The Enchanted Hacienda is a sweet contemporary romance with a touch of magic, but not a book I would widely recommend unless you’re just looking for something cutesy and simple. 

We follow Harlow, who has fled back to her enchanted family farm after a pretty tough day: she lost her dream job in publishing and broke it off with her mediocre boyfriend (his name is Chad, which tells you everything). Harlow has always felt like the odd one out in her family, since she’s the only one who doesn’t have magic. But when her mom entrusts her to run the Estrada estate for the weekend, she learns to embrace her own gifts (and maybe fall in love with a hometown stranger). 

I went into this expecting more magical realism, but I appreciated the thoughtful arc around self discovery and reframing success - as well as all the knowledge about flowers and nature. Flower metaphors and meanings come into play a lot. 

Harlow, however, was a tough main character to like. She’s very whiny and very juvenile, and we’re told over and over that she is an exceptional writer, but just hasn’t had that magical moment where her book clicks. Her love interest Ben is equally flat - he’s so very attractive and has lots of money, but wants to do good by his inherited hotel empire. I also didn't feel grounded in the setting (especially in Mexico).

Overall, it felt a bit surface level, and the insta-connections just didn’t engage me as much as I would have liked. It’s very predictable, which you may find either comforting or boring. I also felt a bit conflicted about the portrayal of dementia. 

It didn’t offer me anything new, which is what I enjoy when I pick up new books. This one won’t stick with me, but I enjoyed my time with it. 

CW: death (parent), dementia, grief, stalking, racism, sexual content

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)