Ooo boy, what a great way to start the year! This book blew me completely away. I hadn’t read any of this author’s previous books, so without any context I had no idea how skilled she is. This is such a folksy, twisty, complex, yet simple book that I felt was written just for me. The opposites attract, finding balance between enemies part as well as the Nancy Drew, international mystery to solve part.

I really thought the plot of this book was simple and clear to see. I really thought that this was the weakest aspect of this book… But that’s not at all true. The mystery is the driving force of the plot in my opinion, but it’s also a red herring in a way that is so freaking genius! The flip side is that this is a folktale/fairytale about two opposing forces finding balance with one another or suffering for not finding reconciliation. So yeah, the plot is flawless and intriguing and not at all a weak spot!

This is a world that I both want to climb right into and which has me completely terrified. I love the magic on Cadence, it’s so unique to anything I’d previously read. It works in a way that almost feels real to me somehow. There are consequences when it’s harnessed, but it also flows freely through this Scotland-inspired world. I also loved that we’re introduced to this place and cast of characters through the eyes of an outsider, it was such an effortless way to draw the reader in.

I would be remiss to not acknowledge the importance and beauty of the romance in this story. There are several romance plots that all enchanted me in their own unique ways. They were all important to the plot and character growth for all parties involved. I loved the tropes used: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, forbidden lovers, etc., and don’t feel that there were any personal squicks anywhere in sight.

The cast of characters within this story are very distinct from one another and so very engaging. I believe at least five perspectives were used, and while I did have my favorites (Sidra in particular), none of them confused or bored me. The author was very creative in revealing things to certain characters, but not to others in a way that really amped up the mystery plot in the best way!

So, yeah, that’s my highlight reel. I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about this book, it just got better and better as I went along. I’m sad that it’s over and excited for the sequel; I hope that the wait isn’t too long! I also plan to try some of Ross’ other books because I was so completely blown away by how marvelous this book is. I whole-heartedly recommend it, and hope that other readers will love it as much as I do.

Bring on the Scottish fantasy folklore and cozy rainy day vibes. This book involves tension between two clans, a mystery of missing girls, a musician who can summon spirits, and everyone's favorite: an enemies-to-lovers trope. I will say as I was reading this, the first 60% of the book read more as a young adult book. However, the author had originally intended for the book to be a YA and as the relationships between the characters evolved, the book felt better suited under the adult category.

Speaking of characters, I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and the relationships with one another throughout the book. I especially loved Sidra and Torin’s relationship as it was much more complex and I felt like I was rooting for them along the way.

The one other thing about this book is that I felt it was really really slow at the beginning. Once I got to the third part of the book, the pace was much better.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

Rating 4/5

Read if you like:
Scottish vibes
Dreamy folklore
Light mystery

thank you netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc of this novel :) this novel will be releasing on 15 Feb 2022 !

"Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls." - Rebecca Ross

"A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)" - Rebecca Ross - 3/5 stars 🌟

this book is described as "House of Blood and Earth" meets "Heart of a Witch" - both of which are novels I really enjoyed - however, I didn't find this novel to be as similar as I expected. It feels like so much more happens in those other two novels listed & the characters in those other novels were much more morally grey.

"A River Enchanted" is a very atmospheric story, Ross seems to spend most of her time creating a feeling. The novel is set in Scotland and the setting is wholly inseparable from the plot + who the characters are - if you're an "Outlander" fan I think you'll love this novel strictly for the vibes. The magic is rooted in Scottish lore and is really different from what I've often seen in fantasy novels. Overall the feeling, relationships, and atmosphere make this novel.

In my opinion, this is a really cozy and low-stress novel. It feels like we are looking into the dynamics of a village and even further the dynamics of non-traditional families (this is an aspect I really appreciated). The main character Jack returns home after studying to become a bard on the mainland. He feels disconnected from his roots and resistant about returning home to his home island of magic and mystery. Jack's own mother weaves the secrets of the island into enchanted plaids. After girls from the island begin to disappear Jack grows committed to the search, delaying his return to the mainland. In this search, Jack discovers many reasons to stay home - family, community, love, and magic.

If you're looking for a slow-paced and comforting novel to read listening to the Outlander soundtrack, while burning a Highlands-inspired candle - I highly recommend "A River Enchanted" by Rebecca Ross.

thank you again to netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc of this novel :) "A River Enchanted" will be releasing on 15 Feb 2022 !

