𝐁𝗼𝗼𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 🧛‍♂️ wow! Thanks @netgalley for the e-arc of The Coven! I loved it!

Title: The Coven
Author: Harper L. Woods
Genre: NA Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🔪Willow has one goal: to seduce the vessel and find the bones that will give her the power of an entire bloodline. She’s been trained for this. Was born for this. But as she sets out on this endeavor, nothing is what it seems, especially the targeted vessel standing in her way of her goals.

✨I devoured this book! I love it when fantasy authors can balance great romance with a great plot and fast-paced action.

I really liked the character of Willow. She may be up there in my top five favorite badass FMC. I didn’t love how naive she seemed at the end, but I’ll cut her a break since she was being deceived by…well, I can’t spoil it for you now can I?

If you’re a big fan of questionably morally grey characters and forbidden romance, this one is for you!

This book had so many twists and turns towards the end, it made it so fun to read! I enjoyed the romance with a splash of spice. It’s a shorter book so I thought the world building was decent for this short of a book, but really enjoyed the pace of it!

I’m excited to read the next book in the series!

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis of this novel on Netgalley I thought this sounded really fun! Witches and vampire-ish and a long history of the coven and it's power. I was super intrigued. And yes, I even read the "trigger warning" at the beginning of the novel. The good part of this novel was the over arching story was super interesting and entertaining. The reason why this novel is only getting two stars is because of the "romantic" relationship. It was demeaning, disgusting, abusive, raping, BDSM controlling tripe like horribly written 50 shades. At least this novel was well written, however, the main character is coming to this academy and the HEADMASTER is her raping, domineering, emotionally abusive "love interest" and it was all disgusting. Frankly, their sexual encounters, if you could call the controlling abuse and rape 'encounters', made the novel horrible and I want nothing to do with any more of this series or even this author. If this is something you enjoy, by all means. Considering I work with trauma victims on a daily basis, this is not entertaining to me, this shit was their real worlds and it is abuse. Disgusting, demeaning and beyond disappointing.

Absolutely trope-y good time. Yes, you've read this book before, and yes, the plot is all over the place. But if you go into that knowing this, you're going to have a decent time. You cannot take it seriously - exactly like Zodiac Academy. It's just got every trope under the sun in here that comes with fantasy romance books lately, so read all the trigger warnings in the beginning. It's dark so I wouldn't call it a fluffy read or anything, but I still breezed through it. Sometimes my brain needs a break from more serious reads and I want something that reads like a CW teen TV show, and this delivered.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨
📖: The Coven
✍🏼: Harper L. Woods
💻: Tor Publishing Group
📆: August 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5

⛔️18-up⛔️

👇🏽 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕗:
•you need a dark fantasy romance like….NOW
•vampires make you 🥵
•you’re a plant lover

📚 𝕤𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤:
swipe for synopsis —>

💭 𝕞𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
I didn’t know if I was going to like this one or not. Honestly, I think it was my evangelical upbringing that made me question if it was okay to enjoy a book about witches, demons, and satan. Thank youuuuu church trauma.😂 But man it was good. Not great, but GOOD. Maybe a 3.5 for me and not a solid 4 stars, but I digress.

I am still new to the dark romance genre, so if you are new as well, please do not see the word “romance” and take off running. This is NOT a Tessa Bailey or Lucy Score. Heck, it ain’t even a CoHo or Penelope Douglas. It has some pretty intense and often triggering scenes, but it’s also nowhere near Haunting Adeline. 😅 Think of Vampire Diaries on steroids.

“What happens when I’m tired of fighting?” I asked, trying to ignore the pool of tears threatening to fall. Hoping the water from the shower would wash them away before he could notice. His face softened, his lips touching mine in a kiss that was so much more delicate than any other. “Then you let me do it for you.”

[*internally SCREAMING*]

I’m in love with Willow and Gray. Dark academia, gothic atmosphere, and paranormal sprinkled in? Ughhhh. TAKE MY MONEY. I’m excited to see what book 2 has in store!

This is an ARC, but only because it just got picked up by a publisher I do believe. Be on the lookout because I hear the first run is going to have….wait for it….SPRAYED EDGES!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC!

I felt like I had read this book before, if you know what I mean. Girl with Important Powers with links to Important Families is targeted after her mom dies and is dragged back to a magical school for witches in order to save her much younger brother. Girl (Willow) gets to magical school and finds things are "off." But, then things get a little more wonderfully convoluted!

