Title: The Magic of Untamed Hearts
Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Series: Wild Magic #3
Page Length: 368
Pub. Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Synopsis: After several years stuck as a ghost, Sky Flores learns to reconnect with the living again with the help of her handsome neighbor in this lush romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Witch of Wild Things.
Like her sisters, Sage and Teal, Sky Flores has a touch of magic, and it’s caused nothing but heartache. Not only did she disappear into the woods years ago and reappear with no rational explanation, she’s also more comfortable talking to animals than to people. Different and misunderstood, Sky is shunned in the small town of Cranberry.
Sky’s neighbor, Adam Noemi, has his own problems. After being laid off from a prestigious newspaper, Adam, ever the ambitious reporter, needs a big headline to redeem his career. Enter Sky, a girl with a story that news outlets have been chasing for years. Sky agrees to grant Adam an exclusive interview on one that he befriend Sky, in a very public way, to prove to everyone in Cranberry that she’s not an outcast.
As Sky shares her experiences with Adam, something much bigger than a simple agreement begins to grow between them. But for love to take root, Adam will have to take a leap towards a life that defies expectations, and Sky must open her heart – full of flora and fauna and mystical energies – to his curious mind.
This is the third book in the Wild Magic series, and I was really happy to return to this world and get Sky’s story. Her sisters’ stories were so good, as is Sky’s. After spending years in a dormant state stuck between worlds, Sky is back among the living, but she still feels completely out of place in her small town. She’s lonely, misunderstood, and very much seen as the local oddball, even as she tries to settle into a quiet life working in the archives, spending time with animals, and leaning on her sisters.
Sky was such a unique and layered protagonist. She’s quiet, sensitive, and often overwhelmed, but also strong in ways that really matter. I liked how the book handled her neurodivergence in a way that felt natural and respectful, showing her overthinking, her intense emotions, and how hard social situations can be for her without turning that into her entire personality. She was very relatable in so many ways, and I really understood her reactions to being in new situations and large crowds.
Though flawed and a bit of a mess after losing his journalism job and moving back home, Adam is a swoon-worthy love interest, and I liked that he wasn’t perfect and had his own stuff to work through. Their deal, pretending to be friends in exchange for Sky’s story, as well as the anonymous online connection between them, added so much depth to their relationship, and I absolutely love how he treats her. It’s such a sharp contrast to how other men in her life have treated her. And some of the things he says (and does) definitely made me want to pick up a fan. lol Their chemistry and banter were fantastic, and I loved watching their relationship grow from an awkward deal to real friendship, and then to something deeper and hotter.
Sky’s sisters disappointed me a bit, especially after loving them in their respective books, but I did like how the three women worked things out. The story definitely examines the complex and changing dynamics in sibling relationships, especially since they love Sky deeply but don’t always fully understand what she needs. The whole story was an emotional journey for Sky, but I think her sisters grew and learned a lot about themselves, too.
Overall, this was a unique and romantic read about healing, understanding, and finding connection after feeling out of place for a long time. And though it is the conclusion to the series, it could easily be read as a standalone. I actually read the second book in the series before reading the first and had no problems.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- small town
- autistic FMC
- animal companions
- magical family
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2017. She’s most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains. Raquel has published two books of poetry. Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is her first novel.
