The Bell Witches is a story about Emily, a sixteen-year-old girl who, following her father's tragic death, moves to Savannah, Georgia to live with her aunt and grandmother. She soon discovers that not only does her family have incredible wealth and status but also that she is descended from a family of powerful witches, all of this unbeknownst to her until she starts experiencing strange things after the move.

I would like to preface this review by saying that I don't think I was the intended audience. I think if I was 13/14 years old, I could have potentially liked it but as an almost 24-year-old, it just wasn't for me. There were parts I liked but ultimately I found it boring, unrealistic and a waste of time.

The high points of this book mostly happened in the first 5% and the last 20%. The setting of the scene and the atmosphere of this book were enjoyable. The Southern debutant vibe was pretty cool so I wish we had delved into that deeper, there was a lot of mention of the wealth the family had and the fact that they would be being presented to society, but none of that was shown on the page, we were just repeatedly told about it. Everything exciting that happened in this book, happened in the last 20%, as a result, I think that if this had been a prequel novella, I could have enjoyed it but because it felt like nothing happened through the majority of the book and all of the action was thrown at us right at the end, I found myself not caring about the story or the characters. Additionally, everything happening at the end meant that there was no time for me to fully appreciate the villain as being the bad guy, we were 90% in when this information was shared with us and then the climax happened almost immediately after so that led to it feeling very lacklustre.

The Aunt!!! She did a complete 180! At the start of the book, it almost seemed like she was happy to have her niece coming to live with her, even though it was a result of her brother dying. However, she then becomes spitful and childish towards her, as soon as they're back in Georgia. She spent the next 80% of the book punishing this kid for her existence and just being horrible to her. I mean what kind of grown adult tells a literal child whose dad has just died, that they're happy he's dead and the only downside to the aforementioned death is that you're now there? LIKE WHAT? Grow up. In the end, the author did try to redeem her and there was some explanation as to why she was the way she was but Jesus Christ!

Also, some of the word choices in this book annoyed me to no end. For example, the characters used the word 'unalive' as a verb twice. Now, I know it has become popular on apps such as Instagram and TikTok to use this as a placeholder for 'kill' so that your content doesn't get restricted, so it may explain why the author had the teenage girl use it, to show she's trendy I guess... but then the aunt who doesn't use the internet or leave the house uses it too and it just completely took me out of the story.

I don't feel like this book was a fantasy, the only elements that felt even slightly fantastical to me were that they were witches and werewolves existed. That's it. And the love story was just completely unbelievable. I could go on about the romance element for ages, so I'll try and keep it short.

The love interest, Wyn, has little to no personality, he exists just to... well, I don't know what his purpose is, but I was not buying the love story whatsoever. If the romance portion would have been between Emily and Jackson I may have believed it because there was more chemistry between those two in the 3/4 interactions they had than Emily had with Wyn the whole way through! Now, I don't know if I felt this way because of how insta-lovey it was, I mean the main character had implied she was in love with Wyn within the first 58 pages (this was after she saw him out of a window, and then had a maybe five-minute conversation with him), I don't know about you but, I'm not buying it. I mean the irony of this happening and then later in the story when Emily is told that Jackson has a crush on her, for her to say 'I don't know him, just like he doesn't know me. I'm a novelty." is wild!! I get they're supposed to be 16/17 so it might be slightly believable that they could believe they're in love after a minor interaction but it just felt so unrealistic to me.

I'm giving this a 2 stars purely for Jackson and Lydia, and the setting of the book, and the fact that I finished it. It just wasn't for me, which is disappointing because I've read and enjoyed some of Lindsey Kelk's other works.

After a tragic accident, Emily loses her father and has to move from rural Wales to Savannah, Georgia. There she meets her extremely wealthy grandmother and tries to settle into a whole new life in her fabulous home, Bell House. She meets Wyn, and feels as though they are meant to be, but who is Emily meant to be? Her grandmother seems to have a few ideas; visiting the rest of the family tips the story into a more supernatural direction, and Emily needs to figure out who she is & who her family have always been.

