Such Familiar Magic

by Natasha Ngan

A burned-out millennial witch ruins her family’s ancient magical potion and must enlist the help of her next-door nemesis to save it in the enchanting adult debut from the New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire.

Laila Chu comes from one of three magical British Chinese families in the sleepy seaside town of Silverwood Cove. Despite a busy life in London, she dutifully returns home every weekend to uphold her family’s mystical traditions (a.k.a. chores for needy ancestors). When her parents leave for a trip, Laila is entrusted with the ancient potion that has allowed the Chu family to communicate with the spirit realm for over 800 years …

And ruins it on Day One.

In order to reconstruct the potion, the only person who can help Laila is her childhood nemesis, Anthony Lim.

To Laila’s amazement, Anthony agrees. And as they search for the recipe’s elusive ingredients, her greater surprise is how much fun she’s having. Still, she begins to wonder if this disastrous turn of events might be the start of something…if only she can fix the potion before her parents return—or before she falls too hard for a man who’s only here for the magic.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Paranormal

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 12, 2027

About the author

Natasha Ngan is the New York Times bestselling author of the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy. She grew up between Malaysia, where the Chinese side of her family is from, and the UK. This multicultural upbringing influences her writing, and she is passionate about bringing diverse stories to readers.

Ngan studied Geography at the University of Cambridge before working as a social media consultant and fashion blogger, and yoga teacher.

She lives on the west coast of France with her partner and their Staffordshire bull terrier, Nova.

She is represented by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary.

Follow Natasha at: http://natashangan.com or on Instagram: @_natashangan

Reviews

[Gali · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Such Familiar Magic" by Natasha Ngan is a sweet, cozy fantasy following the self-discovery journey of a British-Chinese young witch. It is just the kind of book I love, and I quickly got immersed in its whimsical atmosphere and story.

Laila Chu comes from one of three magical British-Chinese families in the seaside town of Silverwood Cove, each family with their own kind of magic. Her parents immigrated from Malaysia to the UK for a better future. Laila toggles between her work in London and her familial magic duties at home on the weekends, leaving no space for personal relationships and friendship.

When her parents leave for a trip to Malaysia, Laila has to go home for that period to take care of the ancient potion that gives them their power, the family spirits, and their pet turtle. When she accidentally ruins the potion, she has to reconstruct it from scratch. Unfortunately, the only person who can help her is her childhood nemesis, Anthony Lim. The clock is ticking, and she has to gather the ingredients before it is too late. But, hey, no pressure, right??

I enjoyed the book immensely. I loved the family dynamics, the slow-burn romance, and the Chinese mythology. I also enjoyed the little winks to other stories and characters, such as Mulan and Wednesday. The hero compared the heroine to Mulan, and one of the teenage side characters, with her love of the macabre, was a fun wink to Wednesday. I loved the banter between Laila and Anthony and between her and her ancestor spirits. The latter were my favorite side characters. In fact, I loved the whole cast!

Laila is flawed, but that is what makes her human. I appreciated her journey, the way she came to terms with herself and her inheritance and found her place in the community. She compartmentalized herself and almost broke herself in doing so, suffering from panic attacks and burnout. But she grows along the way. Anthony was sweet, strong but vulnerable, kind and soft, and I identified with his loss. I also liked Laila's approach to life and the way she balanced work and life. Laila's mom irritated me at first. She was the stereotypical Asian mother and too strict with her only daughter, but as I got to know her, I understood her more.

The book explores themes of identity, culture, grief, family, community, burnout, and love. I loved the glimpse into the immigrant community, and the message about home, a place where you will always be welcomed no matter what. It also touched on Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), and had LGBTQ+ representation. There were a couple of sex scenes, so consider yourself warned if that bothers you.

Overall, I loved the book and highly recommend it. I liked the connection between memories and ingredients, the magic, and the writing. The pace was slow at times, but there wasn't a dull moment. In fact, it enabled us to get to know the characters and the culture. I recommend the book to fans of feel-good novels that leave you all warm inside, with great characters you can deeply connect with and care about, and magic.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review on my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2026...

[Mai T.]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Valentine's Day TBR

[Nicholas Perez]

Natasha Ngan's back! We've missed you!

