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Wild Magic #1
Witch of Wild Things
Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.
What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.
With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.
What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.
With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2023
About the author
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
8 books803 followersRaquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2017. She’s most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains. Raquel has published two books of poetry. Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,814 reviews
October 20, 2024
Magical realism, a captivating love story featuring hints of enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance, and a heart-wrenching tale of a dysfunctional family with spine-tingling paranormal undertones—this book has the perfect combination for a bookish nerd like me. I adored it and devoured every chapter.
Sage Flores has a unique talent for identifying plants—she’s like a living identification app, a true plant whisperer. But that’s not her only gift. She can also connect with the plants’ souls, making them grow and thrive. Sage harbors another secret linked to her late sister, Sky, who died in an accident eight years ago. Whenever Sage cries, Sky appears, making her favorite chocolate raspberry coffee.
Returning to her family’s home in Cranberry Rose, Sage moves in with her Aunt Nadia, who has a knack for knowing things, and her estranged sister, Teal, who can summon lightning in the sky. Together, they must confront the unresolved issues of their past.
Sage accepts a job offer at the Cranberry Rose Company, tasked with discovering new plants to boost the farm’s sales. However, there’s a catch: she must work alongside Tennessee Reyes, her high school crush who once shattered her heart. Despite her reservations, she needs the money to leave town for her own peace of mind. But things won’t be easy, as the sparks between them fly and the attraction is undeniable.
Sage must confront her past, resolve her family conflicts, heal her broken heart, and embrace her future. But first, she has to embrace her power and share with her loved ones how much the losses in her life have truly affected her.
Overall, this book is pure magic! The characters are endearing, and the blossoming romance is absolutely charming. I enjoyed every moment.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Sage Flores has a unique talent for identifying plants—she’s like a living identification app, a true plant whisperer. But that’s not her only gift. She can also connect with the plants’ souls, making them grow and thrive. Sage harbors another secret linked to her late sister, Sky, who died in an accident eight years ago. Whenever Sage cries, Sky appears, making her favorite chocolate raspberry coffee.
Returning to her family’s home in Cranberry Rose, Sage moves in with her Aunt Nadia, who has a knack for knowing things, and her estranged sister, Teal, who can summon lightning in the sky. Together, they must confront the unresolved issues of their past.
Sage accepts a job offer at the Cranberry Rose Company, tasked with discovering new plants to boost the farm’s sales. However, there’s a catch: she must work alongside Tennessee Reyes, her high school crush who once shattered her heart. Despite her reservations, she needs the money to leave town for her own peace of mind. But things won’t be easy, as the sparks between them fly and the attraction is undeniable.
Sage must confront her past, resolve her family conflicts, heal her broken heart, and embrace her future. But first, she has to embrace her power and share with her loved ones how much the losses in her life have truly affected her.
Overall, this book is pure magic! The characters are endearing, and the blossoming romance is absolutely charming. I enjoyed every moment.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
October 5, 2023
I’m finally done with this and the only positive thing I can say is that the cover is very pretty. Everything else is just a mess of immaturity, entitlement, lies, misunderstandings, poor language and rude behavior.
The plot is everywhere and nowhere at once: death of family members, child abandonment, cheating, violence in a relationship, men are pigs, let’s bring down the patriarchy, capitalism is bad, avoidant behavior and ghosts.
The magic was nice but unfortunately, useless to the overall story. The characters would either not know how to control their gifts or not use them, but if they did, a significant part of the story wouldn’t have been possible.
This was poorly written, in what it appears to be an attempt to appeal to different generations, not truly relating with any.
This goes straight to the list of worst books I read.
The plot is everywhere and nowhere at once: death of family members, child abandonment, cheating, violence in a relationship, men are pigs, let’s bring down the patriarchy, capitalism is bad, avoidant behavior and ghosts.
The magic was nice but unfortunately, useless to the overall story. The characters would either not know how to control their gifts or not use them, but if they did, a significant part of the story wouldn’t have been possible.
This was poorly written, in what it appears to be an attempt to appeal to different generations, not truly relating with any.
This goes straight to the list of worst books I read.
September 12, 2023
"What connects everything in this world is story. Stories hold the universe together."
Magical, moving, and deeply thoughtful, this was such a beautiful story of healing and second chances. There were raw, aching wounds that needed to be healed, and the growth and intention these characters worked toward, to bridge the gaps caused by past trauma, left me with a story whose complexity, compassion, and wisdom will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the review copy—all opinions are my own!
Magical, moving, and deeply thoughtful, this was such a beautiful story of healing and second chances. There were raw, aching wounds that needed to be healed, and the growth and intention these characters worked toward, to bridge the gaps caused by past trauma, left me with a story whose complexity, compassion, and wisdom will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the review copy—all opinions are my own!
August 17, 2024
Star Rating: —> ♾️/5 Stars
If you’re internally screaming: “I WANT TO READ A BOOK THAT MAKES ME F*CKING FEEL SOMETHING!”
