So Obsessed With: The Winter 2015 Edition

So Obsessed With: The Winter 2015 Edition

Jan 22, 2015

Some of my favorite posts are ones where bloggers highlight the products they're loving lately or the things they're currently coveting. Posts like that always put new products on my radar and give me great ideas for gifts. I love this kind of content so much that I decided to start incorporating it into my blog by highlighting my loves and lusts and each season. Rather than give it a creative name, I thought my blog name was more fitting. So, here's what I'm so obsessed with this winter:

1. Butter London Hardwear P.D. Quick Top Coat ($19) and Nail Lacquer in Big Smoke ($15) - I've featured Butter London nail polishes in these posts before, but I realized recently that I'd never highlighted the top coat. It's seriously my favorite EVER! And this gorgeous, dark blue polish has been my go-to color this winter.

2. Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss ($20) - I haven't tried this lipgloss before, but I've had my eye on it recently. The colors all seem so lovely - subtle but still noticeable. I love Urban Decay's Naked line, and I expect this would be no different. I typically use lipstick, but I do love the look of a lipgloss.

3. Bb. Texture Hair (Un)Dressing Creme ($30) - Of all the hair products I own, this is at the top of my list. I have some natural wave in my hair, and I'm addicted to this creme. It creates that "tousled on purpose" look - almost like using a sea salt sprays to work. Just a little bit in my hair, and then I let it air dry. I use it all the time!

4. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo ($5.99) - The product above is my favorite, but dry shampoo is probably my most-used hair product! I used to wash my hair every day, but I finally broke that habit last year. Before bed, I'll spray some dry shampoo on my roots. And when I wake up, my hair ready to go!

5. Lush Cosmetics Sea Vegetable Soap ($7.95) - I loved pretty much anything from Lush Cosmetics, but I've been using this soap a lot recently. It just looks so nice in the soap dish next to my bathtub! Of course, it also smells great - lime, lavender and seaweed. It sounds like a weird combination, but it works.

6. TOCCA "Meet The Girls" Fragrance Collection ($62) - I rarely wear perfume, but my go-to perfume is a scent from TOCCA. I have mini bottles of three other fragrances from TOCCA, but I've been dying to try their entire line. This seems like a great way to sample each one without committing to a whole bottle. And it's just pretty!

7. Penfield Kasson Parka Jacket in Navy ($198) - I don't need this jacket, but I do love it. For some reason, I'm always drawn to jackets that have this look. And navy is one of my favorite colors, so it would look great with so many things already in my closet. It seems like it would work for winter and spring, so that's a bonus too!

8. Kate Spade "Heart of Gold" Bangle ($32) - I received this bracelet for Christmas, and I love it! It's just a simple gold bangle, but I love how thin it is and how great it looks layered with other bracelets. And I love the cute little idiom engraved on the inside! It also comes in silver and rose gold, so you can get a whole stack.

9. Michael Kors Chronograph Leather Strap Watch ($149.98) - I've been wearing my dad's old leather strap watch almost every day, and I'm obsessed. I certainly don't need another one for myself, but Michael Kors always makes my favorite watches. They're usually bigger, which I love because I don't like dainty watches!

10. Maeve Woodland Walk Buttondown ($78) - I'm obsessed with this shirt. The print - OWLS AND BUTTERFLIES AND LEAFY THINGS - is the best. Blues and greens are my favorite colors to wear and decorate with, so this shirt caught my eye as soon as I saw it! I don't need it because I probably wouldn't wear it a lot, but I want it.

11. J.Crew Dannie Pant ($89.50) - I have two pairs of J.Crew pants that I wear all the time to work, but they don't make that style anymore (SAD). My sister bought this style recently, and she keeps telling me to buy them. She says they fit perfectly! I love that they are skinny and stretchy. These need to get in my closet NOW.

12. The Theory of Everything Movie - I looooove Eddie Redmayne. So much. He's been my favorite ever since I saw him in Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and I've loved Felicity Jones ever since I saw her in Northanger Abbey. I wanted to see this movie even before all the Oscar buzz, but even more so now! It looks so great.

