*4.5 stars I was pleasantly surprised by this book because even though the synopsis sounded interesting, I wasn’t sure how much the execution would match my expectations. This book far exceeded my expectations because it read on the cusp of young adult and adult which I appreciated. The atmosphere of the book was whimsical and captivating, cozy and magical and truly the perfect read going into Fall.

The flashbacks in every other chapter made it interesting to see how much the two main characters grew from where they had started. The romance was giving secret childhood lovers to hate to love which are two of my favorite tropes.

I got serious Encanto vibes from this book, especially in the aspect of family and growing up with sisters, what that looks and feels like for each of them. I’ve always been a big sucker for books about sister relationships and through the conflict that siblings may have, how they mend their relationships over time.

I think the only reason the book wasn’t a full five stars for me was the pacing, in the beginning, was a tad slow, but by the time I got to the 30-40% mark, I was pretty invested. I ended up reading this book in just one day which I don’t do often with books so that’s how much I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book for the spooky season because I enjoyed the magic and witchy vibes that this book gave off and learning about Sage’s magic. All in all, a very fun read!

This was such a lovely read, especially after coming off of some meh-books immediately before picking this one up. I loved the magical realism elements with the Flores sisters and their special gifts that stemmed from a curse. I loved Sage's love of plants and living things. I loved the ghostly apparition of their dead sister. I loved the romance between Sage and Tennessee, who was super annoying but super hot back in the day and is still super annoying but super hot today as he helps her scout fancy plants in the wild. I will be talking this one up for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

Thank you so much to Berkley, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing an advanced copy of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

When I saw this cover and synopsis, I knew I needed to pick it up as a transition into fall. I absolutely love magical, witchy stories, especially ones with loose magic systems like this one. I also love messy explorations of love and family.

So I was certain going into this one that it would be a favorite. And unfortunately it just didn't quite hit the way I had expected.

This still had some wonderful themes and beautiful writing, it just didn't leave me feeling in love with any aspect.

This follows the heroine who is reluctantly returning home to live with her sister after losing her job. She and her sister have a very strained and tenuous relationship after the loss of their baby sister many years ago.

When she returns home, she finds herself working at the same plant nursery she worked at in high school. But this time she uses her magical abilities to communicate with plants to help find local heritage plants in the area.

Unfortunately she needs to work with her high school crush and the man who broke her heart as a teen.

On one hand, I loved the setup, magic, and ghostly aspect of this book. The heroine is "haunted" by her sister's ghost who brings her gifts and coffee. And she and each woman in their family, has a unique magical ability (control of weather, communications with animals, knowing, hiding, etc).

I thought the interwoven magic was fantastic. I personally love unexplained magical elements and this was the perfect example of that.

I also really liked the idea and setup for the exploration of love, forgiveness, and family.

However I didn't love the actual execution of these themes.

One, the younger sister is UNBEARABLE in my opinion. The things that she says and does to the heroine were straight up unforgivable in my head. And the way the heroine just lets it all go was beyond my understanding.

Two, the conflict and animosity between the main characters was childish to me. And how the heroine carried around that much anger and heartbreak for 15 years over it felt a little dramatic...

But lastly... I HATED the final twist. I saw it coming and was really hoping I was wrong because I just... wasn't a fan. I get it. It made sense. But I thought it was beyond cheesy.

So in the end I was just left feeling very bland over the whole thing. I enjoyed elements, but not necessarily their execution. And overall am left with no strong feelings about this book in any way. I think this is an author I would try again, but not a book I will recommend or think about much again.

REVIEW FOR WITCH OF WILD THINGS

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkeley Pub and Berkeley Romance for the gifted copy!

I loved this story so much. While marketed as a romance (it's part of the main plot) it was so much more. It's a beautiful story about personal growth, repairing familial relationships and their journey with grief.

Sage is a wholly flawed FMC who I honestly struggled with at the beginning, because she was so quick to hold other people accountable for their actions that she completely missed her own accountability. Her personality was more victim, and while in some instances it was necessary, in others it wasn't. With that said though, I think this flaw really contributed to her growth as a character throughout the story.

My favorite part was the magical realism of the magic the Flores women had. I wish the story dove more into Teal, Sky and Nadia's magic. I loved the twist at the end, but felt it could have been elaborated more. It was a little out of left field and, while I understand that was probably to prevent any sort of spoilers, I think it actually led to more confusion and feeling that the story wasn't fully fleshed out.

