Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire was described as perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Charmed. and to a good extent it lived up to that description. Scarlett Melrose is a witch no matter how much she has tried to live without magic since she left her home of Oak Haven years ago, so when her estranged sisters call her for help as the magic in the town is going awry, despite her misgivings she returns home. The last thing she expected to find when she got there was her sort of ex/former best friend Nate working as a handyman in the family's inn. Of course her attempts to help go disastrously wrong, forcing her and Nate to work together to solve the problem.
This is definitely a cute and cosy read that has great autumnal vibes but I struggled to care about the characters, which is definitely a problem when the romance is central to the story, I am also not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope and there was a lot of that going on in this book. Speaking of a lot, there was also a lot going on in terms of the plot, it felt quite messy and disjointed at times, like a few too many ideas had been crammed together.
Potential but it did not quite work for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Impractical magic is a cosy autumn read with magical sisters and a sweet romance. I really wanted to love this book but I was disappointed in the writing and overall story line, especially near the end. It had a lot of potential it just felt a little underdeveloped and lacking depth. Saying that, I did enjoy the story and the Melrose sisters. A cute read for this time of year.

3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book.

When your last name is Grimoire, you’re pretty much destined to write a story about witches! (I thought the coincidence was pretty fun). Scarlett moved away from home years ago but when her estranged sisters call, it’s clear something is up in her small hometown of Oak Haven. From fixing the mess of a curse to reconciling with her magical family and the ex that got away, Nate, Scarlett is faced with the ultimate test.
This was a cozy-ish magical romcom perfect for witchy season, but sometimes lacked any depth or continuity of how plot points came to be. Also didn’t get Gilmore Girls vibes (as it was marketed to be like) beyond the small town.
Thank you to Avon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Scarlett gets a call from her sister saying that magic in their hometown is acting up so after ten years of steering clear of home she finally returns to help restore order, and maybe even rekindle things with her childhood crush.

This honestly felt like I was getting whiplash. It’s a cute concept, that felt a bit like a rip off of the premise for the thistle grove series, and partly like a toddler threw spaghettios at the wall. Some of the time I felt like the dialogue was well written, and then a character would address her sister as “sis”. There’s a way to write a cute cozy witchy fall book without it being so quirky that there are exploding gourds or bad Star Wars jokes. There’s also a way to write a romance without miscommunication every other chapter rather than being a third act breakup. Furthermore, if Grimoire isn’t a pen name I’d be astounded but less disappointed.

Thank you Net galkey and Avon books..

Loved it. Quick & cozy fall read. It was full of detail, I really had to pay attention. It did feel.lije more work then it should have been. But over all a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader copy of this book!

Pitched for fans of Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic. I was so excited to read this book! It had every vibe that I love for fall.

Unfortunately I struggled to get absorbed in it. It felt sort of one dimensional to me. And I really really did not click with the main character, I felt she was very immature and brash. I also didn’t like her poor relationship with her mother and her older sister. I just felt like this book didn’t really have a lot of the depth that I was looking for.

We start out with Scarlett, who is returned to her magical hometown after being away for 10 years. As a story goes on, we learn more about why she left and didn’t come back and how it relates to the problem at hand. The problem was, I couldn’t find it in myself to really care.

The book had a good plot, I just struggled to immerse myself in it. Overall it wasn’t a terrible story.

This book was cute, it just was not for me. I will say, however it's perfect for the fall season if you want a cutesy book to read! I was just personally bored.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon Books for this arc. I DNF at 31% as I wasn’t really enjoying it. I got too confused during conversations and couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I think it definitely had potential and could use a bit more editing. It just wasn’t the book for me.

If you are looking for a descriptive, fall, cozy read, you might really enjoy this!

I enjoyed the rich descriptions of the small town where the book is set. Scarlett, the main character, has returned to her enchanted home town to find the magic isn’t working as it should. What is going on? And where did the magic come from to begin with?

We find out, while meeting a cast of characters! The book has a lot going on- romance, sisterhood, magic, and many pop culture references. It’s fun to read a witchy novel set in present time!

