This was a fair read but not really my style. I found it hard to stay engaged and found the characters a bit bland. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I loved this book it took me back to reading Alice Hoffman books.

Also like small town Americana.

It’s cosy and just what I needed

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw is a beautifully atmospheric novel that weaves together elements of magic, romance, and family secrets. The setting of the mountain town of Woodsmoke is vividly described, and Greenlaw does a fantastic job of immersing the reader in a world where magic runs deep, rooted in the traditions and history of the Morgan family. I found the setting to be one of the highlights of the book, with the snowy landscapes and mysterious mountain energy providing a perfect backdrop for the story.

Carrie Morgan’s return to Woodsmoke after ten years is both a literal and metaphorical homecoming, and her journey of self-discovery is compelling. I enjoyed her character, though at times I found her a bit passive in the face of the strange events that unfold. The central relationship between Carrie and the mysterious stranger who appears with the first frost was intriguing, and there’s no denying the magnetic pull of their connection. However, the tension surrounding the curse and the warnings from her family added an air of inevitability that I found both frustrating and predictable at times.

The novel’s themes of magic, love, and sacrifice are explored well, but I did feel that some of the emotional depth was lacking. Carrie’s inner turmoil about whether to embrace her family’s magic felt somewhat underdeveloped, and the tension between her personal desires and the weight of the curse didn’t quite land as powerfully as I had hoped. The book touches on some fascinating ideas about what it means to embrace one’s power and the cost of love, but these themes could have been explored in more depth.

The pacing was another issue for me. While the book is beautifully written and has a dreamy, almost lyrical quality, there were moments when the plot felt slow or repetitive. I found myself wishing for more action or a stronger sense of urgency, particularly as the tension around the curse built.

Overall, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a solid read with a lovely sense of atmosphere and a lot of potential, but I felt it didn’t quite reach its full potential. The romance, magic, and family dynamics are intriguing, but the emotional stakes and character development could have been stronger. It’s a three-star read for me—there’s a lot to appreciate, but it didn’t fully captivate me the way I had hoped.

This is an easy to read book exploring relationships and the after effects when friendships fracture. I would have loved to have seen more of the magic and book of spells developed, as the title and plot line really draws you in, and I feel there was a missed opportunity to develop that side of the story. Imagery was beautiful and I could really imagine the mountains. 3.5*

I requested this book after loving Compass and Blade. This however didnt quite hit the mark for me.

I read a lot of fantasy and witchy books so have read almost every trope and this just wasnt unique enougu for me to buy into it. By no means an unpleasant read but I also won't be writing home about it.

I liked Carrie and her indecisive nature - very relatable. But found it a little slow paced and not nearly enough actual magic for my tastes. This felt more of a cosy romance with a sprinkling of magic than a fantasy.

I was apprehensive picking this up after not really enjoying Compass and Blade, but I really enjoyed it. It left me feeling excited to keep reading in a way the Compass and Blade didn’t. I really wanted to know how this story ended.

I loved how the characters all had such firm motivations. Though not all of them were apparent at the start, especially in the case of Jess and Tom, but the end you could see how they all fit together and how what happened the day Carrie left town came to pass. The tragedy of it is if they could all have been honest with each other maybe they wouldn’t have lost ten years to being strangers.

I loved the magic of the relationship between Carrie and Matthieu. How, as the reader you are constantly wondering if he’s real or if he’s going to disappear with the frost. I liked how it kept me reading to find out the truth of it all.

This is a great novel to read in the winter, so get it on your TBR ready!

A beautiful story of friendship & grief with a slight magical twist. Perfect for winter reading. I loved the style of writing & the exploration of female friendship and what it means to belong.

I really enjoyed this book. I was convinced this was set in America, but its set in England which kind of threw me a bit because some of the language used is very Americanish. LIke the inclusion of the term trash. We dont say that in the uk. We say rubbish. We shouldnt have to dumb down the English language for an American audience.

Tells the story of a family who have a tragedy when a matriarch dies and an estranged child comes home to the mountains.

Its an odd one because its about magic, but there is no real magic in in. I wouldnt say that Carrie, or Cora in fact were witches, but herbalists or practioners of holistic medicine. They have a book of spells yes, but they are ingredients mixed together, with a little bit of blood for good measure. More true to what is labelled witchcraft i guess.

I liked the book, but deary me i did not like the whole Tom Jess storyline at all. Jess was manipulative and nasty, and selfish, and just plain unlikeable. Tom not much better honestly. I could have done without either of them and lengthened out the potential romance with Matthieu instead because it was short, vague, and there was no burn at all.

I like Rachels writing, this is a charming story and i like that its set in the uk. I have bought the signed hardback for my collection.

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw is a blend of romance and magical realism with a touch folklore.

