Lillian has everything locked down. She's successful and self-assured but when confronted with her past, she unravels when tragedy strikes and everything she thought to be true isn't. Lilian returns home for respite to her family's flower farm in Mexico. Her first love, Sam, is back in the picture and she grapples with all of her loose threads.
While the first book, The Enchanted Hacienda, quite literally enchanted me, The Anatomy of Magic didn't stand up to its sister (for me). I liked it but didn't love it, to my regret. I think it just lacked some of the whimsy of the first. That being said, I think that the setting continues to be entertaining and I adore the family as a whole. I love the new glimpses into the family farm! But most of all, I'm curious what will come of the other sisters and cousins.
Diana Bustelo, who is new to me, narrates this 8+ hour audiobook. I really liked the rasp to her voice and how she performed Lilian's POV.
Thank you to HTP and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A second chance romance involving the Estrada family of magical women, this time featuring OBGYN star, Lillian who has a crisis at work and runs away to seek solace in her Mexican home. This was good on audio and entertaining but nothing super standout for me if I'm completely honest. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

When I saw the cover for The Anatomy of Magic with the magical flowers, I knew I had to pick it up. What I got was an adult contemporary second chance romance with Encanto vibes that I enjoyed from start to end.

Apparently, this is the second of a series, with the first book, The Enchanted Hacienda, following Lillian’s sister, Harlow. Though you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one. I didn’t read the first book prior to reading this.

When it comes to ‘romantasy’ as a genre, my usual favorites are contemporary romances with a fantastical element, and this book, a women’s fiction book with magical flowers, fits the bill. As a heads up, this book has some depictions of surgical procedures, some swearing and some semi-explicit sex scenes.

Lillian is an OBGYN who’s recovering from a tragic and traumatic experience at work. She returns to her magical home and family in Mexico to reflect, wrangle in her out of control memory magic, and help her family for a few days. However, an encounter with an old love throws off all her plans.

The characters were good, and I enjoyed Lillian’s journey as she deals with both what happened to her at her job and her love life. She’s a bit headstrong, but wants to let go it it means getting everything back on track. It was intriguing to see Lilian fight her magical heritage with her scientific training, as she was trying to explain things, and does effect some choices she makes. The second chance romance was developed well, as it’s not as it first looks and there’s a bunch of things to work out as they reconnect.

The setting of this magical house in a small Mexican town gave this story a whimsical feel. I enjoyed how Mexican culture and mythology were also weaved along with the flower magic that defined the story. The sisterhood bonds and family legacy was loyal and strong. The themes of second chances and unearthing old secrets for healing were done well. Overall, the story was warm despite some dark moments and topics.

It has some fast pacing, maybe a bit too quick in spots, I wish there was a tiny bit of slowdown on a couple of spots to really take in the setting and some of the secondary characters a little more. It’s only eight hours on audio.

Diana Bustelo did a great job with the narration and range of the characters and it felt like going back home in a way.

Highly recommended.

This is my best read of 2025! I absolutely loved this book. From the family ties and sacrifices to do what is right to making mistakes and finding forgiveness this book had all the elements of a comfort read. Additionally I LOVED the narrator. She perfectly depicted the different characters and kept the book flowing at a great pace. 5 stars all the way!

The Anatomy of Magic (audiobook) by J.C. Cervantes is a captivating fantasy that explores the intricacies of magic, destiny, and the human spirit. The story delves into a richly built world filled with magical systems and deep character development. Cervantes’ writing is engaging, and the audiobook’s narration brings the story’s emotional depth and thrilling moments to life. It’s a perfect listen for fans of magic, adventure, and character-driven tales.

After her patient dies, doctor Lily returns home and runs into her long lost love. Being home highlights issue with her magic.

Overall, decent story and an enjoyable read. The pacing was a little odd, and which made the story feel a bit slow. Also, the magic, although clearly well-researched, was a little confusing. More information about how it works and the connection to the flowers would have been helpful. This is rather picky feedback, though.

The narrator for the audiobook did well and had a very soothing voice.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC of this book.


This book was phenomenal! The magic system was super unique and easy to follow. I absolutely loved Lily’s character arc in this. My first read from Cervantes but definitely not my last. The writing makes you feel part of the family and like you’re there experiencing everything with Lily and her family. Absolutely perfect!

