A review by heidirgorecki
The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman

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.