The main character Nora was an independent, but lonely young witch living up an isolated mountain with her distant mother. I liked her well enough, but I didn't fully connected with her because I never really got to know her that well. I do know she misses her grandmother who died before being able to teach Nora everything she needed to know about being a witch and that her lack of magic makes her feel like she's letting down her entire line of ancestors. Nora always believed she was fine on her own until she got a glimpse of what it might be like to have friends and then she felt their absence deeply. I think that might be why she quickly grew attached to our other main character Oliver. He'd been missing from the boys camp across the lake for two weeks when Nora found him close to death lost in the frozen forest after a major snowstorm. Noras used to finding lost items in the woods, but she never expected to find a boy.

It took me a long time to sympathize with Oliver since he was just so sweet that his worry over being the villain wasn't very believable to me. Wouldn't he know for sure if he was a villain based on his personality leading up to the night he cant remember. His tragic past and everything that's happened at the camp had me eventually feeling for him. Since the romance came out of nowhere it took until close to the end for me to feel the chemistry between the two main characters. Once I did though I really wanted them to get a happy ending together. I did find Noras first and only female friendship a little disappointing. I wish it hadn't taken so long for Suzy to stand up to the bullies at the boys camp. I think a good person and friend would have done the right thing and helped Nora before their own life was in danger.

I have to say this authors writing was very captivating. She created a vivid atmosphere with her descriptions of the dark and cold winter setting. The forest surrounding Noras home have a long memory and know how to hold a grudge, but none are nearly as vengeful as the wicker woods. Even the clueless tourists feel uneasy around them. The Walker witches have a connection to the forest that prevent them from leaving for long. They are said to have sprung up from its soil, each of them blessed with a unique magic called a nightshade. Some of their abilities consist of sharing dreams, calming bees, and bonding with animal. I loved the pieces of the spellbook where we get to learn about past Walker witches, and the spell to access their ability. However the amount of times I was told Nora was a Walker witch did get repetitive.

The plot heavily focused on discovering what happened the night Oliver went missing. Despite having predicted that reveal when I was only about five chapters in, I still found it compelling watching the main character try to figure it out. The mystery had a good amount of suspense, but some of the threads didn't seem to add up. Plus memory loss isn't my favorite trope since it usually feels a little too convenient, but under these circumstances it did make sense. Having the characters be snowed in without any power or way off the mountain added some serious creepy vibes. Its known that people can be even more deadly than the dangerous woods, especially people who feel trapped and desperate. Im glad I decided to pick up Winterwood since dark and atmospheric standalones are the type of books I enjoy reading around this time of year. If you're looking for a winter themed book you might want to consider this one.

You know those books that you loved so much you have trouble talking about them? Because all you want to do is GUSH about every single aspect of the book but you need to try and be somewhat coherent? This is one of those books for me. So get ready because this is going to be a whole mess.

I’m going to try and do this in order of what I loved most about the book, but it’s still everything so the order doesn’t really matter.

Okay.

The atmosphere was incredible. Like beyond incredible. The lake with only a few cabins still inhabited in the dead of winter and a snowstorm that cuts them all off from the outside world. No cell service, no electricity, no outside contact. It just sets the scene for something really dark to happen. And the constant dread is always at the back of your mind as you’re reading, especially with the dark part of the woods that are mentioned throughout the book just to really set the scene for something dark to happen. Every setting in here was just so well described as well, I could picture the woods and the lake and every room in Nora’s house. It’s just really good okay? Take my word for it.

The magic and mystery of the story. The story is upfront about the fact that there’s magic, and that there’s a lot that you don’t know going in. Nora is the last in a long line of women who have magic and it’s a major part of the story. There’s also just this sense of unease and “what the hell is actually going on” all the way through. There are some mysteries that you know you’re trying to figure out…but also some other little tidbits that you don’t really think about but just wait to make sense. If you know what I mean? The story feels really high stakes, the fact that there’s only a few people stranded in the snowy forest just intensifies the feeling that anything can happen.

