I feel like I would have enjoyed this more had I read her previous books because I feel like this is a continuation of where the other books have left off? I'm not too sure.

Nonetheless, I really liked Winnie as a character and her relationship with Mr. Quincy but their relationship felt a little too rushed since it happened at the later part of the book which didn't give me much time to really connect with Mr. Quincy.

I enjoyed the dark atmosphere of the book but in terms of world building, there wasn't much of it but that's not to say it was a bad thing because the story stilled flowed perfectly fine (in my opinion).

I also liked how Winnie wasn't portrayed as a victim despite her long history of sexual assault. Even if the scenes were minor, Winnie's relationship with an abuser in her childhood was a bit tough to read through because of my own experiences of that nature.

One part I really liked was how Mr. Quincy wasn't forceful and was respectful to Winnie after knowing her past. He was kind and considerate and I really would love to see more of him in the next book.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I've decided to read her previous books to get a better picture of these characters and the story line because there were a few spoilers to the previous books.

Thank you Netgalley and to the Publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Starwatch Press, and author Olivia Atwater for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars

I immediately knew I had to read this book when I saw the synopsis: a gothic story? with Victorian fairies? and a badass witch governess? It screamed my name.

I enjoyed this book immensely: it captures how eerie and conniving fairies are, and Atwater sets the scene perfectly. Moreover, I loved how the romance developed and how Winnie’s and Mr Quincy’s characters grew as they got closer. However, I have to admit that whenever I’m reading a book about faes I tend to overlook one particular detail about their physique.

Nonetheless, this being marketed as a gothic tale, I expected more gothic elements. (This is my first Atwater, I haven’t read her Regency Fairy Tales, so I’m aware I might be missing some details or references, or even these elements were explored in prior books). The reader doesn’t really know much about Winnie’s magic, it would’ve been great to have delved into her magic system.

Still, this was a very easy and entertaining read! After reading The Witchwood Knot, I would definitely check Atwater’s other work and wait patiently for the next book in this series.

Olivia Atwater came out of nowhere for me as a reader. On a whim, I requested the first book I saw by her, “Half a Soul,” and that’s all it took! I quickly read all three in that series over the course of the summer. I know she has another book coming out sometime in the next year, something about baked good and the supernatural (sounds perfect to me!) so I was super surprised to see this book pop up on NetGalley when I was browsing one night. I didn’t even look into what it was, so I was that much more surprised to find that it is a story set in the same world as her original books, only this time taking place in the Victorian era, rather than Regency. Gothic horror and gothic romance? Count me in!

I’ve loved this shift towards gothic fantasy over the last year or so. Of course, there will always come a point where you can have too much of a good thing, but I haven’t reached it yet, as far as this trend goes. I was curious to see, however, how Atwater would fair taking on this sort of fantasy story. Her original three books were the epitome of light-hearted, comical, comfort reads. But a haunted house story and the gothic vibes that are meant to pair with it, well, that’s an entirely different tone! Low and behold, not only was this shift in tone successful, but the book also explores some fairly dark themes regarding assault and the nature of what makes a monster. I was incredibly impressed by how carefully these topics were covered, all without losing the overall appeal that is at the heart of Atwater’s style.

While this book is definitely more dark than her original trilogy, it also fit naturally within the greater world that had been created. In the other books, we saw hints of the darkness that existed in the world of the Fae and the nature of their strict, but confounding, approach to the rules of existence. Here, those aspects are drawn out and painted in darker colors. This book doesn’t shy away from its moments of horror, with violence seeping into scenes, as well as some truly creepy imagery. That said, this is by no means a horror novel. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny at times, but within the story was an incredibly sweet romance as well as an unexpectedly touching relationship between Winnie and her ward.

I loved the main characters, as well. Winnie was a strong central character, working to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the Witchwood Knot while slowly beginning to form connections to those around her, breaking down walls that she had long-ago established for her own protection. I particularly liked the slow-burn romance between her and Mr. Quincy. The beginning of the book has him firmly slotted into a villain role, and I was impressed by how thoroughly the author worked to change the mind of both her main character and the reader. It was done in a very slow, subtle way. I will say that some of the character’s physical descriptions were a bit, um, unnerving, especially as a romantic interest. But on the other hand, I’m impressed with Atwater’s sheer audacity at just going with it and not trying to magic away the “otherness.”

