This book wasn't for me. The description sounded amazing, but the story didn't deliver. I had to force myself to keep reading because it was just so dull. Even the scenes that finally had something happening were tedious to read. I struggled to find any of the characters likeable or sympathetic with the exception of Nathan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for access to this arc.

The Great Gatsby meets Practical Magic.

I really wanted to love this. It had a great plot, girl befriends witches in a society that condemns witchcraft, but it fell flat for me.

The characters all seemed to have the same personality, but with different names. They were dull. Even the more interesting and surprising scenes just lacked emotion. This authors writing style is just not for me apparently.

I found myself getting easily distracted while reading. I liked the ending though despite everything.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. This was definitely EH for me.

Unfortunately, I think my hopes were just a bit too high for this one. It really seems like "Great Gatsby meets Practical Magic, but make it sapphic" should be a formula for a book I'd really love, but it just didn't live up to the premise for me. I wanted a lot more explanation/background about the magic system than we ended up getting, and there were multiple points where the plot felt like it was really dragging. I enjoyed the beginning, though!

CW: magic involving blood (including self-harm); deaths (including past parental and sibling death); domestic violence; gun violence; emotional manipulation via magic; some gore

I absolutely adored the writing in this book; it was very lyrical and haunting but in a good way! I think where this book lost me is that is was pretty slow-paced (I don't think that the timeline jumping helped that, either). I also think that the trauma present in this book was a bit overwhelming for the story. I do think that this book needs a list of triggers, or something, because it can get very intense and I think people should potentially be warned about that. (TW: blood, abuse, murder, rape, parental abuse). I'm all for freedom of the author to put whatever they want in their books, however there needs to be some payoff. Less trigger-worthy material, more of a plot and pacing that makes the narrative compelling. I'm sad that I didn't really like this book overall. I also think that important information was often times withheld and revealed at the very last second, which sort of cheapened the impact of things that could have been a really intense moment because we were just learning about it and trying to figure out what was going on.
All that said, I think if you're looking for something with a lot of trauma and heavier subject material, purple prose, and also Sapphic rep., then this is a book you're going to like. It just wasn't for me (though I did adore the lesbian rep, woo!).

Edited to add: the description and cover for this book are, in my opinion, a bit misleading too for the tone of the story. Going into it I didn't expect any of the traumatic or trigger-worthy material, because the description led me to believe that this would be more of a lyrical magical romp. "...where the boundaries of wickedness are tested, and the cost of illicit magic might be death" really is the only part which might lead you to expect it but even then it doesn't really do a good job of introducing just how intense the subject matter can get.

I first wanted to read Wild and Wicked Things when I heard that it was a sapphic retelling of The Great Gatsby. I honestly wish that comparison hadnt been made because I feel like it set up certain expectations of the book that I feel just wasn't there, mainly the lack of anything resembling Gatsby with the exception of the time it takes place in.

That being said, it didn't even matter because this novel is amazing on its own merits. The worldbuilding is wonderfully done, a good mix of exposition in the beginning without feeling like the author is talking down to the reader. The characters are wonderful and complex. The story was fantastic and left me wanting more!

All in all, I loved this book from start to finish and will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy upon it's release.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC

Admittedly, Gothic fantasy isn't what I typically gravitate towards. However, I adored this vivid, savage and whimsically beautiful magical tale of gothic gay witches and their tumultuous escapades.

Full review to be uploaded on my Goodreads after the publishing date!

A captivating story of magic, love and adventure within. This tale is entrancing and rich. Wrap up with a cozy quilt, set a roaring fire and settle in for a read you’ll never forget.

These are not the types of books I normally gravitate toward...Post WWI in the English countryside? Not me. But I'm really glad that I read this book because it was quite wonderful.

I loved the weaving of magic / fantasy in a real world setting. Francesca May did a beautiful job of making the magic feel natural and not overly complicated. That being said, I would have liked a bit more explanation of the magic system, and how those with abilities come into it--especially with one of the characters. I felt like sometimes we were dancing on the edge of this, but never fully got there, so at times it was a little bit confusing.

There are five main characters and while that can sometimes feel a little bit overwhelming, May gave each one enough attention that as a reader I was able to connect to each one, some more than others but that's to be expected. I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation in the characters, but appreciated that their sexuality didn't control who they were.