The characters. Look the characters in here could have been pretty bad and I probably would have still loved the book because I’m just that in love with the way it was written. Luckily they were great though! Nora was such a fascinating main character, just a young girl left on her own, trying to figure out her place in the world but also content to figure it out. She’s so full of strength and it’s just lovely getting to read from her POV. I also really liked Oliver, he was such a mystery from start to finish but it made for such a compelling story. All the minor characters were well fleshed out as well, there was depth to all of them, whether I liked them or not. I can’t deny that they were all well written.

So if you’re looking for a super atmospheric book, filled with magic, well written characters and a compelling mystery then look no further. This was a stunning book and I’m immediately picking up the authors debut and will read everything that they publish from here on out. I loved this book and everyone needs to read it.

Beautifully written and atmospheric, but I was left wanting so much more from the characters. I was so intrigued by the Walker family history and Nora and Oliver but didn’t feel like I got a chance to know them as much as I would have liked and felt that piece was missing from the novel.

Definite Practical Magic vibes (in a good way). Witchy read lovers will enjoy it and I’m interested to read her other work.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5

I absolutely loved Shea Ernshaw’s wonderfully creepy and atmospheric debut, The Wicked Deep, and I was so excited when I learned about Winterwood. This book has cemented my love of Ernshaw’s storytelling ability. She truly has a knack for writing super atmospheric, eerie books that suck you in and make you feel like you’re part of the story. I felt like I was stranded with Nora and Oliver on that frozen lake with the menacing woods as a backdrop. There was an underlying current of tension and danger throughout, which made it hard to put this book down. Winterwood wove together magic, mystery, and romance into a story that was beautiful, haunting, and enchanting. I can’t wait to see what Shea Ernshaw writes next.

4.5 stars

This book was so fantastic! It's so atmospheric, and incredible to read! I enjoyed learning about the Walker family (we got excerpts from their family book, of the various Walker women, their ability and a spell to be able to do what they did, or a recipe of food that they liked. I enjoyed it so much!

This world of humans and magic and of the Wicker Woods, it's just so interesting. It makes the women of the Walker family outcasts, and it puts Nora into some pretty tough situations. The fact that the forest is awake except when there's a full moon, these were bits that I enjoyed reading and learning about so much!

This story is just so cleverly written! There's the mystery of what happened the night the storm came in, that's now trapped them on the mountain for 2 weeks. Finding Oliver in a deeper part of the forest then she'd gone before, yeah, I couldn't stop reading!

There's the tension between the two of them, both romantically, and tense because there's a boy who died the same time that Oliver went missing. And that Oliver doesn't have memories of what happened, well, I just wanted to know!

This book was fantastic, and I can't wait to read more by Shea Ernshaw!

Finally getting around to writing a review for this bad boy.

I have to admit, out of most the books on my Netgalley shelf, I was most excited to read Winterwood. I'm going to have to give this one a 3 star rating however- not because it was bad (in fact, Ernshaw has very captivating writing style, the kind that keeps a person hooked into the story until you're done), but I felt like the elements I was promised/looking forward to were not explored enough.

-I didn't feel connected to the characters, would have loved to get to know them better
-the romance was...not my favourite? It was good but almost a little too unexplored.
-I wanted more deep dark and scary woods. lets talk about the woods more :'(
-more witchery!!!

enough said.

I have no regrets reading Winterwood., it was still a very engaging read with really interesting ideas. I would for sure acquire this for my library. It just wasn't a 5 star to me.

I just love Shea Ernshaw's writing! Dark, atmospheric and witchy. The only thing I'm not sure about is the ending, but I believe she may have said that she changed some things? I may not have loved it as much as her first novel, but I have already ordered a physical copy because the first editions are just stunning. I do plan on reading this book again as this is the perfect time of year to read it. A snowed in town. Dark, enchanted (and creepy) woods. Witchy vibes.

As much as it pains me to say it, I don't think it's going to workout between me and Shea Ernshaw. One of those it's not you, it's me, but actually it probably is you type of relationships. How do I know this? Because I broke one of my cardinal reading rules to get to the last page.

