Excellent read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this story of a community near to woods haunted by the restless ghost of a man murdered by his brother. It was atmospheric and creepy, but quite complex with a large cast of characters, and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of which of the girls was which. It's quite a subtle slow burn ghost story, not a great deal happens as such - the story uncovers what happened in the past, while in the present the day of the wedding grows closer.

I thought that the audiobook narrators did a good job of narrating the story, and helped to build the spooky atmosphere nicely.

I really tried with this one.

I absolutely adored the the premise and the gothic story, but I literally don’t remember any of it. The pacing is so slow I drifted off, and it was a chore to get through. I have never read a novel so dull, and I struggled so much with it.

Sorry I couldn’t enjoy it

This book was like listening to someone telling ghost stories around a camp fire, it was so creepy and atmospheric. Mockbeggar Wood felt like a main character itself, seemingly with feelings and opinions of its own.

There are a series of stories, all interconnected. The book goes back and forth in time between the past and the present, with various characters narrating. It was interesting how points of view changed the events, and how the memories were altered over time. Even the characters seemed changed through the story.

If you’re after a gothic treat that's a little whimsical and VERY creepy, pick this up!

Chloe and Sam have planned a beautiful wedding at Small Angels, back where Sam grew up. Except Sam didn’t tell Chloe about its tragic and horrifying past, and the boy who lived in the woods. Only Sam’s sister Kate, and the woman she used to love, really know of the danger that faces Chloe - because the woods have awoken, and they want their revenge for what happened years ago…

Pleased to report that the story totally lives up to the stunning cover with this wonderful novel - the storytelling, the characters, the sense of place are all just spot on and I was hooked almost instantly, even if I read lots of it with my hands over my eyes (metaphorically obvs).

Because this is creepy! I don’t want to give too much away but the history of the woods and a certain young boy is pretty dark and gruesome, so don’t let the pretty cover fool you - there’s an element of horror to this too! But the ending really managed to lighten the darkness of the story, and of course there’s some great queer romance too if the spooky stuff isn’t your thing!

If you want a gorgeous, compelling novel of redemption, friendship, family, and moving on from a past that’s trying to hold you back, then I can’t recommend this enough.

The first word that springs to mind to describe Small Angels, is “atmospheric”. The characters and the setting are all so well described, that I sat down to watch TV, one evening, and expected to see the series listed under my Netflix “current viewing”, it was so vivid, in my mind.

There are a lot of characters, but they are introduced slowly, so they are not overwhelming and they each add their voice to the narrative. Being able to see the story grow from different angles was very impactful.
We have a dual time-line to fully set the scenes; Chloe’s imminent wedding and the happenings at Mockbeggar woods, years ago.

Almost immediately, we get a sense of the dark magic, deep within the heart of the woods. When Chloe goes into the old church and tithe barn to clean them for her wedding day, inexplicable things happen that seem to echo too much the warnings she was given about Small Angels, on her first overnight stay at the village pub.

This review copy from NetGalley was on audio and the narration was perfect. Nothing about it detracted from the storyline and her intonation was very pleasing.

Small Angels was a delightful slice of folk horror. At least, I think that's where it would sit in the genre.

At its heart we have a wedding and a rift between siblings as well as a story of young love from the past that was once thwarted.

I enjoyed the narration of the book too and think this added to the tradition of oral storytelling evoked by the novel.

The story of a strange wood that has been dormant for years but where the townspeople still don't like to venture for fear of the spirits within, of a family who are guardians of the wood but all bar one have abandoned post, and the girl who has been away since seeing something sinister when she was younger and has been pretending never happened since.

I think this would be a perfect autumn read when spooky season starts to set in, but I still enjoyed it in the summer.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Small Angels, a small town modern gothic tale, was my kind of book that appealed to the darker, haunting fiction I enjoy. The atmosphere is that intimate evocative creepiness and suspense. I loved the feel, the history of the church (Small Angels) and the stories surrounding it, and the community silence over the strangeness within this town. There were some truly creepy moments so I had to switch to reading during the day, but I loved it.

However, that feel wasn’t always sustained longer enough for me and seemed to teeter off until the final third. I also struggled with some of the other characters, aside from Lucia and Kate. The Gonne sisters were intriguing, and yet I was constantly wanting more. Keeping track of the cast via audiobook was a little difficult that at times did lead to confusion and my attention waning, so occasionally I wasn’t fully immersed in the story.

Although I struggled with a few of the characters, the strengths of this book were the romantic relationship between Lucia and Kate, and the interplay between Lucia and Harry. Both relationships had this deep-rooted longing and a feeling of being trapped by circumstance or duty (and thus being unable to truly love your life how you want) conveyed in different ways that excelled on the page. This book is told in different POVs and timelines, and each story was intriguing, and in the end I enjoyed how they were woven together.

