Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble

By: Anna Meriano

Narrated by: Kyla Garcia

Publisher's summary

"A charming and delectably sweet debut. Mischief, friendship, and a whole lot of heart - Love Sugar Magic has it all." (Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series)

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?

Debut author Anna Meriano brings us the first book in a delightful new series filled to the brim with amor, azúcar, y magia.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 Cake Literary LLC (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

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5 out of 5 stars

By Anonymous User on 02-08-19

I liked it

Its a good book. I liked when she got in trouble. My favorite character was Leo.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Literary Scene on 07-12-22

Such a fun and cute read

I love middle grade because I love being reminded of simple lessons through entertaining stories. If you're looking for a fun and quick read with lots of heart and laughs, this is it.

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4 out of 5 stars

By Maricruz Acuna on 02-06-22

Good for preteens

The story itself is cute but I found the voice acting very frustrating. As a Spanish speaker, I could tell that the narrator's Spanish pronunciation was off to the point that instead of harina, she read it as arena and it lost me there. Please find native speakers to narrate! Just because someone has a latino background or name doesn't mean they know the language. Also found the southern accents for some of the characters to be far too comical. I'm always on the search for stories that feature our latino culture to listen to with my kids and this one, while alright, just didn't maintain our interest as much. I think it's due to the narration, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

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5 out of 5 stars

By DK on 02-19-19

7 year old approved

Purchased the book for a long road trip with my 7 year old to listen to something new. It was a hasty purchase that ended up being perfect. My daughter didn't really want to listen to a new book but was hooked right away. I think she really identified with the character, especially with the language barriers.

7 year olds review:
I loved the book because of the magic. I've always believed in magic. I like the characters. Leo is my favorite because she breaks the rules sometimes but it always ends up fine.

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5 out of 5 stars

By L.Long0112 on 07-04-20

Really Enjoyed!

I was hesitant about this book at first and it took me a while to finally listen but once I did, I was hooked. I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to listen to the other book in the series.

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4 out of 5 stars

By Bessie Mae on 08-30-23

Pleasant Kids' Book

This book was light and pleasant to listen to. The narrator was expressive without being distracting. Good for kids.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Marcus Van Eck on 03-21-22

Fun book with bilingual bonus

listened to and from school and 10 yo was enthralled. I also got to exercise my Spanish language muscle

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4 out of 5 stars

By Myztikal on 03-10-18

Magical Sweetness!

The book blurb sums up the first three chapters, so it’s really not a very good description to prepare the reader (listener) for this charming book.

Leo was a fun character who grows with the story. The sibling dynamic is realistic in this MG fantasy tale.

Had I not read the description, this would have been a easy 5 star book. However, my expectations were higher and not quite met. I would recommend this book for its simplistic world building and engaging plot. I would definitely pick up the next book once it’s converted to audio and look forward to sharing these with my granddaughters in the upcoming years.

Beautifully narrated by Kyla Garcia who brings credibility with her accent.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Pokezeb on 07-08-23

Dual language

I personally don't know enough Spanish to understand the untraslated blocks of magic recipe in the book but the story itself was wonderful and happy enough that I still finished in one sitting

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5 out of 5 stars

By Kendra on 02-25-18

Spectacular

Where does Love Sugar Magic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This has been by far the best audiobook I"ve listened to in a while.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Leo. Her curiosity jumped off the page and she had incredible kidlit voice.

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