I can be a bit of a mood reader sometimes, and I have to say that I am all the way in the mood for gothic Victorian fae hijinks at the moment. Off the bat, this book is exactly what I needed right now- the timing couldn’t be better. I struggled a bit at times with the world building, particularly keeping up with the characters and fairytale-style flashbacks. The continuity & pacing seemed just a bit off, but it didn’t make me want to quit reading. Also, sometimes the scene descriptions totally confused me, and I just couldn’t visualize. Maybe it’s just me? Perhaps I’m just a bit distracted this week? Or maybe, I could have benefited by reading the author’s previous body of work, set in the same magical England, but in the Regency period? The romance element kind of blindsided me, just because I didn’t fully see it coming… the tension was not there to begin with, and then BOOM, they’re making googly eyes at each other. Nevertheless, I buy it. I am fully on board with where this is going by the end, and it all feels like an elaborate set up for future volumes. I will definitely read said future volumes… in the meantime, I plan to address my woeful lack of history with the author’s back catalog. They’ve been on my TBR too long, and so now I intend to remedy that. I feel like I could possibly have given this book 5 stars, if I hadn’t been so confused in parts, and if there had been more effort to build romantic tension between FMC and MMC earlier in the book. Still, I enjoyed it and look forward to more Victorian fairy tales! Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for review!

Olivia Atwater simply can never disappointment. There's something about how she writes that grabs me immediately, and the world that she has created with faeries and Victorian England is nothing short of magical and terrifying. The story itself is touching, and empowering, and it's about far more than right and wrong, or good versus any kind of evil. This is about coming into one's own. Finding love. Standing up for one's self, and always choosing what is best. Also, this book is satisfying beyond belief, and nasty men who sexually assault women always get what they deserve.

Witchwood Manor is definitely more than it appears. For starters, it's inhabited by faeries in addition to humans. Winifred Hall comes to Witchwood Manor to be governess to the young Master Robert Murray, heir to Longfell, and to protect him from their otherworldly inhabitants. But Winifred holds secrets of her own, ones she must give up if she wishes to find the answers she seeks.

This is the first book I've read by Olivia Atwater and it definitely won't be my last! The world of Faerie portrayed here is dark and chilling; perfect for the spooky season over which I read it.

Before I even opened it, I have to say that the book cover is simply gorgeous. As an avid fan of the gothic, spooky, and anything to do with the Victorian era, it definitely called to me! The story telling was frightfully atmospheric and imaginative, while the characters were mysterious enigmatic. It was like peeling back the layers as I read.

While the main characters are different from those in her Regency Faerie Tales series, the world is the same. And while I didn't feel it was required to read those first, for those of you that did, the additional detail provided may have given you a bit more context on some of the characters mentioned here, along with more a more fully-fleshed background on the world itself. Am I going to go back and read the Regency series now? Most definitely! But not because I feel it necessary, only because I was deeply engrossed and taken in by this world and want to read more while I wait for the follow-up to <i>The Witchwood Knot</i> to be released.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>
#TheWitchwoodKnot #NetGalley

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book of an adult book with a fantasy setting. It introduces a strong female character by the name of Winnie Hall, who has a hard beginning and an interesting life leading to her reason for being at Witchwood Manor. We also meet the strange butler who has a secret too. There is a budding romance in the book that was a lovely suprise and its worth keeping with the book until the end. I look forward to reading the sequel and hopefully learn some more about the hidden world.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this amazing opportunity to read this book.

I was very eager to read The Witchwood Knot because I've loved the other Olivia Atwater books I've read and this one was a GOTHIC VICTORIAN ROMANCE!! Unfortunately, this one took me a while to get through and I didn't enjoy it as much her other books. I think it's no fault of the prose itself (I love Olivia Atwater's writing), but rather some worldbuilding and plot elements... I actually wish there was a bit more Victorian, a bit more Gothic, and a bit more romance.

