Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect to enjoy this book quite as much as I did. I loved the initial trilogy in this world, but I was nervous to have to say goodbye to the familiarity of the regency era's faerie tales. It was clear very early on that my concern was entirely unnecessary.

Atwater expertly crafts a world in which mortality and magic meet and does so through the perspective of the absolutely brilliant main character of Winifred. I liked her rather quickly and my love for her grew as she did throughout the novel. It was an absolute joy to see her growth and the arc she followed as the novel progressed.

Without a doubt, my favourite character is Oliver the undead cat. But anyone who knows me would have guessed as much the moment they knew a cat was a character. He is just absolutely precious and his relationship with Winnie is just gorgeous.

A really fun read and I very much look forward to where this series will go.

This was the perfect fall read! I've been picking up and putting down so many books lately. But this one... I devoured in such a short time. If you're craving cozy fantasy with a dash of romance, look no further. It has all the wholesomeness of HALF A SOUL by this author, but a bit darker and a lot more gothic.

Winifred is easy to root for. She is a fierce character (without falling into the typical "feisty FMC" trope). She is calculating, sometimes cutting with her words, but has the strength to lean into her vulnerabilities.

The romance was slow burn but rewarding. This author is so good at crafting relationships that make sense and fit with the characters' personalities. There is always space for their shortcomings, because no relationship can be perfect. Instead of jamming in a nonsensical romance here, she crafts a connection that is borne of rivalry, then a tentative friendship--with mutual respect throughout.

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

Even the side characters were easy to adore. Most of all Winifred's undead cat familiar.

I was surprised to discover that this story is connected to the author's previous Regency Faerie Tales series, which is a plus to those of us who adored those books. But this definitely can stand alone! If the ending doesn't leave you wanting to explore all the other books in this world, it surely will leave you craving the next installment to this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Starwatch Press for the advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

I’m a massive fan of Olivia Atwater’s particular brand of whimsical, historically bent faerie tales and was so excited to delve into her latest— a gothic romance with secrets woven into every corner of the mysterious house our protagonist Winnifred is sent to join. Under the guise of acting as a governess, Winnie is an undercover dark magician with a special set of skills and know how when it comes to magic and faeries. Upon her arrival to the Witchwood manor, the dowager sets her upon a task of protecting the dowager’s young grandson from the sinister faerie curse taking over the home. Whisked to an alternate Witchwood as she sleeps, Winnie must navigate the mercurial and secretive Mr Quincy, a complex curse and the rather nasty master of the house before the curse enacts its final toll.

I really enjoyed this, perhaps even more so than the Regency Faerie tale series as I just adore a good gothic story. Winnie was remarkably fleshed out and I really enjoyed seeing her confidence and intelligence in how she navigated the challenges laid before her. Atwater didn’t shy away from delving into Winnie’s past with sexual assault and I really appreciated how delicately she handled Winnie getting her revenge. The romance was slow to develop and, as a romance lover I would’ve liked slightly *more*, I found it heartwarming and a gentle show of love between two people used to forging their paths on their own. I also loved Winnie & Robert’s relationship, especially seeing Robert’s childish animosity and Winnie’s impatience wear down into a really lovely connection between them.

Overall, this is a great set up for what’s sure to be a wonderful series, and I’ll eagerly away the next instalment!

I absolutely adored The Witchwood Knot.

Olivia Atwater writes the cosiest fantasy novels. This one is darker than the others (being a gothic romance), however, it is still a hug in a book.

I can't wait to read more from this series.

Hopefully a publisher in Australia snaps up the rights to The Witchwood Knot soon, because our customers will love this.

Having read Half A Soul, I'm so excited to back in this world and what a fantastic dive back in! Atwater is at her best here and her version of the fae is just so fun! I think fans of half a soul and newcomers alike will eat this up.

I was excited to dive into The Witchwood Knot as soon as I downloaded the ARC. This was my first book by Atwood and October is the perfect time of year to read gothic romance. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read her Regency Faerie Tales series first. Since I'm not familiar with the world, I feel like I didn't get the full story.

I really liked Winnie's character. She's brave and selfless when it comes to what she thinks is the right thing to do. I would have liked the MMC to be more fleshed out. He was interesting and I would've enjoyed learning more about him. As for the magic system, I was confused at times but I'm sure those who have read her previous books didn't have this problem. The beginning was a bit slow but a little over 50% through, the story picks up and I couldn't put it down. For how slow it was in the beginning, it felt like the ending was rushed.

