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

A gothic, atmospheric coming-of-age fantasy with witches and suspense.
I didn't minded the insta love between the two protaginists, Emily and Wyn, it kinda felt alright, like it should be that way.

This was an enjoyable read. A coming of age novel about a girl who discovers she is descended from a long line of witches. When her father dies in an accident, Em discovers family in Savannah that she didn't know she had and through them finds that she is a powerful witch, who is at the heart of a long-standing prophecy. This is aimed more at YA readers than old booksellers like me but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I found the setting atmospheric and the romance, whilst definitely not the slow burn I prefer, was well done. I don't know if the author has planned a series, but the ending does suggest there is more to come

OK. I SERIOUSLY enjoyed this book! A lot more than I thought I would.

I will say when I got the first "swiftie" reference just two chapters in, I was worried. I am not anti Taylor Swift by any means, but my god I hate how the bookish community and authors are going mad for her in our books. Like she is doing good, she doesn't need to make an appearance in what I am reading. I read to escape, and pop culture references take me right out of the moment, I especially don't need them in my fantasy reads.

However, I think we only got two references to TS in the end, so I can look past it!

I have been a massive fan of Lindsey and her writing for such a long time. I don't know if it's because she is a Doncaster gal like myself, but her writing feels like "home" to me, and I lap up anything she puts her hands too. I was so excited when I first found out she was trying her hand at fantasy, and I can say this one did not dissapoint.

While the plot was predictable in parts, I ate up every single page and I read it in a day. I loved the plot, while it took a while to get to it, I understand why. The first half of the book is very much about Emily learning about who she is and her families history after moving to Savannah to live with her grandmother and aunt following the passing of her father. The plot picks up really nicely after the first little "twist" and I feel like the pacing was very well done. I couldn't put the book down!! There is a hint of romance that was a bit too "insta love" for me, BUT it was still super sweet and had me in a puddle by the end. It just felt so tender, and innocent, and some of the dialogue had be in bits toward the end.

My favourite part of the whole book though was the setting, the atmospheric world building, and obviously Bell House!! I really felt like I had jumped in to this world. It was the perfect gothic setting for this book, and I will say there were a few eerie moments that I was totally not expecting, but enjoyed none the less.

I really liked our main character, Emily, but I do wish she had more belief in herself. I get she is yound, but the constant woe is me and underestimation of what she is capable of really gre tiring. I would hope to see her grow and develop more as a character, because there HAS to be a second book. Right???

There were a whole host of characters that I grew to love, Lydia was a total GEM and while I had my reservations about Emily's aunt in the beginning, I really warmed to her by the end of the book. Obviously Wyn was a total sweetheart, but I had a soft spot for Jackson too! The dialogue between the characters had me laughing out lound, one thing I find Lindsey always does well is that witty banter, just gets it right every time for me.

Thankyou so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of one of my most anticipated releases this year in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for Emily next and if her journey will continue.

“The Bell Witches” is a witchy YA fantasy book by Lindsey Kelk.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Romance/spice: ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️ Broken family dynamics
⭐️ Gothic fantasy
⭐️ Forbidden romance
⭐️ Supernatural secrets
⭐️ Jaw-dropping twists & suspense

My Review:

Lindsey Kelk's "The Bell Witches" is an engaging read that intertwines themes of family, magic, and self-discovery, set against the atmospheric backdrop of Savannah, Georgia. While the book has its charms, it ultimately falls short of being a standout in the genre.
The story revolves around sixteen-year-old Emily, who, after the tragic loss of her father, finds herself living with her enigmatic aunt and grandmother. Kelk does an admirable job capturing the essence of grief and the search for belonging, and Emily's character is relatable as she navigates her new life. The mysterious Bell family and their magical secret provide an intriguing hook, and the Southern Gothic setting is vividly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative.
However, the romance between Emily and Wyn, while captivating, occasionally veers into cliché territory. I found myself wanting more development in the dynamics between them, as they seemed to fade into the background amid the magical intrigue.
Kelk's writing is accessible and engaging, though the pacing can be uneven. There are moments of tension and excitement, but some plot points feel rushed or predictable, making it hard to stay fully invested.
In summary, "The Bell Witches" is an enjoyable read that blends elements of magic and coming-of-age, but it doesn’t fully realise its potential. It’s a solid choice for fans of magical realism, but those seeking a deeper exploration of its themes might find it lacking. If you’re looking for an entertaining, if somewhat conventional, story about magic and family bonds, this book might be worth picking up.
Additionally, I listened to the audiobook, and I must say that the narrator, Ashleigh Haddad, does a brilliant job of drawing you into the story. Her voice is incredibly melodic, and her ability to change vocal qualities makes it easy to distinguish between the different characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

#TheBellWitches #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK

I really enjoyed this one!

-Easy reading, well paced.
-Loved the setting and it gave me Beautiful Creatures (the film vibe)
-Ends well and leaves it open to sequel books
-Could imagine it all really well

The vibe was vibing! I'm happy to say that this book delivers what it promises, something which not a lot of "witchy spooky" books can do. I also really enjoyed the writing, I'll definitely be following this author.

Loved the vibes of this book. It was filled with the chaos of the originals and the heart of Sabrina the teenage witch. I’m really excited to see what happens in the next one and can’t wait to read more of Lindsey’s books