Tag: contemporary

Review: Garden Spells

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Garden Spells by Sarah Addison AllenSarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

Everyone in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, knows that there’s something strange about the Waverleys. Flowers bloom in their garden all year round, and the apple tree in their yard has certain unusual properties. Claire Waverley has lived in Bascom since childhood and is happy to embrace her special role as a Waverley. By contrast, her sister Sydney left town after high school and has been constantly on the move ever since. The two sisters have never gotten along; but when Sydney unexpectedly returns to Bascom with her daughter Bay in tow, they must find a way to heal their relationship and face the consequences of their respective pasts.

I love Sarah Addison Allen’s books, and Garden Spells is certainly no exception. Allen’s writing is lush, magical, and romantic; while I’m normally not a big fan of flowery descriptions, in this case they contribute to the vivid atmosphere. Both Claire and Sydney are well-drawn characters in whom I became very invested, and the secondary characters are also quirky and interesting. I especially liked Evanelle, an elderly Waverley woman who is occasionally compelled to give people random objects that they later turn out to need. My only quibble is that Bay seems a bit precocious for a 5-year-old, but it didn’t bother me that much. I’d definitely recommend this book, and Sarah Addison Allen in general, to people looking for light fiction with a unique twist. Unfortunately I only have one of her books left to discover, The Girl Who Chased the Moon. Hopefully she’ll write another one soon!

Review: Too Good to Be True

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Too Good To Be True by Kristan HigginsKristan Higgins, Too Good to Be True

Grace Emerson doesn’t consider herself a particularly pitiable person. She loves her job teaching American history. She has her own house and an adorable dog named Angus. But when her fiancé dumps her and begins dating her younger sister instead, Grace discovers that everyone in her family feels sorry for her. To escape their pity, Grace tells them that she’s started dating someone else — a wonderful, handsome, sensitive pediatric surgeon. Too bad he’s fictional — unlike Grace’s sexy new neighbor, Callahan O’Shea, whose sarcastic barbs annoy Grace even as she finds herself increasingly attracted to him.

This is my second encounter with Kristan Higgins (after Just One of the Guys), and I think I can safely say I’ve found a new author to enjoy. Every once in a while I just want to read a light, fluffy contemporary romance, and Higgins definitely fits the bill. Her books are a little unconventional for the romance genre, for two reasons: (1) there are almost no sex scenes  — she mostly uses the fade-to-black approach — and (2) the story is only told from the heroine’s point of view. That’s one aspect of the book I didn’t like so much; I would have loved to see some of the events from Callahan’s perspective. But other than that, I enjoyed this book a lot. I especially liked the fact that there was no Big Misunderstanding keeping Grace and Cal apart. The obstacles to the romance are realistic and don’t seem contrived. I’ll definitely seek out more by Higgins in the future.

Review: Flat-Out Love

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Flat-Out Love by Jessica ParkJessica Park, Flat-Out Love

When Julie Seagle moves to Boston for college and her housing plans fall through, she desperately needs a new place to stay. An old friend of her mother’s, Erin Watkins, offers her free room and board until she can make other arrangements. Julie is immediately drawn to the Watkins family but is concerned about their daughter Celeste, who clearly has serious psychological issues. The closer Julie grows to the Watkinses, particularly their two sons Finn and Matt, the more attached she becomes. But the key to Celeste’s behavior is a devastating secret that may destroy both the Watkins family and Julie’s newfound romance.

I normally don’t read self-published books, but this one received such a positive review from Janicu that I had to track down my own copy. I have to say, I was very impressed with the quality of my edition (pictured): I’m pretty sure I only spotted one typo! As for the book itself, I really enjoyed it. The love story turned out just like I wanted it to. As for the “shocking” secret, I guessed it long before Julie did, but I was happy to wait for her to discover it for herself. Also, I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed Celeste’s character. Normally precocious children, whether fictional or real, irritate me to no end. In this case, though, I genuinely found her amusing. Overall, I really liked this book and will be interested to see what Jessica Park may write in the future.