Turns out, witches are inexorably linked to beings called "Vessels" (aka demons who live in a vessel body that require witches' blood to live) and the witch in charge seems to have plans that may not be in the best interests of all witches. To top it off, Willow had been mercilessly trained and tortured by her father to become a weapon to destroy all Vessels, and Willow is falling in love with one.

Oh, and sex. Lots of sex.

The book ends on a pretty major cliffhanger. I continue to wish that I could give half stars sometimes, because this was a solid 3.5 stars: I totally want to read the sequel, but I felt it started a but slow and will need to be more deliberate with who I recommend it to.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I had no idea this book was going to be so dark. I was expecting a fun witchy romance, and it’s not that. This one wasn’t for me, but if you like dark paranormal stories, check it out.

I LOVED the gothic vibes. I am a sucker for a dark fantasy between vampires, witches, and demon could not have asked for more. The plot kept me on my toes the entire time as well >>>

I'm honestly not sure what I just read and why I read it all😂

The first 30 pages had me really intrigued and then we got to the school and things were sexual or raunchy for literally no reason. I am a slow burn girly at heart. And this was the complete opposite. They INSTANTLY start talking about sleeping together and touching eachother. There was litterally no chemistry between our characters.

And honestly our main male character was just creepy to me. There's a scene early on that really just wrote him off for me. There was no coming back.

I'm kinda sad cause there was a cool world underneath all of the other stuff. But all the "WTF" why are we doing this moments really lost me.

For those who watched Netflix's Sabrina reboot and wanted more spice... way more spice. Decent writing, solid story, but ultimately felt like a vessel for spice (not a complaint).

Oh wow this book was unique and it had my attention right from the very first chapter. I didn’t wanna stop!

I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

I didn't love that the main action between Willow and Gray was her constantly getting hurt and needing to drink his blood to heal. I really don't love when the FMC of a book is portrayed as being such a tough cookie, and then her entire role in the romance is to be injured so that he can be protective and heal her. It's a pet peeve. Honestly, I loved the plot of this book, and would probably like it more without the romance elements. I just didn't buy it with these two. I know the plot would have needed some tweaking if the romance wasn't there, but I was far more intrigued by the story of the coven and what would happen with their corruption than I was in the romantic elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC of the book!

While I did enjoy the book for the most part, I definitely expected more.

1. I was so confused in the beginning of the book on how old the FMC was. I initially thought she was 16 because of the part where the coven said "if she's sixteen she's far too young to begin at hollows grove for another four years" because they assumed when Susannah said that a "new witch has made herself known" that she was 16.
Gray does later say that he knows her to be 20 years of age. But I definitely feel that it could have been made more clear especially with a book with darker themes.

I did think that the magic throughout the book was interesting! The first couple of chapters really did me in but I think it definitely slowed down in the middle. I didn't think that the FMC and MMC had much chemistry but it was much more of an insta lust with minimal character development. She was strong and very capable and I think that could've been leaned on more.

I thought it was odd that there was not more concern for her brother throughout the book but instead it was forgotten about during the middle of the book and then brought back up towards the end. I didn't feel as if she really developed many if any meaningful relationships with anyone else besides the MMC.

After decades of being closed, Hollow’s Grove University is opening its doors once again to bring in thirteen witches hand-picked to receive the prestigious training the secret academy is known for. Willow is personally collected by Gray, the demon headmaster of the school, and naturally their meet cute is a bruising fight where Willow shows off how powerful her magic truly is.
 
Not long after arriving strange things start to happen and Willow realizes her life is at risk. Willow and Gray, witch and demon, should hate each other. Demons feed off witches, after all. He is totally a villain, super hateable, AND YET. Willow can stand on her own, though, and there’s ton of banter and tension between them. As time passes, though, conspiracies start to untangle and another murderer is on the loose. The pair comes to the unfortunate (or is it?) realization they can trust no one except each other.
 
It’s a fantasy romance (aka romantasy) with a murder mystery, conspiracies, and secrets galore. It was AMAZING. Seriously, the ending is *superb* and jaw dropping and the moment I closed the book I was already itching for book 2. I still have a book hangover a few days later.
 
