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Cinnamon & Clove
Cinnamon & Clove—for fans of complicated love stories, including love triangles and that gut wrenching feeling of a first heartbreak, small town charms in the fall, Halloween, and sprinkles of magic here and there.
Willow O'Kane lives in Hollow, Massachusetts, a place that has deeply embedded itself into her bones, along with all of the other members of The Old Families. It's not only the beauty and serenity that comes with living here, but the magic that comes with it. Every couple of years, one or two members of the families are blessed by the Earth Mother and given a gift over one of the elements. To Willow's dismay the most recent gift has been bestowed on, in her opinion, the absolute worst person possible. And with Willow's eighteenth birthday looming over her head, she may never receive a gift herself.
She begins her senior year following a devastating heartbreak that she is doing her best to hide from everyone. That being said, she can't help but feel excited for the festival that comes with a member attaining a gift, a festival that hasn't been held for almost twelve years—and brings with it so much mystery and intrigue. She will finally be old enough to experience the endless possibilities of the multifarious meadow, but she has no idea what she's in for. She faces some hard decisions and some even harder truths as she navigates the most mystical month of the year, hoping that she will find herself along the way.
Willow O'Kane lives in Hollow, Massachusetts, a place that has deeply embedded itself into her bones, along with all of the other members of The Old Families. It's not only the beauty and serenity that comes with living here, but the magic that comes with it. Every couple of years, one or two members of the families are blessed by the Earth Mother and given a gift over one of the elements. To Willow's dismay the most recent gift has been bestowed on, in her opinion, the absolute worst person possible. And with Willow's eighteenth birthday looming over her head, she may never receive a gift herself.
She begins her senior year following a devastating heartbreak that she is doing her best to hide from everyone. That being said, she can't help but feel excited for the festival that comes with a member attaining a gift, a festival that hasn't been held for almost twelve years—and brings with it so much mystery and intrigue. She will finally be old enough to experience the endless possibilities of the multifarious meadow, but she has no idea what she's in for. She faces some hard decisions and some even harder truths as she navigates the most mystical month of the year, hoping that she will find herself along the way.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2025
6 people are currently reading
622 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 5, 2025
An excellent and well written coming of age story. Perfect fall read!
September 14, 2025
Loved this book! Got this on kindle but now I need the physical copy and now I’m impatiently waiting for the next book 😢
November 20, 2025
I would have given 5 stars but what a cliffhanger. I hope there will be a part two.
October 17, 2025
Overall, the character development, scene painting, and plot structure were quite strong. Breault captured the uncertainty surrounding the transition between adolescence and young adulthood with an emotional gentleness and depth that is refreshing and authentic.
I would have liked Willow's mother, grandmother, and closest friends Poppy and Sully to challenge her a little more regarding the love triangle she finds herself in. Questioning oneself and one's worth based on the failings of a romantic entanglement is understandable and a realistic response, as are the jealous and problematic behaviors of one of the love interests towards Willow, but I would have liked to see Fearne, Grandma Ivy, Poppy, or Sully at least offer a different perspective than "Oh, gee. He's still a good guy."
I did find the ending frustrating. A lot of plot occurs in the final chapter, and I had hoped that Breault would have given the ending a little time to breathe between major revelations. Also, that the love triangle was resolved but that readers weren't privy to Willow's choice did dull my enjoyment of the novel a bit as there wasn't a clear indication that there will be a sequel. As a cliffhanger ending, it felt out of place as the novel focused more on Willow's romantic entanglements than it did on the three other major plot points--the resolve of which were exposed to the reader.
I would have liked Willow's mother, grandmother, and closest friends Poppy and Sully to challenge her a little more regarding the love triangle she finds herself in. Questioning oneself and one's worth based on the failings of a romantic entanglement is understandable and a realistic response, as are the jealous and problematic behaviors of one of the love interests towards Willow, but I would have liked to see Fearne, Grandma Ivy, Poppy, or Sully at least offer a different perspective than "Oh, gee. He's still a good guy."
I did find the ending frustrating. A lot of plot occurs in the final chapter, and I had hoped that Breault would have given the ending a little time to breathe between major revelations. Also, that the love triangle was resolved but that readers weren't privy to Willow's choice did dull my enjoyment of the novel a bit as there wasn't a clear indication that there will be a sequel. As a cliffhanger ending, it felt out of place as the novel focused more on Willow's romantic entanglements than it did on the three other major plot points--the resolve of which were exposed to the reader.
October 20, 2025
DNF. Writing style is all tell, not show.
August 1, 2025
I loved this book! I thought the characters were well developed, the plot had twists I didn’t expect and I thought it was a different take than most fantasy books. I loved how the author used earthy powers for her characters, I thought it seemed to be more realistic than other fantasy books I’ve read. It wasn’t smutty which I loved, was more about the plot than adding rated R scenes. The flow was easy to navigate and quick to get through. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending, only because it was left somewhat open ended. But I think it sets up beautifully for another book which I love and am excited for! All in all a great book and perfect for autumn!
June 21, 2025
One of those books you don't want to put down! Love the spooky touches of the town and the suspense between each chapter. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews