One unexpected and urgent call from her sister and Scarlet knows she must return to Oak Haven. However in doing so Scarlet is going to have to revisit the life she left behind (ran away from) 10 years ago. She must come face to face with the family, friends, and community she abandoned. She will have to face her own struggles with self blame and feelings of inadequacy. Upon returning home it’s clear that things are greatly amiss. The magic in Oak Haven is completely on the fritz. It’s up to Scarlet and the other Melrose sisters to work together to figure out how to fix the magic and restore Oak Haven.

This book was like a warm cup of my favorite beverage. It was cozy and atmospheric. It was also utterly magical making me want to hop into the pages of the book. It’s the perfect autumnal witchy read.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I really wanted to live this book. But in general it just felt rushed. Things happened so quickly that I feel like I wasn’t able to really enjoy the story. It read very elementary. The FMC deserves more back story; she just comes off as so unlikeable. It was a fun read just felt like I was missing pieces of the story and wasn’t able to “love” any of the characters.

I am all for the cosy, autumn reads right now, and this one was definitely cosy!

Scarlett comes from a family of witches but hasn't returned to her magical hometown in 10 years. But when her sister gets in contact and says something wrong in the town, Scarlett knows she must return.

This was such a cosy romantasy. I loved the magic system of the witches in this, and it was the perfect read for fall.

Small town, magic, witches: what's not to love?!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. The start of this book had the best fall/cozy vibes. The beginning had me hooked. But towards the end it got a little too silly for my liking. But with mild spice I think this would be a great read for a slightly younger reader (late teens) it was cozy and did have some Gilmore Girls references that I think people will enjoy! The family dynamic in this was also enjoyable, and the theme of believing in yourself, and finding your special place was a sweet touch throughout the book.

Overall fun read, but somewhat lacking in excitement.
I love the small-town feel, strong family ties, likeable characters, witches, magic, etc. However, the plot was really lacking.
A slow burn book that feels rushed and missing pieces. There's some romance and that even seems like an incomplete storyline.
Overall, the ending seemed to drag on and the plot was predictable.

Scarlett returns home after receiving an SOS from her estranged sister. Something is wrong with the local magic, and it needs fixed ASAP. To add to the chaos Scarlett runs into her childhood friend Nate. Nate has lots of questions and there is definitely chemistry there

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is a delightful mix of whimsy and charm, perfect for readers who love a little magic in their lives. With lovable characters and a quirky storyline, it offers a sweet and fun journey through spells, mishaps, and heartwarming moments. This enchanting tale is sure to leave you smiling!

Scarlett Melrose has been away from her magical home of Oak Haven when she gets a call from her estranged sisters that her help is needed immediately. Scarlett arrives home to a very different Oak Haven - there's a problem with the magic and it's affecting the entire town! As the magic is only through the women in Oak Haven, it's up to Scarlett, her sisters, her mother, and their friends to figure out how to fix the magic. Meanwhile, hunky hardware store owner, and non-magical being, Nate is trying to help where he can including reconnecting with Scarlett. With the charm of Gilmore Girls and the witchiness of Practical Magic, this is a fun read that will keep you entranced.

This book was an absolute DELIGHT! It was cozy and cute, I read it in one sitting and it felt like a warm hug.

I had high hopes for this one. I love books that are witchy and/or cozy and this felt like it was going to be a perfect fall read. I ended up not finishing it, I just couldn't get invested in the characters. The whole family seemed immature and rude and it hard to root for characters who aren't likeable. The writing felt a bit under developed also. By the third mention of "muggles" I tapped out. Not for me.

This book followed a coven of witches who were trying to restore magic in their hometown. Not only was this happening, but a romance was budding. This was a good story but fell short. It would make a good Hallmark movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Emily Grimoire for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Sadly this did not do it for me. I wanted to like it, Gilmore Girls is my favorite, it just didn’t speak to me. The writing felt amateur, and I just couldn’t get into it.

Not read a book about magic and witches for a long. This was great really enjoyed learning about Oak haven and all the different characters. Will definitely be looking out for more books by Emily.

I think this book will be a hit with romance readers this fall. My library has seen an uptick interest in cozy witch romances so I am sure patrons will be excited to see this. Gilmore Girls is also a perennial favorite, so I think this book has a lot going for by combining the two.

I was excited about this one and the expected witchy Gilmore Girls vibes, but I was underwhelmed. I didn't love the characters and just didn't get into the story. If you're looking for a quick, light read to get you into the fall spirit, go for it!

In a small mystical town called Oak Haven lives the Melrose family. When Scarlett Melrose receives an urgent call from her sisters, she is forced to return to their small town which she has been avoiding for years in search of a normal life away from magic.

The magic in Oak Haven is wreaking havoc across the town, someone has upset the balance and now each spell is creating more problems.

Themes:
☆ Grumpy-Sunshine
☆ Slow- burn
☆Cosy Small Town
☆Witchy Aesthetic

This book had the backbone to be something I’d really adore, autumnal, witchy and cosy but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I found the characters moderately irritating and under developed, while the setting was nice, the lack of investment in the characters was a shame. The ending felt rushed after a nicely built slow burn.

Thank you to NetGalley for a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
THERE ARE SPOILERS, DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM.

This book is decent if all you're looking for is a quick "cozy" fall/witchy themed book you don't have to think about. However, there isn't much else to it. I was torn on if I wanted to give it 2 stars or 3. I think ultimately it wasn't written bad enough to deserve 2 stars, but I have some specific gripes I'll get into below.

