Book Review Wednesday: A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins

When I finished The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins, I knew that I needed more of the story. Dove Pond was so whimsical, magical, and just beautiful. There is so much story to tell, so many characters to learn about. I was truly taken with how much I loved the first book in the Dove Pond series. That was two years ago and my heart has been waiting for the second book. 

I patiently waited for it to show up on NetGalley so I could request an ARC. I screamed when I was accepted and finished the book a few months ago.

"A Cup of Silver Linings" is the second book in the Dove Pond Series and was released yesterday July 6th so I'm so thrilled to share my review with you! 

Spoiler alert: I loved it just as much as I loved the first book. 

Publisher's Summary

Ava Dove—the sixth of the seven famed Dove sisters and owner of Ava Dove’s Landscaping and Specialty Teas—is frantic.

Just as her fabulous new tearoom is about to open, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, her sleep-inducing tea is startling her clients awake with vivid dreams, her romance-kindling tea is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets, and her anti-anxiety tea is making them spend hours staring into mirrors. Ava is desperate for a remedy, but her search leads her into dangerous territory, as she is forced to face a dark secret she’s been hiding for over a decade.

Meanwhile, successful architect Ellen Foster has arrived in Dove Pond to attend the funeral of her estranged daughter, Julie. Grieving deeply, Ellen is determined to fix up her daughter’s ramshackle house, sell it, and then sweep her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, Kristen, off to a saner, calmer life in Raleigh. But Kristen has other plans. Desperate to stay with her friends in Dove Pond, Kristen sets off on a quest she’s avoided her whole life—to find her never-been-there father in the hopes of winning her freedom from the grandmother she barely knows.

Together, Ava, Kristen, and Ellen embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen.

My Thoughts

I will admit that at first, I was super confused by this book. I think it was because it's been so long since I read "The Book Charmer" and none of the characters sounded familiar. Soon enough I realized it was because "A Cup of Silver Linings" wasn't necessarily a 'sequel' to TBC but a continuation of the story in Dove Pond. The characters weren't supposed to be familiar. 

 

I have to say that "A Cup of Silver Linings" was the most kind-hearted, beautiful, magical book. Dove Pond reminds me of Stars Hollow with a touch of magic. It has the small-town feel, the quirky characters, the gossip... it's so much like Stars Hollow, but magic is all around with the Dove sisters at the center.

The theme of this novel was death and change, which was incredibly sad. Julie's death has left a hole in Kristen's life and it was just so sad to read. That being said, Ellen was super unlikeable at first which obviously was on purpose, but it was hard to read at times. Eventually, she came into her own, and knowing her backstory helped so much, as the reader. 

I felt that Kristen was so sweet, so wholesome and you just wanted the best for her. I was rooting for her the entire time, I just wanted her to be ok. I don't remember the last time I felt so connected to a character. 

One of the best parts about the Dove Pond series is that you get a little bit of the Dove sisters and a little bit of a non-Dove story, though they are both linked in some way. Ava trying to treat Ellen with her teas is how it was woven this time, and I loved that little subplot.

Then, on the flip side, you have Ava struggling with her tea business, her conflict with her sister, and trying to help everyone in the town deal with the death of Julie. It was a separate plot and I loved it so much. There is just so much story surrounding the Doves. 

The magic that the Dove sisters have adds the element of fantasy to the novels but the conflicts and resolutions throughout the story really help ground it in reality.

There was so much about the book that I loved; the mentions of Grace & Blake from the previous book, the love of Julie, Kristen and Ellen, the Sarah Dove drama... it was all so great. 

I especially loved the ending, it was incredibly satisfying and wrapped everything up in a nice little bow... plus we got a tease of the next Dove sister and the next book which I adored. It was so great to get some insight into where Hawkins is taking the series but my goodness, I need the third book now! 

If you love the Practical Magic series, Gilmore Girls, or anything whimsical, you will fall head over heels for the Dove Pond books! 

xoxo

B