"Belle Grove," is one of those stories that pulls you in early and charms you enough that you know you will not rest until the last page has been read. From the characters to the descriptions of the beautiful East coast, there are so many things to love about this novel.

I am always happy when a longer novel is longer for a reason and is not filled with pointless exposition and fluff. This book takes full advantage of the length, offering the reader characters that they have time to get to know and a rich, atmospheric setting that makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action. I loved the herb shop and the various other locations the author used as a backdrop for her story.

One of the things that made me love this book so much was the understated magic. Instead of being in your face from the first page, the author slowly weaves magical realism into her story, making it feel very natural and not hitting the reader over the head with it. Each of the characters are memorable in their own way, but there are definitely favourites that stand out early in the story.

If you are looking for something to read that will take you away from daily life and transport you somewhere else, "Belle Grove," might be just the book you have been looking for.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I just could not get interested in this story. There were so many characters that I had to read the first 3 chapters twice to figure out who everyone was and then the story line was slow. I did not really like the characters either