Sapphic witch and vampire? YES PLEASE!
Absolutely fantastic retelling! The slow romance and atmosphere drags you into the story, and is so easy to fly through it. The characters are so cute together and the whole book you are so excited for them to get together! This is a must red for all my sapphic readers out there. While there does need to be some polishing typo wiser (which will probably be fixed for the finished edition) I think this was a wonderful book and really enjoyed it.

Also PLEASE MAKE A SECOND BOOK! I CANT HANDLE THE ENDING, I NEED MORE

Sapphic, witches, vampire, and Rapunzel! Need I say more??

The vibes and writing were immaculate!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

CONTENT WARNINGS: abuse, animal death(s), death(s), slight gore

Ava, a root-witch-turned-vampire is being kept locked in an attic being controlled and siphoned off her power by her mother and stepfather. Watching the world goes on from her window, she longs for freedom - and to reunite with her best friend, Kaye.

Kaye has a burning ambition to become a full-fledged fire witch in order to avenge her mother, who died in a vampire attack years ago. She’ll stop at nothing to kill the one responsible - even if that killer turns out to be her former best friend.

One fateful night, Ava escapes her attic and reunites with Kaye. Though both girls are not who they once were, they uphold a sense of peace by agreeing to travel deep into the forest together. While Kaye secretly plans on turning Ava in, Ava hopes to rekindle what they once were to each other, while secretly yearning that the two could be so much more.

—

It’s been a while since I truly enjoyed reading a Young Adult novel such as this one. I was not expecting to have so much fun while reading! If high-school Abbey could have this book in her hands, she’d be ecstatic.

The friends-to-enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance plot truly scratched such a particular itch for me. I will add, however, that the pacing of the trust between Ava and Kaye was very rushed in the last 60ish pages. It was satisfying until Kaye seemingly just went hardcore ride-or-die for Ava after all of the delicious tension between them. I would’ve loved to see more communication between the two, the reader gets a good glimpse into their individual thoughts, but Ava and Kaye just… refuse to truly talk freely about their issues to each other.

Another area of improvement would be the lore. It’s there, but the many unanswered questions leave a lot to be desired. However, I have a feeling the author is at least going to try and expand on that topic in a possible sequel. But therein lies the issue, possible sequel. There’s no guarantee that Ava and Kaye’s story will continue. I believe I read somewhere that the book was originally supposed to be a standalone. Why would you write an open-ended ending implying a continuation when you know you do not intend to continue? I don’t know, one can only hope, I suppose.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It’s perfect for folks who like sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance plots with fast-paced, easy-to-consume fantasy action.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book exchange for an honest review.

The cover... the cover.. the cover! Now, I'm a person who judges a book by its cover, and, as beautiful as it is, the narrative matches it wonderfully. Friends, to enemies, to lovers, is a trope that I'm now adding to my list of favorites. From the moment I dove into this book, I couldn't get enough. The way the author weaves her words is so beautiful, there were a couple of passages where they just touched me. I IMMEDIATELY pre-ordered the book so I could have a physical copy as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!
Spoiler-free review: A sapphic retelling of rapunzel WITH VAMPIRES?? My interest was immediately piqued. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me. The character development was underwhelming and it felt like there was too much focus on world-building and info-dumping to truly get submerged into the story. The premise is so unique and interesting I truly hope this one goes through another round of editing because it could truly be a fantastic story.
1.5 Stars

Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the hype. I loved the concept and it sounded amazing, but I feel it didn't deliver.

There were many holes in logic that I feel should have been caught by an editor. Characters were able to hug with their hands tied, hundreds of acres were described as taking days to cross, a field took someone ten minutes to cross, a character threw a sword at someone standing right in front of them, a character started experiencing extreme dehydration the minute they realized they no longer had access to water, etc.

And I know this is an ARC and there will be errors, but there was a moment where a character's dialogue was replaced with, "65tt." And there were several moments where it was like a paragraph had been deleted because the narrative would suddenly jump to the middle of action.

The characters acted immature for a good deal of the book and had wild swings in morals and emotions. Their voices also didn't feel distinct enough as there were times I forgot which POV the chapter was in.

I feel like this book could have been really good if it had been given more attention and allowed to be edited more. The concept was amazing and I really wish it had been given a better chance.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't complete reading this book as the writing style wasn't suited to my own personal tastes. As such, I will not be leaving a full review for it on Netgalley or any other platforms since I only leave positive reviews of ARCs I've completed.

