I enjoyed this spooky, witchy novel which I chose to read in the run up to Halloween season. Even though it is mainly a teen romance it was mature in its telling and had a number of elements which I enjoyed exploring. It has a beautiful front cover and pencil artwork at the beginning of each chapter. Looking forward to the promised sequel now.

DNF @52%

Plot wise, this is intriguing, and I was really expecting this novel to deliver what I wish, but unfortunately, there is nothing that I can consider exciting. In my opinion, it's not fantasy or witchy enough for me?

I don't know, but the characters aren't really convincing for me, and I just couldn't care for them.


Thank you, Harpercollins, for the e-arc opportunity via Netgalley.


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Date Released: September 28, 2024
Date Read: October 17- October 21
Ratings: 1.5 ⭐️

I’ve read some of Lindsey Kelk’s romances and really enjoyed them, so I was thrilled when The Bell Witches, her first romantasy novel, was announced.

The Bell Witches follows Emily James, who moves to Savannah in the US to live with a grandmother and aunt she didn’t know she had after her father tragically dies. However, the Bell family are hiding a magical secret. Sparks fly when Emily meets the alluring Wyn, but every step closer to him takes her a step away from her family.

I struggled with this book, and a lot of that is due to how YA it is. Despite being in my twenties, I still enjoy YA books, but this one felt especially young to me. I found the use of slang and references to TikTok etc really jarring. I do enjoy urban fantasy, but all of the modern references felt very out of place in this story.

I am not a huge fan of insta-love, and unfortunately the romance between Wyn and Emily felt this way. However, Emily is 16-years-old and it makes sense that her first love is all encompassing and moves fast. I just wish we saw a little more development in their relationship, as it felt very surface level.

I found the plot to be quite predictable and the pacing felt very slow. I wish there were a few more twists and a faster pace. However, I really enjoyed the atmosphere that Lindsey Kelk created. Her descriptions made me feel as if I was in Savannah myself, and I could tell that she had definitely done her research on the setting.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. However, I think I would have eaten this up when I was a similar age to Emily. I can see younger audiences really enjoying this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it from page one. It's funny, mysterious, pages turn themselves. I didn't hear much about this author before but I like her writing. It's captivating and easy to follow. I've been avoiding YA recently due to predictable plot but this one kept me interested throughout. Sweet and cozy and beautiful.

Great story, really cosy witchy autumn vibes. I enjoyed it so much I reordered 2 physical copies!!

The atmosphere is perfect however I do think that you can tell this is aimed at a younger audience.

I saw this advertised and knew I had to read it. I'm a big fan of Lindsey Kelk and was interested to see how she would do a YA series.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's a different writing style from her, which is to be expected, but it had me captivated from the start.
I'd say it's a cross between a modern day Sabrina the teenage witch, meets Twilight!
But written in a different way.
I'd definitely read the next book.
I liked the characters and knew mostly enough about them to be invested.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and entertaining YA story perfect for the dark and grey days of autumn in the UK, Savannah’s heat and humidity only serving to add to the atmosphere of Em’s story.
Em’s discovery of her roots after being kept in the dark for so long is a liberating experience and we see her grow in confidence and character as the story progresses.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Em and her new found family and friends. Lydia and Jackson were great additions to her circle and immediately drew her in to life in the town - accepting her completely and sharing their lives with ease. Ashley was my favourite- responsible for caring for all and having little in return - she was interesting, feisty and had that simmering anger never far from the surface

A choice for spooky season, although I didn't feel it hit the notes I wanted it to, sadly. It's a shame, as I've heard good things about the author.

A departure from the author's typical genre. Didn't quite hit the right note for me unfortunately, I'll stick to the romance novels.

A truly witchy, magical, spooky novel, this book grabbed my attention from the start. I loved the small town vibes, magical world building, family dynamics and all the characters were excellent.

Suddenly orphaned Emily finds herself with her aunt and grandmother in Savannah discovering her witch heritage.

I loved the magic building in this book and the mystery going through it. With Emily slowly figuring everything out. It did have some predictability at points and the pacing was at times slow with the majority happening in the last 20%.

It definitely feels like a book setting up for a series it was an enjoyable read though and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I absolutely loved it! I was so invested in the story that I struggled to put it down. A perfect read for October!

The Bell Witches was the perfect spooky season read.

