3.5 stars

The Hedge Witch of Foxhall is an incredibly charming YA fantasy inspired by Welsh folklore. The story is filled with strong-willed characters and whimsical magic in a world where greed is driving magic out of the land. I really loved the first half of the story, but the introduction of a love triangle completely ruined the second half.

I love Ffion as a main character. She is feisty and determined to do what is right. I loved exploring how her relationship with magic contrasted with the coven witches of Foxhall. The princes Taliesin and Dafydd are both intriguing characters and I think there was a lot of potential to explore their relationship as brothers and their attitudes towards the crown. These themes are present in the story, but they are overshadowed by an incredibly bizarre love triangle.

The love triangle completely derailed the second half of the story. It made no sense, caused illogical conflict between the characters, and led to some extremely out-of-character behavior. It took away from the story to have something so ridiculous, and ultimately pointless, dominate the plot.

Though The Hedge Witch of Foxhall kind of went downhill as it progressed, I did love the two finale moments. They were really touching and suited the characters well.

I would highly recommend this to people newer to YA fantasy, but if you are typically bothered by love triangles it may have to be an avoid for you.

This book is pure magic and whimsy. I love how rich and detailed the world is. The characters are vibrant and complicated.

excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

Beautiful, cosy, whimsical and now one of my favourite comfort read!
The Hedgewitch of Foxhall has everything you need for an adventurous, forestcore and hilarious adventure that is steeped in Welsh mythology, folklore, songs and the love of nature. It has a great message about fate, spinning the wheel to your advantage, fighting for what you deem worthy and for the truth, the twisted threads of love, relationships and friendship.
Each character was well-thought out, having their own purpose and their own voice.

This was delightful, if only a little bit long.

While it is a YA title, the writing is eloquent and timeless. I really enjoyed everything about it.

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.

Ugh. I should've realized this heavily involved a love triangle. None of the protagonists were really appealing to me and they all read as incredibly immature kids. I would've liked the magic but it was more about the politics than the magic, so, snore.

This is a long-overdue review of "The Hedgewitch of Foxhall”, a cozy fantasy book that I actually loved! The best way I can describe the vibe is if Merida was combined with A River Enchanted and The Last Unicorn. The story itself was super cute, easy to read, and full of mythological creatures. I enjoyed it from start to finish and had to buy a copy for my library.

This book is definitely worth checking out if you’re into:
🦊 whimsical, witchy fairytales
🦊 animal companions
🦊 historical fantasy
🦊 funny bickering as banter

Also, can we talk about this gorgeous cover art?? It’s giving The Unicorn Tapestries, and I want it as a wallpaper.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately I did not finish this book, I didn’t realize it was a love triangle and I gave the book until 25% but I was not hooked. This is super sad for me as I loved the premise and this book was a really highly anticipated read!!
Thank you the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I DNFed this book at 42%. I’m not sure if I just read it too close to Where the Dark Stands Still or what, but this book just isn’t for me. I could see myself coming back to it later on and possibly enjoying it, but I know my students would love it.

Multiple POVs, a quest, magic is dying. These are great qualities. I just found the one prince a bit insufferable (beyond the normal insufferablensess) and the hedgewitch wasn’t the most inspiring heroine to me.

(I absolutely love this book, it has become one of my favourite cosy reads ever! That’s it, that’s the review)

If I could, I would give this book more than 5⭐️! I adored this book so much!

We follow Ffion and Prince Taliesin on this journey that will change their lives, through the ups and down of trusting and letting new people in, of love and family. Let me start by saying I absolutely love her standing up for what’s right - and not do things just because “that’s how it’s done”. Just like Ffion, I am a believer that you don’t need to step on anyone to achieve your goals, no matter how long it takes. She is absolutely lovely and it’s amazing to see her grow during the story and the outcome of her hard work. Prince Taliesin is a bit of a mischievous character but he definitely has a good heart and I felt that him and Ffion brought the best of each other and were needed in this journey not only to save the kingdom but also to find themselves and their place in the world. And then we have Prince Dafydd, who’s not interested in the throne and just wants to live a humbling life.

The way all these characters’ lives intertwined was magical. The writing was very lovely and easy to get into, the world was simple but interesting and easy to get yourself immersed. We have fantastic tropes such as found family, second chances, a well done love triangle, slow burn and a personal favourite, a one bed inn! I wouldn’t say there’s enemies-to-lovers as I don’t think they start as enemies, they’re simply strangers in need of each other help to achieve their own goals that slowly become friends and gently something more.

