The Bell Witches had a lot of potential, with a great atmosphere and a strong Louisiana setting that really drew me in. Ashleigh Haddad’s narration was fantastic, and I loved the Southern accent she brought to the characters. However, the book's YA tone, especially the main character Emily, felt a bit too young for my taste, making it harder to connect with the story. The romance was a bit too insta-love for me, and while the second half of the book picked up, the first half dragged and felt repetitive. Despite its flaws, I’m curious to see where the story goes, but I’m not sure I’ll pick up the sequel.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Bell Witches
Lindsey Kelk

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the first book in this exciting new series - Savannah Red - and I am absolutely hooked!

This is actually my first read by this author too, but I was so drawn in by the gorgeous front cover and the fact this was going to be a witchy read, I just couldn't resist - and I loved every second.

After her father dies in an accident, Emily is forced to move back to Savannah, to live with her Grandmother and Aunt.
But all is not as it seems in the Bell house and soon Emily is having to learn a whole new family history that she never knew existed.

I really felt for Emily right from the start, having just lost her dad and now having to navigate a whole new town and country too, let alone meeting family she never knew existed....and then as strange things start to happen, it's no time at all before we see her powers start to emerge.

I loved getting to know all the characters as the story progressed.
There were a fair few, but it was really easy to keep track of everyone and start to see what parts they might play in the storyline.
I adored the budding relationship that Emily had with Wyn and her friendship with the twins.
All the characters were well drawn and relatable in many ways.

I was completely hooked after the first few pages and although I guessed where this was heading pretty early on, this still didn't spoil the read for me.
It was great to see how things evolved and I found that I just couldn't put this down.

I knew that there was a book 2 planned for this series when I started reading, but still wasn't quite prepared for the build up to the ending and the way things were set up ready for the next part of the journey.

This was so well written and I loved everything about it!
I'm so excited that I read this later than I planned, because now I don't have as long to wait until I can get hold of and dive into book 2!!




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

I don’t read much YA anymore, but when I do I realise just how much I enjoy it (and wonder why I don’t read more of it 🤷🏼‍♀️).

A winning combination for me is the supernatural and coming of age.
Emily is recently orphaned and has been taken to live with her rich grandmother in Savannah. She learns that her fathers side of the family has an unusual and rich family history. On her 17th birthday, Emily will become a fully fledged witch at a special ceremony. However her new boyfriend may risk everything.

There are some great characters: a haughty, glamorous grandmother, a resentful aunt, a very attractive boyfriend, and some great new friends.

This is the start of a new series, which I hope will be as exciting as this first book. Ashleigh Haddad narrated this so well - although I feel an accent for Emily might have helped show just how much out of her comfort zone she was (she had never lived in the US, she’d last lived in Wales).
If you’re a fan of all things witchy, then you’ll probably enjoy this as much as I did!

I had more or less stopped reading YA, finding I had aged out of it and that most of the new stuff was quite shallow. However, I really enjoyed this. It read like late 90s/ noughties YA – adventure, action, teenagers actually behaving like teens – but modernised. The story was fun, the romance was pretty insta but I liked the set up and world building enough that I was happy to overlook what I would perceive as flaws but which actual teens would consider essential plot points. This was good. Would continue the series.

I feel like this book is one of the completely okay books that didn't do anything wrong and yet are not the most memorable stories.

Also, I feel like I'd enjoy this book 15 years ago and maybe it's my fault for picking it up now. The love story was very instant, the conversations have a lot of very modern words and the character sometimes acts very much driven by emotion, which is fair for a 17-year old. The mentioned things aren't inherently bad, they're just not something I enjoy in books.

If you're looking for a modern witchy coming of age story, I'd recommend it. It just didn't work for me.

Let me start by saying that I adored the narrator! Ashleigh Haddad did a splendid job bringing these characters to life—her Southern accent was a delightful touch. The audiobook was well-produced and easy to follow, even at higher speeds (which I always love).

I went into this expecting an adult fantasy book, so imagine my surprise when, after just a few pages, I realized it was YA! Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it really threw me off for the rest of the book. The main character, Emily, is 16, about to turn 17, but she’s written as if she’s much younger—or as if the author suddenly forgot how teenagers speak and act. Emily is likable but a very typical teenager—rash and impulsive, sometimes to the point of frustration. I would have much preferred if the characters were a few years older! It wouldn’t have changed the story (their age has no real impact on the plot), but I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

When we first met Wyn, the love interest, I was really excited. It started off strong, and I’m a sucker for the mated bond/soulmates trope. But somehow, it didn’t quite work here. I found myself rolling my eyes one too many times, and in the end, their romance felt way too insta-love, which is not our vibe!

That said, I loved the Louisiana setting! The way it was written, you could practically feel the heat in the air—the atmosphere was amazing.

The ending was somewhat predictable, and I guessed a lot of things along the way, but I still really enjoyed the last few chapters. They left me wanting more! I might be persuaded to read the sequel… Despite a few eye rolls, I’m definitely curious to see what happens next!

Thank you to the publisher for an e audio book arc of this book via netgalley.

This book follows Emily after her father dies and she moves to live with her Grandmother and Aunt. Once there she discovers magic, family secrets, and lies told by everyone around her. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I was younger. The main characters are teenagers who act their age and make decisions that as an adult I couldn't help rolling my eyes at. The romance plot was sweet but very insta love. One of the best parts of the novel was the description and atmosphere, I could perfectly see Bell House as I was reading and the house having magic of its own was truly special. The references to current day things such as tiktok were jarring and took me out of the story, I feel it would have benefitted from being more timeless with less modern day references. This book took me nearly 2 months to read which I think tells all as I am normally a quick reader. The first half of this book dragged and each chapter felt like I was just reading the same thing over and over. In comparison the second half moved very fast and I think could have benefitted from slowing down, more information being given. We were suddenly given all the information we had been waiting for and then moved on with no time to process. Overall I think this book reads very young YA and while I enjoyed elements I don't think I will be picking up the sequel. The cover art is stunning.

Let me start this review by saying that I LOVED the narrator. Ashleigh Haddad does a wonderful job and it’s possibly the first time I liked the way a narrator does all the characters’ voices this much. Especially the male voices. I can’t recommend the audiobook enough.

Although I really liked a lot of things in this book, I have to say that my favorite part of it was that you can feel how much research went into it for all the references to plants. This really enhanced the witchy feels of the book and made me love the way the witches’ history is built.
The atmosphere was honestly spot on. Between the descriptions and the accents of the narrator, you can see yourself visiting Savannah along Emily.

There were still a few things I didn’t enjoy so much, such as the fact that it all felt very adolescent. I understand it’s YA, so that makes sense, and it was probably done on purpose so that it would match Emily’s age, but sometimes the emotions and the ways they are described felt a bit too immature. But mostly, it was too insta-love for me. Let me be clear, I really liked Wyn, but the way their relationship became so intense in a couple of days made me think there would be some kind of mate-bond or prophesy about them revealed at the end.

However, this doesn’t mean I wasn’t completely entertained by this book because I was from beginning to end, and I really hope we’ll learn more about some of the characters in the sequel.

Really enjoyed this YA audiobook on my long commute to and from work. The voice of the narrator suited the story and the characters and I stayed engaged with the story. Sweet story of generations, loss and love, with a touch of magic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance audio copy.

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.