So this was a title I was really excited to read. I loved the premise, and at the start of the book, I saw so much potential. I loved how Kaye and Ava are set up in the beginning of the book and I was excited to see how the story moved. However, for me the writing fell flat. The characters, while having complexity, were hindered by flat writing, and I found the plot to end up being predictable. That being said, I really loved some of the descriptive writing Flores used to set the scene and tone of the book. The ambiance was really beautiful and that for me made up for my issues with the writing. I was able to fly though this book because I really loved being in this world. I think for fans of YA, I would give this one a shot. It was a fun read.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Francesca Flores for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
.
This book has been on my radar for a while (since like May) as I have been following the author Francesca on TikTok. It is marketed as a sapphic retelling of Rapunzel and of course, I had to read it! I was finally able to get to this book and ended up reading it in a day. I haven’t read much fantasy recently, but I really enjoyed it. It is very action-packed! This book has friends to onesided enemies to lovers and I absolutely loved it. It was really interesting reading about the magic system and rules for vampires in this one. I love how there is no trace of homophobia in this book even though it is set in a historical setting. Also, let me tell you the ending is my absolute favorite thing ever! ☺️ I would love to see more of Ava and Kaye in the future! This is definitely one I would suggest all y’all check out when it comes out in March! Also, the cover is absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to have this one on my shelves! 💕
.
The Witch and The Vampire by Francesca Flores publishes on March 21st!

Kaye and Ava are former best friends, separated for years by events that led to Ava becoming a vampire, and Kaye a vampire hunting witch. Now reunited on a journey that could end in betrayal, all sorts of feelings are being stirred up...

I found this book a bit confusing, with lackluster world building that just didn't give me the information I needed. The characters themselves were fine, but the romance wasn't very well developed. A quick and easy fantasy!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for review.

i have been so incredibly excited to finally read this because the idea of a queer rapunzel retelling sounds very appealing and interesting to me.

the book is marketed as a young adult book but the writing to me felt even more juvenile than that. this of course resulted in the book being a quick and easy read, though i had honestly just been hoping for more. that on top of the underdeveloped characters and what in my opinion seems to be a badly developed romantic relationship made for a disappointing book for me.

the publisher kindly provided this arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. It is the impactful female-centered vampire story I didn't know I wanted or needed AND has witches. From the very beginning through to the end the book is fast-paced and packed with action. Ava and Kaye are presented with strong backgrounds and solid motivations for everything they do. The alternating POVs work wonderfully to consistently show the reader what is happening. Had I known going in that the entire story would be set in two villages/towns with the core of it being set in one forest, I may have doubted the logic in that, but the small world feels so vast. Their families inadvertently push Kaye and Ava to embark on journeys of self-discovery, yet it takes time for the girls to even realize they've been pushed on that path. From the time Ava escapes her attic confinement the book feels like a story of female empowerment, not only through Ava's Root witch & vampiric powers and Kaye's Flame witch powers but because of the women they grow to become over the course of the novel.

The Witch and the Vampire is marketed as a Rapunzel retelling, and I see that connection to an extent. Ava, with the long hair down to her toes, must escape her attic bedroom and free herself from her own version of Mother Gothel. In my eyes Ava is not the only Rapunzel in the story, though, as Kaye has her own confined life to also escape from, but in a metaphorical sense. Her prison is not truly physical but more mental with a twist of her own Mother Gothel. After the beginning, however, I forgot the retelling aspect of the novel altogether and only pondered on it after the conclusion.

The snippets at the start of every chapter until the last few are extras that added to the world building without the characters having to further explain anything. I loved how the journal's importance is illuminated when the plot allows for the author to be revealed. The handbook of the Flame witches from Kaye's school and Arborren sheds light on why the entire community functions the way it does. Overall, I call this a phenomenal book and only wish it included a map.

I thank Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this ebook ARC.

I really loved the premise of this book, a rapunzel retelling with witches and vampires. I did really enjoy both main characters and the overall storyline but I just wasn't a fan of the writing style. It felt more like a middle grade book than a young adult one. Despite that though, I have fun reading it but it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Nothing enticed me more into reading this book than seeing it marketed as a “queer Rapunzel retelling” as everything about that description is right up my alley! And while the premise was promising, this book and its potential underdelivered and didn’t “wow” me like I had hoped.

