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.

A big thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

After Emily’s father dies in a car accident, she is forced to move from Wales, across the ocean to Savannah, Georgia and live with the only family she has left, an aunt and grandmother. She quickly discovers that the Bell family are hiding a magical secret - they're descendant of powerful witches.

First of all, my favourite thing about this book was the atmosphere; we got the cosy, witchy vibes from the very start and together with the setting of mysterious Savannah, created the most perfect autumnal read. The real strength of this book lies in the beautiful descriptions of surroundings, architecture, we also get a bit of the Bell family history thrown in, again beautifully described.

Emily, our FMC, is a sixteen year old girl who within just a couple of months loses her only parent, moves across the ocean to an unknown family, only to discover that she's in fact a witch. Imagine that being your life! I must say I liked Emily, I was trying to see the situation from her perspective and she's handled it all like a pro. There is some growth that we see to her character towards the end of the book and that seemed to be the main theme of this book, the coming of age and becoming the main hero of her own story.

You will also get to meet Lydia, Emily's new best friend, and honestly one of those friends that we'd all want to get! She's like a Sam to Frodo but way more entertaining. I also quite enjoyed characterisation for both Ashley, the aunt, who makes such a positive change towards the end of the book, I'm excited to see her in the next book!, and Catherine, the grandmother, the perfect... ahh that'd be a spoiler!

Where the book didn't deliver for me was the romance. It was SO SO insta that it may have beaten the world record as far as insta romances go. For me, Emily's love interest was lacking personality and I struggled to understand her infatuation with him, given the fact that there was another potential candidate in sight that seemed like a more obvious choice!

Another thing that I struggled with in places were some of the dialogues. Some were totally pointless (a whole page on eating an ice-cream?), some were straight on cringy (also, who uses the word "unalive" in place of "kill"??) and that dinner conversation during which the (way too high and a little ridiculous) high stakes get dropped down on our FMC over some pork chops...

Overall, this was a fun read and I'm more than happy to look over all the little things that bothered me and continue with the series.

A big thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

I absolutely love Lindsey Kelk. I’m a fully paid up member of her fandom, often pre-purchasing her romance novels for extra online content. I was pretty excited to see she was writing a YA fantasy/romance, and that it’s the first in a series. I’m certainly not the target audience but I was excited to get an ARC from NetGalley.
I would have ADORED this as a teenager, as a fully fledged grown-up I think I probably missed some references, but still found lots to love.
Emily is a teenager who finds herself back in the Savannah home of her grandmother after her father dies. Turns out that on her rapidly approaching 17th birthday she will have a Becoming, when she will become a fully-fledged witch. In fact, she will probably become the most powerful witch in Savannah.
She’s got sidekicks - I imagine their stories will unfold in future. She’s also got a very hot new boyfriend, who turns out to have a secret of his own. I’ve seen other people diss this instant love story, but it really gives off a strong Buffy/Angel vibe to me. I’m willing to bet Kelk is a big fan. I also spotted some Taylor Swift nods.
All in all, I very much enjoyed this. I’ll be looking forward to the next book in the series.

DNF at 47% I have been trying for a few weeks to get into this book and its just not gripping me, I have really enjoyed this authors work in the past Im not sure if its me or if its just not the book for me I kept going back for it and my final push I got this far after being stuck at 33 percent! I will try and go back to it but DNF for now,

3.75 stars rounded to 4

For the most part, The Bell Witches was a really captivating read. With a lush, descriptive setting of Savannah, I found myself completely immersed into the story. I could very much imagine the old Southern mansions in front of me, standing in all their past glory. In terms of just the world building alone and the way the magic system was set up, I’d say this was a pretty solid read.

However, in terms of the writing style, I felt it to be slightly clunky at parts. Not that it wasn’t anything bad, it was just jarring to see TikTok slang in the context of the story. It does slightly take away the immersiveness of the story and I only wish it didn’t. Because besides that, the writing is pretty good. Especially at the beginning and in the way the story starts. Because let me tell you, you will be hooked onto the story from the first line.

I liked Emily as a character, and enjoyed seeing her try and find her footing in a new home with family members who have many, many secrets of their own. Throughout the story, she was brave and determined, and if you know me, I love characters like her. Her romance with Wyn was also cute, if a little rushed. I think their relationship could do with a little more development, but all in all, I enjoyed reading about it. They were pretty adorable.

All in all, The Bell Witches was a pretty damn good read, and looks like it will be a series, so I am excited to see what happens next!