THE BOOK CHARMER - Karen Hawkins

Dove Pond, North Carolina - Present Day

The small, friendly town of Dove Pond has the reputation of having great bar-b-que, an Apple Festival that attracts people from all over, and amazing good luck whenever the Dove family has seven daughters. Thankfully, there are seven Dove girls these days because, right now, Dove Pond is in dire need of that luck. Will the magic that inhabits each daughter, especially the seventh one, save their hometown?

Sarah Dove is the town librarian, which is a good thing because books "talk" to her, literally. And the one that has talked the most during her lifetime has been the very old book written by, like Sarah, a seventh Dove daughter back in the early 1700s. Strange things are happening in her home town. Siegfried, a town cat, is doing counterclockwise circles before every store on Main Street. Then Sarah noticed that the flowers in the town planters have been changing colors. They were purple when planted, but every so often they turn different colors. When the town fountain began running again after fifty years of it being broken, Sarah knew something was going to happen. She already knows her town is slowly dying, with stores closing, people moving away to find jobs, and a brief glimpse of the latest budget showing that financial issues are going to crush them. So, when Sarah's books tell her that the new town clerk will be important to Dove Pond, she knows she has to act.

Grace Wheeler has had to leave her lucrative, high pressure job in Charlotte and move to Dove Pond where she will be the town clerk for a miserably low salary. But, with the death of her younger sister, Hannah, and having to take over raising Daisy, Hannah's eight-year-old daughter, not to mention caring for her elderly foster mother, Mama G, Grace has moved them to a rental house in Mama G's home town. The old woman is showing signs of dementia, Daisy is still reeling from losing her mother, despite Hannah's chronic absences, and Grace is coming to terms with being a mother and care-giver. To say she has a chip on her shoulder is putting it mildly. She will stay in town for one year, then move them all to Charlotte where Grace can earn a respectable living. In the mean time, she must deal with a town mayor who puts fishing before Dove Pond, Sarah Dove who is just way too friendly, and a motorcycle riding, macho guy living next door.

Many in the town are well aware that the new town clerk isn't happy to be in Dove Pond. But when she's thrown into the "Social Club" by the mayor to plan the Apple Festival, Grace alienates just about everyone. For Grace has gone over the financial records of the town, and it is on the verge of bankruptcy. Spending money on a, to Grace, frivolous fair just makes no sense. So she slashes the fair budget and sets the town atwitter. Sarah and others understand, but the one thing that puts Dove Pond on the map is that Apple Festival. How will Sarah and friends manage to convince Grace of its importance? Can the Dove family magic overcome everything that is going wrong? The future of Dove Pond is at stake.

Any book that can make me laugh out loud and wipe tears from my eyes is a darned good book. And THE BOOK CHARMER does it all with its beautifully written prose, enchanting, all-too-human characters, and that bit of magic that only books can transcend to readers. It's a Perfect 10 in every way. Do not miss this delightful novel.

I liked this book - the concept is very fun. I only wish the idea of a book charmer would've been used in a slightly different manner than a small town plot/story. I also wish everything had been just a bit 'more' in the novel (more romance, more magic, more diversity). Although there are still a few editing errors, it's a nice enough read, even if I found myself skimming through passages.

Being a librarian's child I had such high hopes and I was severely disappointed. Not only does this book fail to deliver on it's mystical premise, but it also has no real interest to save it, no climax or any particular reason to keep reading. The magical elements are there in the corners, but not in any way a major factor in the story, and everything else in the book is similarly disjointed. The book isn't really about the Book Charmer at all, but about a different character, and just as that storyline is oddly left behind, so are many others. I would love to see a completely new version of this book fixing all of its problems, but as it stands I wouldn't recommend it. :-(

A cozy small town book with a hint of magic, this was a lovely spring read (and will be an equally lovely summer read).

Though titled The Book Charmer, Sarah, the librarian with whom books speaks is not really the main character. She's important to the story, but she takes second seat to Grace, who has the main story arc.

It begins with both girls when young, setting their background, then shifts to the present day when go-getter Grace, who has never had a friend, finds herself the guardian not only of her sister's abandoned child, but the foster mom who finally gave her a sense of stability. Only her beloved Mama G is sinking slowly into the twilight world of dementia.