[Ams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story of love, grief, and belonging. I don’t really have the words to describe how much I loved this book, but one thing for sure, Natasha Ngan’s adult debut is everything we wanted and more

[Stephanie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75 Stars ⭐⭐⭐✨
I didn’t hate this book. It was well written and cute, and the chemistry between the main characters was definitely there. On paper, it had so many elements I should have loved:

AANHPI Representation: A whole town of witches!

The Tropes: A mix of fantasy (not usually my genre, but I'm trying!) combined with a romance dynamic that felt somewhere between enemies-to-lovers and former-friends-to-lovers. I don't know what people are saying these days

The Plot: Laila is a relatable, exhausted protagonist who is simply doing too much. On top of her stressful day job as a communications manager, she’s also in charge of guarding an 888 yearold magical potion, which she accidentally ruins as it's cooking over the stove, when she falls asleep.

The Stakes: She has to team up with Anthony, a handsome, wealthy fellow witch, to figure out how to recreate the potion before her parents get back from vacation.

The Bonus: A pet turtle who gets lots of cuddles.

However, despite all of that, I was just so bored. I couldn't find a genuine connection to the characters or the plot. There was just something missing. It can be hard to explain, but I felt absolutely no attachment to the story while reading it.

I found the implausible emotions towards the end with the Asian parents completely unbelievable. Sorry, as a fellow Asian, we don't talk about our feelings =/

It could very well just be a "me" issue, or maybe the fantasy genre just isn't for me, and that's totally fine.

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reading copy!

[Bookevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely magical. Loved that Ngan infused Malaysian Chinese folklore and culture into a cosy fantasy romcom!

[Kim (readerbydusk) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such Familiar Magic was such a sweet, cozy read. I've been exploring more books in the cozy fantasy genre lately, and this one reminded me why I've been enjoying that journey so much. At its core, this is a story about love, grief, family, and finding where you truly belong, and those themes are handled with a lot of warmth and care.

One of my favourite aspects was the incorporation of Malaysian Chinese folklore and culture. I also found this much more character-driven than I expected going in, which ended up being one of its strengths. Watching the characters work through their losses, relationships, and hopes for the future was often more compelling than the plot itself.

And can we take a moment to appreciate that this book doesn't rely on a third-act breakup? Instead, the characters have a mature disagreement that feels true to who they are and the situation they're in. It was such a refreshing change from a trope I'm honestly getting a little tired of seeing.

↪ 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTF

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this title simply because it was a "read now" option on NetGalley, where Berkely is pretty stingy with approving requests. Well, I am so happy that I now have a new "must read" author on my list. Natasha Ngan's writing is absolutely beautiful and her storytelling had me charmed.

A young witch is charged with taking care of the 800+ year-old potion that serves as the source of power for her family of witches while her parents visit family in Malaysia. Disaster strikes and she must revisit her memories to discover the ingredients that will remake the potion. Helping her is a former crush who has a seemingly-perfect life. As they resume their friendship, a romance blossoms and they each help the other process past hurts.

This story is lovely from start to finish. There are so many times when I had to reread a beautiful phrase or scene. The traumas the main characters experienced are serious, but their banter and the comic relief of some spirted relatives of the female main character keep the story entertaining. I did shed some tears at the end, though! Ngan's Author's Note and Afterward were just as interesting, as they revealed the process of writing this book wasn't a smooth one. What a gift of a story!

[Fran (with the book addiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

This was an enjoyable read. I went in expecting a cute paranormal romance, but it ended up being much more character-driven than I anticipated. Despite the paranormal twist, the story felt surprisingly grounded. At its core, it’s about family, grief, identity and finding where you belong.

Laila isn’t a perfect heroine, and I loved that. It’s what kept me interested in following her journey. Watching her grow in confidence and discover who she is made her an easy character to easy to root for. The old-friends-with-an-element-of-enemies-to-lovers romance with Anthony was well crafted , but what really stood out to me was his own emotional journey. It was refreshing to see the hero carrying the grief storyline for a change, and the way the author made him so vulnerable made it feel quite unique.

