Annie has come to Crow Island after the death of her father to settle his estate. She rents a cottage until she can get her father's house cleared out. It is on the water and next to a large estate where marvelous parties take place. She goes to one and it is full of people in fantastic dresses and tuxedos with drink and music flowing. She also sees her former best friend, Bea. Bea left their home town a while back saying she needs to get out and see the world. She is now married to a handsome, rich man but doesn't seem as excited to see Annie as Annie is to see her.

As Annie works on the house, she finds the secret room and things her father hid from others. It contained a massive book of magic as both he and Annie had magic in them although they tried to hide it from others. It turns out that Crow Island is known as a home for witches and the coven leader is the owner of the mansion next door to Annie where the parties are held. Her name is Emily and she has several other witches who live with her, all of whom grew up together. Annie is immediately attracted to Emily and soon realizes that her attraction to women was the reason she was never that excited about dating men. But Emily is under a spell herself and is slowly dying. Is there anything the coven and Annie can do to help?

Francesca May is an English writer who specializes in fantasy. The writing in the book is lush and sensual as it describes the attraction between Emily and Annie. There is suspense and magic, good and bad, deaths and new lives. I listened to this one and there were both male and female narrators. Both did a good job, racketing up the suspense to a dramatic conclusion. This book is recommended for fantasy readers.

Right off the bat, this book started off with a quote from The Great Gatsby and I feel like it set my mind in that direction. I could see some influences in the writing, with the purple light the witches use to draw their customers and the grand parties, but I think it was a little more than that. Excuse me as my English Degree shows, but not only was this book about vapid rich people wanting to escape from life at wild parties, the thrower of which was seeking out one girl, but it was about true loss, love that is doomed, and breaking free from your past. Not only that, but it felt like a gay, magical verson of Gatsby which I think we can all agree just makes it 10 times better.

The writing of this book was so eloquent, it felt like an instant classic. I loved the writing style and the way that Francesca put so much meaning into every line. It really felt like a story Annie would tell about her life, and it felt magic to experience it with her. It is a true gift to be able to make a story sound like it truly came from the main character, and this book did a great job of that.


Me the whole time
I loved the spin on magic in this story as well. The darkness and the realistic way that magic was handled made the story feel real. It was about balance, and herbs, and fighting to make a change even when you know it costs too much. I liked that it wasn’t the typical magic that just flows from a witch, but it was a give and take. It was powerful and so real. I think this made the story feel real as well. It felt like hidden history almost. Every character felt like someone who really lived this sad, broken life, but they continued on fighting.


Overall, everything about this story drew me in and kept me hooked until the very end. The magic and the characters were so captivating, I just wanted to see how things would work out in the end. I loved getting to uncover all the secrets about each person as the story went along, and I found myself constantly worried that everything would fall apart. Truly one of the best, dark stories I have read in a while.

Narration
This is the first audiobook I have ever listened to that had three narrators. I always like it when they have a male narrator if the book is from multiple points of view, but this is the first time I have ever come across two female narrators. It was a really nice touch because it allowed Annie and Emmeline to be truly distinct from one another. The narrators were Marisa Calin, Gemma Dawson, and Ralp Lister and I think they could not have done a better job matching up these narrators. Each of them put so much passion and emotion in their readings, I loved every one of them!

I really love the narration style of this audiobook. The music was an excellent addition and I really liked having two separate narrators. The male narrator spoke less often, so when his parts occurred, it felt like a nice section break. A good way to divide the book.

I hope this book does well at the library because it is a great story, and I think a lot of people are going to dig it.

Despite loving the atmosphere and becoming immediately intrigued by these characters, I never bonded with them or the events that occurred. This remained interesting and well-penned (and narrated) throughout, but the magical elements were lessened for the historical mystery when I longed for more of a fantastical focus. It was an interesting book but not wholly the one for me, in that regard, and I also never felt like I truly grasped who the characters centering this novel were, at their core.

Alas, this book suffers from being too long… there are a handful of strange little vignettes that interrupt the plot (and that, in the audiobook, have very distracting ambient background music that make it kind of difficult to follow the narrator). I think it would have been much more compelling with only one POV character (presumably Annie since she narrates the vast majority of the book).