Overall, I did like this book and the characters! I just wished there was more world building, the characters were a little more fleshed out, and the ending wasn't quite as rushed. I hope there's more books to come in this series because I would love to learn more about the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Starwatch Press for the ARC.

Set in the same universe as Atwater's excellent "Half a Soul" books (just a bit later in time), this magic-and-manners tale is an echo of all those gothic Victorian books which include a plucky heroine, a sketchy householder, bratty children which must be trained up and protected, and ghostly scares a-plenty.

Winnifred, one of Lady Hollowvale's foundlings, is brought to Witchwood Manor under the guise of being a governess, but really, to protect the grandson of the Lady of the house, and to ferret out a way to rid the house of its ongoing faerie problems, which is a much more difficult prospect than first appears.

The tone of this novel is different from the earlier works, mirroring a change in circumstances, and a change to the grittier tone of gothic novels. Content warning: implied child sexual abuse, creepy guy sexual harassment - not explicit, but still, those who need to know, be warned. The author provides a warning for this at the beginning of the book.)

The perfect book to read on a rainy afternoon.

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

This was my first Olivia Atwater book, and I adored it.

The story follows Winnifred (Winnie) Hall, a young woman no stranger to magic or the fae. The lady of Witchwood Manor has hired Winnie as a governess for her grandson, but that's not the real reason Winnie is there. There is something rotten at the heart of Witchwood Manor, and Winnie has been tasked with finding it and protecting the young master of the house.

The characters in this book are authentic, likable and believably flawed. One of the first things we learn about Winnie is that she is a liar, and while I do wish that had led us somewhere in the way of an unreliable narrator, watching Winnie navigate her way through dangerous situations with one well-placed lie after another was thoroughly entertaining.

The relationship between Winnie and the mysterious Mr Quincy was a highlight of this story for me, and its development felt natural and earned. Their clever banter and intellectual battles for the upper hand were an excellent way to add tension to their dynamic.

Witchwood Manor itself is at the heart of the plot; however, most scenes take place in a handful of rooms. Personally, this didn't impact my enjoyment as I was hooked by the characters and the mystery at the core of the plot; readers who like a deep sense of place may find that lacking slightly here.

The story is written in close third person, however, I found myself wishing it was written in first person. This is unusual for me as I generally prefer close third, but something about Winnie made me want to be even closer inside her head and see the Manor, the Witchwood Knot and Mr Quincy more clearly through her eyes.

Overall, I had an excellent time reading this book and will be keeping an eye out for what Atwater does next.

Thank you Netgalley, for an eARC of this book.

This is my first book by Oliva Atwater. I started reading and I was a bit confused about the world, but I just decided to roll with it, and I had a great time reading this. I really liked Winnie from the start. She was secretive and sassy, and I like that she professes to not like children and while having to maintain this governess ruse. Final thoughts are that this is a lovely little gothic mystery tale with a smidge of romance, a perfect book for fall.

The Witchwood Knot is book 1 in the Victorian Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater.
This is one of the best gothic romance dark fantasy stories I’ve read in a very long time.
I so enjoyed these characters and the world building in this low angst story.
The writing is delightful, impossible to put down.
A stunning gothic romance and a very entertaining dark faerie tale set in a magical version of Victorian England.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Starwatch Press for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Starwatch Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This is a spin-off of Atwood’s other series, the Regency Faerie Tales, and while I have not read that one yet (though I know the gist of them), I found that this was easy to follow. The Witchwood Knot is a gothic haunted/cursed house story where the protagonist, Winnie, is asked to be the governess of the dowager’s grandson. The house is deeply unsettling and when first arriving, Winnie notices something is wrong. There is also a slow burn romance in this, but it is a lovely side plot instead of taking center stage.

I honestly loved this and had a lot of fun with it; I love gothic horror and while at times it took a slightly more gorey turn than I’d been expecting, it ultimately isn’t all that scary, just very atmospheric and tense. I loved Winnie and Mr. Quincy, as well as the novel’s secondary characters (and, of course, Oliver). I really enjoyed Atwater’s faeries and the way she wove faerie lore into this story, and I really enjoyed the overarching plot that I’m assuming will make up the series as a whole. The Witchwood Knot is definitely a slower book; I found that it picks up around the halfway mark, but it does take its time up to that point. Regardless, it was super easy to sink into the story immediately, and I was swept up into the atmosphere.

