When Emily’s Dad dies the last thing she expects is an auntie to turn up in Wales to take her to Savannah, Georgia to live in a mansion house with a grandmother she never knew existed. Once she gets there strange things start happening to Emily and she soon uncovers the family’s magical secret and why her Dad never told her about his family.

I was totally torn about this book before I read it, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by @lindseykelk but I haven’t been quite so into YA in recent years. However, I’m so glad I read it. I guess it’s YA because of the age of the main character but it’s not cringey or badly written like a lot of YA books and although some aspects were really predictable (like all books let’s be honest) I was still hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it! Do not let the YA flag put you off picking up this book! I gave it a 4* as I felt there were a few inconsistencies in the story but overall I loved it and read it predominantly in a day.

I've grown to love Lindsey Kelk during the previous year, while I kind of disliked her "I Heart" series back when I read it (around ten years ago). Since she's best friends with my favorite author Paige Toon and they both sometimes host an online release party for her books, I decided to give Lindsey Kelk another try and "The Bell Witches" is now another addition to my growing collection. "The Bell Witches" is the first book in a series and Lindsey Kelk's first attempt at fantasy. While usually reading her adult work, it was quite refreshing to see what she can set up for young adult readers. I really loved diving into this magical world of Savannah that the author created. Emily was a character the reader can easily relate to, Wyn a super charming boy that you root for and the side characters were very realistic as well. If you're expecting something out of this world from the romance, you probably won't get it and will be let down. For me, a huge romance fan, I didn't feel that let down, because I liked how sweet, fluffy and innocent Emily and Wyn's romance is. Yes, their "I love you" exchange might have come a bit too soon, but I wasn't bothered by that. First thing, this novel is a fantasy to me, not a romance. I loved the set up, the story itself and can't wait for the second installment in this series.

Lydia and Jackson, by the way? Those names! Highly enjoyed that as a huge Teen Wolf fan and also loved their dynamic. While I usually don't really like side characters, I was interested in reading about them and their relationship as siblings. Can't wait to find out more about them or their family backstory.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins/Magpie for sending me this arc!

I enjoyed this book, but I found a lot of the plot points to be predictable. However, this may be due to the fact I have read a lot of similar books in the past.

I think Lindsey Kelk captured teenage infatuation/first love perfectly. I saw a lot of people saying they wouldn't give up their entire magical bloodline for some boy they just met - but if you put yourself in Emily's place (16, orphaned, hot teenage boy who is paying her attention and likes her back), it made sense to me. She had known Catherine and Ashley for as long as she knew Wyn, and Wyn was the only one who treated her with kindness and didn't force anything upon her.

The imagery that Lindsey creates is truly spectacular - the wallpaper and the visions I could picture so clearly in my mind.

If I was still a teenager, this would've been the perfect book for me, but alas, I am a 30 year old woman. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Harper Collins/Magpie for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

The Bell Witches started off really strong and I thought I would end up loving it but the further I got into it, I felt no connection to the romance between Emily and Wyn. The writing was good but this just didn't work for me.

This book was the cosiest, witchy, romanctic, mysterious, unputdownable story ever!

I mean aside from the fact that there is witches and werewolves what more could you really want?? Oh yes, epic romance, extraordinary powers, compicated families and small town vibes.

I was addicted from page 1; it was really easy to get into, thee characters were lovable and the storyline was so addictive.

The cliffhanger at the end really has me begging for more so do be warned that this book will leave you with your jaw on the floor.

I highly recommend this book so welcome to your new obsession - you’re welcome 💜

Recently orphaned 16-year-old Emily has been whisked away, from Wales, back to Savannah, Georgia, by an aunt she never knew existed, to meet a grandmother that she thought was dead. They both reside in Bell House, a magnificent 1700s house that looks over a local square. While getting to grips with her recently expanded family, a new home, and just a whole new life in general, she begins to have flashes of visions, especially when it comes to the cute boy, Wyn, who she first spots in the square her house looks out on. Plus, the wallpaper keeps catching her eye…surely it can’t be moving?

I thought this was incredibly well crafted and fun. I was gripped by the mysteries of Bell House right from the first page. The tempo of the book builds and builds until the final scenes, in a way that was constantly engaging, and kept me completely hooked.

The setting was so great too. Based on the real town of Savannah, Kelk really utilises these real life locations in the book, breathing an extra magical (and sometimes spooky) layer of life into them.

Dealing with generational magic, family disputes, first love, and coming into your power, The Bell Witches is a great YA book which I think holds even wider appeal for anyone who just enjoys a well crafted magical book, and wants to be whisked away into a wonderful story. I’m looking forward to the next instalment!

