4 stars
Content Warnings: death of loved ones (off-page), subsequent grief from loss, herbal/magical drugging of a minor, blood, injury to the main protagonist and side characters, murder
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

The sinister nature of this book really appealed to me. While the start of Emily's stay in Savannah is immediately drenched in sweet-southern charm and heavy historical elements, it was the darkening of her world the longer she resided in Bell House that invested me further. I loved the concept of the seemingly doting grandmother with an undercurrent of macabre magic weaving throughout this story.

Emily at first didn't feel like a character I could enjoy, admittedly. I think this is down to being a younger YA protagonist. After shifting my expectations to better adapt to her typical teenage miscalculations and easy confessions of love to another, I began to appreciate her. The magical plot line, once it picks up, is predictable but incredibly entertaining. I loved how far back the Bell line could be traced into the past, and how Emily has always been surrounded by deep lovers of history with her father being a historian before he passed. I also appreciated how she starts to uncover her family's heritage, both through the stories her grandmother shares with her, and her own research.

This made the magical elements of this story feel more vibrant and built this into such an atmospheric read for me. Savannah felt alive the longer I listened, and this is greatly credited to the narrator Ashleigh Haddad, who did a fantastic job diving into the appropriate accents and narrating choices that sucked me right into this darkly enchanting world setting. The writing fabulously built Emily's surroundings to be beautiful in the light and darkness, and the world-building in this book is some of the best I've read in a YA paranormal novel in a long time.

I wasn't all that invested in the romantic portion of this story. Whilst Wyn compliments Emily well, I was much more interested in the twins, and I would snap up an adult book from Ashley's POV in a heartbeat. It all felt a little too convenient with Wyn and Emily and rushed at points, but I again can see how this works given their younger age and heightened emotions. I also guessed a lot of things along the way, but I was still surprised by how everything played out in the end, and I'm definitely going to read the sequel when it's released.

This one is a really good coming of age story with witches and werewolves, family secrets and young love. It was a little darker than the cosy fantasy I expected but this was a pleasant surprise. I loved the characters, the element of mystery and the Savannah setting which oozed atmosphere and I'm excited to see where the sequel takes us.
I listened to the audio, narrated by Ashleigh Haddad, which I'd absolutely recommend.

📚 Book Review 📚

This story is about a sixteen year old girl Emily, who moves to Savannah after the death of her dad. Her mum died when she was a baby and she has travelled to many places with her dad as there are no other family members left to rely on.

After her dad’s death, Emily finds out that her grandmother is actually still alive and living in Savannah. As she is Emily’s closest living relative, she is sent to live with her and her aunt. A story of witchcraft, magic and werewolves unfold as Emily finds out she is actually a witch.

This is a fairly decent read but not ground shaking. Emily’s love for Wyn (the werewolf love interest) is practically immediate and unrealistically insta love. I liked the characters but I didn’t love them. The reveals in the ending were good, I didn’t see a couple of them coming so that I really enjoyed.

The narrator was good, her different character voices added fun to the listening experience.

I’d like to thank Harper Collins UK Audio, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 6th May 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emily, a sixteen-year-old, is adopted by her grandmother to live with her and her aunt following the tragic loss of her father. She relocates to Savannah, Georgia, where she finds herself navigating the complexities of traditional Southern life, as well as the revelation that her family is comprised of witches, with her grandmother having significant plans for her future.

I thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of the family's dynamics, particularly the role of the family matriarch. I truly loved the southern-gothic atmosphere presented in the book. However, I felt that the romantic aspect of the story was somewhat lacking. I struggled to comprehend the progression from innocent flirting to declarations of deep devotion within such a short timeframe.

To the audiobook: Although I cannot assess whether they were indeed accurate, the narrator did an impressive job of imitating various Southern accents for the characters, which significantly enhanced the immersion in the story.

Excellent read and just what I wanted for spooky season- a bit of historical fiction always hits the spot and I love audiobooks that immerse me into the world!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access a copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

I really enjoyed this one, I wasn’t a fan of Lindsey’s romance books but give me a witchy book and I’m hooked- I loved the narrator and really enjoyed the style of book I’m now a happy owner of the locked library special edition.

A great YA read for fans of modern romantasy. The narration is wonderful and really keeps you wrapped up in the story - I'd love to see more of the world building in the rest of the series as the first novel leaves so many unanswered questions!

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review it if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to listen and review it if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

The Bell Witches by Lindsey Kelk.
Audiobook - 3 stars
eBook - 4.5 stars

*I need to note that I read this before I listened to the Audiobook, and I thorough enjoyed it. However, the audiobook just does not do the book justice!*

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, devoured in a day, was such a brilliant read for me - so much so I now own 4 physical copies of this book. But the audiobook just takes away from the journey I was taken on when reading this book. The narration was great but there was just something missing. The fantasy, the imagery, the descriptions, it just fell short.

I thorough recommend reading this book rather then listening!

It was a good audiobook, unfortunately I lost the copy before I had time to finish it. I will possible purchase a physical copy

I did not finish because I really did not enjoy the romance scenes. Everything else was pretty cool.

I liked the Louisiana setting a lot and especially the voice the narrator chose for our protagonist's grandmother. The witches seemed mysterious and pretty cool. Unfortunately the romance scenes really took me out of the story every time. Readers and Listeners who are more into Romantasy will surely enjoy it.

