A story of witches through the ages this book had so much going for it. It was beautiful in that it really did portray the magic and history of the Netherwell women well.

I loved the time hopping POV of this story, the way the story carried through the ages and the writing of their stories. The way the ancestors spoke to the women in the generation under the tree, offering its protection.

It was however painfully slow for me in that I kept wanting something more to happen. And it really didn't, maybe only in a brief part chapter at the end.

Maybe Its me, and I'm expecting something different from what the author intended. Maybe she wanted this to be merely a retelling of their lives. A story about the power of witches and women supporting each other. And it was.

But I felt that the curse and darkness held so much potential for a great story above this, and I kept expecting more, hence the three stars.

I felt like the whole time I was reading I wanted this big face off of good and evil, and for the FMC to get her life back. And while this did happen, it took 60 years and then happened in a few pages. Rather disappointing given the potential of what was a great beautifully written story otherwise.

Maybe this just wasn't for me.

I thought I’d enjoy this one more than I did but still a good read once you get into the flow of the story.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I gradually grew to enjoy this book but it did take me a while to settle into the narrative. In addition, I found the climax a bit underwhelming at the end and I don’t think the execution was quite so effective.

This is a tale about the Netherwell women who have been witches for centuries. Readers follow just a couple of ancient stories before we zoom in on the lives of Myrtle and Marigold. Twins, they are as connected to their witchy ancestry as their mothers before them and this has created a life that is slightly detached from everyone around them. Despite being twins, Myrtle and Marigold could not be more different and over time, Myrtle emotionally draws away from the family home, experiencing the broader world that Marigold violently shuns.

I really wanted the writer to develop Marigold’s character more. She is presented as rather abusive towards her twin with significant mental health problems. However, these appear to be swept away, justified as evidence of Marigold being “infected” by the dark magic of the Netherwell family. I think the story would have benefitted from episodes being told from Marigold’s perspective, rather than readers just seeing how the twins grew up from Myrtle’s voice.

I deeply sympathised with Myrtle because she has a very difficult life. She is forced to look after her sister, moves to being a carer for her mother and daily living falls to her shoulders. Falling pregnant at a young age means Myrtle has to make decisions far too young in life and I felt sorry for all of her hardships. I don’t think readers truly see her happy until the penultimate chapters.

The majority of the story is about Myrtle and Marigold but I found the opening chapters to be confusing because they were disjointed tales of the twins’ family history and what happened to other female witches. Initially, I thought this was going to be a dual-timeline story, but after a couple of episodes, the remainder of the story follows Myrtle growing up. At the other end of the story, I thought the final showdown that Myrtle experiences was a bit lack lustre. There is a lot of build up to it with plenty of pathetic fallacy, but I felt that some chanting and yelling seemed to do the job. I would have preferred it to have been a bit more prolonged – a bit like some of the narrative in places.

However, I overall enjoyed the novel, even if it did need a bit of tweaking. It is an interesting tale of the Netherwell women and their supernatural ways. With respect for Mother Nature and a developed understanding of plants and herbs, they are presented as quite calm and peaceful. On the other hand, there is an omnipresent darkness that runs throughout, personified by Marigold’s distant, sometimes violent behaviour, which shows how much the Netherwell women have experienced over time.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Weybourne Witches, is modern tale of witches, set against the eerie and atmospheric backdrop of Weybourne, masterfully intertwines the mystical and the mundane, creating a spellbinding experience that lingers long after the final chapter.
At the heart of The Weybourne Witches is an intricately woven mystery that keeps you guessing. As dark secrets bubble to the surface, the story reveals a rich tapestry of alliances, betrayals, and ancient traditions.
The lore of the Weybourne witches is rich and immersive, blending traditional witchcraft with fresh, imaginative elements. The book seamlessly integrates its magical aspects into the modern-day setting. The rituals, spells, and history of the Weybourne witches are described in vivid detail, making it easy to believe in their power—and their peril.
The Weybourne Witches is a masterful blend of mystery, magic, and richly developed characters. Fans of atmospheric fantasy and gripping mysteries will find themselves thoroughly enchanted by this book. With its intriguing premise, spellbinding storytelling, and deeply satisfying twists, it’s a tale that will keep you turning pages late into the night.
I would like to thank Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read several stories with this theme, and The Weybourne Witches is amongst the best. A complex plot was navigated very well, and the character development was strong overall. I really enjoyed it, although like others I did have to persevere somewhat in the initial chapters.

A book that have everything. Lies, family affairs in disorder and betrayal. Nothing is what it seems! This is a very readable book with a high enjoyment factor. The plot is tight and perfect when it comes to details. The writing flows like cotton candy. I need to read more from Amber Raven!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is so far from my usual crime thriller genre, but I think I've been converted! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt really invested in the lives past and present of the Netherwell white witches. I will certainly be looking out for future works by this author who will hopefully revisit Weybourne.

I've read The Weybourne Witches by Amber Raven as an ARC.
It's not the usual story I read, but overall, I loved it.

It's a story about Myrtle and she writes the story of her life like all the ancestors before her did. Her struggles with her sister Marigold, the loss of her love.

It's really a story about women who try to survive their lives with the wrong men. They are sexually assaulted and hurt.