Before even getting to the content of my review, I want to stay starting out, this book is nothing like House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1), and if you go in expecting that, it might impact your enjoyment of the book. I assume that the idea of a central mystery is potentially what inspired this, but from a tonal, worldbuilding, and character perspective, it's completely off base. I know that publishers do this because comparing a book to a popular book can help, but *only if it's accurate* otherwise people feel deceived, and it can alter enjoyment of the book. This has *nothing* to do with the quality or content of this book, except that it's especially frustrating to me, and so I'm ranting.

Ok, back to the book. I went on a journey with this one. I had moments of confusion or concern for the ultimate plot, but in the end, everything really came together for me, and I ended up falling in love with this one, despite a bit of unevenness (which I'll get to).

This book is centered around a bard and the magic of music, and because of that, it needs to feel like it fits its time and place and tone well, and I'm happy to say that it does. I loved the way that music works in the book. I loved the shape-shifting isle, which did feel very Scottish, and the research the author put in on language and place (crofts and the enchanted plaids and clan colors). Everything felt very intentional and purposeful.

The main characters fit the magic of the isle, and the central conflict, if a bit easy to spot from the beginning, fits the book well. I also ended up loving two central plot lines involving romance, which is huge for me because recently I haven't loved as many fantasy romance plots because they feel shoehorned in or not believable.

Now to a few quibbles:
Because the magic and story of this book is so...enchanting (see what I did there), I would have loved for the writing to be a bit more lyrical, and I'd love to see some of the anachronisms taken out (at one point "electricity" is used in the context of feeling). I know that might seem nitpicky, but for me it takes me out of the story a bit. And to be honest, the writing feels a bit younger. I said this in For The Wolf, and it's true here too...if it's advertised as adult, I don't necessarily expect explicit scenes. I moreso want the writing to shift a little, and I think in this case, that could still use a little work. BUT the author is coming from YA, so I get that! Also at times, the plot feels a bit pulled in many directions, which I assume is due to a lot being set up by the end for the sequel.

However, overall, I really did enjoy the writing when I settled into the feel of it, and I feel that things are set up really well for the sequel. I actually feel like now that the book is focused on the central conflict rather than the "mystery" it has a lot more creative direction, and I'm excited!

A River Enchanted is Rebecca Ross’s first adult fantasy novel and the first in her new series, Elements of Cadence. It’s a story about home, family, love, and loyalty, set on an island alive with fae-like spirits and inhabited by two clans who have been at odds for centuries.
I loved this book. Rebecca Ross’s writing is beautiful and quiet, but not in a bad way. It’s hard to explain, but I was captivated and enchanted by it. I loved all the characters a lot. If you really love a character driven story, this is a book for you.
I’m excited for this book to release and recommend it to people and even more excited for the second one. That ending!

A River Enchanted not so subtly seduced me into its grasp with torturous longing between two rivals solving a mystery and its misty Outlander isle backdrop where Gossip Girl has gone completely medieval. Naturally, this book ripped into me with smoldering prose, tension for days, and Scottish lore entwining its earth elementals with the bard’s songs. It transported me deep into a misty Scottish isle, surrounded by woods and the taste of the sea on the air, where I cozy up with a plaid blanket and a chonky book.

If you’re a fan of Ava Reid’s The Wolf and the Woodsman or Allison’s Saft’s romantic prose, this will satisfy all your reader needs. The world feels in tune with the songs Jack sings and the folkloric beings so like the earth that you could probably pick them out of the earth and all its elements. The prose made me hungry for more. The miserable characters longing over starlight hair and the room between them. The agonizing loss of the lasses stolen from them. The sound Torin makes when he’s lost something dear to him. This world where trees become maidens and stones awaken to a song. Kisses completely destroy me when Rebecca Ross writes them. Rebecca Ross doesn’t just tell me a story, she sinks me into it without me even realizing that I’ve read half the book already.

