Sadie owns a bakery, and each of her recipes are spells. Really, a recipe is the very definition of a spell if you think about it. Her Rum-Soaked Peach Muffins with Walnut Streusel Topping is known to "incite euphoria and preserve only happy memories", so don't indulge too frequently or it could be worse for you. I love how Breanne Randall finishes her chapters with a recipe to coincide with this. Some of them sound utterly delicious, others are so comforting they're like a hug from Grandma. Either way there are more than a handful I will be trying for myself, such as Orange Balsamic Marinade, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Athena's Tea, Orange Honey Vanilla Scones, and Fried Chicken "Just because it's damn good. Your hands will get messy, your clothes will smell like grease, and it'll all be worth it. The only magic here is good food.".

When Sadie's estranged twin brother returns after they learn that their Grandmother is dying, he brings back with him deeply buried family secrets that could bring Sadie's work crashing down around her. She must ultimately choose between love and her magic.

Perfect for fans of Practical Magic, and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I know I’m definitely in the minority here, but this one just didn’t grab me. From the description, I genuinely thought I would absolutely love it. It very well could be one that I need to try again at a later date and maybe then it’ll click, but for now, it was not for me.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic has a witchy recipe for every soul
I cried sad tears, sweetness overload tears, and happy tears while reading this beautifully witchy story. The book is cups of love, hope, resiliency, and strength mixed in and sprinkled with a healthy dose of magic.


When we first meet Sadie in The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall, she is not having a good day. Bad omens are everywhere, and her usual protections are not working. She knows bad news is around the corner. The signs tell her someone from her past might be returning, and they are right. Jake, the man who one day left her without explanation and she never stopped loving, is back in town.

But Sadie cannot afford another heartbreak. She has two under her belt, and her magic will run out after the fourth. That is the curse that balances her blessing—she can help people through her magic, but if she wants to do it indefinitely, she needs to protect it. Sadie refuses to let anybody in because she needs to preserve her magic and her heart.

And now Jake, her first heartbreaker, is back in town and seeking her out. Meanwhile, she still carries the heartbreak of not knowing anything about her twin brother, who split one day without explanation. Even worse, Gigi, her grandmother and family matriarch, is dying. Are heartbreaks three and four looming around the corner and impossible to avoid?

“She wanted to go back to the way things were. She wanted her brother before he’d abandoned her. Gigi before she’d shared her secrets. Jake before he’d broken her heart. Life before the threat of death.”
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is not just about heartbreak. It’s also about love, family, and the magic that surrounds us all the time in the little things—the acts of love we gift, the moments (and the food) we share with the people we love, and the decisions we make to protect them. It’s a story about processing grief, and it’s full of sorrow, but it is also cozy and hopeful. I loved reading about how Sadie uses food and gardening to channel her magic.

“They made jars of orange-infused honey that would bring joy back into the lives of those who ate it, sachets of snowdrop tea to give hope, and hard-candy wood sorrel drops to help new mothers. There was olive oil infused with rosemary and black pepper to encourage adventurous love, and yellow rose petal jam to make the eater forgive and forget.”

I think a big part of the reason I loved The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall is that, as an aspiring coffee shop and bakery owner, I believe food is magic and can cure any ailment of the soul. But also, what is not to love about a book dedicated to the magical bond we have with grandmas and siblings? Have I mentioned it also includes some mouthwatering and potentially healing recipes? I will most definitely be trying some of those.

Side note for Breanne, I’m really going to need you to post that honey lemon pound cake recipe. My soul needs Gigi’s take on this already favorite.

Look no further, I have found the perfect book to add to your fall TBR!

Cozy small-town vibes, close family ties (and drama to boot) combined with the perfect touch of witchy magic!

I truly enjoyed the uniqueness of the magic system and how it tied this family together. The plot takes on a lot; romance, family and even a bit of a mystery but it does so in a way that felt easy and relevant to the story!

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was high up on my tbr. It was one of those cases where I would have enjoyed the book had been for the publisher's comparisons. The comparisons were very popular and it just didn't deliver on those promises.

What a lovely story. This story was filled with cozy magic, family, and love. Many people compared it to a cross between the Gilmore girls and practical magic and I whole heartedly agree. As someone who is so close with their grandmother this story gave me all the feels. Well written, but also had so much love and romance throughout. I loved this story and it is perfect for a fall, cozy read!

Sadly, I didnt download this in time and I really wanted to read it. Thank you library for the loan so I could honor my commitment and enjoy a cozy fall book!

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall is the perfect seasonal read and probably why I held off reading it until the temps started cooling and the leaves falling from the trees.

Billed as Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic - I think the story has the small town vibes of Gilmore Girls mixed with relationships of the witchy family of Practical Magic.

The Revelare family is blessed with magic, but with each person's magic there is a curse. For Sadie, the price of using her magic is that she will suffer four heartbreaks, the last of which will lead to her magic leaving her.

This book has all the feels for fall. It's warm, comforting and has mystery. And it has the bonus of recipes with each chapter! The descriptions of food in this book made me want to make a snack - and added to the cozy fall vibe.

"The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" has all the feels for fall. It's warm, comforting and has mystery built inside. It is a beautifully written ode to human nature, family - found and otherwise, and the unpredictability of being human.

Trigger warnings: mental health - and I felt the author dealt with the topics sensitively.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Alcive Press for the perfect fall treat!

This was a slower read for me than I anticipated. I enjoyed the characters overall, but it just felt like some essential element of this story was missing for me - I think I never really got a handle on what magic meant for all the different characters in the story. I also did not love the "trapped by parental obligation" obstacle in the main romance - it's a tired cliché for a reason. This wasn't for me, but I certainly know the audience that will love this, and will be recommending accordingly!