Initially I was hyped to read a witchy story in fall. Sadly, this didn't live up to my hopes.
The things that put me off the most were the insta-love connection between the main characters and the writing style, which I liked at first, felt forced after a short while.
Also, the grandmother? I really didn't like her. She is exactly that person you'd picture when thinking of a rich laughter. I hated her. Besides, "No dating before 17"? A rule, only applying to women? Surely there would have been other options to make the grandmother unlikeable. That's just ridiculous.

4 stars

Reading this in the autumn just felt *right* with the gothic atmosphere, with a sense of mystery throughout. I thought the side characters were great, in particular Lydia - she gave me vibes of Charlotte La Bouff from The Princess and the Frog, just more edgy and I absolutely loved it. The book contains insta love, which I usually don't like but didn't mind in this case - they are 16, let them live!

This appears to be the first book of a series though I am not really sure what is left to be told, I would hope it is more of a separate story rather than unravelling the endings we got.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and finished it in a single afternoon, it was a very easy and pleasant listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed Kelk’s foray into young adult fantasy. While it relies on tried but true tropes, it’s elevated by wonderful writing and narration.

I had such a good time following Emily’s awakening to her witchy ancestry. The balmy southern setting is perfect for this coming of age tale, with themes of family, history, loss, romance and friendship. I’ve been a fan of Kelks contemporary romance, and I’m looking forward to the follow up in this series.

The narration is rich in emotion, tension and drama, and really makes for an immersive experience. I particularly enjoyed Catherine’s drawl.

A great listen for anyone who is looking for an atmospheric and entertaining YA fantasy.

Thank you Harper Collin’s UK Audio for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I swear, if I read one more book in which the main character falls in love with the love interest at first sight, I'll... I don't know, I'll cry and complain on Goodreads probably. This was very much meh, nothing amazing but nothing awful either, save for the insta attraction. The story could've been interesting but I didn't connect with the writing and it fell flat for me.

Lindsey Kelk’s “The Bell Witches” is a charming YA fantasy that weaves together elements of magic, family secrets, and first love. The enchanting story is narrated by the talented Ashleigh Haddad, and set in Savannah, Georgia. The story’s intriguing premise is that of a young witch discovering her powers draw readers in.

At times, the novel’s pacing can be uneven, with slower moments that may test the patience of some readers. While the character development is well-done, particularly for the protagonist, Emily, the romantic subplot feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped, creating a lot of room for improvement in the series’s upcoming volumes.

A lot of praise goes to Ashleigh Haddad’s audiobook narration, bringing the story to life with vivid imagery and distinct voices. The southern accents add a delightful touch to the overall listening experience, almost bringing the listener in the front row of the Bell family events.

If you enjoy YA fantasy with a touch of gothic mystery and a strong female protagonist, The Bell Witches is worth checking out. Just be prepared for a slower start and a somewhat predictable plot.

HarperCollins UK Audio | Magpie, NetGalley, and the editorial team - thanks for giving me the opportunity to review an audiobook ARC of this publication!

For more reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#TheBellWitches #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

ARC Rating 3.5/5 ⭐️ This was a nice YA soft witchy coming into power story.

I love the book cover, it's so pretty ✨️

The audiobook was very nice with great narration. I enjoyed the different character vices and the southern accents.

I love the imagery and the soft descriptions of the magic. But the story was very slow paced and boring at times. Overall I think this was a little too YA for me, so won't be continuing the story.

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, and Lindsey Kelk, for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

The synopsis for this one had me intrigued to say the least. However the audiobook just didn't grip me as much as I expected. I loved the accents, and the different tones and styles for different characters but the insta love and overall story just felt drawn out and fell flat for me

Altogether, The Bell Witches is a charming YA novel, and I think fans of this genre will thoroughly enjoy it.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to this audiobook via Netgalley.

I'm afraid this is a DNF for me.

I've been trying to listen to it for a few weeks now & I just can't get into it. I've listened to over 25% & I don't feel like anything has happened, which is a real shame as I was looking forward to this change in genre from Lindsey Kelk.

Thanks for the opportunity to try it.

The Bell Witches was October's audio book of the month, but I finished it in the first days of November. Well, what can I say... it took me forever to listen to it, but I can tell you that if I had a digital copy in my hands I would have devoured it in a couple of days!

The story follows Emily, who, once orphaned, finds herself living with a grandmother she's never met in a mysterious house full of secrets in which she discovers she's a descendant of a line of witches. It's nothing original it's true, but I simply loved the author's way of combining the everyday problems of a teenager and her way of grieving through unexpected friendships and loves with the secrets, magic and sacrifice of being a Bell making all Emily's emotions palpable.

Wyn, on the other hand, is a magnetic and mysterious presence with whom, like Emily, you cannot fall in love. The connection she had with the protagonist was almost instantaneous but, strangely enough, I didn't mind because together Emily and Wyn are everything that first love should be.

Another element I loved was the narration/writing which was captivating, lyrical, immersive and transported me to autumnal Savannah which with its touch of mystery managed to make me see its every detail and secret.

✨ the Bell Witches is certainly not an original read, but it still manages to keep you glued to the book with mysteries, revelations and moments of sweetness, and I can assure you that you will fall in love with it!