I also loved the emphasis on family. The way ancestors and departed relatives remained such an important part of the story gave me Mulan vibes.

The characters, family relationships and emotional depth kept me turning pages, and I really think readers who enjoy romances with a touch of magic will have a great time with this one.

[Corey James]

I was really drawn to Such Familiar Magic by its cute cover and was excited to give it a try, especially after seeing some positive early reviews. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

As much as I wanted to enjoy it, I struggled to get invested in the story and found that it wasn’t holding my attention the way I had hoped. The cultural influences also weren’t something I was able to connect with as a reader, which made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the world.

Ultimately, I decided not to finish this one. I know every book won’t work for every reader, and this may be a better fit for someone who connects more with the story and its themes. While the cover definitely caught my eye, the story itself just didn’t pull me in.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me, but I appreciate the opportunity to read and review an advance copy from Netgalley.

[Myreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5! This was wonderful! I absolutely loved Anthony and Laila, I loved that they were flawed but genuinely good people. Towards the 70% mark there’s some banter/arguing that felt extremely raw and real, managing to avoid the typical 3rd act breakup but still serving tension and drama. Loved the inclusion of Chinese culture, folklore, and family traditions. There were some portions in the middle that I felt could have been edited down a bit as I could feel my attention waning but it picked back up and I was thoroughly invested in the relationships. Definitely a magical story of friendship, love, duty, grief, and some witchy magical goodness.

[Amanda Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laila has been burning her candle on both ends. During the week she has a high stress job and two amazing roommates. On the weekends she’s at home in her sleepy little magical village keeping the family business afloat. So of course as soon as she’s left in charge by her parents, and they leave the country, she burns the families magical potion. She’s smart enough to know she needs more help than her nosy demanding ancestors can giver her, so she turns to Anthony Lim, his sister, and the other Chinese magical family for help.
Memories are stirred, friendships are strengthened and along the way Anthony and Laila find each other and Laila finds some faith in herself.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Interesting premise. 5 ingredients needed to create magic potion so Laila’s family can stay in contact with family spirits. But the back and forth between Laila and Anthony became a bit tedious. If I hadn’t agreed with Netgalley to give an honest review I may not have finished it..but I am glad I did.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoon. A millennial witch screws up her family potion (which keeps her ancestors’ spirits alive, among other things) and then has to ask her enemy for help? Where do I even begin on how much I love this. Loved how Laila and Anthony’s relationship developed and how they learned to access memories and grief while Laila had to reassess her past, magic and future. Readers who love Sangu Mandanna will adore this read.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Gianmccall •(Kaz Brekker's Version)• · Rating 5 out of 5]

¯`*•.¸"¤°´✿.｡.:* 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 *.:｡.✿`°¤"¸.•*´¯


THANK YOU so much Netgalley, Natasha Ngan and Berkley Publishing for the e-arc opportunity. I enjoyed this book so much I think I'll be rereading pretty soon.


✨🧡🏵️


Girls of Paper And Fire Series es de mis absolutamente favoritas de la vida. He releído estos libros tantas veces que ya es casi una tradición anual. Porque, para mí, Natasha Ngan tiene un don espectacular escribiendo historias. Pero sobre todo, personajes.

Así que cuando supe que estaba en proceso de escribir una novela de romance, supe que debía leerla, porque echaba demasiado de menos sus palabras.

No sólo leí 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄. Viví en cada página como si el libro fuese infinito y no tuviera que preocuparme por un último capítulo.

Conecté tan profundamente con 𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚, nuestra fmc, como persona. Me sentí reflejada en muchas de sus inseguridades, en sus dudas, en sus emociones y cómo a veces se apoderaban de ella para hacerla sentir aislada, vulnerable, o sacar todo lo mejor que llevaba por dentro para los demás.

Como siempre buscaba dar el 1000% en todo lo que hacía porque de otro modo creía que no había hecho suficiente. Vivir entre dos versiones o más de ti como archivos en diferentes carpetas, cuando en realidad todo junto es valioso y perfecto tal como es.

Son lecciones que poco a poco la vi asumir y asimilar con cada equivocación, con cada cosa no dicha, con cada paso que daba. Y de un modo, no sólo fue leer un libro, sino como verme a mí misma desde otro ángulo.