I’ve read some of Lindsey Kelk’s ‘I heart’ books, but I love the new direction she has taken in The Bell Witches. I can’t wait to read the next in what I hope is a new series. YA & witchcraft is where Kelk shines in my opinion. Highly recommended.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Magpie, and Lindsay Kelk for a Netgalley digital ARC of The Bell Witches in exchange for a fair and honest review. Lindsey Kelk is a romance author I've been meaning to read for quite a while, and loving a witchy read meant this was a book I was dying to read.

Lindsey Kelk's writing is well-structured and atmospherically descriptive, depicting the Southern State of Savannah, Georgia's history, architecture, and society. The world-building is a sublime depiction of the heat of the South, rich historical architecture, and family pride seen in the old blood families of the Southern states – Lindsey Kelk did an excellent job depicting the vibes of the old eerie sprawling cemeteries vaults and tombs that I've seen in my travels and capturing the little niche details that spark the sense of place to life like the Spanish moss curling around its host trees. The magic lore is uniquely crafted with an ancestral inheritance passed down to each Emma Catherine Bell daughter of the Bell family line.

The plot pulls the reader into the mysterious storytelling of the Bell family's secrets, discovering yourself as you grow up, and a forbidden romance. Pacing can be a little tumultuously uneven. Feeling a bit slow and sluggish at the start but ramps up to a compelling pace as secrets reveal themselves to Emily. The target audience for this book is young to mid-teen years; the language and plot choices reflect this, keeping the story wholesome, innocent and appropriate for the age group for which The Bell Witches is marketed. I think readers of 18 years old might find it challenging to embrace some of the narrative and language choices designed for more modern popular slang and idiosyncrasies.

A diverse range of characters forms around the main protagonist, Emily, with a good range of relationships that add depth to the plot. Her troubled relationship with her aunt, her mother's mysteries, and her grandmother's secrecy add layers to the story. Emily's a quirky teenager with a good head on her shoulders, a humourous way of expressing herself, and vulnerability as she wants to fit in and belong, but sometimes at the cost of doing the wrong thing. The romance is very innocent and quick to form, as are many teenage crushes and infatuations in teenhood. A forbidden love dynamic between a witch and a werewolf is a fun premise, but things formed too randomly between Wyn and Emily. Hopefully, we will get more depth in the next book as they get to know each other and establish a connection beyond a couple of dates.

A coming-of-age story featuring found family, first love, and a witchy heritage with vibes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Vampire Diaries, and Charmed. I wouldn't have called this book gothic save for the gothic parental tragedy that seems to orphan every protagonist in most children's and young adult literature before the 1980s. I didn't think this was the gothic witchy read, but it will appeal to others who will eat it up. I'm still working on my final thoughts for this book, as it was a random mix of elements. I think there is potential in the series, so I will be checking out book 2 to see how The Bell Witches books continue.

[Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to four for sharing views on netgalley, goodreads, amazon and waterstones]

DNF at 45%

I was super excited to read Lindsey Kelk's first fantasy novel. I read her book 'Love Story' a few months ago and I liked it. But this was so underwhelming for me. I think the extremely slow pace ticked me off. I wanted mystery and intrigue and some interesting world-building but it was honestly disappointing and not at all how I expected.

I love Lindsey's books I have read them all but sadly this one fell a little short for me. I wanted mystery, intruge, but it was all a little too obvious. I couldn't. Get behind the love story and felt loads of bits could have been cut and didn't feel relevant or warranted. I was a bit disappointed if I'm honest.

I do love an easy read about witches!

I really enjoyed getting a chance at reading this book early and glad I had it on preorder.

The description of Savannah made me wanna pack up and get a flight over.
I enjoyed the main characters and the arcs they had through the book.
I found the romance to be quite fast paced and in a world of slow burn romance books out there it took me back a bit that within a matter of chapters they were in love.

I enjoyed the lore behind the Bell family, I liked the magic system and how it was described.

The plot twists I somewhat saw coming but they were still exciting to read!

Excited to see what the author has install for the next book.

Thanks Harper Collins for the chance to have a read!

The Bell Witches is an exciting new young adult fantasy romance. I really enjoy Lindsey Kelk's contemporary romance titles so I was extremely eager to read this book. The Bell Witches is an enchanting and heartwarming story full of magic and mystery. I loved this gothic witchy tale and I loved how atmospheric it was. I really liked the main character, Emily, who is an orphan living with her grandmother and aunt in Savannah. I really liked Wyn and I thought that the romance was beautifully written.

