the book was going for.

What I Wanted More Of:
❗ More Magic, Please! – The word magic is literally in the title, but for most of the book, it felt like an after-thought. Then Act 5 rolls around, and BOOM—the magic actually gets some stunning descriptions. I just wish we got more of that earlier on! Margot's magical abilities aren't highlighted the way it seemed like they would be, so it left me a little disappointed.
❗ Plot Holes & Confusing Decisions: While Yael’s complexity made them compelling, some of their choices felt frustrating and at times, even harmful, and weren’t always given enough depth to make them fully understandable. Like, WHY are you making this harder for yourself? I needed a little more explanation to really understand their thought process sometimes.

Final Thoughts:
If you love books that feel like curling up with a warm cup of tea on a rainy day, this one’s for you. It has a great dual POV and the duel narrators for the audiobook was 10/10. This book reminded me of Legends & Lattes and The Spellshop, with its cozy cottage atmosphere and focus on relationships, identity, and self-growth. While I wanted a bit more from the magical elements and some plot details, the book’s heart, representation, and emotional depth made it a delightful read. If you love a slow-burn romance, endearing yet complicated characters, and the kind of book that wraps you in warmth, this one’s for you.

me 🤝 a dual narrative love story. i really enjoyed how cozy and low stakes this was. i’m used to high stakes fantasy with lots of twists and angst and this was a nice reprieve. i’m a lover of the queer-normative setting and how much like a step into stardew valley this felt like. overall, this a solid read, but (as much as i enjoyed the change of pace) maybe a bitttt too low stakes slice-of-life for me.

A queer, cozy romantic fantasy in the same lane as Legends & Lattes or Thr Spellshop. Home Grown Magic takes its coziness from a rural setting, with a lot of conflict drawn between “rich big city folk” and “unsophisticated hardworking rural working class” in a way that is very traditionally stereotypical, but queernormative.

The main conflict stopping the two characters from being together (causing quite a slow burn) is essentially “rich heir vs formally (less) wealthy and now small business owner” and the villain is ultimately capitalism, though the solution is also capitalism via small business so I’m not sure what the message is meant to be. For the first half, all of the problems in the book could be solved with a conversation, but eventually outside plot does appear.

The romance is developed fine and it makes sense for the two characters to be together, though there is a lot of repetition of the same discussion of the central themes. Lots of miscommunication, lots of “I must break their heart to save them from pain!!” type vibes. I would call this a medium level of spice—not fade to black, more than a single scene, but not even close to erotica as a genre & definitely meant to move forward the relationship. I appreciated the reference to bindings and other acknowledgment of the nonbinary main character.

This isn’t particularly long for the genre but it did feel overly drawn out and I think could have been tighter.

3.75 “Hibiscus and Ginger Tea” Stars ✰✰✰

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, Jamie Pacton, and Rebecca Podos for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thoughts:

A queer-comfy-cozy-fantasy that delivers on all of its promises? What more could you ask for!

I binged this story, and not because it was the kind of the story that you couldn’t put down as you have to figure out what comes next, but instead, I binged it because the world created was one I did not want to leave. It gave the soft, queer, cottagecore, fairytale vibes that made me want to be a part of this realm for as long as I could and not think about the real world.

Cute romance with banter >>>
Queernormative world >>>
Unique magic system and world building >>>
Light and cozy and remained pretty low stakes >>>

There are not many downsides to this story minus my cravings for more magical elements (since we were teased with possibilities of what could be done), the pacing from time to time and some of the miscommunication/lack of communication that added to the conflict when the conflict was already set up so it felt unnecessary to me personally. All of that aside, THIS IS A FUN AND CHARMING READ!

I adored these characters and side characters, and hope the authors decide to give us more stories set in this world! On my way to go look for a delicious and much needed strawberry jam recipe, and then hopping into my car to stop by a plant nursery!

Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:

E-book

Pace:

Slow/Medium

Cover thoughts:

SO FREAKING ADORABLE!

Triggers:

Classism, Death, Magical Sickness, Toxic Relationships, etc.

Going into Homegrown Magic, I'll admit I had mixed expectations. I'm not huge on cozy fantasy, but I do like a good romance, and I love queernormative stories. Mainly, my gripe with cozy fantasy is that it, like Stardew Valley and gardening, kinda stresses me out? I don't know - I'm so used to cozy things having a secret hidden twist that's actually awful, so that I can never actually relax and get into the story. Fully a me problem, I digress. But anyway!