Amo a Laila porque su viaje me hizo compañía y me enseñó mucho cuando más necesitaba de eso, y no lo estaba esperando. Aunque quizá debí imaginarlo, porque Natasha siempre ha sabido llegar a mi corazón con sus historias.

El romance fue una cosita preciosa de ver evolucionar hasta darse la oportunidad de existir. De madurar, de crecer, de ser más de lo que los propios personajes habrían pensado que podría llegar a ser.

Encontrar esos fragmentos de sí mismos que llevaban ocultando en sus corazones desde tan jóvenes fue lo que les permitió tener el corage para estar juntos, y he adorado cada momento de ello.

Hay tantas cosas que me quedan de este libro, que para describirlas todas necesitaría días, porque DIOOOOOS CÓMO PUEDE SER TAN HERMOSO!
Es una historia con romance, sí. Pero también es de amigos (aquellos inesperados, aquellos que no siempre ves pero siempre están, aquellos que saben todo sin que tengas que decir nada, y que te inspiran a ser mejor persona), de la familia (aquellas imperfectas donde no siempre se expresa el amor en palabras, pero sí en acciones cada día), de abrazar nuestras equivocaciones como abrazamos nuestros triunfos, y de que la verdadera magia está en esos detalles que hacen de cada uno de nosotros la persona que somos.

Toooood esta reseña fue bastante de mí siendo cursi, pero sólo las cosas más valiosas en la vida te emocionan hasta ser cursi, así que es bastante adecuado, diría yo.

Maravilloso, precioso libro. Simplemente espectacular. AMO AMO AMO AMO AMO ESTE LIBRO CON TODA EL ALMA ✨


𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆—𝒘𝒉𝒐—𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.


★★★★★/5

✨🧡🏵️

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this book and it lived with me in between reading sessions and definitely afterwards. The story tells us of families who are magical who live in a small town, most stay there but the main character moves to London to escape but has to go back, feels like every weekend, to support her parents. Something happens which causes a rift in the families. Annoyingly the something is caused by poor communication which annoys me.
At the start the main female character does feel very young and I wonder if that’s the author’s experience of writing YA books showing through. I struggled to visualise the town, I have no idea why, it’s set in England but my brain let placing them in America. While the houses and the market felt very real I just couldn’t imagine the town and the beach just didn’t sit well. Saying that I am a character driven reader and the author created such vivid characters and I really hope she continues to write about them in the future. I would love to read more about them even though she definitely rounds every story line there is just so many opportunity to follow people’s past and so many characters that could travel around the world.
The early mistake the main female character makes is daft but didn’t annoy me, I think it was a lot of pressure to put on her. I think whilst I enjoyed the book I think it would have been better if we had also got the male character’s perspective but I understand that would have been a totally different book!
The story talks about death of a loved one and the grieving process which I found helpful. I had thought there would be a supernatural twist at the end and was glad there wasn’t. I’m going to put the spoiler warning on for that. There is lots of magic through out the book and again I would love more books about this because the world created was so intriguing.
I so didn’t like the difficulty with communication, there were, at least, 3 parts to it and the middle bit was excruciating for me. I will say they didn’t last too long which was good.
The sex scenes are explicit but within a loving relationship which I felt was appropriate.
I think if you want a very interesting romance, with fabulous magical elements set in the uk with really well developed characters this is such a good book. I’m sad I finished it and definitely will read again and will look out for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion.

[Jazelle · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Such Familiar Magic Book Review 🦇

What kind of witch (kitchen, nature, spirits, etc) are you?❓

My Thoughts 🦇
AH! As expected, Natasha Ngan instantly brings the magic with this forced proximity, enemies to lovers, supernatural romance. Shove the tropes aside, though: this story is brimming with healing, heart, and a whole lotta self-realization, fostering a love that blossoms naturally between two witches who are so much more than the legacies they carry.

