Happy Release Day!
Congratulations Jennifer
on the release today of
The Magic All Around!
The Magic All Around by Jennifer MoormanFiction, Magical Realism, 366 pages
Published January 16, 2024 by Harper Muse
In this latest enchanting novel from bestselling magical realism author Jennifer Moorman, a treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future.
The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.
When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for a series of tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance, with Penelope overseeing the process.
Both Mattie and Penelope are outraged by Lilith’s seemingly random throw a Halloween party, take a local pizza cooking class, share secrets with someone . . . But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover more about the Russell family “gifts” and why Lilith chose Penelope’s former love to be the executor of the will. She may even learn how and why Jonathan Carlisle, the boy who stole her heart ten summers ago, also happens to be back in town.
Mattie can only hope that Lilith’s final map will finally point her home.
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First lines—"People assumed July would be the hottest month in Ivy Ridge, Georgia—probably because it fell slapdab in the middle of the scorching summer months. But they were wrong."
First of all, this cover is amazing. Honestly, the cover is what drew me to the book. I had not heard of this book, nor heard of this author. I fell in love with the cover. And then to understand the significance makes it even more wonderful.
I've also discovered that I am a huge fan of magical realism. I love it when magical, mystical things happen because of inanimate objects or because of the powers that some people possess.
The Magic All Around is truly magical. When Mattie is forced to go back to the place where her mom grew up—because it was never a place that Mattie called home—people and things try to get her to stay. As Mattie fulfills the conditions of her mom's will, she starts to uncover the truth of her life and where she fits into the whole scheme of things. I especially loved how the house and the radio played such a big part in making Mattie realize where she needed to be.
I loved my trip into Mattie's world, her family, and her community as she tries to get over losing her mom. This was a great escape read and I immediately looked up more books my this author. I just have to read more! I highly recommend The Magic All Around.
I received a copy of The Magic All Around from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
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About the author
Born and raised in southern Georgia, where honeysuckle grows wild and the whippoorwills sing, Jennifer Moorman is the award-winning, bestselling author of The Baker's Man.
Jennifer became a writer in elementary school. She crafted epic tales of adventure and love and magic. She wrote stories in Mead notebooks, on printer paper, on napkins, on the soles of her shoes.
She considers herself a traveler, an amateur baker, and a dreamer. She can always be won over with chocolate, unicorns, or rainbows. She believes in love—everlasting and forever.
A Harry Potter fanatic and the owner of an arsenal of sweet ’80s dance moves, Jennifer once read a 700-page book while sitting in a traffic jam. When in doubt, play James Taylor. And she’s still holding onto the dream that one day she’ll be like Indiana Jones.
Follow her on Instagram @jennifer7478 and on Pinterest @jenniferreneem ~ Goodreads
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