As 'The Witchwood Knot' is connected to the authors prior series, I expected this novel to be just as cozy and humorous as 'Half a Soul'. So I was quite surprised, that this novel is darker in tone and leans into gothic. Though it stays pretty mellow and doesn't fully use the potential a gothic tale brings. I liked the romance, they are usually the strongest part in the authors novels.
There is little world building and I would say the story relies in parts on the knowledge from pevious series.

We follow Winnie in this Gothic Victorian vibe , with monsters , fantasy, a lil romance,this book is packed full of what every book girlie needs , this will be my favorite November read hands down ,if you are looking for a beautifully written book this is it !!

A dark, gothic fantasy read, set in Victorian England

'The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back'.

Winifred Hall has travelled to Witchwood Manor to be the new governess. But Witchwood Manor isn't like any normal home, and Winifred is no normal governess. Faeries and danger roam the halls - in particular, Mr Quincy. When her charge is taken by the faeries, she knows she must save him, while battling faerie tricks, magic and debts.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
A dark, gothic and magical tale with faeries and magicians. Our FMC, Winnie, is so strong willed and is working to overcome traumas from her past. She is also a magician, with a familiar, Ollie the cat, who is very protective of her. I would like future installments, if they follow Winnie and her sisters, to delve deeper into this magician magic system.

I loved the split of the realms, the human realm and the faerie realms - tied together in the Witchwood Knot. I also loved a certain Mr Quincy, as their relationship grew further in the second half of the book. The romance aspect is very much the sub-plot - but I very much enjoyed the main plot of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for this copy. This review is voluntary.

A dark offering from Olivia Atwater. The Witchwood Knot draws you in from the first page with its atmosphere of secrets and of things not being what they seem. Unlike other books that start out promising much and delivering little, this book’s secrets, once revealed, fit with the story like a key in a lock. It doesn’t hurt my feelings a bit that the main character has a cat, one loyal to his person even after death. This book is dark but without that darkness, the ending wouldn’t be as satisfying.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I generally haven't had great experiences with gothic romances but I liked the tone and feel of this one.

This was my first book by Olivia Atwater, so I went in completely blind.

We follow a young woman named Winnie which is a governess as Witchwood Manor. But Winnie is way more than just a governess and the Witchwood Manor is way more than just a simple house.

Together with Winnie we discover the secrets of Witchwood Manor and the family that lives there. It is a regency fantasy with a little murder mystery on the side.

The book started pretty slow, but got faster around 50%. While at the beginning I was not very invested in the story, the second half redeemed it for me.

Maybe I am also missing some bigger context as I haven’t read the other books. It was a nice read, but a little hard to get through the beginning.

I have, of course, heard of Atwater’s other series, namely because of Half a Soul. While that book is still on my TBR list, I didn’t hesitate to request The Witchwood Knot, which was set in the same world. It promised to be a dark fairy tale with aspects of gothic fiction and romance, which is pretty in-line with some of my favorite books recently—i.e A Study in Drowning. And I liked The Witchwood Knot for what it was.

This was a relatively dark story, particularly when it delved into themes of trauma and harassment. This was something alluded to fairly early, particularly in relation to the backstory of the MC, Winifred Hall, as she became more and more immersed in the mysteries and the general strangeness of Witchwood Manor.

Generally speaking, I liked the cast of characters here. The ghost cat was an MVP, and I loved every scene he was in. Mr Quincy was an enigmatic presence, and I liked how Atwater portrayed his incongruous nature. Winifred was an easy favorite. She was resilient, confident, and relatively resourceful. And her quest—both to further her own aims and fulfil the terms of her employment—made her a relatively dynamic character.

The romance was on the subtler side for much of the story. There was a host of issues for Winifred to navigate—and her personal motivation influenced much of her early actions within the context of the plot—so her focus was, understandably, elsewhere. There was a gradual build toward it, though. I just wish there had been more scenes of them exploring the depths of this burgeoning relationship. And I say this because, in the end, they were two very interesting characters, and I wanted more from that end of the story.

The best part for me, though, was the fantasy adventure. The setting was suitably creepy with plenty of hidden corners and an almost maze-like quality. That, when combined with the overarching mystery concerning the house’s creation and the current troubles surrounding it, gave a sense of intrigue that kept the story moving at a good pace.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a spinoff of another series. I personally don’t care about reading spoilers for the other books, but it’s something to think about when going into The Witchwood Knot.

