A review by chelsea_shelves
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was sweet and there was much I loved about it such as the matriarch grandmother character and the personification of the house and garden. The recipes were clever and the use of sensory language made for a cozy feel at the start of the book. Having said that I almost didn’t finish the book a couple times because I became bored with the pages of dialogue, repetitive language (ex “single lone”) and the love story trying to take center stage over the much more compelling family drama and coming of age story. It felt like the book was trying to do to much and it would have been much more powerful in its message and atmosphere in doing less, in letting the setting and natural complexity of the characters speak for themselves. It didn’t need so many subplots. Ultimately I’m glad I stuck it out because it really is a precious story with the right amount of magic. I would have preferred the novel to lean even more into the coziness it set up in the exposition. I kept feeling there was so much potential. With a little reworking and editing I feel this book could have been tremendous instead of just good. I do feel it would be perfect as a TV series. 
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