I will say, Winnie is an awesome main character. She's cold, brave, and extremely determined. Of the other main characters in this universe, I think she is by far my favorite! I liked her backstory. Despite her character, I had trouble following the plot, a bit confused by the central conflict (I didn't completely understand what was going on) and a wee disappointed with the romance. Mr. Quincy the butler is super interesting, and I love how he and Winnie eventually confide and respect one another... BUT idk, it just didn't hit as, for example, the romance in Half a Soul.

This book was a surprising delight.

- Quick and Easy Read
- antagonistic acquaintances to lovers relationship
- Necromantic cat familiar (I love and want an Oliver of my own)
- No spice

I think it important to point out right out the gate that I have not yet read Atwater's prior series, The Regency Fairy Tales. Its my understanding that this is set it in the same world, but I don't believe that they are essential reading in order to understand and enjoy this book. Perhaps they would have added further complexity to the layers of world building, but I don't feel disadvantaged having not read them.

This story was a charming blend of Victorian gothic, dark fairy tale vibes and haunted house adventures. I found Winnie to be a enjoyable main character who was independent, strong willed and intelligent and i found the development of relationship between her and Quincy to be very sweet.

The story was well written and I felt engaged throughout, which I think is a credit to the quality of writing because it is not a high stakes adventure plot, what with them being confined to the house 90% of the book.

I think its important to note as a content warning there are some dark themes present in this book including child grooming as well as some very creepy predatory behaviour, and that they may be challenging for some people to read. Lord knows they creeped me out and I am not often bothered by much.

Finally it is worth noting, that this book is the first part in a new series, I didn't realise that going in to it. I suspect the future books may focus on each of her sisters, which I would be keen to continue with (again, there is a necromancer sister and I just cant say no to necromancy stories).

I will potentially have to come back after I've thought about it but I think this is a solid 4 star book to me. Perhaps a little picky, but these characters did alot of shaking throughout this story (either in fear or restrained longing), and it started to bother me by the end of the book.

I had a fun time and will definitely be continuing both this series and Atwater's other books.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC of this book

This was a lot of fun. This was my first Atwater book, so I didn’t know what to expect. But Alix E. Harrow called it a “a sharp and beautiful gothic romance”, and honestly, put Gothic in front of any genre and I’m down.

The Witchwood Knot is a dark Victorian faerie tale that takes place in an England populated by magicians, fae, and other dark creatures.

Our main character, Winnie, takes a position as governess in a mansion that is spooky by day and a true terror by night. But Winnie is not helpless. She is smart, resourceful, and fierce. She took this position for a reason and is prepared to face the beings that reside within the Witchwood Knot.

She will need to outwit faeries, outsmart a human monster, and protect a child, all while unraveling the dark secret of this house. And who knows if the dangerous faerie butler that lurks in the shadows will help her for his own selfish reasons or doom her forever.

However, the true star of this book is Oliver, her undead, one-eyed cat familiar. You will LOVE Ollie. He deserves all the treats.

If you ever wished for a romance set in the magical England setting of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, this is your book. Add in dangerous fairies and a very haunted mansion and you have a great fall read!

Atwater has proven that she can nail the cosy and fairytale-esque fantasy vibe with her wildly successful Regency Faerie Tales series, but now she’s back with her unique take on a gothic fantasy tale. The Witchwood Knot is a deliciously dark and delightfully quirky gothic fairytale full of devious Fae, sinister settings, creepy mirror/dream realms, whimsically soft magic, and a little dash of slow-burn and innocent romance.

This story follows Winnie Hall, who has just been assigned the (admittedly much dreaded) position of governess at the haunted Witchwood Manor. Officially, she is there to look over the young and haughty lord-to-be, Robert Longfellow. But in reality, the dying dowager has called upon her for her skill as a magic practitioner, in the hopes that Winnie can rid the house of its curse once and for all.

