First Frost (Waverley Family #2)

Sarah Addison Allen

It's October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree... and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies. Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Sydney Waverley, too, is losing her balance. With each passing day she longs more for a baby— a namesake for her wonderful Henry. Yet the longer she tries, the more her desire becomes an unquenchable thirst, stealing the pleasure out of the life she already has.
Sydney’s daughter, Bay, has lost her heart to the boy she knows it belongs to…if only he could see it, too. But how can he, when he is so far outside her grasp that he appears to her as little more than a puff of smoke?

When a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of their family, each of them must make choices they have never confronted before. And through it all, the Waverley sisters must search for a way to hold their family together through their troublesome season of change, waiting for that extraordinary event that is First Frost.

Lose yourself in Sarah Addison Allen's enchanting world and fall for her charmed characters in this captivating story that proves that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It’s where the real story begins.(from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

The Waverley women all have special gifts. Claire’s gift comes via the food she bakes - maybe a cake to make someone fall in love. Sister Sydney’s gift has to do with hairdressing - perhaps a style that will make someone jealous. Daughter Bay’s gift is the ability to see where things belong - someone unhappy in their job and she can tell what direction they need to take. Finally, cousin Evanelle has the gift to see what someone needs - something as simple as a wooden spoon.

I found First Frost to be light and heartwarming. Even though they have special abilities, the Waverley women’s lives are not without troubles. I liked the way they supported each other. Their intentions are good and at the heart of things, they want to do right. The author has created likeable characters and written them into a very enjoyable read. This was my first Waverley family book, but it will not be my last!

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.