I must admit that I was positively surprised by Root and Bone by Jessica Raney. This fast-paced, paranormal mystery is packed with suspense, magic, and small-town vibes reminiscent of True Detective. What sets it apart is the humorous touch added by the dialectal verbiage of most of the characters.

Our sister heroines, Leona and Jewel, are a force to be reckoned with. I had a fantastic time following their investigations into the gruesome murders shaking the foundations of their quiet town. These two strong women aren't afraid to surf the waves of patriarchy and misogyny of the '50s. They face family violence and find solutions within themselves, drawing on their strength and magic.

In a place where supernaturals of all kinds call home, Leona and Jewel shine with their intelligence and sass. Different like the sun and the moon, the sisters are the true stars of this book. Their dynamic is electric, their courage inspiring, and their wit sharp.

Root and Bone is a delightful read that leaves you craving more of their feisty adventures. Hopefully, we'll see more of their fierce and sassy escapades in future books. Jessica Raney has crafted a captivating tale that's hard to put down and impossible to forget.

Jessica Raney's 'Root and Bone' swept me into a spellbinding tale set in a small Appalachian village haunted by a series of chilling murders. Led by sisters and witches, Leona and Jewel, the narrative unfolds with a captivating mix of dark paranormal intrigue and familial bonds. While I found myself drawn to the atmospheric setting and compelling characters, particularly Jewel's unwavering determination, I couldn't shake the discomfort surrounding the unsettling age gap between Leona and Cale at their first encounter.

Despite my overall enjoyment, 'Root and Bone' left me feeling slightly unsettled as the story raced towards its conclusion. Some plot points felt rushed, leaving me with unanswered questions and unresolved conflicts. Nevertheless, Raney's debut offered me a promising glimpse into a world of magic and mystery, leaving me eager to see how the story unfolds in future installments.

The gripping story "Root and Bone" by Jessica Raney takes place in the Appalachian town of Ames, where sisters Leona and Jewel heirs to a family of strong Granny Women confront evil forces in the wake of a horrific murder. Readers will be glued to their seats until the very end as Raney creates a captivating story filled with mystery, sisterly ties, and a hint of suspense.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. From the setting to the way it was written. This was such a refreshing and well written take on Appalachian style folklore without being overbearing. I can't wait to read more in the series.

I liked the book's atmosphere with strong witches solving mysteries in a supernatural small town. The big age gap between Leona and Cale at the start felt a bit weird and should have been addressed.

While I enjoyed the plot and Leona's bond with Jewel, more details about the town's background and deeper relationships would have been nice. Adding suspenseful moments between key events could have made the story more exciting.

Despite that, I recommend this mysterious paranormal book to those who like dark stories. I'm curious to see how Jessica continues the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for the ARC!

Description:

"Root and Bone" by Jessica Raney is a Southern mystery novel that immerses readers in the mystical and eerie ambiance of a small Appalachian town named Ames. The story is centered around two sisters, Leona Monroe and Jewel Spencer, who are descendants of a line of "Granny Women." These women are healers, keepers of secrets, and possessors of potent magical abilities, including seeing the future, manipulating nature, and communicating with the dead​.

The tranquility of Ames is shattered by the murder of a young girl, a crime that the local authorities are ill-equipped to handle because of its supernatural undertones. Leona and Jewel take it upon themselves to solve the murder, leveraging their unique magical skills. Their investigation uncovers deeper, darker forces at play, including vengeful spirits and sinister strangers who pose new threats to their community.

Review:

I really liked the general idea and how it
started with all the mystery witchy vibes and retro atmosphere. The characters seemed promising and the mood as I imagined it reading was, too.

Leona can see and communicate with ghosts. That got me really interested.
I also liked the dynamic between Leona as the older and more responsible sister and the younger sister Jewel who seemed more free-spirited.
Other characters didn't feel that thought through.

Sadly, the pacing started to feel a little rushed for me in the second half and there are a few things that remain a little unclear. I did like the idea of a human ghost romance but i would have needed that to be explored more, for example.

