THE BOOK CHARMER by Karen Hawkins was a delightful read with just the right balance of heartbreak and joy. I know there has to be another in this series to see what happens with the Dove and Wheeler families. The author does a great job building up the back-stories, but I want to know more about Sarah and Blake. This is a solid book for those that like a little magic in their books and a lot of community.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC book. I had this ARC book for a while and I'm so happy I have finally read it. This is such a charming and heart-warming book. I want to move to Dove Pond and meet all these lovable characters. But most of all I really want to meet Sarah Dove. I wish I have a gift like her, hearing or having to talk to books would be amazing. But I also wish I’d meet someone like Sarah, it would be interesting to know which book would choose me. I’d say this is definitely one of my favorite book this year. l’m looking forward to read the next book.

“The Book Charmer” by Karen Hawkins

**** 4 stars

Note: I received this book via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Where do I begin with this? This little charmer is about love, community, and listening to the voice within.

This book gave me some of my favorite things –

Magical elements
Quirky individuals
Family drama
Bookish things within the book
Underdog scenario (this being the small town of Dove Pond)
Alternating points of view
After losing her sister to addiction , Grace moves her grief filled niece Hannah ,and her foster mother, battling Alzheimer’s to a sleepy small town. Her foster mom,Mama G, is from this town and Grace hopes that being back home will bring her comfort.

It would be easy to label Grace’s character as trite, but I allowed myself to just feel. To just be in the moment, to allow the words to guide my feelings, not thoughts of what should be or could be.

Grace presents herself as a tough, professional, focused, cold person but of course inside she is hurting and in need of friends.

Grace is the main character, but thanks to wonderful character development we get to know many of the people in the story quite well.

Two of The Many Characters we meet in Dove Pond:

Sarah Dove. She is the town librarian, from one of the founding families of Dove Pond. As a Dove she has a special gift, all of the Dove girls do. Sarah’s gift is that she can communicate with books. She can listen , and give books to the person who needs them. A terribly specific gift I know, but it is useful in the story, and I adore the thought of it. I love my books so much , I would love to have discussions with them, but I know I would end up in a ward, downing some meds. I love Sarah, if you know me that wouldn’t surprise you. I hope the next book in the series is focused on her. Sarah wants to save the town from ruin, and she needs Grace’s help. I love the relationship arc here, because Sarah can be a bit too much , and I can relate to that. Do they become friends? Do they save the town? You need to read and find out.
Travis. He is Grace’s neighbor in Dove Pond. He a rough looking veteran suffering from PTSD, He is also dealing with the grief from losing his father to Alzheimer’s. Travis is an old friend of Sarah’s. He also becomes quite taken with Grace’s family. I love the tenderness he showed Mama G and Hannah.
If Grace had her way the book would be all about her making life comfortable and stable for Mama G and Hannah , while trying to make money to get a better place in the big city. Which it is, until it isn’t. That is where Sarah and whispering history books come into the picture. She is on a mission to befriend Grace and make her realize she needs to help them save the town from ruin. Grace makes it all so difficult, she is not in the habit of having friends, and she is not wanting to get involved in anything that may make her want to gain roots. Thank goodness though the town decides she doesn’t have a choice and they do everything they can to make her help , and to eventually care.

Mama G is an amazing foster mom, and her story line had me in tears. Like ugly tears, Ugh. I know Alzheimer’s well, and I know that heartache. I am choked up now just trying to write about it.

“The Book Charmer” could make an excellent Hallmark film. It is a lovely read and I cannot wait for the next in the series.

“Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well.” – Mark Haddon

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy for review! Overall, I found this book delightfully charming! There were bits where it would get kind of slow and lose me for a while, but on the whole I loved it all. A book lady is just the main character I can identify with in such a deep and subtle fashion. It's never who you think of for a protagonist, but it delivered.

This book has some magical realism woven into the story about a woman that could hear books speaking to her. The story focuses on a small town that is in need of saving. A young woman moves into town with her niece and elderly mother. The characters were likeable and it was a predictable story. I did enjoy the book, but sadly it did not stand out to me.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for my free copy of The Book Charmer. Sara Dove is not your typical librarian…she knows just the book you need and she knows that because the books tell her. The town of Dove Pond is special but has been neglected and financially struggling. Grace Wheeler is just what the town needs but she doesn’t know it yet. The story unfolds as you fall in love with all of the characters and the town itself. If you love Gilmore Girls or Sarah Addison Allen books then this one if for you. It was a feel-good and delightful novel.

I adored this book and the people of Dove Pond. It reminds me a bit of Stars Hollow from the Gilmore Girls fame but it has magical elements to it. It is not over the top magical but just the right amount that helps you envision the town and all of its wonders.

Grace is a women that has arrived into this town to try and rehabilitate her ailing Mama G. She is the guardian of her niece and and she is at a loss as what it is she needs to do to survive. As she meets more and more people in Dove Pond, she wonders if she made the right decision to move there.

