Jamie Pacton

The execution of the conflicts, both in Yael and Margot's budding romance and with the Claunecks, fell flat many times for me.
I wasn’t really taken with these two’s reasons for not getting together and later breaking up. First Margot just doesn’t like to fuck her friends and mess up a platonic thing… okay, fair enough, but weak reasoning when you both are not only so obviously hot for each other, but also just as obviously interested in not keeping this a friendship. Though you can show more find other reasons for these two to tread carefully when getting into a relationship, that was the one that got articulated the most while being the most shallow.
Then their third act break-up — they are both acting so dumb. Yes, flawed, damaged people make flawed choices, but they had proven capable of communicating and supporting each other before. It would have been a nice progression of their relationship for them to actually choose to face the threat of Yael’s family together and make a plan together, demonstrating both of how functional their relationship could be despite their various hangups and their individual growth (Margot accepting that she needs to trust others and accept their help; Yael having a cause that means something to them and the strength to go against their family purposefully rather than only impulsively). Something like that comes later, but I think it’s made weaker by the fact that Margot had little role in their triumph, Yael’s choice felt less their own or less considered, and the later placement in the book ended up making it feel rushed.

I had similar feelings of interesting concepts for conflict deflating as well with Margot's parents. I was disappointed when it was revealed that Margot didn't actually do this thing that she harbored so much guilt over. It wasn't her arrogance/foolishness/naive hope or anything at all that really led to her parents being cursed, despite how she presented it. It made her more boring to me honestly. The resolution with Margot’s parents also felt rushed. As much as Margot’s guilt was misplaced and brushed away by some encouraging words from Yael, it was initially an important part of her character. Combine that with the complicated feelings she (and the rest of the town) must have for them regarding their role in everything, I wanted to see… something, anything from Margot and their reunion. Instead, it happens off page and there are no interactions between the Greenwillows. It left the magic sleep feeling very noticeably a contrivance to get the older Greenwillows out of the picture. show less

Delicious cozy romantasy in the best of all possible ways. Love the greenhouses and each wonderfully lush plant filled setting that emerges. Love the characters -- Margot and Yael are dreamy, and their love scenes are steamy. Love that the height of contentment is to work hard and spend time with each other and feel secure in a home that is enough. I mean, I think that's what draws me so strongly to the cozy fantasy genre -- it's about living a small and contented life that has enough for show more delight but no grand ambition for wealth or power. Just to be yourself, and to be loved for that, and to have a safe place to live and love. Gorgeous. Funny in places. And I'm a big fan of universes where non-binary is a totally unremarkable option. Looking forward to book 2.

Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss. show less

Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos is a charming cozy fantasy featuring flora, family drama, and a queer friends to lovers romance.

Frustrated by the stifling expectations of their powerful and wealthy family, Yael Claunek impulsively flees their university graduation party on a stolen mechanical horse. Stopping to rest at a tavern in the tiny village of Bloomfield, Yael is both surprised and delighted to realise their drinking companion is a childhood friend, Margot show more Greenwillow.

It’s been years since Margot last saw the object of her teenage crush, her family’s exile from Ashaway society after her parents’ reversal of fortune ensuring little time for anything other than the exhausting tasks of preserving the business, and community, she inherited from her grandmother. Yael’s unexpected appearance is a shock, but she quickly realises they may be exactly who she needs, both professionally and personally, if she is to keep all she is on the verge of losing.

With the narrative of Homegrown Magic alternating between the perspectives of Yael and Margot, the story unfolds at a steady pace as Yael finds refuge with Margot and earns their keep by becoming her assistant at Greenwillow Greenhouses. Margot appreciates the help and the company, while Yael revels in the independence, but Yael can’t hide from his family forever, and with Margot’s deadline almost up, time is running out for both of them.

I enjoyed Margot and Yael’s romance. Their attraction to one another is clear from the start, and their flirting is charming. In the world the authors have created, gender and sexual preference seems fluid by default. We might label Yael as nonbinary, and Margot as bisexual, but the terms are superfluous among this society who use non gendered language, and no one seems bothered by the ambiguity. There are a few spicy scenes between Yael and Margo as their relationship progresses but the authors are quite coy about revealing anything that may label Yael as either gender.

I found the magic system of the novel to be interesting, with some unique elements. Some folk are in possession of natural, somewhat specialised, magical abilities of various strength, like Margot who has an affinity for flora, while others bargain for the patronage of deities, or devils, who channel magic to them in return. There are those among the latter, like Yael’s mother, that resent their dependence on the whims of their patron, and it’s this desire that underpins the plot.

The conflict in Homegrown Magic is mild, though the stakes are quite high. Eventually Margot has to confess the truth of the link between her family’s exile and the Claunek’s to Yael, which creates complications with their relationship. I was sympathetic to both their dilemma’s, though more so with Margot. Family dysfunction, the burden of legacy, grief, and greed, are also themes that contribute to the tension in the story.

I love that there is an epilogue so that there is a satisfying conclusion for the protagonists, however there are threads that suggest that the authors could move onto feature a different relationship in the same world. With its entertaining blend of cozy fantasy and a touch of spice in the romance, Homegrown Magic is a lovely read, which could be the beginning of a flourishing series. show less

Do you know how hard it is to find a book by an author with the same first or last name as you, when your given is an uncommon spelling and your surname is a relatively rare import from Eastern Europe?! This task is probably my least favourite of those set by the library’s summer reading club bingo, and is virtually impossible for me to complete, so we always fudge the rules a little bit. I’ve used James as an alternate (aka original spelling) in previous years, but this time I settled show more for the prolific version and used it as an excuse to read a book that I’ve been side-eyeing from my TBR for a while now. With a title clearly inspired by France’s Art Nouveau cultural revolution, I assumed that this novel would be set in one of my favourite literary cities (Paris), but instead author Jamie Pacton brings us to Severon - which, while clearly inspired by the City of Light, is a loose interpretation at best. Her tale weaves around dual protagonists Sybil and Esme, who take a dangerous proposition as an avenue to potentially escape poverty and find themselves quite literally on the road to faerieland. Well, maybe not faerieland, since that place sounds far more safe than the adventure they find themselves in the midst of. Their tale is rife with family intrigue, secrets of banished daughters, and a heavy dose of dangerous magic to tie it all together, which makes for a heady adventure - even if it does not reach the purported artistic highs that should be brought on by the Green Fairy and her drinks. I definitely enjoyed Pacton’s tale, for all that it was a touch predictable and packed maybe a smidge more into the narrative than required, and was pleased when our narrators found themselves safely(ish) returned from their magical journey to a Severon that they’ll definitely never see quite the same way again. show less