…This is 100% that book. I sobbed, I laughed, I swooned, I was angry, I was overjoyed, I cried some more at all the love, & I laughed again… this truly made me feel ALLTHETHINGS.
I will NEVER forget this book. Ever. My Stars, it was brilliant; It was eye opening, earth shattering. And such a good witchy October read. It was absolutely stunningly written. I truly know I will come back to this book again & again.
One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Of course I recommend, wholeheartedly!
♥️
If you’re internally screaming: “I WANT TO READ A BOOK THAT MAKES ME F*CKING FEEL SOMETHING!”
…This is 100% that book. I sobbed, I laughed, I swooned, I was angry, I was overjoyed, I cried some more at all the love, & I laughed again… this truly made me feel ALLTHETHINGS.
I will NEVER forget this book. Ever. My Stars, it was brilliant; It was eye opening, earth shattering. And such a good witchy October read. It was absolutely stunningly written. I truly know I will come back to this book again & again.
One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Of course I recommend, wholeheartedly!
♥️
January 2, 2024
Czy 5/5 ⭐️? Nie wiem. Ale powyżej 4.5 na pewno, bo ta książka, tak samo jak „Jak Moon Fuentez zakochała się we wszechświecie” tej autorki złapała mnie za serce totalnie! Brakowało mi wytłumaczenia jednego ważnego wątku albo mi to umknęło (obie opcje prawdopodobne).
To realny świat posypany odrobiną magii, ale jak to autorka lubi - magii związanej z naturą. Tu natura jest tak samo ważnym bohaterem jak ludzie, bohaterka Sage rozpacza nad jej niszczeniem, bo sama (również przez jej dar) jest z nią mocno związana.
Poza tym - wątki rodzinne. Raquel umie je pisać tak, że czujemy wszystkie emocje, łącznie z frustracją razem z bohaterami. Więc mamy ochotę wejść do książki i mocno ich przytulić.
Czy tak jak w „Jak Moon…” zakochałam się w relacji romantycznej i głównym bohaterze? Yessir🫡
To realny świat posypany odrobiną magii, ale jak to autorka lubi - magii związanej z naturą. Tu natura jest tak samo ważnym bohaterem jak ludzie, bohaterka Sage rozpacza nad jej niszczeniem, bo sama (również przez jej dar) jest z nią mocno związana.
Poza tym - wątki rodzinne. Raquel umie je pisać tak, że czujemy wszystkie emocje, łącznie z frustracją razem z bohaterami. Więc mamy ochotę wejść do książki i mocno ich przytulić.
Czy tak jak w „Jak Moon…” zakochałam się w relacji romantycznej i głównym bohaterze? Yessir🫡
September 11, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
A lightly witchy romance about Sage a young woman who returns to her hometown after many years of being gone after a tragedy. Trying to navigate her relationship with her sister and aunt, Sage begins working for the Cranberry Rose Company and is assigned a partner Tennesee. He unknowingly broke her heart in high school and Sage is not interested in being involved again.
I listened to the audiobook and was very much just along for the ride on this one. Yes there's one too many plots in this book but it didn't bother me. My favorite aspects of the book were the magic systems in place and Sage's relationships with her family and how all of that played out. I usually don't connect well with the magic realism genre but this book worked because it wasn't very much a magic realism book. Definitely want to read the next book and see how everything works out with the family.
A lightly witchy romance about Sage a young woman who returns to her hometown after many years of being gone after a tragedy. Trying to navigate her relationship with her sister and aunt, Sage begins working for the Cranberry Rose Company and is assigned a partner Tennesee. He unknowingly broke her heart in high school and Sage is not interested in being involved again.
I listened to the audiobook and was very much just along for the ride on this one. Yes there's one too many plots in this book but it didn't bother me. My favorite aspects of the book were the magic systems in place and Sage's relationships with her family and how all of that played out. I usually don't connect well with the magic realism genre but this book worked because it wasn't very much a magic realism book. Definitely want to read the next book and see how everything works out with the family.
September 1, 2023
Witch of Wild Things: Welcome to a wild, magical story of ghosts, sisters and love. Sage has a special gift that she keeps quiet about, but once she returns home it seems her gift really flourishes. Fired from her job that she loved, she is left feeling aimless and heads home. She moves back in with her Aunt and sister, but she talks with her other sister all the time. More specifically, her dead sister who brings her gifts and talks to her when she cries.
I liked the story, characters and plot in Witch of Wild Things. A little bit of magic (or quite a bit) is recurring throughout the romantic suspense novel. The themes include dealing with grief, magic, guilt, love, second chances, forgiveness and secrets. The writing is solid, and I really enjoyed the whole story. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Raquel Vasquez Gilliland for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and my reviews are voluntary.
I liked the story, characters and plot in Witch of Wild Things. A little bit of magic (or quite a bit) is recurring throughout the romantic suspense novel. The themes include dealing with grief, magic, guilt, love, second chances, forgiveness and secrets. The writing is solid, and I really enjoyed the whole story. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Raquel Vasquez Gilliland for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and my reviews are voluntary.
