Such an intriguing fantasy with magic, practitioners and family secrets. Sadie is an interesting FMC. She chose to live isolated from her family after what happened in the past, but I think this helped her to be her own person, to be the badass lawyer she is. Though, the 6-year isolation took a toll on her in a way, because she was still blind with loyalty towards her family and she needed to open her eyes eventually that not everything is all well and just even if family is important. The other main character, Gabriel is a morally gray heartthrob. He meant well, but his actions were rather dreadful. On the outside he seems devilish, but on the inside he’s rather sweet. It was understandable Sadie was conflicted and torn between him and her family. The tension was palpable between the main characters and the steamy scenes were good. I liked the trial parts of the story, too, watching Sadie kicking ass in her job. Can’t wait to find out what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

🤯So many twists and turns that had me completely shocked! I did not want the book to end! I have nothing bad to say about this book, I absolutely loved it! You need to order it now!🔥 I can’t wait for the second book!

Let’s jump right into it!

Sadie is not an older-day witch. She’s your modern, normal witch who does YouTube tutorials and is a lawyer that focuses on human rights as well as criminal cases.

Gabriel, so I absolutely wanted to hate him but come on, it was inevitable that we readers would fall in love with him. Even if he was a twisted way of showing how he cares about someone.

I like how the book was broken up into 3 parts and we were told the back story of what occurred with Sadie and Gabriel.

Sadie’s brother gets in some trouble and she has to leave London and go back home to help his case. But the thought of seeing Gabriel again is overwhelming.

I liked Conner a lot as well. He was so protective over Sadie and exactly the person she needed to be around for support coming back home to feeling very uncomfortable.

Some fave quotes:
“He was more beautiful than I remembered. More terrifying, too”

“There was no way he was going to agree to marry anyone but you.”

“This is your home now”

Thank you, NetGalley for the EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts. This review will be shared on my Instagram (@Alexandriavwilliams_) shortly

Let me preface by saying this might be *my* problem. I believe if you went into this with an open mind, you might enjoy this more than I did. But if your taste a lil similar to me, there'll be something in this one will bother you a lot.

With that said, I still found a few things that I appreciated in this one. The setting for one. There's this isolated town, protected by a dome, filled with magic users (i.e. practitioners) that I quite like. Then, we're introduced to these two major families of the town, the Sadlers (h's family) and the Thornbers (H's family). Romeo and Juliet vibe anyone? Aside from that, the general plot was also something I found interested in. I just wished it was properly planned.

Anyway, my ONE big issue. The one thing that ruined the whole book for me. It's the characters. I don't like any of them. Especially these two main MCs. Sadie is a special snowflake. The chosen one. The one's pretty and powerful but doesn't think she is. Gabriel is our morally grey, antihero fuckboi. And I rarely used that term. Fuckboi. He is. A massive one.

The writing also left a lot to be desired. There were few moments when I can't help but cringing and grimacing at the demonstration of powers they have. It just felt janky and awkward for everyone.

One last thing you should know, before you ventured into this book, is that both of these people, is sex-positive. I.e. there's a few sex scenes, ,<i>explicit sex </i> scenes these MCs have with other people, throughout the book. So, if you're hoping for celibacy between these two, forget it. And honestly, that's not the turn off. The turn off happened later. You'll know when it happened.

All in all, it was rough time for me. But considering this is a debut work from this author, I believed there is nowhere but up for her from now on. Truly, I think, I would love to have a conversation with someone who really enjoys this book. Maybe I missed something here.

<i>*I have received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchanged of an honest review.</i>

I did enjoy reading this book, but it was not without flaws. The plot, magic system, and setting were very intriguing and original. I thought that the concept was pretty solid. I just don't think it was written or executed as well as it could have been.

With some scrutiny, it's all a little flimsy. The stakes felt forced to me (Like CW drama). The magic system is never really explained sufficiently, in my opinion. There wasn't a whole lot of depth or complexity to most of the characters. I had some real moments of frustration with our protagonist for her lack of self reflection and her inability to ask the right questions or dig a little deeper. There were several points where I thought the writing itself was a clunky. The dialog in particular could be pretty cringe (especially between the protagonist and the villain/love interest. I also really had trouble taking her family and it's dynamic seriously. It read like a cross between Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey a lot of the time. I know plenty of people are into that and I would still recommend it to customers, it's just not really my cup of tea.

