I'm not sure what I expected when I started this, but what I got was hauntingly beautiful. I very much enjoyed this multi POV story of witches, magic, superstition, and mystery.
Magic or a bargain with the mountains always comes with a price.
I very much enjoyed that you got snippets from previous generations of Morgan women throughout this book. Carrie and Cora's POVs were my favourite ones.
Rachel Greenlaw managed to weave a story so beautifully but also had me second-guessing myself. This book was masterfully done, and I would 100% love to return to the town of Woodsmoke and the Morgan women in a future book.

After the passing of her grandmother, Carrie Morgan returns to her home town of Woodsmoke with the intention of renovating the run down cottage she has inherited. But Woodsmoke is not your regular town and Carrie is not from a regular family.

The towns traditions, superstitions and folklore stem from the ominous mountains overlooking the town and for generations the Morgan women have been able to harness their ancient power - but at a cost.

From the first chapter, the setting and the characters had me gripped and wanting to keep reading. Many of the chapters start with an extract from The Morgan Compendium: a collection of stories and spells written by the Morgan women, which adds a level of mystery to the towns unusual history and gave a feeling of foreshadowing.

Woodsmoke definitely has the small town/community atmosphere but more of an eerie setting. Because of the towns haunting past, the townsfolk are quite suspicious of the Morgan women, but they are careful to heed the warnings and still seek out their help in a time of need.

I was expecting this to be more cosy and whimsical but the magic in this felt much darker, especially when I learned of the curses and the price paid for each spell. But that’s not a criticism because I think this added to the level of realism in the story and I thoroughly enjoyed how the magic was woven into the storyline.

Overall I really enjoyed this because it felt like it could have been taken straight from the compendium: tales of family, friendship, love, heartbreak, loss and tragedy but more importantly, a journey to find your sense of belonging.

Thank you to Rachel Greenlaw, Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion this book.

In The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells, Carrie Morgan returns to her hometown of Woodsmoke after a decade of drifting from place to place. Following her grandmother's death, she inherits a dilapidated cottage and decides to stay for just one winter to renovate it. Amidst warnings of old tales about a stranger who vanishes with the spring thaw, she meets and falls for Matthieu, a newcomer who helps with the refurbishment.

This book wasn't what I expected at all - I think I was expecting a cozy paranormal romance but it was a fantastic mix of many things - a romance, a mystery, the supernatural, family drama, and even a bit of gothic suspense with not knowing what was real and what was magic. I've just sat and read it all in one go because the tension of that mystery meant that I needed to see how everything fell out. I changed my mind about the various characters so many times as the story progressed, and it was so cleverly done.

The story is set in Autumn and Winter and it's definitely a perfect story for reading in Autumn or Winter. It's spooky and melancholy to start with, and then full of tension as you find out more about why Carrie originally left Woodsmoke. The snippets from The Morgan Compendium that precede each chapter added depth and intrigue to the unfolding story, making each chapter even more compelling.

This book was a complete surprise and I really enjoyed the journey it took me on! It was emotional and atmospheric and it felt like a real mix of genres but weaved together flawlessly. I'd definitely recommend this as a more serious and emotional tale about magic and coming home.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.