Prepare to fall under the spell of “this sometimes whimsical, often insightful, always absorbing story” (Shelf Awareness) following two fiercely independent women and their truly magical friendship in a sleepy Southern town, from New York Times bestselling author of Karen Hawkins. Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books live, breathe, and sometimes even speak. As the librarian in her … sometimes even speak. As the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.
If the books are right, Grace could be the savior Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents–Sarah chief among them. But with a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, will Grace ultimately embrace the challenge to rescue her charmed new community?
“A mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author), The Book Charmer is a heartwarming story about the magic of books that feels more than a little magical itself.
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A truly Charming book about special deep friendships between women , small -town politics and relationships. It took me back to times spent with my siblings at small town festivals and fairs in rural Northern California. Reading Book Charmer was like enjoying an Indian Summer day, with the chilly mornings that require you to put on a light sweater only to rip it off in the afternoon. Then you complete the day by the fireplace sipping hot chocalate with extra mini marshmallows while everyone in the family relates their day. Its a definite feel good book. Yet one of the words you are missing from description above is thought provoking. Karen Hawkins book makes you think about such things as family dynamics and what exactly constitutes a family. Also there is the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town trying desperately to stay alive. This is a great selection for book clubs out there and ven includes some discussion questions at the end. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all.
This is a quirky romance book that is perfect for a beach read. While books talk to me, they don’t quite do it quite in the way they do with Sarah Dove. I love stories about small towns, especially Southern towns. So this one appealed to me and the story intertwines in the characters’ lives. The characters are well developed. Though Sarah, the book charmer, plays a small role in this book, I believe the author has set things up for a series.
Mama G’s memory is declining and it made my heart ache. But the developing relationship with Trav is touching and the two of them understand what it is like to deal with parents with memory disorders. Touching read and one you will enjoy as you get to know all of the people who make up Dove Pond.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I absolutely loved The Book Charmer. In some ways it made me think of Practical Magic, which is also such a fun read. The women of Dove Pond certainly are magical, but in a very subtle way that adds a flavor of delight to the story. Women’s fiction, I couldn’t put the book down and will definitely read it again. I loved the story, the characters and the beautiful setting of Dove Pond. Grace, Daisy and Mama G will steal your heart. A story of struggle and triumph, I feel a better person for reading it.
What a delightful book! Pick up this book and stop for a visit in Dove’s Pond, North Carolina with Grace, Daisy, Mama G., Sarah, Trav, and all the others you’ll meet in this charming, close knit, and somewhat peculiar town. A librarian who hears books speaking to her, a wise old woman facing dementia who seems to read minds and shares insightful advice, a mayor who prefers fishing to working, a gardener who makes specialty teas that work miracles for those who really need them, a wounded veteran who guards himself and others from the darkness he’s seen in the world, a sometimes surly little girl who just wants to belong and be loved, and a woman who has faced adversity time and again and is reluctant to open herself up to becoming more than a worker and bystander in life outside her immediate family. This charming town and its characters will draw you in and make you wish you could really visit for a while and have a cup of coffee and the meatloaf special at the Moonlight.
I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one in the series. It’s a feel good escape to a lovely place. I didn’t want to leave Dove Pond.
Looking for a delightful and light hearted read? This is your book! I couldn’t put it down and fell in love with the characters!
While looking for something “different” to read I saw a strong recommendation for this book and quickly went to my library’s webpage to see if they had it. They did and so began my journey with Sarah Dove and Grace Wheeler in Dove’s Pond. This was a magical story of family, friendship and love. I’m already looking forward to the next book.
Such a magical book – in the very best sense, combining great story-telling with magical realism and finely nuanced relationships that weave a spell within your heart. Truly, highly recommended.
I am ashamed to admit I have had this on my NetGalley account for almost a year. The excerpt was intriguing but it seemed every time I started to read the book I lost interest. It is personal. I have a parent who is showing signs of dementia and I had a hard time reading about Mama G. Finally during this time of social distancing I opened up the book and was entranced. It was still hard to read regarding dementia but it actually helped me process what I am going through.
The book is filled with a little magic, a little romance and a lot of agapae love. You find yourself believing things will be alright in the grand scheme of things. Faith in yourself and others will get you through most anything.
I agree with a few other reviews I’ve read that the ending felt rushed but that was ok. It is kind of like real life in that we have months that are filled to capacity with things and other months that are not.
I am ready to read the next book in the series which I believe may be coming out this summer.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
I enjoyed this book very much.
I liked the small town setting and the ‘family’ support that this book had.
I thought an important part of this story was how an adult son or daughter deals with taking care of a parent with dementia – by asking for help from others.
I liked all of the characters.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.
Loved this book!
ook Review: The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins (2019) 3 Stars ***
Down-home, predictable, small town story of broken-hearted misfits who find one another and make it all right for themselves and for everyone in the town. Yes, it’s pleasant and would make an easy beach read, but this story has been told soooo many times before. Nothing original to set it apart.
