Unfortunately I did have to stop this book at around 29%. I felt the book dragged and the plot was moving too slowly for me to be able to get into it. From other reviews I did see that it apparently picks up around 30% but I couldn’t continue to that point.

I didn’t really connect with most of the characters. I had no motivation to keep reading as the characters felt pretty flat to me. The only character I liked was Addy but even her chapters weren’t enough to convince me to keep going with the book.

I do like the dual timeline perspective and thought it was an amazing way to tell the story. I like the tease that you get at the start and then the hop back in time to build up to that moment, but unfortunately the build up wasn’t quick enough or enticing enough to keep me reading.

I can see why many people enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Love stories of spell making and magick, add in WWII history and it’s about as ideal as it gets for me. The storyline flits to past and present giving us glimpses of these women with clairvoyance and spell casting. I enjoyed this even if it was a bit confusing in spots, eventually all the characters fell into place though. I couldn’t put it down as I kept needing to know the ending.

Thanks to Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for sharing the book.

𝑨𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆? 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏- 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔."

The story is a journey of Suzanne's quest to bring an end to the heartbreaking trauma knocked upon her female ancestors for generations! It is a beautiful mixture of magic, Spirits, dilemma, love and tragedy.
Set in a dual timeline it smoothly moves between decades, developing a story of a legacy of enchantresses, that go to right the pain of the past. In the beginning, the dual timeline was a bit confusing but as you dive deep you get the essence of it! , and there it goes you are hooked to the pages before you know it!🤓

With strong character development and wonderful world-building the Author has penned a beautiful generational tale!❤️

Overall I enjoyed the read ❤️🤓and recommend it to everyone to dive into the world of magic🪄 and spirits!👻
.
.
4.5/5🌟
.
.
.
Thankyou @Netgalley and Atmosphere press for giving the copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.😇

BOOK: THE SOUTHERN ENCHANTRESS
AUTHOR:
PUB DATE: NOVEMBER 2023
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️
This book was not my favorite because I didn't like any of the characters except from Addy and I didn't like that one particular bad guy and girl didn't get the punishment they deserved. The book was also slow in the beginning and was difficult to understand, but I started enjoying it when I passed 30% of the book
🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️
The book was okay, but I just couldn't get past the bad characters, but I liked the mystery and how it unfolded. I didn't like Suzanne because of her relationship with Max.
🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️
I wish Addy had gotten the justice she deserved
🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️
This book was okay

A different read for me but I enjoyed it! The start took a little getting used to due to the different timelines but once I got my head around it, it was so good. Really interesting plot and characters and a real sense of magic. I’d definitely recommend!

“In New Orleans, culture doesn’t come down from on high, it bubbles up from the streets.” — Ellis Marsalis

If you have ever had the pleasure to visit The Big Easy, you know the effervescent spirit that flows through the city from its music to its food and everything in between. You do not have to be clairvoyant to feel this pulsating energy but Suzanne is one of the rare ones who communicates with the departed and it is a calling she must embrace and find coexistence with the ghosts of New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast. These lands carry a deep rooted, rich history. Told in dual timelines from 1944 to modern day, Southern Enchantress is a haunting and beautiful tale full of heart and magical realism in a city filled with gumbo and ghosts.

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

El libro no fue nada de lo que esperaba, creí que habría: romance, magia y fantasmas; sí hay los últimos dos, pero romance, no.

La forma en como están acomodados los capítulos se me hizo rara y no terminó de gustarme el estilo de escritura, pero está escrito de tal forma que no puedes dejar de leer para saber como terminará.







Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a stunning read. Once I had gotten my head around the different timelines, the plot flowed and I loved the characters. I'm so excited to pick up another read by Trahan.

