1922 - Before
“The town of Evermore floated outside the ring of Kerry, off the coast of Ireland” and is mostly invisible to outsiders. There is a white stone house with a slate roof and a bright blue door just a wee bit from the Lake of Dreams. A witch lives there - Brigid Heron is her name and she is the everything in this story. She is a healer. She has a daughter, her name is Dove, and she is the result of a deal gone bad. She is lost to Brigid - lost to the Lake of Dreams. A man was involved but not just any man. There is a lost memory reminding there is always a hidden cost to magic, especially the magic of a god.

2022 - Now
Brigid is facing her fear, awakening in her cellar not remembering anything, exploring what is her house but not hers, calling upon her Goddess for help, receiving no answer. It is now inhabited by Ophelia Gallagher, a descendant of Brigid Heron, and her roommate and best friend Finola McEntire. They are modern day women with cell phones but they are also women of magic who are trying to protect their village from the Lake of Dreams.

Nightmare fairies, goblins, pookas, banshees, monsters, the damned and other things that go bump in the night are hungry in their search for victims. The circle is closing. The clash is going to be monumental and catastrophic as Brigid, Ophelia, Finola and The Man join forces to combat the witches of the Lake while trying to find and save Dove.

I loved the characters - Brigid who likes to argue and The Man who likes to listen, Ophelia and Finola for their irreverent thoughts, chatter and pop culture references. The Ever More Podcast was close to being hysterical and so happy to hear that the sheep are once more thriving. I enjoyed the inclusion of just enough Gaelic and Celtic traditions, terms, expressions, festivals so there was no mistaking that this was a tale of Ireland and it’s many mysteries. I loved that this was a love story on so many levels. It was all a bit of magic.

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for a copy.

The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher takes place in present day, and one hundred years before. Brigid Heron was a powerful witch and healer in 1922, in the town of Evermore in Ireland. Brigid wants a child more than anything, and when she finds a mate in the opposing Knightly coven, Luc Knightly is an unlikely match, but Brigid can’t resist this mysterious head of the coven. When Brigid gives birth to a daughter, and her daughter falls ill, Brigid will prove that a mother’s love trumps all and she will do anything to save her. Even if that means immersing herself into the forbidden Louth of Briongloid, which only takes her to the year 2022, without her daughter by her side.

When Brigid awakens, she has no memory of how she got there, but she soon understands she has released a curse on Evermore, where the witches of Knightly use their magic to widen the rift between the island and the Otherworld. Brigid is greeted by her descendants, Ophelia and Finola, and with the magic of the three witches, they must find a way to right the wrongs by sealing the lough once and for all.

Unfortunately, the plot of this story was as convoluted as Brigid’s thrust into the next century. Her lack of memories was more of a stalemate, than suspenseful. The writing itself had a whimsical flair, which only made me more confused, lost and frustrated. In simple terms, I was bored. The characters were bland, Luc may have been a hot coven headmaster, but there wasn’t any depth into his, or any , of the characters. I was skipping ahead at points, just to give the story the benefit of the doubt, but still…nothing.

I would like to thank Netgalley, St Martin’s Griffin Paperback, and the author for an advanced reader edition of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 2 ⭐️

Paige Crutcher is becoming one of my go to authors. She has a way with weaving a story that is so whimsical, complicated, and intense you just can’t help but get lost in the pages.
Bridgid is as complex as they come and her many facets were beautifully written. Waking up a hundred years in the future with no recollection of anything she has to piece together her memories while saving the land she loves. Knightly is a fun character and while I found him frustrating at first the more memories Bridgid recovered the more I understood his motives. I loved how much action and family ties were woven into this. The magic system was lovingly pieced together, and I adored the setting. Perfect for fans of Crutchers first book, witchy tales, and action packed fantasy.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC of this book for my honest opinion

This book did take me a minute to get into it, but only because I found myself a little confused at some parts but once I got through, I couldn’t put the book down.

