Let me start off with making it clear that I have read all of the author's books and either liked them or loved them. So when I got my hands on this one, I was elated. Unfortunately, that was not the case with this book. I read to 32% and could not go on. Maybe it's because I'm older and aged out of her intended audience. Or I'm just not in the mood for this particular storyline. I felt that there was a lot of info dumping and was confused a few times as to what I was reading. I also felt that I had skipped a few pages and missed something major when in reality I hadn't. The characters did not feel their age, they felt more like high schoolers. Heck, my high school self would have picked this book up for sure. But the me I am currently, would not continue to read this book or series. If the author comes out with other books not related to this series, I would still give them a chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden, Witches of the Island #1 by Katie McGarry is a romantic urban fantasy story with humans, witches, fae, and demons no falling angels.

Cassie dreaming about a child, a baby girl who hasn't been born yet, needs Cassie's help, she's a queen. Cassie should protect the queen so she can protect the king.
Orion, Cassie's Ex-boyfriend is a fae and he's supposed to protect the baby, as do the demons. But, who really cares about the unborn child and protects her??
There is a war between fae and demons, witches have an important role on both sides. So, many want them dead. In meanwhile, when the whole world is in chaos, Cassie begins to understand some secrets and learning to properly use her power, in a very short time, she should choose, which is very hard when she is so in love.

A very romantic story with suspense and fights. The story didn't finish, I like to know what will happen to them.

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry, I have given an honest review.
Pub Date: 05 May 2021

Fantastic read for any fan of romance--or of Katie McGarry. Katie again delivers a riveting and winning adventure full whimsy, witchery, and suspense. With characters that jump off the page, immersive world-building, and a sexy, chemistry-filled couple, this one will have you reading late into the night. And then asking yourself--where is the next one??

#AWickedandBeautifulGarden #NetGalley
Katie McGarry introduces readers to a fantasy world that will incite and captivate you to come back for more. A wonderful start to a new series!

First of all, I had one main issue with this new novel from Katie McGarry. Oftentimes, the pacing of the novel was tedious at best.

Excessive repetition, especially in the several moments of confrontation between Cassie and her enemies, made the story drag on.

The conflict needed more punch.

But the chemistry between Cassie and Orion was palpable, and always brought me back into the story.

Likewise, the idea that witches fuel their power with positivity and their desire to help was such an intriguing concept.

I love how confident Cassie is throughout the story, despite being a fledgling witch.

Despite being pulled in different directions throughout the story, she always digs in her heels to do what she thinks is right, even if it puts her in danger.

I mean, the lengths Cassie is willing to go to find and rescue the mysterious unborn baby invading her thoughts and dreams in a cry for help is heroic.

All in all, this sexy high-fantasy romance was an enjoyable romp through a world of witches, fairies, and demons. And I’ll definitely be anticipating the sequel.

Ok, the plot is great, I like where its heading, the finale battle of good
and evil.

One day the world woke up and knew that Fae existed.
And now they know about Witch’s.

(Cassie) keeps having restless dream of a little baby girl who needs her help, but she has no idea whose baby it is, or where the baby is, all she knows is that she must find and protect her.

When Cassie Ex-boyfriend (Orion) whom she had believed to be dead after a horrible car cash that left her in the Hospital all alone, shows up in search for the same baby, her day-to-day routine of being the towns midwife is throwing out the window.

But then something unexpected happen, she wakes up knowing that she’s a witch and the whole town wants her dead.

She escapes with Orion, and he saves her life with his blood and the power of being a Fae, linking them both together in body and soul.
It turns out that Orion and her other long lost friends, whom she hadn’t seen since the accident are all looking for the same baby and they believe that she is the next queen of the Fae.
but can she trust the people who had abandoned her at one of the hardest times in her life?

I couldn’t put down this book it was so good, highly recommend it.

Wow, I don't even know how to summarize this book - so much happened so quickly I feel like I'm still catching up. We have fae, witches, demons, and a fight to save the world. What more could you want?

