Iris Gray is living in Washington with her mother, running a wildlife refuge and hiding her magic so no one else could possibly get hurt. To vent her frustrations over life and a certain annoying boy she loathes, she writes curses she never intends to cast. Well, one of these curses is about to be dispelled when an owl, a magical amplifier, swoops down and steals it. Iris now do whatever it takes to find the owl and dispel the curse before people get hurt.

Griffin does it again! I really appreciate the magic infused into her books - this and The Nature of Witches leap off the page with such descriptive writing and phenomenal character development

This fast paced book gives readers just enough magic (I like a lot of displays of magic, ok? 🤷🏻‍♂️) and a fun enemies-to-lovers story I actually believed. Their journey into the woods really captures the power of nature and continues to showcase Griffin’s love of our natural world.

I loved this book! I loved the enemies to tentative friends to lovers. Pike hates witches and Iris is a witch. When a curse Iris creates accidentally finds a home in an owl, an amplifier of witch magic), Iris finds herself on a trip with Pike to find the owl. I loved how they both had to overcome their assumptions about each other and how their relationship evolved throughout the book. The twist at the end I felt was a little predictable, but well done, and I felt like it fit really well with the storyline and made the ending perfect.

i enjoyed the narrator and felt like she did a good job bringing the story to life.

What a perfect autumn read.

Iris Gray is a witch. But she will do anything she can to keep that a secret.

After a deadly incident in her early teens with her best friend, Iris has sworn off publicly admitting she has powers. Using her powers in secret comes in handy at the not for profit wildlife refuge her mother runs. Working with animals is her dream, but the only draw back is the want to be ornithologist, arch enemy and all walking aggravation Pike Alder is always causing drama.

When a maddening encounter turns into a rougue curse, Iris is desperate to undo her wrath and keep her secret.

This is a great enamies to lovers, magical story is a great way to spend your time.

Iris and her mom run a wildlife refuge in Washington state. Iris’s dad didn’t much like that they were witches and the family had to move to avoid persecution, so he eventually decided to stay in Nebraska while they moved elsewhere. Of course, not everyone in the Pacific Northwest likes witches either, including intern at the wildlife refuge, Pike Alder.

Iris has to work with Pike while hiding the fact she’s a witch, as he openly hates witches. One day she writes a curse to turn Pike into a mage (witch) himself, a way to vent her frustrations, fully intending to burn the curse without casting it – but an owl swoops in and steals the curse, flying away with it before she can rid of it. Iris and Pike then team up to go track the owl in the wild to return it safely to the refuge (and get back the curse before it can be unleashed).

I really wanted to like this story but unfortunately Iris and Pike really got on my nerves. They’re both eighteen years old but act much younger, constantly bickering with each other and trying to best the other. Eventually they admit they like each other after hiking through the woods for days tracking this owl, but its the childhood act of a boy teasing and hurting a girl but he really likes her – and I will never get behind that troupe. Both characters make irresponsible choices and while yes, they are young, if they’re responsible enough to go into the wilderness alone with no cell phone reception and only camping tents and the food they can carry on their backs, they should be making smarter choices than this.

The book felt very dialogue heavy between the characters. I can’t explain it but I wanted more showing and less telling about literally everything.

Another point that frustrated me was how repetitive this story felt. The author kept having the characters sate the same thing multiple times in various ways, implying this would move the plot forward, but it only succeeded in saying what was already said. I will also never be able to look at Kind Bars the same way again – there’s certain jokes that just shouldn’t be in books – and the joke of Kind Bars in this book dragged on too long.

There is a part at the very end that felt extremely out of character and unbelievable in this story, which again circles back to two young adults going into the woods alone for days at a time with no communication with the outside world.

One thing I really enjoyed was the fact Iris’s mom was bisexual and had a woman partner who proposed to her early in the story!

I also wish the magic system was explained more clearly – we were given bits and pieces of it, but not enough to satisfy my need for a witchy story. This felt only half-magical and focused more on the romance. I will say, I did enjoy the “only one tent” troupe this book had! I haven’t seen that one before!

I really like that’s what I thought was interesting and different and I liked the narration lots of fun intrigue

Audio review: Great narrator with good character interpretation and nuance. Very easy to listen to.





This was a good self contained story, definitely more aimed at YA/ NA age group. I really enjoyed it but I think I would have fallen in love with it 10 - 15 years ago, so I'm probably a bit outside the target audience now. Iris is a great MC. A girl who is very private and secret about the fact that she is a witch - despite witches being 'out' in society and recognised as citizens. She loves animals but hates the college intern helping at the animal shelter she works at - which is ironic since his name is Pike!

Iris has some issues she needs to deal with including a traumatic past event when her best friend broke witch law and was stripped of her powers. Refusing to deal with her anxiety and social issues leads Iris to accidentally cast a curse on Pike. An animal power amplifier is also tangled up in it and when it escapes, Iris has to get the creature back before the curse activates. The problem is that her mother insists that Iris take Pike with her. It turns out to be an event filled wild camping and tracking trip.



Overall I'm not sure this quite fits 'enemies to lovers' and I (never a romance first reader) found their connection a little thin. But the scenery and adventure were compelling and there was plenty of nuance to Iris herself. Definitely try it if you're looking for a witchy read.

Magic is at the heart of this story as Iris is a witch. She has sworn never to speak of being a witch again after a tragic experience her friend faced and she uses her powers to connect with the animals at the refuge she runs with her mother. To deal with her anxiety and stress, Iris can be found casting spells into the earth in a way that cause no harm. This outlet works well for her until she curses her co-worker and the curse is connected to a owl. When Iris realizes what she has done, she is forced to journey into the woods to find the owl and remove the curse, while being accompanied by the very boy she was cursing. I loved this book from the moment I started reading it. I loved the way that Griffin created Iris as a realistic teenager, who just happened to be a witch. I loved the relationship development between Pike and Iris, as well as the moments they were truly honest with each other. I found myself teared up a few (many) times and I am grateful to have discovered this book. I can't wait to see what Griffin writes next, but I hope she continues to create powerful, emotional, magical tales. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quite possibly my favorite book of the year! The perfect fall witch read!

I loved that the magic system was so believable; it made it all seem plausible. As someone who deals with anxiety, I really felt Iris's struggles throughout the book.

Overall I would recommend this book to everyone!

This book is one of those magical realism stories that is so well-done that it feels real. The intermingling of nature and magic is such a believable combination that following the story didn't require any suspension of belief, which made the story more enjoyable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the surroundings, the animals and the relationships.

I listen to the audio of this and liked the narrator quite a bit. I did really enjoy the fact that it was mostly set in the woods an all focused on nature magic. The romance didn't connect with me but I loved the sanctuary/rescue.

Rachel Griffin, take readers to the wilderness chasing a curse that was never supposed to be released:

When Iris was forced to leave her old home, she vowed never to let anyone know that she was a witch again. This made her a loaner and isolated at the animal sanctuary her mom now owned but she was okay with that as she had her animal friends. When a student intern named Pike started working at the sanctuary it suddenly did not become the haven it had been before. In order to vent her frustration surrounding Pike she crafts a curse against him that she has no intention in casting, but at the last minute the curse is stolen by a bird. Now Iris must find the bird and remove the curse from within it or more than Pike will be in danger from the curse she cast.

This book is not my typical read as it is YA and more on the contemporary romance genre side, and really in a nut shell it is about a teenage girl who makes a decision that she instantly regrets. Now Griffin adds the aspect of Witches and Magic into the mix and makes it all into an intriguing story. It also helps that I think that this book was beautifully written. I felt that Griffin was able to bring me into the world and story with each word written.

I enjoyed the world that Griffin created and the idea that witches specialize in certain kind of magic and what a witch can influence; Humans, Nature or Animals. This allows them to influence those aspects in either positive or negative ways. They cannot right out command it but with the right amount of influence it can seem that way. The also have the ability to write spells and curses by this is not fully explored in the book, other than the plot aspect of it.

Iris specializes in Animals and this is perfect as she works at a nature sanctuary as it allows her and her mom to really connect with animals. Iris is a typical teenager that has suffered a loss of family and friendship and in order to protect herself she does not let anyone in, even the cute boy who teases her nonstop. She does not want anyone to know that she is a witch for fear of the hurt that it will bring her. This is especially felt when Iris and Pike are alone in the forest searching for the Owl. All Iris really want is to belong.

While the suspense is not great in the book, I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat, you can feel how much Iris wants to make right for what she did. Also I was surprised at the path that Griffin took in the story

I really enjoyed this story, much more than I thought I would and I would recommend it to someone who would like an easy witchy read. If Griffin decides to continue Iris' story I would read another book with her as the main character, and if Griffin decides to revisit this world in another book I would read that too.

Enjoy!!!

✨ Review ✨ Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin; Narrated by Laura Knight Keating

I'd been wanting to read Griffin's previous book The Nature of Witches last fall, but never got around to it, so I was excited to grab this witchy fall read. It was a light, YA m/f romance with great magical vibes. I love magic systems grounded in nature and that work along with science and the real world, and so this read well for me in that way.

Iris and her mom, witches who fled their previous town after Iris was too much in the spotlight after her best friend committed a witchy crime, move to Washington to open a wildlife refuge. Iris accidentally binds a curse to an owl, a curse that'd have grave repercussions for many if she can't reposition this magic. Iris and her enemy intern Pike set off into the wilderness to try to find the owl so Iris can secretly undo the magic she bound to it.

Grounded in nature and the outdoors, this book was really lovely to read and the enemies-to-lovers romance between Iris and Pike was sweet in a very YA way. I liked the audio narrator and this made for an easy, relaxing fall read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: fantasy, YA, m/f romance
Location: Washington
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ owls & animals
⭕️ nature-based magical worlds
⭕️ YA fantasy and/or romance
⭕️ outdoors / wilderness adventures

Thanks to Recorded Books and #netgalley for an advanced audio copy of this book!

