This was a cute little witchy rom-com. Not gonna lie the personalities of some of the characters were a little annoying, but it concluded well and ended up being a good read. Super cute!

“One I heard from a tree, what connects everything in this world is story. Stories hold the universe together.”

Say hello to my new favorite witchy rom-com! I love a story with some romance, magic, ghosts, and characters that you grow to love!

I absolutely love plants but can’t keep them alive to save my life. Sage and her two sisters are born with special gifts and hers is that she is a plant whisperer! She listens to and nurtures plants and I wish I had that gift! Her sisters Teal and Sky also have gifts as well as other women in her family and that was so fun! The sister dynamic reminded me so much of my own sisters.

I also really loved the little town of Cranberry Rose!

This story really explored themes of grief, loss, love, forgiveness, and rooting for yourself and was such a fun read. I stayed up way too late last night finishing it and it was the perfect way to start getting into the fall spirit!

4.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the early copy

Hi and welcome to my blog tour stop for Raquel Vasquez Gilliland's Witch of Wild Things! A big thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Summary.
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.


​My review.
Witch of Wild Things is one of those gorgeous witch stories.

In it, family, home, friendship, love, *& the natural world* are celebrated & important to MC Sage’s well-being & happiness.
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They’re not things she’s been actively pursuing in the past though—she’s been running from most of them actually, ever since her sister died, leaving her & her remaining sister estranged & Sage with no desire to stay at home.

When she’s forced to return, she has to eventually deal with all of it, including her past feelings for a teenage crush who left her broken-hearted.

Witch of Wild Things is a lovely story of so many things: finding & choosing your person, being a good friend, taking responsibility, taking care of & respecting the environment & the natural world. I have a new affinity for mushrooms after reading this one.

The writing is lyrical in moments but there’s also a striking romance arc including a moment where the MMC takes up for her with a pissy park ranger. Tennessee Reyes is a great balance of hot, understanding, & sensitive & I approve.

This is one of those well-rounded witchy reads that will satisfy on the physical & emotional fronts. While a couple things with the plot left me with a bit of the “huh” feeling, overall this is such a sweet & wonderful & whimsical & earthy read that satisfied.

4⭐️. Out 09/12.

CWs: Previous loss of sister. Parental abandonment. Loss of mom. A secondary character is outed as victim of abuse. Sage is fired after ending a physical relationship with her boss.

I love witchy books and this one had a perfect combination of heart, strength, and romance. The relationship between Sage and her sisters is complicated, but deep. The bond is unbreaking deep down even through all the ups and downs they encounter. One could say that their roots grow deep and strong. Sage was a great character and I empathized with her greatly. Tenn was a terrific book boyfriend and complimented her and got her motor-revving just by being a nice guy. I loved reading every minute of it that I almost finished it too quickly. I want to bask in a garden of Sage's creation, fed/nurtured with the help of Teal, and populated with help from Sky.

For the women of the Flores family magic has always been both a blessing and a curse. The tragic loss of their youngest sister, Sky, prompted eldest sister, Sage to leave town-a feeble attempt to walk away from her “gifts”.

Eight years later Sage returns home, reluctantly, but quite literally, planting roots and channeling her calling-communicating with plants. But a crush on her boss and being teamed up with her (sort of) first love, Tennessee, only serves to complicate things even further. Then there’s her stormy relationship with her estranged sister, Teal and the ghost of Sky whom only Sage seems to see. Even though Sage’s gift is to speak to nature, even she is too close to some things to see the forest for the trees. But as seeds of hope are planted, can the wilted Flores sisters finally find what they need to flourish?

Witch of Wild Things is adult fiction with magical energy, perfect for a fun fall read. I loved how each sister had their own, unique gift. In fact, I would love for this story to be a series-getting to see things from the other sisters perspectives. While I was a bit frustrated with Sage’s lack of honesty with Tenn, I still feel the story was special enough to bloom.

Witch of Wild Things is here to celebrate the witchy season. It's whimsical magic, a second-chance romance, family saga and the love of all plants dominate this tale.

Sage hasn't overcome the loss of her sister, Sky. Her aunt has been helping her, and she's taken a job at the Cranberry Rose Co., tapping her special plant powers. Tennessee Reyes broke her heart in high school, and now he's back in town. They reconnect at work, and romance blooms.

A good witchy, cozy read for fall. Rating 3.5

Thank you Berkley for the complimentary copy.

This is the perfect witchy romance to curl up with as summer moves into fall.