Overall, I loved The Bell Witches and think that it would make the perfect autumn read!

The Bell Witches is Lindsey Kelk’s YA gothic fantasy debut. I’ve been a huge fan of Kelk’s for some time now and was honestly so excited when The Bell Witches was announced and let me tell you it did not disappoint at all! I genuinely cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Bell Witches has all of Kelk’s trademark charm and humour, but added to the mix is some absolutely perfect witchy fantasy vibes. Kelk herself has said if you ever loved Buffy, The Vampire Diaries or True Blood that you’re going to love The Bell Witches and honestly those shows/books were EVERYTHING and The Bell Witches is bringing all the right vibes and you can tell this series is going to be epic. (I mean c’mon we have a chosen one prophecy and falling for the ‘wrong’ guy - be still my Buffy loving heart).

The Bell Witches is Emily’s story, a girl who finds herself living with her aunt and grandmother in Savannah following the death of her father. Her new home is as beautiful as it is mysterious, and like her new family, there are many secrets in amongst the splendour. Whilst in Savannah Emily meats the alluring Wyn and it seems are once that the pair were destined to be together. Yet the closer she’s drawn to Wyn the further she seems to get from her family, her heritage and maybe even her destiny.

I genuinely loved this book, it was such a brilliant read. I really enjoyed its slower pace and the gentle unraveling of the story; The Bell Witches was a great book in and of itself, but also a perfect start to a series. We are introduced to a great and diverse cast of characters that I’m looking forward to seeing more of. We’ve got a brilliant star crossed lovers situation going on, and I’m ok with the insta love it makes sense in the context. And the location, well Savannah felt as alive in the story as any of the characters and it was a joy to be immersed within it.

If you’re a fan of Kelk you need this, if you like YA witchy fantasy you need this, or if you loved any of the aforementioned shows you need this too. I just need the next one now!

I loved this book. The writing is exquisite and I found the duality of heartbreak and hope beautiful to read. There is a sense of unease running throughout this book and I found it hard to put this book down as I wanted to know the reason for this. I just wanted to give Emily a cuddle and tell her it was going to be OK. A gorgeously gothic tale of witches, werewolves and betrayal. Perfect for spooky season reading!

Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

Let me just say, it was really weird to read a book that was clearly meant for a dark and rainy autumn day while you’re bundled up in a warm blanket with a cup of tea in your hands in August. During a heatwave. All things aside, I was a bit disappointed by the book.

Emily’s dad has died suddenly, and now she’s in Savannah with a grandmother and aunt she never heard of. She thought she finally found a family, but Bell House has many secrets and some of them are better buried.

I did love the whole setting and atmosphere of the book. Many times I wished I was in Savannah with Emily, it was that good! Loved the writing style, too. We learnt the Bell family’s secrets along with Emily and while I guessed a few twists, it was still exciting to read.

I loved the characters and especially Lydia. I think she being so different from Emily made their friendship. I would love to have a friend like her if I was completely honest! I did not trust Catherine, not even in the beginning. I knew she had more under her facade, and the more we saw of her the more darker her character became. Ashley was complicated, but I understood her bitterness, knowing what her mother did. She was trapped and had no way out.

I liked Wyn, but I have to say I hated the romance part. It was instalove. They saw each other once, and they were head over heels. Like immediately. This is one of my least favorite tropes, because it doesn’t feel real. And I know we’re talking about a book with witches and werewolves, but still, it’s unreal. I did love their chemistry, so if they had just a little more time between seeing each other and being pulled to the other I would have zero complaints.

To my knowledge this is a standalone, but with a very open ending. I do wish we had a bit more defined closure, because the last chapter raised more questions and they are all unanswered.

Overall, if you’re looking for a book with witches, werewolves, betrayals and a bit of romance to add to your spooky TBR, you should definitely check out The Bell Witches!

Solid YA magical family novel, I will happily continue with the series. Not all fantasy novels need to be long epics and this does the job beautifully.

When Emily James is tragically orphaned her life is forever changed. She is collected by family she never knew existed and moved from rural Wales to Savannah, Georgia. She’s introduced to her glamorous and mysterious grandmother and her petulant and resentful aunt. It’s not just her home life which has changed either, Emily is seeing things that aren’t there and perhaps not seeing things which are.