What stands out about Rebecca Ross, amongst all the Scottish and Celtic-inspired fantasy out there, is that this tests the old-fashioned publications with a fresh voice by omitting gender essentialism and putting importance on consent and communication in relationships. I never once felt pulled down with over-done misogynistic tropes or gendered language. I’m enamored that Adaira is a Laird’s heir, who seemingly courts a himbo bard with a grumpy attitude by knocking on his window like a dashing Scottish rake. And–just in case you were wondering-this would fit into the f/m grumpy meets grumpy trope. This book should be in the hands of anyone looking for books with soft masculinity. There’s just something refreshing the portrayal of masculinity in A River Enchanted that I’m hoping will make this a favorite for readers.

I could read the hate-to-love trope mixed with arranged marriage any day but what made this particularly well done is how soft the romance felt. The author didn’t cheapen the trope by confusing tension with toxic masculinity. The slow burn between Jack and Adaira, Sidra and Torin, gripped me with tension but still made it feel soft and gentle. That’s what especially impressed me about Rebecca Ross.

I feel as if all these characters will stay with me. Jack, Adaira, Torin, Sidra, and Frae all felt picked from fantastical lore but still maintained the type of ripe hurt and horribleness that comes with living in the real world.

A River Enchanted is a fantastic and very sexy adult fantasy debut that surprised, gripped, and ravaged me. I’ll be looking forward to the sequel.

One of my favorite reads of the year. I don’t know what it is, but every time I read Rebecca Ross’s books I get so attached to every one of her characters. I loved the Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe type of relationship that Jack and Adaira had. It was the ememies (or rivals) to lovers trope done right. And I loved seeing the depiction of an already married couple figuring themselves out in the relationship between Sidra and Torin. Rebecca’s writing is so lyrical, and I fell in love with the beautiful and very natural magic system. If you love romance, if you love Scotland, if you love complex relationships, if you love beautiful prose, preorder a copy of A River Enchanted, because Rebecca Ross is a master of all those things.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I DNF'd this at about 30% so my review is for the book to that point.

If you love lyrical, magical realism enchantment than you are going to love this. It was a charming story filled with beautiful descriptions of a haunting fairy tale landscape. Unfortunately, I just didn't find myself connecting with the substance of the story and I put it down for weeks before acknowledging that I wasn't interested in picking it back up.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

What intrigued me about this book was that I thought I was getting a historical fantasy. I also thought I was getting an adult book. Reading about this book and its creation, it appears that the author thought the same thing.

Alas, not everyone can be Julliet Mariller. When it comes to stories having to do with old world / fae / celtic lore, I think she is the best writer in that. So, when I requested this book I hoped that I'd get that.

I did not. I made it 40% through this book before closing it and deciding that it was not for me, and I think it has some issues before going to print.

Firstly, the world building ain't that strong. There is a lot to write about but within that writing... its a whole lot of nothing happening and drawn out scenes and situations that can be easily condensed.

Secondly, what is this relationship with the main character and the leader's daughter? It's this strange love and hate. You are given backstories about them. Well it has been 10 years since you seen them together, and I honestly can't tell if he loves her or if he has any sort of friendly feelings for her. We hear from the main character that she was increasingly cruel to him and was partly the cause what sent him away from the island to the mainland. She lures him back with a false letter from her father to save missing girls with the help of music from her mother.

There is also a lot of modern day speech and mannerisms in this book. That's an issue for me because this book is billed as ancient lore fantasy. But it just sounds really messy and it makes you think it takes place sooner than that.

I just think that if anybody is going into this book looking for some good strong plot building and writing, you're not gonna get this with the book.

What a pretty story! Definitely one of those cosy, comfort reads that's perfect for a rainy day spent under a warm duvet.

The strength of this story is how atmospheric it is. It's very fairytale-esque with the lure of Scottish charm. The mysterious island of Cadence, the age-old feud between clans, and the magic of impish spirits create a very tangible world. And the characters are just as complex, just as intriguing.

I will say that the overall vibe of the story does feel YA, even though the characters are older. I do wish the story had felt more mature, but I know this is RR's first venture into adult fiction, so I have no doubt it will improve with the next book in the series. Which is an installment I eagerly look forward to!

Beautiful, atmospheric, lyrical. This an engrossing tale of Jack and Adaira from rival clans. Duty and love come into play, and as wonderful as this first installment in the duology is, the second promises to be even better. Happy to be adding this to our collection.

Thank you so much to Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A River Enchanted follows four characters on an enchanted isle, Cadence. Having returned home after studying andb ecoming a bard, Jack Tamerlaine returns at the request of the East's Laird. Only when he returns, he finds it was not his laird but the laird's daughter, Jack's childhood enemy, Adaira.