Atwater’s handling of Winnie and Mr Quincy’s sharper edges and learning a level of vulnerability was really nice, and I loved Winnie as the main character/point of view character. I really enjoyed seeing her reclaim her agency and I loved her voice. I also liked how Mr. Quincy’s past and how it informs his present was done, and both were very compelling characters. The way this ends makes me very excited to see where Atwater’s Victorian Faerie Tales will go, and it sets up a really interesting series premise.

Overall I had a wonderful time reading this and am so delighted to have gotten to spend time in this world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Starwatch Press for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review!

I was so thrilled to receive this e-arc. I love Olivia Atwater's style of writing it is both cozy and eerily atmospheric in the best way. This gothic fantasy follows Winnie as she works as a "governess" at a manor beset by a curse. Everything is not as it seems including Winnie.

I don't want to include any spoilers in my review but I will say the way Winnie regained her agency in the novel as well as Mr. Quincy doing the same was so perfectly executed. I found the plot "twists" to be enjoyable and I didn't guess them immediately as I usually do.

Mr. Quincy is a terror with a rat tail and I love him.

I can't wait to see where this series goes!

I feel like I would have enjoyed this more had I read her previous books because I feel like this is a continuation of where the other books have left off? I'm not too sure.

Nonetheless, I really liked Winnie as a character and her relationship with Mr. Quincy but their relationship felt a little too rushed since it happened at the later part of the book which didn't give me much time to really connect with Mr. Quincy.

I enjoyed the dark atmosphere of the book but in terms of world building, there wasn't much of it but that's not to say it was a bad thing because the story stilled flowed perfectly fine (in my opinion).

I also liked how Winnie wasn't portrayed as a victim despite her long history of sexual assault. Even if the scenes were minor, Winnie's relationship with an abuser in her childhood was a bit tough to read through because of my own experiences of that nature.

One part I really liked was how Mr. Quincy wasn't forceful and was respectful to Winnie after knowing her past. He was kind and considerate and I really would love to see more of him in the next book.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I've decided to read her previous books to get a better picture of these characters and the story line because there were a few spoilers to the previous books.

Thank you Netgalley and to the Publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Starwatch Press, and author Olivia Atwater for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars

I immediately knew I had to read this book when I saw the synopsis: a gothic story? with Victorian fairies? and a badass witch governess? It screamed my name.

I enjoyed this book immensely: it captures how eerie and conniving fairies are, and Atwater sets the scene perfectly. Moreover, I loved how the romance developed and how Winnie’s and Mr Quincy’s characters grew as they got closer. However, I have to admit that whenever I’m reading a book about faes I tend to overlook one particular detail about their physique.

Nonetheless, this being marketed as a gothic tale, I expected more gothic elements. (This is my first Atwater, I haven’t read her Regency Fairy Tales, so I’m aware I might be missing some details or references, or even these elements were explored in prior books). The reader doesn’t really know much about Winnie’s magic, it would’ve been great to have delved into her magic system.

Still, this was a very easy and entertaining read! After reading The Witchwood Knot, I would definitely check Atwater’s other work and wait patiently for the next book in this series.

Olivia Atwater came out of nowhere for me as a reader. On a whim, I requested the first book I saw by her, “Half a Soul,” and that’s all it took! I quickly read all three in that series over the course of the summer. I know she has another book coming out sometime in the next year, something about baked good and the supernatural (sounds perfect to me!) so I was super surprised to see this book pop up on NetGalley when I was browsing one night. I didn’t even look into what it was, so I was that much more surprised to find that it is a story set in the same world as her original books, only this time taking place in the Victorian era, rather than Regency. Gothic horror and gothic romance? Count me in!

I’ve loved this shift towards gothic fantasy over the last year or so. Of course, there will always come a point where you can have too much of a good thing, but I haven’t reached it yet, as far as this trend goes. I was curious to see, however, how Atwater would fair taking on this sort of fantasy story. Her original three books were the epitome of light-hearted, comical, comfort reads. But a haunted house story and the gothic vibes that are meant to pair with it, well, that’s an entirely different tone! Low and behold, not only was this shift in tone successful, but the book also explores some fairly dark themes regarding assault and the nature of what makes a monster. I was incredibly impressed by how carefully these topics were covered, all without losing the overall appeal that is at the heart of Atwater’s style.

