Enchanting Garden Spells

I want to introduce you to this little fella. Guys meet one of my favorite reads Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. As usual I bought this book because the cover intrigued me. I was wondering how the title would match with the cover. In the end I found out it didn't quite, but that's a entire different story now.

This book is about the women in the Waverly family who have been touched by magic for generations. Don't worry, it's not a Witches from Waverly Place Disney thing, rather it is a truly enchanting story that took me by surprise.

Claire lives in her family home and works as a cook/caterer. She uses magic herbs, flowers and spices which cause interesting reactions in people. She can calm them, she can excite them and so on. One day, her sister Sidney returns home with her daughter Bay. Sidnay has been running from her abusive husband and her talen is to give people the perfect hairdo. Her daughter Bay has the ability to know where things or people belong to. The family also has an aunt who gives gifts the recipients will need in the future.
Both of the sisters fall in love with two men in town. One of them is the newest addition in town and Claire's neighbor. The other one is Sidney's old friend. The story is carefully crafted around those two fresh relationships until the climax comes where the abusive jealous husband of Sidney arrives and tries to take Bay.  
This is where the good ol' Apple Tree in the backyard comes in. This tree has the ability to show upon eating an apple either the happiest moment in the life to come or the worst. Guess what the apple showed the abusive husband.....

Sarah's writing style is romantic and unique. She creates this environment where even as reader you feel right at home and protected. She lets you envision the little town, the flowers, the people. You see everything clear in her books. You see the characters, the emotions and the actions. All this she shows subtly without even telling the way things are all the time but rather hinting them. Garden Spells is a sweet charming book that is really worth taking a look at.