But the Waverleys have enough trouble on their hands. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever. Or something.Sarah Addison Allen, beloved author of Garden Spells, returns with a luminous story of the trouble with hanging on too long, and the magic that happens when you finally let go.Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beat-up suitcase. A little extreme in the lead-time there, but nothing like getting in early with these announcements. However, for me, I think they go in this order:Īdded note: As a peculiar little tidbit, check out this link at Goodreads, which says that Sarah Addison Allen’s new Untitled Book will be released in 2050. how would you actually rank Allen’s books, if you’ve read them all? I know Garden Spells is a big favorite. Her books are always about relationships - family relationships and friendships as much as romances - and practically every named character seems to have their own character arc, even though the books are not long. Including the apple tree, which is undeniably a character in its own right as well.

Allen’s good, at always, at drawing in the secondary characters. I did think both resolutions were essentially obvious from the start, though of course it’s the details of getting there that make the story enjoyable.Īlso, there is a con man out to gouge Claire. Those are what need to be resolved this time around. They have other issues that are getting in the way of happiness. Thankfully both Claire and Sidney are still happily married (if they weren’t, that would sure ruin the first book, wouldn’t it?). Getting things (and of course people) to actually *be* where they ought to be is not quite so simple. Bay’s Waverly gift, you may remember, is to know where things (and people) are supposed to be. It will only complicate your high school years. She’s having a tough time - hint to teenagers everywhere: never tell a boy that you know you belong in his life. This sequel takes place ten years later, so Bay is a teenager. I don’t feel the Waverly family really needed closure they got that in the first book but okay, fine. Not that the first book can’t be read in isolation, but it’s not a standalone I was defining the term for the purposes of the list.įirst Frost is a perfectly good book, better imo than Lost Lake. I had no idea! I really had been thinking that I should have put Allen’s books on The Ultimate Standalone Fantasy List, and here it turns out that she’s written a direct sequel. Turns out it’s a direct sequel to Garden Spells.

I’d been re-reading Sarah Addison Allen’s books recently, ran out, and finally picked up First Frost without knowing a thing about it. Okay, so First Frost was a bit of a surprise, since I hadn’t read the book description.

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen