This was exactly what I expected it to be. I didn’t love it, but it was a quick easy read. I really didn’t and still don’t under Gabriel and Sadie’s relationship. It seems like she hates him too much and there isn’t really anything that seems to happen in between to convince me they’d get together. I’m not sure if I’d read a follow up, but I probably would if I was looking for a quick read between other books.

An enemies to lovers slow burn that was super entertaining!

I loved this book- it was fast and thrilling. I liked the slow build up of the romance, and the fantasy elements were equally done well. There wasn't any info dumping as I expected it, but I think this was such an intriguing read enhanced by the author's writing style!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc! I would recommend this book to fans of romantasy!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Williamson, and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this was not a book for me. The description seemed amazing, the cover was beautifully done- I was ready for a world of witches with a classic enemies to lovers, but too many things got in the way of the plot for me.

The basis of this book is amazing where magic practitioners live in an urban time and Sadie has to battle to save her brother all while avoiding the Gabe-until she can't.

I could not truly delve into The Twisted Mark as descriptions were often over-detailed and focused on trivial details rather than the larger picture. I felt I was lacking details about the plot throughout the story which I felt lead to a disconnect between the reader and first person POV.

Sadie was a little too much for me- full of herself and deemed very special. One part that particularly bothered me was when Sadie took a man to bed and thought "Before he has the chance to collect his senses or take control of the situation, I straddle him, lean over, and kiss him with renewed passion." 🤮🤮🤮 Unfortunately, this happened quite early in the book and I fear it may have created some bias for me.

The relationship between Sadie and Gabe fell flat and I couldn't get into the romance aspect of this book. I couldn't get past each of them sleeping with whoever before reconciling. I felt it cheapened the enemies to lovers aspect of the book.

With this book being Sophie Williamson's debut book, I look forward to reading her upcoming work.

Thank you, NetGalley, Sophie Williamson, and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book very addictive and compelling. It grabbed me from the first page and I just couldn't pit it down. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book wasn’t for me but that may be partly on me. I went into this thinking it was much more fantasy leaning then it actually was. This book is very much a murder mystery with some fantasy mixed in.
While I think this could be a fun and enjoyable read for some I struggled with a few different aspects of this book. First and foremost is that I didn’t find any of the characters like-able, honestly most of the time I was either annoyed by them or even a bit disgusted occasionally. I also struggled trying to figure out some of their action or motives because they often seemed to make no sense to me.
The twists were pretty predictable but were entertaining. I feel like we needed more time with the characters and relationship and world building for the twists to have more impact though.
Like I said, overall not for me but if you go into this with the right expectations unlike me it might go a lot better!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in return for my honest review!

The storyline and setting of The Twisted Mark is very intriguing and draws you in, but the execution wasn't the greatest. I felt like the story was choppy and poorly done. I had high hopes for the main characters and the overall plot, but everything fell short and didn't quite meet expectations.

This was my 1st mostly "witch magic" based fantasy book and I LOVED it! It was easy to follow! The characters were extremely likeable! Nothing is what it seems, tons of twists. It was a wild ride, there were multiple times I noticed my jaw drop!

Fantasy/Romance with an incredible plot is what I LOVE & this book delivered 100%!

When I tell you this book had a CHOKEHOLD on me, I'm not lying! 😍🥵

I can't WAIT to read the next one! This story will be stuck in my head for years to come!

Thank you Sophie Williamson, I couldn't put your book down!

Thank you Storm Publishing & Net Gallery for the opportunity to read this AMAZING ARC! 🖤

Rival families, enemies to lovers, witches, spicy scenes, morally grey characters; this book ticks so many boxes!
I requested this book from Netgalley as the synopsis sounded interesting. I binge read it in an entire day.
The world building and magic system I thought was well written and this book had some Romeo and Juliet vibes which for me was a bonus. I hope to see character development in the next book for all the characters as I felt like I didn't entirely connect with them and found I wanted more of a back story. So whilst I read about them, I don't totally understand their actions or establish that reader connection.
Overall, a good debut novel and I am eager to read the next book, especially as there appears to be vampires!

This magical mafia Romeo and Juliet type story was a mixed bag for me, on the whole I had a decent time but there were definitely things that dampened my enjoyment, namely the writing of the main character and elements of the romance.

This story follows Sadie Sadler, for years she has kept herself away from her magical family and kept herself from doing magic for fear her worst enemy, Gabriel Thornber will call in a debt on her body and her magic if he finds her. But she is dragged back home again when her brother gets himself arrested for murder and she's the only one who may be able to save him.

Now the plot on the whole was enjoyable, although I was able to predict every single twist well in advance of it being revealed (although that may just be me getting lucky) I still enjoyed the ride. The characters were (bar Sadie) pretty intriguing and likeable.(or hateable when appropriate).

