I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen ever since I managed to snag an ARC of her second book, `Sugar Queen'. The mix of sweetness, drama & the slightest touch of supernatural just intrigued me. Within a few days of finishing `Sugar Queen' I picked up `Garden Magic' & devoured it instantly. I've lent those books out to several people, all of whom have grown to adore her works just as much as I have. So needless to say, when I got the chance to review this book it was like a kid getting free tickets to Disney Land. 
 This particular book mainly follows the characters of Emily & Julia. Both of them have come into the town of Mullaby after the death of a parent. Julia arrived years earlier after her father died, only to discover that he left a mountain of debt to be paid. She resigns herself to paying that debt off, promising herself that she'll leave as soon as she's done... and that when it comes to a certain man, she won't make the same mistake twice. Emily has come to Mullaby to deal with the death of her mother, only to discover that the mother she knew & the person the town remembers her as were two different people. As Julia tries to come to terms with her past, Emily tries to discover the truth of what her mother did as she finds herself falling for a local boy. 
 I really loved this book. The wonderful thing about reading Allen's books is that you can really see how her writing has improved with each book. She does a wonderful job of taking something fantastical (such as the shifting wallpaper) & working it into a story. Part of what makes her books work so well is that she manages to make such things seem as natural as water & never really allows it to overwhelm her writing. While Allen's work isn't quite perfect just yet, it's growing stronger with each book that she writes. 
 I also loved how she managed to make me fall in love with characters that I initially didn't like (Sawyer) but grew to like as the book progressed & I learned more about them. The only true complaint that I'd have is that towards the end everything just seemed to feel like it was wrapped up a little too quickly & neatly, so it felt a little off for everything that had gone on before it. Not bad, just "off". 
 If you like books such as `Practical Magic', `Like Water for Chocolate' or just want a nice slice of life book to make you feel good for reading it, pick this book up. All I can say is that if Allen's work keeps improving like this, she'll become a huge force to be reckoned with & she'll have a fan for life in me. 
 (ARC provided by amazon vine)