A cosy read for the change in seasons - the story is set in a small Connecticut town called Oak Haven where the way of life is protected by a charm which makes anyone who is not a witch forget of its existence once they leave.
Scarlett Melrose is from a prominent witch family but following a family tragedy she left witchcraft and Oak Haven behind her to relocate in San Francisco. However a call from her older sister sees her returning to her roots to avert a crisis that has affected the family inn and also the town. Once back in town Scarlett runs into old friends, flames and enemies and at times wonders why she returned. Delving deeper into the mystery curse causes new alliances to be made, discovering new enemies with stable portals to other locations and at last tracking down the cause of the changes affecting Oak Haven.
I found the book to be a easy read and characters affable, the last portion of the story was a little strange but overall a book to read on a dark day with a hot chocolate.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

This was definitely an autumnal read, advertised as Gilmore Girls meets practical magic I'd say that's pretty much spot on, this is the equivalent of a hot chocolate on a cold winters day, comforting and throughly enjoyable, second chance romance was a surprise and loved the pop culture references throughout

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is a charming, witchy novel with cozy autumn vibes, it is perfect for fans of small-town mysteries with a magical twist. This novel is set in the town of Oak Haven, the story follows Scarlett Melrose, who returns home after a decade away to help her family fix the town’s wayward magic. The town itself is steeped in magic, but something has gone terribly wrong, leading to unpredictable spells and a crisis that Scarlett and her sisters must resolve.

Scarlett’s complicated relationship with her estranged family and her old flame, Nate, adds depth to the narrative, while the town's whimsical, enchanted atmosphere gives it a cozy, autumnal feel. The magic system, involving witch families like the Melroses, feels well thought-out, and the novel blends lighthearted humor, romance, and mystery. This is a fun easy-to-read style and the warm homey setting makes it a wonderful choice for fall-themed reading lists.

Overall, while some parts felt a little rushed toward the end, Impractical Magic is an enjoyable, feel-good novel that is perfect for the fall/spooky season

I was really looking forward to this as it crept closer to spooky season. However, I was disappointed in the writing and overall story line. This had a lot of potential, but I just couldn’t get into it. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and at times I found the plot to be hard to follow. This may just be my opinion so if you are looking for a fall book and this looks interesting you may enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this early.

I'm giving this 3.5-4 stars based on the little I was able to read. The story sounds like something I'd really enjoy, and I would love to read a finished copy, but I ultimately had to set this one aside because the formatting on my copy was super weird! All the paragraphs ran together, even with fiddling on my kindle settings, and it was visually hard to deal with. My star rating is based on what I did read added to where I expected the story to go.


Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Grimoire, and Avon Books UK for the arc!

This is a cute, cozy, witchy, mystery novel that’s perfect for the fall. I enjoyed the simplicity of the storyline, characters, and the ending had me stressing out a bit for poor Scarlett. It’s got Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic vibes which was right up my alley. Overall, if you want a quick and simple read that’s got witchy, fall vibes this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

I loved this book. It was exactly what I needed! The autumnal witchy vibes were everything I wanted and more. I loved the little town that no one would remember but that Luna has travelled so many different places.

I think her relationship worked out well but it always led back to some form of miscommunication which wasn’t my favourite

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to everyone!!

Thank you Net Galley for this early copy!

This book was advertised as Gilmore Girls meets Charmed and while that concept was amazing, to me this just missed the mark, which honestly is completely personal. I felt this was extremely hard to follow and I simply couldn't get into the writing style. While it was modern and had some cute interactions, I just couldn't connect to the characters at all. I felt there were high stakes, but I wish there was a bit more magic and witches and all of the fall things. Overall, not a bad read and I can see others enjoying it - just wasn't for me.

This was a cute book. If you're looking for a cozy Fall novel this would be a great pick. I wish there was a little more substance to it, at times I felt my mind wondering a bit. But overall it was a fun read.

I am unfortunately choosing to DNF this one at 30%
I'm rather particular about my pop culture in books and I was not a fan of the references in this book. They were trying to be clever and quippy. The dialogue wasn't my cup of tea either... cheesy and didn't flow like true conversation.

There was so much potential for this book. I wanted to like it. But honestly I couldn’t stand the main fmc. And the book felt so slow

GIVE ME ALL THE FALL VIBES. This was such a cute read. It's a prefect debut from Emily, and during my favorite season of the year. It had all the things that I love in a book: small town, grumpy x sunshine, second chance romance. What more can you ask for.

Scarlett's back, after being away for ten years. She's tasked with 1)finding a solution to the Inn's and town's magic problem 2)if she wants to be with Nate. Along the way a lot of drama happens, both with her family and the towns people. At the end of the day, Scarlett's grown from the beginning of the book to the end of the book - and that's all I could ask for.