While this book is definitely more dark than her original trilogy, it also fit naturally within the greater world that had been created. In the other books, we saw hints of the darkness that existed in the world of the Fae and the nature of their strict, but confounding, approach to the rules of existence. Here, those aspects are drawn out and painted in darker colors. This book doesn’t shy away from its moments of horror, with violence seeping into scenes, as well as some truly creepy imagery. That said, this is by no means a horror novel. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny at times, but within the story was an incredibly sweet romance as well as an unexpectedly touching relationship between Winnie and her ward.

I loved the main characters, as well. Winnie was a strong central character, working to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the Witchwood Knot while slowly beginning to form connections to those around her, breaking down walls that she had long-ago established for her own protection. I particularly liked the slow-burn romance between her and Mr. Quincy. The beginning of the book has him firmly slotted into a villain role, and I was impressed by how thoroughly the author worked to change the mind of both her main character and the reader. It was done in a very slow, subtle way. I will say that some of the character’s physical descriptions were a bit, um, unnerving, especially as a romantic interest. But on the other hand, I’m impressed with Atwater’s sheer audacity at just going with it and not trying to magic away the “otherness.”

I loved this book! It was right up there with “Half a Soul” as one of my favorites by this author. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, for sure, but I did appreciate this one more than some for the more serious themes at its heart. The balance felt more complete, with the lightness mixing naturally alongside the darker shades of grey, creating a more fulfilling read all around. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of this author or are looking for a solid stand-alone gothic fantasy novel!

Rating 9: Gothic fantasy at its finest, Atwater brilliantly combines her natural light-hearted style with the exploration of darker themes of redemption and what makes a monster.

Link will go live on Dec. 1 on The Library Ladies.

Thank you to Olivia Atwater, Netgalley & Starwatch Press for the ARC.

The first chapter draws you in SO quickly. The scene is set in such a vivid way that, for the first time in quite some time, I'm seeing images in my head versus hearing myself narrate. Images usually build up later for me after I've read a few chapters. Im so glad this feeling lasted the entire novel. It was like a Tim Burton film in my head. Gothic vibes ALL DAY.

I also loved the characters. Winnie is THAT girl for me. She is a bit brash but seems very sensible as well? Or maybe aware is the word I am looking for. She's fiery, but it isn't in a played out way. I love that she isn't "special." Frank, sensible, unashamed. Not well-bred like some of the other characters in the story, due to her circumstances although her birth was up in the air. She's also a cartomancer, which is new to me and pretty cool in this tale. Then you have Mr Quincy, whom I adore. He's so stand-offish and a bit strange, giving neither good nor bad vibes. I would call him chaotic neutral (until the end, really). We must also mention the joy I found in the side characters such as Cook, Lady Hollowvale, Master Robert, and Margaret.

The descriptions and language are the heroes of the story, in my opinion. I felt embedded in the story, like a fly on the wall. Seeing everything, hearing everything. Once you understand what's happening, it's hard to miss the symmetry Atwater builds into the story.

I did have some unanswered questions: What happened to her at Mourningwood? Why wouldn't she want to return? Who has been unkind to her & in what way? Most.of this is implied early on by Lady Longfellow.

My main reason for not giving this five stars is simple: the end felt rushed and a little lazy compared to the rest of the narrative. That's not to say I didn't like it - I just loved the build-up and how the story unfolded up to that point way more. The abruptness of the resolution felt like it stole a little of the drama/thunder from what Winnie had decided to do and what she was willing to put herself through for ALL of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and will definitely be picking up more of Atwater's work.

The Witchwood Knot is a gothic fairytale set in Victorian England where fairies exist and are feared. Young magician Winnifred Hall is hired by her old benefactor Lady Longfell to pose as a governess for her grandson Robert. Winnie's actual responsibility will be to protect young Robert and to teach him how to protect himself from sinister forces that surround the manor and forrest. When Winnie arrives at the manor she is greeted by the butler Mr Quincy but soon learns from the other staff that the butler left recently and has not been replaced. Further complicating her mission young Robert is determined to misbehave. Winnie also has uneasy feeling when it comes to dealing with his father who has taken an unwanted interest in her.

