3.25/5 stars! I was really excited to read this book. The cover gave creepy, dark vibes that I found intriguing. Unfortunately, the story itself was very bland and cozy. There were so cute moments with the involvement of magic in the story, but it was a bit dull the rest of the time. Would check out something else by this author but this book wasn't for me.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is pretty much encanto and I'm here for it, this is such a beautiful story and the descriptions of the environment are unmatched, I felt so submersed into the story and It was hard to put the book down and enter reality. I really liked the connections in this book, they all felt special and really talked about the importance of love and family. Although the protagonist was definitely not my favourite and I did find it hard to relate to them and their frivolous attitude but it was still a great time overall and a definite read for magical lovers!

A sweet and compelling story that mixes fantasy and women's fiction set in Mexico.
It made me smile and I would have liked to visit places and see the flowers.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via headline books.

The Enchanted Hacienda is described as encanto meets practical magic, and I completely agree, but the book is so much more.
Harlow is from a family with an enchanted Hacienda. Each of the females has a magical garden of their own and are named after a flower, except for Harlow (whose name means a pile of rocks). Harlow has come to terms with not having any magic of her own but still feels the pang of lacking magical abilities when she's around her family. When Harlow meets Ben and manages to save the day with an even with a magical bouquet, the pair become drawn to each other. I was routing for this couple from the start and found the story a magical treat from start to finish. I loved learning about what the flowers symbolised and mean and just found the whole book a delight! If you enjoyed encanto and practical magic, you really should give this a try.

After losing her dream job and realising that her boyfriend is a jerk, Harlow Estrada decides to flee New York City and head back to the one place she can always call home - the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.

This was a cosy and sweet read with themes of magic, love, botany and family.
I love anything which has magical themes and this was a lovely read with good characters and a great story. I would have preferred more of the magic and less of the romance but that’s just a personal preference.

Overall it was an easy and cute book which was a nice bit of escapism for a few hours

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

— 4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will bloom even during dark times

"After losing her dream job and realising that her boyfriend is a jerk, Harlow Estrada decides to flee New York City and head back to the one place she can always call home - the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.

The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by the women in Harlow's family. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, and interpret dreams - powers that only Harlow lacks.

So, when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family's magic and it goes wrong, she completely panics. Except maybe it's not magic that Harlow is missing, but self-belief. And perhaps embracing her own unique gifts and opening her heart to a romance with a handsome stranger could be just what she needs to discover the power that has been within her all along."

J.C. Cervantes brings us this whimsical and magical slow-burn romance that heavily focuses on the theme of self-discovery and finding your place in the world. At the beginning of this book we are met with our fmc Harlow Estrada being let go from her dream job of as an editor. At 28 years old Harlow finds herself rethinking the direction that her life is headed. In a relationship with a man she doesn't envision a future with, newly unemployed and feeling stuck in a city she feels obligated to be in. Harlow is in need of some time at home on the magical Estrada farm to rediscover herself whilst being surrounded by her loving and meddlesome family.

The Estrada women were definitely one of my favourite aspects about this book. They follow and worship the Aztec goddess Mayahuel who is responsible for the magic that flows through the Estrada line. Each of the Estrada women have their own special gifts that make them essential to the continuation of the farm, and yet Harlow seemed to have been skipped over in that regard. Harlow is the only woman in her family be without magic, and as such has always felt like an outsider. Different. Unlike the rest of her family. The lore surrounding the Estrada farm and how their magic is directly tied to the flowers is a unique system that I have never encountered before. I really enjoyed learning more about the properties certain flowers represent and what they can offer.

Do you think a flower worries if it's going to bloom?

Having now returned home to Mexico, Harlow is faced with the reality of her life. She finds the strength to rediscover herself and the path she wishes to follow in her life. Harlow's dream is to become a writer, and so begins the challenging journey in writing her debut novel. With the support of her family, and a dark and handsome stranger, we follow Harlow on a journey filled with self-doubt, suspense, grief, family and love. I expected a bit more from the magic system when reading this book which is my reason for the four stars, however overall this book is a beautifully written contemporary romance filled with endearing characters that have you hoping for happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Eternal publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.