I loved it! Loved how it was written, characters are lovable. Narration was awesome. It's a spicy, fun, exciting witchy read. Gave it 4 stars!

Great storyline. Well-developed, interesting characters. Great narration. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I liked this more than I thought I would! Good premise and interesting characters. I was actually pleased at the ending. I would read more in this series! The narrator was good as well.

*Audio review*

The Twisted Mark is a dark fantasy that kept me glued to the narrators and their storytelling. I love the Zodiac Academy series and this gives off the same vibes.
The Narrator makes this audio version 100% worth the listen.
Sadie, a witch and a lawyer, rushes home to defend her brother, Brendan who has a murder charge. When the victim is revealed to be the family's rival everyone is on edge. The twists and suspense to clear her brother's name is phenomenal.

This one caught me by surprise and managed to delight me from beginning to end. I've slowly come to the conclusion that the powerful witch family crime lord trope is one of my pain points and this did not disappoint.

I imagine that readers wanting a straight forward romantasy may not gel with this. There's a strong romantic plot that is essential to the story. However, this romance is as much about the barriers to the pair getting together and about how people are messy and will do messed up things. If you're someone who needs sex and intimacy to occupy the same space in romantasy, this probably won't be your thing. Similarly if you (for some unfathomable reason) dislike competent, talented female MCs who know they're attractive and don't have body hang ups.

But honestly when someone says dark romance I couldn't care less - unless you mean this (or Olivie Blake's One for My Enemy). This was clever, compelling and very entertaining. Highly recommend.

I loved everything about this audiobook! The narrator was fabulous. The story was gripping and engaging. Sadie, a witch and a lawyer, is called home to defend her brother Brendan against a murder charge. Her family, the Sadlers, are the most powerful practitioner family in town. Her brother is charged with murdering the rival family’s patriarch. The mail witness is his son Gabriel, who Sadie left town six years ago to avoid after another incident involving her brother.

The tension between Gabriel and Sadie is delicious! The world building is phenomenal. Definitely a stand alone, but the ending sounds like there may be more coming! If so, I can’t WAIT! Definitely five stars!!

I've been going back and forth on this one a lot. On one hand, I really enjoyed the concept. On the other hand, I found myself getting very frustrated with the characters, the relationship dynamics, and the writing. I definitely recommend giving this one a try for yourself and seeing how you feel.

Items of Note:
- witchy
- forbidden romance
- small townish
- great for fall
- mystery elements

2.5/5 stars

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it!

Fantasy Romance is absolutely having a moment right now. It’s something I’m all for, but I will say that with as saturated as the genre is becoming a lot of the new titles run together and end up feeling like the same book after awhile. Twisted Mark did not! Having it set in a more modern urban setting set it apart right off the bat and very quickly the characters distinguished themselves with unique personalities. It was really refreshing to be honest.

The plot is unique too. In a nutshell; Sadie is a barrister and youngest daughter of an extremely powerful witch family. She’s kept her family at arms length for years, avoiding a debt she owes to the son of a rival family, when she’s called back to her hometown to serve as legal counselor in the murder investigation her brothers being framed in. The web of relationships and rivalries is well woven and the pacing on the story is perfect!

I don’t go into every book expecting to love it, and even when I do there’s so much of my TBR I don’t always go on to the sequel if the first book isn’t fantastic. Given that I didn’t hear much about this book before reading, I’m surprised to say I’m thoroughly invested in this story and cannot wait to read the second book!!

Audio 4/5 - Actress’s voice was super easy to listen to for long periods of time. Not over acted or super energetic but clear and engaging.

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator, and Netgalley for the review copy of this book.
This rating is more 3.5⭐ than a 4 overall for the book/story itself. But the narrator is hands down 5 ⭐. I could listen to her speak all day, and she had fantastic distinction between the characters.

The story started off absolutely amazing. I was hooked. The premise was great, and I found it a slight step outside my normal genre. However by about halfway through it started to drag a bit and I felt bogged down. I saw zero character development on our mains, and the plot barely seemed to progress. It took me way longer to listen to than expected because I had to step away from the story to clear my brain several times.

Again, the narrator was fantastic, but the plot and character development was lacking. However I would absolutely love to read further in this universe if it was more fleshed out in the future.

