*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Byrd Nash’s books, but this one is definitely a new favorite! I didn’t really read a synopsis before starting this one, and just dove in. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.

Some tragic events drove Victoria “Vic” Rowan from home about 15 years ago. She’s been living in the big city all these years as an art restorer, ignoring her past, and hiding her powers. With the death of her mother, she’s forced to return back to her hometown of Grimsby. Her sister Phillipa, the obedient daughter, had been caring for their sickly mother. Their brother Liam had been forced to stay in town.

Rachel Rowan, the mother of the three siblings was narcissistic and abusive, and used her children’s magical talents for her own needs. Rachel could sniff out secrets, and used her antiques shop, Rosemary Thyme to torture the residents in town. Upon her passing, her children face the fallout of blackmail, murder, and magic. They must confront the past in order to have any kind of future.

Vic is an empath and knows everyone’s hidden feelings; Phillipa has glamour that can bewitch; and Liam can touch objects and reveal their secrets. Liam is arrested, and Vic needs to discover the truth, to help her autistic brother. She also must confront the boy she dumped when she fled town, as he’s back in Grimsby and seems to know the truth about her.

I really enjoyed these characters and the small town setting. As grownups, they must come to grips with the abuse they faced as children, and also with their special abilities. They just want everything to be “normal” now that their mother is dead, but one mystery leads to another, and they find themselves in a conundrum. You may think that you have it all figured out, but there are some great plot twists.

I highly recommend this book for fans of fantasy, magical realism, and mysteries. A great story about family, love, and forgiveness. Please note the following trigger warnings: discussion of child abuse and trauma, an assault scene, and suicide.

"A Spell of Rowans" grabs you by the lapels and refuses to let go until you finish the book. At least that is what it felt like to me. I started reading this book and had trouble putting it down for exotic things like eating or sleeping. I waited on the edge of my seat as I wondered what Vic was going to do about her situation (no details here, because you don't want spoilers, trust me).

Victoria Rowan, known as Vic to her friends and family, lived through an abusive childhood, running away from home and mostly not looking back. The story begins with her mother's death, and we (the readers) discover that her mother was the source of Vic's misery. As Vic and her siblings deal with the death, the past catches up to the present in surprising ways.

I will not include spoilers, but know that you will need to set aside time to read "A Spell of Rowans". Clear your calendar for a few days and expect to be swept away in the mystery.

Ding, Dong, the witch is dead....
When Rachel Rowan dies, she leaves behind three relieved children, a business full of secrets, and a town full of hatred. A brutally abusive woman, Rachel ruled the Rowan household with an iron fist. Her eldest daughter, with the gift to beguile, escaped home as soon as she could but came back to run a successful real estate business. Her second daughter, with the gift of empathy, slipped away in the night at the time of her father's death and found shelter in the world of art in the city. Her only son, gifted with sight, stayed and was the most broken of all. They are reunited to tie up the loose ends of their mother's estate only to discover ugly secrets hidden at her antique store, Rosemary Thyme, and the murder of her only employee. This story weaves past into present to solve old crimes, identify current wrongs, and set things right.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and engaging with interesting and likeable characters. While the subject matter is extremely dark, the strength and resilience of the characters keeps the reader from being too bogged down by the subject matter. The layered mysteries within the story kept me guessing until the very end. I would definitely recommend, especially to those who enjoy magical realism.

3.5 Stars
A Spell of Rowans explores the legacy of childhood trauma with an intriguing dash of magic.

In this book we follow Victoria as she is forced to leave her comfortable life and return to her hometown for her abusive mother's burial. When she arrives her life is complicated by her high school love, her brother being accused of murder, and a blackmail scheme.

This book was fun, but the plot was a little too convoluted for my taste, with numerous threads that didn't have enough space to breathe. I don’t mind a complex book, but this story didn’t need all of the clutter. The family dynamics could have carried the story without needing so much fabricated mystery. This book was at its best when we were learning about Vic’s past and seeing how she was coping with it (or in some cases ignoring it).

Once you start reading Beware because you're not going to want to put this one down. A compelling story that grips the readers attention and doesn't let go. Great characters! Story moves at an excellent pace! Thanks #netgalley and #RookandCastlePress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

What an incredible and unanticipated book. I found this in the fantasy section and had expectations for it to be pretty fantasy heavy - it was anything but. While there is some special "magic" abilities held by the three main characters the book is actually more of a murder mystery. The author however does not disappoint. the book is full of intrigue and just enough fantasy to keep the story lively and interesting. The characters are flawed, real and with real baggage and emotions to reel you in and keep you hooked till the very last page. Extraordinarily satisfying book and totally different from most fantasy reads. highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book well enough. I would’ve preferred more development and involvement of the magic held by the siblings personally.

In terms of a mystery/thriller, the story was solid and I wasn’t able to guess the ending - which is a plus. However it just wasn’t what I was hoping for based on the description.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read this book in 2 days, it was so hard to put down. I liked the characters, the story, everything! It was very engaging and I really enjoyed the way curses and special powers were used in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Rachel Rowan passed away and Victoria Rowan is called home. It seems no on is sad that Rachel has passed away, not her children and not the town. The Police chief doesn’t care for the Rowan family and makes their loss even more uncomfortable by harassing the family. When another death occurs, the Chief brings in Liam Rowan as his primary suspect, but with out solid evidence, the DA won’t do anything, even if it is a Rowan.

