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The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic | Breanne Randall
28 posts | 19 read | 21 to read
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.
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DebinHawaii
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#WickedWhispers

This #Magic title is from my #HauntedShelf TBR as well as #CastTheDie & I hope to start it soon.

I‘m also going to use it for the #BookScavengerHunt #HotDrink prompt for Team #Flerken points 👻

46 likes2 comments
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Read4life
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Pickpick

Sweet, family centric & characters worth spending time with.
#BookSpinBingo #readyourebooks #Roll100

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 1mo
43 likes2 comments
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Shannon_McKinney
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Pickpick

A sweet witchy love story of family and friends in Poppy Meadows. A cute read to ease yourself into the spooky season. 🧙

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Laughterhp
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Mehso-so

Can books stop having super long titles? It‘s exhausting writing them out.

This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be. Don‘t compare to Gilmore girls and then be super depressing. Though, I guess it might slightly be on me for not reading the synopsis that closely. I‘m not sure if the author plans to write more but the way it ended, there could be.

CatLass007 I have the crazy idea that Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life was depressing. I liked the ending of the original series in which Rory gets a real journalism job and follows Barack Obama‘s campaign on the press bus. Very positive, very hopeful. I did like the way the mini-series paid tribute to the late Edward Hermann. Emily‘s grief was palpable and her decision to move was handled with sensitivity. And some of the old Gilmore Girls humor. 8mo
Laughterhp @CatLass007 I guess that‘s true. But when I think of Gilmore girls, I don‘t automatically think of the year in the life because I‘ve only watched them once. Whereas, I‘ve watched the rest a million times. 8mo
CatLass007 Once for Year in the Life was more than enough. I miss Lorelei and Rory, Richard and Emily, and the entire town of Star‘s Hollow. The series was a joy! 8mo
45 likes3 comments
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Allthebookclubs
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Pickpick

Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
What a fun book! I didn‘t expect much due to other reviews, but I‘m glad I paid them no mind. The magical details and recipes brought so much life. “River water is for moving on and sea water is for healing. Storm water is for strengthening, or if you‘re feeling ambitious, cures. Water that falls as lightning strikes will cause disaster sure as a cracked mirror or walking under a ladder.” Book #24 in 2024

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Gissy
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this cover 💫⭐️ 9mo
Eggs Great title and cover! 9mo
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Skeeterisme
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Pickpick

Wonderful

Julsmarshall I enjoyed this too! 11mo
43 likes1 comment
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ICantImReading
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️💫

Cozy, but also cheesy and kind of a mess. The recipes at the end of each chapter were cute. #BOTM

50 likes1 stack add
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Kar2b
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Pickpick

This was a cozy read, albeit slower paced than I typically prefer. I liked Gigi, and I loved the relationship between Sadie and Seth. My favorite parts were in the last third when we got to see the extended family.

GondorGirl I grabbed this as my BotM this month, but haven't gotten to it yet. I'm glad it's getting good reviews! 13mo
Kar2b I‘m looking forward to trying out the included recipes! 13mo
17 likes2 comments
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marleed
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Pickpick

I liked this family who had magic - okay, call them witches if you must - and how their magic worked for each of them in an otherwise typical world. Sadie‘s angst over those she loved leaving Poppy Hollow to live their lives made sense had she been a young teenager but not as. Mature adult. It‘s a slow pick where better justification for her bruised heart would have made this a solid HEA pick.

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limada
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Pickpick

I had low expectations when I heard about this novel from an actor I follow on Instagram. It's actually very cute, and I enjoyed it, though Sadie could use a little dose of reality occasionally. But, the book deals in magic, so it's not supposed to be entirely realistic. I enjoyed it. #48-2023

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DebinHawaii
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Look what arrived today! For once, #BOTM delivered before #Aardvark & got here pretty early for Hawaii shipping. I had my birthday credit & went for 3 books this time. 📚📚📚🤷🏻‍♀️📚📚

I didn‘t bother putting any of these on my #Scararhlon TBR because I thought they wouldn‘t arrive until the end of October. I might need to rethink it! 😉

Team #SpookyGhostClub 👻🖤👻

LeahBergen My Darling Girl looks good! 13mo
DebinHawaii @LeahBergen I think so too! 13mo
62 likes2 comments
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Read4life
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Eggs Great title and cover🤗👏🏻🤩 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great cover!! 💙💛 13mo
47 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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jen_the_scribe
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Pickpick

While this book is full of cliches and corny sentiments, I found it comforting and full of warmth. I loved the characters and the whimsical details. I even want to try some of the recipes included in between chapters. I love the magical moments, but also especially loved the emphasis on how the simple, joyful things in life are a special kind of magic of their own.

