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Magic Spells
Seven years is a long time to stay away from home. But when Jane Gregory left Pendleton, Vermont, she was running from a life gone wrong. Now she's returning to town with her young son--and Pendleton will never be the same again.
Jane never wanted to believe that the Gregory women have a special power. But the magic she'd shunned comes rushing back as soon as she walks into her mother's old house. The faded rosebush in the yard suddenly bursts with color, and the lovelorn are coming to her for advice. Even the sensible town doctor, Graham Payton, can't stay away.
Yet Jane has something more important on her mind: her son. The little boy has never spoken a word in his life, and she's determined to find out why. But Jane is about to discover that she's not immune to the potent charms she's unleashed--that there's room in her heart for love after all. And maybe a little magic too.
Jane never wanted to believe that the Gregory women have a special power. But the magic she'd shunned comes rushing back as soon as she walks into her mother's old house. The faded rosebush in the yard suddenly bursts with color, and the lovelorn are coming to her for advice. Even the sensible town doctor, Graham Payton, can't stay away.
Yet Jane has something more important on her mind: her son. The little boy has never spoken a word in his life, and she's determined to find out why. But Jane is about to discover that she's not immune to the potent charms she's unleashed--that there's room in her heart for love after all. And maybe a little magic too.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 2, 1999
2 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Christy Yorke
10 books19 followersChristy Yorke was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she went to college and married her high school sweetheart. After graduating magna cum laude from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Psychology, she and her husband moved to Idaho for the fresh air and opportunity to live and play in the wilderness. With two nearly grown children, Christy spends her time writing, working as an internet consultant, gardening, hiking with her black Lab, and enjoying her rustic, electricity-less cabin in the woods.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 1, 2020
It was a satisfying read with plenty of mystery, romance, and magic to engage all my senses. For personal reasons I struggled with it a bit. But, at the same time, needed to know how it ended. I wasn't disappointed.
December 23, 2013
I loved Yorke's book The Wishing Garden, so went in search of more of her work. This one... I liked but did not love. It took a very long time to boil down to being a story about Jane, who'd been childhood friends with Graham, but fell in love with Graham's charming but useless older brother, Ned.
After Ned's death by car accident, Jane moved away from Pendleton, Vermont, but she's come back, with her mute six-and-a-half year old son by Ned, Alex. Graham is still in love with Jane, even though he gave up hope and married long-faithful Ginny. Then there's extreme bike rider Devon, who's moved in across the street from Jane and is ever bit as charming as Ned was. Jane is described as beautiful (of course), but besides that, I didn't see what made either man so interested in her, despite her repeated attempts to discourage them. It wasn't her magical talent nor her devoted mothering, and I didn't see other qualities in Jane that were so enchanting.
It irked me that Jane dithered so much about both Devon and Graham, and it's hard to love a book where the lead character is irritating. The thread about the murderer in town, and whether or not it could be Devon felt unnecessary - the book wasn't meant to be a thriller, so why throw that in?
The magic in this book isn't the paranormal that many modern readers expect, but a magic realism, a kind of this-MUST-be-magic-but-maybe-there's-some-other-explanation? magic. Lawns and rose bushes that bloom when they shouldn't. Love spells and charms that go awry, performed by Jane's grandmother Esther. Shelved today, it wold be mainstream fiction with romantic and magical elements.
It really dragged in parts, but the writing is so lyrical and sensual in others, it's worth slogging through the rest. From Alex's POV, describing why he couldn't talk, "A monster lived in his throat, a fire-breathing dragon. It was so mean and hot, every word he tried to speak was burnt to a crisp." And "The wind smelled of a hundred scents, of pine and sage and clear water. When she took her first deep breath in two days, it went down like cool wine."
The ending was both expected and unexpected in spots, overall satisfying.
After Ned's death by car accident, Jane moved away from Pendleton, Vermont, but she's come back, with her mute six-and-a-half year old son by Ned, Alex. Graham is still in love with Jane, even though he gave up hope and married long-faithful Ginny. Then there's extreme bike rider Devon, who's moved in across the street from Jane and is ever bit as charming as Ned was. Jane is described as beautiful (of course), but besides that, I didn't see what made either man so interested in her, despite her repeated attempts to discourage them. It wasn't her magical talent nor her devoted mothering, and I didn't see other qualities in Jane that were so enchanting.
It irked me that Jane dithered so much about both Devon and Graham, and it's hard to love a book where the lead character is irritating. The thread about the murderer in town, and whether or not it could be Devon felt unnecessary - the book wasn't meant to be a thriller, so why throw that in?
