First I have to say I was absolutely blown away by the beautiful prose in this book. The author has a gift for writing vivid imagery that makes you feel like you’re actually walking through the woods after a spring rain, feeling your way boots sinking into the dirt and pine needles, smelling the earthy scent of the Forest.
Secondly, the magic system is simple and easy to understand with explanations and exposition woven seamlessly into the narrative. This isn’t always the case especially with contemporary fantasy and I feel like it makes this book more accessible to a wider audience than many others.
I was surprised to find that this turns out to be primarily a love story set in a world do magic which isn’t really my thing even if I think it was done fairly well. I also struggled a bit with the believability of the main conflict and wondered if it couldn’t have all been avoided if a certain character hadn’t been so reckless BUT then we wouldn’t have had a story!
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy romance, enemies to lovers and twists on the only one bed trope.

"That's the thing about anxiety, it doesn't care if something is rational or not. It takes hold of your mind and it squeezes, tighter and tighter until it can't be ignored, demanding your undivided attention. It turns from insignificant to all-consuming in the span of a breath, a fog so thick it's impossible to see through, and no amount of breathing or counting or visualization undoes it."
By: Rachel Griffin
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That's one of the parts I highlighted in the book because I relate to that a lot.
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First off I want to thank @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for this arc of Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin.
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QUICK BLURB:
When eighteen-year-old witch Iris Gray accidentally enacts a curse that could have dire consequences, she must team up with a boy who hates witches to make sure her magic isn't unleashed on the world.
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MY REVIEW:
I don't think I ever been sad about a book to end since The books in the picture. This book was well written, beautiful and I could really see this as a movie. I've never been so submerged in a ebook/book in a long time. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and never a dull moment. Brought to tears, that's the best kind of book to read. I'm not sure what more I can say without giving spoilers.
This book comes out 8/2022 Definitely a must read and be sure you pick this one up.
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Rating:
🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

It's such a pleasure to read Rachel Griffin's magical writing. I instantly felt like I was in the Pacific Northwest in Wild is the Witch because the descriptions are so detailed and unique. And she has incredible characters that feel deeply and have wonderful growth throughout the story. Everything Rachel Griffin does is magic!

This book has so many wonderful elements to it: loathe to love, witches in an urban setting, spring in the Pacific Northwest, secret identity, and a quest to break a curse before it destroys everything. I couldn't put it down!! I read it until after midnight, and that's saying something because I don't have much sleep with a newborn as it is. Everything about this book was perfect: the slow burn romance with a great conflict, the setting/atmosphere, the magic, and the character growth.

Basically, READ THIS BOOK AND PREORDER SO YOU GET THE BEAUTIFUL LIMITED-EDITION HARDCOVER!!!!!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Sourcebooks, for the ARC!

I didn't have time to finish it before my NetGalley arc expired as life got in the way, unfortunately, but I did read over half of it and was really liking what I read. I was intrigued by the plot of this and was pleasantly surprised. I also really liked the banter between the two main characters. I will definitely pick up a copy of the book when it comes out so I can finish it.

A big, big thank you to NetGalley, Source Fire Books and the author, Rachel Griffin, for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Rachel us one of my must read authors, so when I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I immediately requested a copy. I was so very happy to be granted the privilege to read and review this magnificent book.

The book did not disappoint. It is full of dark moments, but always gives a glimpse of hope. Iris and Pike are my favorite characters. I carried the book with me everywhere and when I was done, blocked out time to reread it in one sitting. I love the romance, fantasy, and magic if the book.

This is one of those books you find yourself wanting to read more than once.

A definite 5 stars from me..

Highly recommend.

I loved this. I have now read a couple books in a row that take place in the PNW and I’m hooked! Especially ones like this with a misty, magical, nature vibe. This book was another great fit for me. I don’t always love and connect with YA but this one stole my heart. It is a wonderful YA Romance/Sci-Fi & Fantasy that has great characters and the most perfect descriptions and magical settings. I loved the writing itself and the story really held my attention. It is described as an enemies-to-lovers contemporary fantasy. The characters are really enjoyable and have a fun sarcastic banter with each other. The magic and powers of the witches and how they work in alignment with nature is very intriguing. This is my first book by our author and I already pulled up information for the pre-order campaign of the physical book and her previous book and placed my order!

