The Anatomy of Magic: A Novel

by J. C. Cervantes

Overview

A young woman learns to embrace all the messy imperfections of life and love with some help from her magical family

Lilian Estrada seemingly has it all: an ob-gyn star on the rise, a master at balancing work with whirlwind romances and part of a family of fiercely loyal and exceptional women, all bound together by an extraordinary secret. The Estrada women each possess a unique power, and Lily shines with the rare gift to manipulate memories. Yet not even her mystical abilities can shield her from a harrowing event at the hospital, one that sends her powers—and her confidence—spiraling out of control.

Seeking solace, Lily retreats to her family's ancestral home in Mexico, only to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past—Sam, the first love she never forgot. Nearly a decade since she last saw him, Sam is hardly the boy she once knew, and as old flames spark to life, Lily must navigate the mysteries of their shared history and the depths of her own heart if she hopes to control her unpredictable magic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778310822
Publisher:	Park Row Books
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

J.C. Cervantes is a New York Times bestselling author of books for children and young adults. Her books have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, most recently the 2021 New Mexico Land of Enchantment Readers’ Choice Award.

Editorial Reviews

A well-balanced tale of magic, perseverance, and rekindled love.” —Publishers Weekly

“Cervantes has crafted a winning tale of a woman who embraces uncertainty and releases control on her road to forgiveness and healing. Readers who enjoy family drama, second-chance romances, and a touch of magic will enjoy this book.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

2025-01-18
At a wedding, a workaholic doctor runs into the man who got away.

Lily Estrada is doing well: She has a good life in Los Angeles as chief resident at her hospital and member of a close family of women blessed by the goddess Mayahuel with flower-based magic. When something goes wrong in the operating room, though, she finds herself rushing to her family’s flower farm in Mexico to deal with the feelings she always does her best to ignore. Arriving in time to help with a local wedding, she uses her memory magic to create a gift for the couple and runs into Samuel James, her childhood friend and the only man she’s ever loved—the man who broke her heart 10 years ago before disappearing from her life. Between Sam’s reappearance, her feelings about work, and problems with her magic that hint at bigger issues, Lily is about to fall apart, but maybe falling apart is the only way to rebuild. Cervantes returns to the world she created inThe Enchanted Hacienda (2023), a wonderful vision of a magical flower farm and the strong, passionate women it belongs to. The Estrada family continues to shine, each character independent but important, moving the plot along and giving Lily a soft spot to land. Second-chance romances must strike a balance of having the original breakup be sad but for good enough reasons that the reader isn’t upset when the couple gets back together. In this case, a little more conversation between Lily and Sam would have gone a long way. The last 50 pages feel rushed but, ultimately, the writing and the characters are enough to pull this love story along.

An enchanting if sometimes-frustrating tale.

Kirkus Reviews