The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

Pub. date:  July 30, 2019 – Gallery Books

Book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley

Description: Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.

If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book. (publisher)

My take:  I love a good small-town setting. Add in warm, somewhat quirky characters and you’ve got enough for a series. According to Goodreads, The Book Charmer is book one in the Dove Pond series. We have Sarah, a lifelong resident and librarian. Books have spoken (really!) to Sarah for a long time. They tell her who needs to read a particular book and she does her best to put that book in the right hands.

New to Dove Pond is Grace. She describes her life this way “I haven’t had time [for a serious relationship]. I worked my way through college and then had a full-time, seventy-hour-a-week job after that. And then my sister died and I became a parent, and then Mama G [Grace’s foster mother] got sick – it’s been a whirlwind of relationship nonstarters. I’m the poster girl for the woman you don’t want to date.”  It’s clear that Grace has learned to rely on herself – only herself. What will happen if she learns to allow herself a friend or two?

The Book Charmer is about finding family, friendship, community and ultimately a home. I loved it all and look forward to reading more in the Dove Pond series.

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