Dove Pond is an extraordinary small town that's home to an extraordinary family, but this novel is really about another family. Planning on just a short stay, Grace, her aging foster mother who's showing signs of dementia, and her orphaned niece move to town. Grace tries to protect her heart and remain disconnected, but the Dove sisters and other neighbors are determined to work their way in -- except Trav, a physically and emotionally scarred Gulf War vet who lives next door. I'll look for more by this author. (Netgalley review)

Do books really talk? This charming book is about a librarian who delivers books to those the book chooses. Did you every say, that is not the type of book I want to read yet it turns out to be exactly what you needed?

Sarah is a small southern town librarian with a gift of magic. Books talk to her! Her goal is to save her town. An array of characters that are well written and you will like . Female friendships are explored.

This book is a little more "out there" than other similar books I've read. You have your basic pieces of the puzzle--Grace is torn from her successful, comfortable life because she is forced to take care of her dead sister's child and their adopted mom. Her whole life is uprooted and in shambles. Further, instead of being able to stay in the city she was living in, she has to move everyone to her mom's hometown to provide her the support and memory care she needs as she ails. Of course there's a cute next door neighbor and possible romance and Grace is adamant that she won't end up loving the town, the people, or the neighbor.

Obbbbbviously all these things come true.

What makes this book different is that some of the townsfolk appear to be blessed with subtle magical powers. These talents aren't the main focus of the book and are almost taken for granted, which I enjoyed. Sarah Dove can hear books talk to her (and boy do they know a lot) and her sister has a way with plants, flower, etc. I welcomed the little touches of magic and levity.

Hawkins does a great job filling her book with adorable townspeople -- all invested in saving their small town and all hoping Grace can help them do it. Cute read!

This one was a miss for me! I went into it with high hopes - it sounds like the perfect story for a book lover! I'm a huge Sarah Addison Allen fan and thought it might be similar to her books. I don't know if this is an issue of right book wrong time or simply right book, wrong reader. I know others who enjoyed it, but it just didn't quite deliver for me. I think the biggest issue is that I never felt the connection with the characters that I need in a book, and I never quite warmed to the MC. I can't say there was anything *wrong* with the book or the writing, but it simply wasn't compelling enough for me to keep going.

If the premise sounds promising to you, I'd encourage you to try it! Like I said, others enjoyed it!

I am ashamed to admit I have had this on my NetGalley account for almost a year. The excerpt was intriguing but it seemed every time I started to read the book I lost interest. It is personal. I have a parent who is showing signs of dementia and I had a hard time reading about Mama G. Finally during this time of social distancing I opened up the book and was entranced. It was still hard to read regarding dementia but it actually helped me process what I am going through.

The book is filled with a little magic, a little romance and a lot of agapae love. You find yourself believing things will be alright in the grand scheme of things. Faith in yourself and others will get you through most anything.

I agree with a few other reviews I've read that the ending felt rushed but that was ok. It is kind of like real life in that we have months that are filled to capacity with things and other months that are not.

I am ready to read the next book in the series which I believe may be coming out this summer.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Charmer....well, yes. Charming is the best word I can think of to describe this quaint, feel-good book. The characters and the town immediately drew me in. Oh I love the idea of books talking to us, reaching out to us to let us know where they belong and who should read them. The entire town was fun and the whole book sort of reminded me of Big Stone Gap, which I am a huge fan of.
Also, Trav deserves all the reader heart eyes.

I read this charming book a while back, but my notes got lost in a pile of papers. The book is too good not to share.
Dove Pond has always been a quirky little place to live. Sarah Dove, the librarian, has a gift: books whisper to her. They might whisper to her that a particular person should be encouraged to read a particular book. Lately the books have been whispering about Grace Wheeler, who has recently moved to town with her aunt and her late sister’s teenage daughter.
For some reason, the books are telling Sarah that Grace may be the person the town needs to help rescue Dove Pond. Grace feels like she has enough on her plate. She has given up a great job to move her aunt, who is starting to suffer from dementia back to familiar territory, and struggling to connect with her niece.
I love this sweet story and all of the characters in it.

The Book Charmer is about the ultimate book lover. Sarah Dove is a librarian with a gift, she can talk to books. Grace grew up in foster care. When Grace moves to Dove Pond her story begins to intertwine with Sarah's. This was a magical story about saving a small town.

I’ve checked this book out on several occasions and I can’t seem to start it. The plot sounds amazing, but every time I read the first few pages it just seems to fall flat to me. I do not know if this is just because I am not in the mind space for women’s lit when I’ve been reading fantasy or if it is the book itself. I’ll give it six month to a year and try to pick this book up again. Hopefully next time it’s just me and I can get through it. If/when my opinion changes I will update my review on goodreads.