This novel doesn’t do anything groundbreaking but that is not a criticism. I like knowing what I’m getting and importantly this delivered on that promise. It’s a YA novel about teen romance and discovering magic, it’s exactly what you think.

Emily is a good protagonist. She’s brave and not whiny (a usual problem with teen protagonists), and I actually really love the wider cast of her friends and love interest.

The family drama isn’t the most three-dimensional, there’s a lot of if not stereotyping then at least predictability. BUT I have to remember this is setting the groundwork for a series and I am hopeful that we’ve got the really good stuff still to come.

This book was a delightful start to spooky season and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!

Thank you to #netgalley and #harpervoyageruk for my #arc

Easy 5 stars from me.

This book has it all, deceipt, vengeance, love, hope, friendship, magic, witches, werewolves, a magical house, the lot!

I loved reading this, it was captivating and entertaining throughout. The pacing was perfect, there was no dragging, no filling, the story kept moving but without losing detail.

After a few unfortunate losses, Emily finds herself in a different country, as a guest of her pushy grandmother and slightly weird aunt. There, Emily meets the sweetest boy with whom she falls desperately in love with and ends up discovering her family's history, which is interlinked with her own future, by means of a prophecy.

Will she accept the prophecy and fulfil it, or will she make her own future?

The Bell Witches by Lindsay Kelk

First time read by this author , and a first for reading a YA book of this genre.

After Emily’s father tragically dies, she is forced to live with the only family she has left, an aunt and grandmother in the heart of Savannah, Georgia in a house as beautiful as it is mysterious.

But all is not what it seems with the Bell family; they’re hiding a magical secret.

When Emily meets the alluring Wyn, she forms a connection that feels like it was always meant to be. As the spark between them grows more powerful, her life takes an exhilarating and terrifying turn; but every step closer to him, takes her a step further away from her family.
Great story , kept me wanting to carry on reading , loved the relationships of the characters and of Emily on discovering the ' real her ' and the truth of herself .

<i><b>”Truth lives in the dark. Light hides the lies.”</b></i>

After Emily’s father tragically dies, she is forced to move far away from where she called home to the heart of Savannah, Georgia, to live with her grandmother and her aunt at the Bell residence. But nothing is as it seems when it comes to the Bell family.

Be careful who you trust…


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow I’m in so many emotions that was an ending!! From the very start I was gripped to this story and magical secrets. I loved the love story between Emily and the alluring Wyn. My other favourite character had to be Lydia like how could you not love her cutesy personality 😅

I did dislike Ashley but the ending did make me feel sorry for her and start to like her a bit more. I wonder will this story continue. There’s something coming that has yet to happen…?

I would definitely continue if there’s a possible sequel!

<b>Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsey Kelk, and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

A decent YA fantasy and 'coming of age/coming into her power' story about Emily, who has to live with her aunt and grandmother who she has never met, after the sudden death of her father. I felt quite nostalgic reading it because it's reminiscent of the YA paranormal and fantasy novels from the noughties.

The setting was beautifully portrayed, I loved the southern Gothic atmosphere and mysterious Bell House with it's magical wallpaper and witchy gardens. That element of the story was really immersive.

There's a romance between Emily and Wyn, which was just too insta-lovey for me. This *is* YA though and the characters are 16/17, so it's perhaps not totally beyond expectation if you're the target demographic.

I also found Emily's aunt Ashley to be a strange character. She's supposed to be a 28 year old woman, and even with context and eventual character growth, she comes across extremely childish. Whenever her and Emily were in a scene together it felt like two teenagers interacting.

The reveals were a little predictable and I found the pace rambled a bit, but ultimately, I finished this in a day and i'm curious about what is going to unfold in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for sending me an earc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book.

The bell witches tells the story of a young girl- Emily- who, after her father dies in a car accident, becomes an orphan. She finds out that she actually does have some family left even though her dad told her it was not the case. Her aunt Ashley comes to pick her up to live with her and Catherine- Emily’s grandma- in an estate. Emily will start experiencing some strange stuff when she comes to live there.

This book was unfortunately not for me. I found it very very slow and long. It’s probably due to the fact that I did not really care for the characters. I found Catherine just annoying all the time. The way everyone was speaking was quite often odd. Especially Emily. I also saw one of the plot twists coming from a mile away.

When I read the blurb I thought it would be right up my street, but now I’m just disappointed.

I was so excited to receive this book, I have loved lindseys books from the start, and love that she's not done a fantasy book!
The Bell Witches* is a perfect mix of southern charm, a touch of spooky fun and tension. Lindsey Kelk crafts an engaging story about a small town cursed for generations, blending supernatural elements l and heartfelt themes of family and self-discovery. The characters are endearing, the plot is full of twists, and the witty dialogue keeps you hooked. It’s a five-star read—fun, eerie, and utterly enchanting. Highly recommended!

I love Kelk's books and was so excited to see this YA fantasy from her. Happy to report that I loved The Bell Witches! Emily is a deep, thoughtful character and she experiences so much in going to live with her (unknown to her) grandmother after her father's death. She has so much change to grapple with and it's compounded when she begins encountering ghosts and other unworldly phenomenon. So good!!

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advance copy of The Bell Witches in exchange for my honest review.

The Bell Witches is an imaginative YA "coming of age" story about a modern day 16 year old girl who has recently lost her father and is forced to move in with her long lost grandmother, whom she previously believed to be dead. As if that isn't shock enough for our FMC, the trauma just keeps coming with mysterious happenings, ghost encounters, near death experiences and the realization that she is, in fact, the latest iteration of witch in a long standing family line of magical "southern royalty." Um.. yes please. This book surprised and impressed me. There were twists that kept me turning pages, lies that had me clutching my pearls, and deceit that left me infuriated. There were beautiful found family moments and and endearing lessons about friendship, perseverance and determination. There was a sweet PG love story that while some would say is very fast paced, to me, fit the narrative of her family's past romantic history perfectly. I also felt like the romance fell in line with what I would expect for a younger YA novel. There's nothing wrong with a little "love at first site" moment for our hopeless romantics. I loved the Savannah, GA setting as Kelk's writing does atmospheric impeccably well. As a frequent Savannah visitor, I thought the incorporation of the history, the descriptions of the city and location easter eggs were spot on without feeling too cumbersome or uninteresting. You really get a good feel of the locale which, I think can be hard to achieve. It also added something special to the story itself giving an ethereal southern spooky vibe that is perfect considering the book's October release date. All in all, I really enjoyed the read and as it's definitely setup for additional books, would not hesitate to continue the series.

Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Lindsey Kelk’s first fantasy novel, The Bell Witches, is the perfect autumnal read. It’s filled with witches, werewolves, magic and betrayal.

The book follows Emily. After the death of her father, she has to move to Savannah to live with her grandmother and auntie. There she discovers she’s a witch.

I fell in love with Savannah based on the beautiful descriptions. The story brought the place to life in my mind and is the perfect cosy setting.

The Bell House and the magic that filled its walls sounded so inviting too, while also having a strange eerie vibe to it. I loved how the magic extended to the home.

There are flashbacks to South Wales and Emily’s past which were wonderful to read. As someone from Wales, I found it to be a nice addition as we don’t see many books set here.

Emily, the main character, had a lot of growth in this first instalment. Becoming headstrong and making decisions for herself, while helping others was nice to read about. As she searches for the truth about her past and her family, she discovers things about herself and her parents that she wasn’t expecting. I liked how she handled every situation, never moaning, always being proactive.

Lydia is the best and most fun character in the book. I loved her bluntness, loyalty and caring nature. She’s also very witty. Having a character like this adds a nice layer to a book that may be a bit intense at times.

It’s a slow paced novel. There is a lot of world building and lots of discoveries about Emily and the Bell Witches that are important to the story. The plot felt faster and more intense in the final quarter, with thrilling scenes of conflict. Some of the twists were easy to guess but it didn’t deter my enjoyment of the plot.

There are some things in this book I didn’t love as much such as the insta-love between Emily and Wyn. They’re great characters but the declaration of love felt way too sudden.

Ashley, Emily’s auntie, also felt massively childish, and while she has character development, I still found her behaviour to be a bit strange even with the context we’re given about her.

This story made me very reminiscent of the paranormal books from the 2010s – in the best way possible. I’m excited for more books to be released in this series.