I love stories like. I love it when stories go into the past to either right a wrong or just get some perspective on history. This was nicely done here in this story. And it was chilling enough to call it a ghost story without over doing it. Definitely a hit for me!

My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC.
A well written story of a time when you could be hung for being a witch regardless of having done no wrong. This was the fate of poor Grace Cotter.
Moving forward three hundred years plus later Grace now needs Salena’s help in order to rest.
An emotional story combining past and present.

God this book was good. Really really good. It sucked me in on the first paragraph, to be honest, and didnt let me go. Beautifully written, heartfelt with a fabulously intriguing story line. A bit mystery, a bit romance, a bit historial fiction, a bit folklore... I loved it. Highly recommended.

A gripping read set as a duel timeline as two women live in the same cottage, one modern day and the other in the 1600s.

I am such a history fan and particularly knowing people's stories from the past, so I found Grace's experiences of a hardworking, poor young woman in a rural village captivating and how the rumours and prejudices of the time had such specific devastating consequences for women.

The modern story line was more simple but intertwined with the loss and shame of the historical one. I felt like I knew Selina less than I did Grace but equally her artistry and kindness towards learning of Grace's story was well-written. The blossoming romance Selina finds during her desolation was gently done and felt natural.

An immersive and atmospheric story that brings much to think about.

This one just wasn’t for me. I really did love the plot and I think this book could have been done well under different circumstances, but I had problems with it. I found the dialogue to be overly descriptive yet flat at the same time, to the point of being unrealistic. I had a hard time believing anyone would speak or think the way the two POV characters do. Additionally, I didn’t like the author’s tendency to tell instead of show. Unfortunately, I found the dialogue/writing style so unappealing that it made me apathetic to both of the two main characters. By the time I finished this book I realized I was just finishing it to finish it, not because I actually wanted to know how it ended. I wish this one had worked for me because it had a great plot, but hopefully others will enjoy it more than I did.

I really enjoyed The Witch's Tree. It is a dual timeline story of two women who live in the same house. The past story is about Grace an accused witch who lives in the 1600s, the present-day story is about Selena, an artist who is vacationing at the cottage Grace used to live in. The Selena story is kind of slow going with lots of buildups that go nowhere for quite some time, it seems really stuck on the word eerie (you'll know what I mean). The Grace story is fantastic and heartbreaking. You can just feel as you go along that something bad is happening. I think the two came together pretty well, even if one story was much stronger than the other. All in all, it is a wonderful book with a fantastic cover.

As a huge fan of dual timeline historical fiction and books on witchcraft, I was really looking forward to reading this. It has echoes of Barbara Erskine, my favourite author, maybe not so in depth and a lighter read but this does not detract from the story. This is an excellent book and kept me engrossed and unusually I liked both the present day story of Selina and the story of Grace in the 1600’s equally, and enjoyed going between the two and seeing how they linked up. This book is for anyone who is interested in how women who were involved in healing, midwifery and natural remedies were then accused of witchcraft. Loved it, a generous 5 stars from me!
Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

This book was a very slow pace. It switched view between the present and the past. It just didn't keep my attention or keep me engaged in the story. There was no person that I really cared for or couldn't wait to see what happened to them next. It just fell flat for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of The Witch's Tree

This beautiful novel is set in two time lines, the narrative flits back and forth. Its a story about heartbreak, betrayal and love.
The story of Grace a Seventeenth century woman was perfectly told, the emotion was well put into her story. It entwined with Selena our modern day artist really well. The pacing of the story kept the mystery and the supernatural elements were enough to keep you on the edge. All of this for me made a compelling read.

If you love historical fiction, such as Stacey Halls, then you'll love this. Told 300 years apart, we follow the story of Grace, a poor girl living with her father, and Swlena, an artist looking to clear her mind after tragedy. The writing will keep you gripped and it explores the themes of love, betrayal and hope- which dont seem to have changed at all.
Thank you to @Boldwoodbooks for the ARC

What an absolutely amazing book, thank you #netgalley and #boldwoodbooks for letting me read this ARC.
I love books by Judy Leigh, so when I heard that she had written The Witch's Tree under the name Elena Collins, I knew I had to read this book.
I can't even put into words how much this book fascinated and captivated me, following the the current day life of Selena a professional artist and Grace who lived in the later half of the 1600s.
Two very different times, attitudes and beliefs. The same love and heart ache. Selena ends up at a beautiful old cottage with a beautiful old tree and well, where she hopes to paint and clear her head. She makes some amazing new friends and becomes part of the local community. We flick to Grace who is a milk maid that lives with her father, her grandmother Bett lives a walk away. There's magic, tragedy, love, hurt, hope and new futures for both ladies. Their paths even cross during Selenas stay.

