“Witch” is rich in atmosphere and character. Hester Fox makes her characters alive and three-dimensional. For me, the weakness in this novel is that the plot didn’t support a 365 page novel. At better than half way through the book, I didn’t have any real sense of a motive or reason for the actions of the characters. I did finish the novel, and did understand more about the character and their stories, but for my tastes, too slowly.

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first gothic historical fiction book I've read. The writing was well done and the story was interesting, but I have mixed feelings about this book. It seemed to float between several genres and the story became a bit muddled in the process.

The book is set in 1821 in a small town outside Boston. The Montrose family, which includes daughters Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline, flee Boston amid a terrible scandal to start anew in their country home, Willow Hall. Rather than being the quiet, relaxing countryside home they need, something sinister lurks in the shadows. Lydia and Emeline are affected the most by the supernatural forces surrounding Willow Hall. Powers they didn't know they had emerge in dangerous ways.

Meanwhile, Catherine is desperately seeking a husband in an attempt to get out from under the specter of the family scandal. She sets her sights on scoundrel Mr. Pierce, hoping she can manipulate him into a quick wedding. Lydia has eyes for Mr. Barrett - an accomplished, handsome gentleman who lives in the estate next door. Complicating matters is Lydia's former fiancé Cyrus who dumped her when the scandal broke. His family's fortunes have taken a dive and he is now back, trying to blackmail Lydia into marrying him. While dealing with all of these things, tragedy strikes the Montrose family again. Will Lydia's powers be a help or a hindrance in these trying times?

Overall, the book was a good, quick read with an interesting story. I encourage you to try this genre out for yourself to see if it's something you'd like.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
2.5 stars

My thoughts are somewhat conflicted about this one.

From the synopsis I was expecting my witchy creepy stuff. And I will say, there is some great creepy scenes with some good imagery. Those scenes had me thoroughly interested and fit with all the other suspenseful books I've been reading. Yay Halloween season!

The thing is the story really favors the historical aspect with the period sensitive problems. I like historical romances and I like suspenseful stuff, but it felt like the two didn't always work together. The problems always seemed to eclipse the creepy stuff... which I thought would have been a much larger part of the book, thanks to the synopsis.

The characters weren't too bad, they were pretty real. I just never got around to liking anyone completely. The romances were pretty quick and I don't think they were fully flushed out. This might have been because it felt like the book was going in different directions.

Yet, I continued to be interested in what would happen-- who would end up with who? what will happen to them all? Is she a witch or not?? It is a dark and gritty book for the most part with interesting scenes and I liked the flow of the writing.

Would I recommend this book? If you like historical books and want some suspense, totally. If you want a witch story, then no. I'll probably check out more of the authors work in the future.

I seemed to be on the end of a bandwagon of people who read this anticipated debut. I read reviews that absolutely loved it and those that were pretty disappointed. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. As a debut, I was incredibly impressed with Hester Fox. I’m keeping my eye on her and I’m definitely going to read what she comes out with next. But, it certainly wasn’t perfect. It suffered a bit with its premise. I feel like Fox could have taken the witch-y elements so much further than she did. Even the book synopsis sort of insinuates a little more than what actually happens.

I wouldn’t call this a book about magic (although to say there is NO magic would be insincere). To me it felt like a haunted version of Sense & Sensibility. Let’s start with the beginning – three sisters, used to the bigger city, move to the countryside. While out for a walk, one is caught in the rain, hurts herself & is rescued by a handsome eligible bachelor who also happens to be wandering around in the middle of a downpour… sound familiar? Of course, in the case, John Barrett is lovely (unlike a certain Willoughby).

To be fair, the book does do it’s own thing but I believe Fox was channeling a bit of Jane Austen through the whole thing – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Montrose family is well rounded and each of them have their own fears, passions and faults. Sisterly fighting, romance, suspense, tons of intrigue & ghosts galore. The ending also may have been the best part of the whole novel.

But I feel like I have to mention (as a mother!) that the Montrose girls’ mother really got the short end of the stick in this one. I won’t say more because #spoilers but let’s just say it seems like nothing good happens to that poor woman.

To wrap it up, this book took me a couple chapters to really dig in & there were some parts that were downright silly but overall I enjoyed it. Fox also managed to give Willow Hall a proper ending but left a huge opening for follow up stories – either with Lydia herself or future generations. I hope there is a little more witchcraft in those…

I knew I was saving this for the fall for a reason. What a great first read of the Halloween season!

I am a sucker for the supernatural. Give me witches, ghosts, demons… pretty much anything other than zombies and I am all over it so obviously as soon as I heard of The Witch of Willow Hall I knew I had to read it. The fact that this book not only brings out a supernatural element but is also a historical fiction (which I have been meaning to read way more of, by the way) just pulled me even further. I mean, witches and ghosts are one thing but witches and ghosts when your home is still lit by candlelight every day? That is the perfect storm for a chilling fall read!

