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bookish_leslie's review
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
What To Expect:
- Dual POV (Emme & Cora Bee)
- American South
- Family secrets
- Healing from the past
- Magical realism
- A sense of community
- Special connections with nature
- A little bit of mystery
- A little bit of romance (no spice)
Themes: belonging, family, home, roots, stability, nature, secrets, community, friendship, healing, hope, trust, self-growth, intuition, love (of all kinds), acceptance
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My Thoughts:
This book admittedly took me a bit to get into, but once I did, it felt like a warm hug.
It covered some pretty heavy topics - like domestic abuse, childhood trauma, divorce, grief, and recovering from addiction, among others - but I thought the author did an amazing job of giving these topics enough gravitas to feel weighty and real, without making them feel oppressive or completely depressing. And any heaviness was balanced so well with warmth, the beauty of nature, and just a touch of romance, mystery, and magic.
I loved the setting. The flowers, that garden, the food, the bees, the gazing pool, the open-air market, Hickory Lane…it all felt so immersive and atmospheric.
It covered some pretty heavy topics - like domestic abuse, childhood trauma, divorce, grief, and recovering from addiction, among others - but I thought the author did an amazing job of giving these topics enough gravitas to feel weighty and real, without making them feel oppressive or completely depressing. And any heaviness was balanced so well with warmth, the beauty of nature, and just a touch of romance, mystery, and magic.
I loved the setting. The flowers, that garden, the food, the bees, the gazing pool, the open-air market, Hickory Lane…it all felt so immersive and atmospheric.
"The dining table had been decorated with jars full of flowers of varying colors, heights, scents. Caladium, salvia, violas, snapdragons, or "snaps" as Glory called them. I'd learned their names - and forgotten half a dozen others as Glory and I had strolled through the garden earlier. Votive candles set into pale-pink glass holders flickered along the table runner. The glass and silverware sparkled in the early evening sunlight, while dust motes floated lazily through the air. The roast chicken and whipped potatoes, pull-apart rolls, green bean salad, and cucumbers and onions soaked in Italian dressing had been consumed."
I really loved some of the characters, too. Glory was so warm and inviting and just oozed Southern charm. I’m not sure how I would feel about Dorothy in real life, but in print she was a lot of fun. I liked watching Emme slowly unfurl, set down some roots, and start to heal, and I enjoyed her blossoming friendship with Cora Bee, too. The chapters bounced back and forth between Emme & Cora Bee’s POVs, and I will say that it was sometimes hard to differentiate whose POV I was in because, while their characters were quite different from each other, their voices seemed almost identical. The two love interests, Jamie and Chase, were also pretty interchangeable, though I did like how kind both men were.
While I sometimes yearned for a little…more (of what, I’m not totally sure), I thoroughly enjoyed my overall experience of reading this book. There were a few things that didn’t make sense to me, and I didn’t love the epilogue, as I felt it tried to tie things up a little too neatly, but I was intrigued with the slight mystery, fell in love with the bits of magic, felt invested in the characters, and desperately wished I, too, could spend some time with Glory in the kitchen or in her flower garden.
This was my first time reading this author, and I definitely plan to check out some of her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
viwilliams's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse
mishale1's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Emme has never had a family before. She was raised by a single mother who used Emme’s talent of reading people as a way to decide who to con. One of the worst things Emme’s mom did was keeping her away from her dad’s side of the family. Emme’s estranged grandmother Glory made it her personal mission to find Emme and she finally has.
Emme jumps at the chance to become part of Glory’s family. Emme’s background is so heartbreaking. There’s so much sadness in her past and she’s had a rough life. I keep thinking about how she drinks coffee black entirely because she can’t afford coffee creamer. And believe me, that’s a drop in the bucket in Emme’s story. She has the biggest heart and she wants the love of family so badly.
Cora Bee is Glory’s niece. Cora Bee is the grand daughter of Glory’s sister who disappeared mysteriously decades ago. This book begins when a body is found in a garden and everyone, except Glory, wonders whether it will solve the mystery.
Back to Cora Bee. Cora Bee tries to keep new people at a distance because of her own heartbreak. Her last relationship devastated her in a way that she’s still trying to heal from.
There’s a good bit of magic in this story too. I appreciate how this author includes magical realism in her books since that’s my favorite genre. Essentially this book is about three women, Glory, Emme and Cora Bee, but the magical elements are important too. Everyone in the family has some magic in them.
I thought this was a beautiful story and the characters were so lovable and felt so real. As far as my own personal bias, I wish this book was less sad. There were so many sad elements to it. And when you love the characters so much that they feel real their sadness feels even heavier. I look forward to the author’s next book but I hope it’s a little lighter.
Emme jumps at the chance to become part of Glory’s family. Emme’s background is so heartbreaking. There’s so much sadness in her past and she’s had a rough life. I keep thinking about how she drinks coffee black entirely because she can’t afford coffee creamer. And believe me, that’s a drop in the bucket in Emme’s story. She has the biggest heart and she wants the love of family so badly.
Cora Bee is Glory’s niece. Cora Bee is the grand daughter of Glory’s sister who disappeared mysteriously decades ago. This book begins when a body is found in a garden and everyone, except Glory, wonders whether it will solve the mystery.
Back to Cora Bee. Cora Bee tries to keep new people at a distance because of her own heartbreak. Her last relationship devastated her in a way that she’s still trying to heal from.
There’s a good bit of magic in this story too. I appreciate how this author includes magical realism in her books since that’s my favorite genre. Essentially this book is about three women, Glory, Emme and Cora Bee, but the magical elements are important too. Everyone in the family has some magic in them.
I thought this was a beautiful story and the characters were so lovable and felt so real. As far as my own personal bias, I wish this book was less sad. There were so many sad elements to it. And when you love the characters so much that they feel real their sadness feels even heavier. I look forward to the author’s next book but I hope it’s a little lighter.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Death