September 12, 2023
Happy release day!
Thanks to Berkley for a copy of this book to review via Netgalley. Witch of Wild Things will be out September 12th.
This tale of second-chance romance between teenaged chatroom-friends to lovers, blended with some beautiful magical realism, garnered quite a mixed reaction from me by the end. If you dislike deception by omission\misleading a love interest re: a "hidden identity", you might want to skip this one.
In high school, protagonist Sage Flores used to AOL chat under a pseudonym with Tennessee "Tenn" Reyes, a local hottie and passionate mushroom forager, until a misunderstanding made her ghost him. Sage is also a natural green witch, able to sense trees' moods, identify plants and their regional origins by touch, and nurture anything green back to health. When it comes to romance and interpersonal relationships with people, though, she's not so intuitive. As an adult, Sage is forced to return to her Appalachian hometown and the various festering wounds of her past.
So...Sage reunites with (though he doesn't realize he knows her), then misleads Tenn, almost the entire book. And she gets in deep, to the point of pretending to help find that old chatroom crush of his, while Tenn genuinely goes above and beyond to be gentle and caring with her damaged self, emotionally and physically. Her manipulation of him is not justified, and many of her actions are childish or cowardly. Sage herself realizes her shitty treatment of him as she stares in the mirror, past the seventy percent mark. And then she opens the door and goes to sleep with him again, thinking about her mountain of lies. Gah. The hidden identity and prolonged concealment of what happened fifteen years ago to make her ghost him was an awfully frustrating combination (The revelation was simple and stupid, too! She admits it, ruminating on-page!)
When things come to a head at the eighty percent mark, I found myself rooting for Tennessee to ditch Sage completely. I was so removed from the romance at that point. The petty drama and childish behavior throughout the whole book gave it a YA feel, like other reviews have noted.
I was, however, very much there for Sage despairing at the environmental destruction wrought by humans in the name of development and capitalism. She mourns nearby land leveled for construction, and loss of the wild, something I really connected with as a green witch reader. The author excels at on-page introspection, and beautiful passages filled with philosophical musings on the natural world, like mushroom connective tissue underground, or budding flower metaphors, are highlights of the prose.
Honestly, I think the book would be better marketed as women's fiction; Sage is a terribly difficult love interest to root for. I think the best moments are the non-romantic ones, like everyone drunk at Aunt Nadia's house (think that one scene from Practical Magic), the sisters bonding, or Sage confronting an abuser on Youtube Live.
TWs: death of a sibling, violence between siblings, MIA parental figures, cheating [not between main pairing]
Thanks to Berkley for a copy of this book to review via Netgalley. Witch of Wild Things will be out September 12th.
This tale of second-chance romance between teenaged chatroom-friends to lovers, blended with some beautiful magical realism, garnered quite a mixed reaction from me by the end. If you dislike deception by omission\misleading a love interest re: a "hidden identity", you might want to skip this one.
In high school, protagonist Sage Flores used to AOL chat under a pseudonym with Tennessee "Tenn" Reyes, a local hottie and passionate mushroom forager, until a misunderstanding made her ghost him. Sage is also a natural green witch, able to sense trees' moods, identify plants and their regional origins by touch, and nurture anything green back to health. When it comes to romance and interpersonal relationships with people, though, she's not so intuitive. As an adult, Sage is forced to return to her Appalachian hometown and the various festering wounds of her past.
So...Sage reunites with (though he doesn't realize he knows her), then misleads Tenn, almost the entire book. And she gets in deep, to the point of pretending to help find that old chatroom crush of his, while Tenn genuinely goes above and beyond to be gentle and caring with her damaged self, emotionally and physically. Her manipulation of him is not justified, and many of her actions are childish or cowardly. Sage herself realizes her shitty treatment of him as she stares in the mirror, past the seventy percent mark. And then she opens the door and goes to sleep with him again, thinking about her mountain of lies. Gah. The hidden identity and prolonged concealment of what happened fifteen years ago to make her ghost him was an awfully frustrating combination (The revelation was simple and stupid, too! She admits it, ruminating on-page!)
When things come to a head at the eighty percent mark, I found myself rooting for Tennessee to ditch Sage completely. I was so removed from the romance at that point. The petty drama and childish behavior throughout the whole book gave it a YA feel, like other reviews have noted.
I was, however, very much there for Sage despairing at the environmental destruction wrought by humans in the name of development and capitalism. She mourns nearby land leveled for construction, and loss of the wild, something I really connected with as a green witch reader. The author excels at on-page introspection, and beautiful passages filled with philosophical musings on the natural world, like mushroom connective tissue underground, or budding flower metaphors, are highlights of the prose.