While it became quite obvious early on that this book was not at all what I was expecting, I was still instantly pulled in and had a hard time putting it down. In fact, I didn’t put it down. No matter how sore my eyes got or how late at night it was, there was no way I was sleeping until I had read every page and when the wee morning hours finally came, I was ready to start it all over again. Such a page turner!

I will admit that I was expecting more in the supernatural sense; more witches or some spell work but I found that I wasn’t disappointed by the lack of it. Don’t get me wrong, there was just the perfect amount of chilliness, but I went in thinking that would be the focus of this book. That being said, I was surprised and pretty pleased that the more I read, the more it seemed that The Witch of Willow Hall is really more focused on Lydia coming to terms with herself. I really enjoyed watching her grow as a person and come into her own throughout the book.

Another big focus in this book will bring out the romantic in all of us. Yes, there is romance. In a subtle Pride and Prejudice sort of way. That is to be expected though with the historical setting and I’m not sure why I didn’t realize that when I first picked up this book. What I loved most about the love story in this, was that it wasn’t overpowering. Sure, there was tension and conflict but it was written in a way that didn’t take away from anything else in the story. It just flows perfectly.

Hester Fox has, without a doubt, written a novel that will last through the ages. With the perfect balance of romantic tension, family drama and supernatural eeriness this haunting page turner is the ideal fall read.

If this is the debut, I can't wait to see what Fox has in store next!

Finally, I'd love to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinions

The weather for the majority of the time I was reading this book was chilly and blustery- a perfect backdrop for this story. The disgraced Montrose family has taken residence in a rural town after a family scandal leaves too many tongues wagging in Boston. Middle sister Lydia is struggling as she is upset with her older sister Catherine for her role in the scandal, and takes a great deal of responsibility for her younger sister. Lydia is also finding out some surprising facts about herself, and her relationship to her ancestors- who were accused of witchcraft.
This story is atmospheric- the homes and landscapes are vivid, and the author has captured some of the challenges and expectations of the time that Lydia is dealing with. It's a perfect fall book, with some spooky witchcraft elements and the dark undertones and atmosphere (but it's a book that is totally suitable for wimps, too, as it is never too scary). It's quickly paced, which is always my preference in historical fiction. There's also a bit of romance in this book took, and it's the kind that's sweet and earnest and adds a perfect touch to this story.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley for a fair and honest review. I wanted to like this book. I really did. All of the buzzwords and way this book was described meant it should have been a perfect read for me. Instead I found myself bored and confused. The secret reveal was both fairly obvious if you weren't the main character, while also seeming to have no real point other than shock value. Lots of things happen in this book. Tragic events take place in the present and the past but I felt removed from them all. The characters seemed more like outline profiles than fully realized people who lived in the world of this book. Don't think I would pick up anything else by this author.

A great fall read! A slow burning historical gothic tale. It also has a sweet romance.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC for an unbiased review!

If you like stories that raise goosebumps up and down your arms and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up you absolutely must pick up this book because it has it all and then some. It has the creepy atmosphere with of course the ghost and sprinkled with magic. You will devour this as fast as you can read it and absolutely revel in it. Happy reading!

I was disappointed in this book as I was expecting a much creepier story. It is basically a romantic tale with a few mild ghosts thrown in. As far as that goes, I guess it was written well enough, just not my cup of tea.. A fairly quick, somewhat boring, read.

Lydia Montrose and her family moved from Boston to the town of New Oldbury in 1821 to escape scandal. Heartbreak seems to follow anyway, and the subtle menace in Willow Hall awakens power that Lydia had never been told about.

The scandal is alluded to and finally outright stated about a third of the way through the book: Lydia's older sister Catherine and their brother Charles had an affair, and others in society caught wind of it, shattering the Montrose girls' engagements. Nothing is described in any kind of detail, so it likely will not act as a trigger for those sensitive to the topic of incest.

Emmeline is a ray of sunshine and Catherine has few likable moments even aside from her constant sniping, flirting and maintaining that she did nothing wrong to be ostracized. Lydia is studious and more interested in books, and her interest in her father's young business partner is clear. His interest in her, on the other hand, is not as believable even though it's obvious to the reader.

A lot of the characters fit Gothic stereotypes with no additional presence or sense of individuality. I found the plot interesting enough to keep me turning pages, but it doesn't haunt me after I finish it. (Excuse the pun!)

There 's little actual witchcraft, despite the witch of the title, and it seems to be herb lore and some kind of psychic phenomena, as well as the ability to see and talk to ghosts. This might make it a little less frightening, though, with the content in the book, I would put this at a young adult or new adult reading level.

It was a romance at heart but it had me slightly creeped out at the beginning. It’s not exactly scary but there was a scene or too that gave me goosebumps. The story itself is a beautiful love story and I felt a tug in my heart during the end. Sometimes romance books can be extremely predictable to the point of eye rolling and sometimes they’re written so well that you don’t mind if they’re predictable. This was 4/5 ⭐️ for me and I definitely recommend it for your October tbr!