A cute little fall read perfect for spooky season aswell!
I love the grumpy x sunshine trope so much and Nate and Scarlett were perfect! While I'm not usually the biggest fan of slow burn I really enjoyed it in this book.

The story was just kind of all over the place and the writing felt kind of cringe. I wasn't having fun reading it and did not want to continue to the next page anytime I tried to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this eARC !

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. It was a bit disorganized and hard to follow.

Solid first effort for the author, can’t wait to see how much you grow!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

Scarlett returns to her New England hometown of Oak Haven after 10 years away to find that the magic that usually runs through the town has gone a bit haywire. Together with her 2 sisters, mother and the other witches of Oak Haven, she must find the source of the issue to restore things back to their version of normal.

This book had the makings of some of my favorite type of book themes/tropes: witchy, small town, friends-to-lovers romance, cozy vibes. And while the book was okay, it fell a bit short overall.

A magical New England town sounds like a place I’d love to visit but…why does it bother me that the town must be protected by a forgetting spell? I guess I prefer to read about magic that doesn’t have to be hidden. And the forgetting spell seems weak anyway, especially when it’s really a “random trivia brain scrambler” spell. The story could’ve still had the conflict of people trying to destroy the source of magic without also being a hidden town where if you ever visit you forget once you’re outside of town lines.

That aside, our FMC was annoying for the vast majority of the book. She said it herself, she’s gone for a decade and comes back and starts acting like a child again. She’s a bit whiny and feels sorry for herself for how people treat her or speak to her but doesn’t actually do much to defend herself. Nate deserves better. He basically held out for her all these years, and she keeps giving him reasons to not pursue and yet he still keeps coming back and supporting her when it seems like no one else will.

The ending somehow managed to feel both rushed and drawn out at the same time. I feel like we didn’t get closure where the magicians are concerned. Also it took a year for Scarlett to be rescued and for what exactly? Why did it have to take a year? Especially because…we expelled the magicians without first questioning them about the starlings so really, it’s the witches fault Scarlett couldn’t be rescued sooner.

I know this book was trying for some nostalgia, but it bordered on annoying because the 4 Thanksgivings at the end was almost a direct rip from Gilmore Girls rather than an homage. Similarly, referring to non-magical people as muggles is so very Harry Potter that I wondered if the author would get in trouble for using the term.

I always feel bad when I end up not liking a book. This one had so much potential, but didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read but it unfortunately didn’t quite live up to what I had really hoped for from the description. There were a few Gilmore vibes , like with the hardware store and other aspects but idk that it should’ve been compared to “feel like” GG and Practical Magic. I really didn’t love any of the sisters and the miscommunication was heavy. I would’ve loved some more autumn and true witchy fun.

I was looking for a light, fall magic-y book, and this fit the bill. The main character, who ran from her home after a tragedy she feels responsible for, is pulled back to her witchy town due to a disruption in the town's magic. Of course, that means not only re-entering her complicated family dynamics but also running into her former love, who just happens to be the handyman at her family's inn. The vibe was definitely strong on the Gilmore Girls-meets-Hocus Pocus, in mostly fun ways. Most of the characters had some good traits to balance their less-good ones (though none were explored as deeply as they could have been). Overall, I enjoyed the read... but it's only 3 stars for me because there were so many missed chances for it to be more. The Earls were under-used and under-explored, the last section felt a little surface and underbaked, and I felt the author leaned too much on some cute one-offs (the Trump cameos) over spending a little more time on developing meaningful connections and growth in the characters. That said, I would 100% read a sequel if this was the first in a series.

You know those charming, small-town witchy reads that feel like a cozy fall afternoon with a pumpkin spice latte in hand? Impractical Magic tries to cast that spell—but while there's plenty of physical magic flying around, the real storyline magic is missing.

Scarlett Melrose heads back to Oak Haven (cue small-town, Gilmore Girls vibes) to help her sisters fix a magical mess. But instead of saving the day, she makes things worse. Then there's Nate, her old flame, who's mostly described as tall, buff, and... that's about it. Grumpy to her sunshine, sure, but not much more going on there.

The witchy vibes are on point, but the family dynamic? Toxic AF. Seriously, these people need group therapy. The romance is light, and Nate mostly serves as nice scenery, but somehow, despite the lack of depth and development, I still had fun! It’s the perfect light, witchy read to kick off October—just don’t expect it to go down in history as one of the greats.

That said, am I still a sucker for lighthearted, witchy reads to kick off spooky season? Absolutely. Impractical Magic isn’t going to blow your mind or leave a lasting impression, but if you're looking for a fun, quick read with a sprinkle of spells and small-town charm, it does the trick. Just don’t expect too much character growth or intricate plot twists—this one's more about the vibes than the substance.

Final verdict: 3 stars. It's a magical mess, but an entertaining one.

Thank you to Net Galley & Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Impractical Magic is touted as "Gilmore Girls meets Charmed" and that's a good description. This was an enjoyable fall read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.