Oof I did not like this one. It has too many things trying to happen, from a dying grandmother, an estranged mother and maybe brother, a love interest who maybe isn't, magic that is poorly developed, inexplicably Christian witches, the strangest paragraph about drugs and gangs and trauma from the love interest, morally questionable actions treated as fine, and the cringiest use of swear words.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is far better for magical baked goods. ( )

The story is all right with likeable characters. I like the idea of balance with Magic, but i am not emotional attached to the main characters. She came across a bit needy and whiney sometime ( )

I thought this would be a fun, cute, and cozy romance, but it wasn't as much like I thought it would be.

This was very much like Practical Magic, etc like, almost too close and too much like it. And, well, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I thought this would be a light-hearted, cozy, fun romance, but it wasn't as light-hearted as I'd hoped, it had some fun parts and some humor, but not quite the light-hearted fun type of romance story I was hoping for.

I know a lot who will like this and if you like this kind of story, then feel free to check it out. This just wasn't what I hoped and not for me.

Thanks to Alcove Press and LibraryThing for letting me read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

Ever since Sadie Revelare was told about her four heartbreak curse that accompanies her magic, she’s never doubted the price wouldn’t be worth it. But when Gigi, her grandmother, is diagnosed with cancer and only has weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake, returns after being gone for a decade, Sadie’s life feels like it’s unraveling and her magic can’t fix it. Even more, upon hearing about Gigi’s diagnosis, Sadie’s estranged twin brother, Seth, returns as well, uncovering family secrets that will tear her world apart.

Gigi has been the backbone to the Revelare family for generations, and with her death, Sadie must try with everything she’s got, to not only keep her family together, but her magic as well. As her feelings for Jake begin to respark, Sadie must decide if love is more important than her magic.

I don’t actively go about reading romance books, but this had the tagline “for fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls” and I decided to give this a shot. I absolutely called the ending pretty early into the book, especially once everything was established. Though I was a little confused about Sadie’s curse… I still am to be honest. Also - witches who go to a christian church? What?

Overall, the book was okay. The premise of it was excellent, but it fell short for me.

*Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ( )

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Hello Fellow Readers,

When the read the synopsis and saw that this was a cross between Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls I was so excited. I practically clawed my way to request this, sadly it just wasn't my cup of tea. First I couldn't connect to the MC Sadie, she actually made me want to rip my hair out multiple times. Secondly, I just did not like the romance. Jake was just unlikable, and when we hear about why he's even back sniffing around Sadie it just makes it worse to me. I would have loved it if Sadie actually stayed single, as every interaction between them felt forced and flat. Third, Sadie's grandma was annoying, I might just be tired of the 'Hardass but loving Grandmother' trope. Lastly, while in the beginning I really enjoyed Randall's writing, towards the end I felt like she was adding descriptions to make a word count.

The idea behind this sounded so good, it's just the execution could have been better. There are a lot of themes that I would love to have explored like death and heartbreak and how it would affect magic. Also, Randall's magic system seemed interesting.

Overall, This just wasn't for me but it could be for you. ( )