Witch of Wild Things

Tomorrow Raquel Vasquez Gilliland releases her second Wild Magic book, of which I have an ARC… but I hadn’t yet read the first installment! Witch of Wild Things had been on my TBR since it came out last year, and I’m glad I read it first.

In Witch of Wild Things, Sage is back home in Cranberry, Virginia for the first time in eight years, since her youngest sister died in a horrible accident. Sage is now working alongside Tenn, the man she had a crush on throughout high school 14 years ago. Though they chatted on AIM back then, he never knew her true identity and inadvertently broke her heart when she did finally see him in person. Now he’s asking for her help to find that mystery girl he’d chatted with, and Sage isn’t about to reveal that it’s her. But with sparks flying between them, she may have to. She’ll also have to reveal her closely guarded witchy powers involving plants. In addition to her workplace romance, Sage is also dealing with tough family relationships and her dead sister’s ghost haunting her.

Tropes & Narrative Devices:

• Second chance romance
• Workplace romance
• Secret identity
• Excerpts from 14-year-old AIM chats
• First-person POV (Sage only)

What I Liked:

• Plant powers. I know virtually nothing about plants, but I love the idea of them! Sage is all about plants, especially flowers. I love seeing her work her plant magic and just the general vibes of this whole book.
• Sister relationships. A major theme throughout this novel (and series) is the relationship between Sage and Teal, as well as their (late) youngest sister, Sky. Sage and Teal have big issues to work through with each other, and neither is exactly willing to overcome them just yet. As tough as their dynamic is, I like seeing how they eventually start to find their way back to each other.
• Discussions around how men can be harmful. A major theme for Sage is her distrust of men. From the professor she had an unfortunate relationship with, to the abusive boyfriend dating her sister Teal, to the cheater her best friend is married to, Sage has good reason to give men a wide berth. And yes, there are good guys out there (not the fake “good guys”; the real deal!), but Sage is wary of getting close enough to anyone to find out.
• The second chance romance. While this trope isn’t usually my favorite, it’s so well done here. I love the excerpts of Sage and Tenn’s teenaged AIM chats back in 2001 and how it built up her secrecy around her true identity. Though Tenn accidentally broke her heart at the end of it all, he never knew who his AIM girl was. Now she’s so hurt towards him and he doesn’t understand why. But when their mutual interest in each other grows, she’ll have to come clean eventually!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Nothing, this was great!

Final Thoughts

Witch of Wild Things is a wonderful romance/fantasy book that’s so easy to fall into. The world-building is well done and I love the family dynamics, friendships, and slow-burn romance. This novel is so rich and yet quick-paced, so immersive and yet funny and relatable. I loved this first Wild Magic book and am excited for Teal’s story in the second, Lightning in Her Hands.

Get the Book

You can buy Witch of Wild Things here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Series	Wild Magic (#1)
Audiobook Narrator	Krysta Gonzales
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romance; Fantasy
Setting	Virginia
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook
Original Publication Date	September 12, 2023
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
One of Amazon’s Best Romances of September!
A People Magazine Romantasy Pick!

Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.
 
Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.