What rule did I break, you ask? Well. I couldn't put myself through it anymore and skimmed the last half. It's positively sacrilegious! But I'd had enough. I couldn't sit with this book anymore and ended up just reading the dialogue and a few paragraphs here and there to get the gist. Really, I should have DNF'd it, but that's a rule never break. So, I found out how it ends and I'm really just sort of meh over it all.

It sucks, because on paper Ernshaw's books are everything I want. Living woods with malicious intent? A family of female witches? A snowed in group of people in the middle of nowhere with a murder on their hands? Yes, please. So why does it never pan out for me? Easy. The pace is far too slow. There is far too little witchery, far too little malevolent woods and too. much. feelings. Much of it got quite repetitive, and Nora didn't come off all too clever at times because of it. I’m genuinely disappointed that there was so little forest and witchery focus. There were little snippets from the Walker family spell book that talked about the past witches, and I LOVED that. It was quirky and cute and made me smile? Why couldn’t there have been more of that?!

I think the main reason why I couldn't get into this book is that there seems to be something about Ernshaw's stories that makes me weirdly uncomfortable. In the way her characters are and their fall in too deep and too fast attitudes. I can do all the gore and blood and dark twists you want, but not ... this. With The Wicked Deep I found myself very uneasy with the relationship that blossomed. One, because it really felt completely unasked for. And two the deeper connotations just held a whole lot of wrong. The same holds true for Winterwood. Worse is that I figured out the major plot twist early on, and it made everything profoundly more unnerving.

2.5/5

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the e-Arc.

October was the month I wanted to absolutely delve into all spooky books, and Winterwood was high on my tbr. It’s the perfect book to read during fall, and it was one of my favourite reads in October.

The language and storytelling is so, so beautiful. Ernshaw crafts a narrative that honours nature, shows love and respect for it. You can’t help but to feel drawn into the book, with the lush and atmospheric descriptions. I felt an immediate connection to the book, and that feeling never faded. The writing style is almost lyrical, but most definitely magical.

Nora, our main character, is so fascinating and well crafted. We feel her hopes and her fears, her weakness and her courage, over the course of the novel. She’s largely an independent young woman, who wants to embrace her magical heritage and also help Oliver. She undertakes this on her own, a daunting task in an isolated area surrounded by danger.

Oliver himself is interesting, and there’s mystery to unravel about him. I liked guessing what had happened, and the twist was well-done. It made me even more invested in the story, and it made me emotional.The romance is sweet, and though for some it can be considered almost insta-love, on the page it mostly felt like a deep connection formed because Nora saved Oliver’s life.

The magic and the mystery are two of my favourite aspects of the story. The mystery of how Oliver ended up in the woods is intricate, and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed trying to piece together what might have happened, and the reveal was intense. All of the pieces of the story came together to make for a riveting and rewarding ending. I honestly can’t stop thinking about it. The book is interspersed with background on witches from Nora’s family, and I loved that insight into the history of these women. The magic is very rooted in nature; I enjoy seeing that particular type of magic, and I think that magic made the setting come alive even more.

I can’t even fully express how much I enjoyed Winterwood. It’s a magical, romantic, dark novel with an interesting mystery to unravel. It was one of my favourite reads in October, and I can honestly see myself re-reading it in the future. It’s such a magical story, and the setting itself is almost another character. If you love books about witches, you might want to check this one out!

A paranormal/urban fantasy/magical realism book with a mystery set in creepy winter woods... I was completely sold on this story.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that my favourite genres are fantasy, contemporary and mystery. This book is an outstanding blend of them all. There’s just enough magic to feel enchanting. There’s just enough mystery to keep you hooked. There’s just enough romance to make your heart go pitter-patter. And atmospheric in a way that’s eerie and dark, but not in a bad way.

Make sure you have a big vat of hot cocoa on hand. Or a pot (or two) of tea. You will feel those chilly woods deep into your bones. A perfect read for a long and cold winter night, where you want to lock all of the doors, hide away bundled beneath five blankets, have a fire blazing and a room of candles lit, all the while watching the snow softly falling outside.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This did not affect my rating.
*4/5*

"A sleeping forest will allow safe passage. But if it wakes, be prepared to run."
Has one line of text ever given you chills? Given you a sense that you will love the atmosphere of a story? This book has that line for me.