The magic in this book isn't the paranormal that many modern readers expect, but a magic realism, a kind of this-MUST-be-magic-but-maybe-there's-some-other-explanation? magic. Lawns and rose bushes that bloom when they shouldn't. Love spells and charms that go awry, performed by Jane's grandmother Esther. Shelved today, it wold be mainstream fiction with romantic and magical elements.
It really dragged in parts, but the writing is so lyrical and sensual in others, it's worth slogging through the rest. From Alex's POV, describing why he couldn't talk, "A monster lived in his throat, a fire-breathing dragon. It was so mean and hot, every word he tried to speak was burnt to a crisp." And "The wind smelled of a hundred scents, of pine and sage and clear water. When she took her first deep breath in two days, it went down like cool wine."
The ending was both expected and unexpected in spots, overall satisfying.
January 10, 2010
This was just really not my style of book - well-written, but just not to my taste. The last couple of chapters were okay, and probably the only thing saving it from being a one-star review, for me.
I have to confess that I picked this up at a used book store, based on the cover, without reading any reviews. It looked a bit like the paranormal romances I usually enjoy, but it's nothing like that. Most of the book is rather sad and cold. Instead of romance, it seems to focus on obsession. Not a single relationship seemed to me to be what I would call "healthy". And while there is just a touch of magic in the book, it's neither romantic, nor sweet.
The characters are, to me, not very likable; even the young boy that was probably supposed to elicit my sympathy. I found most of the book to be rather depressing. Perhaps the relationships were a little more "real", and a little less "storybook", which some might say is a good thing. It just didn't work for me. For my fiction, I'd rather have a little more escape, and a little less realism.
I have to confess that I picked this up at a used book store, based on the cover, without reading any reviews. It looked a bit like the paranormal romances I usually enjoy, but it's nothing like that. Most of the book is rather sad and cold. Instead of romance, it seems to focus on obsession. Not a single relationship seemed to me to be what I would call "healthy". And while there is just a touch of magic in the book, it's neither romantic, nor sweet.
The characters are, to me, not very likable; even the young boy that was probably supposed to elicit my sympathy. I found most of the book to be rather depressing. Perhaps the relationships were a little more "real", and a little less "storybook", which some might say is a good thing. It just didn't work for me. For my fiction, I'd rather have a little more escape, and a little less realism.
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April 15, 2018I love to support libraries, so when I visited the Seattle Public Library in February I made sure to stop by their FoL store. Their FoL store was mostly handcrafts, but they did have a small bookshelf. This book was the most interesting thing on it, so I took it home with me.
Sadly, this book has failed the 100 page test. I tried to get into it, I really did, but it is just the worst sort of chick lit melodrama. The book is full of people acting stupidly either now or in flashbacks. I finally gave up and skipped to the last chapter to see how it turned out, which ended up being exactly like I thought it would. I'm so glad I didn't waste my time on the 228 pages in the middle.
Sadly, this book has failed the 100 page test. I tried to get into it, I really did, but it is just the worst sort of chick lit melodrama. The book is full of people acting stupidly either now or in flashbacks. I finally gave up and skipped to the last chapter to see how it turned out, which ended up being exactly like I thought it would. I'm so glad I didn't waste my time on the 228 pages in the middle.
November 11, 2014
I loved this Author's "the Wishing Garden" and ordered this book hoping for more of the delight. There is some of the same poetic descriptions, some magical realism and a ghost. I enjoyed this book but not as much, and while I never loan out the other novel, I will give this one away. I am glad I read it however, it was light escapism and fun. I enjoyed the minor murder mystery and the growing relationship of the mute boy and his grandmother. It was a pleasant read for a rainy weekend but not an eternal favorite. Sometimes that is all you want in a book.
December 17, 2011
This book was okay. I did not care for the main character Jane Gregory. She seemed frozen in place which was part of the story in how she comes back from trauma but it was so slow coming. I liked her Grandmother more and her son. It does portray life in a small town very well with all the nosiness and ugly undercurrents that most people ignore. The love story felt inevitable.
October 30, 2013
The book started off slowly and took a couple of chapters to "get into". It became a wonderful tangle of characters that was hard to put down. Unfortunately when I was about 80% finished the book seemed rushed to find an ending. I believe the author created some story lines that had absolutely no where to go, it seems they started too late in the plot, almost as an after thought.
July 14, 2013
Mediocre - not great but worth a beach read. The last 20% made the book worth reading but the bulk of the book was not so good.
July 21, 2015
Interesting book; less "magic" and more about elements of our lives that bring us magic, if we stop to see it.
Enjoyed. Picked up at a resale stand. Caught my eye.
Enjoyed. Picked up at a resale stand. Caught my eye.
April 25, 2016
I loved this book. I must admit wanting to throw the book out the window. Just keep reading if you're ready to give up. The story gets really good and the frustration proves to be worth it.
September 21, 2009
disappointing
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews