by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
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Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2023
320 pages
Genre: Romance
Paperback Original.
Publication Information
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.
"Gilliland mixes magical realism, sisterhood, and, of course, love into a sparkling romance that will sweep readers off their feet...Fans of Like Water for Chocolate and Practical Magic will be enthralled." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[An] engrossing, lyrical romance...A secondary plotline about broken familial relationships shares importance with the romance, adding depth. Magic and Mexican American culture are woven throughout the book, as are references to ecology and the preservation of nature. Gilliland's adult fiction debut is a beautifully written, entrancing novel that is a must-buy for all collections." —Library Journal (starred review)
"In her magical, beautiful adult debut, Witch of Wild Things, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland absolutely mesmerizes with a richly woven story encompassing family, friendship, and romantic love. The tenderness between Sage and Tennessee truly captured my heart. Perfect for fans of Lisa Kleypas and yet at the same time gorgeously unique, this earthy and luminous book will leave readers spellbound." —India Holton, national bestselling author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
"Witch of Wild Things is such a beautiful story of family, friendship, and falling in love. I mean, an anonymous AIM chat relationship from high school, with the boy on the other end now all grown up into a tattooed, plant-loving man? Sisters with a thorny, complicated relationship in need of nourishing? A woman who doesn't see herself as the special, rare flower she is...until she does? Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's adult debut is everything I love about romance!" —Alicia Thompson, national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
"Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's adult debut is spooky, sexy and magical. Witch of Wild Things is a perfect mix of magical realism and swoony romance, with a fair amount of family drama and love. You'll fall in love with the Flores sisters in this cozy, wonderful novel." —Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask
This information about Witch of Wild Things was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Pura Belpré Award-winning Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received her BA in cultural anthropology from the University of West Florida and her MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Raquel is most inspired by folklore and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants, and they tell her stories back. Witch of Wild Things is her third novel.
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