*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 flashbacks in every other chapter made it interesting to see how much two of the characters grew from where they had started. 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 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 a fun read perfect for the fall season. Even though much of the book took place in warmer months, it really gave off a good fall vibe. I went into this expecting a fun romance, so I was surprised (in a good way) by the complicated family dynamic that really added so much to the story.

A delightful and romantic adult debut from Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. Filled with complicated sibling relationships, a mystery to solve, and a budding romance. RVG fills each page with magic and heart.

I had SUCH high hopes for this newest book by one of my fav authors (Raquel Vasquez Gilliland!). Unfortunately though I felt this was much more of a YA/New Adult vibe than an adult contemporary romance (which I had been expecting).

The second chance, childhood first love story line was good and I did enjoy the sisterhood bonds, paranormal element but it definitely was not what I was expecting and didn't quite hit me in the feels romance wise as much as I was hoping for.

Good on audio narrated by Krysta Gonzales and recommended for fans of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!! 3/5 for the story ; 5/5 for the cover!

I really enjoyed the pacing of this story, and the character development was spot-on. The relationships/interactions between the characters contained enough drama, backstory, and resolution to completely satisfy. The worldbuilding, in terms of how the Flores family magic works, was also intriguing.

I felt like there were a couple of... not quite 'loose threads' per se, but some elements of the storyline that could potentially be part of a sequel or companion novel, if this became the first in a series: Laurel's Lighthouse and future romantic prospects - ditto for Teal; love & jewelry for Sage; does the disappeared mom ever decide to reappear? A Laurel-focused book that touches base with the sisters would be awesome.

When 3 sisters become 2, what becomes of them? Can their relationship survive the loss? With magic, plants, perseverance, and a ghost that doesn’t follow any ghostly rules, maybe it can.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this story. It was unique and emotional, and it made me both laugh and cry at different points. It did have a bit more emotion to the story than I expected, but I found that level of emotion really added to the story's depth. I also found the characters interesting, engaging, and unique. I found characters I rooted for in this story as well as characters...well, characters I honestly didn't like very much. But the contrast among the characters gave the story dimension, and I enjoyed that very much!

Overall, this story was really good, the characters were really good, and I was engaged from start to finish.

Rating: 4⭐️

If a book has “witch” in the title, I’m all over it!

Short Synopsis:
Sage returns home after 8 years. Her family all has their own magical gifts, with Sage being able to communicate with plants. She finds a job working with plants, but unfortunately is partnered with her high school crush who broke her heart (without him knowing he broke her heart!)

My Thoughts:
This is a great book for novice fantasy readers. The focus is much more the romance and family dynamics than the magic. I personally love magic in books, and wished there was more. At times it felt like it read fairly YA, but then was definitely not at other times.

I loved the family dynamics and it was a quick, fun read.

What a delightful book! The whimsical plant/foraging theme is lush in this swoon worthy romance/complicated family witchy book…that took me completely by surprise!

I have to say books with paranormal vibes are sometimes hard for me even though I love the concept of them. I’ve had more misses with this sub genre then hits. Witch of Wild Things grabbed my attention within the first few pages and I knew it was going to be a new favorite!

🌱🪴🍄🌹

Bits…
Workplace romance
A complicated family story
Magical realism
A plant whisper
AIM chats
Ghosts
All the whimsical plant talk

This is one I would love to add to my shelf. The magic was everything I was hoping it would be. The appreciation for nature. Delicious foodie talk. A swoon worthy romance. Enchanting characters. The bonds of sisterhood… and with that being said I would love more the books to continue following the other Flores sisters!

Thank you Berkley for an advanced ecopy

This book has everything. Family bonds, drama, romance, and of course magical witchy goodness. I loved the lessons the sisters learned working through their different trauma's, the relationship building, and....the happy ending. Sorry for the spoiler, but I figure it's ok to say. Sometimes we all need to know the ending is happy. This is a perfect book for your Fall TBR. I loved it.

This was a fun witchy read, and perfect for autumn vibes :) I adore Raquel's writing and she always handles so many tough issues with care and intention. The familial dynamics and issues in all of her books always hit so close to home to me, and I haven't even shared the exact circumstances as these characters! It's the emotions that Raquel evokes out of me whenever she develops characters; these characters and their emotional journeys latch onto me, and I become so deeply invested!

I loved the AIM aspects and flashbacks to the early 00's to show the beginning of Tenn and Sage's romance and connection. It felt so nostalgic and light, to counter the sadness and grief that Sage is experiencing in the present.

I will continue to read anything Raquel writes!

This was a fun read, especially for someone like me that loves nature and magic and their intersection! I enjoyed the characters and the way they interacted.

What held me up, however, was the setting. I have lived in Virginia my entire life and could not peg where the book was set. There is mention of costal Virginia, as well as lakes and the Appalachian Mountains. As a mountain girl, I wish I could see the ocean from my house but unfortunately it's about a 4 hour drive away and not visible even on the clearest of days. Normally this would be something easy to brush aside, but as Virginia served as a major part to the book's setting and somewhat to the plot in regards to plant species it was somewhat distracting. I doubt it will be something a lot of other people pick up on but it did unfortunately distract me. I was gifted an uncorrected advanced readers copy from NetGalley, however, and this could have been noticed and altered in the final part of the book.

I definitely would suggest this book for anyone wanting an escape and a good time. Especially those with a love for family, sisterhood, plants and magic. 3.5 stars for me!

I don't even know if I can put into words how much I LOVED "Witch of Wild Things." I was in the mood for a witchy read and this nailed everything. It's fun, it's romantic, it has lots of magical elements, and it's definitely a book not to be missed.

As an elder millennial who grew up in the time of AIM, I really enjoyed the love story between Tenn and Sage truly began there. I could relate (minus the love story part) to the endless evenings chatting with friends and crushes. While the story is fun and light-hearted, it does tackle some tough subjects such as death, family issues, relationships, and abuse. However, Gilliland does so in a remarkable way.

This is definitely a book I will be telling everyone to read.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thanks to Berkley for the advance copy of this book!

Sage Flores is part of a family that is touched by magic. Her ability is to communicate with plants. When she moves back home and returns to her job at the Cranberry Rose Company, she's paired with high school-crush-who-crushed-her Tennessee Reyes to survey local land in search of unique plants.

Witch of Wild Things is a lovely representation of a romance novel with a touch of magic. While Sage was nicknamed the "Witch of Wild Things" because she can speak to plants, the magic is very simple and accessible for all readers, making this a perfect witchy read for romance lovers. While this book read more on the YA side (probably due to high school flashbacks), Sage is actually 29 and the book is definitely not written for a YA audience. Ten was so attentive to Sage's needs as they were getting to know each other, and I loved the representation of sisterhood, dysfunctional families, having to grow up and take responsibility too soon, and Hispanic families in this book.

Witch of Wild Things is a delicious story that you can sink into and let wash over you like a warm bath. Sage is a broken woman who finds her way back to her family and to her first love after having believed all the bad things that happened to her were her own fault. Her flaws and her self-doubt are something we can all relate to at different times in our lives and her voice is refreshingly normal even if her gift is not.

Sage has the gift of plants. She can communicate with them and hear them and understand them. She does not have the same gift with people although she learns to find her voice with them in the end. Tenn, her love interest, is sweet and has his own demons to battle, but his unwillingness to give up on connecting with Sage in some way is hopeful and loving.

Very enjoyable read - funny, emotional, and sweeps you into a beautiful world.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had to give this book five stars because I enjoyed the heck out of it! It just read well, told a great story, and I couldn't put it down. Of course, I really like stories about witches, and this one had some great characters.

Description:
Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.

