I'm a sucker for a good, Gothic ghost story. Wendy Webb does not disappoint with The Witches of Santo Stefano. It's a rich and thrilling story filled with family history, potential witches and old world Italy. What more could you want?!

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was not familiar with this title nor the author before coming across it on Netgalley, but a book about witches set in Italy definitely caught my attention. I enjoyed this title. I liked the characters and wanted to cheer for Cassie as she headed to Italy in the wake of a bad divorce to find answers about her family and hopefully refind herself in the process. I could imagine being in the little Italian town with her and loved how the townspeople welcomed her in with Italian hospitatity and good food. Loved the dual time periods as we read about Cassie in the present and her ancestors stories from the past. Both are good stories on their own. Enjoyable read more about relationships, personal growth, and family ancestry with a little touch of magic.

I stumbled on Wendy Webb's book on kindle unlimited while searching for something to read. She is now one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. I was totally enthralled from page one and finished it in a day. Thank you for letting me read.

Another fantastic read from Wendy Webb! I don't usually read horror / paranormal fiction, but Webb combines engaging stories with just the right amount of creepy gothic for me. This novel is a change from her normal setting along Lake Superior. The novel focuses on cousins Cassandra and Maria. Maria has been researching the family ancestry and has brought up strange things to Cassandra. After Cassie finds conflicting records in her late grandmother's bedroom, she decides to travel to Italy to search for answers. Once there, she can't shake the feeling that she is receiving signals and visions - but what do they mean?
As a fan of Webb's work and a genealogy librarian with Italian ancestry, I found this novel to be a perfect read. The descriptions of the town are vivid, and the characters are fleshed out and colorful. Switching between Cassie's perspective and her ancestors' was done well without any confusion. The story is creative and engaging - a fantastic read!

I enjoy all of Wendy Webb's books, and this one did not disappoint. Being Italian, I really enjoyed reading about these quaint towns in Italy... The story kept me interested as well. She definitely knows how to hold your attention..

This was a fabulous read, entwining all things I love in a book.
A dual timeline novel featuring Cassandra who's travelled to a small village in Italy to discover the story of her Great Grandmother Violetta. In the past we meet Rosa and follow her story as she falls in love with Constant.
All of the women have "the sight" and although this helps them in their business it also brings suspicions in the village when things don't go to plan.
I've never been to Italy but I loved the description of the village, a real sense of community and helpfulness. I found myself looking for images of the area, it looks amazing..
The past and present flowed seamlessly, sometimes in dual timelines I prefer reading the past stories but with this book I loved both parts equally.

I've always been fascinated by witchcraft (or the threat and hysteria surrounding it.) This book provided a good history lesson on women who are too smart for the men in their community: healers, knowing how the earth's herbs and plants have medicinal qualities is a gift. However, for many women, this ancient knowledge passed down must have been hid.

The story spans two different timeframes - one in Italy in Santo Stefano, and one in the US where two sisters begin to unearth secrets about their own past.

This book is beautifully written. Family secrets with witches, magic and ITALY. All of my favourites in one novel. Loved it.

I love Wendy Webb's books. Usually, there's an undercurrent of spookiness in them, however, this one is different. This one feels very cozy and warm like a fall day under the blankets. You suddenly wish you had a hidden family secret to take you to Italy on a grand adventure. While her books are usually set in Minnesota, this one takes you across the globe to Santo Stefano, Italy where our main character Cassandra starts the journey of finding out her family's roots and story.

A cast of characters both past and present show you along the path of heartbreak, family, love, and death. Are curses real? Are witches? Cassandra is about to find out on the trip of a lifetime.

Wendy Webb is one of my favorite modern-day gothic writers. She has created a world on Lake Superior in Wharton that is so detailed and haunting. We know the innkeepers, the bookstore owners and the owner of the local greasy spoon. The Witches of Santo Stefano is a departure, however, the essence of Wharton continues.

Cassandra, a childhood Wharton resident, has returned to her childhood home after her parents' death, her son leaving for college, and the devastating discovery of her husband's second life. Her beloved cousin lives a few blocks away and has been indulging in the genealogy of their family. The two women, who are best friends, meet and find that what they had always been told does not align with the records that they have found.