This slow burn steamy romance is perfect for those who love the enemies to love trope. Set in the backdrop of England the reader will appreciate the modern day atmosphere mixed with magic. Sadie, a magic practitioner and lawyer by profession has a great bond with her family and is ready to do anything for them even if it means sacrificing who she is. She has always seen Gabriel as the villain, but when things go wrong with her family Sadie comes back to town to step in and save the day, but is all she ever knew a lie? Is Gabriel the evil person everyone says he is and out to get her family. Find out if Sadie can save her family and find love long mixed in with a little pleasure and fun. Sadie is a character everyone can relate too and readers will definitely want to follow her on more adventures.

2.5/5

I wanted a witchy read to get me in the mood for fall. Though I thought this one had a really interesting premise, I just had too many issues with it. It's advertised as a fantasy but it's very much low-fantasy/paranormal. I think my expectations for it were different than what we got.

It's got all of my favorite trope-- enemies to lovers, mystery, rival families, etc. but it just didn't hit for me. Though I wasn't a big fan of the setting, I did really enjoy the romance. It saved the story for me.

I can definitely see a lot of people enjoying this book, it just wasn't for me.

I did enjoy the audiobook. I'd highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of The Twisted Mark. This is my honest review.

The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I had no idea what to expect going into this book but I was hooked from the very first chapter and completely devoured it! Set in a modern day world with a few covens of witches that control a town, our main character (Sadie) has done everything she can to escape the life her family leads. When she is called back to town to defend her brother for murder, she sets forward a plan and gets entangled in a mystery that will have you wondering how this will all play out. Think small town vibes with ruling families that control everything, a centuries old feud between rival covens, and an undeniable chemistry between two of our main characters. This is the perfect witchy book to bring you into Fall. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Read this book if you like:
- small town vibes
- mystery & magic
- forbidden romance
- witches

The Twisted Mark is out now and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved Polly Edsel's voice. She did justice to the characters within this soap opera of a story. I wanted to try out a Netgalley audiobook and for me, the voice of the narrator is essential to enjoying the story.

The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson is a magical romp with plenty of, "I should hate him, but I am obsessing over his good looks and have fantasized about when he requires that I fulfill the magical contract I made to save my brother's magic." Magical romance is not my preferred style to read, but if you like it, you will most likely enjoy this audiobook.

The Twisted Mark scratched so many itches that I didn’t realize I had. I was absolutely riveted from the first chapter and the intrigue hasn’t let up, even after finishing the epilogue. Sadie is a lawyer, an excellent one, with true passion for her craft. She is also a witch, but chooses not to use her magic in pursuit of hiding her identity. Sadie had left home to hide from the man she had bargained her body and power to and hasn’t spoken to or had dealings with her family for years. That all changes when she receives an urgent summons to defend her brother, who stands accused of murder. Sadie is quickly drawn back into the fold and forced to confront her truth, that her extraordinary power can no longer be ignored, and that the man she was most afraid of might be the one she desires above all else. I am so glad that I decided to pick up The Witch Trials because it truly has it all. A murder mystery complete with trial, an enemies to lovers forbidden romance, dark and twisty paranormal action, and the perfect amount of spice. I am so pumped to see where Sadie’s journey takes her from here.

𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙢𝙚. 𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙.

Sadie left her small, witchy town several years ago, and has been lying low, hiding herself and her magic in London, after bargaining away her powers, and her body, to Gabriel, the son of the rival family in town.

That is until her brother is accused of murder, and her family wants her to come back to town and act as his lawyer.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narration was great, the story (with courtroom drama and witch town drama) was fun, and the tension between the two leads was high.

Twists and turns with morally grey characters everywhere you turn, it was an enjoyable ride, and I’m definitely looking forward to Book 2!

Thank you to Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing and @netgalley for providing me an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What this book is giving:
✅ Modern Fantasy Romance
✅ Enemies to Lovers
✅ Witches
✅ Magic
✅ Rival Families
✅ Fated soulmates??
✅ Forbidden Love
✅ Courtroom Drama

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5
🌶️🌶️½ / 5

Look out for:
⚠️ OW/OM
⚠️ Cheating (MCs not cheating on each other)

Bruh! And I mean that with my whole chest because this book had no business being the intersecting point of so many of my favorite things in books. If the author would allow, the tagline should be smutty, witchy Peaky Blinders meets 1997's film The Devil's Advocate.

