The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes Review

Title: The Enchanted Hacienda

Author: J.C. Cervantes

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Pages: 368

Release Date: 16 May 2023

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm back with my review for the Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes , a swoon-worthy (and magically realist) new romance that takes the romantic whimsy of Sarah Addison Allen, the emotional complexity of an Emily Henry heroine and the lush, vibrant beauty of Disney’s Encanto to create a cosy, (and magically compelling) contemporary romance that will almost certainly steal your heart.

Synopsis

When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City 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 Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics.

How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless?

But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined. 

Review

I loved this! The cosy and whimsically romantic, magical vibes were utterly enchanting and reminded me a little of the magical realism of Sarah Addison Allen. I loved the gorgeously detailed, Mexican folklore-infused prose and how emotionally complex our MC was,—J.C. Cervantes has definitely earned her place on my list of favourite new authors!

The beautifully descriptive, nature-based setting was a satisfyingly soothing balm to delve into, and had me thoroughly immersed. I also loved exploring all the meanings and symbolism of flowers and how different processes could draw out each bloom’s individual magical properties—I lived for all the witchy-esque, Alice Hoffman vibes.

I was also really impressed with the character development, particularly in protagonist Harlow, whose journey to self discovery, happiness and success (in life and love) was well written and teeming with emotion. The tight knit, matriarchal-style family dynamics were incredibly fascinating and I really hope we see more of Harlow’s sisters (and cousins) in future books.

The romance aspect was really sweet as well and our tall, dark and sexy love interest, Ben was rather swoon-worthy—It is a bit of a slow-burn so do bear in mind if that’s not your kind of thing.

Overall, a charming and thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance that fans of Practical Magic and Encanto will absolutely love.

Also, a thanks to Headline Eternal for the finished copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Author 

J.C. Cervantes is a New York Times best-selling author. Her books have been published in more than twelve countries and have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, and Amazon’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award and the Zia Book Award.

She currently resides in the Land of Enchantment with her family and spoiled pups, but keeps part of her heart in Southern California, where she was born and raised. When she isn’t writing, she is haunting bookstores and searching for magic in all corners of the world. The Enchanted Hacienda is her Adult debut.

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