Honestly, I think the book would be better marketed as women's fiction; Sage is a terribly difficult love interest to root for. I think the best moments are the non-romantic ones, like everyone drunk at Aunt Nadia's house (think that one scene from Practical Magic), the sisters bonding, or Sage confronting an abuser on Youtube Live.
TWs: death of a sibling, violence between siblings, MIA parental figures, cheating [not between main pairing]
October 18, 2023
Witch of Wild Things is a quiet novel of magical realism, family trauma, growing up too fast, healing and finding love. It's definitely a slow-burn (at times a bit too slow I would argue) but I ended up really liking where it went.
The Flores women all have magical gifts, but whether they are a gift or a curse is up for debate and loss has hurt relationships between some of them. Sage has an affinity for plants, but she's been nearly estranged from her family ever since her younger sister Sky died. Now she's forced to return to her hometown and confront her past, but can their family heal from all the brokenness? Meanwhile she has a new job where she's thrown together with the teenage crush who unknowingly broke her heart...
I did find this to be slow-going at times, but it ended up being a really beautiful portrait of healing both romantic and familial love, with a bit of magic along the way. I would recommend it, just expect it to take some time to get through. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
The Flores women all have magical gifts, but whether they are a gift or a curse is up for debate and loss has hurt relationships between some of them. Sage has an affinity for plants, but she's been nearly estranged from her family ever since her younger sister Sky died. Now she's forced to return to her hometown and confront her past, but can their family heal from all the brokenness? Meanwhile she has a new job where she's thrown together with the teenage crush who unknowingly broke her heart...
I did find this to be slow-going at times, but it ended up being a really beautiful portrait of healing both romantic and familial love, with a bit of magic along the way. I would recommend it, just expect it to take some time to get through. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
September 28, 2023
this is about a twenty-nine year old woman acting like a thirteen year old who can't get over a guy that disappointed her 10 years before, a guy that didn't even know who she was. I was going to finish this book anyway just because I don't like to DNF, BUT we then find out that sage knows her sister is abused and threatened by her boyfriend and she does LITERALLY NOTHING for three years and then one day she kicks his ass randomly just because he annoyed her when she was in a bad mood ???? yeah sorry I really cAN'T
October 3, 2023
I tried. Really tried. I tried reading this via Kindle, and when that failed, I tried the audio to push through and I just couldn't.
I HATED the dialogue- these characters sound like millennial teens, I have no idea how old they really are.. 30? 40? 15? There's mention of AOL - and I'm over here trying to place their age like
I made it to 40% in over a week which is a long time for me to hold onto a book before tossing it aside.
I love magical realism, I mean LOVE it.. it's one of my favorite sub genres recently but it's not very present in the book - it's more the FMC's weird old crush on the love interest from 14 years ago- he doesn't even know who she is because they had a relationship over the internet.
I HATED the dialogue- these characters sound like millennial teens, I have no idea how old they really are.. 30? 40? 15? There's mention of AOL - and I'm over here trying to place their age like
I made it to 40% in over a week which is a long time for me to hold onto a book before tossing it aside.
I love magical realism, I mean LOVE it.. it's one of my favorite sub genres recently but it's not very present in the book - it's more the FMC's weird old crush on the love interest from 14 years ago- he doesn't even know who she is because they had a relationship over the internet.
October 19, 2023
4.5 🪴
“I’m hungry with the need for botanical violence.”
This book fed my plant loving SOUL!! Sage is essentially me, the only difference is that I can’t control plants persay, but I’m working on the plant whisperer part. I currently have almost 55 plants and counting. This book had all the things I needed for a cozy fall read.
This book made me feel a wide variety of emotions. The fact that Sage could see and talk to her dead sister, Sky whenever she cried and was upset made my heart squeeze. Their moments were very precious in this story.
This book is about confronting demons in your family, standing up to family members that bully you, dealing with hurts from rejection…I loved the flashbacks to the old “aol IM” days between Sage and her teenage crush, Tennessee who is now her current crush and work colleague..so much delicious tension!!
I love stories with strong fmc that embrace their power and own it!!
“I’m hungry with the need for botanical violence.”
This book fed my plant loving SOUL!! Sage is essentially me, the only difference is that I can’t control plants persay, but I’m working on the plant whisperer part. I currently have almost 55 plants and counting. This book had all the things I needed for a cozy fall read.
This book made me feel a wide variety of emotions. The fact that Sage could see and talk to her dead sister, Sky whenever she cried and was upset made my heart squeeze. Their moments were very precious in this story.
This book is about confronting demons in your family, standing up to family members that bully you, dealing with hurts from rejection…I loved the flashbacks to the old “aol IM” days between Sage and her teenage crush, Tennessee who is now her current crush and work colleague..so much delicious tension!!
I love stories with strong fmc that embrace their power and own it!!
July 26, 2023
I had to give this book five stars because I enjoyed the heck out of it! It just read well, told a great story, and I couldn't put it down. Of course, I really like stories about witches, and this one had some great characters.
Description:
Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.
What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.
With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.
