A mother is supposed to be all thing to a child, but when the children are glad she is dead you know she wasn't that at all. The Rowan children return home to Grimsby to deal with their dead mother's estate. They soon find out their mother was blackmailing people in the community for money. Will her evil deeds ever stop? I loved the character development, their interaction together, and the past building/history. I also loved how they all learned to deal with the past and build a new future.

I would highly recommend this to a friend and look forward to reading another Byrd Nash book.

A Spell of Rowans follows the Rowan siblings as they reunite to close their mother's estate after her death.
This is a magical realism book with a thriller twist.

I very quickly got into the story, the main character Vic and her trauma really interested me and I absolutely loved how the siblings magical gifts were woven into the story. The history of childhood trauma and abuse that they suffered was done very well, it was realistic and the effects they were still feeling as adults felt genuine.

There was a slow patch in the middle of the book that I found it a little difficult to get through, and the resolution being tied up in an epilogue felt a little rushed, but from an imagination and character perspective this was a great book.

This was an interesting book for me. I haven't really read any paranormal or supernatural books in ages. I did go through phases of devouring all the Sookie Stackhouse books I could but then my tastes changed. Anyway, I'm always on board for a good mystery and a good story, and this book delivered.

Those of you who want high paranormal will likely be disappointed. Each sibling has a specific power, from empath to charmer to being able to tell the history of a touched object. The attention to each comes and goes. The book is sometimes a little thin on descriptions and atmosphere, but I enjoyed it and found it a quick read. I was happy with the ending and would read more from this author.

Trigger warnings: Suicide, homosexual child abuse, attempted sexual assault.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review the book.

Murder mystery with magic. Yes please! I love books about families and their dynamics. What more do you need?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital galley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

Ah, with a title like that, how could I not be curious about this book? I pretty much requested it at Netgalley before even knowing what it was about. I didn't actually expect all that much, so I was surprised to find a well-written story that had me intrigued!

This book is about the Rowan family. We see the story unfold through the eyes of Victoria Rowan, one of the three children (besides Phillipa and Liam) of Rachel and Victor Rowan. Victoria comes back to the village she grew up in after she learns of her mother's death, only to find suspicions and accusations in every corner. She has to deal with resolving her mother's strange death, which might be murder, while dealing with childhood memories that have long stayed buried.

I loved the small town vibes in this book, with different characters who all have their own history within the town. I also very much enjoyed the magical touch to it, with the gifts each of the Rowan children possess. I thought that was woven into the story quite beautifully, without being overpowering. I would have loved to know more about the origins of this magic though. I liked Victoria as the main character, but I thought the other characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wouldn't say they were flat characters, because they weren't. But personally I would have loved to know more about Rachel's reasons for behaving as she did, for instance.

I enjoyed reading this book! If you're looking for a small town murder mystery with some slight magical touches, this book might just be for you!

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

Intense! Had me on the edge of my seat. What a ride.

Three siblings each with a paranormal power and a deceased mother makes for a suspenseful read in A Spell of Rowan’s. Val absorbs other people’s emotions making it unbearable to be in a crowd or even touch people. Liam gets messages from any object he touches. He can know it’s history and feelings it has absorbed. Phillipa can charm anyone, they only see what she wants. They are an interesting combination but as you read you find their mother tried to use each for her purposes, and if you didn’t’ comply, life was not pleasant. Mother is not going to be mourned by any of her children. The sheriff involved because there were questions about their father’s death many years ago. He is determined to find one of the siblings guilty, Add in an exboyfriend connected to the legal system, blackmail, a mysterious serial killer, some magic, this book is suspenseful, funny and sad. I couldn’t put this one down.

4 Stars

So happy to come across this wonderful book and appreciate the publishers sharing through Netgalley.

The was a perfect combination of magic, family trials and tribulations, a little mystery, some funny wit and banter, and of course, love. You couldn't help but root for the Rowans after all they had been through (thank you for the trigger warnings!). A wild ride, but one that I wanted to be on because I so loved the Rowan siblings - I couldn't put the book down. The author did not disappoint - what a wonderful, surprising story that I didn't see coming.

A truly fantastic novel, features a magical family's history. Through the eyes of Vic Rowan, we see what her mother's death means to the family. Basically a murder mystery, but much more with the magic involved.