Goodreads tells us “Iris Gray knows witches aren't welcome in most towns. When she was forced to leave her last home, she left behind a father who was no longer willing to start over. And while the Witches' Council was lenient in their punishment, Iris knows they're keeping tabs on her. Now settled in Washington, Iris never lets anyone see who she really is; instead, she vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. Otherwise, she spends her days at the wildlife refuge which would be the perfect job if not for Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

Iris concocts the perfect curse for Pike: one that will turn him into a witch. But just as she's about to dispel it, a bird swoops down and steals the curse before flying away. If the bird dies, the curse will be unleashed―and the bird is a powerful amplifier, and unleashing the curse would turn not just Pike, but everyone in the region, into a witch.

New witches have no idea how to control their magic and the consequences would be dire. And the Witches' Council does not look kindly on multiple offenses; if they found out, Iris could be stripped of her magic for good. Iris begs Pike to help her track the bird, and they set out on a trek through the Pacific Northwest looking for a single bird that could destroy everything.”

Many thanks to our author and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an advanced eGalley copy of the book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be published on August 8th, 2022. I hope if you choose to read it you love it also.

Wild is the Witch is a ya contemporary fantasy by Rachel Griffin (author of the Nature of Witches). Iris is a witch. She’s finally found somewhere she feels like she belongs after being forced to uproot her life. Working at a wildlife center she butts heads with intern, Pike Alder. In order to vent her frustrations, Iris creates a curse for Pike: to turn him into a witch. But she never meant to cast it. When the curse is stolen by a bird. And if this bird dies the curse wouldn’t affect just Pike, but an entire area and possibly hundreds of people. Iris can’t afford another indiscretion on her record and what’s more, newly turned witches can’t control their power. The outcome would be catastrophic. Iris sets out with the boy she hates and who hates what she is in order to find the bird that could destroy not just her life, but everyone’s.

This book caught my attention from the start. It was very easy to get wrapped up in the world within these pages. It can always be daunting to enter a new fantasy world that you don’t understand but the magic was explained very well. Griffin used a lot of metaphors to help explain the magic and it was very helpful to crucially understand the novel.

This book really struck me somewhere because in some ways, Iris is a lot like me. She works at an animal refuge (and that’s honestly my dream) and she deals with challenges that Griffin describes so eloquently on the pages. I resonate with these challenges she faces and if was nice to see them addressed in a story. It was really nice to see myself within the pages.

I’d recommend Wild is the Witch to really anyone who loves fantasy and some contemporary romance. I’m mainly a fantasy reader but I love to dip my toes into romance so this novel was right up my alley.

I think Rachel Griffin may just be a new auto-buy author for me.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Release Date: August 2, 2022

I want to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC of this book. All opinions and thoughts in this review are my own.

FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY BIGGEST THANKS TO SOURCEBOOKS FIRE FOR APPROVING MY REQUEST FOR AN ARC FOR THIS MAGNIFICENT BOOK AND NETGALLEY FOR BEING THE MEANS TO READ THIS ARC.

The book is soooooooooo gooooood!!!!!!!!!!!! It's magnificent, adorable, relatable, impressive, and splendid. Rachel Griffin did a good job writing this book. The book has an interesting premise and as the story unfolds it is even more interesting. The book made me feel all kinds of different emotions ranging from apprehensive, anxious, scared, happy, giggling, touched, and saddened to pure sorrow.

The connection between Iris and the owl felt like I also have a connection with them, especially for the owl. I had grown too fond of him. The characters in this book are all likeable and you can relate to them in some ways, but I relate more to Iris. The way she views herself and the world is somehow like how I view mine. She is raw and honest and that made me love her even more.

As for Pike??? My dear Pike Alder. I love him. I love how he is also raw and honest, and how he slowly reveals himself to iris is so touching and vulnerable and sweet. And he is so understanding, like can I also order a Pike Alder in real-life??????? And he's hot???? Guys with glasses and brown hair are so hot. And pike isn't an exception to those.

The pacing of their relationship is a nice one. They started with being barely tolerable to each other’s presence. Pike is annoying Iris, and Iris is annoyed at Pike. Then they became allies to friends to semi-lovers to enemies to full-on lovers. I wouldn’t call this an enemies-to-lovers book because they didn’t really start as enemies, but if we’re looking past all that and consider their past first, they’d definitely be enemies. Nevertheless, the pacing of their relationship is a nice one. It isn’t dragging or rushed, but just the perfect amount of average pacing.
What I wished also happened was a scene with Iris and Amy seeing each other again, talking, laughing. I would want to witness that.