The book starts off with one of the MC Brigid Heron in the past and we get to learn her story a little. However, you will then be zoomed into the future with Brigid, and you come to find out that she had no memories of anything in her past and you get to go on an adventure to figure out exactly what happened and to help her find a piece of her that is missing.

I really enjoyed every single character in this book. I loved getting to know Brigid, Luc Knightly and of course Ophelia & Finola. Ophelia & Finola are my favorite characters in this book, I loved how hilarious they’re to each other and others and on top of that they just want to help the village out and save everyone that they can. I can admit that I hated Luc at first, I thought he was just an ass but the more and more you get to know him, you come to understand his ways and how sweet he really can be. I loved Brigid a lot, I found her strength and determination to find the answers to her lost memories something I could connect with. Even her flaws when he came to that sexy trickster god Luc Knightly. Wow they really had some sexual tension/chemistry in this book.

I didn’t know how this book was going to end, if it was going to be a dud or if it was going to have a twist ending that left me saying WHAT! To my luck it was not, and Paige wrapped everything up into an amazing ending that left me saying AW!

The attention to details in Crutcher writing really helped to bring this little piece of heaven in Ireland, together for me. If you love books about loss, found family, magic and demons you should pick up this book and read it.

I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the chance to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

This was one of my favorite reads of 2022. The writing was beautiful, I loved the characters, I just wanted more when it was over 😭

This book was okay, but the plot was a little hard to follow at points. I couldn't get into this immediately, but I did end up finishing and enjoyed it.

The Lost Witch begins in 1922 with a focus on Brigid Heron, a witch who serves her goddess on the magical island of Evermore. However, after Brigid betrays her goddess, she finds herself lost in 2022, and the island is cursed and overrun by dark magic.

I found the story confusing to start. It took a while to find my way in this story world which also meant it took a while for me to be engrossed by the story. But at the same time, I found it intriguing throughout, as I tried to determine who was good and what needed to be done to restore the world.

The writing took a neat format with excerpts from newspaper articles, a spellbook, and legends of gods and goddesses. For me, the writing was the stand out best part. However, I would not call it a romance. For me, this fell strongly in the fantasy category only.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up

The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher combines paranormal romance and suspense with heartbreak, magic, and hope in an evocative good versus evil story line. While the first chapter takes place in 1922, the rest of the story occurs in 2022. Both timelines take place in Evermore on an island off the coast of Ireland.

Brigid Heron is a powerful witch and healer in Evermore in 1922. She longs for a child and allows herself to be seduced by Luc Knightly, head of the Knightly coven. However, when her child becomes ill, she is willing to do anything to heal her. In 2022, Evermore is under siege from the witches of Knight who have been using their chaos magic to bring creatures to the island to prey on the villagers. Brigid awakens in this new world with memory gaps of what happened and where she’s been. She must work with her descendants, Ophelia and Finola, to stop the witches of Knight.

Brigid, Ophelia, Finola, and Luc are well-defined characters with depth. Their personalities shine throughout the book. While Ophelia was somewhat serious, Finola provided some lightness and humor. Brigid and Luc show significant growth over the course of the novel. As Brigid tries to understand the repercussions from what occurred in 1922 and attempts to recover her memories, it was enjoyable to watch her personality take on added dimensions. The antagonist witches known as East, West, North, and South, keep the tension high and provide some surprises.

The author did a great job of transporting me to this community in both timelines. The imagery was extraordinary. However, the pacing in the middle section of the book was slow. I believe this was partially due to Brigid’s memory gaps. The readers were struggling along with her to determine what had happened. My other quibble is that there were times when the writing was more telling than showing. This also affected the novel’s pacing.

The author weaves a story of light versus darkness that highlights mythology, folktales, monsters, family, love, heartbreak, power, kindness, and helping others. The plot has some unexpected twists and the antagonist’s psychosis was memorable.

Overall, this was an entertaining story that kept me engaged. The rich storyline with its layered plot, several interesting characters, and plenty of action made this a pleasurable read. Those that enjoy good versus evil stories with some romance and action may want to consider this book as their next read.

I thought this was a fun read. A little slow, but I didn't mind that! I liked the slow, relaxed pace. I thought the characters were fascinating.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy to review.
This book is to be published on December 27, 2022

In an attempt to save her daughter, Brigid accidentally gets pulled into a lough and loses all her memory, washing up 100 years later. Set in the magical town of Evermore, she along with two people now living in her house (Ophelia and Finola) must work together to try and close the lough Brigid opened before terrifying creatures kill everyone.

This book was a real miss for me. The concept is awesome, but in execution, it was boring and quite confusing. I don't know if it was the flashbacks or the writing style, but I just did not find myself immersed in this story as much as I would have liked.

The side characters, Ophelia, Finola, and Luc were very different and interesting (and for some reason I really liked the little podcast episodes between Ophelia and Finola-- it helped me stay on track with th story...kinda). And they were by far my favorite characters. Brigid seemed too stiff and flat for me as an MC. I wanted to root for her! I just... didn't really care about the outcome.

Overall, if you love quirky witchy books with magic and evil demons with some good side characters, this would be a good one to try out!

No 'sophomore slump' with The Lost Witch! I have as hooked from the get-go and couldn't put it down until I finished. Can't wait to read more from Paige Crutcher!

Ratings 3.5 stars

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

Brigid Heron is a witch and healer in the town of Evermore. Desperate to save her daughter she uses forbidden water from the lough. She wakes 100 years in the future with some of her memories lost. She finds her descendents spend their days fighting monsters called the Damned coming from the lough. Brigid learns the monster started appearing the day she disappeared 100 years ago, that somehow her disappearance caused a crack in the seal of the lough. A coven of witches is trying to pull the lough’s power into themselves and it's up to Brigid and her descendants to reseal the lough, restore her lost memories, and find and save her daughter.

The beginning of this story was a little hard to get into. With all the character introductions and two timelines along with the world building it felt like there was little room for plot. But once you got through that it was an intriguing story. Ophelia and Finola, and their podcast, was probably the best part for me. Don't get me wrong I liked the romance between Brigid and Luc, but it felt like so much missing because of the lost memories you felt like an outsider viewing their love instead of someone being pulled into and feeling the romance. I did like the mythology aspects of the story. I also appreciated the fact that the Fae creatures were closer to how they are in mythology than the romanticized view people tend to have of them today.

All that being said I did enjoy the book and will probably read other books by the author, time permitting (which is hard with a crazy toddler around lol)

3.5/5 Stars

A story of a witch pulled through time, losing her memories and ending up in a cursed version of her beloved town.

This story had so much promise, the characters are lovable and charming and the pieces are there but I found threads hard to follow and loose. The story jumps timelines, drops in random podcast transcripts, switches narratives on top of just have things not tie off.

For example theres a main plot point about how the MC doesn’t want to have a child with a man but then there’s stories of her randomly sleeping with men that didn’t really add to the plot. Thats one of many just random disconnected bits.

Book provided by Net Galley for an honest review.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I like that Brigid eventually remembers what happened to her and is able to solve the mystery and help the town. I was confused at times about the timeline and where we were in the story but by the end of the book I had it all figured out. I look forward to reading more books from Paige Crutcher in the future.

Deborah Harkness fans will be completely gripped by Paige Crutcher’s mesmerizing new novel, The Lost Witch.

In 1922, the town of Evermore was under the protection of a Goddess who had bestowed upon village healer Brigid Heron a great power – to ensure that the magic within the Lough of Brionglóid – the lake of dreams – remains untouched. The Witches of Knight are constantly circling round determined to absorb its energies and unleash the Damned from the Otherworld. Being Evermore’s guardian has compelled Brigid to put her dreams on the backburner and to immerse herself in witchcraft – until trickster God Luc Knightley, who has his own claim on the Lough, arrives with a tempting offer in exchange for betraying the Goddess’s trust.