“I am more darkness than girl. More winter shadows than August sunlight. We are the daughters of the wood”
Nora Walker is a witch. Or so they say. The Walker women are all witches. They never leave Fir Haven. If they do, something always pulls them back. They can enter the Wicker Woods on a full moon and not be harmed. They can bring back what has been lost.
Nora enters the woods on a full moon, and finds a boy. A boy who shouldn’t be there. A boy who changes her life. As storm after storm blocks the people of Fir Haven in, Nora decides to unravel the truth behind the mysterious boy. How did he survive the woods? What secrets is he keeping?
Quiet, slow burning, and intense. This novel made me want to curl up by a fireplace with hot tea and snuggle in. The air of mystery, and of magic.

As a bonus, there were little backstories and spell from previous Walker women and I loved it.

I will read whatever Shea Ernshaw publishes.

Set in the mountains, near magical, dark woods, lives the Walker family who are rumoured to be witches. When a boy from the Camp for Wayward Boys goes missing and a huge snowstorm approaches, everyone is trapped. Nora Walker, who is not certain if she can call herself a witch, finds the missing boy Oliver Huntsman in the Wicker Woods. Nora doesn’t understand how he could have survived weeks in the magical forest - Oliver has to be hiding something.

I loved this book - the atmospheric writing, the mystery of the woods, and what actually happened that one night out on the frozen lake. Nora is quite capable on her own while her mother is out in the nearby town - she shows tenacity and we learn along with Nora if she has magic or not. It was a joy to read about the different witches of the Walker line and discovering the motivations behind Oliver’s actions. The ending was unexpected and I kept on reading to find out the truth!

Overall, Winterwood is a haunting and lyrical read that will make you feel chills down your spine while you turn the pages!

(2.5 - 3 Stars)

Judging the Book by its Cover
I adored The Wicked Deep so very much and was anxious to dive back into Earnshaw's magical writing and let it take me away to that warm and happy place books like this are supposed to take you. 5 Stars to a beautiful cover.

Book Review
I really wanted to like this. I wanted to like this way more than I actually did. The writing was beautiful, but I had a very difficult time getting into it at the start and the further I read, the more the story fell apart for me, just sort of disintegrating in front of my eyes.

I really liked the idea of Nora, who finds lost things in the woods, finding a missing boy in the woods. I liked her fascination with him and her desire to keep him. But I was disappointed that this scenario transitioned so quickly into a romantic arc that drove the majority of the story. There was a lot of room to explore this and take it somewhere deeper into her Walker folklore and let the rest of it develop naturally, but it didn’t. The characters didn’t really grow, the folklore of the Walkers, other than having snippets from the spell book woven between each chapter, was never really developed either. The lack of this development made this nothing more than a teen romance novel, which is fine for some people but that’s not what I signed up for.

I think my biggest issue was that I had figured out what was happening very early on, like pages into the book, so every time the book lead me in a false direction, I could clearly see through it and was slightly annoyed with an "I know what you're doing, book, you can't fool me" attitude. That was definitely distracting.

It was also painfully repetitive, continually telling me the same thoughts and feelings over and over again without moving anything forward. There is nothing I hate more than being treated like I can’t remember what was said three pages ago, like I need my hand held to piece together a story. Especially when I had already discovered the truth way before I was ever supposed to.

The atmosphere of the book was beautiful. The forest was a character in itself and it really came alive. I loved the description of Nora’s home and the brief encounters with her neighbors that we got to witness. And the ending was strong. I really liked the direction it went in and where we left off. In fact, the ending does a lot to redeem my opinion of the story and make me a little less hard on it as a whole.

I read an advanced copy of this and apparently the published final has some changes. I really hope these changes do a lot to impact that overall story. I hope that it is tightened up and the breadcrumbs are not so large, because I did really enjoy where I ended up, I just really did not enjoy the journey and was close to giving up many times.

