The Book of Magic – Alice Hoffman – ✨Book Review✨ 5/5 rating

I’m sorry to see that Alice Hoffman is ending the beloved Owens family saga after twenty-five years. I haven’t read the first book, Practical Magic, but found pure enjoyment in her last three novels, including the movie “Practical Magic” as a precursor to Halloween every year. I’ve been told the book is even better than the movie, which they usually are, right! 😉

The Book of Magic opens with, “All the best stories begin in a library,” and this story begins in the Owens Library, in Essex County, Massachusetts.

The Owens family curse began three hundred years ago in the 17th century. The curse, cast by Maria Owens, demands that descendants avoid entanglements of the heart because love cannot be trusted. What was meant to protect them from love, now harms. Well they’ve learned to trick this curse (or so they’d thought) — by never declaring love or marrying, as it always destroys those they love. Death being the end result.

When the curse strikes the youngest generation, Sally’s daughter Kylie, Kylie vows to break the curse once and for all. She will do everything possible to not lose her best-friend (and secret love) Gideon (whom was just involved in a life-threatening accident.) She travels to England to where the curse began, with two older generations of family following close behind to help. I love that Alice Hoffman has layered her story with strong women, love, independence and equality. I couldn’t be happier this last generation of Owens ends on a happy note. Alice Hoffman has written a magical series that I highly recommend. ❥

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster via NetGalley for kindly providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.