The detailed writing led me deep into the story and my imagination was captivated. I felt like I was there, painting and experiencing. Much success to Judy/ Elena with this beautiful book. I need to go to a May Dance and I need a green gem stone and some new love in my life.

The Witch’s Tree is a story about love, heartbreak, betrayal, and healing featuring a time slip plot connecting two women centuries apart.

Selena is an artist recovering from a love affair gone wrong and embarks on an artist’s retreat in the English countryside at Sloe Cottage- rumoured to be haunted.

Grace is a young seventeenth century farm woman who must deal with the horrible consequences of a love affair gone wrong in a time and place where superstition could cost someone their life.

When Selena moves into Sloe Cottage, whisperings, apparitions, and spine tingling occurrences beckon Selena to explore the history of the home where she uncovers a tragic past.

This was a heart-wrenching story that connected Selena and Grace’s experiences in a sad but empowering way. The pacing was perfect, the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, and it was perfectly balanced with suspenseful and supernatural elements. It’s hard to read a story about witches without grieving for those innocent women who tragically lost their lives during this dark period of history. It was an emotional read and my heart went out to both Selena and Grace who were just trying to find love and heal their broken hearts.

I really enjoyed this story and was moved by the bravery of the two main characters, even though their circumstances made me quite teary-eyed. I hope to see Elena Collins write similar stories to this in the future, because this was a beautifully written book that focused on the real hardships women of all eras have to contend with.

This is a wonderful story about love, heartbreak and history. Sloe Cottage is a home to Grace Cotter who works in the fields and in her garden, helps her widowed father get by and hopes that someday she'll have a family on her own . 300 years later (present day) we follow Selena settling into the Sloe Cottage to get over a heartbreak and find some inspiration in the rural area for her paintings. But nothing is as it seems and as Selena makes new friends , Grace's life gradually falls apart . Both of them are connected though , as the story goes the truth is slowly revealed about Sloe Cottage . The writing is beautiful and i got easily absorbed into the story , i swear i could feel the coldness of the walls and the warmth of fire. 10/10 from me :)

I adored this atmospheric bewitching novel that kept me gripped. I followed each strand of the duel storyline with eager anticipation of what would come next. A fabulous worthy *5 read.
Thank you to Boldwood Books for the ARC.

In the late 17th century, Grace Cotter is looking after her father and their farm at Sloe Cottage while learning herbal healing skills from her grandmother. While she is content, what she really wants is a husband and family of her own. Unfortunately, these are the times when women are not allowed to be “canny”, such knowledge is dangerous. Three hundred years later, Selena has moved into Sloe Cottage to recover from a break up and feels the reverberations of the woman who lived there so many years before. An atmospheric and absorbing read

This was such an enjoyable read. It was well written with a compelling, dual timeline story and well developed charcaters that added extra depth to the plot. It was a gripping read and I couldn't put it down.

This book is told as a dual timeline which adds a great deal of interest and intrigue to the story. Two strong female characters carry the story along and it smoothly transitions from one century to the next. It is a heartbreaking story for one of the characters and the author did a good job of creating the setting and the mentality that people had on the 1700’s.

The present day characters were easy to like and I really wanted to go and stay in the cottage. It was a wee bit creepy but that really added to the story and as needed. An all round exciting book that I didn’t want to put down. I was really rooting for both ladies. Thank you to Boldwood for the invitation to read this book via NetGalley. It was a delight to read and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

The Witch's Tree by Elena Collins

As a love affair comes to an end, and with it her dreams for her future, artist Selena needs a retreat. The picture-postcard Sloe Cottage in the Somerset village of Ashcombe promises to be the perfect place to forget her problems, and Selena settles into her new home as spring arrives. But it isn’t long before Selena hears the past whispering to her. Sloe Cottage is keeping secrets which refuse to stay hidden.
1682
Grace Cotter longs for nothing more than a husband and family of her own. Content enough with her work on the farm, looking after her father, and learning the secrets of her grandmother Bett’s healing hands, nevertheless Grace still hopes for love. But these are dangerous times for dreamers, and rumours and gossip can be deadly. One mis-move and Grace’s fate looks set…
Wow - A fantastic story. I read it in less than a day , and could not put it down.

The plot has so much to bewitch the reader. It has a dual time he which is always a winner for me. It's a ghost story , a story of heartbreak , a tale of strong women . But most of all , a love story . Love between a man and women of one that that is illicit . The love of friendship , parental love , love of nature , and love between people destined to be together.
A perfect read.