21 likes1 stack add
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jen_the_scribe

“Now, the unknown settled into her bones like adventure instead of panic.”

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jen_the_scribe

“Doing something in spite of heartbreak and fear, that‘s where courage came in. Do it afraid…”

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jen_the_scribe

“Magic wasn‘t always spells and curses and charms. Sometimes it was the comfortable silence of a good meal, and smiling eyes that met across the room and spoke more than words.”

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jen_the_scribe

“…life had gotten its roots into her and she was growing, one way or another.”

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Lauram
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Pickpick

“River water is for moving on and seawater is for healing. Storm water is for strengthening or, if you‘re feeling ambitious, curses. Water that falls as lightning strikes will cause disaster sure as a cracked mirror or walking under a ladder.”

43 likes2 stack adds
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jen_the_scribe
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I‘m feeling the side effects of heartbreak and disappointment after realizing this particular book has MANY printing errors. It cuts off chapters, starts randomly in the middle of later chapters, and chapter 7 is repeated multiple times later in the book. I already started the return process. A replacement was supposed to arrive today but it‘s been delayed until tomorrow 😩 I‘ve never had an issue like this before, but 1st world problems 🤷🏻‍♀️

tjwill 😱 I hate when that happens! 13mo
15 likes1 comment
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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

Delightful but a bittersweet too, like a cup of rich, warm, Mexican hot chocolate. This Practical Magic set in a modern small town is the perfect autumn read. Closed door, slow build, no spice needed. And recipes to end each chapter which is a lovely addition. Looking forward to trying a couple! I hope there is a second book, I‘d like to revisit this town and these characters. #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 14mo
slategreyskies You had me at Mexican hot chocolate! ❤️ 11mo
63 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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jen_the_scribe

“…just like woodsmoke, his essence had clung to her long after the fire had been put out.”

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jen_the_scribe
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I slept in this morning (as long as my family let me), made sure everyone ate, and got the laundry going. Now it‘s me-time out on the patio 😊 it‘s been too hot to come out here lately but it feels fine today. This is my favorite spot in the house to be alone with a good book and some coffee.

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jen_the_scribe
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I needed a palate cleanser from the seriousness of nonfiction. I‘m really looking forward to this cozy fantasy 😊

22 likes1 stack add
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Julsmarshall
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#currentread The perfect fall read so far-Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic ❤️🧙‍♀️🍁

TheBookHippie Oh good I have that here to read this month! 14mo
julieclair This looks like my kind of book! 14mo
58 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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swishandflick
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A late #BOTM add-on added, available for October boxes! The description mentions Practical Magic meeting Gilmore Girls, so sounds like a promising fall pick to me 🎃

ItsAnotherJen Oooh sounds good! 1y
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robinb
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Pickpick

This debut was an enjoyable story of magic, family, heartbreaks and ultimately trust. Sadie, who owns and runs a bake shop with her beloved grandmother, is part of a magical family. Unfortunately, her magic comes along with a curse of four heartbreaks in her life. As she has suffered three of those already, she is not looking forward to a fourth. Her twin brother‘s abrupt departure has left her angry and adrift, her teenage love returning to ⬇️

robinb town after 10 years away is making her anxious and second-guessing, and her grandmother‘s illness is leading her to desperation and hopelessness. Oh, and there‘s also a malevolent spirit who wants payback. While overall I enjoyed this story, I did have a couple of issues with it. First, I found the male lead (Jake) a bit arrogant and pushy at times and also felt that Sadie was a little too easily led into forgiving him of the pain he caused 🔽 1y
robinb in the past. And actually, her returned twin was not an endearing character through some of the book. And secondly, Jake was also guilty of hiding something big in their present day…not one of my favorite kind of heroes. Sadie‘s grandmother and various extended family members were wonderful and evoked a warm sense of family love, support and humor. All-in-all a good, well-written story. 4/5⭐️ (edited) 1y
julesG I have this on #MountARC. 1y
robinb @julesG I‘ll be interested to hear what you think. Overall, a good book but with a few things that irked me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y
49 likes5 stack adds4 comments