A review by myranda_the_bookwyrm
Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I found this rather compellingly told, with the structure of the tarot guide book used as you move through the arc, and with good depth for a YA romance/social fiction. If you are looking for a fantasy-romance or even romance-fantasy/paranormal, I wouldn't exactly put this in those categories. While the characters practice witchcraft, we aren't called upon as readers to believe it exists in this world (or ours) if that makes sense. There are some of the usual foibles of miscommunication that are standard for the romance genre, and I can see where there's room for improvement on the author handled Eleanor's response to heartbreak that could be interpreted as leaning into harmful stereotypes, but overall I also feel like that is countered by the first person narration, where readers also are reminded that how Eleanor sees and interprets other people's responses to her is heavily coloured by her own insecurities. Honestly, I was expecting a cutesy little fantasy romance for teens and instead got a YA romance with some surprising depth that cut me just right. 
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