I am grateful to have had the chance to read The Twisted Mark, but I don't think that I will be continuing on in the series at this point.

A brilliant enemy-to-lover romance, with magic and witchery thrown in to boot. Fabulous characters and twists and turns galore, I romped through in a couple of nights. Recommended.

1 star. I really didn’t like this book. Some aspects of it even made me angry!

Unfortunately, this reads like a really bad fanfiction. The characters were flat and didn’t talk or behave like actual people. The plot and the world-building made no sense and were full of contradictions. And the writing style itself also wasn’t great. It was mostly cringey and awkward.

This also didn’t feel like the blurb-promised Dark Fantasy Romance. It was mostly a courtroom mystery, with the families involved reading more like wannabe Mafia, than powerful witches or a coven. Meanwhile, the romance element felt manipulative and there was no chemistry between the characters.

I also noticed that the book was full of questionable, casual comments about people's appearance, coming from the “good guys”. This shouldn’t really be happening in a book published in 2023 and set in the present day, in my opinion. But they just kept happening! Non-magical filler characters were also sent off with love potions and told to have fun with their new girlfriends. So, clearly, the idea of consent doesn’t exist in this perfect, idyllic world either. There were many other head scratching and absolutely infuriating moments like this littered throughout the book.

Mark my words, 'The Twisted Mark' is going to be the next book-tok phenomenon! The Twisted Mark is a steamy romance about a magic community, Sadie Sadler and Gabriel Thornbun are born to warring families and are the main protagonists of 'The Twisted Mark'. This book was very well written, and it kept my attention the entire time and was so easy to follow. The romance was so perfect, and it didn't take away from the plot of the book and its story. So excited for book 2 to come out!

Big thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not exactly a fan of the fantasy romance genre, which makes me a bit tougher audience to please. This book didn't captivate me but I didn't hate it ago. I really enjoyed the court room drama, magic rituals and duels when they happened but I felt like the subplots like the relationship with Connor or what happened with Leah or the Dome strengthening should have been more developed. I was begging for more drama and excitement. It's rare that I say this but I think this book could benefit from being longer.

As it relates to the romance, I just could not get with. Not only is Gabrielle manipulative but also weirdly obsessive. I cringed every time Sadie intentionally gave into him. If there was some mention of soul ties or love spells maybe I’d be more understanding but they're not under any magical influence. Nope, not my idea of romance at all.

Despite all my complaints, I'm still going to give the next book a shot. I'm so intrigued by the thought of a criminal law fantasy book series . I hope there's less Sadie-Gabrielle romance in The Binding Mark.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an early copy in exchange for a honest review!
Sadie Sadler is living in London as a lawyer, hiding from a man named Gabriel to avoid fulfilling the bargain they made years ago. Gabriel is the heir of Sadie family’s rival, and to save her brother, she sacrifices herself by making a bargain with Gabriel. As a strong magical practitioner, Sadie constantly struggles to maintain her cover whilst hiding and when she’s summoned home to clean up another of her brother’s messes, she can no longer run from fulfilling the magical bargain.
I’m so disappointed with this book! The premise seemed so interesting and unique, but it really fell flat for me. There was little to no world building, the magic system was never explained, and I didn’t like a single character. The author never really explains why Sadie is so willing to sacrifice herself for her incredibly selfish brother and family. Sadie’s family doesn’t seem too concerned with the magical bargain she made with Gabriel, only caring about the brother who keeps making immature choices to put himself in dangerous situations to be saved from. I was just so incredibly bored while reading this, nothing made me really care about the plot or characters. Everyone involved sucks and I didn’t have a fun time.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope - add forbidden love, family rivalry, a murder mystery, and betrayals and you have "The Twisted Mark".

I enjoyed watching things unravel and the tension that Sadie's brother's trial added. I honestly had no idea who did what or how things were going to end - there were quite a few surprises that popped up along the way.