I loved this book! It was right up there with “Half a Soul” as one of my favorites by this author. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, for sure, but I did appreciate this one more than some for the more serious themes at its heart. The balance felt more complete, with the lightness mixing naturally alongside the darker shades of grey, creating a more fulfilling read all around. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of this author or are looking for a solid stand-alone gothic fantasy novel!

Rating 9: Gothic fantasy at its finest, Atwater brilliantly combines her natural light-hearted style with the exploration of darker themes of redemption and what makes a monster.

Link will go live on Dec. 1 on The Library Ladies.

Thank you to Olivia Atwater, Netgalley & Starwatch Press for the ARC.

The first chapter draws you in SO quickly. The scene is set in such a vivid way that, for the first time in quite some time, I'm seeing images in my head versus hearing myself narrate. Images usually build up later for me after I've read a few chapters. Im so glad this feeling lasted the entire novel. It was like a Tim Burton film in my head. Gothic vibes ALL DAY.

I also loved the characters. Winnie is THAT girl for me. She is a bit brash but seems very sensible as well? Or maybe aware is the word I am looking for. She's fiery, but it isn't in a played out way. I love that she isn't "special." Frank, sensible, unashamed. Not well-bred like some of the other characters in the story, due to her circumstances although her birth was up in the air. She's also a cartomancer, which is new to me and pretty cool in this tale. Then you have Mr Quincy, whom I adore. He's so stand-offish and a bit strange, giving neither good nor bad vibes. I would call him chaotic neutral (until the end, really). We must also mention the joy I found in the side characters such as Cook, Lady Hollowvale, Master Robert, and Margaret.

The descriptions and language are the heroes of the story, in my opinion. I felt embedded in the story, like a fly on the wall. Seeing everything, hearing everything. Once you understand what's happening, it's hard to miss the symmetry Atwater builds into the story.

I did have some unanswered questions: What happened to her at Mourningwood? Why wouldn't she want to return? Who has been unkind to her & in what way? Most.of this is implied early on by Lady Longfellow.

My main reason for not giving this five stars is simple: the end felt rushed and a little lazy compared to the rest of the narrative. That's not to say I didn't like it - I just loved the build-up and how the story unfolded up to that point way more. The abruptness of the resolution felt like it stole a little of the drama/thunder from what Winnie had decided to do and what she was willing to put herself through for ALL of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and will definitely be picking up more of Atwater's work.

The Witchwood Knot is a gothic fairytale set in Victorian England where fairies exist and are feared. Young magician Winnifred Hall is hired by her old benefactor Lady Longfell to pose as a governess for her grandson Robert. Winnie's actual responsibility will be to protect young Robert and to teach him how to protect himself from sinister forces that surround the manor and forrest. When Winnie arrives at the manor she is greeted by the butler Mr Quincy but soon learns from the other staff that the butler left recently and has not been replaced. Further complicating her mission young Robert is determined to misbehave. Winnie also has uneasy feeling when it comes to dealing with his father who has taken an unwanted interest in her.

I had so much fun with this book. I adored Atwater's Regency Faerie Tale series. This is slightly darker than that series was. There are references to those books but they do not impact the overall story if you haven't read them. This does have a very slow burn romance in it. Winnie is one of my favorite characters of the year. She is incredibly smart and resourceful. I can't wait to get the next book in the series and will be recommending this to everyone I discuss books with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I adored the Regency Faerie Tales trilogy, so I was extremely excited to see Olivia Atwater's return to this world. The Witchwood Knot starts a few years after Longshadow, and though I don't think it's necessary to have read the previous books, this one definitely references past events and characters that make it even more enjoyable.

Since it's now the Victorian era, Atwater creates a gothic tale that departs in tone from her Regency stories. The enclosed setting of the Witchwood Manor is perfectly dark and mysterious, filled with ghosts and mischievous faeries. Winnie Hall arrives to learn more about the curse put on this place, protect the kid who's its last heir, and hopefully break the curse itself.

