While this book had a lot of potential, I found it overwhelming and a huge chunk of the book I was confused about what was actually happening.

One of the mc’s had a huge personality switch at the end of the story that didn’t really line up with the rest of the story & while I know characters develop, this character devolved and super suddenly.

I actually think if this ended up being a queer romantasy book, it would have made me enjoy it more. The two MCs definitely had tension and I am always down for an enemies to lovers story.

So while I enjoyed the magic system and the Caribbean inspiration, the story was too messy for me.

Great story! Court intrigue, sacrificial deaths, shifting alliances, revealed secrets, lots of action and magic or the Jamaican-influenced kind. Beautiful on paper, even better on audio with the excellent voices of the narration.

Witches Steeped in Gold is the first book in its series. This is a fantastic dark fantasy that is inspired by Jamaican folklore. If you enjoy reading witchy drama and strong world building, you will enjoy Witches Steeped in Gold. Book 2 is called Empress Crowned in Red.

I personally started this book three times and couldn't get into it. It was a DNF at 15%. Ira and Jazmyne have extremely similar voices and I kept getting confused as to who was speaking. It started off slow and just wasn't pulling me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

The writing and imagery in this book is done really well. I was drawn to this book by the diversity and Jamaican influence and representation. The overall plot was pretty good and I did enjoy reading it. But, the fact that the two main characters were so similar was frustrating and more than once I got the POV between the two mixed up. I liked the book enough that I will probably read the next book in the series.

I'm afraid this wasn't for me. The world building felt a little too sketchy and lost me in the beginning.

I really wanted to love this book. It had everything I love. Magic, beautiful witches and the sea. I honestly can't put my finger on why I couldn't get into it. I felt that the world building was a bit confusing and we were kinda dropped into the middle of something. I also feel like since it was a less transitional magical world, so we needed more information, not less.

After giving it several tries since it's release, I just don't think this book is for me and I'm heartbroken by that. The story itself is fascinating but the style of the writing just sadly didn't click for me.

I was excited to read this one but found it to be disappointing. There was to much explaining of things - I just wanted the story to move on!The story itself was predictable and unexciting. I did appreciate, though, a different representation of a witch from the usual.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

2.75 rounded up
There was so much potential in this one that sadly fell short in so many ways. The characters were flat and lacked chemistry all around, there were no surprises or aspects that made this book exciting. It had such promise but yet made me want to take a nap instead.

I was really looking forward to reading this after attending a virtual event from the author. She was so amazing to listen to!. However, when I actually tried to read this, I was not in the mind frame to take in and retain information needed for the world building. I also have a physical ARC, so maybe one day when my life is less hectic I will try it again, f I do, I will update my review, but for now, this is a DNF.

While I was super excited to jump into this one, it just wasn't for me. It didn't really grab my attention and I just wanted more from it overall. I do think it's a great option for so many readers and a lot will enjoy this series. Unfortunately, it's just not for me.

When you judge a book by its cover and it pays off. This novel is lush, complex, and the world building is wonderful. I love the political portrayal (not going to lie, really love when a book dives into that!), and I found the characters multilayered and complex.

Sadly this was not the one for me. I read about 75 pages and found everything confusing. I did not really understand the world or magic system and there were too many characters introduced. I was also confused about the one character (Doyenne?) being referenced a few different ways. It was used as a proper noun (like a name) but then as just a regular noun (like an occupation?). I didn't get it.

I was intrigued by this book because it was set in Jamaica. However, I struggled to get into it. I could not with the two main characters. The world-building was also confusing. Still, I recommend this for fans of The Dark Crowns!

I didn't really get into this book and I can't even really tell why that was. The characters didn't grab me, the world didn't grab me. It's a true shame.

I was so excited to start this book. But I DNF it a few times. I will have to come back to this, Beautiful Jamaican witches fighting together against a common enemy.

I loved so much about this Jamaican inspired fantasy. Also, who doesn’t love witches?!

Thank you for the arc in exchange for a review.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I tried to get into it on multiple occasions, but it wasn't the story that I thought that it would be. I can see this being a favorite of many, but I, again... unfortunately, didn't have that reaction.