Tenn and Sage's romance was so beautiful. I fell in love with them as a couple. And I wish the town of Cranberry was real. I also liked the subtle not so subtle environmental call to action- it gave me a new perspective to how we treat our ecosystems and to be more cognizant of the laws and changes coming through our government.

I highly recommend this story.

TW: mentions of death, grief, infidelity, casual sex, domestic abuse, rape

This book had me hooked early on. I loved everything about it and didn't even care about the miscommunication trope (that I normally can't stand). I loved all the characters and I need me a Mr. Tennessee in my life. Add this book to your TBR if you love family dramas, sisterly bonds, witches, magic, magical gifts, second chance romance and some spice. This is a perfect food for the fall weather and spooky season. It was so so good.

I honestly don't often love rom-coms or adult romance or the like, but THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS. It's just the perfect blend of witchy, funny, romantic and real. And the touches of magical realism felt perfectly done. Loved this book so much.

The Flores sisters have magical gifts. Sage is gifted with a connection to plants: she can talk to them, identify, and make them grow. Her sister Teal can affect the weather, and her youngest sister Sky gifted with a connection to animals.

Sage is back home, at her Aunt Nadia’s, after being laid off from her job. Things are tense with her younger sister, Teal, as she blames her for the death of their youngest sister, Sky. To add to the drama, Sky’s ghost appears to Sage, talking to her.

Sage lands a job with her old employer, Cranberry Rose Company, the local nursery and is teamed up with her teenage crush, Tennessee Reyes, the man who broke her heart, unbeknownst to him. They’re paired together to find rare plants with a history and a story, to cultivate for sale. I love plants and gardening, so I thought Sage’s gift and her job was so neat!

I got a Practical Magic vibe here (the movie, not the book) picturing the beautiful old house as Nadia’s. Loved the descriptions of the setting and surrounding area!

The romance was lovely, even though I wasn’t a fan of Sage not coming clean with her prior AOL interactions with Tennessee, the blowback from it wasn’t long and overdrawn. I feel like Sage’s relationship with her sisters and Aunt Nadia were equally important to the story. They had past hurts that needed to be mended. Didn’t care for the way Teal or Aunt Nadia treated Sage. Teal was awful to her sister with no cause. It came from guilt and grief, but definite groveling was needed from both her sister and aunt. There’s some mystery around Sky’s death and I was thrilled over how that was all resolved!

Witch of Wild Things was a beautifully written, magical delight! Some romance, some family reconciliation, and cool magical gifts!

This was a total fluffy book to me. Magic and smooching.

I LOVED the plant magic and was just sitting breathing it in.

Now the sisters [I never did figure out why Sage was blamed by her WHOLE family for Sky's death. Even after it was explained I was like that sucks balls. She didn't do anything wrong. She was pretty much a punching bag for everyone. Then Sky coming back from the dead. WTH? Even in a magical book that could have been done a bit better. (hide spoiler)]

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

This is an interesting story about coming home, dysfunctional family, forgiveness, sisters, romance, and finding one's self. And if that isn't enough, there's a bit of a mystery as well as some very intriguing magical realism.

The characters are well developed, drawing me into the story almost immediately and eliciting a variety of emotions. There are a lot of layers to sift through for more than one of them, especially within Sage's family. It's never easy coming home and the circumstances of Sage's departure and return make it less so. A boring reunion, this is not!

I enjoyed the AOL instant messenger flashbacks between Tenn and Sage. It was a clever and effective way to dig into some of those layers (of both characters) and give readers a more complete understanding of their personalities, motivation, and feelings both past and present.

Overall, the story moves at a steady pace and maintained my interest with a good balance of humor, character evolution, conflict, and emotional depth. Parts of the magical realism are easy to buy into while others require significant suspension of disbelief (I have many questions). It has me wondering if Gilliland is planning more books for this family.

If you enjoy coming of age novels with magical realism, family dysfunction, and a touch of romance, give this one a try. It's an intriguing read.

ARC received from publisher. Fair and unbiased review.

Sage comes from a line of women who all posses a “gift”. For Sage, she can control plants. Her sister can control the weather. After their other sister died, the family has been at an impasse and Sage moved away. Now she’s back home and working at the same place she used to work – Cranberry Rose Company. She partners with Tennessee to hunt down wild plants that can be cultivated. Working with Tenn has brought Sage’s high school feeling to the surface. Sage hid behind her computer to get to know Tenn, and he never knew it was her. Now as they’ are growing closer and things are heating up, Sage wonders if the past should stay in the past or if they can move on from it.

