REVIEW: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

A cute contemporary small town story with a sweet romance that incorporates a bit of magic with the language of flowers. Gardeners and foodies will enjoy this one.

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Series: Waverley Family, Book 1
Category: Contemporary women’s fiction with magic elements
Publisher: Bantam Dell (September 2007)
ISBN: 978-0553384833
Rated 4.5 out of 5
Book pulled from the TBR Mountain Range, purchased by me.
Formats: eBook read, Print/Audio Available

Claire Waverly gardens at night when she can’t sleep. She fills her garden full of night bloomers to keep her focused on them rather than letting her magic singe everything in sight. Abandoned by her mother soon after the birth of her sister, Claire didn’t treat her sister very nice while they were growing up and now she regrets it. Her sister Sydney ran away at eighteen and their grandmother died within a year, leaving only one other living relative in town, a distant cousin, Evanelle. Claire adores Evanelle and enjoys her company.

Evanelle has a knack for giving people what they need. She doesn’t know why she needs to give them things but there is always a reason they’re needed in the recipient’s future. All the Waverleys are odd, exemplifying gifts that are unusual. Claire’s talent is the ability to use the language of flowers to enhance the food she caters and the mood of those who partake of it.

When Sydney comes home with a daughter in tow, not willing to talk about where she has been over the years or why she’s here now, Claire decides to just be glad her sister is back. But Sydney’s life prior to returning to Bascom, North Carolina, may bring harm to all those she hopes to protect. Will she ever really feel at home or find where she belongs, as well as figure out her Waverley talent?

I’m not usually a fan of such light-hearted stories but this one is enchanting and I enjoyed the originality as well as the characters. Bascom is a small town full of people who want something from the Waverleys, if they think it will help their future. But some things shouldn’t be known and the Waverleys’ naughty tree seems to want to tell everyone what it knows about their future. That tree is hilarious and kept me entertained. Gardeners, especially those who enjoy culinary pursuits with the use of herbs, will enjoy the fun contained within this book.

There’s a good plot that keeps the story moving forward and the eccentricities of the people in Bascom are amusing. There are love interests for the two sisters and Sydney’s daughter is adorable. A happy-for-now ending prepares you for the next book in the series, FIRST FROST, releasing January 20, 2015, where the Waverley family’s story continues (review coming next).

Completely engaging, I highly recommend GARDEN SPELLS to those who love to garden or create tasty treats, as well as enjoy a bit of magic in their life. Author Sarah Addison Allen has a special talent for creativity when it comes to storytelling. Very enjoyable and quite different!

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of TBR MOUNTAIN RANGE.

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