As Vic and her siblings work to settle things and clear out the house, the Rowan’s powers seem to tell a different story than the autopsy and Police. Could Rachel Rowan have been murdered? There was no list of people who loved Rachel and yet a long one of people who hated her, including her own offspring. With the help of two old friends and her siblings, Vic does her best to set things right, both with the locals Rachel wronged and with her family itself.

A great story…I wish this were a series and not just a novel. Maybe the author will surprise us all and release more books with Vic and the others. I’d really like to know what the future hods for all of them.

A Spell of Rowans is a murder mystery with family drama and secrets and a mystical twist. I loved the small town feel where everybody knows everybody, and in some cases, what they have been up to. This is a very enjoyable book. If you like books with magical realism, add it to your to-read pile. Thanks to author Byrd Nash, Rook and Castle Press, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

I was surprised to say the least that I was given this book from Netgalley to review!~ It was already a few weeks past its publishing date when I requested it. Anyway, I finally got around to reading the story and it was a compulsive page turner for sure. Each sibling has their own unique personality, which is really nice, and the mystery is fairly intense. I would have liked to see a little bit more magic in the world that's not internalized; we really only get one spoken spell the entire novel. It's a doozy, too, which is good, or I would have been a little bit disappointed,

Anyway the story is complex enough on its own that it probably didn't need the magic thrown in as well, but it was a nice touch.

Their mother proved to be absolutely horrible in a "man, who peed on your cornflakes" kind of a way (we never do get any kind of reason for her being so despicable other than she's a prideful and hateful woman), and the abuses she puts her kids through is shocking. But it does feel a bit over the top in some places. I get the idea she'd be the type of person Uncle Andrew in The Magician's Nephew would describe as “A devilish temper she had, but she was a dem fine woman, sir, a dem fine woman” while shaking in his boots.

The story wraps up nicely at the end as well. Just, be prepared. The abuse is a very strong theme throughout this book if you're faint of heart, because the siblings are still dealing with everything that happened.

A Spell of Rowans is a book that tackles trauma, loss, secrets, recovery, and the nuances of a murder mystery within one relatively small package. A book best described as magical realism, it also a satisfying story about a family torn by shame, guilt, abuse, and the complexities of being born into a name and a power that seem to overshadow the workings of who we are outside of them- not least of all by the figures of who we are perceived to be, pushed to be by others, and then turn out to be when we finally speak for ourselves. While I think it could still be a bit stronger as a novel I definitely wouldn't fail to pick up another book about the Rowans.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read. Wasn’t what I expected actually. More thriller and mystery than magic but still had me captivated. Read over two days as I had to just read one more, no just one more page lol!

Such mistake I did, starting this one before bed... Literally read in one sitting 😍
The writing is masterful, thriller with a hint of paranormal and spiced with humor and some love story.
It kept me glued to my kindle right until the end.
The story is also a healing journey for the three brothers (such a vile, evil woman was their mother).

5 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

To be honest I was a little disappointed by the story, but through no fault of the author nor the book itself. I was expecting this to have more of a fantasy and magical theme than the thriller that I was. I’m sure others will enjoy it, but I’m not the right audience :)

Okay so this book is really good. It is NOT a fantasy book, it just has a few magical elements that help the story along - if you are expecting a magical and mystical story, you'd be wrong. What this is, is a family thriller and crime drama. It's incredibly well written, well paced and thoughtful. It tackles hard subjects, but only uses them to aid the story, not for shock value. It's the tale of a broken, messed up family struggling through a death, trying to heal and escape the past. But the past is catching up, and they have to embrace their talents and rekindle old relationships to save themselves.

This is a great book, but please for the love of god commission a new cover. The font is bad, and the cover doesn't do the story justice at all.

Thanks to netgalley for the free copy.

A Spell of Rowans

By: Byrd Nash

Vic reluctantly returns to her small town to help wrap up her deceased mother’s affairs. Having avoided her mother, sister Phillipa, brother Liam and ex-boyfriend Reed for years, she is forced to confront the terrible traumas of her past. Throw in a possible murder, various suspects, witchcraft and multiple twists and turns and you’ve got an outstanding story in A Spell of Rowans.

The author’s writing style is excellent and pulled me into the story so that I could not put the book down. The way she writes each character’s dialogue and Vic’s inner thoughts serves as a very effective form of character development. Her absence of overly flowery description and use of a clipped writing style makes you feel as though you are in each scene, participating in solving this fast-paced mystery.

I loved this book and would recommend it to all my friends. I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve read by Byrd Nash – She is now on my list of favorite authors.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was mesmerizing. From the minute I picked it up I was pulled into the lives of the Rowan siblings. Immediately drawn to them as the experience of their childhood trauma unfolded on the pages. The cast of characters are a tangled complicated brilliance, showing how beautifully done character development can be. Grimsby was everything you’d want out of a small town setting. Complete with drama, politics, and deep secrets. Every time I thought I knew what was happening a twist would show me I was really three steps behind. Romance wasn’t a big component but I genuinely enjoyed the relationship and tension between Vic and Reed and was happy with how it played out.

The book in a word is fascinating. The premise and the characters were so strong and enticing. Every character has their own game going and can't get enough of the book. It was so good and I didn't want it to end. Would definitely recommend it to uf fans.