I received a free copy of, The Witches of Cambridge, by Menna van Praag, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Amadine Bissett is an empath, though she mainly keeps that to herself. There is a lot of drama in this book. Im not really into witches so I found this book, to be an ok read.

A charming witchy read, this novel explores the lives of a coven living in Cambridge. There are many characters with many stories going on. However I enjoyed the setting, and the ultimate outcomes for all the characters was satisfying.

I requested this book as I love Menna van Praag's writing and was a couple of chapters in before realising that I'd read it before, in 2018! This must be a reprint/reissue. Anyway, I was delighted to read it again and enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. The characters are great, the magic is fun and the recipes sound absolutely delicious. The use of various herbs, flowers and spices for different spells was intriguing and it's left me with a longing for a pistachio cream croissant.

The premise itself holds promise: a group of witches living in a university town, each possessing their own unique magical abilities. However, much of the story feels like it revolves around human drama rather than the exploration of witchcraft as a central, untamable force. Magic in this book often comes across as a tool for navigating personal struggles rather than as a profound, transformative aspect of the characters’ lives.

The narrative spends much of its energy on interpersonal relationships, exploring family dynamics, love, and personal growth. While this approach may work for some readers, I found it distracting from the essence of witchcraft itself. The witches' powers are often treated as secondary to their emotional journeys, which ultimately weakens the sense of magic as something greater than mere personal development. The magic is occasionally intriguing, such as when it's used to reveal secrets or navigate difficult situations, but it never feels like a driving force of the plot—it’s more of a background element, rarely at the forefront.

What disappointed me most was the missed opportunity to dive deep into the craft itself. Magic, when it does appear, feels almost like an accessory—something to help resolve a problem or advance the plot, rather than something that shapes the characters' lives and decisions. There’s little exploration of the history, rituals, or the true weight of magic, leaving it feeling more like a supernatural gimmick than an authentic part of the witches’ identities.

Another frustration lies in the way the supernatural elements are incorporated into what could easily have been a conventional story. The witches’ powers sometimes feel like an afterthought, added into an otherwise human-centric narrative. The magic is there, but it doesn’t hold the gravitas or mystery that one might expect in a tale centered on witchcraft. Instead, it often becomes secondary to human conflict and emotional resolutions.

In conclusion, The Witches of Cambridge is a novel with charm, but it doesn’t fully capture the essence of witchcraft in the way I had hoped. For those of us who crave a deeper, more authentic exploration of magic and its complexities, this book may leave something to be desired. The witches here feel too human, too caught up in their personal stories, and not nearly connected enough to the ancient, unyielding force that witchcraft should represent.

The Witches of Cambridge is a journey through grief, love and friendship as a Coven of Witches within the rarified confines of Cambridge, find themselves confronted with their own emotional struggles, and need to rely on their friendship to survive.
It took me a little while to settle into the storyline as there are several different characters, each with their own set of emotional complications to meet in the first chapters:
- Amandine, is fearful that her husband is having an affair but does not dare confront him for fear of the consequences
- Noa, is a student with an unusual and potentially dangerous power where she can see secrets but is completely to tell the truth
- Kat, Cosmia & George are entangled in a messy family situation
- Héloïse is dealing with heartbreaking grief
- and Santiago, well he could cause trouble for everyone.
I enjoyed the character connections and how our protoganists come together in the story. I particularly found Héloïse's story to be touching.
A slow-burning and gentle tale, with both humorous and tragic moments - reflective of life.

✨3 stars✨

I found this to be an okay witchy read. I definitely think the first few chapters were the most engaging.

However, I think my main issues with this book is that the author tried to juggle too many characters and their respective storylines which resulted in them all feeling quite flat and underdeveloped. There just wasn’t enough time spent exploring them especially as this book just wasn’t long enough to do so effectively in my opinion.

If you’re in the mood for a witchy read, or if you have enjoyed this author’s other books then you should give this a try. However, it just wasn’t for me sadly.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

the Cambridge witches meet every month on one of the college rooftops to discuss books and other things. good story.

This was a weird one cos it had all the cosy witchy vibes I love, but it was kinda disjointed and felt like multiple stories squished together into one. The pacing was all over the place, and I just didn't connect with any characters enough to be invested. Would reccomend, but don't think about the story too much.

The Witches of Cambridge by Menna Van Praag is such a cool book. I love this theme so much! It's totally my vibe. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

Book review for.
The witches of Cambridge by Menna van Praag.
This was a good read. I did like the cover and blurb of this book. I did find it to be a slow read. I read in a few days. I did like Amandine. I liked the writing style. I did like George and Noa. I really didn't like Santiago. I liked the ending.


Blurb.
The Cambridge University witches meet every month on the roof of one of the city's many colleges to discuss books among other things, but lately the ties that bind them have begun to unravel.



Amandine, professor of art history and empath, has the power to feel the emotions of those around her. Lately though, she might have wished for her student Noa's ability to hear others' innermost thoughts and secrets, to understand what is amiss in the group and in her marriage. Mathematics professor and master spellcaster Kat struggles with unrequited love, but refuses to use magic to win anyone's heart. Her sister, Cosima, is not above using such powers, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on the love of Kat's life, she sets off a chain of events that turns each of the witches' worlds upside down . . .

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