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review

Spooky, magical, enchanting with the most captivating atmosphere and setting. This was my first Lindsay Kelk book but definitely won't be my last.

An intriguing read overall. Definitely engaging and a good read but didn’t quite hit the spot for me. I lost interest about three quarters of the way in. I’m not the target audience by any means but I have to admit this would have been right up my street if I was the age it’s aimed at. I am intrigued as to where the story will go, as there is a myriad of ways it could develop. Definitely worth reading and recommending to a YA!

Thank you Netgalley

Thank you very much for this eARC.
This was a wonderful read for this time of the year, and I enjoyed it very much. The brilliant story, and world of the bell witches is well worth a read.

I absolutely adored this book. I did not see the twists coming at all!

The blossoming romances, friendships and strained family relationships made this book a dream to read. I loved the various dynamics across all of the characters

I am pretty sure that I heard Lindsey Kelk saying that if you were into Buffy, Vampire Diaries, Twilight... when you were a teen, then you would definitely enjoy this book, and I couldn't agree more. I no longer read Fantasy novels regularly, but being a big Lindsey Kelk fan, I had to read this one for sure. And it didn't disappoint, I enjoyed getting to know Emily, the main character, as she moves to Savannah after her father's death.

The Bell Witches had the perfect amount of witchery, magic, love and fun. Plus, it definitely had the characteristic Kelk's humour that I love. I was left with a terrible need to visit Savannah and discover this magical town.

The second part of the story was very dramatic and the pace picked up considerably, leaving us with more questions than answers. I do look forward to continuing to discover Emily's story in the next installment and see how her powers and her love interests evolve.

All in all, a very entertaining Fantasy YA novel that I hope both new and old readers of Kelk enjoy as there's a bit for everyone.

I was looking for a cosy read and this did hit the spot - to an extent...

Lets start with the good - Lindsey Kelk does a great job of establishing an authentic feeling and atmospheric setting in the deep south. I kinda wanted to visit!

I liked our protagonist Emily. Yes it is a bit cliched that her magic is revealed after a great tragic loss BUT she had personality and charm and all you want from your small town leading lady.

I did not however buy into the love story between her and Wyn. It was very Romeo and Juliet - sudden undying eternal love (vom) and just felt a bit over the top and unrealistic. I wanted her to be with one of the other characters (no spoilers here as their relationship actually has chemistry and you might enjoy their parts!)

Scrap the romance and you have a perfectly good book - OTT love makes it a so-so read.

Loved this book in a very new style for Kelk!
Can’t wait for more of the trilogy

Initially, it was hard to get going with this book as I found the character development to be quite slow however the pace picked up substantially and then I couldn’t put it down!

The Bell Witches is a vibrant witchy fantasy that sweeps you away into the sweltering heat of Savannah.

The prose is incredibly lush and rich, you could practically feel the humidity emanating from the story. The plot is rather predictable, but the writing kept me engaged.

I liked Em as our protagonist and enjoyed seeing her navigate her new life in the States. I do wish we could have seen more depth from her and the wider characters, they all felt a little one dimensional at times, but I appreciate the author focussed heavily on the setting. This story has a huge amount of potential and there is a lot more within these characters waiting to be shared. It’s a shame the author didn’t push the story further, but it was still entertaining.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and easy read with some lightly gothic elements. I would recommend it to lovers of YA witchy low fantasy.

The Bell Witches was one of my most anticipated read of 2024. As someone who was already a big fan of Lindsey Kelk, having read a number of her adult romance books, I was so excited to dive into her fantasy debut. I had such high expectations for this book but unfortunately it fell a little bit flat for me.

The Bell Witches follows the story of Emily. A teen who after the sudden death of her father, find out that she has a family that she never knew about. Moving from Wales to Savannah she is suddenly thrust into the conservative lifestyle of her grandmother. But there are secrets threaded throughout the whole family, magical secrets… and Emily will not be the same again.

I really enjoyed the storyline of The Bell Witches. It was a great premise and I really enjoyed the first 40% or so of the book. It was slow going but enjoyable and intriguing. As you can probably guess by the title, Emily finds out she has magic and is a witch and when we get to the point that she finds out, I was ready for the plot to pick up… but it doesn’t. It just slows down even further and I found myself getting a bit bored and not really wanting to pick it up. It has a romance, that to me was just… not believable. It was the most instalove-y instalove I have ever read and I just couldn’t connect with the emotions of thier relationship at all. I kept waiting to feel something for their love and I just didn’t. When there were tribulations in terms of their relationship I was just a bit like ‘okay’ and just didn’t really care either way.

