I can tell that this book will sell brilliantly with the romantasy crowd! Olivia Atwater has already made a name for herself with the regency faerie tales series, and anyone who loved those will also love these.

The Witchwood Knot is a gothic fae fantasy with a slow burn romance. I loved the dark atmospheric vibes, the lush worldbuilding and relatable characters. The characters had great development and I had an easy time connecting with them. I wish the pacing had stayed consistent and the ending felt a bit rushed. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys whimsical fairytales mixed set in a Gothic Victorian era.

Thank you to Starwatch Pressfor providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is an interesting mix of fantasy and historical romance, though I should say that fantasy dominates. I liked faerie world as well as the tales about faeries, and the way they were incorporated in Victorian setting. The haunted manor was great - dark and sinister. I also liked the idea of dual world: the real one and the one in the dreams.

The main heroine was strong, clever, though a bit cold, selfish and prickly, and I wish I knew more about her powers. The main hero is really intriguing and mysterious, but the romance between them was a bit lacking - I missed the transition from enemies to lovers. The pace of the story was good, but more action would've improved the main storyline. The climax felt a bit repetitive and left many unanswered questions, but I guess they will be answered in the continuation of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for the arc.

The first 25% was a little slow for me to get through as expected with a new fantasy and third person perspective but I'm glad I stayed with it as the magic system is very interesting. It has a potential to be a series with the way it ended. This is my first Olivia Atwater book, I'm keen to read she comes out with next!

This is a stunning fast paced dark romance fantasy with fae & magic and I could not put it down! I absolutely need a sequel!

Olivia Atwater can do no wrong!! I loved this book so much!! Thank you for letting me review it. I can’t wait for more books from the author!

Atwater does not miss! Her Regency series was a delight- tho I still have to finish it. The Witchwood Knot is definitely a darker take on fairy tales but her prose and delightful characters make it worth the ride. Highly recommend if you too enjoy traditional fairy tales and some light romance.

Atwater has done it again! Another amazing historical gaslamp faerie fantasy to take your breath away and take your imagination on the ride of a lifetime. This time a more gothic mystery twist, a delightful ride all the way cover to cover.

This was such a gorgeous and gothic read and it was wonderful to be back in the whimsical fairytale worlds that Oliva Atwater crafts so well.
There's romance, Fae, gothic mystery all set in the perfect gothic setting an isolated manor with stained glass and of course a creepy set of gates. I loved the character development and interactions and the romance was slow burn will they wont they and when it happened it was so sweet.
I really enjoyed this book and need more of this series in my life!!!

Began fully expecting another whimsical fairie romance read from author, Olivia Atwater and ended up so surprised and delighted at how deliciously dark and gothic this fairie tale ended up being!

Things I loved:
-romance was not the focal point of the plot, but fell into place so naturally
-plot unfurled as our FMC laid down her cards
-cloak and dagger who is the MMC?? ;)

Things I wish were better:
-the conclusion of the plot came together faster than I would have liked
-hope theirs more in this world because some pretty serious questions need answering...
-more page time from side characters (they were great!)

Pros
-Stunning Gothic setting that absolutely draws a reader in
-Romantic elements
-Suspicious Fae
Cons
-Odd pacing though notably this was not a problem for my enjoyment.
Who I Would recommend this title for
Fans of Fae based stories and of movies such as the Labyrinth will be thrilled when they pick up this gem of a book.

OMGoodness I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. The characters are engaging and the world-building is just stunning. I loved every second of this read.

What can I say about this book that is even somewhat coherent? First, it was SO GOOD. I adored the Regency Faerie Tales by Atwater, and probably the only thing that could have made those better for me was a nice, gothic atmosphere. Well, here it is, I got my wish and it was spectacular!

Read if you enjoy:
. Faerie shenanigans
. Gothic settings
. Magic
. ROMANCE

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since this book is already out, I wasn't sure how much to review it. I did give it four stars on goodreads. Such a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Olivia Atwater is back at it again with a gothic faerie romance! And I am here for it! It’s got it all.
A creepy and cursed Victorian Manor, a badass governess, a suspicious faerie butler,
and SO MUCH MAGIC!

https://www.catsluvcoffee.com/2024/01/bThe author states that The Witchwood Knot "started as a cross between the movie Labyrinth and the faerie tale known as the Twelve Dancing Princesses". She admits that what she ended up with wasn't exactly what she planned but that doesn't mean it's any less fantastic. Instead, it's difficult to put a distinct name on the end story.

Is it gothic? Yes.
It is a fairytale? Yes.
But is it romantic and whimsical at the same time? Also yes!

The world Atwater created is marvelous. It has everything good gothic fiction should. Isolated countryside mansion resplendent with stained glass windows surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. Pointed gables, white columns like skeletal fingers, screaming faces in the walls. All the finer things really. Like any good worldbuilding, hers has its own rules that one must abide by but I won't give all the secrets away.