This was such a fun witchy read. I read this one in July, and I was already starting to think about the spooky season. My husband never lets me decorate for holidays very early – he’s such a bummer. Even though I read this one in the height of summer, it wasn’t so witchy that it didn’t fit. It was the perfect amount of magical realism that just made me fall in love. I enjoyed the romance within the story. This was also a book about dysfunctional families. Sage has dealt with so much in her life. I originally thought that this was written for a younger audience, but I had failed to realize Sage’s age. It wasn’t until later in the book that I realized she was almost thirty and the topics covered were fairly heavy. This book grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let it go.

If you are looking for a delightful witchy second chance closed door romance, then I hope you check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley @BerkleyPub, and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

Witch of Wild Things is a story of sisterhood, family, magic, and love. Three sisters, Sage, Teal, and Sky grow ups in Cranberry Virginia with their Aunt after their mother abandons them for a man. Each has a magical gift - Sage, the oldest, can speak to plants, Teal's emotions bring extreme weather, and Sky has the gift of communicating with animals. When Sky disappears on a hike, the remaining sister's relationship is fractured. Sage leaves Virginia to go to Philadelphia to create jewelry and teach, but a terrible lapse in judgement leaves her jobless and headed back home - with Sky's ghost in tow. When Sage gets a job at a garden center where she used to work, she comes face to face with her high school crush - Tennessee, a boy that she "IM"ed with and fell in love with online. Of course, he broke her heart, and of course, they are going to fall back into love. The book was entertaining, and a quick read - parts were more than a little implausible, and the setting baffled me - mountains? Lakes, forest? ocean? its' all there. Despite the flaws I kept reading and was glad for a happy ending. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

Witch of Wild Things was an excellent and super cozy read. Definitely would recommend adding this to your fall TB, the vibes are perfect for the season! If you like Practical Magic, this is a great book rec for you!

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well thought out and the plot was paced in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and would enjoy reading other novels by this author.

I started my spooky season reading with vampires and now it’s time to bring some witches into the mix. I chose Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland as my first witchy read of the season, in part because of that gorgeous cover and also because it features elemental magic, which I love. It also features a romance that is complicated by secrets, as well as a family dynamic that is complicated by grief. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that all of those elements are like catnip for me!

At the center of this story are the women of the Flores family. Legend has it that many years ago a Flores woman offended the old gods and caused all of her female descendants to be cursed with magical powers. Sage Flores is the protagonist of the story and her magical abilities are tied to plants. Nicknamed the “Plant Whisperer,” Sage can identify any plant and not only that but she can actually communicate with them. Sage’s sister, Teal, has powers that tie her emotions to the weather — extreme emotions equal extreme weather conditions. Lastly, younger sister Sky’s magic allowed her to communicate with animals.

When the story opens, we meet Sage as she has just been fired from her job and is headed back to her hometown. Sage is not looking forward to this because she has been estranged from Teal ever since the death of Sky eight years earlier. Teal holds Sage responsible for their sister’s death and wants nothing to do with her. What we also learn about Sage in these opening scenes is that Sky is actually haunting her, following her around and leaving her gifts of coffee. Sky is trapped here and wants Sage to find a way to mend fences with Teal, in hopes that will allow her spirit to move on. Needless to say, emotions run high between the two remaining sisters as they come face to face after so many years apart.

Sage isn’t just being haunted by her sister though. She’s also being haunted by her past, in the form of Tennessee Reyes, a boy she had a crush on in high school who broke her heart. When Sage takes a job with the Cranberry Rose Company to hunt for unique plant specimens, she ends up partnered with Tennessee. Being with Tennessee brings back so many memories for Sage and as she starts to grow closer to him all over again, she knows she has to tell him a secret that she has kept from him for nearly a decade. I loved how the author has their relationship unfold, through the use of both present day scenes and through flashbacks from their high school days.

I really loved everything about this book. The story grabbed my attention from the opening scenes and I flew through it in just a couple of sittings because I was so invested in Sage’s journey. She’s a messy and flawed character, but she grows so much throughout the course of the book, both in terms of her relationship with her sister and her relationship with Tennessee. The writing was also just so gorgeous. I loved all of the nature vibes and the descriptions of the magic. It was truly an enchanting read!