If you’re looking for a magical book to get cozy with this winter, mark your calendars for November 5 and be sure to get your hands on a copy of Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw!

This is Shea’s second book (her first was The Wicked Deep, which I haven’t read yet), and it was incredible. I’d seen positive reviews of her debut novel, and was very excited to receive a digital ARC of Winterwood. I was a little nervous, thinking that my expectations were maybe set a little too high, but readers, this book knocked it out of the park.

Winterwood follows the story of Nora Walker, a young witch with generations of magic behind her. While she hasn’t quite found her magic yet, one cold, wintry night, she does find a lost boy while walking through the Wicker Woods. She brings him home, and finds out that his name is Oliver, and he’s been missing from a local boy’s camp for almost three weeks. How did he survived outside, and endure an epic winter storm? Well, you’ll have to read to find out!

What happens next is pure magic. Nora knows something isn’t quite right, and soon finds herself caught up in gossip from other local boys. They call her moon-witch and assume she’s evil, but what she learns about them is much worse than their assumptions about her.

The writing throughout this book is incredibly immersive and atmospheric. It’s easy to get lost in the pages, and find yourself with Nora inside her cozy little house, or walking in the snow through the woods. It can be hard to find a fantasy novel with such beautiful descriptions, but Winterwood is absolutely stunning.

While the plot is driven by some thriller-elements, the story itself also focuses quite a bit on Nora’s family history, and their relationship to the Wicker Woods. As I mentioned before, Nora’s mother, grandmother, aunts, and many other women before her were all witches. Their family is tied to the woods, they’ve always lived in the same house, and drawn their powers from their surroundings. The book is littered with small anecdotes referring to their history, which I thought added an extra layer to the story.

One thing I will note (that I’ve seen other reviews mention as well) is that some of the major plot points were quite predictable, and I was upset about guessing the ending well before it happened. However, I’ve also seen posts saying that the finished copy will be different from the ARC, and that readers can expect some differences. Hopefully this is adjusted a bit. However, I will also say that this aspect didn’t really deter my overall opinion of the book too much, and the writing alone was enough to make me fall in love with the Wicker Woods and the author’s storytelling.

I’d recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy, someone looking for a cozy winter read, or anyone who enjoys books featuring witches and magic.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. Winterwood will come out on November 5, 2019, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.

First off: Shae Ernshaw is the queen of plot twists. I strongly believe she has quickly become one of my fave authors and I cannot wait to read more of her works.

I cannot get enough of Shae’s super atmospheric books. The witchiness and creepiness and just overall immersion this book gives me is amazing. I love the way she writes!

This story hooked me from the start and I really loved the plot. The dual POV made guessing the twist difficult but it really immersed me into the story by allowing me to see things from both Oliver and Nora’s perspectives.

It has to be said again: THAT PLOT TWIST!!! I am dead.

Everyone needs to read all of Shae’s books because SHES such a great author.

arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 51%

I really thought I was going to love this. I was a bit bored at the beginning but at around 25% I was really enjoying the story. It was atmospheric with a hint of a creepy factor underlying all of the characters and the setting. But by 50% the story just wasn’t capturing my attention any longer. I wasn’t feeling the urge to pick it back up and I don’t want to force myself to finish this if I’m really not enjoying myself anymore. It just isn’t the book for me.

But if you like atmospheric books set in a winter setting with creepy woods and magic and a girl descended from a family of witches, give this a try! You’ll probably love it.