No-nonsense, introverted, financial analyst Grace moves “for one year only” to Dove Pond, North Carolina with her loving, dementia stricken foster mom, Mama G. and her troubled, too-big-for-her-britches niece, Daisy. Here they predictably meet sexy, brooding, damaged veteran Travis and wonderful, outgoing, somewhat magical librarian book charmer, Sarah. You see, Sarah is a matchmaker of sorts. Books talk to Sarah and tell her who should be reading them—a dating service, if you will, for books and readers. Sarah comes from a family with huge hearts and sharp intuition, interpreted as magic, but really just highly sensitive to people and situations.
So why did I start this review talking about Grace? Grace is the catalyst for all positive changes and the glue that keeps everyone together. So why is the title about the book charmer? That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
The town comes together to run another town fair which is expected to draw hordes of tourists and residents from surrounding areas. This fair has been losing money for many years, but now that Grace is in charge, everything is different. Her analytical and organizational skills and budgetary discipline turn this event into a money maker.
Little Daisy speaks like an adult with her one-liners and probing questions—very unrealistic for a little kid. Also, poor Daisy doesn’t make any friends, go to school, have play dates, or participate in any community activities. Her character development is completely overlooked. Other than being Mama G’s sidekick when the two of them go missing when Mama G. escapes from the house, forgets where she’s going and where she’s supposed to be, Daisy, who is way too young to be of any help, has a tiny role in this story.
Guess who winds up in a romance with the newly groomed and now well-dressed next door neighbor? Guess who doesn’t leave after one year? Guess who’s starting a political career in her new home town? Guess who is starting to take responsibility for the well-being of her niece? Hint: It’s not the book charmer.
At the end of the story the book charmer says, “Not quite,” Sarah shrugged, smiling. “I was a little jealous when I first realized Grace was going to be so important in saving Dove Pond. The old stories about how the Doves have always been there when good things happened—it seemed as if that was who I was supposed to be, you know. A sort of magic heroine. But it turns out it took two of us.” She looked at Ava. “Actually, it took eight of us. The committee will save this town, not just Grace or me.”
If you’re a fan of soppy, melodramatic romance novels, you might love this one. Otherwise, be prepared for light reading, but don’t worry, you won’t need any tissues. The author does not involve the reader enough in the story for us to have emotional connections.
I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait for more books to come out to hear the rest of the story for all of these wonderful characters.
I loved this book so much. I loved the warm and caring people of Dove Pond and the way the community came together to support each other. And I loved the magic of the books.
Grace, Mama G, and Daisy are a family, a family that has had their share of troubles and drama. The move to Dove Pond is only temporary, just until Grace can save enough money to move them all back to the city. But… the town and people of Dove Pond have a different plan for this little family.
Grace meets Sarah, the town librarian, and they don’t hit it off… at all. There’s definitely trouble there. But Sarah has the power and wisdom of the books to help her break through Grace’s hard exterior. I’ve always felt that books are special, so to read about the connections the books have with Sarah and how they seem to know what everyone needs made The Book Charmer such an entertaining book to read.
And I love how the ending left the future wide open for more book magic. I can’t wait to go back to Dove Pond and find out what the books have in store for everyone. The author has more stories in her head about this wonderful community, book #2, A Cup of Silver Linings will be out July 7, 2020.
Very enjoyable start to a new series! I love the touch of paranormal to the story. Sweet setting and lovely characters. Looking forward to the next book.
While I did enjoy this first in series about the charming fictional town of Dove Pond, NC, home to the “magically-favored Dove sisters, I wasn’t quite as blown away as I expected to be from this author. Yes, the story was good, but there was just the hint of romance that Ms. Hawkins is usually known for. I’m hoping as the series proceeds, I’ll be pulled in more by the characters and their love stories. Or perhaps I just expected too much.
This was an amazing story of a small town, the wonderful people who live there and believe in it and their hope for the future. It is also a story about family and friendships and hardships and the challenges that must be overcome. Grace is new to the town of Dove Pond but has relocated there to help Mama G and her niece Daisy. Sarah Dove, the town librarian, has a special gift with the books and she and the other long-time residents believe that the town will once again be the wonderful place that it was when they were growing up. This story touched my heart from the beginning of it and I hated to see it end. I was so glad to find out that there will be another book in this series because there are so many more stories that can be told about this town and its residents.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A good book with well written characters. I wish I could buy a home in this town. Loved the way the author describes the town and towns people. Really sweet read.
The Book Charmer was charming and delightful! I enjoyed the way that the story was written in a way that made the town feel familiar and cozy. Grace has moved to Dove Pond with her foster mother and her niece. Grace isn’t very happy about moving to such a small town, but she feels responsible to take care of her family now that her sister has died. She is angry that she’s stuck living there and doesn’t want to bother with anyone. But somehow she finds herself in charge of the annual Apple Festival and starts to get to know her neighbors and the other people who live there. Sarah somehow has books talk to her and delivers books to the people who need them. Sarah has reasons of her own to get to know Grace and her family, You will love this novel if you enjoy books about small towns and wonderful characters! All of the characters were delightful and the story contained both moments of humor and moments of real life challenges.
This is the first time in reading this author with it being a gem to discover. Since i myself live in the south just one state over i could relate. This is also a wonderful journey that includes a look into friendship. It also is woven with magic that also helps transport you to here with the characters doing the rest. As this unravels you are slowly entwined into this place. The emotions will slowly be churned until at times anxiety might overcome you. This certainly has depth giving only the best in reading.