I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Yes, it's about witchcraft and witches and YES! it's about strong women often bucking the system. A little more diversity would have been nice; I've found this to be a problem with a lot of 'magical' books. As with any collection, not all stories are great, but they are all worth reading and some were exceptional. I have recommended this title to adults and teens. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of Toil and Trouble for review purposes from NetGalley, so thank you to them and the publishers for that.

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft is a collection of short stories about, you guessed it, women and witchcraft. The collection of stories is edited by Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood and features stories from a variety of different female authors.

I gave this short story collection four out of five stars. I highly recommend this collection, because it has a little bit of something for everyone. I’m not going to be going in depth into each story because there are 15 of them, but they each have things that are interesting.

The thing I love most about short story collections is the diversity. Each story will bring something different to the table because it is written by a different author with a different style and life experience. There is always a wide range of representation. In Toil & Trouble there is lots of wlw representation (bi, lesbian and pan). There are lots of stories from different parts of the world, representing different experiences. There’s even OwnVoices rep in this collection. If full on fantasy isn’t your thing, there is plenty of magical realism type stories that plant the witchcraft firmly in a modern world. If historical fiction is your thing, there are a couple of stories that date back, including one that is set during the Salem witch trials, and one set in the 1800s in Texas.
So as mentioned, I gave this collection four stars. It’s great because there’s something for everyone, and I genuinely loved many of the stories. However, on the other hand there were some stories that I didn’t enjoy as much, so overall I would say it averaged to be the four stars. The nice thing about it having stories that I didn’t enjoy was that I knew I wasn’t going to have to read a whole novel length book about that, and that when the story was over the odds were good that I would enjoy the next one.

My top three stories were (in no particular order): The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert, The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord, The Love Spell. My bottom two stories were: The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar and Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff.

This book comes out at the end of this month, and I would highly recommend that you seek it out and read it because the collection is wonderful on the whole and I was moved by many of the stories.

I received an ARC of 'Toil & Trouble' ' via Netgalley thanks to Harlequin TEEN in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of having an anthology of witchy short stories, some with LGBT+ content, was intriguing. The cover immediately caught my eye, and each individual story was unique. Overall, the stories held the tone I expected, with some stories focused on contemporary witchcraft, creepy Halloween reads, and others on the past and the witch trials.

There are multiple f/f, LGBT+ stories within which gives this anthology an amazing edge that I know a lot of people are looking for, representation wise. Own voices also plays a major part in this anthology, which adds another layer to representation that fantasy needs more of.

With any anthology, a few stood out to me more than others, though, and I'd like to focus on those. 'The Heart in Her Hands' is not only LGBT+, but has the soulmates trope that is popular in fanfic. This is the first time I've come across it in a published work versus fanfiction, and I was presently surprised by its inclusion! One of my favorite tropes, it was interesting to see it written outside it's normal scope.

'The Truth about Queenie' was diverse, an own voices story about owning who you are and making your own choices. Heady and true to life, this is one of the best short stories in anthology, hands down. I'd read an entire book in this verse.

'Love Spell' is not only another own voices short story, but also stars a trans boy who has devoted his life to God and the Catholic Church. Emotional and brilliantly written, this story stood out the most to me. Why They Watch Us Burn' is about found family with a f/f romance and a trans character. All of this representation alone makes this a must buy.

Overall, this anthology is full of own voices, LGBT+ rep, solidarity and sisterhood, with a perfect mix of creepiness one expects from stories about witchcraft.

There are a few stories that have trigger warnings to watch out for.
TW for rape/sexual assault: 'The One Who Stayed', 'Why They Watch Us Burn'
TW racism: 'The Well Witch'
TW animal cruelty: 'The Well Witch'
TW death: 'The Legend of Stone Mary', 'Death in the Sawtooths'

[Picture of Cover shown in review on site]
Authors: Brandy Colbert, Zoraida Cordova, Andrea Cremer, Kate Hart,
Emery Lord, Elizabeth May, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tehlor Kay Mejia
Lindsay Smith, Nova Ren Suma, Robin Talley, Shveta Thakrar, Brenna Yovanoff
Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood
Pub. Date: 8/28/18 by Harlequin Teen