The writing is also beautiful. It evoked many emotions in me. The use of imagery in this book is also vivid because it really transported me to one of the places I really love: the beauty of a forest. The book has this effect on me that sucked me all in. I can’t get out but I’m not trying to get out, either. It’s unputdownable.
This book is a journey one must ride. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience where an adventure awaits, and this is that book.

ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOURCEBOOKS FIRE AND NETGALLEY FOR APPROVING MY ARC REQUEST!!!!!

A witch and the stolen curse she made for a boy who has hurt her. Iris Gray is a witch, she loves animals and nature... but when her best friend tried to turn her boyfriend into a witch and ended up killing him instead, Iris has vowed to never let another person find out she’s a witch. After moving to a new place and making a home for herself at the animal refuge her mother runs, Iris hides who she is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast... except there is Pike Alder. Pike is an intern who works at the refuge, he’s cruel, constantly annoying and getting under Iris’s skin... and above all else he hates witches. After a particularly hurtful comment, Iris has had enough, she decides to vent her frustrations and concoct a cruel torment for him for all the things he’s said and done to her... the worst thing ever... she is going to curse him into turning into a witch, the one thing he hates the most. However, before she can dispel the curse, the owl that has been watching her and following her all week suddenly swoops down and steals it. Now Iris has to find it and try and fix it, the owl is a powerful amplifier and if it dies, Iris’s dark curse will be unleashed on not only Pike but everyone in the region. With the trailing on a ticking clock Iris needs to go out and find him but her mother won’t let her go unless she goes with someone, and who better than the resident ornithologist, Pike. Will Iris be able to keep her secret the entire trip without alerting Pike, or will things only get worse? The more time they spend together the more they get to know another another.. and maybe there is more to Pike than the arrogant and mean person... and maybe theres a reason for all his egging and comments to Iris. With an owl to hunt, these two will have to go into nature with only each other to depend on, but with secrets and possible feelings coming out... who knows what will happen by the end of the trip. This was a beautiful read, the way Iris is dealing with anxiety and trying to just get by, her love of nature and animals, and most of all, her determination to do what is right was beautiful to read. At first I really disliked Pike, and it took some time to grow to like him but in the end I was charmed. He has his reasons for acting and doing what he does, and getting to know him, just as Iris did, he turned out to be a great love interest. The magic and the nature in this book just felt like I needed to go on a camping trip myself, or go visit an owl because it just immerses you into the feeling. This was a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Beyond amazing! This book was an incredible read and I can't recommend it enough. This is a book you'll want on your shelf and to give as a gift. Everyone needs to read it.

First of all, wow! What a beautiful and original work. I absolutely love how magic is described and how the main characters are incredibly relatable and real. Iris and Pike do NOT get along, but when Iris makes a mistake and the situation forces Iris and Pike to work together, secrets come out. Wild is the Witch by @timesnewrachel releases August 2nd and I’ve already *added to cart* ✨

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I look forward to purchasing.

Rachel Griffin is one of my all time favorite authors and she definitely didn’t disappoint with Wild is the Witch. Rachel has such an amazing way of captivating the reader from the very beginning of the story, and keep you hooked until the end. The magic in this story is great, the characters and plot were very well thought out and written!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me early access to this eARC in exchange for my review

This was actually a pretty solid book and I had a lot of fun reading it. While it was a simpler plot (no catastrophic climax) I appreciated that the plot driven issue was mendable. It’s a nice witchy vibe stand-alone, but I wouldn’t quite call it an enemies to lovers. The chemistry between the characters was okay, but I honestly thought that they would make better friends first. The romance felt a tad too quick to grow from a few days camping. I’m also surprised that it was a whole new world and magic system from The Nature of Witches in that this magic was much more subtle (in the uses we saw) and wasn’t defined by seasons but rather People vs. Animal.

Really liked this one. Moody, atmospheric, gothic - so many words to describe this luscious tale of a witch trying to not fall in love with a boy who hates witches! She must go on a journey with him to save his life, but will he end hers when he finds out what she truly is? Read and find out! You won't be sorry!