Cassie works as a midwife in a small town far from everything - including her past. When she attends a house call for a woman in labor, the last thing she expects to see is Orion - her supposedly-dead ex-boyfriend. Turns out he's not so dead after all - Orion is searching for a baby, the same baby Cassie has been dreaming about for some time now. She and Orion must put aside their past and join forces to find this baby, the future queen of the Fae.

The opening of this book hooked me right away. The rest did not disappoint. The plot was complex and fast-paced, and the character relationships developed beautifully. Looking forward to the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC!

Wow! I have to admit I was a bit nervous when I saw that Katie McGarry was venturing out of contemporary and into fantasy/supernatural... but now I have no idea why I was concerned at all lol! Katie McGarry has long been one of my favorite authors and after reading her latest book, I am convinced that the woman can do no wrong! A Wicked and Beautiful Garden was spellbinding, intense, and sexy as hell!

First of all.. can I just say that Orion was so freaking hot that I was legit BLUSHING while reading this book!! Like for real... fanning myself with my hand because I could not deal. LIKE WHAT?! I mean yes I am one of those readers who gets really invested in books and characters but like... I FEEL LIKE I'M LITERALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS MAN... and he isn't even a real person. Sigh.

As for Cassie - love her. I love her strength, her fearlessness, her loyalty, and her heart. She puts others before her while always staying true to herself. Cassie didn't put up with any bullshit, and when things needed to get done, she did them. But she was also very relatable. She struggled, suffered, grieved, felt love and loss... she was a person. A real person. I absolutely love how Katie McGarry writes her characters - perfectly imperfect. As a reader, it makes me feel like their lives are possible. Like I could be one of them. It's one of my favorite things about this author.

In terms of storyline itself - really enjoyed it. I liked the unique take on fae, and the super interesting way that the supernatural was integrated into the human world. I would have liked to read a bit more detail about that, but didn't really affect my overall opinion of the book. There was quite a bit of romance, which I loved - but there were times when I felt like more needed to be said about their quest to find the queen. The romance felt more central to the plot than the queen, and I'm not sure that is what Katie McGarry intended. Regardless though, I was hooked from page one until the end and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Looking forward to book two - and more Orion xD

I don't normally reach for fantasies, but when I heard Katie McGarry was releasing one I knew I had to read it. I've loved everything she has written and I expected no different from A Wicked and Beautiful Garden. I have to admit that it took me a bit to get into this tale and that at times the fantasy stuff overwhelmed me. There's some info dumping and world building that needs to occur and that stuff always slows me down. Once I got more into that stuff, I was locked into finding out about Cassie, Orion, and the baby. I really liked Cassie. Orion wasn't my favorite at the start, but he redeemed himself for the most part. I'm still not sure about their relationship, but they had some great chemistry. I guess I just need more time to believe in their romance. As for the baby...Well, that's the big mystery. I liked how the mystery of the baby was involved in Cassie finding out more about herself. I am curious to find out where the story goes from here.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

So much fun! I was surprised with this one. I really enjoyed the world building and characters.

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry is a good read for science-fiction lovers. The pacing is great, the characters are great; a good read.

A decent read, characters where well fleshed out and the storyline was entertaining. A good weekend read.

Cassie Strega is trying to live a quiet life - serving as a nurse and midwife in rural America. When her dead lover shows up holding a pregnant woman's hand, Cassie sets aside her rage and focuses on the baby. But before she can walk away, Orion draws her back into the world of Fae politics, a war between heaven and hell and the search for a missing Fae queen. When the world awakens to the knowledge that witches are real, Cassie goes with Orion to escape the mobs calling for her death. These two will have to learn about one another again, if they hope to avoid destruction.

The premise of this story was interesting - linking several fantasy archetypes. In Orion readers will find a grown up version of McGarry's broken heroes. Cassie's magic is also very interesting. I was a bit disappointed by the end of the story - it sets up for a sequel rather than providing any closure.

There's so much going on in this exciting book about a nurse practitioner/midwife who is called in her dreams to help a baby. The world changes and witches are discovered. The results makes the Salem Witch Trials look innocent. Before she has time to learn her craft, Cassie is thrown back into the world of her former love and far warrior, Orion, whom she thought was dead. There's danger at every turn and she is not sure who she can trust. I loved this book and appreciate how much the character of Cassie has grown from her backstory. She has experienced so much sadness but has an incredible strength that she doesn't seem to recognize yet.