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft: I was beyond excited when I was approved for this because I've wanted to read it from the moment I heard about it. I'm so pleased to say it was even better than I expected. I freakin' loved it. I've always been into witches, and anything that name drops Willow from Buffy and Sabrina (as in, the teenage witch) in the description is something I can totally get behind. Plus, the cover is gorgeous as well. All 15 stories in this collection range from historical to contemporary to dystopian, and all feature strong, powerful witchy heroines. As if that wasn't enough, they are also a brilliant mix of race, religion, orientation, sexuality-- I mean, the representation and diversity included in this book is off the charts, it's amazing. Each author brings their own light and life and voice to these stories. And yes, these are all stand-alones, but they all flow together so nicely. There were a few which I thought were cream of the crop (The Gherin Girls; The One Who Stayed; Why They Watch Us Burn) and some I thought were just ok (Death in the Sawtooths; The Well Witch; Afterbirth), and one I even felt had a bit of a Three Dark Crowns sister-against-sister vibe (Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths). Despite some not being as gripping as others, each story in this collection is about a girl/girls coming into their own and learning who they are and the powers they possess. These are stories of revenge; stories of love; stories of healing; stories of sisterhood. These diverse stories are so refreshing and unique, and are being told from such different, modern perspectives. I cannot recommend this one enough.

Different stories, different authors, different styles of writing...a bit like a mix CD. I liked some of the stories but I guess I'd rather read a whole book by one author.

This was one of the best anthologies I have ever read. The editors are to be commended because each story "stood on its own two feet." I just adored that all of our witch characters were diverse women, coming from very different cultures, different periods of time, women who were good friends, daughters, lovers, women exploring their sexuality and or sexual identity. Future readers, prepare yourself for 15 witchy tales. As is my custom, I will be breaking each tale down with their own star rating. Overall, though, it was definitely a strong 4 star representation for me. In addition, I was introduced to 15 new to me authors and enjoyed reading who their favorite witch characters were when growing up.

Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia. 4.5 stars
Esperanza Luna is a social media guru, but that's because after a terrible accident, her family is determined to keep her safe. But Luna craves friends and wants nothing more to be able to hold hands and get kissed by someone who loves her. When Luna begins chatting with Mari, she feels confused by the butterflies in her tummy and the skipping of her heartbeat. Maybe not a "witch" tale per say, but it has a good message about being fearless and giving love a chance.

Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer 5 stars

New England, 17th century. During a complicated birth, midwife apprentice, Deliverance Pond, feels helpless when the mother dies. But her pain is ever greater when her midwife instructor, Midwife Ley, is put on trial for being a witch. Cremer does an excellent job of showcasing the mass hysteria in the colonies over supposed witchcraft.

The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe 5 stars
Bettina Clarke receives her witch mark when she is 16 years old, but soon finds herself irritating her elders when she declares her love for her best friend, Auggie, instead of the male partner the elders declare is her "soul mate." But Bettina knows that it will be work because the love of her life has always been Auggie Both Bettina and Auggie will have to use their strengths to withstand the punishment of the elders and defeat FATE once and for all. I felt that this was such a strong and powerful love story and loved its message.

Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith 4 stars
Oh yeah, nothing like a good revenge story about dealing with that "mean girl " from school. Mattie, works for Lady Xosia, not everyone 's favorite magical person, but Mattie is content. One day, Mattie receives a visit from an old classmate, Savannah, a Priestess who states that the High Warlock needs help and Mattie is the only one to do it. But it might mean betraying her boss.... Just a great story from beginning to end.

The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert 3 stars
Queenie is dealing with teen angst and coming to terms with the fact that she is actually a witch. Her mother already reminds her that it's hard enough being black, why on earth would Queenie want to make herself stand out more? But when her friend Webb asks for her help, Queenie finds herself more curious about that book of spells. Hey, I loved the characters, but that ending made me desire more!

The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakar 3.5 stars
Five members of a coven are about to put on their annual play when one of them makes a deal with a demon. Great lesson about asking friends for help.

The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley 3. 5 stars

The Keegan women have been feared by the people of Boyle's Run for generations because of a legend that their ancestress, Mary Keegan placed the town under a curse. Teenager Wendy Keegan is determined to help end the curse and jumps at the chance that new friend Karen gives her to approach Mary's statue. However, Wendy just might not be prepared for her friend Karen's secret.

The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma 5 stars.
Narrated by a female collective of known as "we" this was perhaps the most terrifying piece in the collection and that is why I am not going to say more than that. Muhahha....

Divine are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova 3 stars
A family of witches answers their grandmother's call to the ranch where some unexpected events happen. This was maybe the first story, I just couldn't really immerse myself in. However, I felt the reading was beautiful.

Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff 2. 5 stars

Two girls unite and there are a lot of antics as they try their powers out on others. I really don't have a lot to say regarding this one.

The Well Witch by Kate Hart 5 stars
Texas, 1875. Oh this was such a good one and terrifying because the character lifters had to fight for her life. Great villians in this one, too! Highly enjoyable!

Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood 3.5 stars
Based on a vision of her granddaughters in the future, Jo believes that she can break a family curse and ensure that her sisters and she will survive together. Of course, disaster ensues.

Love Spell by Anne-Marie McLemore4 stars

A young attracts the attention and love of a young altar boy, but can a witch ever be happy in love? Ok, I lied this author isn't new to me! I absolutely adored one of her novels and hated another.

The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord 4 stars

Nova, Rosemary, Willa all take turns narrating this story. When Rosemary finds herself entwined in an awful relationship, it is going to take her sisters courage and life to win her back.

When They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May 4 .5 stars
Reading like a manifesto that discusses how women are treated by the patriarchy, we meet several female characters that are being imprisoned. A good story to top of this collection.

So there in a nutshell is a little snippet of what a reader can discover in this collection.

This is a really strong anthology! Almost every story left me wanting more. It's also very inclusive--queer witches, trans witches, witches of color, etc. (In many cases by #OwnVoices authors. Not for the witch part, as far as I know, but for other marginalized identities.)

Shout outs to Tess Sharpe, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Emery Lord for having my favorite stories in this? But truly I enjoyed them all. Highly recommended for fans of witchy stuff.

Toil & Trouble is a brilliant collection of short stories about powerful women that bend and break the traditional chains that bind them. From a series of varied perspectives, the power of women comes through in ways that are soft and easy as well as hard hitting and intense. Each author tells the story of the witch or bruja as if magic itself coiled around the words. The prose is beautiful and poetic, and yes, sometimes heartbreaking. I enjoyed every single short in this collection and will be buying it the moment it is released.

I don't usually like short stories but I was really drawn into this book. While most of the stories were well done and really spoke of women owning their power and not letting others tell them how to behave some were just not all that good. I was encouraged that about 1/3 of the stories featured lesbian characters which is a refreshing switch from most mainstream books I've read, I particularly liked the one where the main character is given a male soul mate only to have her reject this because she had already fallen in love with her childhood girlfriend. There are definitely some stories in this collection that are well worth a read, while I wish the editors would have looked a little more closely at some of the others and given them a pass. However stories of empowering young women will always be a hit in my book!

I stayed up until 11:20 at night to finish this book, not because I loved it but because I couldn't wait to get it done and over with. I would like to say that there were some excellent stories among the 15 but truthfully I cannot. I never fell in love with any one story and some were downright awful. There was a lot of swearing in a few of the stories and that really took away from the book overall. Many of the characters also drank beer and did other teenage things that didn't seem fitting for a story about witchcraft. I guess I was expecting these stories to be similar to the Grimm brothers fairy tales and I'm telling you right now that they're not. Another note of warning about the romances found in many of the stories. There was some serious kissing scenes and also some people sleeping and having a sexual relationship with others. Again, not something I wanted to read about in a fairytale. I'd say that about a third of the main characters were lesbians so that was refreshing. Overall it wasn't a bad collection of stories, it just wasn't for me.

This was just okay. I had much higher hopes for this but a lot of the stories just left a lot to be desired, 3 of them I DNFed and only three of them did I truly love. There were a couple that I liked and wanted more from then the ending I received, but overall “The Truth About Queenie” by Brandy Colbert, “The Well Witch” by Kate Hart, and “Love-Spell” by Anna-Marie McLemore were my favorites. Honorable Mentions (4stars) go to: “Death in the Sawtooths” by Lindsay Smith, “The Heart in Her Hands” by Tess Sharpe, and “Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths” by Jessica Spotswood.

I went into this book with a specific mindset and was disappointed with what I read. I only liked one story, the Salem witch inspired one, while the others had zero effect on me. Maybe the issue is because these are short stories so I didn't connect with the characters or want to find out more about their lives. Another issue was the writing style since for some stories I didn't understand the magic or what was going on; the play story was one of those as well as the Sawtooths one.

I'm not a person who cares for short stories so this obviously wasn't a book for me, but I recommend it to anyone who loves stories with a hint of magic and mystery.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

While I fell in overwhelming love with the characters of this book, and the hints of worldbuilding that exist behind the scenes, I felt like the pacing could use a good deal of work and ultimately the ending left me wanting more.

