Tag: magical realism

ARC Book Review: The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Viking
Release Date: June 3rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats’ secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.

Thank you to Viking for the gifted ARC.

WHERE WAS THE PLOT?

Oh y’all, this book tested my will to live. I have a very hard time DNFing ARC’s because I feel obligated to get it done (and I secretly think, maybe the next chapter will be better!!). I have read and enjoyed multiple books for MS and was looking forward to her adult debut. ALAS, what in the world was this???

The general concept of following a hotel overrun by FBI agents during WWII is interesting. It did make me feel curious to know about more hotels and situations that happened in this time period.

BUT. This book lacked any sort of direction or true story line. And I think there’s supposed to be some kind of magical realism component? It was so faint that I hesitate to call it that. AND, the romance takes up approximately 3% of the book so please don’t pick it up thinking it’s even a sub-plot. I almost would have rather just taken that piece all of the way out.

At around 80% or so things picked up marginally but at that point I had checked out.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fiction (with a dash of magical realism)
  • Language: low
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: racism, Nazis, ableism, suicide attempt

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Book Review: Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sarah Hogle
Publisher: G.P. Putnam
Release Date: April 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A steamy second-chance romance about a magical florist’s unexpected reunion with her high school sweetheart as she fake dates his soon-to-be stepbrother.

A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for flora fortunist Romina Tempest to expand her shop, where she uses the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest their love lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in the promise of others’.

So, when the shop’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps on the opportunity to discuss buying the business. What better place to negotiate a deal than at a wedding, even if she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation? But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who, eleven years ago, broke her heart, and who now thinks she and Trevor are dating. 

What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a week-long fake dating scheme, as Romina resolves to make Alex pay for breaking her heart. The only issue? She can’t deny their still-burning connection. Caught between proving to Alex what he lost, and coming clean and risking her business, Romina must decide whether giving Alex another chance means going back on herself, or finally releasing her hold on the past.

CUTE AND QUIRKY.

I enjoyed this one so much. I loved all of the flower content and the whole plot set-up. The magical realism was at just the right level to add to the story without overwhelming it. This was a good second chance romance that brought some heated tension and angst, and some solid jealousy moments too.

There’s a lot of quirky side characters and sub plots that made me laugh. This book balanced not taking itself too seriously while covering some heavier topics too. There was a lot to work through for Romina and I loved where she landed in the end.

I thought a big third act full of nonsense was on the horizon, but pleasantly it was handled really well and with meaning. Unfortunately afterwards the last quarter of the book dragged on too long. I think things could have been wrapped up quicker with the same emotional hit.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: grief from a break-up that also involves a child

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Book Review: The Escape Plan (Only Magic in the Building) by Katie Bailey

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 310 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: April 23rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When there’s no escaping the plans life has for you…

Beckett McCarthy’s beloved Gran always taught him to find magic in mundane, everyday things. But since she died, he no longer feels any magic.

In fact, he feels nothing at all.

So, when he has an opportunity to spend a summer abroad in Serendipity Springs, he’s expecting little more than a change in scenery.

Until Keeley Roberts—quite literally—falls into his life.

From their first chaotic encounter in a stuck elevator, Beckett and Keeley can’t seem to stay apart.

Not that Becks is complaining. He’s enchanted by his beautiful, feisty new neighbor; drawn to her in a way he can’t explain… until they discover an invisible string that’s been connecting them all this time.

It’s as if fate itself has conspired to bring them together.

But with Beckett soon returning to Ireland and Keeley’s dream job hanging by a thread, is fate enough to keep their love alive… or will they need a little magic?

SEND ME TO IRELAND.

I enjoyed this book so much. I thought it was a good wrap-up to the series (and can still totally be read alone, the epilogue in this one just highlights the previous couples a little).

I loved the magical realism aspect. I thought it was subtle and made the moment just right. All of the times they ended up locked in together caused an incredible amount of chemistry and connection to form. It was swoony and heated and I think Katie Bailey has some of the best kissing scenes around.

The journey was good and I looooved Beckett and his family. A rambunctious bunch who loved so big and I appreciated how they helped Beckett realize he needed to start living his life for him. And I loved Keeley’s arc too. She is spunky and fun and learned to let go of some past hurt to have a fulfilling relationship with Beckett.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Signed, Sealed, and Smitten (Only Magic in the Building) by Melanie Jacobson

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 330 pages
Author: Melanie Jacobson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 16th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The last thing she needs is another off-limits work romance. He’s fine playing the friendly flirt . . . until he falls for real.

Embarrassing breakups at work cost you promotions. Phoebe learned that the hard way. So when a patron’s will names her as the director of a new museum in Serendipity Springs, she jumps at the chance to prove her professionalism.

Her new plan: focus on work. Ignore distractions. Definitely ignore men. Easy peasy.

But then the mailbox in Phoebe’s quirky apartment building starts delivering a series of old love letters written between strangers…sixty years ago.

She can’t afford the distraction, but she also can’t ignore the letters, so she enlists the help of Jay, the flirty heir to her benefactor’s fortune, to help her solve the mystery of who they belong to.

Jay is exactly the history pro she needs, but he’s also the kind of handsome charmer Phoebe always falls for, and since he’s on the museum board, she’s not about to risk her recovering reputation. Despite their sizzling chemistry, she quickly sends Jay to the friend zone.

Until the mysterious letters from the past lead them to surprising discoveries in the present, and serendipity steps in with an irresistible nudge and a memorable, magical kiss.

HERE’S THE LET DOWN.

This is the first book in this Only Magic in the Building series that I have struggled with. My positives were that many of the romance based scenes were sweet. I do think that Jay and Phoebe had chemistry. They cared about each other and that was evident. And some of the museum content was fine too.

What bugged me were some of the dialogue choices. Things like Hot Prof, hottie with a body, and more are just not my cup of tea. And I found the whimsy aspect with the letters dry. I didn’t want to read another letter and then hash out all of these details. Combine that with the ever present presentations Phoebe was trying to get through and this felt work/life balance was skewed.

It’s a sweet story, just not one that I loved.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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