My main struggle with this book, was Gabriel and Sadie's relationship (or lack thereof). While the tension between them was insane because we had a backstory as to why they were enemies, there wasn't enough time for me to believe they should be more and their time together often felt rushed (or forced). Some of the dialogue (Gabriel's specifically) often was cringey and felt like it didn't align with his character.

Overall, a really fun book, with a little spice for those of you looking for it. I think this is a great starting point for a really fun world and characters, and I am looking forward to seeing Sadie and Gabriel's story continue.

dnf @ 25%

I really really tried to see this through a bit longer and give it more of a chance but for some reason I just found myself switching off whenever I tried to read it.
Idk if it is the writing style that failed to compel me or whether the story itself just had no pull for me but regardless, from all the raving reports of this book, and the fact it was something different from the usual themes, I was determined to keep sticking with it. The blurb itself sounded really intriguing, (plus the fact enemies to lovers is my favourite trope) but I think in the end it's telling that two of the books it was compared to are also books I struggled to get into and dropped also (A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six).

For some reason while reading I found I wasn't really in the mood to keep going back to it, instead just reaching for other books to read and so I figured by this point it was time to give up forcing myself and admit defeat.

I also was slightly turned off by the initial interactions we see unfold between Gabriel and Sadie. I know it's set-up, and obviously building up to something but it just made me uncomfortable? Maybe it was the way this 'romance' kicks off rather than a slow-build, which I much usually prefer.

I rated this only because Netgalley required one, but normally I wouldn't have done so unless I made it through 60% of the book. Personally it was hard to rate since I didn't get enough of a feel for the story or characters, but there's still a slight chance I will go back and try and finish it in the future when I'm in the right mood for it. For now, I'll rate it based on the writing style, which I wasn't much of a fan of.

It seems like it's a popular book with its readers so far though, so I may just be the anomaly.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't really find this to be particularly dark and it leaned more murder mystery/hidden secrets than fantasy for me. If you love those kinds of books just add in a bit of magic and this one is for you!

I really liked how the author showcased all the family drama and loyalty/lack there of. The "spicy" scenes were just enough to make this book adult but not enough to call this book spicy. Over all I enjoyed this story and see potential in this author's work.

The beginning was a little rough to get through but once I got about halfway the story started to pick up. There wasn't a whole lot of world building.. The main female character was my favorite. It was easy to understand her thoughts and feelings and really immerse into her character. The main male character (love interest) was lacking for me. He was described as a monster but mostly we saw his squishy side. I really think some of the characters could have been developed much better than they were.

Plot 3/5
World building 2/5
Characters 2.5/5
🌶 2/5
Over all 3/5

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eCopy to review

Wow what a story, I loved it. Sadie is an incredibly powerful witch but has turned her back on her magic and family to avoid paying her debt back to Gabriel. However, her brother is being framed for murdering Gabriel's father so Sadie has to travel back home to the Dome and represent him in his trail.

Here she is forced to use her magic and confront her family's dark history who will win out her love for her family or her love for Gabriel?

A steamy read with magic and intrigue cannot wait for the next instalment!

Although this isn't my usual book I did attempt to go into it with an open mind. Unfortunately, The Twisted Mark was not for me. The dialogue felt cliche at times, as did the portrayal of most of the characters. The lead protagonist, Sadie Sadler, heralds from a magical family who holds sway over Mannith, a northern town that has been blessed by perpetual good luck in comparison to the northern cities like Manchester that have been affected by social ills like homelessness and economic inequality.

Unfortunately, the Sadlers are being challenged for supremacy by Gabriel - a member of a rival magical dynasty who has a romantic obsession with Sadie. In some ways, The Twisted Mark reminds me of those underdeveloped gangster films, in that both families have dozens of enforcers who aren't given much character development but are noticeable by the fact that they all tend to dress the same: tight vests and even tighter jeans. There's a lot of sex in the book which doesn't always add anything to the plot. Diversity (be it racial or body type) is virtually absent as most members of the town take to using treatments to beautify themselves. Problematic behaviours are not called out. For example, Sadie's father sells a love potion to one of the residents who's determined to win the attention of a woman who works in his gym. Again, issues surrounding consent and rape aren't even raised. What's more important is the family receiving payment for selling such potions. Again, this wasn't for me but I appreciate being given the opportunity to read it.