I was really into the magic and the Great Gatsby vibes, but the magic felt very loosely defined (with each of our primary witches having very different kinds of magic and us not really seeing any spells/rituals in detail, only their aftermath). Also, while I appreciate the fact that the one time the Jordan character comes into play is to make out with a woman and take magical drugs in the bathroom of a party (iconic), she was my favorite Gatsby character so I was a little disappointed at her absence.

Overall, just kind of meh.

You will either love or hate this book, I loved it! It is wild, and extravagant... filled with witches, magic, and darkness... It sent shivers down my spine, and I loved every minute of listening to the book (in spite of the many things that didn't quite line up).

Wild and Wicked Things was a delicious witch read full of magical goodness from beginning to end. I enjoyed this retelling of The Great Gatsby with the atmosphere and overall vibe. The time-period and genre are right up my alley so from the very beginning I knew this would probably be a good time for me. I loved a lot of things about this story, but I couldn’t commit 100 % to it and I am not sure why because it had everything in it that should have made me devore it very quickly but for some reason I kept putting it down, reading something else and coming back to it. It wasn’t the story, it wasn’t the writing, everything checks the boxes to make it a great read and something I should have flown through but for some reason I couldn’t connect completely with it. I still have no idea why I had that disconnect so I am giving this a higher rating because overall the story is amazing and I have to say it must be me, maybe I just wasn’t in the right space at the time for this story.

Disclaimer: I only made it through 33% of this book. I will leave a review on why I decided to abandon it. First the good things: The narrator is excellent. I love her voice and accent. Perfect choice. I also loved the setting of old beach houses and the parties gave it a very Great Gatsby feel. The secret attic room completely drew me in. However, try as I might, I could not focus and maintain interest. The writing is just silly. It's like a novel trying to be a soap opera or a soap opera trying to be a novel. So much dialogue, even the same dialogue just from a different point of view. Nothing seemed to be propelling the story forward even after a third of the book under my belt. Not for me.

The promise of the story in the beginning pulled me right in. It's a twisting tale with lovely descriptions. This isn't my regular genre, so some of the magic confused me, but not enough to ruin the enjoyment of the storyline. If you're a regular reader of witchy fantasy, you will understand it for sure.

I mostly read this title, but enjoyed the narration of it. The problem is that I didn't like the story as much as I had hoped. It felt very messy and too long.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me, I had to call it quits at 52% done the audiobook. At that point I felt like we were JUST getting to the meat of the story.

This story and these characters could have been so amazing, but there was just sooooo much that didn't need to happen, or didn't seem to have much of a point other than maybe building to something later? But.... How much later is later? There just wasn't enough to keep me hooked sadly.

Perhaps it was the narrator's gentle voice keeping me lulled instead of intrigued? It may be worth trying again as a paper copy.

Very mysterious, a beautiful found family dynamic, a spooky ambiance. All around, so much promise. I loooove me a wonderful sapphic rep too.

These characters are well thought out, so flawed and wonderful together.

Unfortunately, I found myself picking up and putting down this book over the course of a month and ultimately called dnf about 60% through. The summary and premise sounded great, fantasy, retelling, witches, etc... but the plot moved to slow for my interest to stick and even when the romance started it sooo slow to build. Characters, mostly Emmeline, were the other element holding me back as I could not connect with them, found them a bit dull, and unlikable and was confused by some of their abilities. I love fast-moving plots with likable characters and this book did not fit my taste. I can see others enjoying it, especially for anyone who likes great descriptions and imagery that do well to take you back in time with a lush writing style.

I started out loving this book. I enjoyed getting used to the setting, the connections between the characters ( Annie and Bea), then the mysterious allure of magic really brought me in. However....by the end I was not feeling terribly connected to the plot-line and kept feeling rather confused by the magic system. Overall I still believe this is a strong novel but it wasn't my perfect witchy/sapphic/1920s novel.. While my hunt continues I will absolutely continue to check out more from Francesca May! Give this one a shot because I hope it checks all your boxes!

This was an ambitious and engaging historical fantasy debut full of witches, magic, blood oaths and murder. Set in the post WWI years and featuring a young woman summering on Crow Island, in the house her father left her when she died. Naive Annie gets caught up in a world far beyond her imaginings. Great on audio, with a fantastic production quality including original music and a full cast narration. This was an impressive first novel. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC of this book.