For me, the heart of the story didn't really pick up until about 20% of the way through. The beginning is pretty heavy in the telling versus showing element of writing, which could account for why it felt like I had to drag myself through those first 100 or so pages. But once I got past that, and once things really started to amp up, I was fully invested. In a book that I went into a little intimidated by, I got through it fairly quick and found myself wanting to read it whenever I had some free time.

In the afterword, the author describes this debut of hers as a melancholy, witchy, sapphic book. Accurate, but then again, that’s only the mood of it. And we can’t go by mood alone…
I often wonder how books come to be. For instance, did Francesca May read The Great Gatsby and thought, ‘well, yeah, that’s fun, but what if Gatsby was a female and Nick was a female and they were both witches and had a special connection?’
Then again, the Gatsby connection here is pretty tenuous – this book is very much its own thing. It’s set in a post WWI England on a small island known for its witches in a world very recognizable but with a distinct addition of magic. Magic has been outlawed, but it’s still very much a valued and present commodity in this world – think booze in the US post-prohibition.
In this world, a master witch, the striking Emmeline Delacroix, with her masculine clothing and her feminine wiles is the Gatsby to Annie’s naïve provincial innocence of Nick.
Emmeline is a local, once taken in by a grand witch before here and now the inheritor of that estate, the estate she shares with a pair of adopted siblings with powers of their own.
Annie’s on the island to collect her own inheritance from the father she’s barely known and also to track down a beloved childhood friend. She rents a cottage next to Emmeline’s. Sparks, sparks, sparks, etc.
But their will-they-or-won’t-they thing is outrageously dragged out because of Emmeline’s buckets of drama. You can just see a tagline for Em…So complicated, so sexy, so reluctant. So it’s a soap opera, for sure. But a fairly entertaining one.
The writing’s nice in that dreamy witchy sort of way. The world building is very good – the island comes alive in descriptions. The characters are…well, very dramatic and quite young, but interesting enough. The romance is so very drawn out and chaste, you might fall asleep cheering for it, but it is there and for all its leisurely pace, passionate in its own way.
I love magic and all things to do with it, but a different kind, the prestidigitation and trickery, not the spells and potions. So this wasn’t quite my thing, but it did have that hypnotic quality that V.E. Schwab Magic trilogy has the draw-you-in-and-make-the-time-disappear kind.
At 423 pages it’s much longer than I prefer my novels (apparently magic novels tend to be overlong), it does move along nicely, but it's fairly rambling and languid of a narrative.
Overall, much like with Schwab’s novels, I was entertained but in a one off that was a lot don’t know if I’d do it again sort of way. Fans of witches and fantasies might get more out of it. So, user milage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.

Wild and Wicked Things is perfectly named, for it is, indeed, a wild and wicked story.

Annie moves to Crow Island after the death of her father. The island is infamous for its magic, and it isn’t long before Annie find herself wrapped up in that magic, with Emmeline and her crew at the center of the maelstrom. Secrets are revealed, magic takes dark turns, and evil lurks around every corner as Annie finds her place and purpose amongst the chaos.

I loved this. LOVED. If you want atmosphere, this is the book for you. I haven’t felt so immersed in a story in a long time. The magic was done so well, and the way that it’s weaved into every element of the story was refreshing. This is a book where you can really feel the authors passion for their work, and how fully committed to the vision they were.

So far, this is my favorite book of year. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. I barely finished it as it was a very slow read and never got properly exciting.

At the beginning I was intrigued by Annie's story and her arrival to Crow Island. The story promised some very interesting things (like the crows) that were never really fulfilled. I found Annie, Bea. and Emmeline to be one-dimensional and I never got invested in their stories. Especially with Emmeline, I could not see "the darkness inside" her that kept being promised. I also found the switch of perspectives between Annie and Emmeline confusing as they basically sound the same and I could not differentiate between character narration.

Annie was a boring character and I did not understand her motives or the speed at which she as changing and falling in love with Emmeline. Bea was infuriatingly selfish and I had no sympathy for her at all. The romance between Annie and Emmeline felt unnatural and forced, and I wasn't able to understand what each of them saw in each other. The flashbacks to Emmeline's childhood and Cilla also left promises unfulfilled.

