Hey friends,
Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen. Read on to find out if I recommend this title. Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!
Thanks for stopping in to check out my thoughts on First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen. Read on to find out if I recommend this title. Be sure to watch the coordinating video on my Book Tube channel!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Format: Uncorrected Bound Manuscript
Pages: 291(Hardcover)
Source: Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
Genre: Magical Realism, General Fiction
Review Date: Recorded February 2015
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Synopsis: It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.
Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.
Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.
Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke?
When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Format: Uncorrected Bound Manuscript
Pages: 291(Hardcover)
Source: Goodreads First Reads Giveaway
Genre: Magical Realism, General Fiction
Review Date: Recorded February 2015
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Synopsis: It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.
Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.
Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.
Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke?
When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.
| For those new to Allen, same as myself, you should know that you do not have to read the first book in this series to read First Frost. By using the context of the story, it's very easy to figure out what happened in book one. It's not a continuing story, but instead it's more like a new chapter with a different subject and character focus. While First Frost was an easy read, there wasn't enough bite, conflict or plain old fashion drama for what I like to read. The story was pretty ABC and followed the typical formula. There was a situation going on with a mysterious man, but it wasn't very serious at all. The conflict was near non-existent and there were no surprises. | |
On the plus side, I liked that magic played a role in the story. At times I wish it were a larger role, as that would have made the book more interesting, but the idea of a magical family was fun. The pacing was good and overall I liked it. I enjoyed the main characters, Sydney, Claire, and Bay. They were all unique as far as their magical gifts and personalities. I enjoyed what the husbands, friends and extended family added to the story.
Based on the types of books that I'm into right now, I can't see myself reading more from Sarah Addison Allen. It's not bad, it's just not my cup of tea. What about you? Have you read First Frost? If so, please tell me what you thought of it.
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
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