This is a magical book: filled with a lot of emotions, grief, second chances and extraordinary discoveries. If you liked The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (which was one of my favourite reads last year) then you must devour this book at once. They have similar vibes.

Sage Flores has been through a lot: abandoned by her mother, blamed for her sister’s death and then dumped and fired by the same man. Oh yeah, and her dead sister is haunting her. So Sage does what every 20 something woman does, and returns home, to her old house and her old bed and her old family strife. Witch of WIld Things had this very small town feel that I adored. Sage isn’t a perfect character: she makes mistakes, she lies and she hides things. It’s partially a defense mechanism and partly from the heavy trauma she’s carrying. I thought it suited her story and made her really raw and vulnerable.

The story is told from Sage’s perspective, and we get to meet a whole cast of characters including her grandmother, great aunt and two sisters (one alive and hates her and one dead who seems to just want to spend time with her) - all who have a gift. Sage’s are talking to plants, which is a pretty cool gift to have, in my opinion. The magical system here is very soft and not the main focus of the book, which I liked. I adore books about life that happen to have magic in them. With a lot of Practical Magic vibes, this is a story about women and all of the fights and food and fellowships that happen between sisters, best friends and in between. I loved the focus on Sage’s relationships - including her romantic one (which we’ll get to soon). Due to some past issues she has a lot of relationships to strengthen, and we see her putting the work in. The sister dynamic in the book was one of my favourite elements.

There is, also, a fabulous romance, that’s kind of a second chance. You see, Sage was on instant messenger many years ago in high school, and was absolutely in love with a boy at school: Tennessee Reyes. She was too shy to go talk to the cool and popular boy in real life, but through an instant messenger name, they developed a relationship, which we see through recorded chats. Tennessee breaks Sage’s heart in the past. Fast forward to the present day and they are working together, but Tennessee obviously doesn’t know who Sage is, or that she’s still in love with him. He wants her to help him find his mystery girl, for a whole bunch of reasons, and he promises to help her solve some issues with her sisters. It has a sweet You’ve Got Mail feeling to it as they figure out their dynamic. Tennessee is a top notch guy who any woman would swoon to be with. He’s caring, emotionally present, has fabulous arm tats, and is constantly feeding Sage. She isn’t used to having someone nurture and take care of her, and let me tell you, watching a man cook for a woman is one of the hottest things out there, to me. And when Tennessee and Sage give into their blossoming feelings, well, there’s a lot of steam and chemistry. They are a couple that I was rooting for from their first meet cute.

This booked scratched my magically witchy yearning. I desperately hope this isn’t the last we see of the Flores women.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Magic Realism, whimsy and romance! Such a fun read. Such a great transition book from the summer to fall months and a great read if you’re anything like ‘em and just came off an epic fantasy series.

This game the the fantasy elements I love but was also light at easy to read! The magic is so fun, I mean being able to speak to plants?! I loved the family dynamics in the book along with the cultural representation is so wonderful.

Only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is that I don’t love flashback scenes and it made it read a bit more YA to me. I love Ya but didnt expect that vibe….

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the opportunity to rest this book!

Comes out on this week! Enjoy!

Raquel Vasquez Gilliand’s writing is pure poetry. I felt like I was in Cranberry, Virginia seeing, touching, and smelling everything Sage did. I loved the characters and the growth. The story took me on a literary adventure beyond ‘just a romance’ book. There was so much depth to the plot.

Read this book if you like:
-magical realism
-folklore
-diverse characters/ cultures
-small towns
-swoon-worthy romance (sexy and he feeds her tacos)
-beautiful cover art

I received a free eARC copy courtesy of netgalley.com, but this review is all mine and an honest opinion of what I thought of the book.

This is my cozy book of the fall!! I felt transported to a cozy, autumnal world when reading this book and I need it to be colder so I can thoroughly enjoy the fall now. I loved this book - the vibes were on point and the main character Sage, reminded me a lot like myself: the older sister who just wants to make everything okay before making sure she's okay first. I loved that there was the family drama in this one, the hopeless romantic feeling, and the gifts each of the Flores sisters has - it was fun to see Sage use her plant powers! Also Ten. We love Ten. This is going to be a fav of mine for the fall for sure.

A very cozy witchy romance. I enjoyed to dynamic of all the relationships, from the sisters to the romance between Sage and Tenn. Sage definitely has not had an easy ride and takes a hit at every turn, literally at one point, but when she returns home she has to deal with her past and open up old wounds. Very therapeutic in a way to read this and if this becomes a series I would enjoy reading the secondary characters' stories. There were a lot of elements in this one novel and I’d be happy to explore more!

