I couldn’t connect to the story. It started out great but plot got mixed up with too many things. There was no magical elements as such.

Ari lost her fiance Simon several years earlier, looking for the place he was obsessed with, the missing underwater city of Ys. Her brother calls her back to Saint Sirene, convinced that he might have found proof of the city's existence, but he needs her help. Once there she meets Rafael Du Lac. The water witch has cursed all the men of his family to die young and he's desperate to end it. Together, they set out to find Ys and break the curse once and for all.

The Water Witch is an action-packed romance with an air of mystery and a dash of the fantastical.

There's great description and some vivid imagery that draws you into the story and gives you a genuine sense of place.

The mythology and folklore of Brittany is weaved expertly through the book. From the missing city of Ys, the power hungry princess who later becomes the water witch, along with a guest appearance from the servant of death, I just loved every minute of it!

Ari and Rafael are great characters. Their banter and chemistry was fun to read. Ari is still deeply scarred by Simon's death, even quitting a career she loves because it reminds her too much of him. Rafael is headstrong, used to getting what he wants by throwing money at it. The romance between them was nicely done, slow burn and didn't feel too rushed.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but it made sense once I put the book down and thought about it.

If you love romance with a sprinkle of adventure and splash of fantasy, then I'd highly recommend The Water Witch to you!

3.75 stars!

I really liked the setting and atmosphere of this book, but found that the romance was simply not interesting. It was a quick read, and I liked that it was a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but did not really feel any connection to the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I liked The Bookbinder’s Daughter, another of Jessica Thorne’s books. So I jumped at the chance to read and review this one. While I think I like The Bookbinder’s Daughter better, this is an enjoyable story!

Bad enough that Ariadne (Ari) Walker’s fiancé Simon broke things off with her. But shortly after the breakup, he died. Drowned in his pursuit of the legendary lost city of Ys. Ari has sworn never to return to Brittany, and while she grieves Simon’s death, she sees it as a tragic accident. She puts little stock in local lore that says the princess of Ys was horribly betrayed by one she loved, and as a result, cursed the man who betrayed her and his descendants.

When her brother Jason asks her to come to Brittany to help bolster his case that his team has, in fact, located Ys, she plans to stay a couple of days. She has no intentions of staying in a place that brings her so much pain. But Rafael du Lac, charming and ridiculously wealthy and next of the du Lac men to die if the water witch has her way, convinces her otherwise. Soon things are happening that she can’t explain, and she finds herself drawn tighter and tighter into the search for Ys. Finding the city and breaking the curse may be the only way she – or any of them – survive.

The romance felt a little too rushed, too insta-romance for me. I mean, Ari is still heartbroken over both Simon’s dumping her and his unexpected death. But she’s now developing feelings for the new guy, who may be dying soon, too, if the curse has its way. I know, liberties must be taken for the book. That’s just a trope that bothers me a little.

And bless Rafael’s heart. He’s got so much money, he thinks it fixes everything. Ari says she needs to get back to her job? He sets up a foundation for the school where she teaches and covers all of her expenses to boot. There’s a problem with an artifact they found and the university whose help they may need authenticating everything says it’s a fake? He dumps a load of cash on them and suddenly they’re irrelevant. I almost felt sorry for Rafael, because clearly no amount of money can keep the water witch from coming for him.

But the lore, based on actual legends of Brittany, is fascinating. Characters are not always what they seem, and I found plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. Thorne’s writing style is both beautiful and easy to read, and Ari is an easy character to care about.

So this wasn’t quite up to the level of The Bookbinder’s Daughter for me, but it’s a solid four-star read. Very enjoyable if you’re a fan of a good paranormal tale with a dash of fantasy, romance, and adventure.

The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

DNF @ 15%

This is very poorly written and extremely boring. The characters are flat and dull, and I just don’t care. I went and looked up spoilers, and I’m so glad I didn’t spend more time reading this. I love archaeology and legends and treasure hunting, but it sounds like none of that actually matters in the end anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting and unique read! The setting was beautiful and well-described, and I became invested in the lives of the characters. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting a romance with a thrilling, fantasy feel!

I ended up DNF'd this book.
Although the promise was rather interesting, I wasn't connecting with the characters and even though I usually love slow-paced books, I like when I feel that the story is always progressing and I did not feel that with this book.

Sitting side by side on the clifftop, he turns to her solemnly and says, ‘The water witch is real.’ She rolls her eyes and grins, teasing him. ‘Sure. A psycho mermaid. Got it.’ But now he’s gone forever… will she find the truth beneath the waves?



Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.



Ari never believed these tall tales. And the letter Simon sent before he died finishing their relationship is a devastating secret she’ll take to the grave. But arriving in Brittany, Ari encounters a man emerging from the sea in a rocky cove, saltwater dripping from his dark hair. Rafael swears the legends are true: and his ancestor was cursed by the water witch. Now, his own life is in terrible danger. And the secret to breaking the curse lies hidden in the lost city.



When Ari finds a cryptic map and a golden mask of a woman’s face amongst Simon’s things, she has no choice but to believe Rafael’s plea. Can they follow the trail and save Rafael’s life? Pouring over the map by candlelight, the flickering flames only add to the heat between them… but will Ari’s fragile heart soon be shattered all over again? And will they ever find Ys and break the curse – or will the water witch demand another sacrifice?



