I received this ARC from NetGalley just in time for Halloween! I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book, and I found the two main protagonists to be darlings. I hated Zenos and Eugenia so much, I thought their respective fates were fitting. The only thing I can think of that fell short is the grammar — there were a handful of errors, but nothing too distracting from the story.

I'm giving this book two stars because of the queer representation; otherwise, I truly could not finish it to save my life. Maybe I'll revisit it in the future when I'm in a different state of mind, but honestly? I wish I liked it more, because a lot of reviewers did, but I found it to be incredibly shallow and - I hate being critical - honestly somewhat boring. From what I managed to finish, there really isn't much of Rapunzel in this novel - Ava's captivity is not the primary focus of the story, and she escapes fairly early on. Queer retellings of fairy tales are very in right now, but to market this book as one of them is a disservice to both the reader and the book.

What's really sad is that there's so much potential - Ava's relationship with her abusive and controlling mother, her relationship with Kaye, but all the worldbuilding and characterization is incredibly shallow. Characterization is the keystone of all novels - why should you finish the book if you don't care who it's about?

This book could be so much better, but I think it should have seen a few more rounds of editing before getting sent to publication. Maybe it will change a bit more between now and its release date. I hope so, because it's got good bones overall, it just needs fine-tuning and a bit of bolstering.

This book has witches and vampires which has always made for a fantastic duo. There is also some mama drama in the book as well and it is a sapphic rapunzel retelling. Sounds like a very promising book and it really could have been! I think we a few revisions before publication if possible would fix some of the issues to make this a truly incredible read.

One of the things I found sad was the lack of character development. I was looking for really complex characters in this book, especially with the background but we didn't get that. And of course with witches and vampires there should always be a level of unpredictability and moral greyness; like you never know what they may do sort of thing or what their motives are. It would have made things a little bit tenser in the story. The writing overall could use some additional details whilst removing details that don't really help push the story forward. Like how old are the characters for example? Maybe cutting down on other parts of the story or using some parts to incorporate ages would have been a good idea.

As I mentioned, I think overall this is a very promising read but it does need a little revision in some areas to make it a more well-rounded book.

A twist on a Rapunzel retelling, with witches, vampires and a deranged mother and stepfather. Ava is struggling to find her place in the world after her mother turns her into a vampire. She is still a root witch and now struggles with both identities. The story was more back drop for a series and leaves the door open to more at the end but it just did not do it for me. I was invested enough to finish but I am not interested enough to see what happens next. It is written well and maybe if I was younger I would have enjoyed it more but it’s not my thing. I love both witches and vampires so that does speak volumes for me.

I have yet to read a Rapunzel retelling, and I’m elated that a sapphic one was my first. A vampire and a witch teaming up to save innocents against evil from a dying forest. Banter and tension. What more could you want?

*4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Witch and The Vampire, I was very excited to read this book as I’m all for retellings of fairytales and this one being a sapphic version?? Yes please.

Ava and Kaye were adorable and I loved the premise of starting a new life together from the trauma they just escaped from their mothers. Ava with her found family of vampires and teaching them to control their thirst was a great way to end it.

Now my notes, unfortunately this book stuffers from HEAVY info dumping. Throughout the story we are constantly told things that happened and never shown it and it became taxing. Another was the writing at times felt very juvenile. The plot was good enough that it didn’t bug me too much but it was there nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley and Francesca Flores for this arc. I will be checking out the authors future works for sure.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read The Witch and the Vampire early!

Francesca Flores wrote such a spellbinding novel. I'm in awe. Majestic storytelling, incredible craft and original ideas mix together to create an innovative and amazing book which will surely enthral lots of readers.

I loved this darker Rapunzel retelling. The story of Ava and Kaye, one is a vampire and one is a witch, friends turned enemies. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I marked this review with spoilers not sure if it really does or not.

I really loved seeing both of their journeys of embracing who they are and finding their own strength. Ava trying to break free and Kaye finding herself.

The book starts quick and keeps a steady pace. The whole time I was reading it I kept trying to guess what would happen next. There were a few things I didn’t see coming.

The story of Ava and Kaye was beautifully written seeing two young woman who were once so close try and now are enemies. Seeing their conflicts of emotions that come with trying to figure out who you are and how people see you. Watching Ava free herself and become her own hero. Seeing Kaye find and embrace her own identity. Then seeing the two of them embrace one another and their love for one another.

The world building is nicely done it isn’t too complicated and is easy to follow along with.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who love a great fairy tale retelling. YA fantasy. Stories of characters embracing who they are and finding their own strength.

Great romance with adventure and some good plot twists. Really enjoyed this story following Ava and Kaye and their journey from friends to enemies to lovers.

4.5 ⭐️

I was instantly hooked from the description of “queer Rapunzel retelling”.