Cassie then travels to Italy, to the small village listed on the paperwork, with the goal of finding out the truth of her families origin. The cast of characters that she encounters feel like the Italian version of Wharton residents. Together, they all connect the dots, and find out the truth in the Rossi/Moretti family line.
--
As mentioned, this is not my first Wendy Webb book. While I did miss the people of Wharton, this introduction to the people of Santo Stefano felt just as familiar. Webb is able to build a world with her words. I could see the village, the dog, the shops. It's a talent that very few writers are able to do.

As expected, there's a big of 'magic', but it all works, as it should. I hope that we revisit Cassie in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Wendy Webb for the opportunity to read and review this book.

*The Witches of Santo Stefano* is a captivating read with beautiful, accessible prose and vivid imagery. The author’s descriptive writing is so immersive that I felt I was right there in Italy with Cassie and her ancestors, experiencing their lives right alongside them.

The book sets a strong scene, and once Cassie arrives in Italy, the plot really takes off! I don’t want to talk about too much of the plot in this review because I think it is worth reading the book to get the true depth of everything. I was thoroughly engaged the entire time and absolutely loved traveling through Italy and time. The mystery was engrossing, and despite predicting the ending, the quality of writing made it thoroughly enjoyable.

As for the writing style, I felt like each chapter ended neatly and transitions between chapters were well done. However, I found the family tree could be tricky to follow without a visual aid, but it did not greatly detract from the experience. Oh, and a minor quibble: the word “padded” is used a lot to describe walking, which felt a bit repetitive.

Overall, *The Witches of Santo Stefano* is an excellent read with a compelling mystery and richly detailed prose. Highly recommended!

Disclaimer: This review was written with the assistance of AI, based on all of my chapter and book notes. However, the sentiments expressed are genuine, reflecting only my personal experience with this book.

A lovely story of family, friendship, love and a sprinkle of something magical. This was such a warm novel about the ties that bind generations. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

The Witches Of Santo Stefano
By: Wendy Webb

5 Stars

This is a story that spans generations of women. When Cassie Graves digs up secrets on her ancestors, more and more secrets abound. This leads her on a life changing journey to Santo Stefano to find out who she is and who she came from.

This story was filled with mystery and magic. Witches and healers have been persecuted through many thousands of years, and this book shows that even in more modern times, those persecutions are real. This story was about history and learning who we are, who we are meant to be. It was captivating and enticing. It was written beautifully and sent me on a roller-coaster of emotions. The pain. The love. The magic. They could be felt coming from the pages.

I have been a huge fan of Wendy since I found her years ago, and this book was yet another magical masterpiece.


*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

I really liked this one. Dual timeline with witchy and mysterious elements, interesting characters and a sense of time and place. The writing was good and this flowed nicely making it easy to read

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

I'll admit that I only picked this book up because in the past I truly enjoyed some books by this author (especially her first 3 novels).
However, this one was not for me. I don't like witches of any kind, to be honest. But I thought I could enjoy a witch book by this author. Well, sadly, I couldn't.
Sure, Wendy Webb's writing is, as always, beautiful and engaging. But the whole witchy scenario...nope. Again, just not for me.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who has read a book by this author before and enjoyed it, and also to readers who are into witchy lore.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of Webb's newest novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is not the first of Webb's books that I have read and I've always enjoyed them. The other books I've read of hers are all set around the Great Lakes and have some sort of spooky vibe. This was a departure in my opinion, but I LOVED it!

The story starts off in Minnesota with two cousins who are curious about their heritage after finding some information that they aren't aware of and that contradicts what they thought they knew. Cassie, still reeling from her split from her husband of 20+ years after she found he was cheating on her, decides to travel to Italy to try to track down her family's roots. What she uncovers changes everything she thought she knew about her family and her heritage.

Told from interchanging points of view from the past and the present, family lines are an integral part of this story.

Love, magic, mystery, a little supernatural element, and of course, an amazing Italian setting make this such an amazing story! Definitely a must read!

This book spoke to me in so many different ways. The love and importance of family and heritage really hit home. The digging through ones family tree to find answers and clarification really drew me in and I am sure many can relate to this. This book is definitely worth a read and I am hoping there will be a sequel.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

If you enjoy historical fiction, Italy, and witches you will love this book. The ending felt a bit rushed given the detail of the rest of the book, but everything was ultimately wrapped up nicely. I'd call this Under the Tuscan Sun with witches.