As someone who has carried the weighted eldest daughter expectations from Asian (in my case, SWANA, in Laila's, Chinese) immigrant parents, baby girl, I get it. I adored Laila's journey of self-actualization as she flashes back to pivotal moments of her life. Ngan's choice to link the potion ingredients not only to memories, but to each of the Five Elements, to smells (which so easily trigger memories) was a stunning way to layer the story with culture. The story explores so much emotional depth here for both Laila and Anthony while still giving readers the fun banter of an enemies to lovers ship. I won't stop recommending this one for a long while.

Recommended to fans of Take a Chance, Sasha Sinclair, Damned If I Do, or Level Up for Love. 🦇

The Vibes ✨
Single POV
Supernatural Romance (Witches)
Enemies to Lovers
Mental Health Rep (Panic Attacks, Burnout)
Forced Proximity
Small Town Romance
Family Legacy
Self-Discovery
BIPOC (Chinese)
Queer (Bi) FMC

Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. # 🦇

Quotes 💬
Everyone is someone's center.

I know full well that wanting things you can't have only leads to hurt.

Maybe this is how it is with old friends. You change, but the place you meet each other at doesn’t.

More than a boy so in love with a small town he’s never considered leaving it and a girl who ran from it the moment she could. A boy whose whole world is magic and a girl who wants magic of every kind. Not just the one she was born with.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I had HIGH expectations for this one. Like, I went in ready to be obsessed. And while I definitely enjoyed it, I fear it did not completely grab me by the throat the way I wanted it to 😭

The biggest thing keeping this book at four stars for me was the characters. I liked them, I enjoyed following them, but I never quite reached that point where I was emotionally attached and ready to defend them in court. I just couldn't fully CONNECT with them, and I think that made some of the emotional moments hit a little less than I wanted.

BUT THE WRITING???
HELLO???

Natasha Ngan's writing was easily my favorite part of this entire book. Absolutely gorgeous. And the BANTER??? 10/10. No crumbs. The dialogue was so sharp and fun that I could have happily read these characters arguing about absolutely nothing for another 300 pages.

Unfortunately, the middle did lose me a little. Things started feeling somewhat repetitive, and I could feel my attention wandering. I was still enjoying myself, but I definitely had a moment of "okayyy, are we going somewhere with this?" 👁️👁️

BUT THEN AROUND 70%???
THE BOOK REMEMBERED IT HAD PLACES TO BE.

It picked right back up, the pacing got more interesting, and suddenly I was invested again. The last stretch was easily my favorite because it finally gave me that momentum I'd been missing in the middle.

Overall, I really did enjoy this one, and I think there is SO much to love here, especially the writing and banter. I just wish I'd connected with the characters on a deeper level because I genuinely think that would've pushed this from a 4 star to a "holy shit I am obsessed" read for me.

Still absolutely worth picking up when it releases in January 2027, especially if gorgeous writing and top-tier banter are your weakness. And let's be real, they are mine. 😌

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely delightful read this was! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was so comforting, uplifting and heartwarming but still maintaining a really strong core of a story and without ever feeling saccharine. This is a story about reconciling all the different parts of your life whilst still finding space to be yourself. We follow Laila, she’s off to her seaside hometown to housesit for her parents while they are visiting family in Malaysia. She is responsible for looking after their tortoise Elvis, and their ancestral magical potion that they’ve kept brewing for 888 years. However when things very quickly go wrong, she has to ask for help from someone she find extremely irritating.

I don’t often like enemies to lovers, as I find a lot of the time, it’s just too mean and I can’t understand how the people end up liking each other. Not the case here at all. It’s done beautifully. Laila and Anthony have a long history between their families and there is some animosity. However rather than meanness, this leads to top notch banter and something that lights a fire in each other. Their bickering helps them both in difficult times through distraction. There’s always a level of respect too. I was really rooting for these two because you could see how they made each other’s lives better.

There’s some lovely supporting characters too. With Elvis the tortoise of course, but also the room mates, sister and members of another family. And you can’t forget the dad or the ancestors! The people in this book are complex, sometimes grumpy, but they are human and relatable and so easy to like!

This was my first book from this author but I will certainly be seeking out more from her now! I absolutely loved this. It got the balance of magic, romance and depth just right.