I hated this book. I can’t say it any other way. This just did NOT do it for me. Honestly, I fell for the marketing and the book just did not deliver. I’m gonna try to make my thoughts as coherent as possible, but no promises.

- The Magic system is lame. There, I said it. I think it’s boring. You could’ve taken the magic out and the book would’ve been barely changed. ALSO the witches go to CHURCH?????? I did not sign up for Christian witches lol

- Sadie is the absolute worst. She is so immature and annoying. “Oh, everyone leaves me” like GET OVER IT. You wanted your brother to never leave town because it made YOU upset? You’re both grown ass adults. That’s weird. She stole Jake’s dog???? She manipulated people with her magic and it was icky.

- Jake is not much better. I could not get behind their romance AT ALL. Also, the author tells you almost nothing about their previous relationship so I had no reason to root for them at all?? I couldn’t have cared less if they ended up together or not.

- All of the characters are one dimensional and flat. We got basically no background story on anyone. Also, there were too many characters. I get where the author was going, with the small town Gilmore Girls vibes but it just did not deliver.

- This book had no idea what it wanted to be. Was it fantasy, literary fiction, romance, suspense? It tried to be too many things and in turn, failed at all of them.

- this book was WAY overwritten. I do not need an in depth description on every food and scenery. What I do need, PLOT!!!!! Which this book is sorely lacking.

- I did not like how this book handled suicide or rape. At all. Left me feeling icky and uncomfortable both times.

Honorable mention: the weird ghost / suspense plot line is so pointless.

I wouldn’t recommend this book if you paid me. Immediately no.

Sadie has a curse and is magical. However she's going thru a lot as her grandma's dying, her ex boyfriend has returned and so hasn't her brother. It was hard to get into as I didn't really like the main character.

This is a fun fall read that will bring readers to a cute small town withe secrets and magic. The fami.ly dynamics were relatable and liked how they all came together when times got tough.

I was so excited for this one but I just was ultimately not a fan at all. It was sold to me as a crossover of Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls but I feel like that is a very poor description. I really struggled to connect with the characters and felt Sadie was kind of annoying to be in the mind of. She went from “I will avoid Jake with my entire being” to constantly being with him within pages and it was just very weird. The writing itself and the dialogue felt very clunky and choppy and just did not flow well. I feel like there was an over abundance of comparisons and description used to the point it got kind of annoying to read. the chapters were incredibly long which I generally don’t enjoy, but especially not in what’s supposed to be a romance. I just really struggled to care for the characters, Sadie’s conflicts, and the romance because it felt like we were just dropped in the middle and supposed to care without knowing the characters or any background as to what’s going on. Also the fact the witches are also Christian’s going to church every sunday is wild because… well they’re witches? idk the fact just really threw me when I read it. The only thing I really enjoyed were the recipes at every chapter but it definitely was not enough to redeem this for me.

Unfortunately due to a lack of connection to the characters and a friend's disclosure of a trigger warning that I need to avoid I am DNF'ing the book at 42%. I think this book will resonate with many readers seeking a small-town magical read that deals with heavier topics such as grief and sacrifice.

Loved the concept of it being a Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls style book, as both of those are right up my alley. Unfortunately, despite having a lot of great pieces the book felt a bit disjointed and stumbles around in many areas. It doesn't quite know what kind of book it wants to be - it's definitely not the small town witchy romance halloween read that I wanted it to be.

Here's a perfect book for October! I absolutely enjoyed and loved this book. It's warm and cosy and perfect to curl up with under the blanket while it's pouring rain outside. The only thing that bothered me, and why I gave it this rating is that it was predictable. But all in all, I had a good time with it and I will be recommending this book to my followers.

Cozy and adventurous. Everything I need in a book about witches, family and love. The magic in the world is subtle and intentional.

I'm afraid I'm DNFing this one at 40%. I've been brought out of the story a couple of times already by continuity errors - I'm reading an ARC copy so this may not be reflected in the published title - but it was things like the main character saying she was glad she hadn't eaten since breakfast when she literally just had people round for dinner.... Or saying someone was stood behind her but that "looking straight ahead, her eyes were on level with his chest".

I'm also really struggling with the dialogue. Sadie doesn't strike me as a particularly jovial person but then she tries to make these witty quips that just fall completely flat. And other than that I find myself thinking "get going, get going" with regards to the plot. I'm waiting to feel invested and it's just not happening and with a TBR as big as mine, I have to be a bit ruthless and move on.

I did read a couple of other reviews once I got to this point which reassured me I'm not alone in my feelings.

DNF at 42%. The writing of this is really just not working for me. The descriptions of side characters makes me a little uncomfortable, I really can’t stand a grandmother using “shit ass” and “pissant” as terms of endearment, and overall I’m just not invested. I don’t think this author is going to be for me.

I was really looking forward to this book, and I enjoyed reading about the bakery. The recipes are a definite bonus! However, I kept losing my train of thought while reading, I think because I just couldn’t relate to the characters at all. I finished the book but I was disappointed. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" is a sweet book about lost and found love & family. While I really enjoyed the hands on herb & bakery magic in this book, I found the protagonist incredibly annoying and absolutely hated the entire 'romance'. The book is heteronormative romcom hell but in the tradition of all powerful women in fantasy novels, our protagonist too has to sacrifice her magic to save a man and to be able to be with a man. Wow. As you can tell, I disliked the ending immensely. I liked how the family all came together after the matriarch's death and I really enjoyed the magic system as I said, so the feel good vibe worked but overall I just couldn't stand the whining of the protagonist because her hot ex is back in town. 3 stars