Emily has lived a normal, if nomadic, life with her father for as long as she can remember. He’s from Georgia, but it’s a place she’s never been, and as far as she knows she has no other living family.
Until her father dies in a tragic accident, and her grandmother comes to Wales to claim guardianship.
Whisked off to Savannah, Emily learns that there’s far more to her family and their history than she ever knew, and a dark secret lurks beneath the surface - the true reason why her father kept her away all these years.
Combine the mystery with a handsome stranger who comes with secrets of his own, and Emily’s life has changed more than she could ever have imagined.

I loved The Bell Witches. The magic system was really interesting as was the way it was woven into our world. I enjoy a book where you’re thrown in the deep end and learn with the character, and this book did it really well - there were times when I suspected certain things which then were revealed to be the case, which I always think means they’ve been clearly hinted at and marked out!

The characters felt realistic and their relationships developed naturally. I particularly enjoyed the way Emily’s relationships with her new friends and family developed alongside her relationship with Wyn - it wasn’t just about the potential romance.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bell Witches and I will definitely read the next book in the Savannah Red series!

This book is marketed as "Gilmore Girls meets Buffy" so I went in with high expectations and was unfortunately let down. It just felt rather undeveloped and I didn't love many of the characters.

Such a cute YA book. Unfortunately nothing new or stand out in this book. But it’s a good solid book for those 14/15 year old wanting a dip into a mystical fantasty world.

2.5 ⭐️

"There is always a before and an after."

I'm very sad because I really wanted to like this but alas I did not.

Let's start with what I did like. The setting, the author did a great job of creating a savannah that hides the secret of witches. With cemeteries and big old houses. Now I am saying this as someone who has never been to the US, but it definitely fits with the Savannah we typically see in media.

My favourite character is Lydia, she provides great relief from the dark nature of the rest of the book. Aunt ashley is also very interesting, especially towards the end of the book. I do like Emily too, but she is a somewhat typical YA protagonist.

Speaking of typical YA, the romance gives 2010s werewolf book. It unfortunately is an insta-love situation and I just didn't buy it.

I also found it very predictable. It took too long for our characters to learn what we have already worked out for ourselves as readers. There's was a lot for the author to set up, though, with the setting and the magic system, etc.

Overall I think that if this is the type of book you like, you'll love it but it wasn't for me. The plot had potential, but I probably will not be picking up the sequels.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A coming of age witch book, where can you go wrong? This was an easy read and it didn’t get over complicated just because of the magic element. I did predict parts of the ending fairly early on but I’ll take that. This really didn’t feel like a classic Lindsey Kelk (duh) but it was great to read something different from her

An interesting premise and world but this was rather young YA.

Some books translate YA to older readers as well as young adults but The Bell Witches was not one of them. I know that if I was a teen reading this, I would have gobbled this up but older me could not gel with the immaturity of the main characters and all the instalove. There were so many "I love yous" and after no time at all. All this detracted from the plot which was pretty solid.

I can't see myself reading on because of this.

Audio wise, the narration was single POV with good narration and characterisation.

Thank you to Magpie for the audio review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting. It was different enough from the usual romantasy fare that I was swept along in the story, though it shares a few traditional tropes (soulmates, the chosen one etc.). I did see the twist with Wyn coming from a mile off, but that didn't stop me enjoying the ending. And I particularly liked the 'forging your own family' element of the plot. I'll definitely read the sequel.

This was a fun story that is filled with mystery and intrigue as we follow Emily on her journey back home to Savannah after the tragic loss of her father.

This story is accurately marketed as YA and I just know that if I’d read this 10 years ago I would’ve been utterly obsessed. Whilst I feel like I’m older than the targeted demographic to have been able to enjoy this fully, I can definitely see this book being a success within the YA genre for spooky season. There’s mystery, allure and an interesting cast of characters that leave you guessing and trying to discover all of the answers before Emily does herself.

Her relationship with Wyn is an immediate connection and accurately described as insta love, which whilst this isn’t particularly my life I find it important to note that Emily is only 16. Fast and messy first loves are to be expected so it didn’t come as a surprise and I enjoyed seeing how their dynamic continued to develop over time. Some of the plot twists were a little predictable to me but again… I’m older than the targeted audience so I don’t hold this against the book at all.

This book was perfectly written for spooky season and the atmosphere vibe created the perfect imagery in my head as I read. With its right audience I can definitely see The Bell Witches performing well and the author has done a wonderful job setting up for the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC to read and review.