The Enchanted Hacienda

by J C Cervantes

[Kim Deister]

Much of the book takes place on the family farm in Mexico, tended by Estrada women. They grow beautiful flowers and use them to create magic, each woman having her own gift. All except Harlow, who has no magic of her own and who has always felt very different from the others in her family. But when she escapes New York to Mexico after a disastrous break-up, everything changes for her.

The book was whimiscal amd magical, enchanting. Everything I could want in the magical realism genre. The mix of the contemporary time and Mexican folklore made for a rich background for the story. It was wonderfully descriptive, bring both the settings and the characters to life, which truly added to the reading experience.

The characters, too, were lovely. For Harlow, it was almost a coming-of-age story in as she came into her own as an Estrada woman. For Ben, it was also a journey of self-discovery, which was fun to watch. And the romance between them was a delight to read. I love a romance that isn’t too perfect, that has its obstacles. I also loved the tight-knit family of women that the Estradas were, always supportive and loving with one another.