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jasarahines's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this wonderful, uplifting ALC. I truly enjoyed this mystery/magical book. The plot follows Maddie on her quest to complete tasks left for her upon her mother's death. These tasks not only give Maddie her inheritance, but it also helps her to find herself and her dreams. The novel tackles themes such as love, secrets, redemption, family, and the power of fate. The magic realism elements were so endearing! The house is as much a character as the rest of the wonderful cast in the book. I kept imaging the house from Encanto while listening to this beautifully written, full of imagery, novel.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into the story.
torifaye's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you like Sarah Addison Allen you must pick this up. Very reminiscent of SAAs novels. I very much enjoyed this one, but it didn’t feel fully fleshed out. I would have happily read another 100 pages of this story to have it feel more settled.
lauren_michelle's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
heidirgorecki's review
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
While the overall premise of the book was good - old loves reunited and a mother’s last wishes to help everyone do so - the whole thing was so dysfunctional, and excused itself for being so most of the time, I didn’t care for it.
You’ve got a mother who just wants to have fun, no matter what detrimental attachment/security issues she’s causing for her daughter, everyone just constantly leaves when things get tough and refuses to have hard conversations with any sort of relationship - love interest or family, all the male love interests refuse to pursue the women when they leave or things get uncomfortable, a father who suspects her has a kid but does absolutely nothing about it, even waits for he to “say the words”. And no one confronts or challenges each other on it. They just leave ambiguous clues on what they feel or they let the house (yes the house) convey “its” feelings.
Kept hoping it would get better but, while it ended with a neat bow, no one really learned anything out of the dysfunction. It was all just to-each-his-own.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
You’ve got a mother who just wants to have fun, no matter what detrimental attachment/security issues she’s causing for her daughter, everyone just constantly leaves when things get tough and refuses to have hard conversations with any sort of relationship - love interest or family, all the male love interests refuse to pursue the women when they leave or things get uncomfortable, a father who suspects her has a kid but does absolutely nothing about it, even waits for he to “say the words”. And no one confronts or challenges each other on it. They just leave ambiguous clues on what they feel or they let the house (yes the house) convey “its” feelings.
Kept hoping it would get better but, while it ended with a neat bow, no one really learned anything out of the dysfunction. It was all just to-each-his-own.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
ladyareads's review
5.0
The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman is an enchanting tale that is perfect for anyone that loves subtle magic and whimsy. Practical Magic meets The Good Witch but in Georgia!
craftyanty's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This audiobook wasn't exactly what I expected though I'm not sure why... the entire plot is completely spelled out in the blurb. I guess I was hoping for something more. It was a cute story, but a little too cute for my taste. I think this book will appeal to many readers, but personally, I didn't love it. I found the magical realism components didn't subtlety move the story forward, they were just there all the time.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
jayishino's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of Mattie, who ends up back in her hometown of Ivy Ridge after her mother's death. Mattie is set to inherit a small fortune for her mother, but first she must complete a series of tasks before the money is released to her. At first, nomadic Mattie balks at the silly idea and is anxious to get the heck out of this nothing town. But soon she begins to find that Ivy Ridge has a certain magic of its own. With the help of her Aunt Penelope, Mattie begins to learn that Ivy Ridge may just be the best place for her after all.
This was a charming little story. I liked Mattie. Penelope was okay, but I didn't much care for Jonathan. One other problem I had was that at times this book seemed overly focused on the physical appearance of its characters. I don't need such excessive details to envision the characters, but apparently the author did. Maybe that's a me thing, but it seemed superfluous.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Kathleen McInerney was an okay narrator. Her voice was halting at times and that was distracting.
This was a charming little story. I liked Mattie. Penelope was okay, but I didn't much care for Jonathan. One other problem I had was that at times this book seemed overly focused on the physical appearance of its characters. I don't need such excessive details to envision the characters, but apparently the author did. Maybe that's a me thing, but it seemed superfluous.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Kathleen McInerney was an okay narrator. Her voice was halting at times and that was distracting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
theoverbookedbibliophile's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
After the sudden death of her mother Lilith, twenty-four-year-old Mattie Russell returns to her mother’s family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia with the intention to move on after her mother’s funeral and related formalities are over. Mattie has led an eventful life with her mother, constantly on the move and with nearly no friends or place to call home except Ivy Ridge, where she spent her childhood summers with Penelope. However, she is forced to shelve her plans temporarily after the list of seemingly strange and unrelated tasks stipulated in her mother’s will sends her on a very personal journey of self-discovery but also leads her to the answers to some very important questions about her mother and the identity of her father. Mattie also comes face to face with Jonathan, who broke her teenage heart ten years ago – the very person she had hoped to never run into again. Lilith’s sister Penelope, who stayed back in the family home after Lilith left at the age of eighteen, is heartbroken after the death of her sister. She loves Mattie and is happy to have her back home and secretly hopes that Mattie will decide to stay. Lilith’s lawyer and executor of her will is someone with whom Penelope shares history. As the story progresses, we follow Mattie, Jonathan and Penelope as they grapple with their loss, reconnect with one another and others from their respective past, learn to move on from past hurts, and bring about positive changes in their lives.
“People were complex and frayed when you least expected; they wore holes in themselves from repeated wear and tear, even though they had explicit instructions for how to care for their well-being. Their colors changed and faded over time, and you could start with one version and end up with an entirely different one years later.”
The Magic All Around by Jenifer Moorman is a heartwarming story that revolves around themes of family, love, home, community and self-discovery. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Mattie, Jonathan and Penelope allowing us to explore these characters and their connections in depth. I really liked how the author weaves the magical realism element into the novel with each of the Russell women’s special gifts and the house who we can consider a character in this story sharing the family’s happiness and sorrow, intuitive and very opinionated, whose quirks made me laugh out loud more than once. Stories such as this one are rarely unpredictable, but what makes them engage readers are the characters and the journey to the end. The romance angle was well executed, and I loved the vivid descriptions of Russell House, the Ivy Ridge community and the endearing cast of characters. However, though the narrative is engaging and flows well, I thought it suffered from repetitiveness and inconsistent pacing, slowing down considerably in certain parts. Despite these flaws, I found this novel to be an uplifting and charming story that left me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.
Finally, I love that cover!
Many thanks to Harper Muse for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“People were complex and frayed when you least expected; they wore holes in themselves from repeated wear and tear, even though they had explicit instructions for how to care for their well-being. Their colors changed and faded over time, and you could start with one version and end up with an entirely different one years later.”
The Magic All Around by Jenifer Moorman is a heartwarming story that revolves around themes of family, love, home, community and self-discovery. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Mattie, Jonathan and Penelope allowing us to explore these characters and their connections in depth. I really liked how the author weaves the magical realism element into the novel with each of the Russell women’s special gifts and the house who we can consider a character in this story sharing the family’s happiness and sorrow, intuitive and very opinionated, whose quirks made me laugh out loud more than once. Stories such as this one are rarely unpredictable, but what makes them engage readers are the characters and the journey to the end. The romance angle was well executed, and I loved the vivid descriptions of Russell House, the Ivy Ridge community and the endearing cast of characters. However, though the narrative is engaging and flows well, I thought it suffered from repetitiveness and inconsistent pacing, slowing down considerably in certain parts. Despite these flaws, I found this novel to be an uplifting and charming story that left me with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.
Finally, I love that cover!
Many thanks to Harper Muse for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
twiggy77's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5