An interesting, enjoyable collection of stories about witches. Many different interpretations of what it means to be a witch. As with any anthology, the story quality varied but it was overall very enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed these stories. They were full of different types of witches and witch lore. I loved seeing different authors takes on strong female characters and their idea of witchcraft. I loved the feminist themes throughout all of the stories.

A lot of good stories in this anthology about all types of witches. I really enjoyed this for the most part. Interesting to see how different authors have different stories about what a witch is.

Where do I start with this review?
First off I want to thank Harlequin for giving me the oppurtunity to read this awesome book early.
There is so much I loved about the anthology that Its going to be difficult to put it all into words into a neat and concise review. I don't like when my reviews go on to long.
I think the first point that I want to comment on is the characters. I love strong female characters, strength in all the different forms and capacity that It appears. I think we need more strong women in literature and was majorly excited when I heard about the release of this book. Witches? Come on, I was sold. I'm just happy it lived up to all of my expectations.

Another point I loved was the diversity. The first story in the anthology features a latinx character, something you don't see in very many books at all. As a hispanic/american woman there was so much in that story that I could relate too. I loved seeing the Latin community represented!
Oh and there is plenty of spooky, I just wanted that to be a note in this. I love spooky and I totally think this is a book that can be revisted again during Halloween! Give me all the spooks and scares!!


This was overall a fantastic collection of stories, with a beautiful group of voices. I know there will be a story in there for everyone to relate too and enjoy!

A collection of stories about witches of all kinds and backgrounds makes up TOIL AND TROUBLE. There are witches in love, witches who seek vengeance, witches who wish to be left alone. Witches who can heal, who can curse, who aren't witches at all. With many different authors of varying backgrounds, these stories take the idea of a witch, and branch into many different interpretations of what that means. Four stories really stood out to me:

"Starsong" by Tehlor Kay Mejia: This is a sweet and romantic story about a teenage witch who uses social media to help others through predictions and star charts. When she starts a conversation over DM with another teenage girl who is decidedly a skeptic, an exercise in debate could be turning into something more. This was just a really sweet story with some lovely characters. I don't usually gravitate towards romance that often, but Luna is a really well developed character and I just wanted her to be happy.

"The Legend of Stone Mary" by Robin Talley: The grave of a witch is seen as a town legend where teens go to goof off, but Wendy, Mary's descendant, is living the consequences of being seen as a modern day witch. When she tries to get close to a new girl, complications arise. This one had a healthy mix of fun urban legends and the consequences of small town prejudice and Othering. It felt the most like the kind of story I wanted from this collection, and it was my favorite of the bunch.

"The One Who Stayed" by Nova Ren Suma: A group of girls who have all been wronged by similar trauma come together to try and help another who is about to meet the same fate. This one is one of the darker stories in the book, concerning sexual abuse and rape, but what it says about resilience and strength through support of those who know is very powerful. Nova Ren Suma is known for her darker stories, and this is no exception.

"Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May: Thirteen women are all accused of witchcraft and taken to a labor camp where they are supposed to repent. But they aren't so much witches as they are victims of a society that wants them silenced and broken. This is the other super dark story that concerns the victimization of women, but it is also incredibly powerful and feminist in it's message. The rage against misogyny and rape culture leaps off the pages, and the book ends on the powerful note that is this tale. It's raw and dark and upsetting, but it's incendiary as well.

The rest of the stories didn't stand out as much for me, sadly. They were either a bit dragging or a bit muddled, or the focus was too much on romance which isn't really my kind of thing unless it's in moderation. But I do want to say that this collections is awesome in terms of the stories it tells and the voices it amplifies. These witches are not solely rooted in heteronormative, Anglo Saxon mythology, and that in and of itself is important and noteworthy.

TOIL AND TROUBLE didn't live up to the hype I made for it inside my head, but I do think that it's a noteworthy collection as a whole. There is a lot to like in this anthology, so don't let my own personal predilections deter you from checking it out.

I was intrigued by this anthology of witches but I ended up feeling mixed about the end result. Some of the stories were a bit boring or not that great (Afterbirth and The Well Witch were my least favorites. I probably liked The Gherin Girls and Why They Watch Us Burn the best.

It's okay to have on your TBR if you love witches and paranormal stories but I was left slightly disappointed with it.

I usually don't read short stories I prefer novels. But thought I would give this one a shot! I wasn't disappointed!! Loved them all!!!!