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librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
4.0
Sarah Addison Allen's book, Garden Spells, is one of my all-time favorite novels, so when I had an opportunity to win a free Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of First Frost from Bookbrowse in exchange for my honest review, I jumped at the chance. First Frost picks up the story of the Waverley women of Bascom, North Carolina, ten years after the end of Garden Spells. Bay is now fifteen, her mother is happily married to Henry, and her Aunt Claire is happily married to Tyler. Claire and Tyler live in the Waverley house with their nine-year-old daughter Mariah, while Sydney, Henry, and Bay live in Henry's farmhouse. Evanelle isn't moving as quickly as she used to, but she still feels the urge to give people unusual objects they'll soon need, and her best friend and housemate, Fred, has begun to do the same.
The tension in First Frost, thankfully, isn't due to stress in the marriages--I absolutely hate when sequels ruin love stories just to provide plot points. Rather, each of the Waverley women is struggling with a different issue in her personal life: Claire has been doing virtually nothing but making special candies for the past year and feels trapped and exhausted by it, Sydney desperately wants another baby but hasn't been able to conceive, Evanelle is facing fading health and a friend who cannot bear the thought of losing her, and Bay, well, Bay knows where things belong and is tormented when others can't see it, in this case a boy she knows she's meant to be with who barely knew she existed until she wrote him a note that gained her some unwanted notoriety. A mysterious stranger asking the townspeople questions about the Waverleys in general and Claire in particular just adds to the anxiety and tension. They all know things will get better, as they always do, after the first frost of the year when the apple tree in the backyard blooms. The trick is to hang on until then.
I loved being able to revisit the enchanting world of Bascom. The story is delightful--perfect for a cozy fall or winter evening. I didn't want to put it down.
What I did want, however, is for the mysterious stranger subplot to have been better developed. I felt like it started to go in an interesting, magical direction and then sort of fizzled out by the end. Otherwise, though, I loved spending time with these characters and this story.
For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting secondary. It's a lovely story about family supporting and nurturing each other. There is no sex (well, mention of it as Sydney focuses on conception but not any real sex scenes), violence, or swearing that I can recall.
The tension in First Frost, thankfully, isn't due to stress in the marriages--I absolutely hate when sequels ruin love stories just to provide plot points. Rather, each of the Waverley women is struggling with a different issue in her personal life: Claire has been doing virtually nothing but making special candies for the past year and feels trapped and exhausted by it, Sydney desperately wants another baby but hasn't been able to conceive, Evanelle is facing fading health and a friend who cannot bear the thought of losing her, and Bay, well, Bay knows where things belong and is tormented when others can't see it, in this case a boy she knows she's meant to be with who barely knew she existed until she wrote him a note that gained her some unwanted notoriety. A mysterious stranger asking the townspeople questions about the Waverleys in general and Claire in particular just adds to the anxiety and tension. They all know things will get better, as they always do, after the first frost of the year when the apple tree in the backyard blooms. The trick is to hang on until then.
I loved being able to revisit the enchanting world of Bascom. The story is delightful--perfect for a cozy fall or winter evening. I didn't want to put it down.
What I did want, however, is for the mysterious stranger subplot to have been better developed. I felt like it started to go in an interesting, magical direction and then sort of fizzled out by the end. Otherwise, though, I loved spending time with these characters and this story.
For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting secondary. It's a lovely story about family supporting and nurturing each other. There is no sex (well, mention of it as Sydney focuses on conception but not any real sex scenes), violence, or swearing that I can recall.
jgtruesdell's review against another edition
4.0
Although I love the Waverly women and their "magic", I felt like this one was trying to do too much. Still a wonderful, light, quick read, just not as good as her previous books.
kle105's review against another edition
4.0
Very whimsical and mythical but also at the heart of the story is family. The Waverley females each have a gift. For Bay it is knowing where things belong, whether people or things. Josh happens to be the person she believes is meant to be with her.
Claire makes candy that opens up people to thoughts, feelings, they never realized were there. Sometimes people aren’t as accepting of their gifts but they just say welcome.
Beautiful, fanciful story with dynamic characters.
Claire makes candy that opens up people to thoughts, feelings, they never realized were there. Sometimes people aren’t as accepting of their gifts but they just say welcome.
Beautiful, fanciful story with dynamic characters.
nick_w's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Cute, good vibes, beautiful writing like the first one, but there’s no plot or storyline. No climactic event or necessity, just an easy, low stakes read.
happylilkt's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I liked this follow-up to [b:Garden Spells|1158967|Garden Spells (Waverley Family, #1)|Sarah Addison Allen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347309330l/1158967._SY75_.jpg|2689445], especially the character of Bay. Some plot elements were predictable, but the atmosphere of the book is so enjoyable (and descriptions of food!) I just wished there was more time with the Apple tree and I hate it when Claire isn't happy. Anyway, it was fun.
I liked this follow-up to [b:Garden Spells|1158967|Garden Spells (Waverley Family, #1)|Sarah Addison Allen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347309330l/1158967._SY75_.jpg|2689445], especially the character of Bay. Some plot elements were predictable, but the atmosphere of the book is so enjoyable (and descriptions of food!) I just wished there was more time with the Apple tree and I hate it when Claire isn't happy. Anyway, it was fun.
threegoodrats's review against another edition
4.0
Great cozy fall book about family, but with magic. I may have liked this more than the first one but I'm not sure because I read it a while ago. This was extra-enjoyable because it was an instance of reading the right book at the right time. I really wanted something fall-themed! This book focused on a teenage girl, daughter of one of the Waverley sisters featured in the first book, and still very much present in this one. Her aunt Claire, who had a catering business in the first book, has shifted to a candy business and it got a lot of publicity and really took off, making her kind of miserable. I love the focus on food in these books. There is also a mysterious stranger who arrives in town with a special interest in the Waverleys. Nothing high-stakes or suspenseful here, just some typical family and teenage problems that they all work out in their own way. Pretty satisfying!
veara's review against another edition
5.0
Just like Garden Spells, this book takes you to a magical place and fills you up with warmth. It just made me feel cozy and at home and I was so happy to see the great great characters of Garden Spells again - also in this book, they felt so real, so honest and so familiar. Great read!
edfulton's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5