I absolutely devoured this book! I loved it so so much! I was hooked right away and could not stop reading. It was so hot and spicy. I loved the dark academia setting. If you haven’t read this yet (first of all, what are you waiting for?!!) now is the perfect time of year! It’s the perfect fall vibes book, but honestly it’s 10/10 Andy time of year!

The Coven speaks to very specific, abusive kinks that I do not have and as such could not settle into. To be fair, it starts off with disclaimers - which did nothing to prepare me for the world I was wilfully and consentingly entering.

The beginning: I spent an inordinate amount of time actually trying to commit each element, colour and legacy name to memory, thinking they would become specifically relevant in due course. They never did.

The beginning still: This isn’t a slow burn, I’ll-buy-you-dinner-first story. It’s immediate, on-heat-at-first-sight and tantrums all over the place from start to finish.

The middle: lots of cringey seduction (?) and no real time spent with the world. The world was just a backdrop for all of the spicy abusive dalliances to rock on.

The end was…well it ended.

I can’t explain how or why I finished this book when it could have been a DNF. I suppose that speaks to the ease of flipping through the pages? If you can get through it, ignore the thorny, clunky plot twists and find elements of it you enjoy, this could be the book to bury yourself in for a day. For the rest of us, a cup of rose tea perhaps?

I loved 99.9% percent of this book even though it is completely cliche and the storyline is so overdone. However, it is like popcorn, I just couldn't stop turning the pages. The end was a little convoluted but I might have just been tired because I couldn't put it down.

The Coven is confusing. Are we supposed to be rooting for any of these characters? Is there a coherent, singular goal plot-wise? I found it strange and awkward and a little gross. The cover seems to be marketed to young adults, but I would not suggest this for young adults-- and probably not for adults, either.

Wow!! This book is PHENOMENAL!!!

I don't even know where to start. The story was BRILLIANT!! The characters... Perfection...

I already ordered the hardcover of this book. I loved everything about it.

It is deliciously dark and loaded with triggers... The kind of triggers that make your toes curl. What can you expect from this romantasy...

❤️dark academia
❤️morally gray
❤️enemies to lovers
❤️forbidden love

What wasn't brilliant? The cliffhanger at the end just because I dispise them!

4 stars.

Witches, vampires, démons, the devil... What's not to love, really?

Be forewarned that there are a lot of trigger warnings for this book, and they are needed.

I'm conflicted. I really, really like Grey, even though he's the bad guy. And I really, really like Willow even if she makes stupid decisions? The ending has left me in a mess. 😂 That's not a bad thing, but since it's a really harsh cliffhanger, I am desperate to know what happens next!

My biggest complaint with the book is not learning more about the magic system. More worldbuilding and less spice would have made this book better.

This witchy story is DARK! Fair warning, since the author put trigger warnings up front AND tells the reader that the main male character is actually a villain. But, I was pulled in from the very first page, so I knew I wanted a copy with the roses for my special edges shelf right away. I spent much of the book reminding myself that rooting for Gray was probably a bad idea, and then realized that poor Willow thought she was playing the game as a queen, but really she was just everybody's pawn. Poor girl! The ending shocked me, and now I am looking forward to book 2 as a spooky season read.

I just finished reading "The Coven" by Harper L. Woods. I received an eARC from NetGalley.

50 years after the massacre that forced Hollow Grove University to shutter it's doors-- it's finally time to reopen them. Hollow Grove serves as a school for the original families of Crystal Hollow-- a haven created for witches during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. The witches in Crystal Hollow are real though, based on an ancient pact between Hecate and the devil himself. Enter Willow-- the last remaining descendant of an ancient line of Greens (earth witches) and the Covenant's great-great-however many more greats-granddaughter. Willow has an agenda of her own however, and has been raised outside of the prying eyes of the Coven, and she possesses more than any witch in the Coven's history.

This book opens with a trigger warning. Coercive SA, manipulation, dubious consent, etc. And all of that was very very present. Willow was a likeable enough main character-- a typical "I'm so tough because I've been hurt before" type. Her magic is very powerful, and she is in touch with the "old ways"-- which seems important but isn't? The magic system was theoretically very cool-- but we didn't explore it in anywhere near enough detail. The majority of the book takes place in a magic school-- where very little attention is paid to the magic, or the schooling. Plus, forget about ANY secondary characters. They do not matter, they do not exist-- so we get accounts of exactly 2 types of magic even though there are a multitude of different types of witches present at the school.

