I wanted to like this book so badly as the description on NetGalley seemed like something I would absolutely love!

Unfortunately the seemingly needless depictions of graphic animal violence really ruined it for me as well as a few other plot points. A lot of assault scenes in general and a lot of animal violence and violence against women - very needless and nearly made me not finish the book.

There were a lot of loose ends - I know the book is meant to be the start of a series but a lot of the loose ends could have been hinted at being solved/been solved without being so drawn out. The beginning of the book was so wonderfully written, and then half way through a man is being referred to as having a carrot (in reference to genitals) and there’s awful violence? It just came out of nowhere and made no sense.

4.5⭐️

First things first…Cale🫶🏽

I could have read a whole damn book on just Granny Kay and her life before she taught The Spencer sisters about magic, I would pay good money for Granny Kay tales.

The spooky parts were super spooky and it also gave me practical magic vibes between the two personalities of the sisters. It’s very light hearted in some parts and then when it’s spooky it’s super horrid which I quite liked there was a good balance for certain chapters of the book!

It wasn’t far off a 5 ⭐️ for me but the only thing I found was even though I enjoyed how fast paced it was I felt like the book could have been a lot longer, so,e chapters felt rushed and there were so many details in this that it could have definitely pushed for the book to be longer or ,ay e put into 2 separate books! but overall I really really loved this book, was a new read for this author for me and I really like the way that they write!

Will 100% be checking out their other books.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and my favorite parts were the scenes with granny Kay. I’d read a whole book about little Leona and Jewel learning to come into their powers.

I also really enjoyed the spooky parts. Those were really well written and had a great tension and suspense to them.

Overall the dialogue and character development were not my cup of tea, but again the plot and certain scenes were really enjoyable and well executed

Overall i did really enjoy this book. However i found the pacing to be a little all over the place. I don’t know if that’s just me, but there was some chapters that just felt a little like they were dragging in a way, whereas others felt really fast paced and only took a couple of minutes to get through. The characters were really enjoyable, and i loved the idea of witches, werewolves, ghosts etc all being in contact with one another, even if they didn’t get along🙃 3.75 out of 5⭐️

I wanted to like this book but it has missed the mark for me.I didn’t feel very connected to the story it the characters. I would have preferred it to be a more modern setting rather than the period it was.

This book was well written and flowed well, i did think it was a little slow paced. I liked the concept but it felt like it was missing something.

The small town of Ames is shocked by the murder of a woman. But the only people who can solve this murder is Leona and her sister Jewel because they posses magic and Leona can see and speak to the dead.
- As they work through the mystery surrounding this murder they come face to face with true evil.
- This story is full of murder, mystery, ghosts and magic! The page turning suspense definitely kept me immersed in the story and I think it has everything needed for this to be continued into a series.
- I think overall I really enjoyed the plot although I found it difficult to connect with the characters at times.
3.5 stars

I wanted to love this book so much, and I did love the writing and the premise, but I truly wish that the synopsis mentioned that this was a period piece set in the 1950s (or maybe early 60s?). I tend not to love historical fiction, even in specific, because forms of social oppression and bigotry are often even more inescapable in these narratives. Here, I couldn't get past the two central witch sisters, who are incredibly powerful with their magical abilities, being in abusive/oppressive marriages. It was too depressing, and while it might have been realistic for white poor folks in this area in the '50s, I'm reading a fantasy/horror book to suspend disbelief already.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to review!

I went into this book with no knowledge of the author or even what the book was about. I skipped reading what it was about and was immediately drawn in by the cover art and title - and I can honestly say I’m so glad I read it!

Root and Bone mixes witches, ghosts, mystery, crime, and romance so well. It was such a cozy read in my opinion, and had me trying to solve the mystery alongside Leona and Jewel. The way the characters spoke also gave me such nostalgia since I grew up in Appalachia.

