Release Day! The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins ~ My Thoughts #TheRecipeOfEllaDove @TheKarenHawkins @GalleryBooks

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Karen

on the release today of

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove!

The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove by Karen Hawkins

(Dove Pond #3)

Magical Realism, Contemporary, 352 pages

Published August 15, 2023 by Gallery Books

Three lives converge as a wildly talented baker returns to Dove Pond to face her past in this entry in the charming series that proves that sometimes miracles really do happen...

Ella Dove is an acclaimed baker whose desserts spark vivid, cherished memories in those who taste them. A restless soul, Ella goes wherever the wind takes her—but driven by a haunting dream, she’s coming home to Dove Pond. Years ago, her mentor, Angela Stewart Harrington, falsely accused Ella of stealing her beloved family recipe book, known as the Book of Cakes. Now, Ella believes it’s time for them to reconcile.

Angela has her own share of amends to make. Her daughter Jules has never forgiven her for divorcing her father, and they’ve been estranged ever since. But just as Angela begins to hope that she and Jules might mend their tattered relationship, a miscommunication turns into a lie that could destroy everything.

Meanwhile, Jules’s son Gray is shocked that Ella, his first love and his first heartbreak, has returned to Dove Pond. But even though he knows Ella is a wanderer and will soon leave, he’s unable to stop himself from falling for her once again. Can Gray find a way to convince Ella to give him, and their town, a serious chance? Or is he once again on the road to a broken heart?

With so much at stake, Ella, Angela, and Gray must learn to accept each other—flaws and all—forgive the many mistakes of their pasts, and trust that love can, and will, always find a way.

My thoughts about The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove ~~

(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 lines.)

First lines—"It's a sad fact of life in very large, very noisy families filled with big personalities, it's possible for a quieter, more solitary child to get lost."

The Dove Pond series is amazing! Each book focuses on one of the seven sisters of the Dove family. And each sister seems to have their own special talent, with a little magic thrown in. That's what I enjoy the most about all of these books—the touch of magical realism that the author adds to the story. I'd like to believe that we all have a bit of that in our lives. 

In The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove, Ella finds herself back to Dove Pond, a place she really doesn't want to be, but knows that there is something she has to set right. She's only going to stay a few days, maybe a few weeks at the most, until the issue is resolved. But in true Dove Pond fashion, things don't always work out that easily in this small, friendly town. 

I love the complexity of the relationships of all of the characters and I especially love the lengths that Angela goes to, to get what she is looking for in her relationship with her daughter. So not only is there the wonderful, magical storyline of the Dove sister, there are so many other great characters that you can't help but love. I love my trips back to Dove Pond and can't wait for more. 

I highly recommend The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove, as well as this whole series, for some major escape reading. You're going to love it!

I received a copy of The Secret Recipe of Ella Dove from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Read my thoughts about these books

The Book Charmer (Book #1)

The Cup of Silver Linings ( Book #2)

   

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. 

If you'd like to keep up with Karen's crazed and hectic schedule, win free books, find out about her coming releases, or just want to engage in some easy on-line snooping, sign up for Karen's amazing newsletter! ~ Goodreads

Connect with Karen

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

New Release! A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins ~ My Thoughts #ACupOfSilverLinings #NetGalley

A Cup of Silver Linings

A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins

Series: Dove Pond #2

Magical Realism, 352 pages

Published July 6th 2021 by Gallery Books

From New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins comes another book in her Dove Pond series—and this time Ava’s famous tea leaves spell trouble ahead.

Ava Dove—the sixth of seven daughters of the famed Dove family, and owner of Ava’s Landscaping and Specialty Gourmet Tea—is frantic.

Just as she is getting ready to open her fabulous new tearoom, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, the tea that is supposed to help people sleep is startling them awake with vivid dreams; the tea that infuses romance back into tired marriages is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets; and the tea that helps people find happiness is making them spend hours staring into mirrors.

Meanwhile, living four doors down the road from Ava, sixteen-year-old Kristen Foster’s life has just crashed down around her. After her mother’s death, Kristen’s grandmother Ellen has arrived in town to sweep Kristen off to a white mansion on a hill in distant Raleigh. But Kristen has had enough ‘life changes’ and is desperate to stay with her friends in her beloved hometown of Dove Pond. But to do so means Kristen must undertake a quest she’s been avoiding her entire life—finding her never-been-there-for-her father.