[Wera Niyom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

I struggled with this book because I couldn’t find any way to connect with Laila, the MC. The way she described herself and her life came across as very superficial and self-centered. There was also way too much telling. For example, when it came to introducing friends, the reader was told how close they were. We don’t actually see these interactions happening organically for the reader to form those conclusions. While I appreciated having Malaysian representation and could understand the struggles of being raised in an Asian household where feelings aren’t really discussed, it wasn’t enough for me to be fully committed to these characters.

Not only that, I think it’s completely misleading to market this as an enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers romance. I would also hardly call the ML a nemesis. It’s more so two childhood friends who drifted apart and struggled to find their footing again with Laila’s meddlesome mother’s expectations. The story fails to hit the typical beats an enemies-to-lovers dynamic requires, creating a disjointed romance narrative. Most of the interactions appear bickering friends.

Despite this being an adult novel, it skews very YA. Many of the characters’ emotions appear as declarations instead of deeper moments of introspection. The way Laila reacted to certain situations and the banter between her and the ML came across as juvenile. It also did the one thing I absolutely dislike: use pop culture references to replace meaningful description because it doesn’t help the reader understand or visualize the magic system or get a sense of the characters. It only invites confusion and ambiguity.

While it wasn't for me, others looking for more witchy reads, childhood friends banter, and a cozy setting enjoy reading this.

[Janine · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author, Natasha Ngan, and I was delighted by it. My thanks to BookBrowse and Berkley Publishing for granting me access to this cute ARC.

First, it’s literally a magical experience to read this book - no pun intended. Sparkling characters, witty conversations - “Like a skid mark on the otherwise canvas that is my life?” Says Laila Chu, our protagonist, to Anthony Lim, her childhood nemesis, after he tells her to treat him like she always has - and a fun-filled plot to reconstruct her family’s 888 year-old spirit communication potion. Anthony agrees to help Laila restore the potion - so you know a romance is coming (though first his soul must be rescued from “a pitiless chasm carved from the fires of hell” - this made me laugh so much!) - so be prepared for some spice!

There are five ingredients to the Chu’s cosmic fortune that must be found in order for the potion to be reconstituted. Ngan’s chapters are numbered and titled so you can follow their discovery. Other chapters have delightful names like Magpies and Margaritas or Home is Where the Heartbreak Is. I loved that touch as I had a sense of what was coming which I think added to the book’s charm. Laila and Anthony seemed perfectly matched. The chemistry is there from the beginning - so be prepared!

I liked the book for its blending of Chinese culture, folklore and family dynamics. These were what made the book for me. I think these touches are in keeping with the theme and plot of the book. The romance part was fine - I would have preferred a little less spice - but I think Ngan did justice to the enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance tropes.

Be sure to read the Behind the Book chapter for more insight into this book.

This is a perfect cozy read for readers who enjoy magic and love.

[Kristin Gleeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Uk/Fig Tree for a review copy of this novel. Cosy romance is the perfect term to describe this novel as well as the term for its location, Silverside Cove, UK. Laila has yet to find her specialty magic, something that has undermined her confidence at home and in the small Chinese community of witches in Silverside. It doesn’t help that her workaholic tendencies in her job away from this community is filled with responsibility and demonstrates how capable she is, her parents find a way to kindly or unkindly show they have little faith in her ability to carry out the simplest task to do with the family’s struggling magic business, including stirring the 888 year old potion that is the foundation of their magic. When her parents finally take their longed for visit to Malaysia to see family they leave Laila behind to keep everything under control, including overseeing the potion. An inevitable mishap later and Laila is madly trying to recreate the potion while the ancestor spirits are yelling at her, and the pressure is on to succeed before her parents return. Her lack of success compels her to turn to the handsome Anthony Lim, the talented member of the hugely successful Lim family and her nemesis to help her create a new formula, only this time, based on earth elements (his family’s specialty) and inspired by her own memories. By traveling around together, reliving Laila’s past Anthony and Laila find revealing and compelling things about each other that lead them to a new understanding.

There is a certain charm (lol) about the novel that carries throughout and the interesting cultural elements too that add an extra appeal to what is a sweet, light read perfect for a beach or wet weekend.

