When a book is described as the mix between Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls it's going to be very rare that I don't fall in love with it. I knew that the minute I started reading The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic that it was going to be a favorite of the year and I was right.
I classified this as a witchy read, and while the entire plot of the novel centers around being a witch, or at least having magical powers, I think this is an all year round read. There's not much related to Halloween but it definitely gives cozy, cool weather vibes.
It was a beautiful book with so many wonderful messages and it ultimately made me cry at the end. Also, without giving away any spoilers, this is definitely set up to be a series, or at least have a sequel so I hope we get confirmation on that soon.
Now, let's get into the review.
Publisher's Summary
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?
My Thoughts
As I mentioned above I loved The Unfortunate Side Effects so much! It was a warm hug, a cup of tea, and a beautiful story about love, loss, family, forgiveness, and finding your self when things look bleak. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I had deep thoughts... it's a book that truly has everything and I think no matter your genre of choice, you will probably find something to like about this.
Every character had so much depth, so many secrets they were keeping, and it truly kept you on the edge of your seat until the last page. While this isn't a thriller, I do think that it had elements of suspense that kept things interesting. It wasn't your traditional 'rom com', it was really a work of fiction that had a lot of different tropes and messaging happening.
Sadie was an interesting character - her magic is the most important thing to her and her curse, the curse that every Revelare has, keeps her up at night. It's torturous to her and has held her back in so many aspects of life, so when her brother and her ex boyfriend both show back up just when she needs her magic most... things go astray very quickly.
I loved Jake so much and I loved how much he loved Sadie. Their chemistry was bouncing off the page and felt like a dagger to the heart, it was so beautiful.
The characters in this book are definitely quirky a la Gilmore Girls; everyone from Sadie's aunts to the bakery owners and other magical people in town... it was very fun to see them all through Sadie's eyes.
I feel like I can't say much else without giving away entire plot points but the book is not what you expect in all the best ways, and the ending left be both satiated and frustrated for more.
It's the ideal book to curl up with on a rainy day, with a cup of tea while you sit in front of a fire. It won't disappoint!
xoxo
B
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