The magic system was a little confusing to me as it was too vague and I couldn’t make much sense of how it worked. I simply had too many questions about it and the extent of how it worked. Ironically enough, I also found there to be quite a lot of info dumping and this book really focused on telling and not showing (which led to some unnecessarily lengthy descriptions during memories that would’ve been more fun to relive than just describe). The ending also felt very rushed and the big battle scene ended rather quickly.

I did, however, like the main characters well enough. They did feel a little flat, but the dual POV did help me understand their motives a little better even if they were rather black and white in their viewpoints. I did like that the romance was slow burn despite the characters knowing each other for so long as it helped create some conflict with their inner emotions. I do think that the constant trust issues between the two main characters throughout the book seemed to be cast away too quickly at the end to resolve the romance plot line. I love a “happy” ending for the main couple, but I do appreciate some healthy communication and a realistic timeline.

The side characters were okay and the setting was fun to visualize, especially the scenes in the forest. The Rapunzel retelling aspect was certainly evident in the reference to a tower and a character being locked away with and overbearing and evil mother (and mother’s awful boyfriend). I did like that it was vampires and witches and that wolves/shifters were not a part of this story and that made it more unique.

This book may not have delivered as much as I had hoped on the premise that it promised, but I do like the vibes and the general storyline in itself. Overall a great idea that could’ve done better with a stronger plot and magic system. (Also the cover artwork is gorgeous and deserves a mention!)

2/5 stars! I'm always disappointed when a stunningly beautiful cover and an amazing story idea are the most exciting parts of the book. The idea of a sapphic witch/vampire slow-burn romance was amazing and I was really looking forward to this story. Unfortunately, the writing feels juvenile even for YA. I think the author has a lot of amazing ideas and just needs some time and assistance to better represent them in text in a way the audience can enjoy.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

- thank you to netgalley and Wednesday books for the digital arc!

- when i saw that this was a sapphic rapunzel retelling with vampires and witches, i was beyond excited to read it. unfortunately, i found myself dnf’ing at 6%.

- the writing style was a little confusing to me as i read, coming off as more of a middle grade style than a ya style. there’s nothing wrong with that, but i found it hard to get through.

- the characters as well felt very absent with personality. Ava was very flat and spent most of her chapters repeating herself, with Kaye sounding similar. it was hard to tell them apart narratively.

- i wish i enjoyed this more, but I’ll keep an eye out for this authors future works!

Wow! Wow! Wow! This retelling of Rapunzel with a witch and his vampire is stunning.

Kaye & Ava are such good YA characters and the representation is spectacular. This read has a lot of in depth descriptions of scenery and of main characters emotions which helps get a view into both perspectives. The dual perspective switches with a good flow and is not too jumpy. There is some questions on things in the background that are mentioned once and not explained and gets a tad confusing with the intros for each chapter, but overall the plot is exactly what it says and even better. This is exactly what any YA fantasy reader would want in a book.

Tropes :
-Friends to enemies to lovers
-Queer Romance
-Romeo & Juliet divided vibes
-Rapunzel

Content Warning:
Parental Abuse to Child

Easy to read very digestable writing. Plot was okay, but a pretty standard friends-enemies-lovers arc that didn't differ from the template that much. I liked the characters but they were lacking some moments for them to form more meaningful connections. I just wanted a bit more from this and I don't think I got it. A solid okay but not groundbreaking.

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an E-Arc of The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores for review!

I think the premise of the book was so intriguing. A sapphic Rapunzel retelling with Witches and Vampires and childhood friends turned enemies sounds literally so awesome. However, I couldn't help but feel as though the writing was incredibly juvenile and felt like an unedited first draft. Maybe that is too harsh of me, but the dialogue, moments of thought, plot, etc. all felt very cringe to me at times and almost gave in vibes of "adult writing teenagers" (e.g., Riverdale dialogue). I really, really wanted to love this, and I am just disappointed, honestly.

This was okay, and I think my biggest issue is I was expecting more from it.

Rapunzel is one of my all time favorite fairy-tale stories, and I adore most forms and re-tellings, so I was excited for this sapphic witch x vampire take on the classic tale. My biggest issue is I think this book suffered from a case of 'tell not show' which can work in some novels, but it didn't really work in this one. Because of that, I think we also ended up with characters who ended up being shallow and not as well-developed, which ended up leading to the story not feeling like it had a lot of depth to it.

Overall, a decent attempt, but not something I think I would read again.

The Witch and the Vampire is set to be published on March 21, 2023. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley and the author for the digital Advanced Reader's Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.