Because of that, the romance isn't the main focus and really appears in the last 20%. And it does feel rushed, to be honest. So this is more of a cozy gothic mystery than a cozy romance, and that might disappoint some people expecting something to be closer to Half A Soul.

Personally I was so invested in Winnie's investigation and the atmosphere was so good that I could have even done without the love story. One thing to say is that Atwater's characters never feel like carbon copies of each other. Winnie has her own interesting personality and backstory. She's smart, cold, resourceful, and also has PTSD. She touches on issues of sexual abuse that are difficult but done pretty well. Her magic is a bit unclear to me, but she relies more on her wits and knowledge. Of course I especially enjoyed learning how she related to characters from the previous books. I also loved Mr Quincy's dry humor, and how I was never sure how to feel about him and his actions.

This book clearly starts a bigger plot that I can't wait to see develop as we follow (I'm guessing) Winnie and her sisters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This year I thoroughly enjoyed Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales series and was excited to receive an advance copy of her latest book. The Witchwood Knot is a gothic novel set in the Victorian era, and didn't work for me as well as her other novels, sadly.

Winnie, our protagonist, is cunning and calculating. As a reader, I found it hard to get close to her, feel emotionally invested, or really root for her at all. Especially as she repeatedly rants about how she "despises children." Her card-reading magic was also pretty unclear.

It seems like in her most recent books, Atwater keeps introducing new elements from mythology that if you're not an ancient mythology lover can be quite confusing and hard to picture/understand. In LONGSHADOW, it was the sluagh, which I was eventually able to wrap my head around. This time around, it's fomoire (can't remember the spelling in the book, but this is what Google is telling me). It felt confusing and half-baked.

The whole book is more of a spooky mystery than anything else. If you're expecting a sweet, emotionally deep and satisfying romance like Atwater's ohter books, you won't get that either. It's not until 83% through the book that the protagonist and the love interest actually show each other an ounce of affection. Before that, he's been pretty awful and shady and cold. He's also described as having wine-red eyes, a LITERAL RAT TAIL (not the hair style, he has an actual tail of a rat attached to his butt), and he SMELLS LIKE BLOOD. You want me to root for this romance??? I'm sorry, it's just not happening.

The ending was very "super easy, barely an inconvenience." There's a lot of fingers chopped off in the final 10% of the book. A strange time all around. I don't think I'll continue with the Victorian leg of this series.

“𝐵𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒.”

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑟: I always try to keep my reviews spoiler free, and I think I did for the most part, but just in case I said a little too much somewhere. Be warned.

So, it looks like I have a new book kink. I mean, it’s not really new, just my first gothic romance. I guess it would be better to say that my 𝔰𝔲𝔟-𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢 𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔶 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔭𝔬𝔭𝔭𝔢𝔡. But, I honestly did not expect to enjoy the male lead as much as I did, nor did I expect the male lead 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 the male lead. Don’t get me wrong, 𝑦𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜. But, I don’t know if maybe it was the character description, cause at first he gave me the 𝔥𝔢𝔢𝔟𝔦𝔢 𝔧𝔢𝔢𝔟𝔦𝔢𝔰. And that is not a complaint. It’s a freaking bravo, because by the end of it I was feeling “𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛, 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛!”

Can I just add that this was also the perfect time to read this book. It gave me all the spooky I have been craving for the Halloween season. I’m not a big fan of horror, so I love having those elements intertwined in a genre that I live for. And it was woven throughout the story so beautifully. Nothing felt out of place or like a reach. It all just 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒 and 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑. Did I mention that I really enjoyed this book?

The Witchwood Knott is a deliciously dark progression within the wider Atwood world. Another sweet and genuine romance in the setting of mystery and intrigue as the lore and advancement of time enriches the narrative. Couldnt put it down and now eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the Regency Faerie Tale books by Olivia Atwater so when I found out she would be returning to the world I was very excited. The Witchwood Knot is a gothic Victorian fantasy story that takes a more mysterious and darker tone than the previous works. For me this was even better than the original Regency Faerie Tales, I do recommend reading them first though as there are a lot of references throughout.

