I love this series. This is my first exposure to this series or this family but it was so exciting. The audiobook was so enjoyable and easy to follow with pacing. I can’t wait to read the first book and the next when it comes out

I loved the first book and was so happy to see the story continue with the Anatomy of Magic, What beautiful story of family, love and discovering yourself.

Anatomy of Magic was a lovely light read! This book follows our FMC Lilian, an OBGYN who retreats to her family home in Mexico after a deeply challenging case at work. There, she encounters her first love, Sam, who broke her heart several years ago. Lilian is forced dig deep to confront her romantic feelings, cope with the fallout of her work situation, and piece together a new puzzle in her family’s magic.

I absolutely LOVED the second chance romance between Lillian and Sam as well as seeing Lillian’s career developments. I could take or leave the magical element of the story - I couldn’t get into it fully for more than a few pages at time every so often! It neither added nor took away from the story and I still enjoyed reading it!

I like a little magical realism in books and it’s interesting when someone in the sciences believes and practices magic. I think if I had read the first book, I would have been more invested in this story. I think there’s an audience for it though and the cultural component was an added bonus.

I felt like I tore through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it! I liked the family relationships, of course and the magical elements sprinkled throughout. I also loved the relationship with Sam and how sweet it all was. I love when there’s no third act break up lol

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the chance to listen to this book—I loved it!

From the start, I was pulled right into Lily Estrada’s world. After a major loss at work, she heads home—the one place she hopes can help her heal. But home isn’t easy when it’s also where her heart was broken years ago by Sam, her first love. Coming back means facing all of that head-on.

This book had such a beautiful mix of magic, emotion, and family—it gave me Encanto vibes in the best way. It’s full of warmth, a little heartbreak, and a whole lot of love. Lily’s story is messy and real in a way that really hit me. She risks everything for one more shot at love, and the ripple effects are huge—not just for her, but for her entire family. But through it all, there's this deep connection to family and the land that was just so moving and healing.

I didn’t know this was part of a series when I started, but it didn’t matter—I connected with the characters and story right away. Now I’m excited to go back and read the first book in the Estrada family series.

Also, the narrator on the audiobook was fantastic—really easy to listen to and added so much to the experience.

If you’re into stories about second chances, family ties, and a little bit of magic, this one is definitely worth a listen.

This book was a gentle hug.. a magical hug..

It was a really sweet read. Little slow but I think that was the point. It was a touch rushed at the end though. It was a delectable blend of magical realism and some self-discovery and the romance added just the right touch.

I did enjoy it a lot

4 stars

The Anatomy of Magic isn’t my usual genre — I tend to gravitate toward darker, creepier reads, but in some ways, that made this book feel like a cozy, comforting palate cleanser. It’s got all the ingredients of a warm magical realism story: a charming family with inherited powers, a picturesque ancestral home in Mexico, and a second-chance romance that feels like it’s pulled straight from a dream.

Lily’s journey of self-discovery, memory magic, and emotional healing was heartfelt, and the writing had a softness to it. But for me, the slow pacing and predictability sometimes made it hard to stay fully engaged. There were moments that felt more like wandering through a garden than turning the pages of a novel. I could appreciate the beauty, but I kept waiting for something more gripping to happen.

That said, if you're looking for something gentle, with low-stakes magic and tender family dynamics, this might be exactly the kind of book you’re in the mood for.

📖🎧 Tandem Book Review

Genre: Magical Realism, Romance
Rating: 4 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶️

Thank you so much to @htpbooks & @htpbooks_audio for my e-arc and listener copy of The Anatomy of Magic, by J.C. Cervantes

If you are looking for a diverse and quick love story with whimsical elements, then pick this one up! It was giving a touch of Encanto vibes mixed into a modern second chance romance.