I'm not one for "cozy" genre anything, so I was a little annoyed with HOW COZY she was trying to set the novel up to be. Essentially, the first chapter did nothing but scream AUTUMN to us, and I was immediately aware of the dated outlook/takes on things, as if the author is either Gen X or older. This set the tone of the story to feel unrealistic, and the references to be outdated. Luckily for me, I grew up exposed to older media & was able to catch majority of the references (younger millennial myself). However, I could see a lot of people my same age not catching over half of them. Not exactly a great way to engage your audience with humor. I did read the acknowledgement page and she is aware and proud of all her references to 'inspirational media' so it was very much intentional but missed correct execution in my opinion.

Here's one of our Gen X/Boomer "hot takes" - Teenagers are whiny, ungrateful, and always on their phones. Honestly, her depiction of the one and only teenager in this novel was appalling. Give teenagers more credit. If this is the only way you view them, YOU are the problem, and they're using their phone to escape you.

I had some questions about the in-world magic/forgetting spell stuff that never really was touched on. The thing about the delivery boy coming into town and then immediately leaving and forgetting the girl that likes him - what if the girl just went to his place of work to pick up the food? Does the amnesia set in as soon as she re-enters Oak Haven? I think the answer is, Obviously Not, since Scarletts place of work never forgot about her. It seems like for Violet specifically, she could carry on a normal relationship with any boy she wants, so long as she dates them outside of her hometown (which she can leave/move out of as soon as she's of age to do so). This leads me into another topic.

It's also really stupid of violet to think that literally no one else in this town experiences the same things as her. Like obviously her mom and every other single person in that town can't make friends outside of the town because of the forgetting spell. It is so irritating listening to Violet BOOHOO over something manageable as stated in my previous paragraph's point. However, I think this was intentional (to make her stupid/weak) given the author seems to hate teenagers (https://www.harpercollins.ca/author/cr-209829/emily-grimoire/#:~:text=%3Cp%3EEmily%20Grimoire%20is%20the%20author%20of See linked bio here, I think she thought it was quirky/funny but tbh just feels annoying & I'd hate to be her "ungrateful" family).

Another weird Hot Take was, people of the opposite gender apparently aren't allowed to just be friends. Nate, and a local girl Polly, "seem close". As the author points out, Polly is a struggling single mom to an "ungrateful" teenager. Nate is a Good Boy that just likes helping everyone. Why can't they be friends again? Why does their friendship automatically mean they are together? Sheesh. Another Middle School take -- why can't everyone just leave Scarlett and Nate alone? What's with the "OOOO Scarlett & Nate sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g" non-sense?

And, why can't we leave Scarlett alone to grieve how she needs to? No wonder she has issues and completely ran away for 10 years! Ya'll act ridiculous towards her, mock her, berate her, etc. Her mom is the absolute worst person in the entire novel, but for some reason we all forgive her and still love her? No Ma'am. Last thing you're gonna get from me is help if you treat me like shit. I don't know what her mom's issue is, but I was actually LIVID for Scarlett at multiple points. Inexcusable behavior towards her own daughter. Then suddenly by the end she loves her so much, boohoo, etc? No. Ma'am.

The most disappointing part - the novel had a PERFECT set up for an anti-prejudice message, and completely wiped out tripping over it. Just COMPLETELY gave right into nonsense that should have never been humored. The whole novel, Scarlett talks about how Magicians aren't real magic users, shits on them, berates them, says they can't be trusted, etc. Meanwhile Luna, who ought to know, says they DO use magic, they're their own kind of magicians/witches, etc. and should be respected. Scarlett continues to just be shitty towards Max, then sees him do ONE odd thing and IMMEDIATELY blames him for the entire towns misfortune. This author had the perfect opportunity to create a loving, meaningful situation where "THINGS ARE NO AS THEY APPEAR" or some other anti prejudiced answer, but NOPE. The magician was the bad guy all along. Why. I felt nothing but Bad for Max the whole time, then suddenly he's the scapegoat? Disappointing to say the least. And it made for the worst, anticlimactic twist.

All in all, 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 for me. It was disappointing, and boring, but ultimately readable. It's too bad certain things had to turn out as they did, and I hope next novel pushes this author to challenge herself and her beliefs more.

Witchy Gilmore Girls but the author didn't quite pull it off. I think maybe with some editing this book could pull it off.

Came for the stars hollow but with witches vibe and stayed for the fun mystery of how to save magic!

Oak Haven is a magical town full of female witches and himbo house husbands. Anyone other than a witch who comes to town will forget all about it within 3 days- great for the witches but not so much for their men!! Scarlett Melrose took off and never looked back after high school, but when magic goes awry she has to return to the town (and high school best friend/will they won’t they partner Nate) to help save everything!

This has a great premise, and the focus on the town and the connection between the sisters was the shining highlight, with the romance underdeveloped and living as a simple subplot. It was a good fall read, not the most inventive but not too shabby!

Thank you so much to Emily Grimoire and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

This book had all the elements I normally enjoy—witches, magic, a quirky small town, strong family ties, and a sweet love interest. However, despite all of that, I just didn’t love it. I didn't feel like I connected to the characters and I found them all pretty irritating. The vibes were great but the characters not so much.

Impractical Magic is a cute, cosy book that’s a great addition to anyone’s autumn reading list.
The story was easy to follow, funny, light hearted and wholesome. The characters were relatable and I loved seeing the relationship between Scarlett and Nate build with the sweetest ending.
I was slightly confused with the time jump in the final chapters but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story.