I had so much fun with this book. I adored Atwater's Regency Faerie Tale series. This is slightly darker than that series was. There are references to those books but they do not impact the overall story if you haven't read them. This does have a very slow burn romance in it. Winnie is one of my favorite characters of the year. She is incredibly smart and resourceful. I can't wait to get the next book in the series and will be recommending this to everyone I discuss books with.

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

4.5 stars

I adored the Regency Faerie Tales trilogy, so I was extremely excited to see Olivia Atwater's return to this world. The Witchwood Knot starts a few years after Longshadow, and though I don't think it's necessary to have read the previous books, this one definitely references past events and characters that make it even more enjoyable.

Since it's now the Victorian era, Atwater creates a gothic tale that departs in tone from her Regency stories. The enclosed setting of the Witchwood Manor is perfectly dark and mysterious, filled with ghosts and mischievous faeries. Winnie Hall arrives to learn more about the curse put on this place, protect the kid who's its last heir, and hopefully break the curse itself.

Because of that, the romance isn't the main focus and really appears in the last 20%. And it does feel rushed, to be honest. So this is more of a cozy gothic mystery than a cozy romance, and that might disappoint some people expecting something to be closer to Half A Soul.

Personally I was so invested in Winnie's investigation and the atmosphere was so good that I could have even done without the love story. One thing to say is that Atwater's characters never feel like carbon copies of each other. Winnie has her own interesting personality and backstory. She's smart, cold, resourceful, and also has PTSD. She touches on issues of sexual abuse that are difficult but done pretty well. Her magic is a bit unclear to me, but she relies more on her wits and knowledge. Of course I especially enjoyed learning how she related to characters from the previous books. I also loved Mr Quincy's dry humor, and how I was never sure how to feel about him and his actions.

This book clearly starts a bigger plot that I can't wait to see develop as we follow (I'm guessing) Winnie and her sisters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwatch Press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This year I thoroughly enjoyed Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales series and was excited to receive an advance copy of her latest book. The Witchwood Knot is a gothic novel set in the Victorian era, and didn't work for me as well as her other novels, sadly.

Winnie, our protagonist, is cunning and calculating. As a reader, I found it hard to get close to her, feel emotionally invested, or really root for her at all. Especially as she repeatedly rants about how she "despises children." Her card-reading magic was also pretty unclear.

It seems like in her most recent books, Atwater keeps introducing new elements from mythology that if you're not an ancient mythology lover can be quite confusing and hard to picture/understand. In LONGSHADOW, it was the sluagh, which I was eventually able to wrap my head around. This time around, it's fomoire (can't remember the spelling in the book, but this is what Google is telling me). It felt confusing and half-baked.

The whole book is more of a spooky mystery than anything else. If you're expecting a sweet, emotionally deep and satisfying romance like Atwater's ohter books, you won't get that either. It's not until 83% through the book that the protagonist and the love interest actually show each other an ounce of affection. Before that, he's been pretty awful and shady and cold. He's also described as having wine-red eyes, a LITERAL RAT TAIL (not the hair style, he has an actual tail of a rat attached to his butt), and he SMELLS LIKE BLOOD. You want me to root for this romance??? I'm sorry, it's just not happening.

The ending was very "super easy, barely an inconvenience." There's a lot of fingers chopped off in the final 10% of the book. A strange time all around. I don't think I'll continue with the Victorian leg of this series.

“𝐵𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒.”

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑟: I always try to keep my reviews spoiler free, and I think I did for the most part, but just in case I said a little too much somewhere. Be warned.

So, it looks like I have a new book kink. I mean, it’s not really new, just my first gothic romance. I guess it would be better to say that my 𝔰𝔲𝔟-𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢 𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔶 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔭𝔬𝔭𝔭𝔢𝔡. But, I honestly did not expect to enjoy the male lead as much as I did, nor did I expect the male lead 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 the male lead. Don’t get me wrong, 𝑦𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜. But, I don’t know if maybe it was the character description, cause at first he gave me the 𝔥𝔢𝔢𝔟𝔦𝔢 𝔧𝔢𝔢𝔟𝔦𝔢𝔰. And that is not a complaint. It’s a freaking bravo, because by the end of it I was feeling “𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛, 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛!”

Can I just add that this was also the perfect time to read this book. It gave me all the spooky I have been craving for the Halloween season. I’m not a big fan of horror, so I love having those elements intertwined in a genre that I live for. And it was woven throughout the story so beautifully. Nothing felt out of place or like a reach. It all just 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒 and 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑. Did I mention that I really enjoyed this book?