Lily is an Estrada woman, and the women of this family are all gifted magical abilities of some kind. Lily retreats back home to Mexico from her chief surgical residency for a break after a traumatic event takes place for her on the job. In the midst of this, she is also experiencing a disconnect from her magic. She ends up running into the loss of her life, Sam, at a wedding, and it would seem her past with him is connected to the blocks she’s experiencing between her magical abilities and her own personal soul healing.

I really enjoyed this story, and I found it to be gentle and easy reading. The plot has a personal healing journey mixed in with the love story, and I appreciated the messaging weaved into what Lily needed to uncover about both her past and future. I loved the messaging of the power that comes with letting go of the need to be in control of our circumstances.

While the pacing was on the quicker side, the story captures family dynamics, magical elements, personal growth, and romance. I felt the climax and resolution of the story unfolded a tad quickly, but I also don’t think it was meant to be a deep dive. The pacing remained steady and helped keep this a light, but still heartfelt, journey.

I read the story in a day, and I would definitely read more by this author! I didn’t know it at the time, but the author’s book The Enchanted Hacienda is an interconnected standalone about another member of the Estrada Family, so I’ll be checking that one out next by this author.

🎙️ Diana Bustelo did a wonderful job narrating the story, so I would say whether reading with your eyes or ears, you won’t go wrong in receiving the essence and heart of this story.🎙️

I really like the magic system in The Anatomy of Magic, the way it revolves around nature and the plants and this beautiful family of women, but it took me a while to really get invested in the audio. That may be because I didn't read the first book in this series, so I felt slightly lost. The love story was sweet, if not predictable. The overall storyline is simple. The audio narration seems to fit the tired, heartbroken Lily perfectly. I can't say it's the most memorable book I've ever read, but I'd read the first and continue the series at some point potentially.

The beginning of this book made me think it would be at least 4 stars! But I ended up being a bit bored and took my rating down a peg.

What I liked : it was like Encanto for adults 🤩 As I am a huuuggge fan of this movie and the powers tied to a particular family, this made me love the story of The Anatomy of Magic immediately : we follow Lilian Estrada, a young doctor whose family has flower related magic. How cute and cozy??

Butttttt it all went down for me when the BIG SECRET was revealed. I found that big secret to be incredibly underwhelming. And unoriginal. It was such a let down that the whole end of the book was tainted by it, and I couldn't bring myself to care that much about what happened to the characters.

I have to say, though, that it was a good and cute ending. It redeemed the let down a little and made me still appreciate my experience!

I also really appreciated the narrator, which is always essential when listening to an audio book 😊

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy! Sweet, easy read with just the right amount of magic! It felt a little rushed at the end, but I loved the characters and themes.

The Anatomy of Magic takes us back to the Estrada's flower farm in Mexico, and I enjoy this setting so much! Lily retreats to her childhood home as her professional and personal worlds are collapsing, where she is confronted by her first love Sam.

Diana did an excellent job with the narration, and I loved listening to her bring Lily's character to life.

J.C. Cervantes is a beautiful writer, and I really love her blend of romance, magical realism, and self-discovery. Her storytelling is filled with emotion, and I loved the cultural elements in the story.

Unfortunately, I don't think that The Anatomy of Magic lived up to The Enchanted Hacienda for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't feel the same captivation as I did with its sister story.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

I just finished listening to Anatomy of Magic and so loved it! I hadn't read The Enchanted Hacienda, but may have to go back and do so. I didn't feel like I was missing anything necessarily, but I want to learn more!
This book starts with Lily struggling after a tragedy at work leaves her needing the safety of her family. With her magic failing her, and secrets holding her back,
Lily runs into 'the one that got away' just days into her trip home. Will they?? Won't they?? There is so much history... will Sam tell Lily why he walked away all those years ago? Will Lily let go of all the secrets she is keeping from her family?

I loved this narrator. The story flowed well and the narration helped immerse me in the story!