This was a tad on the nose for me (currently dealing with two elders with dementia) but for the most part the handling was sensitively done. At one point it looked like Hawkins was going to descend into the mawkish sentiment of bad cancer stories, in which the character gets the magic of "specialness" through their disease) but she backed off that.

The characters are well drawn, especially the older women. Hawkins is especially good with giving these women agency, even Mama G in her lucid moments.

Grace is quite well done, and though Sarah's story is left for future volumes, Grace's comes to a satisfying resolution, leaving the reader wanting to know more about the town and its serious dilemma, and the other characters.

What a sweet story! I'm not generally a fan of books categorized as "romances" but this one was worth reading...actually, any book that has a good librarian and books that talk as characters is worth reading <smile>. Young adults should also like this book.

Plot: A family stung by an unexpected suicide moves to a tiny Southern town to try to heal before stepping back into city life. The lead character is very determined and very prickly. She pushes away anyone who tries to befriend her but the child and grandmother are instrumental in changing that. Throw in a shy but good looking, motorcycle riding man, a cast of small town characters, and a kind lady with dementia and you have a recipe for a good story.

This book was the first I've read of Karen Hawkins. I liked the magical realism as it wasn't too heavy handed. I'd love to visit this small town and meet its quirky inhabitants. I'm glad to see there is another title in this series to be published next month.

A very nice book by Karen Hawkins. I’ve never read a book by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and the characters.

This is one of those books that I was sad to finish because it was such a fun read. It is a feel good book. Magical realism and a bit of romance abound in this book about Grace, who moves to Dove Pond to care for her niece, Daisy and her foster mother after her sister passes away. Mama G., Grace's foster mom who raised Grace and her sister, Hannah, has altzheimer's and is declining quickly. Daisy, Grace's 8 year old niece, is sullen and Grace is overwhelmed. Her neighbors, Sarah Dove, who hears books talk to her and Trav, along with the other townspeople help Grace as much as she helps the town.

A lovely book that drew me in from the beginning. I loved how the characters connected and each has their little bit of magical realism talents. I love books like this, it really makes me believe can have little bits of magic in it!
Great for readers who like magical realism and books set in bookshops or libraries.

This is my idea of a perfect book! It’s got a lovely small town where everyone knows everyone’s business but where they all pull together and genuinely care about one another. It’s got a wounded soldier, a wounded woman, and a wounded little girl plus one wise old woman. And eve though there is a lot of bruised, tender hearts, there is also a boatload of love to ease the ache.

Oh and it has a book charmer- Sarah, whose books tell her things about people. Who wouldn’t love a book with a book charmer?!

The dialogue is generous and sparkling. I truly loved each and every character and kept reading to make sure everything came out all right for them.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it will not be the last!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
Get ready to fall in love with the residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina! This is one of those books that makes you pray for a sequel, so that you get to spend more time with beloved characters and find out what they've been up to. This is the gentle story of new beginnings and sad endings, with a touch of magical realism for good measure. Very highly recommended!

I had a day off and liked the title of this book so I thought I would try it. It was a sweet charming book that is just what I wanted to read. I loved the characters and I loved that it was about books! Very good book. I have this book on order for the library where I work.

This book was received as an ARC from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so intrigued by this book because it focused a lot of the power of books and the connection readers are bounded with to the fact that they have personal traits such as speaking in their own language that only you can understand. I also like the Hallmark esque tie in with Sarah in trying to save her hometown but through the journey finds love and that is a bond that is strong like no other. Friendship and love are so important in life and all of our livelihoods and it is all thanks to reading a special book. Such mesmerizing and breathtaking material to read that remind you of the important little things in life.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I loved, loved, loved this book. All I can say is Karen Hawkins’ fans will be in for a treat with this charming, feel good story with a dash of magic here and there. Anyone who loves stories set in small towns will absolutely love this.

When a book is described “for those who love Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen”, I had to read this since those are two of my favorite authors. I really like Grace, and the other characters that make up her story. Not as much magic as I expected but still a heart warming read. I was debating whether I liked the ending or not. It kind of seemed rushed. What? No make out session with Trav??? Come on! I do love a story with a strong female lead and Grace fit the bill. Well done.