I think Homegrown Magic hit that sweet spot of having a little bit to satisfy everybody. A little bit of cozy (the idyllic village of Bloomfield where our MCs spend the most part of the novel), a little bit of heightened stakes (plant witch Margot must create a potion by a certain deadline, or else lose the town of Bloomfield to magical heir Yael's family), and a lot of friends to lovers romance. Both main characters are lovable and yet flawed, and I felt they complemented each other perfectly. I found it easy to settle into the story and I loved the writing style; both authors' voices blend very well together, so I couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

For me, my favorite part was the way the plot unfolded. It was very much a slice of life fantasy, but a slice of life that never got boring. I think part of that is that we've got a great balance between the two characters - Margot is so entrenched in Bloomfield, but everything is new to Yael. Seeing things through Yael's POV made everything seem like a novelty, while Margot had to adjust her life (reluctantly at first) to having someone new in it shaking things up. The first two thirds of the book had such a beautiful cadence to them, and the romance was so sweet. I also really, really enjoyed the nonbinary rep with Yael. The (predominantly queer) secondary characters were developed nicely as well - I can guess which ones may have their own romances later in the series, but it never felt as though we were building secondary characters for the sole purpose of sequels.

I am knocking a star off because the last third of the book dragged a bit for me. As soon as Yael and Margot have their third act breakup, I felt both characters' arcs struggled on their own. The details of Yael's bargain with their patron felt mildly confusing to me - do they forget about Margot entirely, or do they forget that Margot's someone special to them? Some chapters seemed to imply the former, while most leaned towards the latter. Margot's chapters during this breakup went by quicker than Yael's, and I liked the twist regarding the Natural Caster potion, but I still felt this part dragged compared to when the couple is together. Also knocking off a star because, as one reviewer mentioned, you can't just mention a chicken witch and then say nothing else about the chicken witch.

Still, I enjoyed the blend of romance and cottage-core vibes, and I felt that the village of Bloomfield is such a cozy setting. This is definitely for all the sapphic, goblin-era, cottagecore girlies (me. It's for me).

Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and authors Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I look forward to the next installment in the Homegrown Magic series!

I wanted to love this. The premise is great, and it encompasses that cottagecore vibe that I long for. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the story or the writing. It was slow and boring. I DNF'd this around the 20% mark.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for access to the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I ended up reading my physical ARC.
This book was exactly what I was hoping for. As soon as I saw the author's announce the cover, title, and blurb, I knew this was going to be a book I enjoyed. And I was so right. I loved everything about both Margot and Yael, from their individual characteristics to how well they mesh together. And of course, the found family throughout the book was squeezing my heart in all the right places. I loved how queer-normative this world was, like how they had a gender neutral word in place of "sir" or "ma'am". I could relate and empathize with the struggles both Yael and Margot were facing, and think the book overall was amazing start to finish. The physical ARC mentioned there being a second book, and I hope that's the case!

This was absolutely not the book for me. I was already a bit nervous because cottagecore to me terms to scream boring and this was definitely that. Nothing was memorable and I want really interested to pick it up. But even worse was the authorial voice. It was incredibly horrible and constantly pulled me out of the story. I was just overall hoping for more.

Homegrown Magic is a cozy fantasy about rekindled love, family expectations, and finding where you truly belong. With lush greenhouses, gentle magic, and a touch of romance, it’s a sweet escape into a whimsical world.

Yael Claneuck has grown up knowing that the weight of their family’s expectations falls squarely on their shoulders. When they make a break for freedom, they are shocked to run into their childhood friend Margot Greenwillow. Margot is attempting to save her family, her greenhouses, and her beloved town. As Yael becomes Margot’s assistant in the greenhouses, will they be able to work together to save the town and rekindle the spark between them?

Homegrown Magic is a cozy and lighthearted fantasy that feels as delightful as a warm cup of tea on a winter’s day. I loved the queer characters and rep that is thoughtfully written into the town. The descriptions of the town and greenhouses make it feel like a real place you could visit. I enjoyed Yael and Margot’s friendship and eventual relationship. I didn’t quite buy the third-act chaos, but I enjoyed how the story ended. I'm excited to check out the next book in the series! Homegrown Magic is perfect for readers seeking charmingly cozy and queer fantasy adventures.

Thank you so much to Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos, Del Rey, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found Homegrown Magic to be a cute and romantic cozy fantasy that at times did feel a little slow, but the story had a good plot and the characters were written well enough that I wanted to keep reading. I liked that the story wasn't a high-stakes vibe, which made it all the more cozy and calm to read. I don't usually read books with queer representation because I feel they all tend to be cut from the same cloth so to speak but I might start again thanks to this book.