Now, I knew I was going to be in for a wonderful time when this book opened with a doorknob biting Winnie’s hand. Right from the get-go, there’s this alluring air of mystery and intrigue permeating every aspect of the story which kept me completely entranced from start to finish. Atwater absolutely nails the gothic atmosphere and I loved the eerie descriptions of the haunted manor.

I wouldn’t say that this story is ‘all vibes, no plot’, but I do think that the vibes are significantly stronger than the plot. The whole unravelling of the mystery surrounding the Fae haunting/curse at Witchwood Manor and its mirror faerie realm was rather weak to me, though I did really appreciate how it brought forth difficult themes of generational trauma, cycles of (sexual) abuse, and the dangers and casualties of male greed. And I have to admit, for some reason I personally didn’t really mind the slightly odd pacing and weaker plot, because all the other aspects of the story were just so strong to me that I was still fully immersed.

Winnie is such a strong and loveable protagonist, and she immediately secured a place in my heart with her no-nonsense attitude and witty remarks. She definitely still has a touch of those prim and proper Victorian sensibilities, yet at the same time she has surprising emotional depth and is refreshingly tenacious, resilient, and defiant. Most of all, I just really appreciated that she didn’t fall into the meek wallflower stereotype like so many other women in Victorian Era-inspired stories do. Also, I know it won’t sound too flattering to say this, but I related *deeply* to her slight (but really not so slight) dislike of young children.

The character dynamics were also just so fun and heartwarming, and I especially loved the budding relationship between Winnie and the enigmatic Mr. Quincy. He is not the most likeable character at first, yet at the same time he’s frustratingly alluring and charming, which allowed him to somehow just creep up on me. I loved how they slowly softened each other’s sharp edges and almost reluctantly built up some affection and love for each other. The romance element is much more understated than in the Regency Faerie Tales books, but there is just a little dash of it that made even my cold heart melt a little.

This story is definitely much darker than any of the author’s previous works, yet there is still that quintessential Atwater quirkiness that makes this just an utterly delightful read in the end. I mean, there’s even an undead cat familiar, how could you not fall in love?! And because this series is set in the same magical world as the Regency Faerie Tales, there are also some quite exciting, and rather big, easter eggs for those who have loved that series.

While this story is very self-contained and works perfectly as a standalone, I am now eagerly awaiting more of these gothic Victorian Faerie Tales. Equal parts unsettlingly eerie and delightfully whimsical, The Witchwood Knot is everything you could wish for from a dark and fairytale-esque gothic fantasy. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and Olivia Atwater for providing me with an eARC in exchange of an honest review!

What an absolutely great story!

This was my first Atwater read and it certainly won't be my last.
I loved the combination of gothic influences and faerie lore; the amount of research that must have gone behind this story shines through every page.
Winnie was such a breath of fresh air of a female main character; I love her wittiness, how cunning and strong she was through unimaginable trauma and difficulties.
Mr. Quincy was immediately a favorite for me, the kind of anti-hero I love reading about. His redemption arc was lovely, and the romance between him and Winnie was so soft and lovely, I can only hope to get more of it in the next installment.
Overall, I feel I might have a bit more understanding of the context if I'd read the author's previous works (which I found out were connected to TWM only after finishing my read), but the lack of background wasn't overpowering over the narrative of this specific story.

I will absolutely recommend The Witchwood Knot to my followers! Very excited to see where the story goes next.

Myth: 4/5

The story was a little darker than I originally anticipated, but it fit perfectly into my fall reads. A haunted manor, secret monsters, and tricky fae. Winifred was so competent and so straightforward. I adored her as a heroine. As a character, she dealt with past sexual trauma, and the way her character interacts with men who hold power over her was very well done.

Magic: 4/5

A curse, a twisted layer to the gothic manor, faeries, and folk history, this book has a little of everything seamlessly woven together.

