A genuinely charming story about family, magic, and the complexities of love. Watching the FMC come into her own was a beautiful experience, well told, and fundamentally baed in love. A cozy little msyetery with none of the gothic darkness of similar titles, in a good way!

This novel was an enjoyable, quick read. It gave off Encanto meets Practical Magic vibes. While the romance was fine, I would have liked to have read more extended scenes with the family, as I found them to be more interesting characters and would have liked their relationships with the main character Harlow, to be explored more.

I expected a book about magic but ended up with a romance using magic to drive the plot forward. I spent the first quarter of the book in denial, hoping that the beautiful writing would paint over the textbook rom-com opening scenes. It's not that I didn't like the book; I just never engaged with it since I knew all the basic plot beats it would contain. This story had so much potential that Cervantes teased but never ended up doing anything with which left me speed-reading to get through the book and ultimately unsatisfied when I finished.

The title alone made me think of Disneys Encanto but then you read it and you totally get those vibes. A family that grows magical flowers in Mexico? Ok! There is a strong family theme through out as well.

Avalanche is also a fitting word for the way genre trends can roar down the mountainside and sweep everything else before them. Lately the portmanteau on everyone’s lips is “romantasy” — as in romantic fantasy — and I side-eye the term but adore the results. Paranormals are always with us, but the current crop have a lightness that harks back to 1990s chick-lit fantasies like Shanna Swendson’s “Enchanted, Inc.,” or Karen Harbaugh’s Regency ballrooms teeming with vampire viscounts and lovelorn Greek gods.

This summer’s sweetest confection, and a rom-com that earns the title, is J.C. Cervantes’s THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA (Park Row, 368 pp., $30). Harlow Estrada is trying to live her publishing dreams in New York, but a surprise layoff and a bad breakup with a worse boyfriend send her fleeing home to her family’s flower farm in El Viento, Mexico.

The Estrada women are no ordinary florists, however: They grow magical blooms used for truth serums, memory removers and dangerous, desirable love potions. Soon Harlow is caught up in the delivery of a bonding bouquet for an older couple, and flirting with the bouquet customer’s attractive, mysterious grandson. But is it real love? Or is there some hidden floral enchantment tricking Harlow and Ben into infatuation?

This book is like dipping your brain into a jar of serotonin. It’s hilarious at the start, heartbreaking toward the end, and full of places you want to dive into and never leave. If it’s not quite as sharp as Sangu Mandanna’s “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches,” it is definitely sexier: Everything is flowers and foliage and food and dreams and drinking.

Mandanna’s book was oriented toward the future, asking what we owe the children we’re bringing up in the world; Cervantes’s romance is about what we’ve inherited from the past, and how we let it steer the course of our lives. Are traditions sources of power, or traps that demand sacrifices of our hopes and dreams? How do we square our needs as individuals with the demands of a family, even a loving one? How do we recover from the devastation when we lose those we love? These are simple questions, but they are simple the way a blade is simple, and Cervantes makes their edge palpable. Perfect for flaying open your heart on a summer afternoon, with a glass of something cool to soothe the sting.

Harlow Estrada is having a terrible day. In 24 hours, she lost her dream job in New York City and dumped her boyfriend. Demoralized, she retreats to her family’s home in El Viento, Mexico to find solace. Every Estrada family member wields their own special magic, enhanced by the flowers surrounding their ancestral farm. That is, everyone except for Harlow. So, when the family business unexpectedly falls to Harlow, she panics. After a couple mistakes and wrong turns, she learns to open her heart and finally begins to bloom. Full of love, magic and family, this enchanting read conjures memories of the movie Encanto.

The Enchanted Hacienda was sold to me as a romantic Encanto. Unfortunately, it seemed that it was all it was. The romance was so overwhelming for me that I couldn't follow the actual plot. The descriptions of the scenery were beautiful though.

Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The above opinions were my own.

**Many thanks to Park Row Publishing/HarperCollins, and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**

Harlow Estrada has the job of her dreams, her boyfriend, and a close-knit family to come home to. Well... until she's fired; her boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend) is a misogynistic sleazeball; and she's forced to move back in with her family at their enchanted flower farm, where she's constantly reminded that she's the only one without a flower name and without magical gifts.

I liked the Enchanted Hacienda. It was a very easy read, and a cute story. If you're looking for a fantasy-lite romantic beach read (for Fall! Part of this book is in the fall), you've found your book!

BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED

1. This is a cute story. If you're looking for a book with Encanto vibes for grownups, and something akin to a 90's romcom, this would be a good bet. I loved the Spanish influences in it, and it added to the Encanto/Hispanic atmosphere. It made the book better by having Harlow be true to herself, and to her heritage.

2. I liked the magic system in this book. It was well thought out, and very practical.

3. I really liked the family vibes. The dynamics between Harlow and her sisters, her aunt, and her mother were very wholesome and loving. So often you read books about how bad a person's relationship is with his or her or their family. It was nice to read a book about a family that loved each other and supported each other no matter what.

AS THE LEAVES FALL

1. This is not a criticism on the book per se, but one of my issues is that the book did not do anything new for me. Now, I love fantasy. I love romance to a degree. But, this book did give me the feeling that I had read a story like this before. There wasn't anything new to engage me. It's a fantastical beach read, which is great! Sometimes you need those! But, my expectations were different than the end result.

2. The beginning of the central romance was great. I enjoyed reading it in the beginning and middle of the book, and it carries most of the weight when it comes to the plot of the book. My problem was how quickly the back end of the book handled it. I feel like the climax and resolution of the book came too late and too quickly. I would have liked to see the author linger a bit, and give a bit more detail on how things came to be in the end.

