Sarah Addison Allen grew up in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina, where her mother still makes cornbread that is out of this world and her father plays old-timey banjo, claw-hammer style. Neither of these talents were passed on to Sarah, but she did become very good at eating and listening. The former made her fond of elastic waistbands, the latter turned her into a writer.
Sarah has her B.A. in Literature and her first book, the romantic comedy Tried and True, written under the pen name Katie Gallagher, was published by Harlequin Duets. It was nominated by The Romantic Times for both Best First Book and Best Duets of 2003. Sarah's mainstream debut, Garden Spells, a quirky book of Southern-fried magical realism, was published by Bantam Dell in the Fall of 2007.
Marrow (2025) Samantha Browning Shea "A probable future mingles with shadows of the past in this tour de force debut by Samantha Browning Shea. Marrow has it all: A breathtaking setting, family secrets, Earth magic, desire. Prepare to be spellbound."
Water Moon (2025) Samantha Sotto Yambao "What a bright, fresh voice Samantha Sotto Yambao has brought to the literary world. Water Moon is a novel for all the senses, but its true magic lies in being breathtakingly visual. You will be spirited away."
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern (2024) Lynda Cohen Loigman "The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is full of keen historical details and just a whisper of magic. What a smart, quirky, utterly satisfying read. I found myself transported into Aunt Esther's mysterious night kitchen, and was charmed from beginning to end. Lynda Cohen Loigman has written another big-hearted winner."
The Fabled Earth (2024) Kimberly Brock "THE FABLED EARTH is lush and vivid, with passages so beautiful they will break your heart and then turn around and mend it. The lines blur between magic and mystery, pulling you into a dreamy, immersive experience. It's a tour de force of a novel. You can always tell a born storyteller when you read one. And Kimberly Brock is the real deal."
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (2024) Shubnum Khan "Haunting and healing, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, with its shades of The House of Spirits and Rebecca, is one of the best books I've read this year... Khan's gorgeous writing lays bare what it means to love, grieve, haunt and, ultimately, let go."
The Wildest Sun (2023) Asha Lemmie "A portrait of a young woman finding herself amidst personal and historical turmoil, The Wildest Sun is bristling with courage, yet tender with vulnerability. Asha Lemmie, like her protagonist Delphine, is proving to the world that she is a literary force as she comes into her own with her astonishingly creative and accomplished sophomore epic."
The Wishing Game (2023) Meg Shaffer "A dreamy, inventive novel about how books can not only change lives but save them too. Full of the power of imagination, it's one of my favorite books of the year."
Adelaide (2023) Genevieve Wheeler "Emotional and poignant, Genevieve Wheeler has made a remarkable debut with her fresh, modern voice. I was charmed. Adelaide exposes the raw edges of early adulthood and unrequited love, ultimately showing us that the true magic of life is that it's always worth living."
When the Moon Turns Blue (2023) Pamela Terry "About grief and the power of friendship through every season of life, When the Moon Turns Blue is wise, exquisitely written, and full of heart. This smart, quirky novel proves Pamela Terry is a Southern powerhouse. She should definitely be on your radar."
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone (2023) Audrey Burges "Audrey Burges has written a sure-fire hit - lively, stylish, and full of heart. The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is decorated with gorgeous wordsmithery and magical trimmings, and I loved every minute spent inside."
Spells for Forgetting (2022) Adrienne Young "With quiet magic like wind on a spooky autumn evening, Spells for Forgetting is so atmospheric it will leave you breathless. Adrienne Young's exquisite prose blends slow-burn romance and intense mystery into a beautiful, twisty gem of a novel. You won't want to miss this one."
Darling Girl (2022) Liz Michalski "A dark and dazzling tale. Liz Michalski has used her own magic wand to shed light on the lengths we go to in order to preserve the myth of beauty, the myth of youth, and even the myth of fairytales themselves."
The Magnolia Palace (2022) Fiona Davis "The magic of Fiona Davis is the tenderness with which she crafts her settings, so that they bloom into characters themselves. We come to know them. We come to love them. And they help us to understand our place in time. The Magnolia Palace is a love letter to art and history. An intriguing, beautiful read."
Wildwood Whispers (2021) (Wildwood , book 1) Willa Reece "A feast for the senses. Willa Reece has written a magical, romantic tale about our essential connections to nature and to each other."