If you love murder, the paranormal and supernatural, mystery, and all over cozy vibes, you should give this book a go! I can’t wait for more tales of the Spencer Sisters!

p.s. I love Cale 🥲

Root and Bone is an adventurous, easy read with a fast pace, I enjoyed the main characters Leona and Jewel, and their relationship as sisters and the setup of the story background with small town stereotypes - such as sheriff/diner etc. Chapters are short and swift with some historical background also introduced, although I felt these chapters could have done with some more fleshing out. I wouldn't class this book as a horror, as story felt light and "spooky" not your typical horror book - more on the fantasy/adventure spectrum. Negatives I found about this book included the non specific time period which was hard to pinpoint, the speech dialect was also hard to read at times although as an audio book this would come across well. As the pacing was fast this also felt at times to rush through major plot lines, particularly the book culmination which seemed to conclude in one chapter - with no twists or surprises - so fell a little flat. This speed of certain plot points in the book also felt like some aspects came out of nowhere and others fizzled out without delving into them, so felt very one dimensional. Overall I did enjoy reading this book but feel it is slightly lacking in the richness and depth that other fantasy/adventure books tend to do very well. This book would be a good choice for someone who wants an easy story with some humorous characters, strong sister relationship and fantasy elements - thats not too scary! 3/5

Step into the quaint yet mysterious town of Ames, nestled in the Appalachian hills, where the lives of the enigmatic Spencer Sisters unfold against the backdrop of post-WWII America. Leona and Jewel, descendants of a long line of witches, find themselves thrust into a chilling murder investigation that shakes the very foundations of their tight-knit community.

Raney skillfully weaves together elements of cozy fantasy and gothic suspense, creating a narrative that enchants and unsettles in equal measure. As Leona and Jewel dig into the town’s secrets, you get a mix of tragic pasts, spooky encounters, and the excitement of solving a crime.

One of the book’s strengths lies in its portrayal of the complex bond between the Spencer Sisters. Raney really knows how to capture the ups and downs of sisterhood, making the story feel real and emotional. Jewel is such a captivating character, her inner struggles and unwavering strength really get to you.

However, there are moments where the pacing falters. While the mystery unfurls with tantalizing precision, the conclusion appears hasty, leaving you desiring more interaction with the culprit and a more extensive exploration of the aftermath. Additionally, the narrative occasionally feels overstuffed with plot points, detracting from the focus on the central storyline.

Despite these minor flaws, “Root and Bone” remains an engaging and immersive read from start to finish. Raney’s vivid prose and atmospheric setting draws you into a world where magic and mystery collide, captivating you and compelling you to turn pages until the final revelation.

In conclusion, “Root and Bone” offers a spellbinding journey into the heart of sisterhood, magic, and small-town secrets. While it may stumble slightly in its execution, its compelling characters and evocative storytelling make it a must-read for fans of supernatural mysteries and tales of familial bonds.

So, brew yourself a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading nook, and prepare to be whisked away on a journey where the line between reality and enchantment blurs with every turn of the page. “Root and Bone” awaits, ready to cast its spell and transport you to a world where magic lurks in the shadows and mysteries abound.

Practical Magic meets Southern charm in this story of 1950s witches-turned-detectives. Leona is just trying to get by and provide for her family, while practicing magic with her sister and talking to ghosts of course. But when gruesome murders start leading to volatile spirits, the sisters must discover the culprit before the ghosts endanger their small town.

The premise of this book certainly draws you in! The 1950s American South is not a setting you typically see in books about witches and ghosts and other spooky mythical beings. It's fun seeing what kind of monsters the witches encounter on their case. The dynamic between Leona and her sister, Jewel, has a playful edge to it that is typical of siblings, and I enjoyed it very much. The mystery of who is doing the heinous crimes made the first half of the book fly by.

Leona's character got a bit tedious for me after a while, but Jewel is a lot of fun, and Cale is a sweetheart. Some of the side characters and their little plotlines could have been cut, I think. I also didn't appreciate the Bury Your Gays trope making an appearance. For the most part, though, the characters are fine.