I super super recommend this book if you like YA witchy cosy fantasies with a sub genre of romance and family relationships. This was extremely heartwarming and beautiful and I am definitely reading it again next spooky season! I would say this is a lovely blend between Emily Wilde by Heather Fawcett, Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin and A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft!

Such a great fantasy book, the world building is great and the character are likable, enjoyed every second of it and very exited about more books from this author . Definitely will recommend

I enjoyed this read so much!! Not only is the cover stunning but the description of magic and the welsh lands were stunning as well. I loved the way magic was portrayed. It gave me a feeling of wonder & foreboding, as did the wildness & welsh lore! Ffion I was drawn, I liked her connection to nature & her unwillingness to let others judgements effect her! I can't say I was the biggest fan of Tal or the whole love triangle in general. I felt it took away from the main adventure & I just didn't connect or follow it well. Other than close proximity I didn't really understand their feelings for each other and once Dafydd was in the picture it just seemed like Tal wanted Ffion because he saw her first. It felt like he just wanted to claim her so his brother couldn't have her, it just didn't sit well with me. That was my biggest qualm with the book but the atmosphere made up for it and rest of the story made up for it! I thought the ending was wrapped up very nicely! I do recommend for cozy magical cottagecore vibes the book really fits the bill! 4/5 stars!!

A Welsh fantasy novel that young adults will enjoy. I liked the characters and the setting. I will buy this book for our school library.

This was such a fun cozy fantasy read! I loved the characters and I thought the whole thing was very unique and engaging. Will for sure recommend and will be adding to our library!

This was such a cute team up of a novel! I enjoyed the characters and their adventures but honestly...I read this two weeks ago, saw it on Libby today and almost requested it because I had already forgotten about it. So it might have been a bit too surface level to be a remembered read but it was a fun palette cleanser!

A delectable fantasy for fans of Juliet Marillier! I did struggle with the pacing a little bit, maybe due to the story jumping in POVs, but the book hit its stride halfway through.

The first half had me entirely hooked, the banter between Ffion and Taliesin was some of the best I've ever read. They're both SO stubborn and fierce, but in a way that's tied to their honor and morals. They truly would do anything for those they care for, but it doesn't close them off to growth either, and we see Taliesin come around to loving magic again as well.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc.

This story seemed super interesting to me but unfortunately, I just wasn’t engaged at all. It felt like many other books I’ve read before and didn’t stick out.

3 stars, but DNF at 40%

I'll be honest I was drawn by the absolute gorgeous cover, however I was not able to get into the story at all. The love triangle felt really awkard the way it was done cause I could not compreend what Dafydd's role in the story was and where he was most of the time when his POV appeared. Overall I do not think it is a bad story, it just could not grasp me enough to care to continue at this point in time.

E-arc kindly provided by the publisher, Harper360YA and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the setting and use of Welsh mythology. I don't know enough to determine if the author put her own spin on any of the creatures, or if they are standard representations but they were well done. A bestiary or even a simple glossary would be a great addition to the pronunciation guide rather than having to find previous mentions.

I liked the idea of Ffion as an independent young woman forging her own path in life. The descriptions of her connection to nature and the land were compelling. The contrast to the methods of the Foxhall coven were clear and I liked the parallels to environmental conservatism. She did suffer from being a bit of a brat although this could be partly due to her age as I think she is supposed to be about 15. There was a little too much secretkeeping and shouting at her family members even before we get on to the love triangle. But, away from that, I enjoyed reading about how she utilised her magic. However it seemed strange that she wasn't able to figure out the mystery herself through her sensitivity to magic, as I felt it was immediately clear to the reader what had happened.

I didn't enjoy the love triangle which felt forced, as did the resolution. There wasn't enough development of the characters and their relationships for it to feel authentic. The other characters suffered similarily from lack of development as we don't see much of them beyond acting as antagonists. Ffion's Dad, in particular, commits some very questionable acts, even after she confronts him about it. Then the ending suggests that all is forgiven which I was sceptical of. A little more exposition, or a scene showing how he was forgiven would have made the epilogue less jarring.

There were some aspects of the story that I wanted to learn more about such as the bonding, Mam-gu and Arianrhod's stories. I'd have loved to read more about that than some of the princes' actions or the love triangle.

Overall, I liked it but felt the romantasy aspect was too contrived and took away from what could have been a really good fantasy story.