This was a cute, cozy fantasy book. It centered on the relationship and romance between Yael and Margot. There was technically a plot with objectively some high stakes, but it felt secondary to the characters' relationship. Overall a very cute story. I think a little toooo cute for me - it reads like a YA story with a few gratuitous explicit scenes, which unfortunately seems to be the trend in "NA." I read and love a lot of YA, but there's something off-putting to me when the characters are in their 20s and still acting like teenagers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the chance to review this book, all opinions are my own.

I am huge cozy fantasy fan and the story in Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos matches the charm of Legends & Lattes, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, and The Spellshop. The characters are lovable disasters, the story is sweet, and the world is intriguing.

The only reason this book is not a 5 star read for me is because it is written in third person present tense and for some reason that absolutely broke my brain. It literally took me 3 months just to get past the first chapter. Given the choice, I think I would have tried to listen to the audiobook of this one, it probably would have helped me focus on the story better. Yael’s chapters are also written with a lot of long sentences with no stops and sometimes tangents (I think this is indicative of Yael’s wandering thoughts) but again, it was hard for my brain to focus on this. Very much a me problem though!

Once I got past the writing style, I was totally charmed by the story and the characters and wanted to keep reading. The writing style did continue to pull me out of the story but not because it wasn’t interesting or sweet. Small town romance, friends to lovers, defeating capitalism, it fits the cozy fantasy genre well.

I think if readers don't mind the style of writing (or perhaps listen to the audiobook) this will be another cozy fantasy hit!

in HOMEGROWN MAGIC yael clauneck (they/them), heir to a powerful banking family, runs from their high-society life and unexpectedly reunites with margot greenwillow (she/her), a plant witch struggling to keep her family's magic business alive. as yael takes refuge working in margot's greenhouses, their old friendship rekindles into something more. but with meddling parents in power and complicated feelings in the mix, both yael and margot must navigate growing attraction and the pressures threatening to pull them apart.

i haven’t read a ton of cozy fantasy, so i’m not sure how this stacks up against others in the genre, but overall, this was a sweet and easy read! it’s definitely one of those stories where you mostly follow the day-to-day activities of the characters. think lots of gardening, some potion making, descriptions of gowns and finery, and even a ball or two (because what’s a whimsical fantasy without a good party, right?)

the stakes felt pretty low throughout, which made it a very chill read. there are some conflicts and challenges, but nothing that ever felt too heavy or intense, so if you’re looking for something to ease into, this might be a good pick!

the writing is whimsical in a way that really reminded me of stephanie garber’s caraval universe, but make it more cottagecore... and add a little spice. honestly, the vibes were there, i just wish there had been a bit more magic woven into the story. like, give me more enchanted gardens! more spells! more potion mishaps! i was craving that extra sprinkle of magic to fully pull me into the world.

also, while i enjoyed most of the story, the ending left me wanting a bit more. i would’ve loved a more satisfying wrap-up, especially for yael's character.

if you’re into cozy queer stories with low stakes, fluffy writing, a dash of magical realism, and lots of time spent in gardens or moving about the town, check this one out!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley!

This book was soft, sweet, and romantic. I couldn’t even tell it was written by two authors since the writing styles are so seamless - there is no jarring tone change in the writing.

The two main settings and sets of characters have such a strong juxtaposition, which sets the tone really nicely, and sets up the whole "two worlds colliding" vibe well. It felt a bit like a Hallmark movie, but make it queer and diverse! I really loved the queernormative world! A tiny detail, but I loved the "sira'am" honorific. In the Philippines, we say "ma'amsir" to greet strangers in order to not assume gender, so it was so nice seeing a version of that in this book! I enjoyed Yael and Margot, although some of the miscommunications/misunderstandings felt a little forced in order to progress the plot, and felt out of place/out of character. Overall, the character growth of Yael and Margot alike was wonderful. It was really nice to seem them grow as both individuals and together. And I liked the conclusion, and how it wasn't just a magical cure-all!

This was a really sweet and cozy read -- Definitely great for those wanting a bit of fantasy, but where the character development is still the focus.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

This book was so delightfully queer and cozy! It's honestly everything I could ask for out of a cozy fantasy. The fact that it gave me the same kind of vibes I get when I play Stardew Valley is an added bonus. I loved getting to spend time in Bloomfield and found myself wishing it was a real place I could go to. I'm usually not a big fan of friends to lovers, but I really liked how it was done in this book. I loved getting to see Yael and Margot's relationship evolve throughout the book. I'm excited to see what the next book in this series has in store for us!

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!