I think what really holds this book back is the writing style, which is quite simplistic and non-descriptive; in a book about magic and mystery, that hinders the reading experience. Nothing is explained, from how the sisters use magic, to what limitations there are to their powers, to the categories of magic that exist. There are other areas in the book where the style detracts from the reading experience as well, such as the action scenes; it all reads very much like, "Then she did this. Then this happened. And then this happened." The magic, however, is the most frustrating part, because when the characters seem to be able to do anything with magic, the stakes suddenly get a lot lower, and my interest wanes. There is no sense of urgency at any point in the book, and even if there were, I wouldn't have been worried because being a witch makes you be able to do just about anything. If one of them waved their hand and traveled back in time I wouldn't have been surprised. Leona is in a lot of danger that is coming from multiple external and internal sources, but it never feels urgent or really, truly dangerous. This slowed my reading pace down quite a bit.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read such a fun book! This is a tale of sister love, forbidden love, mystery, and murder. Witches from the Appalachian Mountains fighting to protect their small town and the people who reside from unknown, murdering dark forces, ghosts & werewolves. It was so different than anything I've read recently. I can't say anything other than so weird but in such a good way! There were a few instances of domestic violence but nothing in too great of detail. Leona & Jewel, sisters bound together by love and hope, created a team aspect to be admired while working together when they realized their local police were out of their league.

If you have the chance to give this book a whirl, I say DO IT!!!

Do you like books revolving around white trash witch sisters? If you do, this book is for you!
And that cover - how pretty!

Root and Bone has a lot going on. It involves witches, goblins, werewolves, vampires, and ghosts. All of that was slightly too much for my liking, but the book still had some great qualities!
- Jewel saved this book for me, her firey disposition was entertaining and I identified with her "I don't give a f*ck attitude".
- The plot was fairly fast-paced, a lot is packed in the barely 300 pages.
- All of the magic scenes were fairly detailed, I applaud Raney on her attention to detail!

Unfortunately, there were some low points for me as well.
- While this does not affect the rating because it was an ARC, there were several grammatical errors. Mostly words in sentences they didn't belong. I'm hopeful these will be fixed before the book is officially released because it creates some confusion while reading.
- You don't really know when the book is based, mainly because you don't know how old the sisters are. Context clues are eluding to certain time periods, but we don't have any definitive answers as to the time period.
- A lot of it was really far-fetched, even for a fantasy book. It made it difficult for me to be absorbed into the writing.

My biggest issue with the book is I cannot tell which way the author wanted to go genre-wise. In some ways, it reads very much like a cozy fantasy. In other parts, it leans into an almost gothic novel. The man's penis is called a carrot and then the word wh*re is used four times in the span of a few pages. As soon as I wrapped my head around it being a cozy book I got hit with something that was a full 180.

"Root and Bone" by Jessica Raney follows the two Spencer Sisters, both witches living in the small town called Ames. The book is, from my understanding, set somewhere in the 50's or 60's and captures this vibe very well.

Not only does this book gives an insight into the tragic lives of the sisters with their personal problems, it also has a mysteries to solve when Ames is suddenly shook by brutal murder caused by supernatural hands.

The two sisters, reminding me personally a lot of the Winchester brothers from Supernatural just not quite, make it their mission to solve said murders and help the spirits of the victims.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and if you are a fan of witches, everything supernatural (werewolves, ghouls, ghost ...), tragic love stories, charming yet unsettling villains and crime stories --- then this book is without a doubt something you should put on your "TBR" list.

For me personally, I loved the growth of Leona and her overall story, she was the character I could best connect with.

Publishing date is the 14th of May, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley, Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing, LLC and Jessica Raney for allowing me to read the ARC to Root and Bone in exchange for my honest review.

Root and Bone was a good read, with the right amount of magic and mystery to keep me hooked.

I enjoyed the Spencer sisters, with little snippets into how they got into magic and their own individual attitudes towards how to use it. I also enjoyed their interactions. However, I wasn't 100% sure of their ages. There were mentions of their children, as well as their husbands, but they were very loosely mentioned and used as plot points. The romance between Leona and Cale was also endearing, but it did ruffle me a little bit when I found their backstory.

