This book grabbed me early. I looked down and discovered that at about 6% of the book I was already falling in love with it. And the more I read the deeper I fell! Loved, Loved, Loved it! It was quirky, fun, unusual and so different than other books. It was also emotional, had quite the challenges not only for the town but also personal challenges for the main characters.
I love the people in the book. The main people being Sarah, Grace (Mama G and Daisy) and Trav. Sarah some people called her a book charmer and doesn't the title now make sense? I also like to think of her as a book whisperer. She was also charming too. Not only that but loving, caring, helpful and being the 7th daughter, she also had a magical gift. Each one of the sisters had a "gift" each one of those gifts being in entirely different areas.
The whole town had so many interesting people in it that. That also added a rich flavor to it for me too. The people in the town were quirky and so real feeling.
I wanted to sit down and read this book all the way through without stopping. But life intervened so I couldn't do it that way. But I savored every moment that I was able to read each day and savor to it each time.
I really enjoyed how the book ended even though there were also a few bittersweet moments. I do hope there are more books about this town and it's people. Mainly because, come, on I need more of Sarah's story. Her sister Ava also has some things that need to be completed. Both of those women have a romance story hidden that needs to be worked on and reveled.
I also can't leave out the humor and the fact that there was more than one time that I laughed out loud.
I plan on giving this book a 5+ Stars rating when Amazon opens for reviews!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This is my idea of a perfect book! It’s got a lovely small town where everyone knows everyone’s business but where they all pull together and genuinely care about one another. It’s got a wounded soldier, a wounded woman, and a wounded little girl plus one wise old woman. And eve though there is a lot of bruised, tender hearts, there is also a boatload of love to ease the ache.

Oh and it has a book charmer- Sarah, whose books tell her things about people. Who wouldn’t love a book with a book charmer?!

The dialogue is generous and sparkling. I truly loved each and every character and kept reading to make sure everything came out all right for them.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it will not be the last!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
Get ready to fall in love with the residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina! This is one of those books that makes you pray for a sequel, so that you get to spend more time with beloved characters and find out what they've been up to. This is the gentle story of new beginnings and sad endings, with a touch of magical realism for good measure. Very highly recommended!

I had a day off and liked the title of this book so I thought I would try it. It was a sweet charming book that is just what I wanted to read. I loved the characters and I loved that it was about books! Very good book. I have this book on order for the library where I work.

This book was received as an ARC from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so intrigued by this book because it focused a lot of the power of books and the connection readers are bounded with to the fact that they have personal traits such as speaking in their own language that only you can understand. I also like the Hallmark esque tie in with Sarah in trying to save her hometown but through the journey finds love and that is a bond that is strong like no other. Friendship and love are so important in life and all of our livelihoods and it is all thanks to reading a special book. Such mesmerizing and breathtaking material to read that remind you of the important little things in life.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I loved, loved, loved this book. All I can say is Karen Hawkins’ fans will be in for a treat with this charming, feel good story with a dash of magic here and there. Anyone who loves stories set in small towns will absolutely love this.

When a book is described “for those who love Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen”, I had to read this since those are two of my favorite authors. I really like Grace, and the other characters that make up her story. Not as much magic as I expected but still a heart warming read. I was debating whether I liked the ending or not. It kind of seemed rushed. What? No make out session with Trav??? Come on! I do love a story with a strong female lead and Grace fit the bill. Well done.

After reading the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. I'm a dedicated fan of Sarah Addison Allen and Garden Spells is still one of my absolute favorites. I thought The Book Charmer would be quite similar in being a "magical" type of story. It definitely was just that in the parts of the story that followed Sara Dove, the town librarian and how the books spoke to her. But it fell kind of flat for me in the magical sense. I cannot say I didn't enjoy the story, it's just I went in with the wrong expectations. The Book Charmer was an absolute delight and I loved all the characters. I hope to read more about this charming little town and the magic that is involved with the Dove Sisters. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to discover this delightful read.

Sarah Dove comes from a magical family. Sarah’s Magic is that she can hear books. She is always able to find books that people need, whether or not they believe in her magic.
She’s always believed that she will one day have to save her town.
Then one day, mysterious things start happening in town. Her cat Siegfried starts making laps around town and the flowers all start to change colors.
Then a book speaks to Sarah and tells her that the town’s new resident Grace is going to help save the town.

Grace was a foster child, adopted by Mama G as a ten year old, along with her younger sister Hannah.
Now Hannah has passed away and Mama G is recently diagnosed with Altzeimers. Poor Grace is now both a caregiver and a mother figure.
She moved to town because she thinks it will help Mama G’s health.
She is only planning to stay a year. She doesn’t care about making friends or dating, she doesn’t have time for either.
But Sarah has other plans. She is going to be Grace’s friend and she is going to get Grace to stay in town.

I love magical realism so of course I thoroughly enjoyed this. I’d read a spin off story of each and every Dove sister if the author wrote them. I want a book about the sister with the magical teas and the one with the magical cakes.
Please, write the other sisters’ stories too!

I also enjoyed the cute animals and the lovable characters. It was definitely sad at times but there’s a lot of heart in this story.

I got to read an early e book edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

This book is a must-read for fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen. Set in the fictional North Carolina town of Dove Pond, this book introduces us to an eclectic cast of characters, including Sarah Dove. Sarah is the town librarian who has a special talent of being a "book whisperer."