The pacing of the book did pick up significantly in the last 20/25% but even still I just felt like that then went way too fast. In terms of the twists and turns made no sense because there was no development between one thing happening and the next. It all seemed very sudden and to me at least, didn’t really make much sense. These pacing issues really affected my enjoyment of this book and I just didn’t feel like it was up to the level I was expecting from Lindsey. Her romance books are so fantastic, and I’ve loved them so much but this one just left me super disappointed.

I honestly don’t know if I am going to continue this series or not. I do think that things will be much better in the next book(s) but after feeling so deflated after finishing I’m just not sure if I’m invested enough to continue. Chance is that I am going to see what the reviews of the next book are like before deciding whether to continue or not. I have seen a lot of people love The Bell Witches so if you’re a big fan of witchy romance books, you may like this one. I feel like I’m definitely missing something, but this one was a miss for me unfortunately.

This was a nice gothic fantasy, but I think it is more suited for a younger audience so I personally didn't connect with it as much as I wanted to.
However, if I were the target audience, I know I would eat this up!

It's so atmospheric and a perfect read for spooky season. The writing is so descriptive and really helps make the story feel immersive.
I also really enjoyed the way information was revealed. The mystery was really well done and kept me interested throughotu the whole book.

The romance felt a bit insta-lovey, but other than that, I thought it was lovely!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

<i><b> "one of my most anticipated reads of 2024!!"</b></i>

<b>One Line Review:</b> What would you do if you thought your whole world had ended, only for a family you didn’t know existed to take you in and reveal generational secrets that change the trajectory of the rest of your life??? This book brings you on exactly that kind of adventure with Emily, and I simply could not put this book down.

<b>Synopsis:</b> Sixteen-year-old Emily moves to Savannah the UK after the unfortunate death of her father. Emily’s grandmother takes her in, and almost immediately, secrets of her family’s past start to unfold. Emily is brought into the mysterious world of witchcraft and magic that she never could’ve believed existed. Being the descendant of a family of powerful witches, Emily has to learn how to navigate between the world she knows, and the new world she has always been destined to be a part of all while falling in love.

<b>My Thoughts:</b> The way this book sucked me into the atmospheric world of Savannah was INCREDIBLE. I could close my eyes and picture Savannah, the beautiful trees, and the beautiful architecture. If you’re looking for a beautifully written and details witchy fantasy, look no further! As a mega-fan of Lindsey’s previous books, I absolutely JUMPED at the chance to read a cozy witchy novel from her!! There was something so nostalgic about the way this book was written, and I can’t wait to read the second in the series!

After the tragic passing of her father, Emily has discovered she has an aunt and grandmother on her Dad’s side.

They live in Savannah, Georgia in Bell House. A big old house that has its own powers and secrets within the walls.
Emily has to uproot her life in Wales and go to Bell House to meet her extended family.

Emily settles in to life on Savannah quite well and even picks up a few friends. As her 17th birthday looms, Emily is overwhelmed to discover that in fact she’s a witch as is her grandmother.

After a tussle in a cemetery with a wolf and a prophecy that says she will either save the world or end it. Emily is feeling well and truly out of her depth. Meeting Wyn a handsome stranger, only serves to complicate things further. While discovering the lengths that her grandmother is willing to go to save the Bell witch magic.

The Bell Witches is billed as a YA but I must admit I absolutely tore through this story and loved it from cover to cover. I’m just about ready to enter my witchy era so this was the perfect book to begin with.

I also hope upon hope that this will be a series as I have lots of loose ends to tie up and I need to know what becomes of Emily and Wyn!

Overall, The Bell Witches was an enjoyable read. It has all the magic and mystery you’d expect, but with a deeper layer of heart and soul. I can definitely see why it would resonate with fans of YA fantasy, and though it’s not without its clichés, I found it to be a charming and atmospheric read that I’m glad I picked up. The ending definitely leaves room for more, so I’m curious to see where Emily’s story goes next. Definitely one to keep on your radar if you like stories about witches, prophecies, and family secrets.

I am loving this think this is looking at being a 5 star dare I say it don't jinx it. it's about emily who right at the beginning we find has just lost her dad to a car accident and her mum passed away when she was a baby so her dad was all she had well so she thought but little does she no that she has a grandmother and aunty on her dad's side she didn't even know about. she goes to live with them in savannah in a big house as beautiful as it is mysterious but well she's there very strange things are happening things she can't explain we follow her along her journey while she get used to life without her dad and with her new guardians in a new place making new friends then she meet wyn and finds a connection so strong it feels like they were always ment to be together and thats were I am so far I need to no more this is so good I don't want to put it down