The story is way more invested in this perverse relationship between Thorn and Willow. Thorn is the headmaster, and a vessel, which is a demon trapped in a flesh body that is kind of a vampire too. Vessels were created as part of the pact between Hecate and the Devil-- demonic possession was apparently too rough on the hosts, so now they have their own bodies. But they're also trapped in them. Thorn and Willow have different agendas, but apparently Willow thinks she's smarter than an ancient demon, which *shocker* she isn't. But in the meantime they exchange a whole bunch of blood and sexy-time and red flag behaviors.

I think there was a lot of potential in the idea, and the world building-- but we never really get to see it fully form. The book ends on a cliffhanger-- but apparently everything has changed in the world now so who knows if the rules of the world are still intact. It wasn't an awful read, but I do think it perpetuates problematic relationships (at one point one of the characters says something along the lines of "you've obviously never had hate sex") as sexually satisfying. I don't usually read romantasy and I think I'll keep it that way.

The Coven is a very interesting take on witches and vampires! I wasn’t expecting this unique world when I first started, so it immediately piqued my interest.

The story follows Willow, a 20-year-old witch who was hidden by her mother at birth and raised outside of the world of witches. Her father raised her to get his revenge against the coven that killed his sister and took his birthright. Her father’s revenge brings her back to the town her mother escaped from, Crystal Hollow, and to Hollow’s Grove University, where witches learn to practice their magic.

This was definitely a wild ride with a great gothic, dark academia atmosphere. The magic school setting had some dark aspects that I wasn’t expecting. This book offers one of the most interesting takes on the supernatural and magic! The link between the witches and the vampires was so unique.

There were aspects of this story that I really enjoyed, such as the magic system, the familial bonds, and the dark and spooky vibes. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the romance part of this book. I know this was meant to be a dark paranormal romance, but it didn’t feel that way while I was reading it. The romance felt too forced, giving off insta-love vibes from the beginning. Maybe not insta-love but insta-lust? It was too much too soon for my liking.

While there were a lot of things that weren’t my favorite, I can definitely see the appeal, and I think fans of dark romance will like this. The story was full of twists and turns that kept me interested, and I definitely wasn’t expecting the reveal at the end.

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

This was SO good. If you are a fan of Zodiac Academy I feel you would really like this. The TENSION between Gray and Willow is so good and I am obsessed with them- if you arw a Bluelance fan…this is for you!

I cannot wait for book 2

A great start, intriguing plot and characters but as we went on I personally wasn’t interested in reading about demons and he who shall not be named in such depth I felt like I needed to pray my apologies. Kudos to Woods for publishing a book, this is no small feat. Looking forward to dipping into her other works and watching as she continues to hone her craft.

🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Dark Academia
🖤Forbidden Romance
🖤Morally Grey MMC
🖤Witchy

I love morally grey characters. They’re definitely up there as one of my faves.
I loved this in the beginning. And then it fell a little flat for me. Things were happening to quickly and then I wasn’t sure what was going on. But I love witchy books and dark romance so I still enjoyed it. That ending definitely leaves you on a cliffhanger to want to pick up book two.

The Coven by Harper L. Woods is an enthralling adult fantasy & dark paranormal romance with academia vibes full of mystery, intrigue, steam & suspense.

This may be the biggest surprise of the year for me because my lmood reader self hasn’t been in the mood for fantasy much lately but I was transfixed with this story. The two main characters & the fiery enemies vibes that started were fascinating to witness as their chemistry-filled connection never wavered.

The Coven is great for fans of…
🖤 Adult Romantasy
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Dark Paranormal Romance
🖤 Witches & More
🖤 Who did this to you?!

I absolutely loved the writing style of this book. I love the fantasy & paranormal romance genre but sometimes I struggle with my ADHD & the time it takes for world building…:however, this was not the case with this book! I was captivated immediately & fascinated by this world, its’ magic system & the characters at the helm. I was also shocked that I was rooting for the villain type hero.

I could easily see this becoming a TV show & would watch this happily.

