The Enchanted Garden Café

The South Side Stories, Book 1

De: Abigail Drake

Narrado por: Sarah Naughton

Something magical is happening, but will she be brave enough to see it?

For her sixth birthday, Fiona Campbell’s mother, Claire, made her a peace-sign piñata filled with wishes for a better planet instead of candy. When she got her period, her mother held a womanhood ceremony at their café and invited the neighborhood. On her 16th birthday, they celebrated with a drum circle.

Fiona grew up trying to keep the impulsive Claire in check and their struggling café afloat. She plans to move out, but first she must find a way to stop a big corporation from tearing down their business and destroying her mother’s livelihood. Claire thinks karma will solve their financial and legal problems. Fiona prefers a spreadsheet and a solid business plan. The last thing she has time for is Matthew Monroe, a handsome complication who walks through their door with a guitar on his back and a naughty gleam in his eye.

©2020 Abigail Drake, second edition (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

You won’t want to stop listening!

This was an excellent audiobook. The audible narration was spot on to the amazing story that Abigail Drake created.

Loved the characters and the story

Abigail Drake strikes again what an enjoyable read!!! Loved the characters, the setting so fun to have it set in Pittsburgh and the fun storyline!!

Cute and Cozy

Cute and cozy listen, especially loved all the yummy recipe references. Not a fan of the reader'a inflections at the end of every sentence making everything sound like a question.

Amazing audiobook!

I enjoyed this book very much and it’s a plus when the audio is also well done

Relationships between characters

Good story (if a little predictable) with interesting characters. Little holes in the plot here and there, but overall a good listen.

Lovely story!

I really enjoyed the ambiance of the magical cafe and garden as well as the intricate sweet intoxicating love story of Fiona and Matthew. Kudos!

Fun and good listening book!

I really liked this book and the narration was great! All the characters were interesting and though there wasn’t really any surprise endings I still enjoyed it.

Highly recommend

Couldn’t stop listening. Great story with some fabulous twists, fun characters and a great narrator!

easy listen, cute storyline

some parts were cheesey but it was cute! I thought I knew who attacked Moses, but still wasn't 100% sure which character it was.

Perfect cozy romance at a cafe

Abigail Drake stands out as a cozy romance author. I often find myself rolling my eyes and considering a "Did Not Finish" on other authors' works because of their overuse of words like "swoon," "swoony," and the repetitive descriptions of characters’ appearances. For example, the male love interest is always described as wearing his signature combat boots and jeans whenever he appears. Overall, I find much of cozy romance writing to be shallow and basic, with characters that can be quite annoying.

However, I believe Drake is different. *The Enchanted Garden Café* is a heartwarming read that focuses on relationships, frenemies, community, and a touch of magic. The characters have flaws but remain relatable, even throughout the romantic elements. Drake skillfully writes romance with just the right amount of spice without resorting to smutty language or ridiculous descriptions of sexual situations. It’s sexy but not vulgar, which strikes the perfect balance for me.

I think I may have found a cozy series I can truly dive into! According to Goodreads, there are three books published out of four planned. However, there has been a long wait between book three and any news about book four. I read the author’s premise for book four, and it sounds so promising!