My Thoughts:
This story had a fun, swoon-worthy romance with some tension and obstacles. There was also the magic factor which was different for each sister. Each individual gift was interesting. The book grabbed me near the beginning and kept my attention throughout - I seriously didn't want to put it down. The plot moved really well with tension building toward the climax. Themes of sister relationships, coming of age, dysfunctional family, and magical realism. I enjoyed the excepts of AOL chats when Sage was a teenager. The characters were fully developed and memorable.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 12, 2023.

This book was so refreshing to read. It was a story of perseverance and forgiveness. Sage has a special magical connection with plants which also helps her see her late sister. She decides to move back to her home, Cranberry Rose and work for the Cranberry Rose Company. The latter has her working with her first love who broke her heart. Workplace romance, second chances, and overcoming past traumas, this book is a lovely read even if you don't enjoy the super natural.

I loved every moment of Witch of the Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. It was such a unique, joy filled book with a great romance plot. As someone who finds themselves reading a lot of romances, you tend to start seeing a lot of the same plot/storylines happening over and over. It's not necessary a bad thing but sometimes you want to read something unique and I truly believe that this was the case with Witch of the Wild Things. I've read one of Gilliland's previous YA works and enjoyed it quite a lot. She has the ability to make magical realism blend so seamlessly with the storyline where it doesn't feel out of place or jarring. It's just enough to make the story special. I will be recommending this to quite literally everyone.

WITCH OF WILD THINGS - Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘐𝘷𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦.

⭐️ | 4/5
📖 | 320 pages
📆 | to be released 9/12/23 (mark your calendars!)
📨 | publisher: Berkley

This was an immersive story with many tropes and magical things which I love. Sage’s magical gift is that she’s a plant whisperer - she can communicate with plants and know what they want or need. Circumstances lead her back home where she’s hired by the local garden to search for unusual plants. The only problem - her work partner is her old flame.

Sage and Tennessee used to write together on AIM (online messaging) in high school, only Tenn never knew who the secret girl was that he messaged. Something happened that separated the two, causing heartache for Sage. To say she wants nothing to do with Tenn is an understatement. Tropes including enemies to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romance. 😍😍😍 all the goodies!

Along this story line we also have Sage’s family drama. Her sister Sky had died years ago from a hiking accident, but her ghost follows Sage around. Her other sister Teal blames Sage for what happened. Will they find a way to put their history aside and mend the bonds of sisterhood?

This story is about loss and love and everything in between. I always love good witchy vibes and this one was easy and fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my advanced review copy!

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I really loved this. It was a fun and heartfelt read with magic, mystery, romance and a lot about family. It was very well done and a breeze to read. I desperately hope that this will be a series and we will see books form Sage's sisters' POVs!

This book follows Sage Flores. Sage left her home town after her younger sister, Sky, died. Eight years later she has to return to deal with unfinished issues. Things get complicated when she takes on a job for a local farmer helping with botany and finds out her new partner at work is going to be Tennessee Reyes. Her and Tennessee Reyes had a "thing" during high school via an anonymous chatting app; he never knew who she was in person. He hurt her badly and she wants nothing to do with him now. Too bad no one told Tennessee about this unknown past between him and Sage.

Meanwhile things get really complicated when Sky's ghost starts to haunt Sage, demanding Sage make amends with her other sister. But things are complicated in this family and all the women have strange magical powers. Sage can't talk to her living sister without having her call down a storm on her, so how is she supposed to make any peace there?

This book is fairly romance heavy, but also had wonderful magic elements. The mystery behind what happened to Sky is a fascinating one and helps to drive the story forward. Another key element to the story is Sage's family and trying to heal all the ills between Sage, her sisters, and the aunt that took care of them all.

This was incredibly well written and easy to read. I enjoyed the magic, the romance, the family, and Sage as a character in general. Sage grows and finds peace throughout this book and I loved taking that journey with her.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I absolutely loved this. It was a perfect summer escapist paranormal romance read. The romance is well done but so is the intriguing magic, the deep family connections, and the mystery behind Sky's death. This is a well-balanced read that I really enjoyed! I hope that we see more books in this world, maybe books from Sage's sisters' POV?