My Thoughts:
This story had a fun, swoon-worthy romance with some tension and obstacles. There was also the magic factor which was different for each sister. Each individual gift was interesting. The book grabbed me near the beginning and kept my attention throughout - I seriously didn't want to put it down. The plot moved really well with tension building toward the climax. Themes of sister relationships, coming of age, dysfunctional family, and magical realism. I enjoyed the excepts of AOL chats when Sage was a teenager. The characters were fully developed and memorable.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 12, 2023.
Description:
Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.
What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.
With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.
My Thoughts:
This story had a fun, swoon-worthy romance with some tension and obstacles. There was also the magic factor which was different for each sister. Each individual gift was interesting. The book grabbed me near the beginning and kept my attention throughout - I seriously didn't want to put it down. The plot moved really well with tension building toward the climax. Themes of sister relationships, coming of age, dysfunctional family, and magical realism. I enjoyed the excepts of AOL chats when Sage was a teenager. The characters were fully developed and memorable.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 12, 2023.
August 28, 2023
I am a DNF girl this year and ******* loving it.
Read
October 22, 2023I've loved all of Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's books, and I love the way that she writes messy familial relationships and witchy protagonists - particularly in this book.
There's magic, grief, anger, pain, a second-chance romance, complicated sibling relationships, and an incredible protagonist who can commune with plants. I so enjoyed this.
There's magic, grief, anger, pain, a second-chance romance, complicated sibling relationships, and an incredible protagonist who can commune with plants. I so enjoyed this.
September 22, 2023
This one was just ok for me. Definitely light on witchy/magic storyline and too heavy on misleading, misunderstanding, and a romance storyline that felt very forced and immature. I wasn’t a huge fan of our leading girl Sage. I had high hopes but this one would definitely be a library copy or a pass.
September 21, 2023
3.5
Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook.
There are aspects of this book I really, really liked. The first one being the audio narration. Krysta Gonzales did a great job. I loved how she brought each character to life and the humor/sarcasm was done perfectly.
I really loved the magical realism elements, in particular the focus on loving nature and appreciating our environment and how we are all interconnected.
I struggled with the first half, I felt the book took a little while to find its footing and the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope was…silly. I was trying to view it from the stain point of an older teen, but how it also carried into someone in their late 20s? I dunno. Trying to be vague so I’m probably not articulating it well enough, but it was annoying.
Overall, a good palate cleanser and I’m thankful I had the audio. It might have been a DNF if I read in print.
Review Date: 09/21/2023
Publication Date: 09/12/2023
Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook.
There are aspects of this book I really, really liked. The first one being the audio narration. Krysta Gonzales did a great job. I loved how she brought each character to life and the humor/sarcasm was done perfectly.
I really loved the magical realism elements, in particular the focus on loving nature and appreciating our environment and how we are all interconnected.
I struggled with the first half, I felt the book took a little while to find its footing and the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope was…silly. I was trying to view it from the stain point of an older teen, but how it also carried into someone in their late 20s? I dunno. Trying to be vague so I’m probably not articulating it well enough, but it was annoying.
Overall, a good palate cleanser and I’m thankful I had the audio. It might have been a DNF if I read in print.
Review Date: 09/21/2023
Publication Date: 09/12/2023
October 4, 2023
Millenial Latina witches dealing with generational trauma and the patriarchy? Here for it.
This is my idea of cozy. Nice people work out serious issues with a little levity. No glaring plot holes or abnormal antics.
I will say for the audiobook, it's not necessary to read the screen name every single time during an AIM conversation. Context and voice are enough to differentiate the speaker.
This is my idea of cozy. Nice people work out serious issues with a little levity. No glaring plot holes or abnormal antics.
I will say for the audiobook, it's not necessary to read the screen name every single time during an AIM conversation. Context and voice are enough to differentiate the speaker.
December 16, 2023
This was such a delightful book.
Second-chance romance. Witches. Sisters! Small-town Virginia! The seaside! PLANT MAGIC!!
The descriptions of the plants are just gorgeous. The emotions. OMG this book.
Second-chance romance. Witches. Sisters! Small-town Virginia! The seaside! PLANT MAGIC!!
The descriptions of the plants are just gorgeous. The emotions. OMG this book.
October 2, 2023
Dude breaks girl's heart in high school. 14 years later girl (who acts 14 not 30 for entire book) moves back home and he is there, conveniently, working at the same place she starts working. Girl doesn't get along with family - to be fair, her family sucks. Her sister blames her for the death of her other sister even though it was not her fault, and her great aunt who "raised" her after her mom skipped town (when she was age 7) treats her like crap.
Girl also knew her sister was in abusive relationship for 3 years but after two days back home she kicks him out with her plant magic. Girl then has best line of whole book, that she is "hungry with the need for botanical violence." Sadly, that's all the violence we get the entire book. (ps. the sister gets mad about the whole world knowing about the abuse but that small side plot is over in like five seconds because she then starts dating someone else).