Now onto Sadie herself, I didn't love how she was portrayed, mostly during the courtroom scenes, she just felt... weak to me and she really didn't seem to do any outstanding lawyering except at one point when she gets a certain person to testify although that's more down to her magic prowess than her actual lawyer skills. There is even a point where Sadie's inner monologue tells us that a witnesses court statement adds an extra detail than her statement to the police... But does she actually call out the witness on this? No. Instead she just asks really basic questions (which is basically all she does throughout the whole trial). Then again when it comes to her questioning an important witness, where I was looking forward to a good bit of verbal back and forth to finally see Sadie come into her element...Nothing...No literally nothing because she can't even bring herself to form a sentence..

The other element I struggled with was the romance. Now for the most part the sexual tension of Gabriel and Sadie was great and the spicy scenes were plentiful and enjoyable, the issue for me was the "love" angle. Because in reality these two... barely know each other but we keep getting given the impression that they have this super deep bond? Now it's hard to criticise this because it DOES get brought up by Sadie a few times that they barely know each other etc. but it still bugged me.

Overall I had a decent enough time and would read the sequel to see where it goes but it wouldn't be something I would rush out to get.

The premise of The Twisted Mark is phenomenal. Magic practitioners vie for control, and a young woman named Sadie gets caught in the middle when her brother angers Gabriel, the son of her family's rival. As punishment, a lien is placed on Sadie, one Gabriel can collect at any time. She runs away to London to escape him, but is called back due to a family emergency.

I think if this wasn't marketed as a fantasy romance, I would have been able to see the story through. But I went in having picked a romance, and with that come certain expectations...like the heroine not jumping on every stiff Johnson she finds. The "morally grey" hero has a similar problem keeping it in his pants.

It's not that this is a Why Choose or Reverse Harem story. These two just jump from partner to partner, kind of negating the purpose of a romance.

If that's not something that bothers you, I encourage you to give this book a chance. The plot is intriguing and opens up a fun new world to explore. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sophie Williamson, for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 Stars

I wanted to like this book - I really did. I enjoy spicy, witchy, dark fantasy romances with enemies to lovers vibes (like Kingdom of the Wicked), but the writing just wasn't convincing enough.

Sadie defends her family not the way an adult would, knowingly turning a blind eye, but the way a child does, telling the reader over and over again that her father is a "good" man to justify his actions. It felt more like a teenager realizing her parents were human for the first time rather than an experienced lawyer. Some characters make decisions that could be justified but we don't get enough build up or explanation (I have endless questions about Leah's motivations). For other characters, decisions they made felt inconsistent and out of character.

And at the end of the day, the key to a good enemies to lovers plot for me is justification: I prefer to feel like there was justification to the enemy actions and subsequent shift into romantic territory. Here, Sadie constantly seemed overpowered by her desire for Gabriel in a way that undermined her character arc as a strong, independent witch learning the truth about her family. It was just hard to believe the sex scenes and romance when she's in the middle of her brother's trial.

I would consider reading the sequel because there were definitely parts of this book I enjoyed - inconsistent characterization was an issue for me but I really loved Sadie, Gabriel, and Nikki and would love to see more of them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I liked this, but I didn’t love it. It had so much potential but fell flat in a fair few places—I wanted to like the characters more than I did, and I wish the dialogue was smoother. It was still a really interesting concept and in a lot of ways a worthwhile read, I just had higher expectations than what the story actually gave me.

The story was very intriguing and although I liked the main characters, even Gabriel, the most unlikeable hero, it was also very confusing.

I guess the author, who created the story, had all her ideas and the story all ready in her mind, but when it translated to reality, it was often confusing.

That being said, I will still read the second installment, because, as I said, I´m intrigued and I want to see where the story will lead these characters.

Slightly spicy, slightly steamy, adventurous and fun! I wasn’t sure about the more modernized “lingo” but it flowed well pretty quickly ! I’m looking forward to the next installment for sure

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you, NetGalley, for approving me for this ARC.

Gabriel & Sadie who are both whitches, from rival families and Sadie makes a lien (where he can sleep with her and take some of her magic, one time only) with Gabriel in order to save her brother (Brendan) and he can call upon that lien anytime (providing he can find her). If she breaks the lien, then she will die

Shes been hiding from the magical community for the last 6 years and not using any magic if she can help it as this could lead Gabriel right to her door until 6 years have passed and her family need her because Brendan is now on trial for murdering Gabriel's father and Sadie is a top lawyer who they need to represent her brother.

Sadie returns home but under a disguise spell, which alters her appearance not too drastically but enough to hide who she really is but of Gabriel does.

Over the story, we start to find out why their families are rivals and secrets are uncovered, which we learn along with Sadie.

This has got whitches, enemies to lovers, hidden secrets, and it's all centred around a murder trial, I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out.

I really wanted to love The Twisted Mark and based on the synopsis I thought it would be right up my alley.