This was a different take on the Fae that I quite enjoyed. Great romance! I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.

I loved everything about A Wicked and Beautiful Garden! I loved the world building and plot and I personally found everything about it to be really enchanting. The cover art is beautiful and I really enjoy Cassie and Orion and their interactions.

When it comes to this kind of stories i'm always happy and excited to read them ASAP,but this time it took me a few days until i finally got the chance to finish reading it and understand what it happened.
Confused?A little.
This wasn't the typical story about Fae and witches.It was a little more ...complicated,but the love story?Well,i approve.
The whole story was complicated from the beginning until the end,a rollercoaster of emotional moments and a little crazy,but it was good.I hated some characters,i loved the others.
It was interesting how the story evolved and how things started to change step by step.
But,despite everything i wrote above,i couldn't give it more then 3 stars.I love reading about witches,fae and demons.I love the complicated mess that usually happens when those three are involved,but this time it was exactly how i expected it to be and i wished it was a little better.
Action?Yes.Good love story?Absolutely.Amazing characters?Oh yeah.Overall?It was okay,i liked it and i want to read the next book.

After reading the descriptions of this book, I was immediately excited ! (Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the free copy!) I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series because I am hooked!!

This book had everything that makes me want to devour a book and never put it down! I simply love it when our main character has constant interaction with their love interest, while continuing to tease and delight! I don’t mean this in a needy stalker kind of way, but I like a lot of character interaction.

What I also LOVE is when the main MC is not a teenager!! Can I say this again? I LOVE WHEN THE MAIN MC IS NOT A TEENAGER!!! I’m sure this has to do (in part) with being in my 30’s but also, it makes me feel kind of gross when the MC is a teen.... like, yuck.

Back to this beauty! The premise of this book very quickly caught my attention, and honestly, never let it go. It is quite different than most books I have read lately when we have a history of intimacy with a harsh brake and LOTS of character growth during the separation. BUT, the reasons behind the separation are things we as readers can come to terms with. . . Which is all I can say without giving too much away.

If you love a good love story that has intriguing characters and loads of growth along the way, I strongly recommend “A Wicked and Beautiful Garden!”

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden was somewhere in between entertaining and downright boring me to sleep. I typically love witch books and I had hoped to love this one to, but I guess the fact that this was aimed at adults just ruined it for me. I prefer to read Young Adult, so clearly it wasn’t you, it was me.

I am giving this book 4 stars!
Let me just start by saying, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It sounded interesting, but as a first time reader of McGarry's work, I didn't really know what to expect.

From what I have seen, McGarry primarily writes YA books, so taking a chance on her first adult book really had me skeptical, but she explored this new genre beautifully!

I am a sucker for a great opening line to a book, and McGarry did not disappoint.
“Cassie was five when she learned she would one day play chess with the devil.”

Who wouldn't want to read a book that starts like that?!

I loved her incorporation of the supernatural world and the story building. She also focused on a romance trope that I haven't really seen in the fantasy genre yet, second-chance lovers. I am a sucker for all of the angst, heartbreak, and trust issues that come from a second-chance romance trope, so I was really excited to see that incorporated into this book. I think she did a kick-ass job on getting me way too emotionally involved in this book! My heart swooned at least 25 times, I am convinced. Also, I am just a huge fan of the name Orion, so anytime that is the male love interest's name, I am already pretty much obsessed with him. McGarry helped keep my Orion obsession alive by writing an amazing man behind the name, and I am invested in seeing how he grows in the next book.

Cassie is a wonderful character with some very real demons living in her past. I really appreciated the relatability of her character. The trauma Cassie experienced in her past is something that some people really do experience, and I think McGarry took some sensitive topics and created a strong, well-developed heroine that I really am rooting for.

This book has great romance, great suspense, and lots of action. Overall, it was a homerun for me. The only thing I was left wanting was maybe a little more of a view into Cassie and Orion's past relationships, a prequel perhaps? The flashbacks were helpful, but there was still a lot missing.

Overall though, I am extremely excited to see where this series goes and to keep up with the work of this author in the future!