First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost is a continuation of Ms. Addison Allen's Garden Spells. A story of the Waverly sisters 10 years later as Claire and Sydney have settled into their marriages and lives and Sydney's daughter Bey has become a teenager with magic of her own.

Like Garden Spells, this ia a tale of magic realism. A small town where people all have something about them: that family always marries well, that family is known for their luck and the Waverly's, well they're the most magical of all.

Claire is a chef who uses flowers and essences from her garden to enhance her food. She's a candy maker now and not enjoying it, not enjoying her success as it takes her away from the cooking she loves and adds more stress to her life. Sydney is a hair stylist who can always create the perfect haircut for someone. And Bey has the innate ability to see people and know where they belong in their lives (physically, such as that person belongs to an ivy league college, that one belongs to traveling 'to the wind' and that beautiful boy belongs in my life).

Bey is in love for the first time.

This is a small story about learning to reach out for happiness. But the thing is... more than anything... Sarah Addison Allen is a gorgeous writer. Each word is a polished gem, each movement in the story matters. She spins gold with her words and it's a true magic of her own.

There's a moment where Sydney is trying to help someone who doesn't want her help and she thinks that you can't catch someone who doesn't know they're falling. My heart beat faster reading that.  Or "..happiness isn't a point you leave behind. It's what ahead of you. Every single day." Wowza baby.

It's a gorgeous read. The kind of book that you curl into a comfy quilt with a plate of cookies and hot cocoa and give yourself up to. I'd give it a 10 out of 10 and feel like I graded it too low.