I highly recommend this story and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Overall, The Book Charmer was an enjoyable story. There are some parts that I found a bit slow. I especially liked the friendships portrayed in this book. If your looking for a light read with great characters, I recommend giving this book a chance.

This is a charming book, but some of the charm did get lost on me because of foul language found throughout. Don't get me wrong it isn't filled with it, but it does take me aback and is worth mentioning. When you read a summary of a book and it tells you to expect a story about a woman that loves books and has a special talent -- the books tell her things then you are intrigued right? I was! Then you continue to read and learn the books have told her there will be someone arriving in town that will help handle all the problems in the area. This book sounds wonderful. But, it isn't what I thought I was getting when I saw the title or read the summary, but it is a nice read. <!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The characters are interesting with one of the characters having a charming talent, but this is a book about various characters not just this librarian who helps books and readers find one another. A character moves with her family to this small town, but her goal is to only stay a year. She isn't interested in what the town needs or has to offer, but live her life. It is more about the town and these two women then the magical charming of books. So it wasn't what I expected or wanted. It disappointed me for that reason -- I wanted more on the Book Charmer story line. The other character's story takes over, but never really had that moment when something interesting happened -- never met it's potential for me. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<p>That being said this is a well written and moving story, but slow going for me. I also didn't feel I got a satisfying conclusion. This was an interesting just not the story I thought it was. Good for the story it was though. It is my understanding this is the beginning of a series -- Dove Pond series. I would be willing to read others in the series to see what else it has to offer.<br></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Magical. Charming. Small town.

I am not a fan of high fantasy, but I can be charmed by a sprinkle of magic and whimsy...this book struck that perfect balance for me.

Sarah Dove has heard books speaking to her for years. She doesn't always know why, but she often give books to people, trusting the reason will be revealed.

Sarah is discouraged by the decline of her town, the one that bears her family name, Dove Pond. A very special book tell her who will help save the town, but Grace has no interest in staying beyond her one year, self imposed deadline.

If that's already too much magic for you, maybe pass on this one. But if you are willing to go along with it, a quirky, whimsical, heartwarming story awaits.

Bigger themes: grief, PTSD and dementia are explored through these characters. I especially appreciated the way female friendships are portrayed and the realistic stress caregivers can experience.

I was very invested in Dove Pond, its survival and its residents It seems the story will continue, as this book is designated Dove Pond 1. I'll be happy to make a return visit.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

It might be because we have been slowly rewatching Parks and Rec at our house, but this book ended up feeling like a combination of Gilmore Girls (small town culture only in NC mountains) and Parks and Rec (city planner saving the town with festivals and committees and more.) The book starts out focuses on a different character and feel than where it ends up because at the beginning it's all about this family that goes way back and the seventh daughters have magical abilities. The librarian is one of those and she gives books to people they don't know they need. By the end the focus is on a woman who has brought the woman who was her foster parent back to her hometown to care for her and her sister's child, and the neighbor nextdoor who is a returned soldier slash mechanic.

All in all there's a lot thrown in that I would have saved for subsequent novels to really focus on a single story or relationship at once. But maybe the author intended to introduce the town and its characters in this first novel. Living so close to many NC mountain towns, I enjoyed the story from that perspective.

This book started out so strong! It then started to drag on in the middle, and the ending was incredibly (disappointingly) rushed. These serious structural issues aside, I would still recommend this book for it's character development. The characters are fleshed out and struggle with real issues... but there's a lovely touch of magic thrown into the story. I'm glad that this will be a series so I can return to Dove Pond and spend more time with the characters.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this from NetGalley and it was the greatest thing ever. This combines magic and books which are literally like 2 of my favorite things. I love how the prologue, as told by Sarah, serves as a history of the Dove family and just how special they are.

The Dove family are the founders of Dove Pond where Sarah, the youngest of 7 lives. Each of her family members has some sort of gift but Sarah just happens to be able to speak to books.The story unfolds into a magical journey that takes the reader on a trip that won;t soon be forgotten.

I really found myself immersed in this story from page 1 and never wanted it to end. I even found myself wishing that cranky books would demand I read them too.

What a sweet book! With a name like book charmer, how could I go past it? The story is about a small town which is failing but with a bit of magic and sneakiness, the residents find a way to restore the town. I love Grace and how her character develops - I’m a bit in love with Sarah and want her to be my bff. There were a few times where the book skipped a week or two and I would’ve loved more info but it wasn’t completely necessary. I would recommend the book because of the warm characters that belong in a hallmark movie! And books, duh. Well worth the read.

I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The town of Dove Pond finds good fortune whenever there are seven Dive sisters. Sarah, as the youngest of this set of sisters, is the town librarian. Like her sisters, she has a gift - hers involves making sure the right books get to the right person. She doesn't pick; the books tell her. And the journal of one of the first Dove sisters tell her that Grace is going to save their failing town.