The Witch and The Vampire follows Ava, Root Witch turned vampire, and Kaye, a Flame Witch trained to hunt vampires. Ava was turned into her mother two years ago, who is now siphoning Ava’s magic to keep herself looking like a human and keeping her only child locked up in a spooky attic. Her mother, Eugenia, also happens to have a super secret evil plan that’s supposed to set loose vampires throughout the entire realm (in a not slay way). This results in Ava running away to chase after freedom and to find the vampire queen, who can supposedly put an end to Eugenia’s evil plans. When Ava escapes, Kaye follows Ava into the woods and manages to convince the poor naïve girl she was once best friends with to travel with her. Kaye has ulterior motives, however. She plans on turning Ava in once they get to their agreed upon destination. Along the way, Kaye and Ava do not just face danger from man-eating trees and random vampires, but also begin to fall for one another.

It’s an enemies-to-lovers tale that had me hooked. By the time I was only 10% of the way through, I had a hard time stopping myself from reading. Flores did a remarkable job creating the angst needed for this tale as well as building the world up and following a plot.

There were characters I rooted for, characters I despised, and characters I literally wanted to physically strangle. I liked that Kaye and Ava’s had separate character arcs/journeys that added to the story as a whole. It made them feel as though they were fully fleshed out characters.

I will say— as satisfactory as the ending of this book was— I felt like the actions taken were entirely out of character for both of the protagonists. I won’t get too deep into it to prevent spoilers, but neither Kaye nor Ava really acted as they should have in the wake of the big climax. It felt as though the author was more focused on providing a happy ending rather one that would have stayed true to the characters morals and personalities.

Kaye and Ava were the best of friends….but two years ago Kaye’s mother was murdered by vampires - the same night that Ava went missing. Kaye believes that Ava has something to do with her mother’s murder and wants to get revenge, she’s determined to hunt down her ex-friend and serve justice for her mother. Little does Kaye know that Ava’s mother has had her trapped in a tower and has been stealing her witch powers. The two run into one another in the cursed forest… Ava believes that she may have a chance to reconnect with her dear friend, but Kaye is determined to turn her friend in. The twists and turns that we go on as we adventure with these two is fast-paced and captivating. The imagery was INCREDIBLE.

I was hooked on this novel from the start. The world-building, the story, and the characters all came together so perfectly! I love that we get a dual POV- switching between Kaye and Ava. I loved being able to see the shifts in perspectives and the way they truly felt about one another despite the guards they kept up.

I will say that I was expecting there to be more romance, as this was touted as a sapphic-love story, but I’m not incredibly disappointed that we didn’t focus too much on the romance. There was so much action and adventure - these two were fighting to stay alive that it’s understandable that this was QUITE a *SLOW BURN.* For this reason, I feel as though we have A LOT of potential for Kaye and Ava’s story.. I’d love for there to be a sequel and continue this series!

This book is not smut by any means - it’s incredibly wholesome! I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy vampires, witches, supernatural, enemies to lovers, secret schemes, dramatic forest scenes, and an all around well-written story that’ll keep you turning the page!!

I have so much gratitude for Wednesday Books, Francesca Flores, & NetGalley for allowing me to consume this AMAZING ARC. I will without a doubt be recommending this novel to all my friends & getting a physical copy when it hits the shelves. I cannot wait to read more from Francesca Flores.

This book delivered a good true enemies to lovers story. Witches and vampires are natural enemies, which Kaye and Ava were raised to believe, and they really see the other as an enemy. There is so much tension between them but also longing and their relationship was well done. Them being friends before the events of the story also helped to add to the complexity of them being enemies. I loved Kaye and Ava together more so than as individuals. To me they felt very one minded and theirs only one path for them to take, which made them and their povs feel somewhat repetitive. Besides that, I also really enjoyed the story itself. I loved the spin on a Rapunzel retelling.

Overall, this was a good pure enemies to lovers fantasy and I do recommend!

Read if you’re looking for…
•enemies to lovers
•Rapunzel retelling
•wlw relationship
•dual pov

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores
The cover gets a 5. Period. Witches and Vampires, … also a 5.
It’s pitched as a romance, but to be honest, the two main characters were so busy trying not to die or kill each other, there wasn’t a whole lot of time for romance. But I’m not mad about that. I rather enjoyed the story, the characters, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Many thanks to Francesca Flores, NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and St Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

I was really excited about this book because I love retellings and I really love rapunzel so I wanted to see how this would go with witches and vampires.

I hate to say this but it was just plain and somewhat boring. It didn’t really grab my attention and I had to keep making myself finish it. I don’t think it was bad and I do think it has potiental. It just wasn’t the right book for me.

3 stars.

