This book was very slow-paced to the extent of being boring. Every scene feels like a filler scene and there was no real action, a lot of waiting around for things to happen. I literally was writhing with pain from how excruciatingly slow this book was. It really did nothing for me.

Great premise, with a strong start, however The Bell Witches didn't quite meet the mark for me. The insta-love was a little offputting; that may be a 'me thing' though as it's my least favourite trope, particularly within the YA genre. I did very much enjoy the twists we encountered. I think this perhaps skews more towards the younger end of YA, perhaps even more suited to middle-grade in parts.

Though this is the first Lindsey Kelk’s book I've read, it most definitely isn't the right one. Now, I have to say I struggled at the beginning which made me postpone this reading experience for a few months. But I'm glad I did so, because when I finally got back to it, my witchy heart loved every second of it. I'm more than excited for the sequel, and I'm looking forward to be reunited with this atmospheric gothic fantasy.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Lindsey, so I jumped at the chance to read her latest book. The Bell Witches marks her venture into gothic fantasy, and it's a truly compelling one.

The story centers on Emily, a sixteen-year-old who, after the tragic loss of her father, finds herself relocating from a remote village in Wales to Savannah, Georgia, living with previously unknown family members.

As she settles into her new surroundings, Emily starts to uncover the Bell family’s secrets, and the magic that lies within her. The slow burn romantic tension between Emily and Wyn was also a nice contrast to the darker elements of the storyline.

The Bell Witches is the perfect blend of gothic atmosphere, magical intrigue, and simmering romance. It’s a promising start to the series, and I’m excited to see what’s in store in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for the advance reader copy.

The Bell Witches starts off a lot more interesting and engaging than it ends with. There’s a point around 30% in where I didn’t know where the story was going and why I should keep reading.

There’s a weird insta love that I think makes the story fall off in my opinion.

A lot of the ‘twists’ are easy to spot before they’re revealed in the third act of the book and I do wonder if this should be aimed at the younger range of YA.

Overall an easy enough read but a lot of things could have made it better.

This a 2.5⭐️ review rounded up to 3.

Sadly, the format for this book was all over the place on my kindle so I was unable to read it! I've heard such amazing things from friends with the same reading taste as me, so I have no doubt it's an amazing read.

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy/romance. I’ve been a huge Lindsey Kelk fan since I was a teenager so seeing this delve into a new genre was exciting for me.

Protagonist Emily loses her father and gains a family she didn’t know about. Sent to Savannah to live with her estranged grandmother and aunt, Emily is rapidly thrown into a world of mystery and witchcraft. The plants are talking to her, her grandmother doesn’t fully seem to add up and why had her parents hid her from this side of her life?

A brilliant set up for the trilogy, can’t wait for the next one.

I loved this read! The world building and storyline development was really well done and the characters really brought the story to life. The way this novel is written was beautifully done, the story gripped me from the off set and I really got sucked into to the novel, I couldn't put it down.

I have read all of Lindsey’s other books. Her journey into ya fiction has been a real success. This book left me wanting to stay up late just so I could finish one more chapter and before I knew it I had devoured the whole thing. The characters are well written and relatable the world building was beautiful and the setting perfect. I’m eagerly awaiting book two.

The Bell Witches was a highly anticipated, young adult novel from one of my favourite authors. It takes place in Savannah and Lindsey's writing draws you in to the environment so well you can almost picture yourself there in the still Savannah heat. The story itself follows Emily a young teen who recently lost her father and moves from the UK to the US to live with her grandmother and aunt, both of which she has never met and scarcely heard of.
Whilst navigating life as a teen in a new town strange events and occurences begin to happen to Emily as she tries to uncover the truth behind her new family. As wonderful as this was to read I feel it was more a prelude to the next novel, building the foundations before we get into the juicy parts!
Overall a very enjoyable novel with a witchy/magical element, a great autumnal and cosy read, looking forward to the next in the series.

After Emily's father passes away, she's sent to live with her aunt and grandmother in a stunning yet mysterious house in Savannah, Georgia. However, the Bell family has a magical secret they're keeping under wraps.

When Emily meets the captivating Wyn, she feels an instant connection, like they were destined to find each other. As their bond deepens, her life becomes both thrilling and frightening, but each step closer to Wyn pulls her further from her family. Emily soon learns that blood is thicker than water…

I adore Lindsey Kelk. Given the scenarios she puts her rom com characters in I don’t know how I thought I could get through this book without gasping or screaming at least twice. Spoiler alert: I didn't.

This book was so atmospheric, Kelk captures that sticky oppressive heat of a Savannah summer and the pressure of being a Bell witch pushing down on Emily throughout and I was so invested in Emily’s journey. There were some great characters with the twins being a personal favourite. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, desperate to find out how it would all play out. There were definitely a few gasps along the way (and a couple of LINDSEY OMG type DMs haha)

The perfect read for witchy season, grab a cosy blanket, your favourite hot drink and settle in for a bumpy ride - you’re gonna love it 🧡

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.