Grace comes to town to regroup. After her sister died, Grace leaves her great paying job to bring her niece and the foster mother who raised Grace and her sister to Dove Pond, trying to figure out how to help her grieving niece and ailing foster mom.

This book was, for want of a better word, charming. I connected with the characters, loved the story, and o can't wait for another one. I hope there is a long series because I NEED to know what else happens to these new characters - I'm invested!

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This was a fun, lighthearted read. I don't read this type of book very often, and it's a nice change of pace from the fantasy and mystery/thrillers that I normally read. It was a quick and easy read, and the perfect book to read if you want to feel good and escape for awhile.

Grace is an ambitious woman with a fast-paced city life. When her sister tragically dies, she finds herself at a loss. Caring for her young niece and ailing foster mother, she moves to small town Dove Pond, N.C. to grieve and pull things together before she returns to her former life. Giving herself a year in town to figure it all out, she is not interested in making a life there, let alone make friends or get romantically involved. She certainly has no intention of getting to know her neighbors, quirky and talkative Sarah Dove and cynical veteran Travis Parker. But life is funny that way, and best-laid plans have a way of changing.

The town of Dove Pond always seems to have good luck when the Dove family has seven daughters. Books have whispered secrets to Sarah Dove her whole life and she uses her position as the town librarian to make sure the perfect book makes it into the hands of the person that needs it most. Lately the books have whispered that change is coming to Dove Pond, and Sarah believes the outside help of Grace is just what is needed to save the town. Initially reluctant to get involved any further than necessary, Sarah eventually convinces Grace to help save the town. Grace finds that perhaps her idea to keep people at arms length wasn't the best idea after all.

This is a warm, entertaining book. If you're looking for a feel-good book to read, then I recommend you read this one.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Magical realism is not usually my thing, but I sort of liked that aspect of the book. The small town setting was also well done. But while I have read a lot of romances that are companion books in a series, I have never read a book that felt as unfinished as this one – the ending was strangely unresolved. I guess the romances in this and the saving of Dove Pond will have to finish playing out in later books, but this one, while charming, felt to me like one piece of a larger puzzle.

The Book Charmer is quite a charming story.
Small towns, quirky characters, and a bit of magic come together nicely in this story. Sarah, the town librarian to whom books speak, and Grace, who moves to Dove Pond with her ailing foster mother and niece. Sarah is the seventh daughter, and town legend has it that the seventh daughters of the Dove family will do special things for the town.

Grace wants no part of Dove Pond. She is there for a year only, planning to pick up the pieces of her life and put them back together again. Dove Pond - and Sarah - have other things in mind for her. Mama G, Grace's foster mother, is a wonderful character, struggling with Alzheimer's issues. Daisy, Grace's niece, is a troubled child. The town works its magic on the mostly unwilling family. The characters - next-door neighbor Trav, Mayor Moore, Aunt Jo and her dog, Moon Pie, felt realistic and well rounded, making them interesting to spend time with.

This book is probably not for everyone - one has to believe in the magic of books and that for every reader there will be a book. The Book Charmer has the ability to become a fast favorite.

This appears to be a first book in the series of Dove Pond. This is a refreshing and light hearted story of Sarah [the book charmer] and Grace [the new person in town] and Trav [the neighbor to both]. The books that 'tell' Sarah who in the community should receive them...they [books] talk to her. Although she is the only one who 'hears' them. Sarah knows that Grace is the person who is suppose to save the town, but can she get her to stay more than a year? Read and enjoy.

I am a sucker for small town stories. I’ve always wanted to live in a small town, where everyone knows everyone’s business, everyone greets you by name at the one-of-two diners on the main street, and life is relatively slow. This book transported me to Dove Pond, and I am sold.

It’s your basic fish out of water story of a big time city girl moving back to the small town she grew up in to find what she didn’t even know she needed. There’s no uniqueness in the plotline, but it’s the town that you will fall in love with. That small town charm of wanting to help vs. minding your own business, and in this day in age where competition runs rapid and everyone is trying to outdo everyone, this was a nice change of pace to know that maybe towns like Dove Pond do exist out there, towns where knowing your neighbor’s name is more important than your bank account. And I’m a sucker for those stories.

The funny thing to me was the title. I was expecting way more magic in this book, based on the title of “book charmer”. I assumed books would be dancing in the air while the librarian picked out what book goes with what townsperson. And while there was a couple instances of that, this book is so much more about character development, the townspeoples' charming quirks, and the town itself.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

Four (and a half) Goodreads Stars

Liked:
The town of Dove Pond and all its quirky inhabitants
The character development

Loathed:
Some storylines were predictable
Slower pace/unraveling of characters
Not really about a Book Charmer!