tw: death, death of a family member

Surrounding the town of Firhaven is woods. It's said that they are magical and haunted even. Only Nora Walker knows the truth, because the Walkers have a special connection to the forest. When Nora meets Oliver, she feels a special connection to him because of the forest.
There were many things I liked about this book. I loved the atmospheric writing for one. It was the perfect amount of purple and was just so lyrical. I could almost feel like I was in the cold forest with Nora. The fact she was a witch was great. Every two chapters there was a recipe for a spell and some history of the Walkers. This made me feel more apart of it. World building I think was good for a standalone YA Fantasy novel. It has a fairy tale feel to it and I love fairy tales.
My issues were the Instalove, the ending and the fact the characters didn't get very developed. I was super into the beginning of the novel and the intrigue at the beginning, I felt like as it went on it began to teeter out and I became less interested in it as it went on. The plot itself was just flat at certain moments for me.
Apparently the ending is different from what I read? Or maybe the other reviews or information I saw online are lying to me. Either way, I'll be picking up a finished copy to see because I did really enjoy it. The books biggest strength is Shea Ernshaw's writing and I'm really intrigued in seeing what else she comes out with.
3.5/5
I'd recommend this to fans of witches or are just looking for a standalone fantasy novel. It's very atmospheric and perfect for fall/winter.

Thank you Netgalley as well as Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Wicked Deep in either August or September and I absolutely loved it. So I couldn't wait to get my hands on this novel. I will say this novel definitely didn't disappoint.

I loved everything in this novel. The characters were very well fleshed out and extremely realistic. They all had flaws and their flaws were never hidden. They were out in the open so you knew they weren't these perfect people with perfect lives. The way they were written is as if they were real teenagers, they didn't feel forced or unrealistic. This made the reading experience much more enjoyable, as I wasn't rolling my eyes at these "perfect" teenagers with unrealistic thought processes.

The atmosphere...Good Lord let's talk about the way Shea Ernshaw does atmosphere. This woman is absolutely brilliant when it comes to writing atmospheres. They are so magical, dark, and just all-around glorious. Both of her novels have pulled me straight in, this one pulled a bit quicker than The Wicked Deep. She makes everything so dark but yet realistic while also maintaining the tiny bit of magic that may or may not be included in the story. She is definitely an insta-buy author for me now. Her books just pull at all the right parts to make me want to keep reading and delving into her worlds.

The plot in this book was magnificent! I didn't see any of the plot twists coming, which I definitely enjoyed. The fact that there is one boy missing and one dead drew me in. While the story isn't simple about just that, it handled everything perfectly. There is romance, but it is a slow burn and just so damn adorable. I was rooting for them from the very beginning of character introductions. This book kept me guessing, just as I would think I had a plot point figured out she would switch it up and be the closest to the opposite of my thought process.

This is a 5 star read for me and I will definitely be on the lookout for me Shea Ernshaw books!

First time reading from this author! I'm impressed with this one! It is a slow burn fairy tale-esque sort of story and I loved it. I literally read it in 1 sitting, I'm speechless, it was beautifully written, had compelling characters, and a fun and mysterious plot make this a story you will not regret diving into.
I've already recommended it to all my friends ahha

Winterwood is about Nora Walker, her family always lived near the Wicker Wood, a dangerous forest thet only Walker women can enter on a full moon. The kids at the camp for wayward boys across the lake whisper about the witches who lure boys away and bury them under their floorboards. The story begin after the biggest snow storm of the year, a boy went missing. But Nora found him deep in the Wicker Woods. Oliver is a mysterious boy, changed by the woods, and Nora is a Walker witch who feel the woods deep in her bones. Nora feel a pull to Oliver, but she still does not trust him fully. She still has to find out what happen to him on that faithful night in the snow. But Oliver has his secret too, secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

Once again Shea Ernshaw has written an amazing book, the setting is so vivid. I'm in love with her lyrical writing style. Everything that she wrote is so atmospheric, it envelop you in this beautiful surrendering that you never want to leave. But I must say that I enjoyed The Wicked Deep more then Winterwood. From what I saw the arc is different from the final copy of the book, so I'll have to wait and see if it that different to change my rating. But the writing style on it's own deserve the 4 stars I'm giving it.

The characters could have been more well developed, they felt a little allow at times. I really like that the forest felt like a character on it's own. The little insert about the past Walker women were great, you got to know the family a little better and I liked that. I wish we would have learn more about Oliver, we got to know him in the now but we didn't get to know all of him, his past and aspiration were left on the side.

Overall Winterwood is a great book and I would totally recommend it for people who love a well written atmospheric story.



*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of an arc. All thoughts are my own.*