Overall: 4/5

A very Victorian and gothic faerie tale. It’s a quick read, but I wouldn’t call it a light read. This was my first Olivia Atwater book and I’ll definitely go back and checkout Half a Soul after this.

See my video review: https://youtu.be/px3QOrMP_kc?si=possmPC_J4y_T597

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone out there has a book that they feel is the literary personification of their bookish dreams. I was lucky enough to find mine.

This is a dark, gothic, fae fantasy. It follows Winifred Hall who comes to Witchwood Manor at the request of a friend. The request was under the guise of employment as a governess, which Winnie thought was a front for whatever she would actually be employed to do, but no. Her friend, who is older and on her death bed, has called Winnie to be her grandson, Robert's governess until such time as he leaves to go to school at Eton.

When Winnie arrives, it is raining, and after several attempts at knocking, the door is answered by a snarky and stern butler who introduces himself as Mr. Quincy. While he declines to assist her with her bags inside, he does state he will take them to her room once she and her bags are inside. Winnie is directed to the kitchen to make the acquaintance of the cook and the other servants. When Winnie mentions Mr. Quincy to the cook, she is taken aback, and asks where she heard that name, and when she explains that the butler let her in, the cook says they have no butler and no one by that name employed there.

Winnie realizes that her baggage has been taken...by a faerie. Upon speaking with her friend, she finds that her friend is direly concerned about something. Winnie, for her part, is on her own mission to find a missing fae friend: the Lady Hollow Vale, who, along with a lot of other fae of England, have disappeared.

When Winnie falls asleep at night, she finds herself in The Witchwood Knot - the mirror, dream, upside down type world of Witchwood Manor, where the other servants mingle with the fae that are trapped by the knot. Playing card with Mr. Quincy passes the time and also gives Winnie the change to ask questions that may help her in her attempt to find her friend.

But Winnie's friend is dying, and there is something afoot at the manor that is even darker than the Knot, darker than the trapping of multiple fae, and when the dowager dies, and her grandson disappears, Winnie finds herself in charge of locating the boy, and in charge of the fetch who has replaced him. Putting her own missing aside to find Robert, she finds herself constantly in the company of Mr. Quincy who, she has come to find, in addition to wine red eyes, also has a tail, and in addition to enjoying irritating Winnie, may also have a fierce protective streak.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I know that this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea as dark, victorian gothic fantasy is likely not the most popular sub-genre, but it was such a beautiful book. From the musical elements to the dark mirror world to the disturbing change of people to trees by the Lady Mourningwood, this book was so very captivating.

I love this book. Plain and simple. And I am staggered by that bare fact, given my current antipathy for faeries, Victorian settings, and the gothic genre in general. And yet...Olivia Atwater grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go until the end. And now I NEED the sequels, but in the meantime I'll be circling back to read her Regency Faerie series. (So, for what it's worth to other reviewers, this is the first Atwater book I read and I didn't feel like I was missing anything not having read the earlier trilogy. I think she did a masterful job introducing earlier characters and the world overall for new readers.) Be warned that this is a book that deals with many kinds of trauma, though childhood sexual abuse and grooming are at the forefront (nothing graphic on page though).

"You will soon find that Witchwood Manor has great trouble keeping servants," he told her. "If you are indeed the new governess, then I suppose we shall discover your mettle in short order."

Winnie is the new governess of Witchwood Manor, but it seems she is enlisted for her knowledge and mettle for all things magical. This includes the curse on the Manor which seems to involve faeries and stops anyone from talking about it.
With the help of her trusty undead cat, the Cook, and the devious ‘butler’ Mr Quincey, aka, a disguised faerie, Winnie delves into the mirror world of faerie to save the young lord she has promised to protect.

“This world devours those who are too bold_ but those who hide and refuse to take risks are also taken unaware by danger."

I have to preface this review by saying I have never read anything Atwater has written before (something I do want to remedy), so cannot comment on this book in comparison to her other works. I just knew to expect humour, strong female characters, soft and whimsical magic, and sweet, endearing romance.