Girls are going missing from their clan, and Adaira and the others are searching for a way to find them, but the answer might be in the music.

I am such a huge fan of Rebecca Ross' stories, and I was so excited to jump into this story full of magic, music, and Scottish influence! As an adult book, I felt it suited Ross' voice even more, if possible, allowing her to bring her lyrical writing into a vaster world, unkempt by some themes not found in the YA realm.

The characters and the world are complex, the story intriguing with just enough romance to have you swooning. Overall, this is a truly beautiful and magical book, and I can't wait to have a finished copy in my hands!

Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

This book was so, so beautifully written. The story is interesting and mysterious, it has such an amazing cast of strong and captivating characters, and I don't even know where to begin on the magic. It was all so vividly described, and I cannot wait to return to this world and get lost in it again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! It was moving, magical, emotional, enchanting, immersive, heartbreaking, tender, and just overall wonderful. I loved the Scottish inspiration for the island; the setting was pure perfection and I could clearly picture the wild scenery.
I loved the magic and the folk and spirits and how they were entwined. I loved the characters! Jack and Adaira, Torin and Sidra, Mirin and Frae, and Graeme!
There were some fairly heavy themes in the book with lies, secrets, heartbreak, kidnapping, lost children, warring clans, and what it means to belong. But the writing was so beautiful!
The ending broke my heart and I just hope it gets put back together in the sequel!
Highly recommended

I rated this one up from 3.5.
A River Enchanted is first in a duology. It's a Scottish tale with plenty of superstition & lore. I haven't read much Scottish so it was definitely interesting to learn some of it. I felt it was a slow going book. I enjoyed it because it was new to me but it didn't stand out and I figured out a lot of things way ahead of time. Not sure if I'll read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ahead of release in exchange for my personal opinion.

What a fantastic read! Rebecca Ross is forever a auto buy author for me. This story was so magical and I couldn’t put this down!

A River Enchanted was such a great read. Rebecca Ross’ first adult novel was full of the same magic and suspense as her previous YA novels. The setting, the island of Cadence that is divided between two rival clans, was vividly described and intriguing. Jack and Adaira, former childhood rivals, were both compelling characters. I really enjoyed this book and I’m so excited for the sequel!

Two childhood enemies reunited years later and find themselves together on a journey to solve the case of missing girls. Jack Tamerlaine is a bard and a professor at the mainland university. He hasn’t stepped foot on his home, Cadence, for 10 years now. However when he receives a letter asking for his return from the island lord he comes back... only to discover that the letter was written by the new ruler, Adaira, his childhood enemy. Adaira has summoned Jack back because young girls have started to go missing from the isle and she needs his music to help her contact the spirits since they will only answer to a bard’s music and Jack is the only bard left. Together they must find s way to find the missing girls before more girls go missing while also trying to figure out a difficult treaty between their people and the Breccan clan... When Adaira proposes to Jack to become not only her husband but the island’s bard, to officially come home and find a peace between the two of them, they soon find themselves falling for one another and the childhood rivalry might have transformed into something more and that though they might have hated each other as children... maybe they are the perfect complement to one another. Another story set along this one is the story of Adaira’s cousin Torin, the captain of the guard, and his second wife, a healer named Sidra. Their story is about two people finding their place with one another, finding a family, communicating, and understanding one another. While this books end on a HEARTBREAKING ENDING TRUST ME I WANTED TO SCREAM, thankfully this is the first book in a series (if it wasn’t I would have just about thrown my laptop out the window because my god that ending was not okay.) I can’t wait to see where the second book goes and how it resolves the cliffhanger and heartbreak of the first book. Seriously I need it. This was an interesting fairytale-esque story filled with romance, family, heartbreak, mystery and so much more. I can’t wait to see where the second book goes ( hopefully it won’t end in such a heartbreaking way as this one did because I’m gonna need a minute to recover).

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

recommended by one of my favorite new writers allison saft, i was excited to read this one and oh, it’s magic. gorgeous prose. and the magic is so well realized and communicated

This fantasy world is unique and the mystery a page-turner. And the cover? Super cool. I recommend this for fantasy lovers, as well as for those who love the harp-playing bard characters that have always needed their own books. :)