The Witchwood Knot follows Winifred “Winnie” Hall who is a new governess in Witchwood Manor which is filled with danger and secrets that she is trying to unravel. I loved Winnie as the main character! In the Regency Faerie Tales it always seemed like the main characters were unfailingly good, whereas Winnie’s morals were more complex and she dabbled with some darker magic. This was refreshing and made me feel that Winnie was more dimensional as a character.

I’ve seen this book being described as a romance, but the romance is much more of a subplot that picks up more towards the end. I didn’t mind that there wasn’t a lot of romance though and liked that it focused on more of the mystery.

I would definitely recommend The Witchwood Knot to anyone looking for a good, cozy gothic book that expands upon the Regency Faerie Tales world. I am very excited to see the continuation of this new series as well and will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out!

A perfect Autumn read. So creepy that I often had to turn on an extra light for comfort. I enjoyed the narration, the characters, and the world-building (I’m not familiar with the other books in this world, but I was still able to keep up). I loved this book and can’t wait to read more by Atwater.

“Innocence is so offensive, isn’t it?” he asked her finally. “It is never content in its existence. It must force itself upon the rest of the world, insisting that true horror is a fiction.”

Thank you Netgalley and Starwatch Press for my copy.

Pub date- November 28, 2023

“This world devours those who are too bold—but those who hide and refuse to take risks are also taken unaware by danger.”

I loved this gothic fantasy. It had a slow start but then it pulled me in and I couldn’t stop reading!
Winnie is our female protagonist who is a dark magician and I loved her. She is fearless, strong and intelligent. She was hired to be a governess at Witchwood Manor by an old friend. When the boy has been stolen away by Fae, she is tasked with getting him back. She finds an ally with Mr Quincy who is the mysterious Fae butler. What dark secrets will she discover?
The story was dark but magical with a Victorian era feel. It is set up to be a series and I cannot wait to read more.

Book Name: The Witchwood Knot
Author: Olivia Atwater

ARC
Thank you to Netgalley and Starwatch Press for an ARC of The Witchwood Knot

Stars: 4.5
Spice: 2

New Series
Cliffhanger Light (set up for second book but not unsatisfying)
Slow-Paced and Nearly Cozy
Fantasy Alternative Victorian History
Similar Vibes to the Emily Wilde’s Series

- Tropes
- GOTHIC Atmosphere
- Guide/Guardian
- Hidden Identities
- Fae (Folklore not ACOTAR style)
- Thoughts.
- Prior series not required
- Cozy gothic was an interesting combo
- Check triggers SA and CSA are themes
- Romance was a bit instant for my taste
- Charters were nuanced in complexity and motivations
- Familiar element was Perfect
I wish there was more world-building into Winnie's Magic was there but the open-endedness could be helpful in future books
- Mystery > Romance

A tale set in a haunted manor surrounded by isolated woods, with mischievous escapades, fairy roguery, monsters, and a protagonist that's stoic, often snarky, smart as a whip, magical and curious. I started out completely enthralled — I’m a big fan of this dry British writing style, that has me smirking and Winnie’s personality is quite endearing with a hearty dollop of sass and attitude. After sometime the tempo slowed and I found this gothic novel was actually rather sweet, not as wicked as I expected 😆

I loooooooooooove this series!! The world, the characters, the lore, everything! I was so so so happy to receive this ARC. It is truly one of my favorite series. Olivia Atwater always does an excellent job of combining the true details of Regency and Victorian era London, with her fantasy world of faerie, and this book is no exception. I'm ecstatic she is continuing to develop this world. I love that each new book features beloved characters from its predecessors so we don't have to let any of them go for too long. Olivia Atwater's books always bring such good, cozy, magical vibes. And the characters are always HOT and BADASS, but in a mundane way. They are our everyday heroes. Even if they are faeries and magicians and other whimsical creatures. And Olivia Atwater is amazing at writing the HOTTEST SCENES without making it R rated. I am simply obsessed.