The dialect language was a bit difficult to deal with. It seemed grammatically wrong so i stumbled over it several times despite knowing.
I did like the writing style as such though and i would read more from the author and genre!

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

I want to start off by saying that I was unable to finish the book. I attempted to rest this book, and also attempted to have Siri read this book for me while I followed along. I had a very hard time with the dialect being not just in the dialogue. It was very distracting, and pulled me out of the book more than once. I also felt the storyline was disjointed and a bit lackluster. I didn’t feel drawn to the characters or their story. This maybe could be remedied with a bit more set up in the beginning. I think the idea of this book has potential, but the current presentation was lacking.

Root and Bone's synopsis really made me hopeful for a fun and spooky witchy read, but I was a bit disappointed. The time period and ages of the characters was questionable until about 75% of the way through (unless I missed it, but I checked again and didn't see any indication in the beginning) and I feel like the characters fell flat. Every time I started to find myself getting sucked in, the development/plot/relationship/bonding would just end way too soon. I think it was just wayyyy too much information to cram into one book and should have been separated out. Even if only one character was more developed I would have felt better, but they all seem like the exact same characters they were when they started.

I had so much fun reading the dialogue and feel that's where the story excelled. I also loved the dynamic between Jewel and Leona and would be interested in seeing more of their journey. And, while I do love a supernatural romance, the one with Cale and Leona was a bit odd for me.

Overall, 2/5 stars. Would give book 2 a chance but overall was disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc!!!

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. The world had so much potential, but it was very cliche and predictable. I enjoyed the supernatural elements in the book, but it felt like the author had all these ideas and couldn’t settle on just one or two. There were a few times that I almost chose to DNF the book because of the author’s choices or writing styles, but I decided to stick it out: (the dogs being murder by the werewolf felt very unnecessary, and I truly despised the author’s choice to use the term “carrot” for Leona’s husband.) I wish this book was a hit more refined because it could've been so much better.

This book felt unfinished. It was so inconsistent with either too much exposition or very little at all, and I was left wondering if I’d missed something more than once. There were also several inconsistencies with the magic, and a lot of elements seemed to be included for no real structural purpose, other than to heighten drama. I think the premise is good and I would love to see a version of this with a more fleshed out storyline and better editing. 1.5⭐️

I couldn't wait to get started on this witchy mystery, but.... it was a struggle. I was lost as to what the plot was actually about and what was happening. I truly did not care for the characters, and so I had a hard time emphasizing with their various struggles. Not from a human empath standpoint but that their struggles were glossed over. This just didn't sit well with me. I see that it is a series. Unfortunately, I will not be interested in reading any more from this one..
Thank you to NetGalley and Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for my honest review. Three stars (being generous) from me.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

I started reading this and was drawn in with the Ghost Whisperer, a missing girl, and witchy magic vibes, however, I found my attention quickly wandering with the tone of the speech between Leona and Jewel. Although I think it was meant to be friendly sibling banter the way they spoke grated after a while and felt more 'true blood' backwater style which I found annoying and took me out of the story.

I would consider other titles by this author in the future though as the world-building was good, and the magical lore was brilliant, hence the 3 stars.

This Appalachian murder magic mystery kept me on my toes! I enjoyed the dynamic between the witch sisters, but most of the other characters were very undeveloped so the world felt pretty insubstantial. I also felt that the sister's marriages to disrespectful simpletons didn't make much sense given their fierce attitudes and inherent power, but maybe that aspect is meant as commentary on how different things were in the past. Other than my issues with the side characters, I enjoyed following the sisters around and discovering just how strong their magic was.

I love the cover and description for this book. However, I am sorry to say I did not love the story so much. I saw Granny Women in the description and jumped at the chance to read this. I should've read the whole thing. I wouldn't call this Granny magic. I did not love the characters either. The sisters bicker and pick at each other constantly. While it is in jest, it's so annoying. I could not understand the reason Leona made most of the choices she did in the book, it seemed she wanted to make life harder for herself. I did skip a big section in the middle just so I could find out who was the culprit. I will not be continuing this series, but I would give the author another try.

