I loved this wonderful story of love, grief, family and magic. I loved Kristen, Ellen, Ava and Sarah. I cannot wait to find out what happens in Dove Pond next. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

I loved the continuation of this series, it had been a couple years in between, probably due to COVID. It brought you back to the small town of Dove Pond and the saga of another family you come to love and can't wait for all to end well. I really enjoy Karen Hawkins imaginative characters and can't wait to see where we go with the next Dove Sister. ( )

The follow up to The Book Charmer, and the book that arrived yesterday. I figured I should dive right into a book that inspired me to take my first solo walk in over 6 months.

Is there a fairy tale involving an evil grandmother? If so, this is a take on that, sort of. Kristen's mom dies, she has no idea who her father is, and so her estranged grandmother comes riding in on her metaphorical bulldozer to rescue her grand-daughter, who, by-the-by, doesn't need rescuing. Grandma is a selfish, stubborn, wealthy cow, but Kristen is stubborn and as it turns out, rather wealthy too, so there.

In a parallel and connected story line, Ava Dove, one of the 'gifted' Dove sisters, is stressing about having kept a secret for a couple of decades, and the secret is fighting back. Remember, this is magical realism, so the secret is literally fighting back, trying to escape its box and throw Ava under the bus for a stupid mistake she made when she was a kid. Ava is also trying to get a tearoom reading for opening and the special bespoke teas she makes to help people are starting to cause some strange behaviours in those that drink them, leaving Ava scrambling to figure out why.

On the fringes of this is an unresolved plot point from the first book involving Ava's sister, Sarah. It all comes together into a fairly coherent story line, and if you suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy magical realism, the redemption of Grandma ice queen is believable. Still, the secrets (Ava's and who is Kristen's dad) are both pretty transparent to the reader, the former especially if one remembers events from the first book.

Overall, it's a charming read, with strong individuals and friendships that make the story work better than it might have otherwise. ( )

A Cup of Silver Linings by Karen Hawkins is a 2021 Gallery Books publication.

When sixteen-year-old Kristen’s mother passes away, her estranged grandmother, Ellen, arrives to take charge. The two clash immediately as Ellen insists, they need to sell the house, and that Kristen needs to move in with her.

Kristen refuses to entertain that idea at all, setting up a battle of wills between the two. But then Kristen gets a fabulous idea- find the one person who can overrule Ellen… her father!

Meanwhile, Ava Dove, on the cusp of opening her teashop, at long last, ,discovers her special tea’s healing remedies have gone wonky, backfiring in horrifying ways.

When her sister, Sarah, discovers the exact book Ava needs, it becomes clear that Kristen is the key to reversing the terrible effects of her teas.

This will require locating Kristen’s father and Ellen will have to cooperate!

I love the whimsical quality to this series and Hawkins’ ability to address emotional issues without breaking that fantastical atmosphere.

It seems to me, that of all the characters featured in the book, the older ones achieved the greatest growth, which only goes to show, it is never too late to learn or change. Although we all make mistakes in life that can have long-reaching reverberations, and must live with regret, forgiveness is a powerful thing, even if it does take some time to fully materialize. I loved how the author kept it real that way, and allowed the characters to admit their foibles and humanity, without erasing the damage done in the wink of an eye. We are always a work in progress, after all.

Overall, this highly anticipated second installment in the Dove Pond series, is a very solid, delightful addition to the series. I enjoyed the story very much and am hoping a third installment is in the works!!

4 stars ( )

The Dove Pond NC series by Karen Hawkins needs to be made into a TV series! It reminds me a bit of the Good Witch series (which I love) but with an expanded universe of seven different sisters with seven different powers. Magical realism at its finest.

A Cup of Silver Linings focuses on the sixth sister, Ava, and a grandmother and grand-daughter, although we do continue to get to know more about the Dove Pond residents from book one. There are some pretty heavy issues dealt with in this book including a secret that has been trying to get loose for many years, death, family, and affairs of the heart. Hawkins is able to explore these issues in a sweet but realistic way… along with a touch of magic.

I would love to live in Dove Pond and be able to benefit from Ava’s teas and her sister’s knowledge of books. Books and tea are two of my favorite things, so of course, this series has endured itself to me. But I’m also looking forward to the next book since one of the sisters will be coming home, opening a store next to Ava, and using her weather (or air) powers in some spectacular ways.

If you enjoy watching movies on the Hallmark channel or books/movies with magical realism you need to check out Hawkin’s Dove Pond series. ( )