The Witchwood Knot contains all of this, but gives the already sinister world of faerie a bit of a spooky spin in this gothic mystery. And not only are previous beloved characters mentioned in this book, they are MISSING *gasp*. There is a new Lord Sorcier, and the faeries in London have all disappeared. Our heroine Winifred, a cartomancer, has taken on a position as governess at Witchwood Manor, and her purpose is twofold: to figure out where the faeries have gone, and to help the dowager protect her young grandson from the curse that plagues the manor. Winifred has to contend with the bratty child, secretive servants, the handsy Lord, a mysterious faerie butler, bothersome faeries, sinister whispers and screaming faces in the wall. Armed with her own secrets, tricks, wit, and a very sharp knife, Winifred might just be able to unravel the mystery at Witchwood.

A gothic faerie tale featuring a magician pretending to be a victorian governess in order to solve the mystery at the heart of Witchwood Manor while dealing with monsters... both fae and human alike. Throw in a dash of romance, a stolen young lord, a tricky fae pretending to be a butler and a protective familiar cat and you get a absolutely fantastic read. Winifred Hall is hired to be a governess to a spoiled young lord as a favor to an old friend, a friend who just happens to be living in a manor that is said to be haunted and cursed by the fae. Winifred is actually a magician herself and is beginning to realize that the magic and curse surrounding this manor is much darker than she realized. When the young lord is kidnapped, she'll have to delve into the dark fae realm to get him back and the games are only just beginning. The more she pries into the truth of the manor the more she is realizing that this is a very complicated knot and that she'll have to rely on her wits to try and make it out. It doesn't help that there is the very dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr. Quincy, who is hiding so many secrets behind his charming smile, is the one person she'll have to help her navigate the fae realm of Witchwood Knot... There's a price for everything when it comes to the fae and what price will Quincy ask of Winifred? I have to say I fell absolutely in love with this book. I cannot wait for the next books and to see where Winifred and co go. Winifred was a wonderful protagonist, she used her tricks and wits to get by and after everything she went through she was still strong and resilient. The romance was very soft and sweet and I just adored the relationship between Quincy and Winifred. I also have to say Ollie, my sweet sweet boy, a true star in this book, a familiar cat after my own heart. This book was the perfect mixture of gothic romance and fairytale! I can't wait to read the next book!!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Starwatch Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Olivia Atwater wrangles many of the classic gothic tropes - a secluded manor, supernatural hauntings, the evils of capitalist exploitation - in The Witchwood Knot, crafting an almost nostalgic fantasy romance.

I do think that there may be a lot I missed because this is the first Atwater I've read; perhaps there were deeper ties to her previous series. There were occasions where the language felt a bit stilted at the sentence level (more telling than showing) and I think these issues are probably connected. Likely, fans of her previous work won't bump on it the same way I did.

I also wasn't into the romance. It was like a switch flipped rather suddenly and without warning. Winnie and Mr. Quincy's chemistry as enemies and even reluctant allies is much more interesting than their "romantic" interest. Also, Winnie does not notice he has a rat tail right away? Side eye.

These are fairly minor gripes (which is telling about the importance I place on the romance, I suppose). Atwater builds a comfortable gothic foundation from which to build, I assume, a series that follows Winnie, Mr. Quincy, and Robert's further adventures.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love Olivia Atwater's writing. There is something so immersive and endearing about her books. And The Witchwood Knot, the first book in the Victorian Faerie Tales, wasn't an exception. It's darker in tone than her previous series - Regency Faery Tales. But it still has a lot of heartwarming moments blended with the gothic atmosphere.

The Witchwood Knot follows Winifred Hall, who arrives at the Witchwood Manor as a favor to an old friend. She hopes to unravel the mysteries of this place because it can help her too - Winnie has her own problems to solve and promises to keep.
But the situation in the manor turns out to be more dire than Winnie expected. And maybe, in some cases, humans can be even more dangerous than faeries. Luckily, Winnie herself has a couple of tricks in reserve.

I adore Winnie as a main character - she is so determined and reserved when it is needed but also has such inner passion. Love it.

As always, with the curious faerie plot Olivia Atwater blends the discussion of our lives and the problems in our society. This time we dive deep into the reality of being an attractive woman, and how the world around perceives you and tries to take advantage of you. It's a hard topic, but it played its role perfectly in this book's plot.

The romantic subplot was really nice - at the beginning of the story it was hard to imagine how our main characters would find something in common to build their relationship, but it was surprisingly easy in the end. I loved the dynamic between them and they worked great together.