Lillian has everything locked down. She's successful and self-assured but when confronted with her past, she unravels when tragedy strikes and everything she thought to be true isn't. Lilian returns home for respite to her family's flower farm in Mexico. Her first love, Sam, is back in the picture and she grapples with all of her loose threads.
While the first book, The Enchanted Hacienda, quite literally enchanted me, The Anatomy of Magic didn't stand up to its sister (for me). I liked it but didn't love it, to my regret. I think it just lacked some of the whimsy of the first. That being said, I think that the setting continues to be entertaining and I adore the family as a whole. I love the new glimpses into the family farm! But most of all, I'm curious what will come of the other sisters and cousins.
Diana Bustelo, who is new to me, narrates this 8+ hour audiobook. I really liked the rasp to her voice and how she performed Lilian's POV.
Thank you to HTP and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A second chance romance involving the Estrada family of magical women, this time featuring OBGYN star, Lillian who has a crisis at work and runs away to seek solace in her Mexican home. This was good on audio and entertaining but nothing super standout for me if I'm completely honest. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

When I saw the cover for The Anatomy of Magic with the magical flowers, I knew I had to pick it up. What I got was an adult contemporary second chance romance with Encanto vibes that I enjoyed from start to end.

Apparently, this is the second of a series, with the first book, The Enchanted Hacienda, following Lillian’s sister, Harlow. Though you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one. I didn’t read the first book prior to reading this.

When it comes to ‘romantasy’ as a genre, my usual favorites are contemporary romances with a fantastical element, and this book, a women’s fiction book with magical flowers, fits the bill. As a heads up, this book has some depictions of surgical procedures, some swearing and some semi-explicit sex scenes.

Lillian is an OBGYN who’s recovering from a tragic and traumatic experience at work. She returns to her magical home and family in Mexico to reflect, wrangle in her out of control memory magic, and help her family for a few days. However, an encounter with an old love throws off all her plans.

The characters were good, and I enjoyed Lillian’s journey as she deals with both what happened to her at her job and her love life. She’s a bit headstrong, but wants to let go it it means getting everything back on track. It was intriguing to see Lilian fight her magical heritage with her scientific training, as she was trying to explain things, and does effect some choices she makes. The second chance romance was developed well, as it’s not as it first looks and there’s a bunch of things to work out as they reconnect.

The setting of this magical house in a small Mexican town gave this story a whimsical feel. I enjoyed how Mexican culture and mythology were also weaved along with the flower magic that defined the story. The sisterhood bonds and family legacy was loyal and strong. The themes of second chances and unearthing old secrets for healing were done well. Overall, the story was warm despite some dark moments and topics.

It has some fast pacing, maybe a bit too quick in spots, I wish there was a tiny bit of slowdown on a couple of spots to really take in the setting and some of the secondary characters a little more. It’s only eight hours on audio.

Diana Bustelo did a great job with the narration and range of the characters and it felt like going back home in a way.

Highly recommended.

This is my best read of 2025! I absolutely loved this book. From the family ties and sacrifices to do what is right to making mistakes and finding forgiveness this book had all the elements of a comfort read. Additionally I LOVED the narrator. She perfectly depicted the different characters and kept the book flowing at a great pace. 5 stars all the way!

The Anatomy of Magic (audiobook) by J.C. Cervantes is a captivating fantasy that explores the intricacies of magic, destiny, and the human spirit. The story delves into a richly built world filled with magical systems and deep character development. Cervantes’ writing is engaging, and the audiobook’s narration brings the story’s emotional depth and thrilling moments to life. It’s a perfect listen for fans of magic, adventure, and character-driven tales.

After her patient dies, doctor Lily returns home and runs into her long lost love. Being home highlights issue with her magic.

Overall, decent story and an enjoyable read. The pacing was a little odd, and which made the story feel a bit slow. Also, the magic, although clearly well-researched, was a little confusing. More information about how it works and the connection to the flowers would have been helpful. This is rather picky feedback, though.

The narrator for the audiobook did well and had a very soothing voice.