Just Like Magic is one of the best holiday books I’ve read yet! Bettie Hughes has hit rock bottom. She is literally squatting in a dead woman’s apartment. This Christmas, she is summoned back to her family’s annual gathering, where the truth about her circumstances will be revealed. Of course, this requires alcohol. This leads to Bettie accidentally summoning a holiday spirit! Hall is determined to get Bettie into the holiday spirit, which includes granting her every wish. Bettie brings Hall to the family party as her fiancé, where Hall begins to lift her spirits and help make this the most memorable family gathering yet. But the more Bettie enjoys her time with Hall, Hall’s time on Earth grows shorter. What will happen when his time runs out? 

One thing I absolutely love about Sarah Hogle is that if she has an idea, she will fully commit to it and utterly smash it. The idea for this book is unique, yet I felt she completely pulled it off. I absolutely love her sense of humor, which ranges from seeing how far an idea can be pushed to blink and you’ll miss it. I loved the wide cast of characters, who all felt simultaneously realistic and absurd (in a good way!). I especially adored Bettie’s grandpa and how he was always looking out for her without her knowing it. Bettie and Hall have a romance unlike any that readers will have seen before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a book for readers who love the holidays, hilarious banter, and wish the Hallmark channel had better dialogue. Thank you to Sarah Hogle, Penguin Group Putnam, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.