The ending felt way too wrapped-up and silly after what happened with Arthur in the second half of the book. This book had a lot of promise in the beginning and ultimately fell flat.

I’m here for all the gothic horror and fantasy novels that portray wild and wicked sapphic witches who slowly fall in love with each other and this story did not let me down! I was blown away by the captivating world-building and the magical atmosphere of Crow Island. I love the fact that witchcraft was embedded in Crow Island’s history and I also enjoyed learning about each character’s backstory because I could easily understand why they made certain choices or behaved the way they did. I will always have a special place in my heart for Annie, Emmeline, Isobel and Nathan because I had the pleasure of tagging along with them while they were throwing parties, drinking kazam (a beverage infused with herbs and magic) and performing arcane rituals. By the way, I fell in love with this gorgeous book cover from the moment I laid eyes on it!

A huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an Advance Review Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This wonderous take on the Great Gatsby explored a new gothic take on this classic story. From witches to crows and blood magic this beautiful story has excellent worldbuilding and relationships. By the end of the story, I found myself disappointed that it was over and I had to say goodbye to all the characters and their respective endings.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
Release Date: 3/29/2022

Wild and Wicked Things follows the story of Emmeline and Annie, a powerful witch and a seemingly ordinary girl, as they navigate the changes in their lives as a result of WWI in England. Emmeline lives on Crow Island, a place that houses magic and witches as well as the incredibly wealthy. Annie comes to Crow Island to sort through her estranged father's belongings after he mysteriously dies. The two collide and their lives are forever changed in the events that transpire.

This book started off really slow for me. and it took a bit for me to get a grasp of what kind of world the story was set in as well as what was going on with the characters. Once it picked up a bit I ended up really enjoying the story. Part of me wishes that this had been broken up into a few books though as there was so much going on that it got confusing in some parts and ended up dragging. I also feel that that would have given more space to do better worldbuilding and character set up that was really missing in the beginning. Overall it was a pretty good book and I loved the Great Gatsby vibe!

Thank you to @netgalley and Redhook Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I for one, adore that The Great Gatsby going into the public domain to give us this book specifically. I have never devoured a book so quickly. It started out a little slow getting everything set up, but it quickly picks up into this whirlwind of Witchcraft and the Jazz Age. I love that the setting is completely different, yet still familiar. The rise and fall of the drama throughout the story are well-paced.

There wasn't a character that didn't feel well fleshed out and put together. And honestly, the romance part of this story was wonderful. The use of soulmates in this particular book felt right, rather than hokey. And it has a gloriously happy ending.

Overall I really loved Wild and Wicked Things. By far my favorite book of 2022 that I have read so far.

I feel really bad writing this review because I don’t like to give ones that aren’t great. While the plot was really great and intriguing it wasn’t executed very well. The characters also were a little one dimensional and needed work :(

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Unfortunately I DNF this book. I was initially intrigued about this story but just could not get into this book after trying to a few times. It was just too informative and the story was too slow moving for me.

I stuck with this book to the bitter end, so it must have captivated me in some way, but it never really paid off in my opinion. I kept waiting for it to reach a crescendo but when it did (finally, in the final 10% of the book after a kind of slow going plot), I just wasnt satiated. I was excited about the f/f romance, but it was kind of stagnant and I wished for more of that and maybe leas extremely detailed talk of the smell of blood and dirt.

Beautifully written with interesting, compelling characters. The plot did feel very slow to pick up so it was hard for me to stay as invested as I had hoped. I do think that this Great Gatsby-esqe retelling would be perfect for readers that love dark and atmospheric settings, elegant prose, mystery, and don't mind slow burn stories.

Oh, I have so many feelings about this book. It felt like a warm hug filled with beautiful writing and complexity, with powerful sapphic women and the mysteries behind them. With such an intriguing setting and a slower pace I truly felt like I was being slowly woven into this story. Despite all the flaws of the characters it's easy to love them and root for them throughout their journey. Following a main character as they struggle to not only sort out their sexuality but also accept themself, especially during the time period felt so special to me as a queer woman. There is truly not much I love more in a book than a romance between sapphic witches and I felt like this book delivered that so wonderfully. I would say this isn't for anyone who only typically reads fast-paced books but as someone who loves a slower build this book was perfect and while it may not have been the fastest pace, the book gives you little mysteries to hook you on your adventure.