13. Downton Abbey Season 5 ($29.99) - I love how each season releases on DVD/Blu-ray before it even finishes airing on TV in the US! While this season has been a little slower, I still can't resist this gorgeous series. As soon as I have this in my hands, I plan on binge-watching Downton Abbey from the very first season.

14. Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies and Book Lovers Mug ($16) - I've always loved drinking tea, but I've been addicted to it this winter! I don't have this mug, but I want it. Isn't it so hilarious?! I'd make a cup of my favorite tea from Teavana, grab some Lorna Doone cookies (yum!) and settle in with a good book.

15. A Room with a View, Before I Go and All the Light We Cannot See ($10-$27) - I just re-read A Room with a View, and it will make you long for the warmth of Italy! I fell in love with recent release and 2015 debut Before I Go - so much so that I already read it twice. And I can't wait to finally read All the Light We Cannot See!

16. Brutal Romantic from Brook Fraser ($9.99) and Evergreen from Broods ($7.99) - I already highlighted Brooke Fraser's album in my December recap, but I still had to include it here. I feel like it fits the season somehow, if that makes sense. And thanks to Jamie's Best of 2014: All Things Not Books post, I can't stop listening to Broods!

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'Broken people make the best heroes.'

'Broken people make the best heroes.'

Jan 21, 2015

Girl Before a Mirror by Liza Palmer

Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins | William Morrow
Pages: 384 pages
Source & Format: Publisher; ARC
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Summary (from Goodreads)

An account executive in a Mad Men world, Anna Wyatt is at a crossroads. Recently divorced, she’s done a lot of emotional housecleaning, including a self-imposed dating sabbatical. But now that she’s turned forty, she’s struggling to figure out what her life needs. Brainstorming to win over an important new client, she discovers a self-help book—Be the Heroine, Find Your Hero—that offers her unexpected insights and leads her to a most unlikely place: a romance writers’ conference. If she can sign the Romance Cover Model of the Year Pageant winner for her campaign—and meet the author who has inspired her to take control of her life—she’ll win the account.

For Anna, taking control means taking chances, including getting to know Sasha, her pretty young colleague on the project, and indulging in a steamy elevator ride with Lincoln Mallory, a dashing financial consultant she meets in the hotel. When the conference ends, Anna and Lincoln must decide if their intense connection is strong enough to survive outside the romantic fantasy they’ve created. Yet Lincoln is only one of Anna’s dilemmas. Now that her campaign is off the ground, others in the office want to steal her success, and her alcoholic brother, Ferdie, is spiraling out of control.

To have the life she wants-to be happy without guilt, to be accepted for herself, to love and to be loved, to just be—she has to put herself first, accept her imperfections, embrace her passions, and finally be the heroine of her own story.

Thoughts on Girl Before a Mirror

I have to thank Target for introducing me to Liza Palmer. Of all the money I've spent in that store, Nowhere but Home will forever be the best thing I've ever bought there. I may complain about all the times I go in to buy one thing and leave with five, but that is what led me to this incredible author.

When I finished Nowhere but Home, it took me almost two months to write my review. My draft just sat there staring at me... How could I even put into words all the reasons I'd loved the book? Well, Girl Before a Mirror made me do it again. I read this book the second it showed up at my door - all the way back in September. When I finished, I wrote these words on Goodreads: "WOW. Liza has ruined me for all other books for the foreseeable future. I needed this, was moved by it and am so obsessed with it." Four months later and that was still all I had written about it. So, I decided to re-read it a few days ago.

What can you say about a book that's even better the second time you read it? A book that makes you FEEL pretty much every emotion? A book that crawls inside your heart and takes up residence? Yeah, I don't know either. That's why I'm asking a bunch of questions and putting off actually telling you why I loved Girl Before a Mirror. Because if you name a reason to love a book, chances are it's a reason I love this one.

Account executive Anna Wyatt is recently divorced, just turned 40 and has a plan in place to score a potentially career-changing client. They like her initial ideas, so now she's headed to RomanceCon to meet Helen Brubaker, author of bestselling self-help book Be the Heroine, Find Your Hero. If she can sign the Romance Cover Model of the Year winner for her campaign and get Helen onboard, there's a good chance she'll win the account. But she doesn't plan on Sasha, her pretty young colleague assigned to the project, or Lincoln Mallory, the gorgeous financial consultant she meets in the hotel. Plus, her brother Ferdie is spinning out of control and her bosses at work are trying to take credit for her ideas. For someone who thrives on control, what will happen if Anna finally lets down her guard and takes a risk?