A main issue, however, was that the mystery was very well introduced, the plot point building very well, but alas, the reveal and ramifications felt a little rushed. There was hardly any interaction with the culprit, albeit some bad feelings and then, before you noticed, it was all over.

I also would have loved to know more about Granny Kay - prequel perhaps?

I received an ARC of this book. I thought this book was written and developed very well. The story line had a lot of tension and build up for the ending, and I thought everything worked well together. I liked the southern setting, and the informal dialogue, and I loved the sister’s relationship and banter. They were both strong women in their own right. Although I felt like I knew what was gonna happen to Cale, it still broke my whole heart. I also feel like there’s more to the story with Kay as well as the werewolves, so lots of open ended there for more books. I liked the detective setting and the mystery as well as the characters introduced. A couple of grammatical errors were found, but I think due to the informal dialogue they get passed over well and don’t take away from the story. Overall a really great book!

3.5 ⭐️ | Thank you to NetGalley and Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for providing me with this early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The book is set in a small Appalachian town sometime after WWII and centers around Leona and Jewel, two sisters from a lineage of witches. They find themselves unexpectedly drawn into a murder mystery, and as they uncover the presence of magic, they feel compelled to assist the sheriff in cracking the case.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the use of short chapters, which made it easy to follow along. The story and characters were captivating, and the magic system added an intriguing layer. However, I felt that the setting could have been clearer. While it seemed to be in the 1950s or 1960s, it would have been helpful for it to be explicitly stated to better understand the characters' behaviors and speech.

Despite some rushed moments, particularly towards the end, the story remained engaging and kept me entertained. I found Jewel to be a standout character, though I wished there was more focus on her. Nevertheless, the bond between the two sisters was heartwarming and added depth to the tale.

I'm not sure if there will be another book, but I would really look forward to it. Especially because I’m hoping to see Cale make a comeback.

Thanks to NetGalley & Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing for the ARC.

Mystery, murder and the Supernatural in the Deep South. Initially this was giving Sookie Stackhouse vibes, with a few less vampires. Root and Bone follows the misadventures of the Spencer Sisters who are trying to solve the dark and disturbing murders that have befallen their small town.
I was a little hazy on the exact time frame that the story is set in as there wasn't a huge amount of cultural context, from the few clues provided it appears to be set in the 1950s or 60s.
At times, Leona & Jewel, The Spencer Sisters, felt a little flat as main characters. I was really frustrated with Leona's characterisation in regard to her relationship with her abusive husband. Domestic violence and the reluctance of women to leave a marriage, particularly during the 50s and 60s, was common, but Leona's actions and reactions to abuse needed further attention. Abuse is such a confronting and huge part of many people's lives, but it felt like it was very much on the periphery for Leona.

Given that this is the first in a new series, a little more time could have been spent on developing the characters and giving more texture to their world but, all in all, it was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of supernatural sprinkled in with their murder mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me get my hands on the ARC.
This book intrigued me enough to keep reading but I couldn’t quite relate to the characters enough to care deeply. I did love the sister’s dynamic though! With them being so different from one another the banter was fun to read. I just wish we saw more of Granny Kay, she intrigued me the most.

I felt that the magic system and overall world building could have been described more in depth and sooner into the story. For the first quarter of the book I was wondering why the 2 sisters were the only witches in town and couldn’t visualize or describe the town that they lived in. I think this would have made the story just a little richer.

If you like mystery with a little bit of magic I think you’d enjoy this!

3.5/5 stars

this book was full of plot and incredibly well written. it follows two sisters, Leona and Jewel.

Personally i think that while the book was well written and the plot was addictive, it felt a bit rushed in some areas. scenes that were meant to invoke anticipation and get you on the edge of your seat, lasted a paragraph or 2 max.

I absolutely adored leona and cale. they were definitely made for each other and i wish them all the best going forward. i would love to have a second instalment in this universe as the book has the option to go there. however if it is in fact a standalone, then the ending was perfect and isnt too much of a cliffhanger that youre left unsatisfied.

all in all, i adored this book and will definitely buy it once it officially comes out. it is a great read for people into the witchy, medieval, wearwolves and ghosts genre.