With the help of an ancient herbal remedy book found in her attic by her sister, Ava realizes that Kristen holds the key to fixing her unstable tea leaves. So Ava throws herself into Kristen’s search, even convincing Kristen’s grandmother Ellen to help, too. Together, the three embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen. 

My thoughts about A Cup of Silver Linings ~~

(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 line—"Standing beside her daughter's open grave, Ellen Foster dug her fingernails into her palm as the annoying sound of a kazoo wafted through the wintery, pine-scented air."

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, The Book Charmer, and anxiously waited for book 2 to come out. This one did not disappoint and I love it just as much!

I am truly fascinated by the idea of inanimate objects being magical or mystical—whatever you want to call it—coming to life or offering healing and insight to the people and things around them. This Dove Pond series does just that, with books that communicate with the librarian and tea that knows just what people need. 

In A Cup of Silver Linings, Ava mixes up a bad batch of tea and things really start going wrong for her, and for others in the community. As she struggles to right the wrong that has happened, a young girl, Kristin, has had her whole world turned upside down. Can the books, the tea, and the community come together to make it all right again? 

I really love this whole series and hope that this author has many more stories to tell. I'm pretty sure the ending of this story sets up the beginning of the next book. Yay! 

I highly recommend A Cup of Silver Linings, as well as The Book Charmer, if you like a touch of magical realism in your reading world. 

I received a copy of A Cup of Silver Linings from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The Book Charmer

Book #1

Read my thoughts here

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About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. 

The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. 

To find out more about Karen, follow her at: FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • PINTEREST

If you'd like to keep up with Karen's crazed and hectic schedule, win free books, find out about her coming releases, or just want to engage in some easy on-line snooping, sign up for Karen's amazing newsletter! ~ Goodreads

Connect with Karen

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Book Spotlight #Giveaway! The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins #TheBookCharmer

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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I recently finished this wonderful book. You can read my thoughts HERE. I loved it and am excited for the next book that this author has planned for this series. I have my ARC to give away this week.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

The Book Charmer

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
Series: Dove Pond #1
ARC, 368 pages
Published July 30th 2019 by Gallery Books

The New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular MacLean Curse series crafts a charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a magical friendship that will change their lives forever.

The residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina, know three things: they have the finest bar-b-que this side of Atlanta, their Apple Festival is the best that ever was, and the town has phenomenal good luck whenever the Dove family has seven daughters. Fortunately, that time is now, because Dove Pond desperately needs a miracle.

The seventh daughter, Sarah Dove, believes in all things magical. Books have whispered their secrets to her since she was a child. Now the town librarian, she makes sure every book finds the reader who most needs it. But recently the books have been whispering something different—that change is about to come to Dove Pond. Sarah is soon convinced that the legendary Dove Pond good luck has arrived in the form of new resident, Grace Wheeler.

After the tragic death of her sister, Grace has moved to Dove Pond with her grieving young niece and ailing foster mother hoping to retrench financially and emotionally before returning to her fast-paced city life. But she soon learns that life in a not-so-sleepy town isn’t as quiet as she’d hoped. Despite her best efforts to focus on her family, she can’t avoid the townspeople, especially her next-door neighbors, the quirky and talkative Sarah Dove and cynical veteran Travis Parker. Grace’s situation grows more complicated when she assumes her duties as town clerk and discovers that Dove Pond is on the verge of financial ruin.

Already overburdened by her own cares, Grace tries to stay aloof from the town’s issues, but she’s never been good at resisting a challenge. With Sarah’s encouragement, and inspired by the wise words of a special book, Grace decides to save her new town. And in her quest, she discovers the rich comfort of being a part of a loving community, the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the heartfelt power of finding just the right book.

 

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs.

The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Karen

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins ~ My Thoughts #TheBookCharmer

The Book Charmer

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
Series: Dove Pond #1
Print and e-book, 368 pages
Published July 30th 2019 by Gallery Books

The New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular MacLean Curse series crafts a charming and evocative story about a picturesque Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a magical friendship that will change their lives forever.

