BOOK: The Girl Who Chased the Moon and The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen has written some wonderful books with just the hint of magical elements. Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen were both delightful. Her books contain strong Southern women, learning to be happy and to trust their instincts. Maybe a mysterious past that needs to be uncovered.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon, by Sarah Addison Allen, 269 pages

A teen girl, recently orphaned, is sent to live with the grandfather she had never heard of. The grandfather is a giant! Huge man. Emily meets a boy from the strange family who never comes out at night, and learns gradually why her mother left the town and never talked of her previous life. There is a neighbour who bakes magical cakes and looking for love. This was just enough magical elements, just enough southern charm, just enough mysterious past to make this a sweet, charming read.

The Peach Keeper, by Sarah Addison Allen, 273 pages

This had the elements: two thirty year old women who have never been friends, but attended high school together and still live in the same town have neither found love. Their grandmothers were best friends but they don't acknowledge each other. There is a old mystery involving their grandmothers and a salesman who bewitched the town. However, something was missing. I usually never notice this, but it was too much telling about the characters, not enough of them actually living. Paxton and Willa should have been great characters, but they seemed to be making the same decisions but it was described differently as they were 'opposites', never likely to be friends. And then they became best friends, because they should and their grandmothers were? Way too pat.

It was a cute, light read, but compared to the other books of Allen's, this was my least favorite. A nice surprise was the caterer, Clare from Garden Spells, making an appearance.