Practical Magic goes Southern gothic. A wonderful novel about two magical sisters who try to stop a killer in their town. Readers see both the "normal" and supernatural world through the eyes of our main characters as they pursue the darkest of forces.

This is lovely and fun, it just isn't for me. Maybe I am too old and bitter for this one or maybe I am cranky. I don't know. It just didn't work for me.
I think other people will love it!

DNF'd at 30%
I was really looking forward to this book but I had a really hard time getting through through it. I struggled with the characters and overall plot. This just wasn’t for me.

This was a good read! First time reading this type of book and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the witch aspect and can’t wait for the next book. I’ll be honest it was the cover that grabbed my attention but I must say I’m glad I read it. This is a good way to start a series and hook you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy.

“Root and Bone” is a very well-written magic thriller book by Jessica Raney.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Magic: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️Magic spells
⭐️Sisterhood
⭐️Paranormal suspense
⭐️Paranormal romance (not spicy)

My Review:
One of the best witchcraft/magic books I‘ve read recently. The story is very well-written and fast-paced. There is a lot of suspense and drama going on as well as a mild romance between the main character and a ghost 👻 . It starts with a murder that Leona ( the main character) tries to resolve while trying to stay alive since the deceased is now an evil spirit trying to kill her. Her sister is there to help since they both possess different kinds of magic skills and they are such different characters. A thriller that will keep you guessing who is the killer—a very nice mix of witchcraft and thriller, two of my favourite genres of books. I would definitely recommend it to witches, paranormal and thriller lovers.

Description:
Leona Monroe and her sister, Jewel Spencer, live in Ames, a sleepy little Appalachian town where nothing much happens. When it does, everyone knows everything—at least they think they do. The Spencer sisters have more insight. They come from a long line of Granny Women—healers, confidence keepers, and powerful magic wielders—able to see into the future, manipulate the natural world around them, and commune with the dead.
When a girl is brutally murdered, it’s clear that local law enforcement has no idea what’s really at play. So it falls on Leona and Jewel to dig deeper into the mystery. In the middle of the investigation, strangers come to Ames who prove powerful and dangerous, setting Leona and Jewel at odds with dark magic, vengeful ghosts, and each other.
With the help of a friendly spirit, the vast knowledge of their mentor, Granny Kay, and their own powerful magic, Leona and Jewel must work together to counter the evil descending upon their town. But their insecurities and fears prevent them from stopping another murder. They need to get it together. If their magic and sister bond isn’t strong enough, their town will fall to darkness along with everything they hold dear. 

Writing style:
Simple, fast pacing but so much dialect that spun my head as I was correcting English in my mind by default. I hoped to see a little bit more magic and a bit more in-depth characters. I felt the end was a bit rushed.

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

Root and Bone by Jessica Raney is a delightful blend of Southern charm, witty dialogue, and supernatural intrigue.
The story centers around the Spencer sisters, Leona and Jewel, descendants of a long line of magic wielders. When a brutal murder rocks their sleepy Appalachian town, the bumbling local authorities leave the investigation wide open. Enter Leona and Jewel, who must rely on their unique magical talents and sisterly intuition to crack the case..
The author excels at crafting banter that feels genuine and laugh-out-loud funny., the sisterly dynamic between Leona and Jewel is the heart of the book, with their contrasting personalities creating a delightful tension. Leona, the responsible older sister, grounds the narrative, while Jewel, the free-spirited younger one, injects a dose of chaos and keeps things lively.
The Appalachian setting adds a layer of authenticity and uniqueness. Raney paints a vivid picture of this close-knit community, where everyone knows everyone's business. It's a perfect backdrop for the story's blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary.
While Root and Bone shines in its characters and setting, the plot itself could benefit from a bit more complexity. At times, the mystery unfolds a tad predictably. Additionally, some of the secondary characters felt a little underdeveloped, leaving room for further exploration in future installments.
Overall, Root and Bone is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It's a perfect pick-me-up for those seeking a light and entertaining urban fantasy with strong female leads and a dash of magic. The witty dialogue, charming setting, and engaging sisterly bond make this a series opener that leaves you wanting more.