The Witch and the Vampire was an adventurous tale! I really enjoyed both main characters and their history together and how they came to be allies once more. The world building in this book was really cool, I loved all the details and the magic system. The queer representation was awesome but the romance didn't dominate the storyline and I really liked that since this was such a rich tale of supernatural beings. I really enjoyed that the vampires were oppressed and the author did this in order to get a point across. Just because something is different doesn't give anyone else (or anything else) the excuse to be cruel. I also really loved the ending and how everything came together. This was a fresh and unique take on witches and vampires and I think readers are going to love it!

The Witch and The Vampire

A queer Rapunzel retelling…featuring witches and vampires? Sign me up. Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this arc.

Ava, a root witch, was turned into a vampire against her will and is being kept locked in an attic being controlled and siphoned of her power by her mother and step-father. She longs to get away and reunite with her best friend, Kaye.

Kaye has lost her mother in a vampire attack and has set her sights on becoming a full fledged root witch and getting her revenge on her mother’s killer. Even if that killer turns out to be her former friend.

Witches trained to hunt vampires. Vampires trapped in a dying forest and controlled by their Queen. Both sets of persons fighting for a better world and wanting to protect themselves. But when they realize that what they believe about themselves, each other and humanity may not be correct, they must have to forge their own paths.

This was an interesting premise and story and my first true fall witchy/vampire read of the season. Such a great story. Highly recommend.

Story: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
(Thanks to NetGalley, Francesca Flores, and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

A queer re-telling of Rapunzel!! A fantasy-romance read made fun exactly what I needed! First the cover is just eye catching to me! To be honest I wanted to read this book in less than two days but I had to pull strings and make it a weeks worth which made it 10 times better.

I love the aspect of vampires and witches, it’s so sapphic as it is, I was hooked from the beginning. I wasn’t too sure if this book was going to let me down, LET ME TELL YOU I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!

The thought of witches being able to be turned to vampires is honestly fascinating! Something like the Vampires Diaries but amped up to give new for the better, which is something I love for books!

The characters (Kaye & Ava) were perfect in my opinion from start to finish, they were very much realistic, I love that they are their own with their own voice. I loved being able to see their points of view!

I’m still so at awe with kinda everything even after reading this beautifully written book, the journey, the setting, the characters, genuinely brings this book to life on the pages!

Lastly, I also liked how the ending is open for a
potential sequel. WHICH I NEED!!!

When I heard about this books existence I was basically skipping with joy. I’ve wanted a sapphic vampire/witch romance for centuries it feels like. So, seeing this come into existence was a dream come true. Having the story be a Rapunzel retelling was the cherry on top.

What I enjoyed immensely:
-The dark elements, too often have I seen vampires in ya fiction seem anything but vampires. This story didn’t do that. It gave me all the morally grey characters I could need and I was crying with joy. The vampires were bloodthirsty, dark, twisty and just pure perfection. Nuira has my hand in marriage, in my eyes she’s done no wrongs.
-The dynamic between witches and vampires was really interesting. The power struggles between them kept me on my toes especially with Ava being both vampire and witch.

With all that being said there were a few things that I wasn’t entirely sold on. There was a minor character death that im still unsure why it was necessary. It felt more random than sad. The development between Kaye and Ava did feel a bit rushed, especially with how Kaye was supposed to strongly hate Ava. Kaye was very vocal about many things she hated about vampires and then all the sudden it’s like she was pro vampires. There were a few repetitive lines and paragraphs but it was minor.

Overall, this was a strong fantasy sapphic story and I did eat it up. It’s been too long without a good vampire story. There were witches, vampires, rapunzel retelling, like that’s all you could ever need in life in my opinion.

This is my review copied from Goodreads. posted October 4, 2022.

THIS is a Rapunzel fairytale retelling DONE RIGHT!!!

The Witch and the Vampire was my first sapphic novel and it did not disappoint.
I had so much fun reading this book. It kept me hooked all the way through. I loved the slow but realistic progression from “enemies” to “lovers”. I loved the character’s individual personalities and struggles that we got to see develop through dual POV.
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(End of Review)

I would have liked to see more from the ending. It felt very abrupt. Like everything was resolved too quickly.

Besides the ending, I would recommend this book to others. It teaches us a lot of lessons on how to be yourself and strong in standing firm for what you believe. This was my first book from Francesca Flores but I would definitely be interested in reading more. I would love a physical copy of this book to add to my library!

I can see the headlines now! One of the best queer fantasy reads of 2023! The Witch and the Vampire is such a fantasy driven read. There is romance, action, understanding ugh! Everything that I look for in a good read, I was able to follow the plot and didn’t think too hard about what I had just read. I was able to escape in the world and that’s what I love about The Witch and the Vampire. This was my first francesca Florence read but it won’t be my last!