If you ate looking for a new series to start that is quick & mesmerizing, I highly recommend The Coven.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Tor for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

4.6 stars

The Coven by Harper L. Woods is a thrilling and atmospheric fantasy novel that immerses readers in a world of magic and intrigue. Woods' engaging storytelling and well-developed characters create a captivating narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

The world of The Coven has a super fascinating take on witches and vampires (or vessels) and a very controlled way of raising new witches to the coven. Hollow’s Grove University gives off the best dark academia vibes though I don’t know how much learning happens given everything going on around the students.

I definitely got some Vampire Diaries vibes reading this too, but a more adult and more dangerous version of that story, mixed in with a witchy university and a unique tie between the vessels and the witches. Plus, throw in the devil and some demons and you have some really interesting takes on the supernatural. I didn’t quite get the relationship between Alaric and Willow as I never due understand the instant lust/love types of stories. However, I do appreciate their bond more later in the story as several things happen that lead to that strengthening.

Thank you to Bramble Romance and @netgalley for the eARC of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely a ride. Following Willow, a witch who has been hidden by her mother until she attends a magic school where she then meets a super hot professor, there was a lot of things that I enjoyed. Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, age gap... but then, there were things that I just didn't vibe with.

First, the MMC is putting the GREY in morally grey omg. Maybe it is because I have been deep in my contemporary romance world, but I was shook by the change. That's not to say that he was a 'bad' character, I just was NOT ready for that.
Also, the virgin trope is just not my cup of tea. I used to not mind it as much, so again, maybe it is just because I've been in a specific world of books for a while and this one is so different.

Overall, there were things about this book that I found intriguing- witches, magic schools, demons, the romantasy vibes. While some things weren't my favorite, I can definitely see the appeal and think that if you are a fan of Gothikana, you'll like this one!

This was really interesting if a bit slow at the beginning. Not as spicy as I was led to believe, but the story overall was so good! Willow has been hiding out with her mother and brother to avoid the coven at all costs. When her mother passes, she has no choice but to hide her brother and go.

Headmaster Thorne, Grey, has brought her to the school in the most inappropriate way possible, blurring the lines between teacher and student. But of course, she's an adult, so that was already different. Grey is a Vessel, existing to manage the power of the witches by drinking their blood.

When Willow realizes that pretending to seduce Grey is a little too easy, it's already too late. In the search for her ancestors bones, secrets are revealed and betrayal ensues. The ending was not what I expected at all!

This book, OMG, THIS BOOK. Okay, first tropes:

-witches & demons
-dual POV
-forced proximity
-who did this to you?
-enemies to lovers
-witch & vampire
-dark academia

If you love a truly morally BLACK mmc and an age gap (student and professor) then this is the book for you. He's a vampire, she's a witch, use that imagination of what's to come... and I hope you are very imaginative LOL I loved the vibes of this book they were immaculate and truly I rate and review books off of vibes and this one did it for me. I can't wait to dive into The Cursed!

I received this an arc from Netgalley for the the rerelease of the special edition!

I pre-ordered The Coven before I got the arc, and had no regrets about that decision (my copy just arrived today and it’s gorgeous). The Coven is a romantasy, setting up a major romance plot alongside the primary plot. This is an intriguing, suspense-filled story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author does a great job establishing character motivations while holding back the things that will change the landscape as the story progresses. Sometimes, that’s a delicate balance, but I never got the impression the author was cheating with reveals. Instead, things unfolded in ways I never expected and kept me on my toes, but looking back, I felt the seeds were there, and the reveals worked.

I want to avoid spoilers, so I will say that there’s a dark academic aspect to this story, because of the setting, although we don’t spend as much time focused on classroom learning as you might expect. That worked well for me. If anything, it makes me curious about where things will go in the second book (which I have pre-ordered, and I have an arc for, but have not read yet). Without getting into spoilers, for me, if a book makes me want to get back to the next book in the duology/trilogy/series, then it’s done its job. There was plenty here to get my attention and hold my interest, and I’m curious about the ultimate resolution for the story and characters.

From my secondary school teacher's perspective, The Coven, by Harper L Woods, was too much for me. I did not enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC I read to review. All opinions are solely mine. I am sure there is an audience that will enjoy this one, but it is not me.