Wild is the Witch is the kind of low-fantasy YA that even when I was the target demographic for this kind of release I think I still would come away with mixed feelings. The entire conflict of the novel hinges on teenage witch Iris creating a curse meant for her to-be love interest as a way to release her anger. This is the most unhealthy coping mechanism I think I’ve ever read in a YA fantasy… and I’ve read some needlessly angsty ones. It's a little like she started throwing knives blindfolded and then got upset when someone walked into her path of destruction. That’s not a character being a dumb teenager - it’s a character actively working to harm the people around them through negligence. Which made it hard to sympathize with her for the rest of the novel thereafter.

The worldbuilding here is very nebulous, which is not altogether unusual for low fantasy. But still this recognition that witches are acknowledged in this world as very real beings and yet often still hide their identities due to discrimination set the stage for a very complex world we are only ever told about instead of being shown it. Iris does not interact - either negatively or positively - with any other character on page for most of the book except for Pike and her mother. Obviously her witch mother is not a source of conflict here, and Pike is established very immediately as being prejudiced against witches so we get the two opposite ends of the spectrum and nothing in between. Iris spends the entirety of the novel hunting through the woods with an owl with Pike. There is no worldbuilding beyond that, besides the promise of an interesting setup.

Hangups with the world and small cast of characters aside, I’m just not completely okay with the conclusion here too. It left me with a lot of confusion trying to parse out the author’s message on forcing an identity on a person that wants nothing to do with it, and then painting that as something good for everyone involved. Ultimately I went into this book wanting some witchy vibes for spooky season but left it with the kindest thing I can say is that it’s forgettable.

Thank you to the publisher RB Media and Recorded Books for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. I am always a sucker for a good witchy tale. But this one was better than I expected.

I absolutely loved Iris and Pike’s adventure and how their relationship grew into what it ended up being. This story took a turn from what I expected and it made me love it even more!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an advance copy of the audiobook. This is my honest voluntary review.

Fab-U-Lous Narration in the audiobook! Simple plot, beautiful character development, solid story. Not really a plot driven story. Looking back not a ton of big things happened in the actual book. Some big back story stuff happened, but the main plot is pretty simple and straight forward. The characters were beautifully and richly developed though. Even the owl became a beloved character or it’s own, which in my opinion is the sign of a great character writer. Not a lot of twists or surprises since it wasn’t so much plot driven. But solid storytelling nonetheless.

Wild is the Witch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 8/2/22
Author: Rachel Griffin
Publisher: RB Media
Narrator: Laura Knight Keating
GR: 4.18

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and RB Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Iris Gray loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them. Iris concocts a cruel torment for him. But just as she’s about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris’s dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike, but on everyone in the region. They work together to find the bird but Pike doesn’t know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she’s willing to go to keep her secrets safe.

My Thoughts: I don’t really care for fantasy. However, I do love a good witch/magic story and this one was perfect. Even though this was a witch story, it still had some classic tropes, that were executed flawlessly, such as enemies to lovers and forced proximity, some of my favorites. The narrator was so amazing, she really brought these characters to life, I got feel what they felt and definitely felt immersed into the story. The characters were flushed out with depth, tension, chemistry, witty banter, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was flawless, complex, intriguing, engaging, and brilliant. The author has a way of looping you into this story with the magic, romance, and just all around fantastic writing. This flow of this story was magical and was paced so efficiently that the listening time just flew by! The message that this book gives is so empowering to teens, Iris makes a mistake and she goes to the end of the earth to make it right, this is such a good message. This book is already out and I highly recommend.

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin was such a delightful book. I was surprised but how much I liked this book!
Iris is such a great character and I just loved everything about her. She shows so much character and grace and just a lovely example of a genuine good person!
This book has a unique story and a beautiful fantastic magical element. I think it will be enjoyable to many!
The narration of this was excellent and I would highly recommend listening to it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, Rachel Griffin, Laura Knight Keating and Recorded Books for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

I love the subtle way that Rachel Griffin incorporates magic into the existing world. The natural aspect she has the witches adhere to. The magic they wield isn't something beyond imagination, its linked to the earth, and the creatures that inhabit it.

As someone who lives near where this book takes place, it really captures the imagery and magic the mountains and the wilderness, and makes you fall in love with the idea behind it all.

You follow Iris and Pike on an adventure filled with secrets that you can't wait to be exposed.

The narrator, Laura Knight Keating, did an amazing job of bringing the story to life.

I loved this novel! I am a big fan of witches and this story did not disappoint. Iris makes a mistakes and binds a devastating curse to an owl. Her and Pike set out to try and find the owl but he doesn’t know Iris’s truth. Can these two find the owl without unleashing the curse? I enjoyed the character development with the 2 main characters. All in all this was a delightful read!

This would be a perfect fall book!
The descriptions of the wind, the woods, and the magic are so atmospheric.

The magic system is extremely interesting, I would love to have the power to connect with animals like Iris and her mother does; their relationship is very sweet and feels genuine.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I'm DNFing it at 24%. This is all on me, not the book or the author. I received this as an audiobook, and I'm having a hard time with audiobooks. I want to pick it up in the future as a physical read because I'm intrigued with the budding enemies-to-lover romance between Iris and Pike. This book would be a great transition for middle-grade readers who want to start reading YA or anyone who enjoys YA's earlier side.