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violet_reads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I was really looking forward to this, the synopsis, the cover made it look like this would be a magical book. The focus was not the magic flowers, if anything they took a backseat as soon as the two MCs met. All the focus was on the love story but both characters were really boring. I felt all the characters in this book were flat and one dimensional, I didn't care about any of them. All the events felt so surface level too. My reasoning for say the cast of characters being diverse is complicated because they were barely introduced and left immediately, I thought the family would be there and involved. I can't remember anything about them.
Also the setting could have been anywhere. There was nothing that made this feel like it took place in Mexico and that's something I was looking forward to as a Mexican.
1 star because I was looking forward to the book ending just I could count it for my reading prompts.
Also the setting could have been anywhere. There was nothing that made this feel like it took place in Mexico and that's something I was looking forward to as a Mexican.
1 star because I was looking forward to the book ending just I could count it for my reading prompts.
kimco_reads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I was incredibly bored throughout and wished there was more content about the family and their enchanted gardens. The love story was bland and the characters had almost zero personality. I’m giving this a 3 stars because I stepped out of my comfort zone with a romance and while this did nothing for me I do think the writing itself was better than an under 3 star rating.
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
I wasn't enjoying the writing style. Quite a lot of awkward lines and descriptions that constantly reminded me that I was reading.
cwgoodyear's review against another edition
4.5
The Enchanted Hacienda is a beautiful story that is honestly such a vibe. The first 30% honestly gives such Encanto vibes, I think its part of the reason I loved it so much. We follow Harlow as she returns to her magical family farm in Mexico after a breakup and works on starting over and starting her book. There she meets Ben and after a few mishaps and random meetings, romance blooms. There was a short section in the middle where the vibes seemed to drop off, right where the book leaned more into the romance than the magic. Luckily they picked back up and the ending was cute (despite the miscommunication which always annoys me). I'd love to see another book telling us more about the farm and the family.
1 on the spice scale.
1 on the spice scale.
autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review
2.5
Harlow is living in NYC, dating a man named Chad, and working as a book editor. In the first pages of The Enchanted Hacienda she loses her job, after just acquiring her first book. Her boyfriend doesn't seem to care much and makes her still attend his work event that night. When she overhears him say something racist, she knows she has to do something drastic.
Her mother has invited her and her sisters/cousins to the family flower farm. There's usually an annual event they all attend there, but this is too early for that. It's perfect timing for Harlow though. She travels there and learns the reason for the invite. Then she has to stay on for awhile. She doesn't believe she's the right person for the task assigned because she's the only one in her family without magic... or is she?
I really enjoyed the flower magic and the setting of the farm. I was rooting for Harlow as a late-twenties woman whose life is imploding. The rest of the characters were just not the interesting. Her family needed more development, but instead we got mostly romance between Harlow and Ben. And I'm sorry, but Ben was the flattest, most boring love interest imaginable. He was like a blank wall. He could've been anybody. The story of his grandparents and how Harlow helped them was infinitely more interesting.
Some of the commentary on how necessary love (and sex) is to life was cringe worthy. There are other ways to be fulfilled. This was a time when Harlow really should've been focusing on herself, especially after what she discovers, and connecting with her family/roots. The romance cheapened those aspects of the story.
Her mother has invited her and her sisters/cousins to the family flower farm. There's usually an annual event they all attend there, but this is too early for that. It's perfect timing for Harlow though. She travels there and learns the reason for the invite. Then she has to stay on for awhile. She doesn't believe she's the right person for the task assigned because she's the only one in her family without magic... or is she?
I really enjoyed the flower magic and the setting of the farm. I was rooting for Harlow as a late-twenties woman whose life is imploding. The rest of the characters were just not the interesting. Her family needed more development, but instead we got mostly romance between Harlow and Ben. And I'm sorry, but Ben was the flattest, most boring love interest imaginable. He was like a blank wall. He could've been anybody. The story of his grandparents and how Harlow helped them was infinitely more interesting.
Some of the commentary on how necessary love (and sex) is to life was cringe worthy. There are other ways to be fulfilled. This was a time when Harlow really should've been focusing on herself, especially after what she discovers, and connecting with her family/roots. The romance cheapened those aspects of the story.
flowr4246's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
chrisb913's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved so many aspects of this book. The Encanto vibes, the magical powers centering on the flowers, the familial aspects, and even the romance was touching for the most part. I think the author tried to incorporate too many different plot lines into the book and kind of lost it's way for a chunk of the middle, but was able to recover nicely towards the end.
I am excited to read her next book in this series and see how her writing continues to grow and bloom.
I am excited to read her next book in this series and see how her writing continues to grow and bloom.
winemakerssister's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
An adult re-telling of Encanto.
There were parts that I liked about The Enchanted Hacienda:
*Harlow's family
*the enchanted farm in Mexico
*all the flowers (although, of course, without magic they wouldn't be blooming at the same time)
*the language of flowers (although the use it felt a bit heavy-handed by the time I got to the end)
And quite a few parts that I didn't like:
*Harlow
*Ben's character was pretty flat. The author did a lousy job of describing and defining him
*All the flitting around - why did we need to go from NYC to Mexico to Quebec to Mexico to NYC to Mexico?
*Harlow is out of work, and before that she worked in a low-paying job, yet she hops on a plane without thinking about it and spends lots of money on clothing
*Lots of little details that are brought up and then forgotten without any resolution (like the "enemy" at work)
*The author writes about Ben describing writers as nearly god-like. Does the author think she's like that herself? For some reason, her describing herself through Ben's words made me cringe
*The supposedly fabulous book Harlow was writing was actually pretty awful
*Insta-love
It would've benefitted from more fantasy and less insipid romance. I'm a romance reader, but the strength in this novel was in the magical family and farm. I wanted more of that.
An adult re-telling of Encanto.
There were parts that I liked about The Enchanted Hacienda:
*Harlow's family
*the enchanted farm in Mexico
*all the flowers (although, of course, without magic they wouldn't be blooming at the same time)
*the language of flowers (although the use it felt a bit heavy-handed by the time I got to the end)
And quite a few parts that I didn't like:
*Harlow
*Ben's character was pretty flat. The author did a lousy job of describing and defining him
*All the flitting around - why did we need to go from NYC to Mexico to Quebec to Mexico to NYC to Mexico?
*Harlow is out of work, and before that she worked in a low-paying job, yet she hops on a plane without thinking about it and spends lots of money on clothing
*Lots of little details that are brought up and then forgotten without any resolution (like the "enemy" at work)
*The author writes about Ben describing writers as nearly god-like. Does the author think she's like that herself? For some reason, her describing herself through Ben's words made me cringe
*The supposedly fabulous book Harlow was writing was actually pretty awful
*Insta-love
It would've benefitted from more fantasy and less insipid romance. I'm a romance reader, but the strength in this novel was in the magical family and farm. I wanted more of that.