One of my favourite elements of this book was the magical Mockbeggar Woods that likes to be told stories; I adored this element of the world. And just like the woods, I loved that the heart of this book was story, and telling your own story, which can set you free.

I definitely plan to pick up a physical copy to re-read during spooky season.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.
The first few chapters were quite difficult, I felt the lack of different voices from the narrator made it very hard to follow at the beginning. However once all the characters were introduced I found it a lot easier to follow.
The book centres arouns Chloe who is having her wedding at Small angels church unbeknownst to her that it may not be the fairytale venue she'd envisioned.
I loved the backdrop of the story and I doubt I'll ever be able to venture into the woods again without thinking of mockbeggar woods.
All together this was a really good gothic tale that combined a supposed happy wedding story with creepy supernatural

Small Angels mainly follows Chloe and Sam, in the events that lead up to their wedding, and the history that still seems to haunt the small English village.

📚STORY: I enjoyed the gothic mystery of this book, and how the past and future came together. It did take a bit to get into the story, and some of the chapters were sooo long, but the ending was satisfying with all the narratives nicely tied up.

🎶AUDIO: The narrator did a good job recounting the story and becoming the characters, especially with the change in povs.

📚I recommend this if your looking for a gothic ghost story, with plenty of mystery.

If you love a slow gothic ghost story that will give you chills and keep you up at night, then look no further! Small Angels is a gripping and creepy gothic delight and I absolutely loved it. It was such a deeply atmospheric read! The intensity of the woods and of the malicious spirit that lurked within, was felt on every page and it was sensational!

The characters in this novel were also incredible! The way they were all slowly introduced and played such a big part in the story was amazing! The Gonne sisters in particular were my favourites. It was their interactions with the woods and with the terrifying spirit, Harry, that had me obsessed! Plagued by this spirit, the sisters try to placate him and Lucia even goes as far as to befriend him! A dangerous and foolish idea, but one that had me hooked.

I loved this story and it was so beautifully written. The use of multiple POVs wasn't overwhelming, instead it was thoughtfully done. I also loved how the past was interwoven into the story and how slipping back in time worked so well!

Small Angels is just a fantastic gothic story and it would make for the most perfect Halloween read! I can't wait to rediscover it once Spooky Season is in full swing!

This reminded me of a good old 19th century ghost story. The only downside to that is that it lacked some originality- but still enjoyable.

Headlines:
Creepy gothic horror wrapped in the now
A small village
Legend meets reality

I got an invite to Chloe and Sam's wedding thanks to the team at Headline, I will be sending my apologies because the wedding that brought the old tales to life in this story scared the life out of me at times. I have been dipping my toe into more creep and mild horror this year and Small Angels really did test my mettle in terms of what I could cope with.

The story is told from a range of POVS, but they're slowly and gradually introduced; they're not overwhelming and easy to follow. The idea of the Gonnes, the tales of the past, the church and eventually the things that Chloe experienced had my hairs on the back of my neck on end.

Kate was something of a pivotal character, building from small beginnings into the centre of how things evolved. She had a tight connection to the Gonne sister. Her role in the plot was crucial and atmospheric. How Kate's character linked with Laura, then Harry kept me reading and the reveals eventually came.

The narration was excellent and it added a layer of creep for me. The blurb for this book says come if you dare and I would second that statement, only if you dare!

Thank you to Headline books for the advance listening copy..

Young Kate found solace in the Gonne sisters, the four girls who lived with their strict grandparents by Small Angels, the church next to the Mockbegger woods. She learnt their family secret: they are responsible for controlling the ghost that resides in the woods and have been for generations. Yet their bond was broken as the five girls aged, yearned for independence and questioned their roles.

Years later, Chloe has spent months planning her wedding to her fiancé, Sam. She is struck by the thought to hire Small Angels as her venture, the charming old church in the village Sam and his sister, Kate, grew up in. So Kate is pulled back to the place she's spent so much time avoiding. As the wedding nears, Chloe hears more unsettling stories about the history of Small Angels and Mockbegger, leaving them all forced to face their memories.

This story is perfectly nice. It has dense writing but is well-considered. It's slow-paced but it is suitable eventful. It's jumpy in character perspective, time and setting but that means it's a full story. For many, this will be perfect. Or a bland read for some. A Gothic atmosphere is often hit-or-miss; some will find this darkly compelling but others will fail to connect to the world created.