“Witch of Wild Things” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a fascinating, addictive story that is full of wild and wonderful magic, like believing in yourself and embracing what makes you magical. Reminiscent of a Hispanic Practical Magic, but with imperfect characters and a family at odds, this romance is one to thoroughly enjoy. 

In Witch of Wild Things, the main character Sage has walked away from her family but can’t outrun her gift or her dead sister. Returning home, she finds herself using her gift to bring beauty and unusual plants to share with others. She also has to figure out a way to mend her issues with her family. Dealing with Tenn, we quickly learn that Sage’s complications with him are completely due to how much she actually does care about her childhood crush. I love that she is awkward, full of doubts, and struggles to figure out what to do, about her family and Tenn. But by embracing her gifts, she finds her way. 

I love that each woman in Sage’s family has a gift, something rare and unique, that can help others. The story is visceral and from the very beginning, the narrative crawls under your skin. The ghost of Sky is especially unique as a character and I love that in helping Sky, Sage ends up helping herself and her sister Teal. The power of sisterhood is strong and powerful in this novel. 

If you love stories about sisters and magic, if you love romances that are powerful and loving, this novel is one that you will want to read. The story is full of wild and wonderful magic, the power of women and sisters, and ultimately is about love in all forms.

Idk how to review this book with out crying legit. It is stunning. Left me wanting more. Made me excited for *hopefully* Teal's book. Raquel has a winner here - something that will transport you to a beautiful, magical, complicated and messy world.

I loved a few things about this book:

1) How complex, messy, and real Sage is. She is a wonderful character who makes mistakes and has childish decisions but all of those feel valid because of the trauma and negative experiences she has had. She is a quintessential older sister. Add in heaps of abandonment, having to grow up too young, losing a sister, fighting with another, and being assaulted and you understand where she is coming from. I rooted for her. I wanted her to succeed in breaking down her walls and opening herself up to love. I wanted her to understand that people could hold her with care.

2) I loved Tenn. He was hot and swoony and grumpy and I loved him. Cocky and flirty and fab. I also think this speaks to the larger secondary characters that Raquel created: the anger of Teal, the passivity of their aunt, the sister and familial relationships with their grandma. All of it just felt so well-rounded and robust.

3) The language and prose. It's obvious that Raquel is a poet. Her words are absolutely gorgeou.s

4) lastly I absolutely loved the way she wove in environmentalism. Sage is the witch of wild things - she can speak to plants and hear them. She knows they have feelings, wants, desires, stories. And she wants to protect them, love them, nurture them. She talks about the impacts of deforestation on the land, earth, and us. Idk how people won't come out of this book feeling more connected to the land they walk on everyday.

I absolutely loved this book. Like so much. I will hold it close to my heart.

Witch of Wild Things:⁣
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Thank you @berkleypub @prhaudio partner for my gifted copies.⁣
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“I don’t know how to make people value wilderness. This, all around me—these trees, this ecosystem, this wise, living web brimming with life is where we come from. We need this, to survive. And no one wants to remember that.”⁣
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Witch of Wild Things may be a title I continuously blunder, but it’s definitely a book I will not forget. Part warm hug, part magical realism, I loved this book. The family dynamics were sometimes hard to face (like you want to shake them for being so mean) but that’s real life isn’t it? Sometimes family just doesn’t get it. ⁣
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The romance is truly swoon worthy. Tennessee Reyes is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. The candles? I mean c’mon! The squeal I squealed. The great misunderstanding was a long time coming, and I felt the win back was validated. ⁣
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Audio was a treat. Krysta Gonzales did a wonderful job. I found myself listening the audio more than grabbing for the actual book. Out 9/12, it’s definitely a fun witchy book that will have you swoon.⁣
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What are your plans for the weekend?

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my eArc, and to PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Witch of Wild Things is a heartwarming story of ghosts, witches, sisters and second chance love.
The thing I loved most though, was all the magical realism. I enjoyed seeing how each sister related to their particular gift day to day. I enjoyed Sage's gift the most and wish everyone was as cognizant of the Earth and the way we treat her. I had a feeling about one of the story lines, as it reminded me of another book, and I was right! This is why I love magical realism, anything can happen.

While there are some heavy themes in this one; death, infidelity and abuse, they are important to the story and are dealt with with the utmost care and concern. Humor is present through flashbacks to the good old days of AOL IM.