I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed this.

Lily, an OB/GYN with flower-based memory magic, flees back to her family farm in Mexico after a tragedy at work. When she runs into her one and only former love, Sam, she has to unlock the memories that she tried to spell away.

I was initially excited about The Anatomy of Magic. However, the description did not mention that this is part of a series. While it can be read independently, I felt I was missing something throughout the book, perhaps reading the first book would have helped. I was never able to make myself care about the characters. The surprise twist toward the end was something I thought was obvious. Lily clearly needed therapy. Also, I really struggle when people believe that their love at 19 is the only love they will ever experience.

This was described in a way that made me excited to read it but the execution was lacking.

I think that others may end up liking this more than I did. It wasn't poorly written, just not for me.

The narrator was fine but could not improve upon my other feelings about the book.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for the DLC. All opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this audio of The Anatomy of Magic. This was giving Practical Magic meets Encanto lol. Lillian comes from a very talented family of women. The all have different gifts. Her power is being able to manipulate memories. She goes back to her family's home in Mexico only to find herself face to face with her first love.

The Anatomy of Magic offers an intriguing blend of magic and personal growth, but it left me feeling somewhat mixed overall. JC Cervantes creates a vibrant world centered around the Estrada women and their unique powers. The exploration of family dynamics and the secrets that bind them adds depth to the story. The Anatomy of Magic reads like a cozy blend of Practical Magic, and Encanto.

While I appreciated the themes of self-discovery and embracing imperfections, the pacing felt uneven at times. Portions of the story felt slow, and struggled to captivate my attention.

Overall, The Anatomy of Magic has a lot of potential and beautifully touches on themes of love and healing. While it didn’t fully meet my expectations, it’s an enjoyable read for those who appreciate a blend of contemporary romance with magical realism. I think fans of the genre will find moments to appreciate, even if it didn’t completely resonate with me.

I enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook.

4 Stars, 1 Spice

This was super cute! I want to be friends with Lily, the narrator was the perfect voice selection for her and made her really come to life. She felt so raw and painfully human as she went through a journey of self discovery and healing. I got really caught up in the narrative and binged something like 80% of the book in one go. I also enjoyed the second-chance romance in there. I was shocked by the reason behind why it ended between them the first time. Did not see that coming! I think the author did a good job of showing Lily's character development. I also really enjoyed how unique the magic system is in this book. Its a very realistic way to incorporate magical realism. No character was over-powered with magic in any way, it all had very reasonable boundaries and was well thought out. The other characters were all pretty flat, so that's my only negative.

(3.75⭐️)

A mystical and sweet story about second chances, new beginnings and the power of family and love.

Disclaimer: I read this as an audiobook via NetGalley. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is an interconnected standalone to the author's other work, The Enchanted Hacienda. We follow another member of the Estrada family, Lily, an obstetrician who is dealing with a very messy portion of her life. She decides to head home during a leave from the hospital and has to deal with a bunch of situations she has been avoiding for a long time. Lily has memory magic through the family's farm flowers, and her magic is being affected by all of the heartbreaks that she is currently not dealing with.

Going back home for a friend wedding she runs into her old flame, Sam, from back when she was younger before medical school. Sam abruptly ended their relationship with no closure or reason why and Lily has always struggled with that now it's time for Lily to face and find out why their relationship ended, and if they could begin anew.

I really love the magical realism woven throughout the story. I found the descriptions of flowers and their mystical properties to be very interesting and informative. I love how the author clearly researched what flowers mean and wove that accurately into her work. I really like how open honest and forward the family is with each other. I would really be interested in seeing a tree cool to this of the grandmother or learning more about the mother in general and their magic. It seems very interesting and would make a great story. I also liked the different magical spells and how they were described and performed throughout the story.

I did have a few things with the story that were harder for me. First of all, I had trouble with the pacing, the story did move very slowly at times. I also had some issues with how brazen Lily was with the possessions of a man that she literally had not seen in decades and had no real relationship with anymore. Like girl, why are you going through his house? Willie also continuously made decisions that I don't feel a woman of her educational caliber would be making. I understand the emotions were high and give some grace for that, but some of her decisions I was just screaming at my Kindle in disbelief lol. I also do not like the reason that Sam eventually reveals that he ended their relationship years earlier. I am not a fan of a love interest taking away choices from another love interest on the sly. Like honestly, unforgivable. This eventually ended up throwing the chemistry I felt for the two main characters into a little bit of turmoil and made it slightly unbelievable for me.