After a massive scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. While the estate seems idyllic and calming, Lydia senses a dark sense of unease and her baby sister Emeline seems to be a bit unnerved and a bit stressed than her usual carefree ways. Actually, all three daughters seem to be changing and acting more defensive towards one another.

Before long tragedy strikes and more and more Lydia realizes that she has a power that has remained untapped until the dark forces in the house seem to have pulled them out of her onto the surface.

This was an extremely fast read that was hard to put down, knowing that things in the atmosphere were causing changes in most people in the surrounding area. The two sisters Catherine and Lydia were now opponents and tricks and innuendoes were thrown back and forth as Catherine was desperate to marry no matter that Lydia was in love with the man she had set her sites on.

Very entertaining, lots of suspense and a bit of the supernatural made this a great read for the folks who love a bit of fantasy thrown into their genre!

Marilyn Rondeau

The Witch of Willow Hall interested me from the first page, well to be honest, the blurb had me wanting to get my hands on this one from the moment I read it. Their was a bit of every genre in this well-paced story. There was romance, betrayal, mystery, secrecy, and loss. Hester Fox did a wonderful job combining all of these genres into a historical fiction novel that would appeal to teens and adults alike. I definitely recommend The Witch of Willow Hall to anyone who enjoys a historical romance with a bit of mystery and the paranormal and commend Ms. Fox on a lovely debut release!

I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch of Willow Hall is a perfect fall read to me. It's got just the right amount of thrill and spooky vibes, unlikable but compelling characters, a heroine to root for, and a little dash of romance that you'll root for.

The first few chapters were a little bit of a slow start for me, but it's a slow start that builds suspense and wonder about the Montrose family backstory and why they've had to leave Boston. It's not solely for one obvious reason or another, and once pieces of Lydia's story began coming together, I needed to see how everything played out. The Witch of Willow Hall is a delightfully gothic story involving witchcraft, forbidden forests, and a large and spooky house holding all sorts of secrets.

Fox's world-building reminded me a lot of Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak in the way it presents the reader with an assumption that soon reveals more truths than initially expected. If you're looking for a fall read that's not too spooky but with the right amount of atmosphere, twists, and historical fantasy, then check out The Witch of Willow Hall!

I don't read YA books these days but this one sounded interesting.

It is very well written and got me hooked in the story pretty fast.

Even if you aren't into young adult books I do recommend this one.

This was a spooky, romantic, atmospheric read — perfect for October, and perfect for fans of old-school Gothic novels.

Since it’s October and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, I’ve been trying to read more spooky reads. Lydia growing up has always know she was different and her family has been ousted due to a scandal. The story follows Lydia as she adjusts in her new town and deals with her dreadful sister, Catherine. Her parents are distant and she’s more of a mother to her younger sister, Emeline. There were several revelations in this story that I didn’t see coming and it had my jaw dropping. One revelation was very sad and it rugged at my heart strings.

I liked the story but I was hoping for more supernatural elements. It was mainly a romance book with a few suspenseful elements thrown in.I wanted more and needed more supernatural. It would have been nice to see Lydia really come into herself and her new found powers. The last few chapters of the book felt rushed and in my opinion that’s when things really started to come together.

Overall this was a good debut novel by Hester Fox. The story flowed, the plot held my attention and this book was a refreshing and different read. I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

This a lovely creepy read for a cold rainy fall day! Fox’s debut is a dark historical gothic romance which introduces the tarnished Montrose family who have fled Boston due to scandal and rumors and settled into the family’s summer home in the country. But the Willow Hall is haunted and they’ve brought many of their problems with them. The story is at heart a twisting coming of age story for middle sister, Lydia, who must come to terms with her place in her family and its many secrets. Add to that ties to the Salem Witch trials and a sweet romance—this was hard to put down.

This book starts with a bit of darkness that hints at more darkness to come. On that scale, it did deliver. The story gets plenty dark as secrets are revealed, but not in the form I expected. In all honesty, I had a hard time deciphering exactly what this book is about. Once Lydia and family reach Willow Hall, it has a Gothic feel, complete with some creepy ghosts and even a few cryptic warnings for Lydia. Lydia's magic is mentioned, but we only actually see it three or four times, and it all happens very quickly. Between those instances, there's a load of sibling rivalry with Lydia's oldest sister, Catherine, a sinister death, a broken engagement, a new love interest, and threats to reveal the family's secrets. Granted, there are several compelling scenes throughout the book and this is not your typical family, but on the whole, the story tends to ramble through different plot lines and the day to day life of the family. Everything does eventually come together, but it certainly takes a long and twisting path to get there. The descriptions of Willow Hall and surrounding areas are vivid, but the dialogue often seems more akin to modern day than of the early 19th century setting. In the end, I did finish the book, but found it a bit frustrating to get through at times.