If you took the name Liza Palmer off the cover of this book, I'm not sure I would pick it up. Well, I do judge a book by its cover... so okay, I'd totally grab this off the shelf and flip it over to read the back. But once I did, I think it might be something I'd typically set right back down. I can sometimes dismiss "divorced forty-year-old woman finds herself" stories pretty quickly. However, since it was Liza Palmer, I wasn't worried. She can take something that seems cliché and make it speak to you on every level.

Liza's writing is - as alway - incredible. She writes with so much depth, passion and intention. Every moment feels purposeful. Each character is multidimensional. Honestly, practically every word seems quotable. As Anna ponders the campaign she's working on, she notes that this one feels different. And I have to wonder if Liza felt that way while writing Girl Before a Mirror. There's something about this book that feels personal - not just to Liza, but to every woman who picks it up and reads her words.

"I want to be happy and not feel guilty about it. I want to be curious without being called indulgent. I want to be accepted regardless of what I look like, what I do for a living, my marital status, whether I have kids, or whether you think I was nice enough, hospitable enough, or humble enough to measure up your impossible standards. I want purpose. I want contentment. I want to be loved and give love unreservedly in return. I want to be seen. I want to matter. I want freedom."

I love pretty much every element of this book, and I don't feel I can do them justice. The romance isn't the focus of the book, but it's so memorable. From their chemistry to their conversations, I was rooting for Anna and Lincoln. Family relationships are a significant part of Anna's story, too. While I could talk about her parents, it's her interactions with her brother Ferdie that wrecked me. I rarely cry when reading, but this book got to me.

And then there's Sasha - one of my new favorite secondary characters. I loved her so much! I ached for her and cheered for her. I loved the wonder she had for life and the way she was able to retain that aspect of herself, even when recognizing that she needed to make other changes. In a book about Anna learning to be the heroine of her own story, I loved the way that every secondary character clearly had their own story. They all felt real and relatable in their own ways, and it's probably one of the biggest reasons I love anything Liza writes. I'm a character reader, and she knows and understands people. They're complicated, messy, and full of contradictions - and Liza expertly captures that truth.

I also can't forget to mention the themes explored in these pages. You'll find:

Surrendering control, taking risks, and finding freedom.

Celebrating your strengths, recognizing your weaknesses, and embracing it all.

Loving someone else, being vulnerable, and working through the mess.

Letting go of perfection, recognizing your worth and learning to just be.

Girl Before a Mirror reminds me why I love reading. I almost never write in books, but I had to take out my highlighter with this one. This book moved me and entertained me. Liza Palmer writes stories that resonate with me and creates characters that feel real. I know these women - whether it's at work, down the street, in my family or the person I see when I look in the mirror. I cannot recommend A Girl Before a Mirror highly enough. Make room on your shelves and in your heart for this unforgettable book.

So Quotable

"Over the past year, I've chipped away at the mythology of my beliefs to discover that love is not reasonable or measured. It undoes you. It's in the imperfections in each other, in ourselves, where we find our humanity. It's in our dents and scars where the deepest connections are made. Real love resides in the parts of me I think no one wants to see."

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review.

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Time for These Classics

Time for These Classics

Jan 20, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Top Ten Classics on My TBR

After discovering Jane Austen in middle school, I knew I'd found one of my passions: classic literature! In high school and college, I read a lot of them - and enjoyed it! Well, I will admit that there were clunkers along the way. Lately, however, I rarely find myself picking up these books I used to love so much. I did start my Consider This Classic feature after I wrote a post about the classics conundrum - so I have found some ways to keep my love for classics alive. But there are so many classics still on my TBR! Here are the top ten:

1. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

2. Villette by Charlotte Brontë

3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

4. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

5. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

6. Middlemarch by George Eliot

7. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

8. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

9. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

10. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Have you read any of these classics?

If so, where should I start?