This book is pure and glorious trash-fire chisme!!
When I say I gobbled this book up, I burned through it in one night, finishing at 3:30am. While there are certainly issues with the book like character development, a bit of pacing and plot weirdness, and some of the world building, it was just downright fun! I love that the Sadlers suck, all of them do. I love that the morally gray MC is obsessed instead of in love (a great portrayal of being in love with an idea). I love that this is just the first book because I need more of these toxic ass people.

I truly want everyone to get a throat-punch of humbleness in book 2, especially those crazy, crazy Sadlers. Gabe needs THERAPY, and between Sadie's legs is NOT it. I am truly so excited for The Binding Mark.

I received a free audiobook ARC from Netgalley and am never paid for my reviews (but if one warrants it, this would be a great one for it).

This won’t be for everyone, morally grey characters all over the place within this story. Magical writing style that works really well in the audio format.

There def are some things to keep in mind, MMC and FMC are with other people at times in this book.

The love story isn’t the main plot. While I would not say it ends on a cliff hanger it does have an unsatisfying ending that promises a sequel.

I love that this was witchy, had a magical system, and felt unique.

Included my Amazon profile as the review has not been approved yet.

I don't know how to even start reviewing this one.

What I liked: The story was literally captivating to me from the first couple of pages. I loved the whole idea of a witch (or practitioner as they are called in the book) having to run away because in a moment of panic, she pledged herself and her magic to an (evil?) witch. I liked who Sadie was, she was confident and poised. She had a career and even though she'd left, she was thriving (well, maybe her life was a little dull, but that's how SHE wanted it).

What I hated: I am still not sure if this was a book with a fun plot or a 379-page example show don't tell. I feel like I just had a great conversation where someone told me what this book was about, but now I want to read it. On the one hand, I liked it, but on the other hand, maybe it wasn't technically "good." But I feel like I can't say that because I LIKED IT. I'll read the next one, in fact, I'm looking forward to it.

Now, part of the problem could have been the accent of the narrator because I listened to this. Her accent was heavy and distracting. It fit with the story and didn't sound contrived, but it still was distracting.

Honestly, I liked the story, I'll tell people it is a fun story, I already recommended it to two people today. I'm just conflicted.

My review system is as follows:

5 stars - unbelievable, I am still talking about it, a book I'll recommend to everyone and refuse to hear any critiques of it (these are very rare)
4 stars - better than a typical read, I'll keep reading the series, really enjoyed but there were some minor issues
3 stars - average read (my most common rating)
2 stars - I didn't enjoy it, but I finished it
1 star - DNF or finished but it was awful

The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson
Narrated by Polly Edsell
Witch Trials #1
FIVE STARS

Enemies to lovers
Rival Families
Forbidden Lovers

Okay! Let's just go ahead and set up what is sure to be an amazing series! Witches, Magical Cities, Good Guys, Bad Guys, Romance, Heartbreak, Betrayal...it's all here! If any of these are your jam then get to this book immediately! I was completely enthralled through the entire book. There were two points that I actually gasped out loud in shock.

Sadie Sadler is a bad a$$ without a doubt. I love how strong and self aware she was through the book. She knows what she wants and she knows what she has to do and she doesn't allow herself to compromise.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Williamson and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. Polly Edsell did a FANTASTIC job narrating this one.

#TheTwistedMark #SophieWilliamson
#WitchTrials #WitchTrialsBookOne #FiveStarBook
#ALCReview #NetGalley #DreamscapeSelect
#Audiobook #Narrator #PollyEdsell
#EnemiesToLovers #ForbiddenLovers #RivalFamilies
#ReadThisBook #ReadAllTheBooks #Fantasy
#Witches #Lawyers #MagicalLawyer #FantasyRomance
#UrbanFantasyRomance

Sadie Sadler never does magic. Her family used their magic to protect a small town of Mannith for centuries, but now her brother Brendan is on trial for murder. Gabriel is the head of the Sadler's rivals; he is charismatic and moving in to take over the town. Only Sadie has the knowledge and magical strength to save Brendan and face Gabriel. The problem is, Sadie bargained away her powers and body to Gabriel to help her brother when he was in trouble the last time. Going home means Gabriel is going to try to collect.

The Twisted Mark was addicting, and I flew through it. I received it as an audiobook ARC and I listened to its entirety in one sitting. Another witchy read to set the mood as we move into spooky season, that I found quite enjoyable. It's an enemies to lovers read with a dash of obsession. The storyline and magic made this read fun and not at all predictable to me. I enjoyed this one and I can see myself finishing the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Storm Publishing for the ARC and giving me the chance to listen and review it honestly.