Also, I liked all the nodes to Regency Faerie Tales. If you haven't read them it's not a problem, I still think, that you can start from The Witchwood Knot. Though I highly recommend Half A Soul and other books in the series.

All in all, The Witchwood Knot is a great fantasy romance taking place in a spooky and mysterious Victorian manor - a perfect read for anyone who wants something whimsical and with an autumn mood.

I'm so grateful to Olivia Atwater, Starwatch Press, and Netgalley for providing me with this advanced copy.

A Haunted Mansion Romantasy for the girlies who like rat men

The Witchwood Knot follows Winnie, a governess on a mission to help the dowager of Witchwood Manor protect her grandson from the faeries that rule the house. When her charge suddenly shows up one morning acting meek and sweet, Winnie knows instantly that her real ward has been abducted by Faeries - and because she's under the employ of the only man in England who doesn't believe in faeries, the responsibility of retrieving the real little boy falls solely on Winnie's shoulders.

Olivia Atwater's other series, Regency Faerie Tales, has been on my TBR for a hot minute now, and when I requested an arc for this, I was NOT aware that this was a continuation/sister series to RFT. But maybe that's for the best. Because while this book contained some very obvious nods to Atwater's first series, I didn't feel like my reading experience suffered at all from those references flying straight over my head. And if I had known, I might not have requested it at all for fear of being lost.

I had a really fun time with this one. It's marketed as a gothic fantasy romance, and I can confirm that this book is entirely as advertised. The "Woman Goes To Haunted House to Protect/Save Someone" is a tried and true trope in the gothic horror genre, and that alone is enough to give most stories their gothic flavor. The Witchwood Knot does not stop there, and does contain a few more cornerstones to the gothic genre, none of which I will list here because I don't want to give too much of the plot away.

I will say that the romance surprised me. Not because of the, err, unique physical features of the love interest, but because I wasn't expecting it to be as sweet as it was. The main couple in this story both have traumas and walls they have to overcome before they begin their relationship, and watching them do so despite the horrors they've experienced in their pasts was actually quite sweet and made me really root for them.

Which is also kind of sad because I have the sneaking suspicion that the next book in the series won't follow feature these two characters as MCs.

All in all, this was a lovely story about overcoming your demons, letting people in, and finding comfort in the people you love. And once I've read through and caught up on Regency Faerie Tales, I will happily give this a reread. It's got great spooky vibes, but is really cozy at the same time - perfect for me.

ARC Review of The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing & Olivia Atwater for the opportunity to review this story 💗
This is a no- spoiler review 😊

I adore magical fiction and I am a total fan of Olivia’s Regency Faerie Tales series so I knew I was going to enjoy The Witchwood Knot!

When no-nonsense Winnie Hall arrives at the foreboding Witchwood Manor under the pretence of becoming Governess to the young Master Robert Longfell, she discovers the home has been infiltrated by malevolent forces and sinister faeries. Luckily, Winnie is not the stern young spinster she appears, and has, in fact, been tasked with keeping Robert safe until he can begin Eton. With only a small staff remaining, Winnie sets about with her trademark practicality, using her magician powers to investigate exactly what is plaguing the Longfell family, teaching Robert to protect himself from the duplicitous fae and untangling the mystery around the Witchwood Knot.

What a fantastic read! I was immediately drawn into a world where, while not common, Magic and faeries were accepted as feasible. Winnie’s wit and confidence were the perfect mix for a main character to be admired, and her unflappable demeanour was, at times, hilarious. I wholly invested in Winnie and her history, a child forced to keep her distance from people for her own safety, and the theme of consent/non consent that was prevalent in the story is so important for todays readers.
Witchwood Hall gave me vibes of Downton Abbey mixed with the Secret Garden, and the descriptions of the gothic home were atmospheric and transporting. I appreciate the trigger warning included in the front of the book, as well as the Victorian era elements that were included (eg. Chatelaines and stained glass windows make me very happy 😊).
Another success from one of my favourite authors; I can’t wait to pick up Book Two!
This review will be posted on Goodreads, and star rating featured on Bookstagram @tinydragonbooks.