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The West, Damascus & Down Under

The West, Damascus & Down Under

Jan 19, 2015

The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

Release Date: June 1997
Publisher: Macmillan | St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 229 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Paperback
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Summary (from Goodreads)

No one is more surprised than Mattie Spenser herself when Luke Spenser, considered the great catch of their small Iowa town, asks her to marry him. Less than a month later, they are off in a covered wagon to build a home on the Colorado frontier. Mattie's only company is a slightly mysterious husband and her private journal, where she records the joys and frustrations not just of frontier life, but also of a new marriage to a handsome but distant stranger. As she and Luke make life together on the harsh and beautiful plains, Mattie learns some bitter truths about her husband and the girl he left behind and finds love where she least expects it. Dramatic and suspenseful, this is an unforgettable story of hardship, friendship and survival.

Thoughts on The Diary of Mattie Spenser

After reading The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund, I became obsessed with books set in the early days of the West. Traveling by covered wagon, claiming up your land, setting up your homestead... I was craving stories from this time period! This desire was solidified after I re-watched The Magic of Ordinary Days. It's not set during this time period, but it has a similar feeling to it. And during this re-watch, I realized why I have such a fondness for this setting: it reminds me of my love for the Little House series!

In researching books set during this time period, I came across The Diary of Mattie Spenser. I hadn't heard of this book before, but I was intrigued by the summary and excited by the high Goodreads rating. When I spotted it on Book Outlet not long after, I automatically added it to my cart. The Diary of Mattie Spenser opens with a character discovering the journal hidden in a trunk in their attic. Interestingly, the prologue and epilogue were the big things that annoyed me about the book. The prologue felt unnecessary - these characters only reappear at the very end of the book (in the epilogue). I would have much preferred it start off immediately with the diary entries. And the ending is quite abrupt, and I didn't care for the way it jumped forward in time.

But once I got past that random beginning, I was hooked. Mattie is shocked when Luke Spenser asks her to marry him. She says yes to his proposal, which also means she's also agreeing to build a home on the Colorado frontier with him. She starts a journal to record the joys and sorrows of her life - her only real company in her new life, as her husband is like a stranger to her. The rest of the book chronicles their life together. I'll admit - this is often a sad, somber read. There are so many difficult, serious things mentioned in these pages. A few didn't sit right with me, including the portrayal of Native Americans, though I can't argue that the attitudes expressed are likely historically accurate. It's a problematic portrayal, but I think most readers will recognize that fact.

The writing style wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I read The Diary of Mattie Spenser. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to survive this kind of life! It's a hard, lonely existence. I admired Mattie's resilience, and I lost myself in her story. I disliked the way the story was sometimes too sensational - the plot drives the book more than the characters. But overall, I won't soon forget this read. In fact, I went back and read the last 20 or so pages (before the stupid epilogue) a few hours after I finishing. I just needed a bit more time to say goodbye.

City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn

Release Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Pages: 354 pages
Source & Format:
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Summary (from Goodreads)

Famed aviatrix Evangeline Starke never expected to see her husband, adventurer Gabriel Starke, ever again. They had been a golden couple, enjoying a whirlwind courtship amid the backdrop of a glittering social set in prewar London until his sudden death with the sinking of the Lusitania. Five years later, beginning to embrace life again, Evie embarks upon a flight around the world, collecting fame and admirers along the way. In the midst of her triumphant tour, she is shocked to receive a mysterious—and recent—photograph of Gabriel, which brings her ambitious stunt to a screeching halt.

With her eccentric aunt Dove in tow, Evie tracks the source of the photo to the ancient City of Jasmine, Damascus. There she discovers that nothing is as it seems. Danger lurks at every turn, and at stake is a priceless relic, an artifact once lost to time and so valuable that criminals will stop at nothing to acquire it—even murder. Leaving the jewelled city behind, Evie sets off across the punishing sands of the desert to unearth the truth of Gabriel's disappearance and retrieve a relic straight from the pages of history.

Thoughts on City of Jasmine

A while ago, April from Good Books and Good Wine recommend this book to me. I hadn't read anything by Deanna Raybourn before, but she totally sold me when she described the type of romance I'd find in this book. So, when I spotted City of Jasmine at the library recently, I knew I had to give it a shot. The heroine, Evangeline Stark, is an aviatrix. Her husband died years ago when the Lusitania sank... so why does she receive a recent photo of him in the mail?

Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Evangeline sets off for Damascus. This setting was entirely new to me, which I loved. I haven't read many books about life in the British colonies in the 1920s - but now I want more! Evangeline is such a delight - she's the got that spark that makes her jump off the page. I was hooked on her adventures and couldn't wait to see how they'd turn out. Would she find Gabriel? How is he still alive? And what has he been doing these last five years? The result makes for such fun! Danger is lurking around every corner, and I spent much of the book anxiously waiting to see how it'd all turn out.

The only thing that annoyed me a bit is that the writing is a little detail heavy. There are a few too many info dumps, which made the pace a little inconsistent for me. However, overall, this was an enjoyable escape! The unique setting and plucky characters won me over! I'm glad this was my introduction to Deanna Raybourn, and I'm interested in reading more from her in the future.

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberley Freeman

Release Date: April 9, 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster | Touchstone

Pages: 416 pages

Source & Format: Gifted; Paperback

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Summary (from Goodreads)

In 1901, a ship sinks off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The only survivor is Isabella Winterbourne, who clutches a priceless gift meant for the Australian Parliament. This gift could be her ticket to a new life, free from the bonds of her husband and his overbearing family. But whom can she trust in Lighthouse Bay? 

Fast-forward to 2011: after losing her lover, Libby Slater leaves her life in Paris to return to her hometown of Lighthouse Bay, hoping to gain some perspective and grieve her recent loss. Libby also attempts to reconcile with her sister, Juliet, to whom she hasn’t spoken in twenty years. Libby did something so unforgivable, Juliet is unsure if she can ever trust her sister again.

Thoughts on Lighthouse Bay

I absolutely loved Kimberley Freeman's Wildflower Hill, so I had high hopes for Lighthouse Bay. Once again, she combines contemporary and historical time periods into one book and connects them in interesting ways. While this didn't live up to its predecessor for me, I still liked it!

Now, I'll be honest: I started this book before and always ended up setting it down after the first chapter or two. The contemporary portion focuses on Libby Slater who has just lost, as it's revealed in the first chapter, the man she's loved for a decade. The only problem? She's his mistress. Because of the secretive nature of their relationship, she doesn't even know how to grieve him. No one even knows what he meant to her and she to him. So, I could never quite get into this book because I so disliked what she was involved in.

I told myself I'd give it one last shot, and this time I pushed through. I made it to the historical portion, and then I was hooked. Set in 1901, the heroine is Isabella Winterbourne: the only survivor is a terrible shipwreck. She's escaped with not just her life, but also a priceless gift meant for the Australian Parliament. Will she deliver it to the intended recipient - or will she use it as her means to escape the life that has her trapped? I was dying to find out what she would do!

Honestly, I wish this had just been historical fiction. I never liked the contemporary portion or connected to Libby - it felt like it was "getting in the way" of what I really wanted to read. I struggled a bit with Isabella at times, but I could at least understand because she was a bit lost and broken. Libby just made me irritated, and I didn't respect for the way she'd run from her problems. Because I never loved either character (and many of the secondary characters seemed a bit too caricature-ish), this wasn't a favorite for me. I hope my next read from Freeman works better for me! I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading this book, but I'd be more likely to push them to read the underrated gem that is Wildflower Hill.

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Food, Family & Finding Your Home

Food, Family & Finding Your Home

Jan 16, 2015

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Release Date: January 2007
Publisher: Random House | Bantam Dell
Pages: 304 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Hardcover
Series: Garden Spells #1
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Summary (from Goodreads)

The women of the Waverley family are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them.

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business - and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life - upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways.

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future.

(Re-Read) Thoughts on Garden Spells

I discovered Sarah Addison Allen in May 2011 when I read The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I fell in love with the magical quality of her writing, and I immediately wanted to read everything else she'd published. So, in June, I picked up Garden Spells. Then, I read The Sugar Queen and The Peach Keeper. It was a Sarah Addison Allen binge - I'd discovered a new favorite author! She has yet to write a book that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.

Of all of Allen's books, I've always considered Garden Spells to be my least favorite. It's still an enjoyable read and I have no real complaint with it, but I remember that I wasn't as invested in it as much as I was her other stories. It is her debut novel, so I do know that I was impressed by the fact that she already showed so much talent and creativity. But as far as the plot, I only remembered that it involved sisters and some magical food. 