The storyline had a great premise and the writing style was good. However, I found that many parts of the story dragged and fell flat for me.

First, I would like to thank NetGally and the publishers for letting me be an advanced reader for this book. I have to say that I am a bit torn. The story idea is a great one; however, I couldn’t get over the MMC and how he was portrayed even though he was "in love” with the FMC. He was not likable what so ever. This is basically a magical mafia story that revolves around a courtroom drama. I had a hard time finishing this book but it is not because of the story but it was because MMC. Obviously, I finished the book because I believe that if your asked to be an advanced reader you should absolutely follow through and complete the book. The author has something here and if the MMC was different I really could have enjoyed this story.

WOW!! FANTASTIC!! Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a magical and unique witchy fantasy romance that has your enemies to lovers trope, forbidden romance, morally gray characters, family rivalry, secrets, betrayals and a murder mystery! It is a journey filled with suspense, tension, magic binding spells, sizzling romance, and unexpected twist and turns. I absolutely loved this book so much!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Sadie, who is a powerful witch and lawyer, lives in London. She avoids using her magic for fear it would lead her archenemy, Gabriel, straight to her. When she finds out that her brother is on trial for the murder of Gabriel's father, Sadie has to travel home to represent him in court. Will she be able to hide from Gabriel with the disguise spell on her? Better yet will she be able to resist the pull she has for him? Is her brother innocent? How far will she go to protect her family? Who is the true villain?

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! I will say to be prepared because it does not end on a happily ever after. However, it does have a happy ending. Now I cannot wait for the next book in the series!! I highly recommend this book and it deserves all the stars!!✨✨🔮💫💫🧙‍♀️

Title: The Twisted Mark (Witch Trials #1)
Subtitle: A promise made. A magical debt unpaid.
Author: Sophie Williamson

Date Released: July 26th, 2023*

Category: Urban Fantasy Romance

Synopsis: Sadie Sadler lives in the big city. Takes the train to work each day. Drinks fancy coffee. Does yoga… and never, ever does magic, lest it leads Gabriel Thornber straight to her door.

Sadie’s family have used their magic to protect the small northern town of Mannith for centuries. But now, Sadie’s brother Brendan is on trial for murder, and Gabriel, the charismatic and sinister head of the Sadlers’ only rivals, is moving to take the town. Only Sadie has both the knowledge to save Brendan and the magical strength to face down Gabriel.

The trouble is, there’s a good reason Sadie left home and turned her back on she bargained away her powers and her body to Gabriel to save her damn brother the last time he got in trouble. If she comes home, Gabriel will try to collect… but there’s no way she’ll allow her brother to rot in jail or her family’s strength to wane.

Returning in disguise, Sadie’s plan to save Brendan and get out is tested as she’s dragged back into a world of magic and power, with Gabriel at its centre. Battling both her long-standing terror of him and a growing, dark attraction, she must decide who Mannith’s real villains are and how far she’ll go for her family.

A promise made… a magical debt unpaid. This is a fight that could cost Sadie everything.

Quote: But that’s human thinking. He can stop whatever spells I attempt. He’ll show no mercy. And ultimately, if I tried to prevent this, by all our rules and customs, I’d be the one in the wrong.

The UnReel Take:
Story: 3
Writing: 1
Characters: 3
Setting: 3
UnReel AR: 2.5

Bottom Line: I mean… I finished it. Granted, that had more to do with the fact that I was having fun hate-reading, but I put down a lot of books, so finishing does mean something. Seeing as how I made notes on almost every page of this book, I could probably write a dissertation on why I didn’t like it but suffice-it-to-say this was like reading a trashy soap opera where every character talks like a Lifetime movie (weird image I know, but I stand by it).

Ideal Reading Location: North England. Or, if that’s not possible, just put on a background compilation of Jamie Tartt talking.

Drink Pairing: Gin. I’d say Beefeater, but dealer’s choice.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Twisted Mark, the first installment of the Witch Trials series pulls you in, right from the beginning. It follows the story of Sadie Sadler, as she defends her brother in a trial in her hometown. Sadie had sworn off magic after saving her brother and owing a debt to a rival, Gabriel Thornber. Sadie is reluctantly dragged back into the world of magic and of her family and their influence. Is her brother innocent? Is her family to be trusted? Will Gabriel call in his debt?

I could not put this book down. I read it every chance I got - it pulled me in and constantly surprised me.

What I liked: I like that Sadie had pulled away from magic, in part to save her family, and now she's faced with getting pulled back in that world to save them again. The constant guesswork of who to trust was compelling. Should she trust her family blindly? Should she trust her magic? Her logic? I also enjoyed the fact that while you seem to have a good of idea of who is good and evil at the start...by the end, you realize they are all a little bit of both. And the spice.....perfect. The tension between characters was beautiful!

What I didn't like: I can't think of a thing I didn't like!

I will definitely check out the next book when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sophie Williamson for this ARC!