Review – A Dash of Trouble (Love Sugar Magic, Book 1) by Anna Meriano (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Release Date: January 2, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-006249846
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Love Sugar Magic series
Source: Got in Owlcrate
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.
Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake.
Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet.
And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong?”
This is the first book in the Love Sugar Magic series. I really enjoyed this middle grade book full of baking magic and family. This was a fun read that had a lot of heart, was interesting, and very entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud a number of times while reading this!
This series follows a Mexican family who owns a bakery named “Love Sugar Magic”. During the course of this book the youngest daughter, Leo, finds out her family not only bakes delicious things but does the baking with magic sometimes. When Leo decides to do magic on her own she gets herself into a number of compromising situations that were absolutely hilarious.
I enjoyed the humorous parts of this book, the discussion of Mexican culture, the magic, and the interactions between the members of Leo’s family. The book is witty, heartfelt, and engaging and made a quick read for me. The biggest problem with this book is that it made me soooo hungry for baked goods!
Overall I ended up absolutely loving this book. I definitely plan on continuing this series; this was just such a fun book that leaves you feeling happy and hopeful. I would recommend to those who enjoy fun and magical middle grade reads. This is one that is great for kids and adults alike!
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– New Release Reading Challenge
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