I listened to the audio and Krysta Gonzales did a fabulous job with all the characters. Her voice is easy to listen to while reading along with the text. I really enjoy hearing the correct pronunciations of the Spanish words and phrases.


This is a perfect read if you enjoy
Magical Realism
Second Chance Love
Sisters
Personal Journey

Short synopsis: Sage and the women of her family each were given a gift (or curse depending on who you ask), when her youngest sister died suddenly Sage ran. Now 8 years later she returns home and gets a job working with her high school crush Tenn.

My thoughts: Parts of this reminded me a bit of the movie Encanto with the magical gifts given to the women of the Flores family. I liked how each gift was explained, and how Sage in particular learned to navigate her gift and how to best help herself and nature.

I’d definitely say this was more a romance with some magic mixed in, and parts of it seemed a bit YA. I was personally hoping for a bit more magic, but overall enjoyed the storyline, the sisters, and the romantic subplot.

Also, can we talk about how beautiful this cover is! I’m a huge sucker for flowers on a cover already, but I’m loving every thing about this!

Read if you love:
- Magic
- Romance sub plots
- Unique and rare flowers
- Family dysfunction
- Sisters and growing up too fast
- Flashback moments
- Instant messaging

I really enjoyed this one! I loved all the magical/magical realism aspects of the story, and how connected to the land the three sisters were. The slow-burn romance between Sage and Tenn had such a nice build-up. Sage had some things to work through and get over. The story maybe had a touch of the miscommunication trope, but I took it as more of a misunderstanding. And the fact that it happened when they were teenagers, Sage's feelings and subsequent actions following the incident seemed realistic for the situation.

A great witchy, cozy read for the fall season.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy of Witch of Wild Things.

Very intriguing witchy, magical realism love story perfect for spooky season! Sage returns to her home town, to her family and grandmother who she has strained relationships with. She is there to rebuild her life, but in the process is repairing her relationships with family and meets Tenn (MMC).
I really loved the family banter, dialog and enemies to lovers trope. I liked the magical realism woven into the story line. I like the coming-of-age plot.

However, this one was not it for me. The writing felt really choppy and hard to follow. I really did not buy into the enemies to lovers. The instant messages were confusing and felt very YA to me. I just didn't vibe with the storyline in general.

Not for me, but I will still recommend because I think it will be nice for a certain audience.

In general, Witch of Wild Things was pretty cute. The very first chapter had me intrigued, though I will say it lost me about a quarter of the way through. I think I was expecting more witchiness and ghostiness.

Sage, while at the beginning seemed sarcastic and snarky, eventually grew into somewhat of an immature narrator. I personally don't like it when our FMC is a virgin until such a late age. I realize that's a completely subjective opinion, but it changed the vibe of the book.

Having Nate AND Tenn at the beginning was kind of confusing, and while I didn't love having two love interests at the beginning, I can see how having both helped the story.

I love a good friends to lovers trope, but I'll say the AIM didn't do it for me. I realize they were teenagers, but somehow the immaturity of their conversations was icky to me. And it was hard to understand why either of them was into the other. I guess I didn't love their whole teenage story. How she was almost creepily obsessed with him and he didn't even know who she was.

All and all, it was a cute book. I wish it had leaned a little more into the witchiness of the story, and maybe even more into the sisterhood.

"Things have been cracked for so long, Sage. They needed to break. So now the roots and leaves can come out and everything can bloom again."

Dust off your keyboard and stretch your memory to recall your screenname because WITCH OF WILD THINGS transports readers back to the 2000s when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was all the rage. While the majority of the book is told from Sage's first person POV, the past is presented via Sage and Tenn's AIM transcripts.

The dynamics between the Flores sisters were my favorite aspect of the book. I also loved Sage's "messiness", for the lack of a better term. Unlike many female protagonists within a romance/women's fiction novel, Sage was presented in a manner that facilitated a sense of authenticity, which was refreshing. Vasquez Gilliland included several descriptions of food that had my mouth watering. I also appreciated the way magic was presented, soft and straightforward.

That said, I wasn't the biggest fan of Sage and Tenn's romance. The miscommunication trope is tricky, and generally, it doesn't work for me. As mentioned above, I truly appreciated Sage's flaws because they made her real, but it was hard to fathom how everything worked out between her and Tenn in the end.

WITCH OF WILD THINGS is the perfect early fall read, and it hits the shelves next Tuesday, 9/12. Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Additionally, a HUGE thank you to Carmen (@tomesandtextiles) and the author for the beautiful, personalized ARC!