Girl finally loses her mind on her great aunt who treated her like crap her entire life, great aunt walks away. Girl's dead sister's ghost but not ghost follows her around and tries to get her to make up with other sister.
Some random stuff happens, she falls back in love with high school boy, he finds out she was the high school AOL girl and lied (by omission) about it, they get in a fight. Girl finds out other sister isn't actually dead (which great aunt maybe knew the entire time? that was murky) so she comes back from being in a coma cared for by the "old ones" in a tree for 8 years.
This book was ridiculous. There are too many books where people are still so hung up on things from 10-20 years ago. Have a freaking conversation and move on. This book is less witchy and more just like, magic powers. Each girl has one specific gift. No spell craft or anything, just an innate ability to do whatever that one thing is. The cover is really pretty though.
Girl also knew her sister was in abusive relationship for 3 years but after two days back home she kicks him out with her plant magic. Girl then has best line of whole book, that she is "hungry with the need for botanical violence." Sadly, that's all the violence we get the entire book. (ps. the sister gets mad about the whole world knowing about the abuse but that small side plot is over in like five seconds because she then starts dating someone else).
Girl finally loses her mind on her great aunt who treated her like crap her entire life, great aunt walks away. Girl's dead sister's ghost but not ghost follows her around and tries to get her to make up with other sister.
Some random stuff happens, she falls back in love with high school boy, he finds out she was the high school AOL girl and lied (by omission) about it, they get in a fight. Girl finds out other sister isn't actually dead (which great aunt maybe knew the entire time? that was murky) so she comes back from being in a coma cared for by the "old ones" in a tree for 8 years.
This book was ridiculous. There are too many books where people are still so hung up on things from 10-20 years ago. Have a freaking conversation and move on. This book is less witchy and more just like, magic powers. Each girl has one specific gift. No spell craft or anything, just an innate ability to do whatever that one thing is. The cover is really pretty though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
Enchanting!!
And the millennial in me loved the AIM inclusion
Just saw Teal is getting her own book yesssssss! 👏
Content warning: domestic abuse, death of a sibling (sort of), sexual content, parental abandonment, infidelity (side character)
And the millennial in me loved the AIM inclusion
Just saw Teal is getting her own book yesssssss! 👏
Content warning: domestic abuse, death of a sibling (sort of), sexual content, parental abandonment, infidelity (side character)
September 4, 2023
This was an entertaining witchy read. There’s a sweet second chance-ish romance and a mystery that will break and then heal your heart. The laughs are balanced well with the more serious topics, but please check CW’s prior to reading.
Things to expect:
- Complex family dynamics, specifically the relationships between sisters. This is such a central part of the story that I think the book falls into more of the women’s fiction genre than romance.
- Magic. I loved the mix of the every day and the supernatural. Each of the Flores women had such interesting and varied “gifts”.
- Romance. Even though the story focuses on Sage’s journey with her family, there’s also a second chance-ish romance that’s both sweet and sexy. I loved that readers got snippets of how things developed (and ultimately fell apart) in the past via messages and small flashbacks. I thought the forced proximity trope was used well, but I wish the author would have established a deeper relationship between them as adults. Their connection as teens wasn't rooted in physical appearance the way it was in the present. I also didn’t love the lying by omission and miscommunication trope. I’m more forgiving about parts of the drama since they were teens, but there really was no excuse for Sage to withhold the truth later for so long.
- Mystery. The mystery was heartbreaking, but it was pretty clear where things were headed early on. When all was revealed, it felt almost anticlimactic after so much buildup. I still don’t fully understand how it all worked and it seemed like the author just wanted to tie that loose end up. I was happy with the outcome though, so I was willing to overlook the confusing/lack of explanation.
- Wonderful narration if you choose to listen to the audiobook. Krysta Gonzales was fantastic! She gave such an enthusiastic and emotional performance. I thought the casting was really well done.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
CW: domestic abuse (past), parental abandonment (past), loss of sibling (past) grief, fighting, threat of revenge porn, death of parent (past), uncomfortable/unfulfilling sexual relationship with advisor (past)
*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*
Things to expect:
- Complex family dynamics, specifically the relationships between sisters. This is such a central part of the story that I think the book falls into more of the women’s fiction genre than romance.
- Magic. I loved the mix of the every day and the supernatural. Each of the Flores women had such interesting and varied “gifts”.
- Romance. Even though the story focuses on Sage’s journey with her family, there’s also a second chance-ish romance that’s both sweet and sexy. I loved that readers got snippets of how things developed (and ultimately fell apart) in the past via messages and small flashbacks. I thought the forced proximity trope was used well, but I wish the author would have established a deeper relationship between them as adults. Their connection as teens wasn't rooted in physical appearance the way it was in the present. I also didn’t love the lying by omission and miscommunication trope. I’m more forgiving about parts of the drama since they were teens, but there really was no excuse for Sage to withhold the truth later for so long.