The premise family relationships and overall themes of finding oneself and happiness wherever you go, and embracing possibilities did redeem the story for me overall though.

This was the most perfect blend of magical realism ala Ashley Poston style, and a lovely enriching mix of Disney Magic - ala Encanto! I absolutely enjoyed reading the Enchanted Hacienda and felt that this one was even more enjoyable. I also listened to this one as an audio book and it just truly brought the magic to life! I am hopeful that the author continues to give us stories of all of the sisters and cousins as I just don't want to ever not have a book from this world.

Lily was elusive in the first book - she seemed like she had it all together and as a result? She was a bit different than the rest. However what this book showed was the utter chaos, and the mess of her life. She was broken and wounded and I absolutely loved how her past was dug into with Sam and how their entire story unfolded. The beautiful way in which the author weaves Mexican mythology and folklore into Lily's story; into the magical flower farm. The chemistry between Sam and Lily was so captivating and sweet and although they got back together very quickly - I felt that having their history discussed so thoroughly is what kept me engaged and happy for them.

This was a really fun and magical read that just blew me away and would be perfect for anyone looking for a light, whimsical love story!

I learned in the middle of this book that this is the second book in the series. I wish I had known beforehand I would have read the first book to understand the family and characters better. I had a hard time connecting with the fmc. There's some miscommunication, second chance romance, and a magical family and home in Mexico. I did enjoy the audiobook and the narrator did a good job. Overall a fun magical romantic book.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Anatomy of Magic
Author: J.C. Cervantes

Thank you so much Harlequin Audio for this ALC! This book was so sweet. This book is about a family that each have their own magical ability. Our main character in this one, Lilian, has the power to manipulate memories. Lily suffers a tragic event at work as an Obgy-n, and returns to her family home for a break. She ends up running into her first love, Sam, and they begin to navigate the murky waters of their past relationship and feelings they may still have for each other. This book really touched my heart in multiple ways. Lillian really grew throughout the book, and it was inspiring to read her journey and how she handles coming out of her dark place after the incident she went though. I was surprised by the touch of romance in this one, I wasn’t expecting it to be such a big part of the story. The magic system was also extremely unique and I loved the way the flowers, and nature was such a driving force behind it all. The audio was great, and I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of this series.

This was such a good YA magical realism story. I really enjoyed Lilian, the main character and OBGYN who is back in town and runs into her ex, the one that left her and she couldn’t get over.

This is a great story about the one who got away, but also the main character growing as she realizes what went wrong. Lots of family involvement too, all of the characters enjoyable.

I think this would make a very cute movie, too!

Lily has retreated back to her family's home in Mexico after experiencing her first patient loss as chief resident. She reconnects with her magical roots (literally) as her whole family is blessed with magic connected back to the flowers that are grown across their hacienda. While there, she reconnects with Sam, an old flame from her childhood, as she tries to find herself again.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, the connection back to flowers and the different meanings was really great and pulled from Victorian flower language (if you haven't explored this - definitely give it a look). However, I struggled a bit as I felt the story ran quite slow. Lily spends a lot of time rehashing her struggles both as a doctor and reconciling her love for Sam, and.I found myself wishing she would find her path quicker than she did in the story.

I did really enjoy the narrator as I listened to this as an audiobook - she gave great life to the book overall. I also want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this. While I kind of thought the main character placed too much emphasis on something that recently happened with a patient and some resulting implications, I don’t work in the medical field so I guess I have to admit ignorance as far as how this might affect something. But overall, the connections between science and magic are something I always appreciate so I’ll let that little detail pass and say that this was a great audiobook!

An OB/GYN resident with magical powers derived from her family flower fields. I loved this book. As a surgeon, things happen during surgery that we can’t control. The situation is worse than we thought. Patients don’t make it. We blame ourselves and spend agonizing days and nights kicking ourselves over what we could do better. The love that Lily and her old love share and the memories they old to are so precious and tender. I loved every second of this one and the narrator for the audiobook was fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.