An absolutely addictive romantic fantasy read filled with passion and mystery, that will sweep you away to the wild coast of northern France. Filled with real myths and legends from this magical place, The Water Witch is perfect for fans of Luanne G. Smith, River of Shadows and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

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Interesting plot and characters with mystery vibes in it. It's a pretty solid 3 stars book. Highly recommended for JLA's fans!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book is magical realism , which is a subgenre I adore. There are nods to topics I love reading about like archaeology, artifacts, legends, lore, and archival research

I really enjoyed the characters, I just wish we got a bit more from the ending. Id recommend to people who love a treasure hunt novel and slow burn romance !

Thanks for the ACR.
I feel that the story was non-original and not very exciting.
It is good for a quick read, but ultimately feels forgettable.

I’m a fan of this author, and while this one didn’t quite meet the enchantment of the first two, there was still plenty to recommend it. I was instantly taken by the fantasy part of the story. I loved the setup of the reckless princess and how the alleged curse was established. I also liked that there was a bit of mystery as to the origins or history of the lost city. I love a good archeological mystery. But I feel like the present would have been more believable if we had more details from the past. I can’t say much more than that without giving things away. I honestly didn’t make much of a connection to any of the characters in the present. I thought they were fine but didn’t do anything to really stand out to me. Still enjoyable. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delicate prose, myths that merge with reality, intertwined stories, mysterious deaths, a lost city, an ancient curse and a promiscuous-witch-queen-psychopath-murderer that you must defeat to save you, the man you love and the soul of an old love.
From Hitler to Atlantis, translating from French to Breton, you seek the treasure, you risk your life... and you expose your heart.
What beautiful and dangerous book it is!

~•~•~•~•~

Una prosa delicada, mitos que se fusionan con la realidad, historias entrelazadas, muertes misteriosas, una ciudad perdida, una antigua maldición y reina-bruja-promiscua-psicópata-asesina que vencer, para salvarte a ti, al hombre que amas y el alma de un antiguo amor.
Desde Hitler hasta Atlantis, traduciendo del francés al bretón, buscas el tesoro, te juegas la vida... y expones el corazón.

This was an interesting concept for a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I did feel like it lacked depth with the characters. I think if you enjoy books where characters do things without explanation and that are slow paced with a bit of magic. I did like the plot twist towards the end as I didn't see that coming. But overall it just lacked what I was looking for.

I was pulled in by the novel's description and despite fantasy not being my usual genre, I wanted to give this a go. I'm glad I did. The storyline held my attention and I loved the vivid imagery and setting. Overall it was an intriguing read and I enjoyed how the adventure and fantasy elements played out.

This story took me by surprise and found myself very intrigued with the concept and how things play out for the characters. There is this level of intrigue that Ari endures especially when Rafael comes into the picture. One thing I really loved is that there was the lore included that gives you some understanding of how and why things happen. Great story. Highly recommend

Amazing, full of tall tales, folklore, local legends, magic, and a curse! Plus, that beginning!!!!! The Water Witch bewitched me from page one, and I didn't want to stop reading. This book was full of so many elements that I enjoy in books. It's part mystery, part romance, part legend, involves a curse, a witch, and more. It really has everything I look for in a book! I enjoyed how the author built the story and the world, she intricately intertwined parts of the past into the present as things unfolded. There are twists, turns and things I wasn't expecting which kept me franticly page turning until the end. This was my first book by Thorne, and I look forward to reading more in the future!

Oh the book lover's joy of discovering that underrated gem of a read and then letting others in on the secret. This fantasy romance sprinkled with elements of mystery and a dash of fairy tale will take you on such an enjoyable reading journey if you let it.

Ari is still grieving the loss of her fiance Simon who died in a tragic accident. The last thing she wants to is to go back to Brittany, France - the place where Simon died and focus of his obsessive search for the lost underwater city of Ys. But her brother needs her help so despite her grief and the secret of Simon's last letter to her, Ari goes to help him. The last thing she expects is to cross paths with a handsome, mysterious Rafael whose family seems to be connected to the lost through an ancient curse of the water witch. What lays ahead might bring more questions than answers

This is the kind of book I love to take with me on vacation - so that I could read it uninterrupted. I am a big fan of mixed genre stories, especially in beautiful settings. I loved the chemistry between the main characters and the whole book kept unfolding like a movie in my mind. I felt myself transported to the little village and I felt its dark but seductive vibe throughout the book. If you are a fan of the genre and love discovering new authors, this one is a win win and I highly recommend it as the best kind of mind escape.

Grateful to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am also grateful that Jessica Thorne has 6 more books just waiting for me to discover.

This book had everythomg I love - magic, lore. witches. The story follows Dr. Ariadne Walker as she copes with the trauma of losing her fiancé, Simon, while trying to unravel his secrets and the secrets of the lost city, Ys. Little does she know, she’s about to unveil much more than she bargained for.

Ari doesn't want to travel back to France but when her brother calls and begs her to come back under the guise of going through their father's papers she kinda feels like it might not be that simple. Doesn't Jason know how hard it is for her to come back? The memories of Simon are too fresh even after all this time of grief and she has been running for so long. When she gets there and finds out that Jason found supposed treasure from the fabled place of Ys, she's even more angry - Simon already died looking for this city, why does everyone want to find it?

Rafe is visiting his great aunt in France and trying to reel in her spending when he finds out she's been financing treasure hunts for Ys, he fears the hunters are just using his aunt for money. His skepticism increases when he and Ari have an unfortunate encounter on the beach. Bu\t can they get over their prejudices to discover the treasured city? Or will the legend take the down too?

Sweet and fantastical story or love, grief and magic.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was so fun. I really enjoyed it. This book kept me interested and i enjoyed the book and this genre