You can say it's a dark story but not all the time. No spice involved.
I give it a 4-star rating!

Thank you Netgalley, Amber Raven and One More Chapter for this opportunity!

The blurb initially drew me to this book as I thought it was more of a historical novel. Un fortunately it was clear that this was more of a fantasy novel and definitely not the sort of book that I choose to read. I struggled through a good chunk of the book but gave up in the end. Not the fault of the author, more mine.

Thank you for this ARC copy.

If it's a book about witches then it's going to grab my attention . It took me a while to get into this book but when I eventually did I enjoyed it. I've read a couple of books that have been a similar plot line and have enjoyed them more. It is definitely worth a read though.

At first, this book made me think, "Interesting. I want to read it now!" The idea is so appealing that I was thrown headlong into the story, which, incidentally, is well written and has a style that I really enjoyed.

It's a fantasy that should scream magic and sorcery, but it doesn't quite live up to the hype. I think the author's beautiful writing helped create a story with a plot, but it's a bit too complex. By the time you reach the end, you realize that a lot of interesting stuff is missing.

There are so many unanswered questions, some of which are pretty important. I would've liked the story to be more complete, but overall, it's a pretty enjoyable read. It's not a book you'll remember for years, but it's still worth a read.

The Weybourne Witches is a novel with real potential, but also one that didn't quite live up to that potential for me. It's slow, built up of journal entries reaching into a long and tortured past of Mytle and through her, her sister Marigold. The line of Netherwell has been a long and fraught one, full of the curse of the Longe family which has haunted them for generation unto generation. Each Netherwell witch bears a child young. Each Netherwell witch is ensnared in some way by a Longe and their daughters carry the blood line of the dark curse.

This is both a cozy fantasy and a dark and tumultuous one. Although much of the dark side is in the history, it still has a marked impact on the present day. It's a strange combination and one that might have worked had I been more present in events. But told through the series of diary entries, there's a distance here and it made it difficult to fully engage with the events and characters. There's a lot of misery here over the years with a significant amount of sexual abuse that the author seems to depict in a blasé 'this is the curse and these things happen way' which didn't sit well with me either.

I'll admit, the curse also never made much sense to me and whilst the threat of the dark evil looming over their heads was undeniable within the context of the novel, I just didn't engage with the rising sense of tension. If anything, I was in the 'put Marigold in a home for God's sake' brigade, which probably isn't the message the author was trying to convey.

All in all, this is a novel where the bones are solid but it probably should have been told in the present day so you didn't know the end of the story before you began and could go along with the tension that was clearly intended to be built up. I'd have liked more meat on the bones as well, particularly in regards to the curse and exactly why it was haunting these women down the generations. That said, I was intrigued enough to continue and finish this and I thought the ending was well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

Content warning.
Myrtle is a witch experiencing grief and dealing with her and her family’s traumatic past.
After the historical journal entries, we arrive at the present day.
There were many emotional moments and moments of sympathy.
I wish the background as to why certain terrible things were happening.
Had the different timelines have more coherence and balance as a whole and had there been a more smooth transition between them, I would have rated this higher.
Overall, the craft, plot and characterisation were all between the 3-3.5 stars band in my experience.
I do recommend this book because of the subject matter.

Witchy, modern and historical, spanning Myrtle's lifetime and glimpses of her ancestors stories.

I felt it was a bit long winded but found the later parts emotionally engaging.

⚠️Trigger warning contains no descriptive r@pe and SA.⚠️

This book showed me the power of women, of your own magic and the true power women coming together to explore the past in its truth no matter how painful.

The Weybourne Witches is the story and history of a witch and her ancestors, but the setup doesn’t do this 61 year old witch justice. In present day, she is mourning the death of her twin sister while recording and re-reading the family history. At first I thought it a bit like the movie Amadeus, but about a quarter of the way through, the story stays at the flashback and takes us up to present day. While the story became easier to read, it made the timeline feel disjointed, confusing the story.

The characters and storytelling are vivid, and you do root for the main character, Myrtle. The trauma and (trigger warning) brief and casual mentions of abuse and rape many of the female characters experience and almost expect (because of a curse, I guess), make it difficult to understand why the story is being told until the very end. As Myrtle gets stuck in her own head and problems, so do we.

As she approaches the end of her middle age, Myrtle Netherwell, one of the Weybourne witches, decides it is time for the story of her blood line and heritage to be recorder for posterity. She is determined to write a journal detailing the history of the Weybourne witches. The story is long and disturbing, the witches have not lived an easy life even though they are white witches who would cause no harm. Starting in 1647 with the death of the first Netherwell convicted of being a witch, the daughters of each generation to follow will tell their stories of love, fear, betrayal and death. As we follow their tales, we will come to current day and Myrtle alnog with her twin sister Marigold. The twins have been on opposite sides of their destiny, one good, one defnitely bad, until the day Myrtle finds a strength inside her to break the chains of the curse that has long insured a violent end to their peaceful lives. An interesting read that will stir your emotions as well as see you choose sides.

I usually enjoy books and stories about witches, but this book wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the story or its characters. I guess it was competently written but that’s unfortunately it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I love reading about the supernatural and whilst this took a while to get going, I really enjoyed it and would recommend.