Yup, I loved this book! Absolutely brilliant, highly entertaining + unique storyline — with all sorts of villainous characters and questionable behavior creating a fun, fast read that I didn’t want to put down. Plus, I’m always thrilled when essential oils, Prosecco, crystals, yoga, and meditation make it onto the pages. ✨🔮💫

I enjoyed reading this book. It was unique, contains an enemies to lovers trope, MC's coming from two rival families and lots of magic. It was really something new and refreshing. The romance was one major part of the plot but there was some mystery too and I'm sure a lot more is left to uncover. Sadie & Gabriel were both reprehensible characters but that's what made them both so distinctive. I was really hooked by how their relationship slowly developed and I was lost in the settings too. The town of Mannith was beautifully described. So the book is definitely worth reading if you're into fantasy romance!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me the Arc of this book.

I'll start by saying that I'm really excited to see where Sophie Williamson goes as a writer in the future. This novel has a really strong premise that hasn't been done before, as far as I know. I love the mixture of witchy world, law, etc... There's also a really good balance between telling you enough to keep you invested, while leaving enough mystery for you to want to keep reading. I struggled most during the dialogue between characters, not getting the sense of chemistry & connection that I really craved for how much I otherwise loved the characters. Even if you are not into this book, it will be worth watching where Williamson goes as they continue to grow as an author.

First and foremost: thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to release.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me for so many reasons.
For starters, the writing style read much more YA than adult to me, and the overuse of contractions in the beginning was driving me batty; but those things felt minuscule in comparison to the plot holes that peppered this book.
Initially I felt like it had potential, but I found myself questioning what I had just read at the end of so many chapters. The storyline didn’t make sense here, or the reaction of the characters didn’t make sense there…and don’t even get me started on Sadie and Gabriel.
The “relationship” between Sadie and Gabe was one of the most confusing and maddening things I’ve read to date. I felt like there could have been so much potential in their storyline, but it just went haywire.
The scene with Gabriel and Leah was the sinking ship for me; any hope that I had for liking whatever was going on between Sadie and Gabe sizzled out in that moment and it just wasn’t believable from there.
This is one of those books that any missing piece or questions you may have in the beginning are answered at the very end- but the problem for me was that the answers didn’t always make sense, and the pieces didn’t quite fit.

Enemies to lovers/forbidden love interest with witches? Perfection!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the relationship between Sadie and Gabriel had me kicking my feet. The romance and chemistry between them was incredible. Since the beginning I was rooting for them even though I probably shouldn’t have considering the rivalry. Both characters being morally grey also added so much depth to their interactions.

The magic system and the world-building were great and I could really imagine what it was like in Mannith (the main setting). It was slow to start because of the first part being mainly background, but as soon as the second part began, the story took off! I felt that the dialogue was a bit choppy sometimes, but the story was so engaging it didn’t really affect me much. The courtroom scenes were some of my favorites and I thought the pacing for them was perfect (just enough but not too much).

Thank you the NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC!

When I first looked into The Twisted Mark, I was almost positive I would be sold on this book. I’m a big fantasy and witchy romance reader so upon reading the synopsis I was super excited to read this one. This book had all the perfect pieces to create a great story, a dark and broody love interest, a witty female lead, family ties, and a dark secret, but the execution was a little rushed. There were so many interactions between characters and plots that would’ve thrived if they had been given more time. There were so many characters I wanted to learn about and so much more to the history of this town that could’ve been explored. Some of the backstories were just briefly brushed over but in a real scenario they could’ve added to the story. Now all that being said I didn’t dislike this book. I definitely think it has potential. The plot line was gripping and the basis of each character is enough to draw a reader in. It definitely held my attention throughout and kept me invested, which I’m sure it will do to any reader who picks it up. I will definitely invest in the next book for sure and I hope to see more of Sadie and Gabriel’s backstories explored!