Overall, The Witchwood Knot was good, and I had a lot of fun with it.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Starwatch Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is a dark, spooky "fairy tale". I enjoyed the unique adventure story, however if the protagonists "worst fear" (which was completely unnecessary to the story) had been something else this book would have been better suited for middle grade and up. If this was re edited for that age group I think it could be a best seller. The book is very good.

3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable read. I went in expecting more romance then the story held, but I think the plot more then made up for the lack of romance.

This story had a lot of gothic elements which fits the vibe for a fall read. I really enjoyed the different characters and how they each played a role in moving the story along.

Winnifred Hall has been hired as the new governess at the cursed Witchwood Manor. However, Winnie's new position does come with quite a few challenges. When the young lord-to-be is kidnapped, Winnie has to enlist the help of the butler, Mr. Quincy (who is very mysterious and questionable), to aid in her retrieval of Robert. Together, as they adventure deeper into Witchwood Manor, they realize it is definitely more than what it appears to be.

With that being said, please meet my new favourite cozy read for fall. The Witchwood Knot is a beautifully dark gothic faerie tale with haunted house adventures. On the surface, I thought it was simply a combination of gothic influences and faerie lore, but it's really about trauma, love, revenge, and greed. I had so much fun reading this book. One minute, I was feeling the unease. The next minute, I was smiling and laughing, then it was back to feeling a little creeped out.

Lastly, Winnie is genuinely such a great character. She's not helpless. She is intelligent, resourceful, and fierce. She took this position for a reason and is fully prepared to outwit the dark secrets of Witchwood Knot. I loved her interactions with the other characters as well. Mr. Quincy is dark, mysterious, and fascinating. I was questioning his motives the whole time. I especially loved Oliver, the one-eyed, undead cat familiar. I want him as my own, and I would feed him all the treats.

Simply put, it's an atmospheric read best enjoyed curled up in a big puffy blanket with a cup of tea on a chilly fall day with a roaring fire. I'm excited for the other books that will be in this series.

*An e-ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

This was my first Olivia Atwater, but I wonder if that was the best choice. This is marketed as a standalone, but I feel like I was missing something, and would have enjoyed this a lot more if I had read other books from this author first.

The gothic vibes with fantastical elements are really well done. I liked the characters, but wish they were more fleshed out. The world-building felt pretty surface level as well.

The pacing felt uneven, dragging in the first half leaving me a bored and looking for the plot, then rushed in the second half.

I didn't love the romance either. Top-tier undead cat though.

Ultimately just not for me, but I can see where fans of Atwater would love this.

I really enjoyed reading this book,Olivia Atwaters writing is amazing and I would read anything by her ,I love the story and the plot ,I love that winnie is ready for anything and that Mr quincy is complex and love them together ,I like that Olivia handled the issues/trigger warnings well and respectful ,overall another great book

oh my gosh this is my first read in this genre of Victorian slash gothic fairy tale. I didn’t even know this genre existed (ignorant of me I know), but it seemed to me that Olivia Atwater devised it with her brilliant mind just like she devised this amazing fantasy fiction! I had no idea what to expect from this book, but it was equal parts engrossing and witty! The writing is sharp and skillful, and the world building is careful and enticing. This is not your average fantasy fiction. It’s dark, twisted, and heavy. However this melancholic story is well worth the read.

I love the main female character. Her grit, her tenacity and her surprising loyalty are all spellbinding. The story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but is still a beautiful prelude to the second book. It’s definitely made me curious about Olivia Atwater’s other books in this same world.

Just dive right in!!
A beautifully written gothic tale with faeries and magicians and a whole lot more.

A dark sumptuous gothic tale with faeries, magicians, curses, a fascinating magic system and a really lovely romance underpinning the whole story, without taking away from the page turning drama!

Winnie arrives at Witchwood manor at the request from the dying owner to be the governess of her grandson. I loved Winnie from the start, she has a blunt, witty, no nonsense personality, with a fascinating and sad childhood that we learn about as the story progresses. With a not quite “enemies” to lovers relationship, and a supporting cast of loveable characters this book is exactly what I wanted from the author. I want this review to be spoiler free as it’s such a magical journey you go on with these characters.

Half a Soul was my favourite read of 2022 so when I saw that Olivia Atwater was returning to that world I couldn’t wait till the end of November and requested this ARC with all my fingers crossed. It arrived on my kindle on a dark autumnal day and I pretty much read it all in one go. If you love the Regency Faerie Tales series - I think you’ll love this too. I cannot wait to see where it goes!

