The Waverleys are a curious family in a small town. They all have special gifts and a special garden with a magical apple tree. Claire and Sydney are different yet so alike as sisters, but only after Sydney returns home to escape a violent relationship do they finally get to understand one another.
Garden Spells is full of the smells, tastes and emotions of their lives. The author's ability to make the senses come alive to the reader is superb. Her prose is special. But I did find myself wanting the story to end. It was inevitable that Claire and Sydney would find true love, and that Sydney's violent past would return to try and ruin it. I kept waiting for it to happen. When it did it lasted for about 3 pages and the highly descriptive prose fell by the wayside. I had to reread it to understand what really happened. Claire and Sydney's love lives where firmly in place so the violent boyfriend scene had no impact to the story.
I am a huge fan of Ms. Allen's second novel, The Sugar Queen. It sits on my shelf since I dream of writing a magical, mystical story someday. Garden Spells started out as a keeper but ended in disappointment. I rate it 4 out of 5. I'm going to post it on Paperback Swap for someone else to enjoy.
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