As audio, this is equally as fine. There's nothing wrong with the narration, beyond that the four female narrators sound alike, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

I had high hopes for 'Small Angels' but, it didn't quite deliver the level of creepiness I was hoping for. There are a lot of characters in this book so it almost doesn't work as an audiobook. I think, it would be useful to have a character list or family tree at the start of the book because I got quite lost with everyone. Each of the chapters are also split between a memory of the past, the present and a different person's perspective so it often got muddled in my head. I liked the idea of the demon spirit of Harry Child and the vengeance he seeks for his wronged death but, there were a lot of threads to follow. 'Small Angels' is often a character in itself and has a looming presence in the lives of the villagers. This book could potentially work well as a series or film as there is a lot of vivid descriptions which really come through in the writing.
'Small Angels' follows the story of Chloe and Sam as they try to marry in the church of Small Angels but strange goings on occur. Everyone in the village is aware of the terrible history and curse of Small Angels, all except Chloe. Everyone knows not to talk about Harry Child or antagonise him. Harry Child is a 200 year old story of a tricked and murdered little boy who claims people for his own pleasures and generally causes mayhem. There are some quite disturbing scenes as Harry can control the woods and produces flowers and constricting vines at will. Those who are haunted or afflicted by him are usually injured with dog bites, slashes and cuts. A disturbing read that would be fitting over Halloween.

I love tales based on folklore so from the start this piqued my interest. I enjoyed the interwoven timelines and the characters were full of life. A really great book, I will be looking for more works by this author.



The narrators were all excellent and had wonderful atmospheric voices, which adds some mysticism to the reading.

If you enjoy folklore, Old English tales, ghost stories and the like definitely give this a read!

“He walks amongst the whispering trees
And this will ever be so
No help of ours could set him free
From the woods where roses grow’

Small angels is such an Endearing name for such a creepy and genuinely compelling story. The titular Angels however, come not from characters, but from the name of a church which sits at the heart of the story. In spite of this ecclesiastical centrepiece, the tale of Mockbeggar Woods at the dark goings-on therein feels much older and more fundamentally British than Christianity.
In a twisting, Gothic, narrative Lauren Owens creates a ghost story, that while maintaining the writing style and dreadladen flavour of the genre manages to feel immediate and urgent. .A brutal murder that took place nearly two Centuries before the action has bound the Gonne family to Mock Beggar woods and the protection of a vengeful spirit while also condemning them to isolation and suspicion from their neighbours. The surviving sisters of this final generation have fled the area after a terrible tragedy was visited on them by the malevolent spirit of the woods and now only Lucia has the power to bring to an end servitude circled by beautiful deadly roses.

Lauren Owens writes beautifully with dense poetic text Structured in short punchy sentences. Fans of Laura Purcell will revel in this disturbing dark and incredibly satisfying tale. Highly recommended for the lovers of the Genuinely spooky, and those looking for a fireside read as the nights begin to drawing.

A beautifully narrated book.
Small Angels is a creepy fantasy horror but is so beautifully written it feels far more gentle than the events within suggest.
The end leaves you without total closure, in typical style of the genre. I enjoyed the story but have to admit, being bad with names, I wasn’t sure who each of the female characters was until very close to the end which made parts of the book hard to follow

I initially rated this as 4 stars but it's played on my mind a lot since I finished, and I decided I was being parsimonious.



Audio review: Great narrators - they brought life and nuance to the characters and the narrative.



Small Angels is everything a good Gothic novel should be - peopled with slightly larger than life characters, containing a love story robed in the borrowed trappings of horror, set in a place that's just not quite like the world we know but could very well exist in a hidden corner of it, and showing flashes of folk horror too as an added bonus.



Above all, the Gothic concerns itself with the interconnectedness of things - people, places, events - delivering everything through a dark mirror so that what should be mundane is subtly shifted. Like many Gothic novels, Small Angels contains a murder - several in fact - but the focus is on one specific one, between two brothers hundreds of years before. The land and the woods are wild and untamed, growing up close around the village and begetting a set of rules the locals know to obey - never stray into Mockbeggar for example. And as is the way, one family knows the truth and is both forced and willingly embraced in to the position of custodianship.



So yes, all the ingredients for great gothic/ folk horror are there. What I found especially intriguing was the way the idea of story was used. That stories define us and what are memories except stories? That the land, the wood remembers if it likes the story enough. In addition, the love story element is nuanced and complex; the innocent young girl common to the Gothic is both the victim and at times the antagonist. Finally, the powerful message is that while we may grow up believing the stories told of us, letting them define who we are, we can change the story anytime we like. We don't have to be defined by what other people believe. This was a great book with a compelling narrative and relatable characters. Highly recommend.

Small Angels by Lauren Owen is described as a twisting gothic novel of hauntings, heartbreak and revenge it is apparently narrated by four people Daphne Kouma; Eleanor Yates; Rebecca Lee; Tamsin Kennard but I can't say i differentiated between them. The narration suits a fairytale but I found it hard to engage with the story, so much so that i had no idea what was going on and i just jumped to the end to see how it finished. Personally i think i would of enjoyed it more if i had read the story.