This is a spin-off of Atwoods other series, the Regency Faerie tales, and while not necessary, the reader may benefit from reading that series first. Unlike her previous series, which was more of a cozy fantasy, The Witchwood Knot gives off strong Gothic vibes. The protagonist serves as a governess at a sinister, haunted mansion and must help unravel the mysteries of the curse at its core. Of course, there are still faeries!

Loved:
◾ The main characters: Winnie and Mr. Quincy. Their interactions were gold.
◾ The secondary characters. I hope to see more of Winnie's sisters in the future books. What glimpses we get of them are encouraging. Both seem to have so much personality!
◾ The world building and magic system. The Witchwood Knot explores mortal magics (necromancy, potion making, cartomancy, etc) in addition to faerie magic. It was interesting to see the differences and limitations of both.

Meh:
◾ Pacing. The story really did not start to pick up until about halfway through the book.
◾ The romance was not fully fledged out.
◾ The stakes did not feel as high in the Knot as in the real world.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I look forward to the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed Olivia Atwater’s Regency Fairytales series so I was excited to read this spin off.

The story picks up in the same world some years later - we’re now in the Victorian era. The main character Winifred has been employed as a governess at Witchwood Manor, but it’s quickly clear that strange things are afoot at the manor, and Winifred’s skills lie somewhere outside of a traditional governess role.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this story. There was definitely a darker, more menacing feel to the setting than the previous books, and the Manor and its mysteries were very intriguing. As always in Atwater’s Fairytales books, there is a romance, and if you’ve read the previous books you’ll guess immediately where it’s going, but it’s no less fun for that.

There are references to the earlier books but I think you could safely read this without having read the Regency series if you wanted to.

Overall, this book has set up what looks to be a really interesting new series in this world, and I look forward to the next one!

I was so, so grateful to receive this to read. I'm a huge fan and this one was absolutely incredible. Dark and delicious, it certainly hit the spot. The characters and storyline were great and I loved that there was a warning at the beginning, as so many fail to do.
I adored Winnie, Cook and Quincy. And of course Oliver. And the way it ended was just wonderful.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Olivia Atwater's regency romance series, so I was very excited for this release. Unfortunately it did end up falling a little flat for me. Now, I will admit it may not have been the book as much as the expectations I had set too high. Overall, I cannot describe exactly what went wrong for me, but I was struggling to feel motivated to pick it up.

3.75/5

The approach to gothic horror that Atwater uses here reminds me of A.G. Slatter's The Path of Thorns: A young governess, Winnie, arrives at a creepy-ass house with the creepy-ass master, but we learn in short order that she is actually the scariest thing around. The difference is that Atwater's approach is fluffier, with an extremely slow romance side plot that was so slow its eventual revelation felt shoehorned in. It was supported, in a way, by Winnie's own character backstory which involved a violent aversion to romantic interest, but since that story itself is the consequence of a history of sexual harrassment, all of it chafed. It was sensitively done, with sympathy and with intention--none of that tedious 'rape builds character'--type of nonsense that weaker authors rely on to build drama, but all the same, I do prefer my books without sexual harrassment, thank you very much.

The plot was twisty and convoluted, almost to the point of confusion, but I think that's because the three key names--Longfell, Hollowvale, and Mourningwood--somehow all looked the same on the page, and I kept getting them mixed up, All the 'o's, I guess. Or maybe it was because I've read some but not all of the previous books in the series, so I kept trying to figure out which of those references were familiar and which are new. Indeed, the plot relies on so much backstory that I found myself wondering if I'd missed a trick--was there some intervening book that set up the current characters? But if so, they don't seem to be part of the traditionally published series, which as far as I can tell does not engage with these characters or set up the current state of faeries in England that holds for this installment. All the same, I bet there are some stories on Patreon or wherever Atwater first published these before the UK publishers picked up the books, because the references to Winnie's sister and friends, who only very briefly write a couple of letters to shift along a bit of plot, felt a lot like they had been originally conceptualized in more depth, and then reused here, rather than created and properly introduced for the purpose of this story.

So, in sum, an enjoyable gothic governess tale, with faeries and romance and a rich backstory that supports a complex mystery whose unravelling does, in the end, allow all to become clear. I disagreed with a couple of the narrative decisions--mostly regarding the romance--but that doesn't mean they were done poorly; just that they were not quite to my taste.