[Nimra Iqbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

Such Familiar Magic was such a charming, cozy, and genuinely fun read! ✨🪄

I absolutely loved the way Natasha Ngan weaves magic into Chinese culture, family traditions, and folklore. The magical world felt so unique, but what really made this story special for me was how grounded it felt in themes of family, identity, belonging, and figuring out who you are when you’re being pulled in a million different directions.

Laila was such a relatable character. She’s trying to balance her life in London with the expectations of her family, and then—because apparently she doesn’t have enough on her plate—she manages to ruin an 800-year-old magical potion. 😂 And of course, the one person who can help her fix it is her childhood nemesis, Anthony.

The childhood rivals-to-romance dynamic was SO much fun. Their banter, the tension, and the way their relationship slowly shifted had me smiling more than once. Anthony was definitely a highlight for me, and I loved watching them go from old grudges to actually understanding each other.

I also really enjoyed the cozy seaside-town atmosphere, the ancestral ghosts, the magical quest, and all the little touches that made the world feel connected to Laila’s culture and family history.

There were a few moments where I wanted a little more depth or development, which kept this from being a five-star read for me, but overall, this was such a delightful adult fantasy romance and a wonderful introduction to Natasha Ngan’s adult fiction.

If you love cozy fantasy romance, childhood rivals, forced proximity, witty banter, magical family traditions, and a romance wrapped in themes of identity and belonging, definitely add this one to your TBR! ✨💕

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first book by Natasha Ngan, and unfortunately, it was just an okay read for me. I really loved the magic, the Chinese traditions and folklore, and the family dynamics. It gave me Mulan vibes, which I was really excited about because that is my favorite Disney movie.

But y'all... Laila drove me INSANE. 😭 It is entirely from her first person POV, and she makes a huge mistake that could completely ruin her family's reputation and is basically just like, "It's okay, I'll fix it and they'll love me for it." Ma'am... WHAT? It reminded me of Mulan, where Mulan and Mushu accidentally mess everything up and have to earn back the family's and the ancestors' trust by fixing it. The difference is that Mulan is a comedy, so the mistakes and chaos are part of the fun. But here, it just felt like incompetence disguised as being quirky and cute, and I never bought into it. Instead of laughing, I just wanted to shake her because she never seemed to grasp how serious what she did actually was and seemed to think that everyone else would just accept and love her no matter what, despite the major mess up.

Anthony was what completely saved this book for me. He was sweet, charming, and exactly the kind of love interest I wanted, and I think Laila desperately needed. I really enjoyed the romance and loved all of the magical elements and Chinese representation, but I just felt like this story had so much potential and did NOT live up to it which was a massive disappointment for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Ngan, and Berkley for the eARC of this book.

[Literarilyconfused · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to preface this review by thanking the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this arc copy.
As a fellow millennial, I found the themes of burn out and many selves that the female main character deals with quite relevant. What I enjoyed the most about this book was the banter and exquisite tension between the fmc and mmc. Laila was sassy and messy, and I loved that about her character. While male lead Antony presents as a controlled, orderly foil to her chaos. They both show character growth and learn to understand each other as the story develops. These differences are highlighted to the point that Laila describes her life as blindfolded chimpanzee Jenga whereas Antony’s is a neat stack of dominoes.
I also enjoyed learning more about Chinese culture in this work. The author mentioned a few relevant key Chinese words relevant to character growth and the magic potion ingredients linking to the five elements (acupuncture nerd here) added interest and dimension to the story. The magic system’s connection to family and culture cleverly ties in with the book’s title. The book dissuasion questions at the book’s end are thoughtfully written. I could easily see myself using them to guide book club discussions.
The author balanced Just the right amount of spice for me, slow burn more teasing and build up at first with a couple of more door more explicit scenes.
Mild critiques about a few cultural allusions going over my head and the banter being slightly over the top at times. But overall, a fantastic read. 4.5 stars rounded up on goodreads.

[harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc!

This was such a fun and heartwarming story about love, grief, friendship, and family. When Laila accidentally ruins her family’s magic potion that is hundreds of years old, she must go on a quest to find all of the ingredients to remake it before her parents return home. Each ingredient is connected to a memory and she enlists the help of her childhood friend/annoyance, Anthony, to help find them.