When I saw that Allen was releasing a sequel to Garden Spells, I knew that I had to re-read it before I read the new one. It had been so long since I read this one, and I felt like I needed to refresh my memory on the different characters. Although First Frost (the sequel) jumps forward in time, it seemed like the events and backstory in Garden Spells would be important. I wanted to make sure I was able to truly appreciate First Frost!

As soon as I stepped back into this world, I remembered all the reasons I love this author. When I reviewed Lost Lake last year, I identified four things I loved about it that I felt were characteristic of Allen's work overall. And it's true for Garden Spells, too: enchanting story, lovely writing, charming setting and colorful characters. You'll find them all in this delightful book! I think my favorite aspect is the relationship between sisters Claire and Sydney. From the tension that keeps them apart to the magic that ties them together, family and finding your home are central to this story. I'm glad I re-read Garden Spells - it was like wrapping myself up in my favorite blanket and feeling warm all over. Allen has magic in her pen, and I realize it more and more with every book she writes.

While I'd likely revisit her other books first, there's still room on my shelves for Garden Spells! No one writes quite like Allen, and I recommend her over and over again. Her books, even when they have sad moments, are just so hopeful and uplifting. I'm always smiling when I close the last page and walk away determined to look for the magical in the every day. There's something to be said for a book that makes you feel so dang happy!

So Quotable

“She was so Southern that she cried tears that came straight from the Mississippi, and she always smelled faintly of cottonwood and peaches.”

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

Release Date: January 20, 2015
Publisher: Macmillan | St. Martin's Press
Pages: 304 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Series: Garden Spells #2
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Summary (from Goodreads)

It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.

Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to… if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke? When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

Thoughts on First Frost

Once I finished Garden Spells, I immediately picked up First Frost. I was excited to prolong my stay in Bascom, North Carolina, and see what was happening with the Waverlys. To be honest, Garden Spells didn't really seem like it needed a sequel. I was actually surprised when I heard it was getting one! So, I was curious about what this new book would add to the story... and I was a little bit worried, too.

Picking up ten years after Garden Spells, the Waverly sisters are experiencing different problems in their lives. For Claire, it's frustration with her new business and doubting her gift. For Sydney, it's the desire for another child. And for Bay, Sydney's daughter, it's unrequited love. When a mysterious man shows up in their town, he presents a threat to the heart of their family. If only the first frost would arrive, then everything would be better...

There was a part of me that was a little sad to check in with this family and to see them struggling. I knew there had to be conflict for there to be a reason for the book, but there were moments I thought I might have preferred never knowing more about the Waverlys. Or, perhaps, I might have loved it more if Bay had been the sole focus of First Frost. There were times when I didn't feel like the threads of this story came together to create a cohesive story. The threatening stranger never really seemed like a threat, which meant the story lacked a lot of the tension it needed to drive the plot forward. I didn't understand his motives, and I was never really worried about the ultimate outcome.

I still love Allen's writing and these characters she's created, but the story in First Frost just didn't hold up for me. I enjoyed reading it, but I walked away feeling like it didn't really serve much of a purpose. I have no doubt that Allen's fans will read First Frost, and I don't blame them. Heck, I'd still buy a copy of this one! But I'd be least likely to recommend this of all of her books. I was happy to be reading more from Allen - and still felt like the setting, characters and writing truly did stand out. It's just the story that felt so lackluster, and I hate that I didn't love it more. I didn't dislike it, of course, but I wasn't entranced by it and dying to see it through. It was sweet to see the characters again, but I didn't need to read this story.

Do I recommend it? Honestly, if you like Allen, you'll want to read it. But I'm not sure you'll walk away thinking, "Oh, I'm so glad she decided to revisit the Waverlys!" Because truthfully, they were fine right where she left them last time. I had fun reading First Frost, but it was a little forgettable for me overall. I'm ready for something new!

So Quotable

"They always got restless before first frost, giving away their hearts too easily, wanting things they couldn't have, getting distracted and clumsy and too easily influenced by the opinions of others. First frost meant letting go, so it was always a reason to celebrate. Everything was okay after that."

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review.  

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