After reading the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. I'm a dedicated fan of Sarah Addison Allen and Garden Spells is still one of my absolute favorites. I thought The Book Charmer would be quite similar in being a "magical" type of story. It definitely was just that in the parts of the story that followed Sara Dove, the town librarian and how the books spoke to her. But it fell kind of flat for me in the magical sense. I cannot say I didn't enjoy the story, it's just I went in with the wrong expectations. The Book Charmer was an absolute delight and I loved all the characters. I hope to read more about this charming little town and the magic that is involved with the Dove Sisters. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to discover this delightful read.

Sarah Dove comes from a magical family. Sarah’s Magic is that she can hear books. She is always able to find books that people need, whether or not they believe in her magic.
She’s always believed that she will one day have to save her town.
Then one day, mysterious things start happening in town. Her cat Siegfried starts making laps around town and the flowers all start to change colors.
Then a book speaks to Sarah and tells her that the town’s new resident Grace is going to help save the town.

Grace was a foster child, adopted by Mama G as a ten year old, along with her younger sister Hannah.
Now Hannah has passed away and Mama G is recently diagnosed with Altzeimers. Poor Grace is now both a caregiver and a mother figure.
She moved to town because she thinks it will help Mama G’s health.
She is only planning to stay a year. She doesn’t care about making friends or dating, she doesn’t have time for either.
But Sarah has other plans. She is going to be Grace’s friend and she is going to get Grace to stay in town.

I love magical realism so of course I thoroughly enjoyed this. I’d read a spin off story of each and every Dove sister if the author wrote them. I want a book about the sister with the magical teas and the one with the magical cakes.
Please, write the other sisters’ stories too!

I also enjoyed the cute animals and the lovable characters. It was definitely sad at times but there’s a lot of heart in this story.

I got to read an early e book edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

This book is a must-read for fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen. Set in the fictional North Carolina town of Dove Pond, this book introduces us to an eclectic cast of characters, including Sarah Dove. Sarah is the town librarian who has a special talent of being a "book whisperer."

A lot of charm, likable characters, and a smidge of magic realism make this book a lovely little gem for anyone looking for a light read. This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day with a cup of tea. I'm hoping for more Dove Pond books in the future.

This is the charming book of a young woman, Grace, who moves to a small town in North Carolina to care for her niece and former foster mother. Given the job of town clerk, Grace expects to live in the town one year, save money, and head back to Charlotte, but Dove Pond may have other plans.

This book is not really plot driven as much as an examination of the town, it's quirky and sweet residents, and what friendship and family really means. Grace soon finds herself with the titular book charmer, Sarah, the seventh Dove sister in a generation who believes she is meant for great things, including getting Grace to help save the town. While the two seem unlikely friends, before long, Sarah is teaching Grace the need to sometimes chose to ask for help.

Other characters include a hot but troubled neighbor, Travis, the feisty niece, Daisy, who is not adjusting to her mother's death, and Mama G, Grace's former foster mother who is slowly descending into dementia. They along with a host of cute townspeople are working to save Dove Pond from bankruptcy and save the town's apple festival.

There are a few unanswered questions in the text, and I assume the author is planning a series on the town, which I think is a great idea. Dove Pond is definitely a great place to vacation for a few hours!

I’ve read the comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen, and I also think a bit magical like Alice Hoffman, which is what makes this book. Magic. Family. Opening up to possibilities, real or imagined. Grace, Mama G, and Daisy move to Dove town dealing with broken hearts after Daisy’s mom dies, and Mama G is diagnosed with althzeimers. Grace is devastated, leaving a good job to help Mama G, and become a mom to an angry and unhappy Daisy. Sarah Dove, a descendent of the original founders has been waiting for Grace because she knows Grace is the one who will help her failing town thrive once again. The only problem is getting Grace to realize that as well. Sarah has the special gift of putting the perfect book into the hands of someone who needs it, whether they’re aware of it, or not, and Grace doesn’t seem to be the type to believe in magic of any sort.
Although the book ends with a pat formula, it opens up story lines in future books for the other main characters and I’m happy this means we’ll probably be reading more about this wonderful town.