Laila was a great protagonist. She was funny and relatable and I enjoyed seeing her become more confident in herself as a witch. I also really liked the focus on her taking care of herself when balancing work and home life got too much. I sometimes found her, and the friendship group, a little bit immature. A few of the interactions felt a bit juvenile to me and I sometimes felt like I was reading YA.

I really liked Anthony and his journey with his grief - from keeping it locked away and carrying it by himself, to being able to open up about it and gradually move on. Him and Laila together were so sweet, I loved their funny back and forth, and the way both of their individual types of magic were able to help the other.

Speaking of the magic, I thought it was such a unique portrayal and I really enjoyed how the magic interacted with the world. That being said, I would have liked a bit more world building. I feel like we didn’t delve as deep into how it worked and the history of it as I would have liked, but it was still interesting to read about!

Overall, this is a lovely romantasy with lots of fun characters and cosy vibes!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to BookBrowse and NetGalley for a pre-publication copy of Such Familiar Magic by Natasha Ngan. I don’t usually seek out rom-coms with magical elements but this book offered several factors which made it more enjoyable for me.

At twenty-five, Laila Chu lives a deeply divided life. During the week she works hard in London, every weekend she returns home to be a practitioner of the Chu family magic. When Laila is left in sole charge of the eternally simmering potion for a month, exhaustion leads her to leave it unattended, utterly destroying it. The way back to an effective potion will require Laila to collect five essential Chinese elements. I was glad the potion arose from Chinese philosophy which gave me interesting ideas to consider.

In order to find quality plants, Laila’s required to work with the arrogant and annoying Anthony Lim who possesses nature magic. The sharp humorous barbs they exchange create much of the comedy in this novel. As Laila’s own magic and memories lead her to the correct elements for a new potion she grows in self-understanding. Those changes allow her to see the people around her in a new light, and to accept the different ways she’s experienced love. Laila’s growth was one of the best features of this novel.

The book includes discussion questions that lead the reader toward considering their own life. They seem appropriate for both personal reflection and book groups.

[Crisia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for my ARC of Such Familiar Magic!

This was a cozy, feel-good rom com with witchy vibes, and the kind of book I needed in between heavy fantasy series. It was sprinkled with positive messaging and honestly felt like a warm hug of a book.

The chemistry between the main characters felt natural, and I appreciated the green flag MMC. Their relationship developed in a way that felt authentic, and I was genuinely invested in both of them. I also enjoyed learning about their backgrounds as part of immigrant families, and the culture and traditions that go along with that. Being part of an immigrant family myself, I related to the challenge of feeling like I was living two different lives growing up.

I do wish there had been just a little more emotional tension. The story stayed very cozy throughout, but I think a bit more conflict would have added some extra depth and made the resolution feel even more satisfying. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly and maybe even too neatly. I also wasn't completely sold on the main spicy scene when all of that tension finally broke. It felt a bit forced and maybe a bit too choreographed.

Overall, this was a sweet romance with likeable characters and feel-good messaging. It's a great option for a stand-alone, comfort read.

[Catherine · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

2.5/5 Oh, I really wanted to like this book - it has everything I like in theory. But unfortunately it just didn't click with me. I loved the magic and how it tied into the characters' cultures. It was really fascinating and immersive. I loved the arc of how Laila reconnected with her memories and her past in order to make her own potion that's unique to her emotions and experiences. I liked her development with her parents. How she learned to open up and be herself and not burn out and connect with her friends. The rest... I don't know. I did not like the romance very much at all. First of all, it's one of those where they are labelled as rivals/enemies/nemesis but it's not really true. They were more like sort of childhood friends who had a falling out. When it was revealed they had feelings for each other in the past and acted on them (and when it happened in the present, too), the tension was lost for me. I did enjoy parts of the ingredient gathering plot but I'll be honest, I found it boring from the 50% mark. There was a lot of heavy description which tends to lose me, too. A lot of turns of phrase I found awkward. (The 'forbidden boots''??) And a lot of the banter between Laila and Anthony felt forced and I just didn't really feel any emotions from their dynamic or relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!