The story is set in the small town of Woodsmoke and follows multiple POVs, including Carrie, who left town a decade ago. However, Carrie has come back to renovate her late grandmother’s cottage that she grew up in with the help of Mattieu, who she meets as the first frost appears. The issue is that her great aunt Cora has warned Carrie about falling for him which fuels the mystery of whether Mattieu is real or not…

This was a lovely cosy read with a hint of mystery that kept me reading. I was expecting more magic based on the title, but I really enjoyed Greenlaw’s take on magical realism. The worldbuilding was wonderful and I truly felt like I was transported to the town of Woodsmoke.

The flipping of multiple POVs and timelines sometimes took me a while to catch up with, but they weaved together well on the whole.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with some poignant and thought-provoking themes around relationships, grief and friendship.

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a mysterious story steeped in folklore and magic.

“The mountains are so ancient, so soaked in blood and stories, that they’re almost alive. Almost sentient. And I know never to cross them again.”

Rachel Greenlaw has a stunning writing style and the raw depiction of grief and the hurt of friendship breakups was almost visceral. The longing to return to where you grew up and knowing that both you and the place have changed. Trying to find how you fit as an adult whilst navigating relationships with elderly relatives and carving out the life you dream of.

Beautiful characterisations and such depth in the connections. Each and every character felt true and real in the best way. I adored this book!

I would highly recommend this to lovers of witchy low fantasy.

i had the pleasure of reading woodsmoke women’s book of spells, courtesy of harper collins, and it didn’t disappoint. i read this in the lead up towards halloween (around the similar time, i also read rewitched, which i also recommend).

this book is quite complex with character history and family relations. it’s got that small town vibes, where everyone knows everyone and all their ancestors were doing weird things. i do wish there was a family tree to make things somewhat easier - as i kept getting mixed up between how two characters were related to another. (that’s on me though, I’m always mixing people up 😭)

the romance was a little confusing at first, as i thought it was going to go in a completely different direction (and I’m glad it didn’t go there!). we’re introduced to an old love interest as well as a new one, and i really liked how different they were from one another.

there’s a bit of a mystery going on as well, where a sort of curse comes into play. (I’m not sure if ‘curse’ is the correct word for it…) tales of a man who comes with the frost and disappears when it melts. i was really intrigued by this aspect of the book as i genuinely had no idea what was going to happen.

the only thing that felt like a bit of a letdown was the surprising lack of magic. for a book titled “book of spells”, there’s actually very little in the way of magic. i was hoping for more. that being said, it was still a very good book.

woodsmoke women’s book of spells is an exciting book filled with romance, witchy vibes and a bit of a mystery! this book is well rounded and perfectly suited to all kinds of witch fans.

Carrie Morgan, a woman from a family of powerful witches, returns to the town of Woodsmoke, from which she fled 10 years ago.

A cosy mountain town witchy tale, perfect for the cold dark nights. A story of tradition, superstition, love, friendship, family, a book of spells and a mysterious stranger.

I thoroughly enjoyed the back story, the characters were believable and well crafted, especially the lead Carrie. I loved her relationships with all the other characters in the book.

A beautiful witchy mystery romance with a sprinkling of magic!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.

There was so much I liked about this book, especially the characters and their relationships. Combining romance, folklore and practical magic is something I love and this ticked every box in that sense.

It was a nice, easy read although, it was too slow for my taste and I didn't enjoy the three povs. It was darker than I expected which I enjoyed. I'd have liked a little bit more magic but the world building was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the early ARC.

2.5⭐️ Sadly, this book wasn’t what I expected and ended up not really being for me so my review is quite lengthy. It was pitched as being witchy, with dark magic & mountain folklore so I’d imagined there’d be a fantastical element to it but none of those things were as pivotal as anticipated. I did feel that the book did a good job of being atmospheric, which it had also been described as, and at times it felt chilling, as though it could easily have become a thriller.

I wish there was more depth to the magic elements and the lore around the mountains and their magic was fleshed out because at times I felt like the ‘magic’ elements in this book were for the sake of it. The witchiness was mainly just a small town’s superstitions and there was no real explanation about the ‘magic’ of the mountains- or any exploration of the relationship between the Morgan women, their book, and the mountain’s magic. The book was less a book of spells and more a book of stories and any ‘magic’/‘spells’ Cora performed were so vague. She literally would just take the book to the mountain, draw some blood and then the mountain would take something but she never knew what it was taking or took (it had taken 10 years of her grandmother’s life and yet Cora would risk this great price for the most frivolous and mundane asks, or for her own selfish gain and meddling)

This brings me on to the characters, specifically the three narrators: Carrie, Cora and Jess. This book was very character driven but I struggled to connect with any of the three because, honestly, Cora and Jess were just unlikeable and kind of insufferable and I don’t feel like Jess’ POV really added anything- both were jealous, insecure, selfish and at times immature individuals . At times I liked Carrie but then felt like she was also naive and some of her actions were questionable. She was so quick to believe everything Matthieu said ignoring some pretty big red flags that even without Cora’s narrative based on stories in the books should have been enough to give pause.

