Name: The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
Rating: 2.95 (20 reviews)
ISBN: 9781639105731

Breanne Randall

A Novel

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

The vibes are there, but the writing style isn’t it for me. Loved the concept of this, the family aspect, and the small town witch trope. I feel like a lot happened though that muddied the waters for me. It’s a nice read, but probably wouldn’t ever read it again. 

Floofyflower

it gave me what i wanted from it, the natural side of magic mixed with the experience of grief and family.

 i love a book that deals in the heartbreak associated to loss of some one you love, the ups and downs, but to the inclusion of magic in that emotional journey? perfect. honestly i think this book could have used about a chapter more just to really get into the nitty gritty of the climax and resolution. that did feel rushed when it came to it but i genuinely  think id reread this. 

Cici Pearson

it gave me what i wanted from it, the natural side of magic mixed with the experience of grief and family.

 i love a book that deals in the heartbreak associated to loss of some one you love, the ups and downs, but to the inclusion of magic in that emotional journey? perfect. honestly i think this book could have used about a chapter more just to really get into the nitty gritty of the climax and resolution. that did feel rushed when it came to it but i genuinely  think id reread this. 

I got 5 chapters into this. I wanted to like it so much, I even preordered it, and I just couldn’t. It felt like it was written at a 5th grade reading level. And I know the author was trying to make it diverse, which is awesome and we need more of, but it just ended up feeling like a Netflix show- they cram so much diversity into every single character that they do not feel like real people that you can get attached to. The dialogue was really stiff and that definitely had a lot to do with it- it’s that whole “show, don’t tell” thing that a lot of popular bookstagram authors miss. 

Kendra Leigh 

A tremendous introduction into this magical world.  It truly lives up to it's "Practical Magic" vibes!

The magic varies from person to person and each persons magic just seems to suit them perfectly. Sadie is perfectly depicted as the town baker and undercover "fixer".  Her cakes are imbued with magic that help with whatever is aches/pains/worries that the townfolk have.  But she is also flawed - she has walls around her heart and a determination to keep everyone at arms length due to her curse.  She is not at all the cookie cutter FMC.  She has attitude and flaws and sometimes she's a PITA!

Jake has some apologies to make but makes a ham-fisted attempt at it.  It just made him feel that more real.  I loved the whole "dognapping" storyline! 

The Revelare family are wonderfully weird, close even though they are far apart.  They come together when needed and just support each other.  Raquel is just another part of the family rather than Sadie's best friend but I was kind of shocked when she made her big reveal!  Gigi just reminded me so much of my own gran, attitude and all!  I did have a compete weep and a big lump in my throat at one section of the book.  So have tissues at the ready.

Sad, sweet, funny, heart-warming and life-affirming. The writing is wonderfully descriptive without bogging you down in prose.  I'd be happy to read a lot more tales from this world.

PS  I'm attempting some of the recipes this weekend!

Nicola Sarah Brooks

A tremendous introduction into this magical world.  It truly lives up to it's "Practical Magic" vibes!

The magic varies from person to person and each persons magic just seems to suit them perfectly. Sadie is perfectly depicted as the town baker and undercover "fixer".  Her cakes are imbued with magic that help with whatever is aches/pains/worries that the townfolk have.  But she is also flawed - she has walls around her heart and a determination to keep everyone at arms length due to her curse.  She is not at all the cookie cutter FMC.  She has attitude and flaws and sometimes she's a PITA!

Jake has some apologies to make but makes a ham-fisted attempt at it.  It just made him feel that more real.  I loved the whole "dognapping" storyline! 

The Revelare family are wonderfully weird, close even though they are far apart.  They come together when needed and just support each other.  Raquel is just another part of the family rather than Sadie's best friend but I was kind of shocked when she made her big reveal!  Gigi just reminded me so much of my own gran, attitude and all!  I did have a compete weep and a big lump in my throat at one section of the book.  So have tissues at the ready.

Sad, sweet, funny, heart-warming and life-affirming. The writing is wonderfully descriptive without bogging you down in prose.  I'd be happy to read a lot more tales from this world.

PS  I'm attempting some of the recipes this weekend!

Christina Rose Sullivan

Jacqueline Bzdyk

Samantha Cummings

Hailey Carr

Kate Baldwin

For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic. Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel. With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together. As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic? Readers who love the magic of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and the sense of community found in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches will enjoy this warm, witchy novel.

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic A Novel

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