- Mystery. The mystery was heartbreaking, but it was pretty clear where things were headed early on. When all was revealed, it felt almost anticlimactic after so much buildup. I still don’t fully understand how it all worked and it seemed like the author just wanted to tie that loose end up. I was happy with the outcome though, so I was willing to overlook the confusing/lack of explanation.
- Wonderful narration if you choose to listen to the audiobook. Krysta Gonzales was fantastic! She gave such an enthusiastic and emotional performance. I thought the casting was really well done.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
CW: domestic abuse (past), parental abandonment (past), loss of sibling (past) grief, fighting, threat of revenge porn, death of parent (past), uncomfortable/unfulfilling sexual relationship with advisor (past)
*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*
September 18, 2023
The perfect combination of magical realism and romance 💖
Genre: Magical Realism
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 9.12.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
“She called us her little wild brujas. I was the witch of wild things. Teal was the witch of wild lightning. And Sky, was the witch of wild criaturas…”
I went into Witch of Wild Things thinking it would be a cute witchy story to put me in a fall mood, but I found an enchanting book that made me laugh and cry. There were themes of guilt, grief, forgiveness, coming of age, and family. My biggest takeaway from this story is the importance of respecting nature and the history of our land. I didn’t want it to end — really, though, 300 pages was not enough of the world of Cranberry Rose. I can’t wait to go back.
💞 Complicated relationships
🍃 Importance of nature
🔥 A little steam
👻 Paranormal aspect
🌱 Plant LOVE
Witch of Wild Things was a profoundly thoughtful story, and I can’t wait to read more from Raquel Vasquez-Gilliland.
______
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Genre: Magical Realism
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 9.12.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
“She called us her little wild brujas. I was the witch of wild things. Teal was the witch of wild lightning. And Sky, was the witch of wild criaturas…”
I went into Witch of Wild Things thinking it would be a cute witchy story to put me in a fall mood, but I found an enchanting book that made me laugh and cry. There were themes of guilt, grief, forgiveness, coming of age, and family. My biggest takeaway from this story is the importance of respecting nature and the history of our land. I didn’t want it to end — really, though, 300 pages was not enough of the world of Cranberry Rose. I can’t wait to go back.
💞 Complicated relationships
🍃 Importance of nature
🔥 A little steam
👻 Paranormal aspect
🌱 Plant LOVE
Witch of Wild Things was a profoundly thoughtful story, and I can’t wait to read more from Raquel Vasquez-Gilliland.
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebookend....
Follow me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/thebookendd...
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December 18, 2023
Expected a cozy foraging read and got cringe. The plot was just kinda weird and forced, as was the romance. My face was kind of frozen in a grimace half of the time. I liked the plant magic but didn’t like the great majority of this book. 🤷♀️
September 3, 2023
The women of the Flores family are gifted with magical abilities, and after the death of her sister, Sage Flores is forced to return home to face the broken relationship with her other sister and come face to face with the boy who broke her heart 14 years ago. After losing her job, Sage is forced to return home to the family she ran from after her younger sister Sky died. Now she's seeing Sky's ghost who tells her that the only way to help her is if Sage heals the broken relationship with her other younger sister Teal, who blames her for Sky's death. Sage takes up a job at the Cranberry Rose Company, where she uses her gifts over plants to help discover unusual heritage specimens.... except she is being forced to partner up with Tennessee Reyes, the very same boy who broke her heart 14 years ago after they built up a strong relationship through AIM messages (think along the lines of Hilary Duff's Cinderella). Tenn never realized it was Sage and she ghosted him after he broke her heart, now years later they are forced to work together and the chemistry is still there... and Tenn is asking for her help in finding his mystery AIM girl... will she finally tell him the truth? All the while she is also dealing with family drama, from her younger sister Teal's anger at her ( think along the lines of 27 Dresses sister's relationship) and her own family secrets that could unravel everything. This book was a lot and it definitely read more Young Adult rather than reading about people in their late 20's early 30s. Sage felt like she was an 18 year old girl rather than a 29 year old woman. Also the misunderstanding trope in this one was ugh, seriously, and the fact that Sage purposely lied and continued to lie to Tenn throughout their relationship was infuriating. Teal got on my nerves and her only real personality trait was irrational anger. When you find out the real misunderstanding and reveal of what happened between Tenn and Sage in highschool that leads to Sage's lying, it's just so frustrating. Overall, this one just wasn't for me at all. I really tried to like it but it just fell flat for me. I didn't care much for the romance, which barely felt there, and the characters were also barely likable. If you are a fan of family drama and misunderstanding tropes, then give this one a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did!
*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
October 24, 2024
The Flores sisters have magical gifts. Sage is gifted with a connection to plants: she can talk to them, identify, and make them grow. Her sister Teal can affect the weather, and her youngest sister Sky gifted with a connection to animals.
Sage is back home, at her Aunt Nadia’s, after being laid off from her job. Things are tense with her younger sister, Teal, as she blames her for the death of their youngest sister, Sky. To add to the drama, Sky’s ghost appears to Sage, talking to her.