What a surprisingly fun read! I didn't think I'd like the main character, Vic. Her voice in the early chapters sort of turned me off but I realize it's because I see a lot of myself in her. Vic escaped childhood trauma and has to return to the place it all took place. As a survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, Nash's portrayal of Rachel Rowan through the perspective of her daughter was very realistic. So realistic at times it made me uncomfortable.

I am a huge fan of all things witchy. While I usually like to get more of a background to the magic system, I kind of liked not knowing it here. Vic and her siblings have gifts, talents. And they use them to find out the truth behind their mothers nefarious deeds before and after death.

I'd give an arm for a guy like Reed Easton. ❤

All in all, my only wish would have been to see more descriptive details-sights, sounds, feelings-and not being told so much. This was a fun read and the ending made me chuckle.

I'm not familiar with this author and plan to rectify this issue. I loved this story of a small town with the mystery of several murders and the history of abuse. The community failed the Rowan children yet vilified their mother. She deserved it but they needed help which was never given. The Rowans are grown now and come home to bury their mother. They are faced with their history and addressing issues that have held them back. Each of the siblings has gifts and flaws. The characters are intriguing and the history is heartbreaking!

This is a story of three siblings with magical abilities, an abusive mother and a father who turned a blind eye. There’s also a murder mystery, a former beau, old debts and new debts to settle as well as some sibling relational healing. All in all, it’s pretty power packed.

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. I grabbed me and kept my interested until the very end. The storyline was tough to read at times due to the subject matter but the plot was well-thought out and the characters were very well written.

I went into this hoping for more of the magical element. There’s a touch here and there but the main theme in the story really is family relationships. Victoria is a strong woman carrying a huge secret and a fair amount of guilt over her past. Her brother and sister also start out as very flawed, broken people each in their own way. By the end of the story, there is a lot of healing and growth that happens which was really good to see. I like a good ending.

The murder mystery, to me, felt like more of a subplot than the main plot. It was still cool to figure out who did it but I found myself so involved in the relational aspects of the story that I didn’t even try. I almost didn’t care who did it. That was a bit of a let down for me.

Overall, it was a fast paced, decent read. Not sure I would recommend it to a murder mystery or fantasy fan but if you’re looking for a good story about twisted and damaged family relationships with some magic on the side and a bit of murder, this book is for you.

𝘈 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘴 by Byrd Nash not only had a stunning cover, but it was SO good. It had a fascinating, twisty, well-written plot that absolutely just held me in its grip to the end. I highly recommend (do be aware of trigger warnings)!

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓 (𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌-𝒚𝒐𝒖!). 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏.

This was a gothic, atmospheric paranormal mystery and I really enjoyed it. It was well written, with good characters that were well developed and a good storyline. I was gripped and couldnt put ti down. I really enjoyed it.

Rachel Rowan had a knack for discovering other people’s secrets. When she felt snubbed by her small community, she used that ability to blackmail the residents of the town. She used her three children’s gifts for her own ends but was cruel to them, even abused them. Philippa can charm others; Victoria is an empath who can sense feelings; Liam can learn about an object’s history or any emotions associated with it by touching it.

When Rachel dies, her now-grown children have to figure out how to deal with the fallout of years of their mother’s wicked deeds — which include facing a lot of angry town residents and even solving a murder. In addition to trying to stay safe themselves in the face of danger, the three must start to come to terms with the emotional damage their mother inflicted on them.

Victoria fled Grimsby to escape her mother’s grip and attend college. She’s built a good career in the big city as an art restorer, but she’s not truly happy. And she still feels guilty about leaving her siblings behind, especially her younger brother, whom their mother used until the very end. But Vic has to return after her mother’s death — and then stick around for a while, because Liam gets arrested for the murder of her mother’s business assistant. She is determined that he be set free and that the real culprit be found. She finds herself working with the high school boyfriend she also left behind, who’s now an FBI agent and back in town for a short time too. Despite her desire to keep up all her barriers, she finds herself slowly letting them down.

It may just be possible for the Rowan siblings to bring some healing to their town and find some themselves after the damage Rachel Rowan did to them all. But it won’t be easy, and it certainly will be dangerous.

A Spell of Rowans is an interesting mystery given a twist with touches of magic, but it’s more a compelling story of family, of three adults who were abused while growing up but who find their way back to each other and to overcoming what they went through. I enjoyed it.

Great book! I really enjoyed this paranormal murder mystery and will be looking for other books by this author. The pace was perfect, the romance not overblown, and the murder mystery very well set up. I read the book overnight because once started could not put it down.