I also found some inconsistencies in the story which are also present in the finished copy so haven’t been edited out from the earc. Carrie discusses seeing Matthieu ‘just an hour or so ago’ and two pages later, on the same day in the book, she says ‘the fact is I haven’t seen Matthieu since yesterday. Haven’t heard from him at all today’ which is quite a glaring inconsistency that really takes a reader out of a book (there is also a dog that changes gender among other things).

I know a lot of people loved this book, and there are many others who will enjoy it but this wasn’t for me and I think that’s down to a combination of some mismarketing, admittedly my own expectations, preconceptions and tastes and it being a character driven book where I didn’t connect with the characters and that (pacing wise) felt like it took a while to take off.

Thank you to HQ for an earc and finished copy of this book. This is my honest review.

When Carrie Morgan returns to the small town of Woodsmoke where she grew up she knows the past has never truly left her. Morgan women have always been a strange breed and the family heirloom, the book of "workings" is behind it. Carrie left in a hurry ten years ago and has only returned following the death of her grandma Ivy. Ivy has left Carrie her home and business with the proviso that she remains during the winter to renovate the cottage. Who is mysterious stranger Matthieu who appears from nowhere to help. Has he really come from the mountains to spirit Carrie away? A strange book and I couldn't decide where it was set which troubled me. The description and name of the town seems American but the terminology is British. Confusing. #netgalley #thewoodsmokewomensbookofspells

I don’t even know where to start. I was taken completely by surprise by this book. It was mesmerising.

The descriptions and the town of Woodsmoke, the magical realism, the mystery & kind of folklore surrounding the mountains, the curse, the spells and the atmosphere all come together to create a magical read that will fill you with love, joy & hope. (It will break your heart as well but, don’t worry, it mends it too!)

Carrie is a gorgeous character with whom I adored. Along with her grief she’s also trying to rediscover herself and find out if Woodsmoke is her true home.
I’ve never wanted a character to find happiness more than I did her.

We then have Cora & Howard. Cora is wonderful and even though she did upset me I understood her reasons. And then Howard. Oh I loved him. Sweet, quiet, adorable and so wise. He stole my heart.

However I didn’t like Tom or Jess. I just found them to be selfish.

One of my favourite lines ~
“There is no razor at the edge of his syllables. No tiny cuts at the end of each word. Only a low, soft roundness that wraps around me.”

I’ve now read 2 books by Rachel (this and One Christmas Morning) and can confidently say she is an auto-buy author. Her YA Compass & Blade I haven’t read but do own so will get to that early next year.

Official rating ~ 4.5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley & HQ, for the eArc of this gorgeous book.

I was totally enthralled by this book from the beginning to the end. Just enough magic and mystery, but with a good dollop of reality, blended together perfectly in this novel. I wasn’t sure about the title, but the story blew me away.

Carrie is a Morgan, and the Morgan women have a very special place in the heart of Woodsmoke. They have a special book, passed from Grandmother to Granddaughter which shows them how to harness the power of the Mountains to make things happen – but the price is sometimes too high to pay. Carrie had escaped from Woodsmoke, but when her Grandmother dies she returns to renovate her cottage so she can sell it. Whilst there, she meets Matthieu who offers to help her with the renovations, and she is forced to evaluate all she feels about Woodsmoke. Is Matthieu all he seems? After all, no one else has actually seen him.

If you like a good book, with a bit of a magical touch, this is the one for you.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6956238966

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/woodsmoke-womens-book-of-spells-by.html

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. This is an easy to read book exploring relationships and the after effects when friendships fracture. I would have loved to have seen more of the magic and book of spells developed, as the title and plot line really draws you in, and I feel there was a missed opportunity to develop that side of the story. Imagery was beautiful and I could really imagine the mountains. 3.5*

Beautifully written this book left me as spellbound as most Morgan women were with the ancient mountains, folklore and the tome of stories. Told by Carrie, the youngest Morgan who has returned home and Cora, the keeper of the spellbook this novel is one of secrets, family and belonging. Of friendships, sacrifice and dealing with the past for a better future. Atmospheric and immersive it's ideal autumn reading when the first frost arrives.

This lovely story showed female friendships and relationships at their worst and best. From Carrie and Jess to Cora and Ivy, these women have developed bonds that fail to quieten even in the toughest circumstances. The community and how they reacted to the Morgan women were reminiscent of the community in Practical Magic. I loved the descriptions of the mountains but felt that I wanted more magic and spells. Still an enjoyable story though.