The characters are what endeared The Witchwood Knot to me. Winnie is well suited to her position as a governess. She handles her charge quite well and when he is replaced by a fetch, doesn't hesitate to head into the fairy realm after him. Mr. Quincy, butler extraordinaire, and Winnie's interactions are frustrating (for Winnie) and yet endearing. He's very smooth but there are many secrets and he is unwilling to impart his knowledge just quite yet. Her charge is quite surly and you almost immediately dislike him as a spoiled child, but like Mr. Quincy, there is so much more than meets the eye. Oliver, the protector spirit cat that resides in his own skull, was destined to be my favorite as soon as he was introduced.

I was quite surprised by the romance. It didn't seem like the characters had anything in common to even find romance an option. Even once it started developing, it lingered for so long before actually becoming romance, that I had just about given up on it. After it was all said and done, this sweet and thoughtful romance made it seem like all the rest hadn't come before. How confounding and yet, I'm still completely on board despite certain anatomical protrusions. No, not that one.

Read it for yourself and you'll see. ook-review-witchwood-knot-by-olivia.html

As soon as I read the line, “It seems a faerie has just stolen all of my unmentionables,” I knew I was going to love this book.
I adored Regency Faerie Tales and was excited to return to this world and see some familiar faces. Cook perfectly describes Witchwood Manor when she tells Winnie that “this place is unwholesome.” It’s gothic, uncanny, and perfect for fans of the Brontës who want a little more magic and a villainous hero who is so cruel as to be intensely admired by our heroine, composing songs just for her.
I was so intrigued by how Winnie expertly navigated faerie and their rules and I was biting my nails as she decided which promises to keep and who to save.
The conclusion had me cheering while the set up for future books has me anxiously awaiting the next addition to the Victorian Faerie Tales.

This was such a fun read, I love all the books this author puts out. You need to add this to your tbr!!

Olivia Atwater does it again! A historical fae fantasy that I won’t be able to stop thinking about. I look forward to this series continuing. I loved the Half a Soul series and have been hungry for more content from her. This book delivered completely! Everyone I know will be reading this.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this digital arc. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Witchwood Knot is about a young woman who arrives at Witchwood Manor to become the new governess for Lord Longfell's son, Robert. Our FMC has some secrets as does her new employer and his household staff. She soon meets the mysterious 'butler' Mr Quincy, who is lying about his true identity and things suddenly start to spiral downhill for her. Her charge is abducted and everyone in the town and manor becomes endangered. And only our governess can help stop the curse.

The premise of this book sold me immediately and I was so ecstatic to receive the arc to read and review. This book took me 2 days to read on my Kindle as it was only 330 pages and written fairly easily to understand,. This book was a bit different than I expected, but I mostly enjoyed it. I liked the gothic Victorian vibes and creepy sinister manor as well as the fairytale element. There were ghosts and faeries lurking around every corner and the main character was spunky and fun and not fearful of anything. The writing was decent and fit the era of this novel. Now, what didn't quite work for me...The enemies to lovers trope in my opinion wasn't much of a romance...there was very little in the way of slow burn and no chemistry until suddenly they decided to kiss out of nowhere. There was literally no indication at all the two characters were attracted to each other so I was shocked suddenly there was a page on romance. I felt this book being marketed as a romance was a bit of a stretch. At times, I felt a bit confused with the backstory and some of the characters as there was little explanation as to who they were and their importance within the storyline. I read in another review however that these characters had been introduced in the author's other novels. Had I known this book was not truly a standalone book, I probably would not have requested to read it. I felt knowing more about these side characters and the backstory of the FMC would've helped me going into this book. The title of the novel also was not explained until the end, so the characters tossed around the idea of the 'witchwood knot' as if the reader was supposed to know what it meant and understand what was happening and that was frustrating. At least, give us an idea that it was a curse on the manor. Another issue I faced was the pacing. Not much occurs for the first half and then the last part has one big conflict, however it's rushed through and not explained well in my opinion. In fact, the explanation was told to the reader in one short chapter by the other main character in the form of a fairytale. I would've preferred our FMC to slowly discover this over time as the book unfolded. It was a bit of a let down and felt much less dramatic done this way. Much of the book in fact felt this way...the reader being told something in a matter of fact way rather than the reader gleaming tiny details and putting together facts to unfold the bigger picture. I did appreciate a few scenes that gave me anxiety and felt truly terrifying for the fmc but they were so short lived. 90% of this book was just more of a cozy vibe and not as gothic as I wanted. Overall, I'm rating this book a 2.5 stars as I just could not connect to any of the characters that well and honestly did not care what happened to them. The author did not attempt to build up their backstories enough or make us feel anything for them until the very end. We only received a bit of their past once we were in about 80% so it was much too late to start caring. The plot overall felt boring, slow, and lacking. Not much happened at all and the resolution seemed so obvious and easily rectified. The writing was fine, but not able to salvage this book for me. Sadly, it won't be a fantasy I will recommend.