The residents of Dove Pond, North Carolina, know three things: they have the finest bar-b-que this side of Atlanta, their Apple Festival is the best that ever was, and the town has phenomenal good luck whenever the Dove family has seven daughters. Fortunately, that time is now, because Dove Pond desperately needs a miracle.

The seventh daughter, Sarah Dove, believes in all things magical. Books have whispered their secrets to her since she was a child. Now the town librarian, she makes sure every book finds the reader who most needs it. But recently the books have been whispering something different—that change is about to come to Dove Pond. Sarah is soon convinced that the legendary Dove Pond good luck has arrived in the form of new resident, Grace Wheeler.

After the tragic death of her sister, Grace has moved to Dove Pond with her grieving young niece and ailing foster mother hoping to retrench financially and emotionally before returning to her fast-paced city life. But she soon learns that life in a not-so-sleepy town isn’t as quiet as she’d hoped. Despite her best efforts to focus on her family, she can’t avoid the townspeople, especially her next-door neighbors, the quirky and talkative Sarah Dove and cynical veteran Travis Parker. Grace’s situation grows more complicated when she assumes her duties as town clerk and discovers that Dove Pond is on the verge of financial ruin.

Already overburdened by her own cares, Grace tries to stay aloof from the town’s issues, but she’s never been good at resisting a challenge. With Sarah’s encouragement, and inspired by the wise words of a special book, Grace decides to save her new town. And in her quest, she discovers the rich comfort of being a part of a loving community, the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the heartfelt power of finding just the right book.

   

My thoughts about The Book Charmer ~~

(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 line—"On the Saturday after her seventh birthday, a book spoke to Sarah May Dove."

I loved this book so much. I loved the warm and caring people of Dove Pond and the way the community came together to support each other. And I loved the magic of the books.

Grace, Mama G, and Daisy are a family, a family that has had their share of troubles and drama. The move to Dove Pond is only temporary, just until Grace can save enough money to move them all back to the city. But... the town and people of Dove Pond have a different plan for this little family.

Grace meets Sarah, the town librarian, and they don’t hit it off... at all. There’s definitely trouble there. But Sarah has the power and wisdom of the books to help her break through Grace’s hard exterior. I’ve always felt that books are special, so to read about the connections the books have with Sarah and how they seem to know what everyone needs made The Book Charmer such an entertaining book to read.

And I love how the ending left the future wide open for more book magic. I can’t wait to go back to Dove Pond and find out what the books have in store for everyone. The author has more stories in her head about this wonderful community, book #2, A Cup of Silver Linings will be out July 7, 2020.

I received a copy of The Book Charmer from BookishFirst and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs.

The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Karen

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? December 23, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Mind Reader
by Kirsty McManus

Such a fun read!

Pub date 12/27

Witch Song
(Witch Song #1)
by Amber Argyle
Narrated by Melissa Reizian Frank


Thankless in Death
(In Death #37)
by J.D. Robb
Narrated by Susan Ericksen

What I recently finished

The Book Charmer
(Dove Pond #1)
by Karen Hawkins


Winter Solstice
(Winter #4)
by Elin Hilderbrand
Check out my giveaway for book #1 in this wonderful series HERE.

What I am going to read next

The Last Mystic
(Singularity #4)
by Susan Kaye Quinn
Not my usual genre but I really love this series!
Pub date 1/7

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? December 16, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading


Winter Solstice
(Winter #4)
by Elin Hilderbrand
Okay, so I pretty much binge-read this series this weekend. Don't judge me. 😏😍


Witch Song
(Witch Song #1)
by Amber Argyle
Narrated by Melissa Reizian Frank


Thankless in Death
(In Death #37)
by J.D. Robb
Narrated by Susan Ericksen

What I recently finished


Winter Storms
(Winter #3)
by Elin Hilderbrand


Winter Stroll
(Winter #2)
by Elin Hilderbrand


Winter Street
(Winter #1)
by Elin Hilderbrand

Lies that Bind
by Ashley Farley
Pub date 1/14

What I am going to read next

The Book Charmer
(Dove Pond #1)
by Karen Hawkins

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!