Garden Spells
Series: Waverley Family, Book 1
By: Sarah Addison Allen / Narrated By: Susan Ericksen
Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
Delightful, with a smattering of the magical scattered within
Oops! I accidentally posted that I’d be listening to First Frost last week not realizing that it was a Book Two (even tho’ it says it, like, right there!!!). So allow me to backtrack and listen to Book One in the Waverley Family series.
Why, thank you; y’all are so gracious.
I really, really liked Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, though I might’ve liked just a bit more magic thrown in. Each Waverley woman has a special gift she’s born with, so there’s some magic right there. Claire can work wonders with cooking and edible flowers/plants; Sydney’s magic touch with cutting hair/hairstyles can bring luck or love during the day; Evanelle knows just what item a person might need long before they actually need it. They burn, they yearn, they anticipate with great verve and gusto. Plus, their garden is pretty amazing, especially the old apple tree which chucks apples at the unsuspecting (and Waverley women know NEVER to eat the apples!).
The real magic, I guess, comes from the wonderful sisterhood and bond that develops between Claire and Sydney. As the story opens, Claire is mistrustful of Sydney when she comes back to Bascom, North Carolina, seeking shelter but not opening up about where she’s been or what she’s done. So there was a fair amount of throttling that I wanted to do as each sister shut down before sharing. But then, pardon the pun, life forces them to blossom, and having a sister myself, I really loved what grew between them: the giggles, the taunting, the goading, the just-being-there.
Sure, perhaps Garden Spells is simply a romance, light chick-lit, but I thought the sense of sisterhood made it richer than just those categories. Evanelle with her friend Fred round out a nice bit of family, and the book made me feel warm and cozy (okay, okay, so a cold front had just blown through and our heater was on! so sue me!).
As an audiobook with Susan Ericksen narrating, I liked it. Ericksen didn’t make her men all growly (though they did sound kinda throaty at times), but she added emotion when the story called for emotion. It made for pleasant listening.
If you’re in the mood for lighter fare with a nice sense of family, a bit of pleasant charm, and a smattering of magic, give Garden Spells a good old-fashioned try. You might find yourself as delighted as I was.
And I’m soooooo glad I did NOT listen to First Frost to start with! Be prepared; this audiobook was definitely good enough that you’ll be seeing my review for the sequel, like, soon!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.