I really liked this book. Victoria and her siblings have always been different because of their special magical gifts. After surviving an abusive mother (who is a witch) and a mostly indifferent father, Vic returns to her hometown after the death of her mother. Being a small town, everyone knows everyone’s past. Since Vic left town, her mother’s evilness has permeated the town and the Rowan’s are not too popular. Vic’s mother has been blackmailing townspeople and may have been murdered along with her assistant. Vic’s old high school flame, Reed, is also in town, he’s an FBI agent on another case but has vowed to help her. Meanwhile, the town chief of police has it in for the Rowan’s and is trying to pin the murders on Vic’s brother. Someone has been vandalizing her mothers house, where Vic is staying. Vic is in danger and Vic and Reed must find the real killer before anyone else is hurt. Meanwhile Vic, Phillipa and Liam try to right the wrongs of their evil mother. This was a very well written story involving magic and a well developed mystery. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, if there is one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I would say it’s more magical realism than fantasy. I enjoyed the dynamics between the three siblings. I also thought the way the author had the siblings deal with their childhood trauma in different ways felt honest.
The novel is also a bit of a who done it that I did not figure out before the reveal.
Trigger warnings: child abuse, suicide, and attempted sexual assault

A wonderfully weird contemporary murder mystery with a touch of magic, and I was on edge for all of it! It took a couple of chapters before I got used to the writing style. Once I did, I couldn’t put this down and pretty much read it in one sitting. The story follows Victoria Rowan from the time that her mother dies until they solve the mystery of her death. Vic left home 15 years ago with the excuse to attend college and must come back to help her siblings – Phillipa & Liam – wrap up the loose ends that their mother left behind.

While Vic is back, she’s haunted by her memories and her brother Liam gets accused of another murder. The writing style kept the characters interesting and relatable even though there’s not a lot of immersion with the depth of the character’s own emotions. This is the only thing that was off to me and I’m surprisingly not mad about it. Vic is an empath who can pull and transfer other’s emotions, but the way the book is written, everything felt like a 3rd party POV, so I was kept interested but not so much so that their feelings were mine – if that makes sense. Romantic relationships are there for each sibling but it’s not the main focus of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed all the suspense and thought the pacing was perfect. As I read, I was uncovering each truth at the same time that Vic was. And as an artist myself, the way Vic’s profession was woven into the story was well done. We use a lot of emotions in our work, and I felt that the descriptions of re-making the brushes and her studio were realistic. I was so prepared for the healing and that they’re all able to realize that they deserve happiness. I’m marking this one as a favorite.

This book comes with a few trigger warnings: murder, suicide, child abuse, and a sexual assault scene.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rook & Castle Press for a digital copy in return for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. #ASpellofRowans #NetGalley

This narrative is told in first person viewpoint by Vic, the middle of the three siblings. And as for their mother, she has to be one of the nastiest villains I’ve encountered for a while. It’s heinous enough when baddies do horrible things to relative strangers – but evil is taken to a whole new level when it’s perpetrated against their own children.

So be warned – there is physical and emotional child abuse in this story, which could have turned this one into a really dark story. But despite all three siblings having been damaged by their mother’s treatment, and without in any way diminishing what happened to them – Nash manages to avoid this becoming overwhelmingly bleak. Indeed, there are moments of farce and humour as Pip, Vic and Liam try to untangle the trail of mayhem that follows their mother’s death. They are well equipped to discover who has done what to whom, given their specific talents.

But I also liked how these so-called gifts are also far more of a hindrance in modern life – particularly poor Vic, whose ability to read people’s feelings means that her love life in non-existent. Just imagine a first date, when you immediately know what your prospective partner is thinking… And Pip’s talent for charming men doesn’t necessarily mean that her choices are ideal, either. Nash’s smart, witty writing quickly turns this paranormal whodunit into something more memorably special than your usual urban fantasy. The characters are all layered and complex, the setting utterly convincing and the writing sufficiently edgy that I wasn’t convinced that the very appealing protagonists were going to prevail.

I read far long than I should have to discover what happens, as the plot twists kept coming, bodies started piling up and exactly what the Rowan’s horrible mother was actually up to gradually becomes clear. I also really enjoyed how Nash handled the denouement and wrapped up the story. All in all, I’m congratulating myself on having discovered yet another talented writer and highly recommend this one to fans of contemporary, paranormal crime. While I obtained an arc of A Spell of Rowans from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10