A century later, Evermore is under attack with the witches of Knight causing major mayhem, chaos and destruction. The rift between the island and the Otherworld widens with each passing day and the villagers are under attack with their humanity at risk. Brigid’s descendant Ophelia Gallagher and fellow witch Finola do their best to keep the witches at bay – but it’s not enough. When Brigid awakens in this world with no recollection of how she got there or why Evermore has been cursed, she realizes that she needs to work with Brigid and Ophelia to seal the Lough and stop the witches forever. Yet, in order to save Evermore, Brigid will need Luc Knightley again who had granted her her most dearest wish a hundred years ago: a daughter.

Will saving Evermore end up costing Brigid her daughter – again?

In The Lost Witch, Paige Crutcher blends magic, mysticism, romance, intrigue and mythology in a pacy page-turner that is simply irresistible. Wonderfully atmospheric, beautifully rendered and full of larger-than-life characters that will hold readers in thrall from start to finish, Paige Crutcher’s The Lost Witch is a spellbinding tale that cannot fail to delight.

The Lost Witch was magically journey. There were many different magical aspects and a little sci fi mixed in with some romance a perfect combination.

This was a cute good versus evil book. As indicated by the synopsis it had a dual timeline perspective but doesn't go back and forth with any consistency. I found the pace of the book to be a tic off. One page it was slogging along and the next there was too much happening to keep track of. The love affair with Luc was an interesting romantic element. I felt there needed to be way more unraveling of the memory loss aspect of the story. Ophelia and Finola could have used some more development. It was almost like the author couldn't decide if the town in the modern timeline was a realistic town or one set within the realms of fantasy. There were many ritual aspects of witchcraft incorporated within the plot. Overall it was enjoyable.

I love books about witches and this concept sounded so fascinating… But sixty pages in I could tell that this was not the vibe and would never be for me. The writing felt so stilted and the pacing was incredibly slow. I found myself skimming around the middle because I just wanted to get this over with. The central driving force of the book was Brigid trying to get her memory and Dove back, but I didn’t know enough about either person to care. There was so much telling and attempting at being lyrical that there wasn’t enough emotion to pull us through.

The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher
Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date:12/27

I really enjoyed The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher! It’s a complex fantasy that takes place in Evermore, an island off the coast of Ireland. It involves magic, mythical creatures, and a morally grey hero who is infatuated with our heroine, Brigid. What’s not to love?

Brigid wakes up one morning 100 years in the future with no memory of how or why she is there. Her last memory is of being in her home in Evermore in 1922, serving her goddess and working as a healer to keep the townspeople healthy and safe. But this new version of Evermore is very different, with monsters running amok and her distant relatives living in her house. Her memories are the key to saving the town and her family, and Brigid must figure out how to get them back.

The magic in this one was a little hard to follow at times, but overall I thought it was great. I love a good witchy read, and the magical island of Evermore that Crutcher created had everything I love in fantasy. The descriptions of the island and Brigid’s magic were atmospheric and beautiful, there was bit of mystery and some romance, too.

Brigid is a strong MC who knows exactly who she is, even when she finds herself lost in time. I loved the romance with Luc and how we get to know him and Brigid as a couple strictly through flashbacks. This kept the monsters and the magic at the forefront of the story without getting bogged down by the romantic elements. Ophelia and Finola are dynamic characters, and I felt like they added a lot of comic relief but also provided a soft place to land for Brigid. She was very lonely in her past life, and having these two women around helped her understand the importance of family and friendship.

I wish we had more time with Brigid and her daughter. Once Brigid remembered her, she was willing to do anything to get her back. But we only saw a few glimpses of their life together from before, and I would have liked to see more of that to understand Brigid’s character better.

This was delightful, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! The Lost Witch is available now.

The premise of the story was interesting, but I had a hard time connecting and getting into the plot. I feel like the middle was drawn out. The story didn’t really peak for me. I wanted more between Knightly and Brigid. The plot and romance just felt flat.