A lot of charm, likable characters, and a smidge of magic realism make this book a lovely little gem for anyone looking for a light read. This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day with a cup of tea. I'm hoping for more Dove Pond books in the future.

This is the charming book of a young woman, Grace, who moves to a small town in North Carolina to care for her niece and former foster mother. Given the job of town clerk, Grace expects to live in the town one year, save money, and head back to Charlotte, but Dove Pond may have other plans.

This book is not really plot driven as much as an examination of the town, it's quirky and sweet residents, and what friendship and family really means. Grace soon finds herself with the titular book charmer, Sarah, the seventh Dove sister in a generation who believes she is meant for great things, including getting Grace to help save the town. While the two seem unlikely friends, before long, Sarah is teaching Grace the need to sometimes chose to ask for help.

Other characters include a hot but troubled neighbor, Travis, the feisty niece, Daisy, who is not adjusting to her mother's death, and Mama G, Grace's former foster mother who is slowly descending into dementia. They along with a host of cute townspeople are working to save Dove Pond from bankruptcy and save the town's apple festival.

There are a few unanswered questions in the text, and I assume the author is planning a series on the town, which I think is a great idea. Dove Pond is definitely a great place to vacation for a few hours!

I’ve read the comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen, and I also think a bit magical like Alice Hoffman, which is what makes this book. Magic. Family. Opening up to possibilities, real or imagined. Grace, Mama G, and Daisy move to Dove town dealing with broken hearts after Daisy’s mom dies, and Mama G is diagnosed with althzeimers. Grace is devastated, leaving a good job to help Mama G, and become a mom to an angry and unhappy Daisy. Sarah Dove, a descendent of the original founders has been waiting for Grace because she knows Grace is the one who will help her failing town thrive once again. The only problem is getting Grace to realize that as well. Sarah has the special gift of putting the perfect book into the hands of someone who needs it, whether they’re aware of it, or not, and Grace doesn’t seem to be the type to believe in magic of any sort.
Although the book ends with a pat formula, it opens up story lines in future books for the other main characters and I’m happy this means we’ll probably be reading more about this wonderful town.

I requested this title from NetGalley as they compared it to Sarah Addison Allen's works and it did not disappoint! Filled with characters you root for, a quirky town with a delightfully kooky cast of townsfolk and a touch of magic to move things along, I adored every page of this book. I think Sara Dove's talent might be my favorite of them all though - I want books to be able to talk to me! I look forward to hearing more adventures from Dove Pond in the future for sure.

A pleasant read - a real relief from some of the heavier things I've been reading lately. Comparisons to Sarah Addison Allen are understandable. The characters are charming, and well-drawn. It may be a bit predictable, but still a good read. This is a weak four - probably closer to 3 1/2.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I believe this is the first book in a series. I like Sarah, I related to her and how she feels about books (can I be honest and say that I sometimes feel the same way) Sarah has lived in her small town forever and is the town librarian. Enter Grace who is a city girl through and through and she arrives in town to help her foster mother with Alzheimers and also help with her niece who has recently become an orphan.

I love books that portray a small town as wonderful and magical as Karen Hawkins did with the Book Charmer. It made me miss the small town in South Carolina where I spend my summers.

This book by Karen Hawkins is the equivalent of chicken soup for the bibliophile’s soul. Dove Pond gives off vibes of Stars Hollow and Middleton. The Book Charmer kicks off a series, but it stands on its own. Lead of the book, Grace, is a begrudging protagonist, but seeing her journey is heartwarming.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins was a heart warming story about a small town that is not doing well. Then a new resident comes into the town and pushes the other residents to come together and make the changes to this amazing town to make it thrive!
Karen Hawkins does an amazing job writing lovable characters that I was cheering for throughout the whole book! This charming book was truly a feel good book and I loved that!

This is a charming and heart-warming story about a librarian, a town in financial trouble and a new resident who inspires the town members to cooperate and work together to make the needed changes. The characters are believable and the plot moves right along.

The Book Charmer
Karen Hawkins

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This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley ,in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

A Heartwarming and magical read.
Come to Dove Pond, situated in North Carolina.
This wonderfully creative story is heartwarming and enjoyable.
With engaging characters and a memorable storyline. I loved the this light hearted read. Hawkins pulls you into this small town community. With just enough drama and a little magic.
It’s about Sacrifices and working together to achieve something for the good everyone.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Upbeat, heartwarming, and sweet. Great for fans of Sharon Owens, Lorna Landvik, Kate Jacobs, and Jenny Colgan.

Dove Pond is a special place — small, cosy, friendly, and populated with people who seem to possess a kind of light magic. Sarah Dove (whose magic lies in book charming) is the seventh daughter in the current batch of the town’s founding family, traditionally the one that will guide the town through times of trouble. Trouble is what besets the town in the form of a slow decline. But this time, the seventh daughter will have a helper, newcomer Grace Wheeler. Grace is cold, standoffish, and distinctly unenthused, having taken a low paying job in the small town in order to help her long-time foster mother come to terms with an advancing case of Alzheimers and care for her newly orphaned niece. Enter “Mr Tall Dark and Perpetually Scowling” Afghanistan vet Travis Parker and you have all the elements needed for a great feel good story.