3. The plot was a bit predictable. I had most of it figured out by the midway point. There was one character that, if you cut he/she/them out of the book, it would not have made any difference how everything ended. I would have liked to see that plot point play out a bit better. Maybe that character was the rough draft idea that started the book's inception? Not sure. But, there was no imminent threat or danger that I felt in what that person was doing. I would have liked to see something more happen with that character, or have him/her/them cut from the work.

VERDICT

I liked The Enchanted Hacienda, it was a nice little story that had a lot of good plot points to it, and fun Spanish flair. For me, it was a nice break in some of the harder stories that I've been reading lately. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants an easy read, with magical 90's vibes.

Charming and fun -- did not expect the Canadian content! The best kind of romcom, light and yet with identifiable family / emotional content.

This is an enchanting book. It feels lush as you read it. It gives you a feeling as if you are in a beautiful picture. I really enjoyed the characters as well as the writing style. I felt engrossed in this book from beginning to end.

Cute, fun, and romantic.

Encanto for grownups, which is a little cheesy, but sometimes that's exactly what you want.

It does become very insta-love at some point, but when I was reading this book, that's exactly what I was looking for. But if you're not ready to leave qualms about insta-love at the door, you may get turned off.

This magical love story features beautiful descriptions of flowers, a main character that hasn't blossomed into her true gift yet, and an instalove that may or may not be for real. Harlow is at a crossroads in her life and I appreciated the challenge of finding where she belongs and who she wants to be. I really liked Ben and his patience with her, and kinda fell for him myself. I enjoyed all the familial support and loving interference, and the sensitive way dementia was handled in the story. A fun coming of age book with a hint of magic.

After losing her job and dumping her boyfriend, Harlow goes to her family's magical flower farm for a reset. All the women in her family have the power to grow flowers for magical bouquets and potions — except for Harlow. But when Harlow is left in charge of the farm, something new grows within her.

This is a fantastical, transportive romance that thoroughly charmed me. I love the world J.C. Cervantes crafted around Harlow and her family, and the love story is absolutely swoon-worthy. A perfect comfort read!

#theenchantedhacienda:⁣
⁣
“Measuring time by the life of f lowers is a really beautiful way to exist. And somehow in my daily life out there I’d forgotten.”⁣
⁣
Thanks @htpbooks for my gifted copy!⁣
⁣
There’s a lot of talk (I mean.. all of if) that describes this as adult Encanto. And I get it. But, it’s like… if Isabella’s gift was the entire families and the elders were amazing. To me, they are both magical in their own ways, but they are different.⁣
⁣
I loved this book. The aspect of self identity and finding your own power (magical or not) was something to be celebrated. This is almost like fated mates, and I’m a huge believer in destiny and fate. I thought all the relationships were great, and I’d like to read additional stories on the other family members and their power. ⁣
⁣
The third act breakup was cold and callous. Oh, it got me. I wish we could have spent more time between the third act and the epilogue, but I get there’s only so much we can read 😂⁣
⁣
Overall, a wonderful magic hug. You’ll fly through this one. Thanks @htpbooks for my gifted copy. Out now!⁣
⁣
QOTD: What’s a movie that you just adore?

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. I love this book so much! If you love Encanto and Practical Magic then you will love this one! I loved that the focus of this book is about finding yourself while also a bit about family and romance, but loving and knowing yourself is so important. I love the setting at a flower farm in Mexico. I felt like I was there experiencing everything. I hope there will be more books for a series. I will certainly continue to read anything this author writes. It was so beautifully crafted. Thank you again for such a wonderful book.

Harlow has always been a little bit jealous of her sisters and cousins. Everyone in her family has magic but her. And if that wasn’t enough to make her feel like an outsider, she’s also the only one not named after a flower.

Her mom calls her and her sisters and cousins home for an important visit. Harlow is surprised but her life is currently in upheaval and it’s actually a good time to go home.
She gets left with the responsibility of watching the family’s magical flowers and flower shop. What could go wrong? Well, plenty!

While she’s home, Harlow meets a man and they share an instant connection. And Harlow also starts working on the book she’s always dreamed of writing. Something about being home has inspired her.

But things are about to change again in Harlow’s life. She’s about to feel less in control than ever before.

There was a big twist in this book that I didn’t see coming. I almost felt like I should have seen it coming but I’m glad that I didn’t. Having it be a surprise meant I had absolutely no idea how this story would resolve itself. Will this story get a happy ending? Because this is magical realism with a love story, it’s not primarily a love story, and it made me wonder whether Harlow would get her happily ever after. I know that I sure wanted that yet I appreciated that the book felt unpredictable.

My only constructive criticism:
1) I don’t think the character of the journalist added anything to the storyline.
2)I also don’t think Harlow liking to walk around her house naked added anything to the storyline. It just unnecessarily made me worry that someone was going to see her.

Otherwise I found it to be a really unique and enjoyable story.

I got an early ebook edition of this book from NetGalley and also won a physical arc of the book in a giveaway. My review is based on the physical arc but I believe both are the same.

This story was so tender and vibrant! I loved how the author was clearly inspired by the bones of Encanto but then took it to an entirely different place and tone. Our main character, Harlow, was well-crafted and I really connected to her journey. I loved the sisters and how the magical realism truly enhanced not just their powers, but the story itself. I honestly would've loved even MORE plant magic, but I was happy with this light romance that surprised me with depth. The romance was pretty straightforward, a bit predictable, but that made it all the more cozy. Overall it was a sweet, thoughtful story filled with magic and heart. A fantastic beach read! 4/5

Thank you to Park Row and Harper Collins for sending along the arc!

The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes was a cute read. It felt a lot like Enchanted and overall, it was fun.

When it comes to an amazing story this is the one for those rainy days, I loved this book so much. Definitely recommended this book

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the enchanted hacienda. This was fantastic and so involved! I will be ordering this one.