Rachel's writing is again beautiful. I enjoyed her debut a bit more, but thats only because I am not fond of enemies to lovers trope in romance. I loved the nature descriptions, Iris and her journey and of course Pike (even if I wasn't fond of the *way* they got together lol). This is such a beautifully written story and journey for the characters. I know teens will love this one as much as Rachel's debut

I requested this book in hopes of loving it. As I sadly couldn't get into A Nature Of Witches but unfortunately this book wasn't for me either. It was well wrote and the characters well developed well. I just struggled getting into the story.

I’m having a hard time putting together my thoughts for this book. I really enjoyed reading Wild is the Witch, and I again loved the world Griffin crafted. She has a way with words when it comes to describing nature! But the angst of Iris and the angst between them was…it got on my nerves more often than not. And their seemingly insta love is not something I was a fan of. So while the story and world were interesting to me, the characters didn’t draw me in as much as I’d hoped. I’m just not a fan of insta love or extreme angst, but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t absolutely adore it, and I would recommend giving it a try if at least to enjoy the world!

Wild Is The Witch is like a soothing blanket of comfort and coziness; it's all so atmospheric and whimsical, emotionally raw and filled with depth and vulnerability.

"Magic is always present, always close."

Iris and her mom are comfortable and happy where they live. As witches running an animal refuge center, they can help calm animals they encounter and help heal them. When Pike, an intern working at the refuge, expresses his hate for witches, Iris emotions run rampant with fear, which leads to creating a curse for Pike that will never see the light of day. Unfortunately, an owl takes the curse and sets loose. If the owl dies, the curse gets unleashed and it will be life-threatening for anyone around.

"Being a witch isn't just casting an occasional spell. It's seeing the world differently than the way others see it. It's living in the same space but experiencing it in a totally singular way."

Rachel Griffin's writing is one of pure comfort. I felt like I was in a foggy and misty forest, surrounded by magic, with a cup of tea in my hand. As with her debut novel, she crafts a beautiful narrative that is filled with lessons and wonders about nature, all while inspiring readers to be conscious about climate change.

I found Iris to be so relatable, especially with her anxiety; it was conveyed so perfectly and authentically. I saw myself in Iris, in her train of thoughts, her anxiousness over situations she couldn't control.

"But that's the thing about anxiety, it doesn’t care if something is rational or not. It takes hold of your mind and squeezes, tighter and tighter until it can’t be ignored, demanding your undivided attention. It turns from insignificant to all-consuming in the span of a breath, a fog so thick it’s impossible to see through, and no amount of breathing or counting or visualizations undoes it."

Onto our love interest. At first, I was so wary of Pike. His arrogance and cockiness was getting to me, but once we got to know more of him, I couldn't help but be entirely charmed. He brings out a side of Iris that, without her knowing, helps her to get out of her head and become present.

"When I say something that annoys you, you give me an expression I’ve never seen you give anyone else. So I keep annoying you, just so you’ll make the face you only make for me."

Their dynamic while on the rescue mission of the owl was highly entertaining. They cannot stand each other and are constantly butting heads, but it's in this mission through the forest that they start opening up and revealing layers of themselves, reaching a level of vulnerability they weren't expecting.

"You're special, Iris. You’re strange and surprising, and I’m endlessly curious about the things that take up space in your mind." [...] "Effortless," he says, reflecting someone who can't possibly be me. "You're effortless."

Overall, Wild Is The Witch crafts a page-turning, thought-provoking, and remarkable story-telling that is eloquent and magical with beautiful imagery that brings comfort, peace, and hope.

IF YOU LIKE:
- Loathe-to-love
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Contemporary Fantasy
- An unruly and meddling owl
- Forced proximity
- Major Pacific Northwest vibes
- There's only one tent
- An ill-fated curse
- Nature in all its glory
- Wolves as pets

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I read this book in one sitting. I just could not put it down!

The story follows Iris who is a witch and Pike who is a human she works with.

One thing leads to another and Iris’ curse meant for Pike gets carried away by an owl. This story is their journey of coming together and healing all while tracking the owl through the forest before the curse gets unleashed on the town!

I highly recommend this book! Easy read and definitely one of those feel good stories!

Although this is a book written for teens, and I am far from a teen, I really enjoyed it. The characters are well developed and have an honesty to their actions. I love their interactions with animals. The story is set up all about correcting a mistake, and the adventure taken is full of emotion, revelations and peril for all. It is a love story, but not just between a boy and a girl; the love encompasses the nature of others and one's place in this world. The magic is more of an enhancement of nature than fantastical, and that makes the story more endearing. 'Loved it! This is a story that can be enjoyed by anyone!