Scan barcode
A review by autumn_alwaysreadingseason
The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes
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.