The story only truly begins at halfway through, and I think the blurb does an injustice as the pitch only comes about at 55%.

Winnie is an extremely strong character, however I think her bluntness and arrogance irritated me. Her dislike for children is reiterated again, and again, and again, and she classically (cringe-ly) ‘thinks out loud’, is quirky, extremely pretty yet uninterested in the rich lord, and seems to know when someone’s lying with unnerving accuracy. Basically, she seems too good to be true.
Perhaps that explains why she was chosen when so many before failed, yet I like characters to have some development and hesitancy as they explore new environments and dynamics.

I felt like there was just so much of the world we were missing out on and it felt like this was a second book in a series with hinted-at backstories and characters that are important, but we had of them in passing.

I do think this offered good commentary on being objectified and the object of desire. How we feel belittled by others and our own humiliation.
This definitely felt like a nod to Victorian gothic fiction such as Wuthering Heights.

It was somewhat flattering, Winnie realised, to be considered as a worthy opponent, instead of as a woman.

Sadly, I felt myself quite bored and the characters didn’t charm me as I was assured Atwater excels at.
I’m hoping this is only the case for this book, and that her previous books will endear me!

Thank you to Starwatch Press for providing the arc in exchange for a review!

Another brilliant faerie romance from Olivia Atwater. I have loved all of her previous novels and The Witchwood Knot did not disappoint. Winnie was an interesting main character to follow and I loved her development over the course of the novel. This one is definitely a slow-burn romance (to the point where I wondered if it might not be a romance, but just a fun fantasy story with gothic elements). It was great to ready over Halloween, with plenty of dark and creepy faerie tricks. I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

As someone who has not read Olivia Atwater’s other novels (specifically anything from the Half A Soul series), and rarely anything that can be referred to as “cozy fantasy”, I was unsure about whether or not I would enjoy The Witchwood Knot. However, as a whole, I found the book, described as a “gothic faerie tale” to be an enjoyable mystery with likable characters set in an immersive darkly gothic atmosphere (I would NOT call this book “cozy”)

Our main character Winnie is a strong and stoic former orphan who finds herself at Witchwood Manor, an sinister and imposing gothic mansion, posing as a governess while she barters and tricks her way through a dark faerie underworld to ensure the dying wish of her mentor is upheld.

The standouts in this novel include the deeply gothic atmosphere, which can be recalled with clarity days after reading, and the charismatic cast of characters, including a cook, would-be butler/cunning dark faerie lord, a spoiled little boy I could not not help but picture as Dudley Dursley, and the dying lady of the manor, all of whom have their own motives and varying degrees of moral ambiguity. The diverse cast of characters lent to a “merry band of misfits/found family” vibe that is reminiscent of T.Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone (without the same levity - despite the witty dialogue).

The plot had a clear direction but was quite narrow, giving the story a novella or short-story type feel, and yet it was a satisfying conclusion to the first of a new series. Also, although described as a gothic romance, I would use the word romance lightly as it was only towards the end of the book that this aspect started to develop, which leaves room for future books in the series to capitalize on the relationship.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review The Witchwood Knot as an Advanced Reader Copy

I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this story.
It came just in time for the spooky season. I usually don’t enjoy period pieces, but the cover really attracted me.
I loved that Heroine wasn’t a delicate princess type. The heroine was cantankerous, prickly, and hella intelligent. She was incredibly likeable in my eyes.
I enjoyed the world-building as well. The way it was written gave the story an atmospheric feel.

This is the first book I’ve read from Olivia Atwater, and it won’t be my last.
Thank you, Olivia and Net Galley, for allowing me to read this book early.

An eARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. This title will be published on November 28, 2023.