This is the story of Suzy, Suzanne LaFountain, a modern day (2012-3) southern enchantress, and her other family members, the women of magick.
It is an easy read, rich in descriptions, and with flowing, short chapters that have a good pacing.
I got into the story after 30 pages or so. At first, I had the wrong impression about the changes of POV and shifts in timelines, and the writing. I am glad I persevered.
This is not a horror or rather I did not find it horrific, but I do not say this as a form of criticism. I am glad the story unfolded in a concretely understable way, blending modern life and the family history of Suzy. That is a fresh take. The atmosphere, especially in a later scene at a church, was eerie. Otherwise, it was a nice combination of themes of women with agency, solidarity, and male toxicity. I liked the spiritiual, occult, paranormal and magical realism aspects but for me the characters’ leading of a normal life otherwise, stood out, and the rest felt like a device to explore Suzy’s story, Max’s character and Addy,

This book gave me a few pleasant surprises. At the start until you are used to it, it jumps around a fair bit, but this does not distract from the main story. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of A Southern Enchantress by Deborah Trahan. Recommend!

Honestly I was a little terrified about the ghost thing, but I braced myself because I really wanted to expand my reading into various genre. This book is good, the pace is a bit rushing at the beginning for me, and the story is a bit bitter (says a romance fan). But overall I enjoy the story and might be rereading some parts of it.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once i did, I was hooked. It as a unique blend of magic and exploring Tracey spanning generations. I did find it hard to follow at times. I think because of the switching between timelines, but once I’d got my head around it, it was a unique way to tell the story. I’m excited to see what this author writes next.

This story surprised me: after the initial confusion given by the time jumps and backstories the plot blossomed. I loved the characters and how well the author managed to describe the magical lives and abilities of Suzanne and her ancestors.
Also, The writing and the settings are beautiful--so I'm very happy I read it!

A Southern Enchantress surprised me with its complex structure. Despite the initial confusion caused by multiple timelines and backstories, the story unfolds beautifully. The cover art, while gorgeous, doesn't quite represent the book's depth. It explores the lives of Suzanne and her ancestors, all with varying degrees of magical abilities, through interwoven narratives. While the romance with Max seemed like a bad choice at first (especially for someone who'd been through a similar situation!), Suzanne ultimately proves her strength and delivers long-awaited justice in a truly Southern way.

This book surprised me, it had multiple time jumps and lots of back stories to help build and idea of the characters and the plot. I enjoyed this and I’m glad I requested to read this, it was the cover that drew me in but story that keep me interested!

This story was not what I expected but I enjoyed it all the same. At the beginning I had a hard time taming the characters so I could keep track of who was doing what with whom. Most of the book are the back stories of Suzanne's mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. All of whom have varying degrees of witch-crafting powers.
As the story continued to unfold, the main character, Susanne, was in lust with a very bad character named Max. Very bad guy. Suzanne eventfully marries Max. To which I said to myself, oh, good grief. But I married a "Max", so I now I'm reading way past midnight to see what in the world she did that for. And she does protect herself from all the haunts who finally reveal themselves so the poor reader can say, oh, good, finally the women of all these generations are getting Suzanne to deliver revenge. And she does, in the nicest Southernly woman way.
I enjoyed this book (I'm Southern, older than 40, divorced from my "Max", and I think I'm wiser than I was at 40) and I believe most women over 40 would enjoy it as well.

The Southern Enchantress is a book I wanted to read for a long time. The cover caught my attention because it's so beautiful, but for me it was misleading.

The story has a lot of time jumps and it follows two stories set during tow different time periods. The story is quite confusing at first, but it slowly unravels and everything starts to make sense. I can't give much information without spoiling the book, but there are quite a few twists I didn't see coming.

me: i hate dual timelines
also me: continues to request dual timeline books and be shocked when i don't like them

I was drawn by the story by how it was set. The world building was good enough for me to be entertained. Though the plot was confusing and there was dual timeline that it took me some time to figure it out. I love how I knew from this moment that somehow I love paranormal stories. I like it though so yes I enjoyed this.

A Southern Enchantress by Deborah Trahan has so much promise. It was brilliant in parts.

But some portions were a little confusing and seemed to drag.

Still, overall, I really enjoyed reading this book.

I would definitely recommend it.

Thank You, NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this book.