Wild and Wicked Things is a magical Great Gatsby retelling set on Crow Island, where magic is prohibited in the aftermath of World War I, but that doesn't stop Emmeline Dalacroix. When Annie Mason moves to the island to pack up her estranged father's things, she is entranced by the world of magic and the mystery of Emmeline and her best friend Beatrice.

I loved this! I will say I was instantly hooked by the writing style and the mystery of the island. I loved Annie's character and all the growth she showed. I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I did not know this was a Great Gatsby retelling going into it. I guessed it pretty quickly though--almost as soon as Emmeline's pov chapter started. Then I looked it up. Hah.

This was really good! I loved the sapphic pining and the forbidden magic. The main conflict was really interesting and I loved the follow through with the conclusion! The narration was also excellent.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Abandonment

Unfortunately, this one is a DNF. I am really picky when it comes to historical fantasy since it can feel like such a slog, and this one definitely does. I listened to about 20% of the book, and I genuinely don't know what happened, but I don't care enough to continue to find out.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily - all opinions are my own.



All three narrators were great. A pleasure to listen to.



I had no idea this was being billed as a Great Gatsby retelling until I saw someone else's review. Honestly, I didn't get that from it at all - even with the regular parties happening in the background. For me, this was far more like a darker retelling of the film version of Practical Magic mixed with Sarah Waters' The Paying Guests.



It's a gothic, alternate history that presupposes that occult forces were used during the Great War, which subsequently led to a prohibition on magic. The word choice there is telling conjuring up America's failed 'Pledge' and prohibition attempts and the ongoing failure of the 'war on drugs' - basically anything which is a battle against human desire is going to fail because very few people are genuinely on board! This certainly seems to be the case on Crow Island, where lavish parties are held in a stately home and fortunes are told and simples imbibed with glasses of champagne and other intoxicating drinks. But behind the glittering exterior, lurks a dark past full of blood and dangerous magic. Into this emotional pressure cooker comes Annie Mason, a naïve young woman who has inherited her father's house next door. The glamorous and enigmatic Emmeline and innocent Annie are on a collision course that will end in blood but may also end in love too.



I really loved this book. The main thrust of the plot is made up of things I've seen before but I loved May's writing and the nuance she brought to the characters. Don't expect anyone to really be a good guy but I defy you not to root for them anyway. Excellent book - highly recommend.

Wild and Wicked Things is a sapphic Great Gatsby retelling and that's all I had to hear to request this on Netgalley.

i loved the atmosphere but the characters were a bit harder to like. the vibes made up a good part of the book while the plot was much harder to get into to. the writing style was very descriptive and wordy which isn't for me.

the idea is awesome though and i think many other people will love this!

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thankful that I was given the opportunity to listen to an ARC of this magical audiobook. ‘Wild and Wicked Things’ is a witchy sapphic romance with Gatsby and practical magic vibes. The magic system is what pulled me in at first, I found the prohibition forbidding the use of magic a very intriguing aspect, especially during this time period. The magical teas and use of kazam also piqued my interest early on. The prose was beautifully written and the story is full of mystery, action and tension. A lot of tension. Some parts were so exciting to read and some were slower. There were many times when I felt like I wanted to reach in the book and shake a few different characters and there was one character in particular I really really didn’t like. At first, Annie wasn't my favourite, but her character development really made me fall in love with her. Honestly, Emmeline WAS my favourite at first, I could feel the tangible pull to her myself, but Annie ended up stealing ithe show. She is determined, strong, caring and never gave up even when everyone else was constantly doubting her and pushing her away. In the end I really don’t believe any of them deserved her. ✋🏼

I believe it's worth mentioning (for anyone interested in reading this in audiobook format as well) that the audiobook is beautifully narrated. There is just something about an audiobook that features narrators with accents that hits different. I really enjoyed both Annie and Emmeline's narrations/POVs. I will say that when there were certain parts with music, I found it to be very distracting and difficult to listen to because of the volume of the music vs the volume of the narration. However, the music wasn't used often enough that it ruined the experience for me.

Will definitely recommend the book in any format!