I haven't read any of Olivia Atwater's books and was slightly concerned that I might not be able to get to grips with the world without first going back to her previous books. This worry was unfounded, though, as the book works perfectly as a stand-alone (although I really hope it will be part of a series). The explanation of the fae and magic was great without info-dumping so I didn't feel like I needed to read anything to keep up with it - although I will now be reading more from this author!

The story is set in a fictional Victorian era in which the fae exist alongside people and where some people also have magic. This adds a great gothic feel to the story that works really well and creates a tense atmosphere from page one.

I loved the main character as she is smart, a bit malicious and not the usually doe-eyed heroine you often find in books about the fae. She has agency and drives the story forward by making things happen, rather than things simply happening to her.

I did feel as if the book didn't necessarily need the romance, as it didn't add a whole lot to the story. I appreciated the characters' relationship changing as they learnt more about each other but I think the romance could have been more of a slow burn, especially if there is going to be a sequel, or skipped entirely.

In all, I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. The writing style and pacing were great, to the point that I managed to get through the whole book in just over 24 hours. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of Belladonna, One Dark Window, Ink Sister Scribe and Hollow Vows.

This book is honestly right up my alley and I enjoyed every word. The gothic/haunted house vibes??? Perfection. Our main character??? Loved her. The cat??? My favorite. Mr. Quincy??? My other favorite.

From the get, this book/world was so easy to immerse myself into and I loved how we slowly got the lore of the house and the characters we follow in the book. Winnie is a great main character, she's so clever and I loved having her POV. Mr. Quincy is so interesting, and I also really liked his story and development throughout the story. The romance aspect of this book is very slow burn, but believable and I loved it.

This world was so interesting and I just want more of it. So many things are hinted at that I wish I had full on books for. I know this book ties in with other books, so I'll definitely have to read those. (note: I thought this book was really accessible even though I hadn't read anything in this world before)

This feels like a book I already want to reread, and I miss being in this world already. Easily 5 stars for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Starwatch Press for this ARC!

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Winnifred Hall has been hired to be the new governess at the cursed Witchwood Manor. Winnie’s new position comes with a few challenges one of which being Fairies. Iron may be hung through out the manor however that doesn’t stop the young lord-to-be from being kidnapped. Winnie enlists the help of the butler, Mr. Quincy to aid in her retrieval of Robert. As they adventure deeper into Witchwood Manor otherworldly dangers await them. Can Winnie’s clever tricks and black magic truly be enough to succeed and who can she really trust.

Olivia Atwater does such a great job immersing the reader. The gothic fantasy vibes were written perfectly for this magical haunted tale. The Witchwood Knot is the first in the Victorian Faerie Tales series, while it does have some tie-ins to Atwater’s previous Regency series I did not feel it was essential to read those prior to this book. Winnie is a touch FMC who uses her whits and brain to outsmart her foes. I do wish we had gotten to see more of her black magic though. I adored the bond she shared with Oliver, her familiar cat and found it to be a fun twist on how typically familiars are depicted in books. The dynamic between Mr. Quincy and Winnie was delightful and I want more of them instantly! The plot was a tad slower but once you hit the half way point it really picks up. There are some trigger warnings that I feel make this read darker than Atwater’s previous work, the description of dark gothic fantasy or even calling The Witchwood Knot a gothic folklore retelling are perfect descriptions for this book. In the afterword Atwater states being enticed to write a gothic story since reading Wuthering Heights and that same gothic energy is as definitely accomplished with this work.

Anyone who is intrigued by spooky period pieces mixed with magic, enemies to lovers, eerie forests, and a dark gothic manor will love reading this book! I can not wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

The Witchwood Knot comes out November 28, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwatch Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A powerful relationship, with so much emotion and raw sharp edges and people finding comfort in each other when they need it most.
I love how strong the characters are, bold and brave and very in depth in their own ways.
It's very gothic horror, with mythical fairytale vibes and just enough world building to keep you invested but not be too heavy.
And yet its oddly cosy, and warm, and therefore is the perfect fall read as its spooky but like a big hug at the same time.