*Thank you to Karen Hawkins, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a fantastic book! As a bookworm, one of my biggest dreams would be for books to be able to speak to get into the hands of the person who needs them most. Hawkins weaves a brilliant tale full of family, pain, friendship, and a town on the edge of obscurity. I found myself in the library with Sarah waiting on the books to speak, with Grace as she moves to a new town, with the mayor who only wants to fish, with Trav who has his own demons, and with Daisy who seems to be 8 going on 18. This would make an excellent feel good read, especially for the beach!

As posted on Goodreads...I'm still kind of unsure about this because I don't remember ever being approved for this ARC last year, yet it's in my "archived" section and I had never given feedback...all I can think is this book chose ME, just as Sarah's books choose their readers. And I'm okay with that type of magic...

This book was absolutely adorable! I don’t know how I ended up with it on hold through the library. I even tried a couple times to cancel it and it never worked. Even the librarian couldn’t help me cancel it. It was on hold for 7 months and when it finally came available I gave it a listen. So apparently this book chose me and I’m so glad it did! I can’t wait for the next one! These characters are so lovable and I want to go to Dove Pond!!!

The Book Charmer is certain to tick all of the boxes for those who enjoy women's fiction with a bit of heft.  The story takes place in Dove Pond, a small town in North Carolina that has some charming shops and charming people.  The Book Charmer herself is Sarah Dove.  Books speak to her and have ever since she was little.  Books let her know who should read them; although it may not initially make sense to the recipient, over time it will.

To this community come Grace, Mama G and Daisy.  They all have back stories that are explored.  Grace was a foster child, Mama G cared for her and Daisy is the child of Grace's deceased sister.  Mama G suffers from Alzheimer's; the book shows some of her struggles and the sadness and difficulties for those who are affected by it. 

Also living in Dove Pond is Travis who has his own ghosts and troubles.  He is a war veteran who is trying to move on with his life.  There are other characters for the reader to meet as well.  Their stories intersect over the course of the story.

I enjoyed this title with its mix of a little magical realism, realism, love stories, friendships and time spent with characters whom I enjoyed knowing.  If there were a real Dove Pond, I would surely love to visit there.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of The Book Charmer.
This is a sweet little slice of life small town story that includes the long time residents of Dove Pond and a new family that joins them.
Grace is trying to keep her family together after her sister dies and leaves her to care for her ailing adoptive mother her niece Daisy. As they navigate their new lives in Dove Pond they have to learn to trust the new people they meet and help rejuvenate the town after it suffers from a shrinking tax base and an indifferent Mayor.
This was a light story that makes a nice break in between other books. I found I was more interested in some of the other characters than Grace. I found her needlessly chilly and off-putting for most of the book.
I look forward to reading more Dove Pond stories.

Charming, cozy, and light-hearted read. The book charmer is a perfect beach read for those who don't want anything too serious and want to be left with a warm hearted feeling.

I wanted a light, happy book to cleanse my palate and that's exactly what I got! If you're looking for a book about books like I was expecting (and like the title suggests), this probably isn't what you're looking for, but I urge you to try it anyway. This book has characters I could root for set in a sweet town that I wanted to visit. It would be a perfect Hallmark movie.

The Book Charmer makes me want to find a real life Dove Pond! The descriptions of the town and people are picture perfect! I fell in love. The characters are broken/flawed, but together they help each other heal. What an absolutely charming story. This is my first Karen Hawkins story and I cannot wait to read more!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and Gallery Books for my unbiased opinion of the book. This book is about Grace who moves into town with her tail between her legs hoping to start a new life with niece and foster mother. She has an uphill climb trying to move on with her life and go forward. When she meets the quirky and loveable Sarah as well as Travis who reluctantly try to force her out of her shell and make a difference in the community, she is now living in. I loved this book I couldn't put it down it grabbed me from the first page and held tight until the last. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store. What a great story Karen keep up the great writing!!!

The story was great but I questioned one thing after reading this book : the charm. I loved the fact that there was a librarian. I loved a little mystery in it. I just did not like a fact that some plots were left unanswered. I wish the author developed the plot a little more in detail. Otherway, it was a very good experience reading this book.

This book was charming! The beginning was a little slow for me, but by chapter 10 I was hooked. Chapter 10 in fact was hilarious! What a meeting was had in that chapter. The story was choc full of fantastic characters, so much so I would have trouble picking a favorite. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more stories about the town and the quest to save it. Recommended.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts were my own.