I am picky with romantasy because so many books excel at the romance part but fall flat with the fantasy aspect. I want to fall in love AND be immersed in a world with magic, monsters, creepy forests, and the feeling something lurks around the corner. There was a very good balance of the romance and fantasy in this book.

This is a darker gothic romance so be sure to check out trigger warnings if you have any. The author helpfully includes these in the front of the book.
 
The Coven will be available from Tor’s new Bramble imprint August 2024. Thank you to Net Galley and Tor/Bramble for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I *DEVOURED* this book. This is book 1 in a new paranormal romance series from Harper L. Woods.

I’ve said for a while that I’m looking for a TRUE enemies-to-lovers story and not just one where they mostly just hate each other. This book hit that mark for me. Willow and Gray have opposite, hidden agendas from the start, but the tension, angst and banter between the two will have you rooting for them despite their differences and regardless of the rules.

Gray is alluring, complex, and the right amount of villainous to make me want more of him. Willow is badass, strong-willed and a force to be reckoned with.

I found the magic system and the world of Crystal Hollow interesting and the plot was incredibly captivating. The cliffhanger will have you counting down the days until book 2 comes out in August.

Tropes/Highlights
- Paranormal Romance
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Morally gray (really borderline black) hero AND morally gray heroine
- Forced proximity
- Age gap
- Dark academia
- Witches, demons, magic

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5

3.75⭐️
Okay so that ending?! Like WHAT?! I’m a huge fan of romantasy books that take place magical academies so when I heard witches & vampires at a magical coven school I said sign me up! This book has some great aspects to it, I loved the love interest and the last 20% of the book had me gasping. I did find the pacing in this book to be a bit inconsistent at some points, and I think if there had been a bit more world building and like 100 more pages in this book it could have made it a 5⭐️ read! The vibes in this book are definitely like a dark smutty older Sabrina the teenage witch (the Netflix remake not the OG). Overall I did enjoy this, and even if the beginning took a while for me to get into, the action and shock value at the end made up for it!

I DEVOURED this book!
Grey is THE villain in the story, and he’s supposed to be breaking and destroying Willow, except their chemistry is top tier, even though he doesn’t have a heart.

Their character development, chemistry, banter and story line were chefs kiss. I cannot even wait to read The Cursed. That little cliffy at the end had me hanging by a string.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

(3.5) I’m a sucker for a witch story, so I was thrilled to dive into this one especially when I was told it involved a sort of taboo love story. I was i intrigued for a majority of this story and I liked the twist in witches that Woods took. I didn’t love a few of the interactions between our two MCs. The ending is bonkers and I honestly had to sit with it and decide if I liked it or not. In the end, I like the twist it took and I think I will continue the series I just hope the second one is more redeeming!

Thank you for the ARC!

Holy cow!!!! That ending made me so stoked for the next one!!! First green flag for this book is that it’s a romance between a witch and a demon and he calls her “Witchling.” I’m a Dorian girly so I was ALL over that. Honestly, it got a 4 star rating but had 5 star potential. I just needed more- more side character development, more world building, more academia details, just… more. I kinda struggled with picturing the school and I’m still a bit confused on the size of the student population. She could have added another hundred pages to this and I would have ate it up. I’m still a bit confused and think there were a few plot holes, and despite that, it’s still at least a 4 star book. The premise for book 2 is going to be my jam and I am pumped! I love a good spicy, spooky, witchy dark romance.

THE GOTHIC ATMOSPHERE!!!!! MY UNDEAD HEARTTT.

Read this if:
You need something witchy
Love a dark gothic romance
You like dual POV’s

Tropes:
“Touch her and you d!e”
Forbidden romance
Age gap
Enemies to lovers

Just to give you an idea, this is the dedication, “ For all those who love them villainous.” Say less, right?

I highly recommend holding out and reading this for fall for two reasons. First, it is a PERFECT fall read and gives all those vibes. Second, the second book to the series comes out at the end of August so you won’t have to suffer and wait like me. So, SAVE THIS POSTTTT.

“If it is order that you value, then I will bring you nothing but chaos.”

I loved the depth of Willow’s character; she is brave, strong and stubborn. I really enjoyed how the authors depicted her magic. It felt like a beautiful thing that you could tell she respected. The way they used her magic with nature was almost its own character, it defends and cares for her when she needs it.
This story felt beautiful, suspenseful and darkly sultry. Great world building, character development and interesting twists.