It’s billed as a Gilmore Girls X Charmed inspired book, and it does have elements of both. I liked it, but didn’t love it. I found Scarlett to be not very likable, and the dialogue often felt unnatural. I also wanted more depth, but that’s not what this book is meant to be. It’s a quick, fun read.

Give this a try if you are looking for a cozy, easy read full of autumn vibes! 🍂🍁🍂🍂🍁

Ticks all the cosy autumn boxes - romance, witchy, gentle, falling leaves, small town... but has a surprising depth to it too. Loved all the well-crafted magic, especially the quirks of Oak Haven, and Scarlett's backstory was equally compelling, Nicely paced plot too (although I felt the final few chapters felt a little rushed). Overall, a lovely magical and atmospheric read.

I think this book has great potential. It's good if you're looking for a quick cozy read during the fall. It was advertised as Gilmore girls but add in some magic. I think what I struggled with the most was the dialogue it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the gifted ebook.

This was such a fun read to start out my October to be read list. This gave so many Gilmore girls vibes. I love the main characters so much this was fun and magical. Everything I could have imagined.

This was a wonderful book. Filled with cozy witchy vibes which I loved for the upcoming spooky season. Plus you can never go wrong with a little bit of romance ✨

Very cute!
Scarlett has stayed away from her secret hometown for years. But when she gets a desperate call from her sister she goes home, reuniting with an old friend (maybe more) and her family. But things aren't well in town. Magic has gone haywire and it's up to the family to figure out why.
Loved the story. My only hiccups were a conversation Scarlett has with a sister while chasing a bad guy (felt toobflippant/humorous compared to how the sister is portrayed elsewhere in the story) and what felt like a missing celebration with Scarlett's "return" at the end.

Impractical Magic is a delightful blend of witchy charm, family dynamics, and a sprinkle of romance that makes for a cozy read. Scarlett Melrose’s return to Oak Haven pulls her into a magical whirlwind as she faces not only her estranged sisters but also her old flame, Nate. The small-town setting is rich with atmosphere, perfect for autumn vibes, and the story’s slow-burn romance adds just the right touch of warmth.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an enjoyable read for me. I found the pacing to be off, and I wasn’t able to form a connection with the characters. There surely is a target audience for this book, but I’m not it.

Thank you Avon books UK and NetGalley for an advance copy of Impractical Magic in exchange for my honest review.

If you're looking for a lighthearted cozy fall romp of a read, this is your girl. If you love pumpkin spice latte's while watching adorable Lifetime movies, you're gonna wanna pick this up. If you want a bit of romance and a bit of magic, you will not be disappointed.

I loved that this seemed geared for a younger adult reader. I definitely felt this could be appropriate as YA. I also loved the low stakes wholesome vibes. Nothing too crazy, not a whole lot of complications or plot, just sweet small town love with a magical twist.

The book leaned heavily into a “cutesy” vibe, which felt overdone, particularly with the constant references to Gilmore Girls and other current pop culture. I worry that many of these references will quickly feel dated, losing their impact as time passes. One of the things that really detracted from the experience for me was the repetitive use of character names in dialogue. It became frustratingly frequent, to the point where it felt unnatural—people just don’t use each other’s names in conversation that often, especially not with family. This habit made the dialogue feel forced and disrupted the flow of the story. Overall, it left me feeling a bit disappointed.

I dfn’d this one and I wanted to like it so bad. I felt zero connection to any of the characters and everything that happened (until I stopped reading it at 65% through) didn’t entice me enough. The idea of it was so so interesting and I’m a HUGE fan of Charmed and Gilmore Girls so I was hyped up about this one. I wish I could have liked it. I even gave it a longer chance than I usually do when I feel like I’m not gonna finish it. But when I would switch to other books while reading this one, finish those, and have no desire to return I had to call it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I LOVED this book! Scarlett and Nate’s romance is beautiful, the mystery of magic being haywire was intriguing, the banter all throughout the book was perfectly timed and funny, and the ending was actually the most perfect idea I’ve ever read. Absolutely a fantastic book for spooky season- and outside of spooky season!