I requested this title from NetGalley as they compared it to Sarah Addison Allen's works and it did not disappoint! Filled with characters you root for, a quirky town with a delightfully kooky cast of townsfolk and a touch of magic to move things along, I adored every page of this book. I think Sara Dove's talent might be my favorite of them all though - I want books to be able to talk to me! I look forward to hearing more adventures from Dove Pond in the future for sure.

A pleasant read - a real relief from some of the heavier things I've been reading lately. Comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen are understandable. The characters are charming, and well-drawn. It may be a bit predictable, but still a good read. This is a weak four - probably closer to 3 1/2.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I believe this is the first book in a series. I like Sarah, I related to her and how she feels about books (can I be honest and say that I sometimes feel the same way) Sarah has lived in her small town forever and is the town librarian. Enter Grace who is a city girl through and through and she arrives in town to help her foster mother with Alzheimers and also help with her niece who has recently become an orphan.

I love books that portray a small town as wonderful and magical as Karen Hawkins did with the Book Charmer. It made me miss the small town in South Carolina where I spend my summers.

This book by Karen Hawkins is the equivalent of chicken soup for the bibliophile’s soul. Dove Pond gives off vibes of Stars Hollow and Middleton. The Book Charmer kicks off a series, but it stands on its own. Lead of the book, Grace, is a begrudging protagonist, but seeing her journey is heartwarming.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins was a heart warming story about a small town that is not doing well. Then a new resident comes into the town and pushes the other residents to come together and make the changes to this amazing town to make it thrive!
Karen Hawkins does an amazing job writing lovable characters that I was cheering for throughout the whole book! This charming book was truly a feel good book and I loved that!

This is a charming and heart-warming story about a librarian, a town in financial trouble and a new resident who inspires the town members to cooperate and work together to make the needed changes. The characters are believable and the plot moves right along.

The Book Charmer
Karen Hawkins

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

A Heartwarming and magical read.
Come to Dove Pond, situated in North Carolina.
This wonderfully creative story is heartwarming and enjoyable.
With engaging characters and a memorable storyline. I loved the this light hearted read. Hawkins pulls you into this small town community. With just enough drama and a little magic.
It’s about Sacrifices and working together to achieve something for the good everyone.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Upbeat, heartwarming, and sweet. Great for fans of Sharon Owens, Lorna Landvik, Kate Jacobs, and Jenny Colgan.

Dove Pond is a special place — small, cosy, friendly, and populated with people who seem to possess a kind of light magic. Sarah Dove (whose magic lies in book charming) is the seventh daughter in the current batch of the town’s founding family, traditionally the one that will guide the town through times of trouble. Trouble is what besets the town in the form of a slow decline. But this time, the seventh daughter will have a helper, newcomer Grace Wheeler. Grace is cold, standoffish, and distinctly unenthused, having taken a low paying job in the small town in order to help her long-time foster mother come to terms with an advancing case of Alzheimers and care for her newly orphaned niece. Enter “Mr Tall Dark and Perpetually Scowling” Afghanistan vet Travis Parker and you have all the elements needed for a great feel good story.

In order to take care of the people most important to her, Grace has to make a big sacrifice - leave a good job and a busy life in the city to move to a small town and take a small job. She's not planning on staying long, and she's not there to make friends. Enter Sarah, whose roots run so deep through the community that she's determined to show Grace that small town living worth sticking around for. Comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen are perfect - the Southern charm, the household magic, and the beautiful growing relationships between characters make for a heartwarming read.

I enjoy books about books and librarians although Sarah technically does not have a Master's Degree. I found out this was a series after I had already started the book, but I thought the book had a satisfying conclusion while still leaving things open for future stories. I liked the characters and the magic of the town.

This was one of the best books I've ever read. I've never read Karen Hawkins before but this one was a good start. The book reminded me of Sarah Addison Allen's book. Women's fiction with a touch of magic. It starts in the past and moves to the present. The book focuses on Grace with Mama G and Daisy. The story was intriguing but I wish there was more of Sara's story with Blake. Hopefully there will be another book based in Dove Pond.

A book about books, good friends, a small southern town and toss in a little magic and it's my kind of book. I loved this book and I hope Karen Hawkins makes this a continuing series.

I have a fondness for books about books, so the description of The Book Charmer drew me in. Every once in awhile a book comes along that soothes the soul, and this is one of them. The concept of a town librarian hearing books talk and giving the right book to the right person at the right time is the stuff of magic for people who love books. Pair that with a small town full of down to earth people who love each other despite their differences, and a set of main characters so appealing that it’s impossible not to like this book.

Comparisons will inevitably be drawn to Sarah Addison Allen’s Waverly novels and I’d be lying if I said the similarities didn’t occur to me. Like Allen’s stories, Karen Hawkins has imbued her characters and the town of Dove Pond with a certain kind of magic, which creates a modern day fairy tale for people who are searching for the right place to be. Hawkins also offers a heartbreaking look into the decline of a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Mama G’s illness is handled with sensitivity and honesty.

Dove Pond is one of those places that you dream of, and you are left wanting to know these people in real life. That is the mark of a good story, and Hawkins fully succeeds here. Recommended.

A light, charming read for fans of Sarah Addison Allen - I wavered between 3 and 4 stars because despite the book being named for her, our librarian book whisperer is only a minor character in the story, which is clearly the set-up for a town-wide series. Also, the epilogue read like the author was told she'd hit her limit with about 3 or 4 chapters left in her outline. Despite those flaws, I really enjoyed the book and will definitely pick up future installments.

Every so often I need to take a break from my usual genre; thriller, mystery, adventure, etc. and just find something that is a little more easy going and feel good. I hit the jackpot with this delightful book set in a small southern town with an eclectic group of characters and enough love to go around. Being a former librarian I loved the fact that the books actually talked to her and not while she was reading them. You have to read the book to find out what I mean. A small town, a sense of community and good characters....you need to add this one to your wish list.