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.
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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.

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.

Bewitching is the perfect word to describe The Witches of Santo Stefano. Bewitching. It was so beautifully written. I want to have Italian ancestors from a small town on an Italian Mountain. I want to make honey and soap to sell. The author really does transport her readers to another time and another place on every page. So so beautiful and so intriguing!

Cassie is trying to unravel a mystery that she uncovered about her beloved grandmother and her family. She decides to go to the source, Italy. There, not only does she hope to find her answers, but she’s trying to heal her own heart after betrayal. She finds answers… and so much more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. Didn't seem like a typical Wendy Webb book. I did enjoy it but missed more of the paranormal that is in her books. Seems like it could go on to be a series so it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

I could describe this book in many different ways, the truth is that it is a very different type of book, difficult to fit into a specific genre. What I loved most about this book is the atmosphere that the author managed to create. The idyllic setting of a medieval mountain town in Italy, the centuries-old magic of women, the power of nature, animals, herbs... It's all very magical and beautiful and you feel as if the scenes envelop you as you read the story . Wendy's writing is very fluid and despite being a book with a lot of information, double language, double timeline and several POVs, you never get lost because the author managed to give a very clear voice to each of the characters. It doesn't exactly have a mystery - you don't feel fear or tension for the characters, it's more of a curiosity -, it's more of a secret that you're very thirsty to discover together with the MC. I just didn't give it 5 stars because I was a little confused by the final scene, I didn't understand if the idea was to provide a hook for a next book... If it wasn't, the epilogue could have been discarded in the editing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another great story by Wendy Webb. I really enjoy the universe she has created in Wharton and now Santo Stefano. Cassandra sets out on a quest to learn the truth about her family’s history but soon discovers herself on a journey of self-discovery.

Set in the mysterious town of Santo Stefano, this story follows protagonist Cassie Graves, who returns to her ancestral land to uncover hidden truths about her family's history. As she delves deeper, she discovers a legacy of magic and witchcraft that spans generations. The vivid descriptions of the town and its eerie beauty set the perfect backdrop for a tale steeped in magic. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Witches of Santo Stefano by Wendy Webb is a master story-teller that beautifully weaves a stunning tale about the lives of six generations of women who started out in Rome then made their way to Santo Stefano and eventually the United States via Portofino, Italy and the Amalfi Coast where they entered through New Orleans. Eventually the family made their way on up to Lake Superior and a small town called Wharton, where the main character is from.

Upon learning her husband of 25 years has been cheating, Cassandra decides to take a break and go back to her childhood home in Wharton. There, her cousin informs her of mystery surrounding their great-grandparents, Violetta and Giovanni Moretti, though specifically Violetta. It seems the Violetta Cassndra knew growing up, died in Santo Stefano, Italy in 1911 with her husband due to witchcraft. The great-grandmother Cassandra knew as a child died at 95 years old loved by their community. She knew who her father was, he died by the Influenza in 1918, but the birth certificate sys Violetta was born illegitimate. What was the truth and how could she find out? Especially since Cassandra goes to Santo Stefano to research her family's past and many unexplained events begin to occur. But Cassandra's not alone. She has the help of her new friends and family, and the protection of five generations of Rossis and Morreti women before her to keep her safe and help unravel the mystery of what occurred to get Cassandra where she is.

This story is full of heartbreak, longing, mysticism, and love: most especially love. Love between parent and child; love between mother and daughter; love between husband and wife; and most especially the love one has for one's self.

Ms. Webb draws the reader in at the beginning of the book, and even though the pace is slow, you feel desperate to know what happens. The details Ms. Webb describes is rich and vivid, especially of those set in the historic Santo Stefano. Usually I can finish a book like this in one to two days, but this one took me three nights to complete, not that I am complaining. My only complaint is that the book came to an end!