Unfortunately decided to DNF this one at 40%. The vibes just aren’t working for me and it’s a lot heavier than I expected. Plus there’s a lot of casual language and writing that took me out of the story, and I’m not liking the main characters at all. Bummer!

This was a fun book as much about the love between sisters and family as it is about romantic love. Raquel Vasquez Gilliland has an amazing voice, and her book drew me in with its expansive love, its quirky cast of characters, and its wonderfully imaginative and vivid writing. There is banter and fighting between sisters and family that reminds me so much of my own, and a humorous yet compelling nod to the power of the past that kept me glued to the pages way past bedtime. It was very original to begin many chapters with flashbacks to when Sage and Tennessee were young teens on AOL Instant Messenger. It was fun to see how this was followed up fifteen years later to show that time and age never really changed either of these two young lovers. I felt like I had stepped back into my own past with late night IM Chats when I was too young to be out that late. This is all part of what made Witch of Wild Things such a powerful book to me. Although the Flores women are “Witchy Women” and have supernatural powers, they feel just like friends that you already know. And Sage’s personal story made me cheer for her as she grew closer to her family, sad for everything that was placed upon her, and sigh as she finally got the man that she deserved and who deserved her as well… is there anything as sweet as a second chance romance with your first true love?

This book had everything that I look for in a great work of fiction. There was just enough romance to make my heart go pitter patter but not so much that this is a standard romance. There was a perfect blend between family drama and mystical magic to show that the two are not entirely separate. All of which are drawn together around a beautifully crafted story that has at its heart a mystery that compels you on from chapter to chapter.

This is a wonderful weekend read if you are looking to remind yourself why you love reading… it's an escape into a new world, a chance to meet new friends, and a wonderful way to remember all the reasons why life, even when bitter in the moment, will be balanced by sweetness soon enough.

Thank you Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Berkeley Press, and NetGalley for sharing an Advanced Copy of this book with me. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I really liked:
✨Magic: I love the magical gifts each sister possesses. This story focuses on Sage Flores’s gift. She communicates with plants. Her gift helps her land a job at the local nursery to help locate plants with unusual heritage. I loved the wealth of plant information and Mexican folklore written into the story! Hopefully, this book will become a series and explore each of the Flores sisters’ magical gifts.
✨Romance: Second Chance Romance between Sage and Tennessee ❤️ Tennessee is absolutely swoon-worthy; he's gentle, kind, thoughtful, and, at least in my mind, absolutely hunky. As teenagers, Sage and Tenn unknowingly chatted on AOL. I love IM messages chapters (total throwback!). These add a bit of historical context to their relationship.
✨Narration: Krysta Gonzales does a terrific job with the narration, adding emotional range to the story!

Witch of Wild Things is a perfect book for October if you don't like spooky! Pick this up if you love Witches, Mexican folklore, magical realism, sister relationships, and/or romance (steam included). I definitely recommend this one!

Perfection!
Nothing needs to be changed in this book.
In fact it needs to be made into a movie.

I love a hot mess heroine that makes mistakes and at her core we see her true colors. The small town is so cozy. The magical elements are dreamy. The romance perfection.

This is the perfect cozy, witchy read with a sprinkle of magic and romance for this spooky season.
Sage and her sisters have magical gifts. Sage’s gift is being able to identify and communicate to plants. She’s been estranged from her family for years but has returned for a new job that lets her work alongside her high school crush, Tennessee. While she tries to mend her relationships with her family members and deals with her old crush, she’s also being haunted by her dead sister’s ghost.

This was such a unique read. There was romance but there was also a lot of focus on the complex dynamics and relationships of Sage’s family. Sage’s magical gift also played a big role in the story with her new job and relationship with Tennessee which was interesting. I loved that Sage and Tennessee’s high school relationship started over AOL messaging and there were flashbacks of their conversations. My only issue with their new relationship was the miscommunication. Other than that I really enjoyed it.

- Magic
- Family Drama
- Second Chance

This was the perfect break from the darker romances I have been reading lately. There is a good chunk of romance in this book, but I found the family drama to be more intriguing. And I can't believe I am saying this, but the few spicy scenes felt a bit out of place for me. I think I would have preferred this one to be a clean romance. Overall I thought this book was really cute and I enjoyed the story.