Sage lands a job with her old employer, Cranberry Rose Company, the local nursery and is teamed up with her teenage crush, Tennessee Reyes, the man who broke her heart, unbeknownst to him. They’re paired together to find rare plants with a history and a story, to cultivate for sale. I love plants and gardening, so I thought Sage’s gift and her job was so neat!
I got a Practical Magic vibe here (the movie, not the book) picturing the beautiful old house as Nadia’s. Loved the descriptions of the setting and surrounding area!
The romance was lovely, even though I wasn’t a fan of Sage not coming clean with her prior AOL interactions with Tennessee, the blowback from it wasn’t long and overdrawn. I feel like Sage’s relationship with her sisters and Aunt Nadia were equally important to the story. They had past hurts that needed to be mended. Didn’t care for the way Teal or Aunt Nadia treated Sage. Teal was awful to her sister with no cause. It came from guilt and grief, but definite groveling was needed from both her sister and aunt. There’s some mystery around Sky’s death and I was thrilled over how that was all resolved!
Witch of Wild Things was a beautifully written, magical delight! Some romance, some family reconciliation, and cool magical gifts!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Romance in exchange for an honest review.
Sage is back home, at her Aunt Nadia’s, after being laid off from her job. Things are tense with her younger sister, Teal, as she blames her for the death of their youngest sister, Sky. To add to the drama, Sky’s ghost appears to Sage, talking to her.
Sage lands a job with her old employer, Cranberry Rose Company, the local nursery and is teamed up with her teenage crush, Tennessee Reyes, the man who broke her heart, unbeknownst to him. They’re paired together to find rare plants with a history and a story, to cultivate for sale. I love plants and gardening, so I thought Sage’s gift and her job was so neat!
I got a Practical Magic vibe here (the movie, not the book) picturing the beautiful old house as Nadia’s. Loved the descriptions of the setting and surrounding area!
The romance was lovely, even though I wasn’t a fan of Sage not coming clean with her prior AOL interactions with Tennessee, the blowback from it wasn’t long and overdrawn. I feel like Sage’s relationship with her sisters and Aunt Nadia were equally important to the story. They had past hurts that needed to be mended. Didn’t care for the way Teal or Aunt Nadia treated Sage. Teal was awful to her sister with no cause. It came from guilt and grief, but definite groveling was needed from both her sister and aunt. There’s some mystery around Sky’s death and I was thrilled over how that was all resolved!
Witch of Wild Things was a beautifully written, magical delight! Some romance, some family reconciliation, and cool magical gifts!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley Romance in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2023
The cover of this book is initially what drew my attention-the cover art is stunning!
This book is about second chance, childhood first loves as well as sisters working to repair their tumultuous relationship. The Flores sisters all have different witchy abilities and when Sage returns home after leaving her job, she works to repair her broken relationship with her sister, Teal, after the death of her other sister, Sky.
This book had some witchy vibes, but felt like the plot mainly centered around Sage working to repair the broken relationships in her life after years apart from her family.
I enjoyed this book, but was expecting a very different witchy romance story. It was still sweet and enjoyable, but not the witchy romcom that I was expecting going into it.
This book is about second chance, childhood first loves as well as sisters working to repair their tumultuous relationship. The Flores sisters all have different witchy abilities and when Sage returns home after leaving her job, she works to repair her broken relationship with her sister, Teal, after the death of her other sister, Sky.
This book had some witchy vibes, but felt like the plot mainly centered around Sage working to repair the broken relationships in her life after years apart from her family.
I enjoyed this book, but was expecting a very different witchy romance story. It was still sweet and enjoyable, but not the witchy romcom that I was expecting going into it.
October 8, 2023
5⭐️
1🌶️
This book is going to hold a special place in my heart for a long time. This was such a beautiful story of growth, second chances, love, healing and heartbreak. The magical realism within this book really blew me away, and I loved the gifts the Flores women had.
Sage had so much growth within this book, and I loved watching her heal and try and mend bridges. The mystery behind Sky and her tragedy was explored so well, I just wish the book could’ve been longer to focus more on the after.
This book was warm and comforting, made me smile and cry, and really made me feel some wholesome magic.
1🌶️
This book is going to hold a special place in my heart for a long time. This was such a beautiful story of growth, second chances, love, healing and heartbreak. The magical realism within this book really blew me away, and I loved the gifts the Flores women had.
Sage had so much growth within this book, and I loved watching her heal and try and mend bridges. The mystery behind Sky and her tragedy was explored so well, I just wish the book could’ve been longer to focus more on the after.
This book was warm and comforting, made me smile and cry, and really made me feel some wholesome magic.
September 20, 2023
Yikes. All the info dump and an almost 30 year old that sounds 13. Bleargh. Not romance. Not even YA romance. Not witchy either.
December 6, 2023
I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t automatically read a book just because it has ‘witch’ in the title.
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