I loved the small town, cozy magical vibes so much of this book. This isn’t a book I would typically read but I’m so glad I did.

Rachel Greenlaw’s "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" is a beautifully crafted, evocative tale that combines lost love, magic, and the powerful pull of home. This novel, perfect for fans of Adrienne Young and Breanne Randall, weaves an enchanting story set in the mystical mountain town of Woodsmoke.

Carrie Morgan, who fled Woodsmoke ten years ago, returns to renovate her grandmother’s dilapidated cottage. The Morgan women have always been connected to the mountain’s magic, with their spells and curses deeply embedded in the soil. Carrie’s journey back home is a reluctant one, and she intends to stay only for the winter. However, she meets Matthieu, a charming newcomer who helps with the renovation and stirs feelings in her heart despite her great-aunt Cora's warnings about the old stories.

Greenlaw expertly blends the cozy, magical atmosphere of Woodsmoke with deeper, more poignant themes of grief, sacrifice, and identity. The setting feels like stepping into a Pinterest aesthetic board, complete with dried herbs and worn books, creating a witchy, small-town vibe that is both comforting and haunting. The romance between Carrie and Matthieu is tender and bittersweet, heightened by the ever-present legend of a stranger who appears with the first snow and disappears with the thaw, leaving broken hearts behind.

The narrative moves between past and present, exploring Carrie’s relationships with her family and friends, and the deep, ancient magic of the Morgan women. While the pacing is slow initially, it picks up as the story unfolds, drawing readers into Carrie’s quest to find Matthieu and confront her past. The multiple POVs and non-linear timeline add depth to the story, revealing the intricate dynamics of the Morgan family and the town of Woodsmoke.

One minor criticism is the simplicity of the plot, which may leave some readers wanting more exploration of the townspeople and the implications of the magic. However, for those looking for a cozy, atmospheric read with a touch of magic, "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" is a delightful escape.

Overall, this novel is a heartwarming and enchanting read, perfect for the colder months or any time you crave a magical journey. Rachel Greenlaw’s writing is poignant and whimsical, making "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" a spellbinding tale of love, loss, and the enduring magic of home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"There is an old tale woven through the mountain town of Woodsmoke about a stranger who appears as the first snow falls in winter, who will disappear without a trace as the frost thaws in spring, leaving a broken heart behind."

TW: abandonment, blood, death, death of a loved one, grief, infertility, injury/injury detail, medical content, pregnancy.

Perfect for fans of Rachel Griffin and Practical Magic, The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells was one of the most heartwarming books I've read in awhile.

This book delivered everything I wanted it to. Cozy, small-town, magical vibes with the kind of witchy atmosphere that feels like a Pinterest aesthetic board - complete with dried herbs and old, worn books. From the very first chapter, I was immediately captured by the setting and the characters - a feeling that didn't let go for the entirety of the novel.

Along with all of the cozy, higher budget Hallmark vibes there was also an undercurrent of heavier themes which is something I really appreciate. Amidst the little book clubs and tall trees, there are also discussions of grief and sacrifice and identity and beginnings/endings and what it means to call a place home. It was the kind of book that finds beauty even in tragic circumstances.

The only... criticism (if you could even call it that) I would give is that this book is very simple. I really enjoyed this and it's what I was looking for, but I could see some readers expecting more from this book. If you love Rachel Griffin's short, cozy take on witchy fantasy, I really think you'll enjoy this. But if you're wanting them to do a deeper look at the other townspeople and their lives and the implications of the magic, you won't get much more than a topical but still meaningful read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I will in fact be recommending it to everyone - especially those looking for a cozy read for the colder months (or any time of the year, really.)

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Such a FUN read! We have multi POV’s (which I love), magical realism, romance, small town, cozy. In Woodsmoke, there is a tale in which a stranger shows at the first sign of snow, they will disappear before the coming spring. The legend eventually becomes true. We have a non linear timeline in which Carrie is going through it. As well as Morgan. Tragic and heartbreaking

The mountains in Carrie’s hometown of Woodsmoke hold deep magic, harnessed by the bloodline of the Morgan women. Carrie returns to Woodsmoke after 10 years away, but will the town and the mountains welcome Carrie back?

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a lovely tale that includes a lot of deep reflection on interpersonal relationships. The pacing was a bit slow at first, but really picked up after the first third of the book. There is a romance element to the book, but it isn’t the main thread of the story. The core of the story, and the more interesting aspects of the story, focused on Carrie’s relationships with her aunt and her friend old friend Jess.

I did enjoy the story over all. The setting was lovely, and I really liked the deep digging into these female relationships and the hurt and healing that can be had.

This is a story about homecoming, about the magic that glints at the corners of our world and about a man who appears with the first frost, and disappears as the frost thaws. This book has for me almost a cozy gothic vibe. Carrie comes home after being gone for 10 years to renovate her late grandmothers cottage. She's unsure of her future and what she wants, but she knows she needs to do this to fulfill her grandmothers will.

A family of women, a book compiled by the generations before, love traded for power, will remind readers of Alice Hoffman.

Mystery. A Lost Love. Magic. Coming Home. The Mountain Town of Woodsmoke.


In the town of Woodsmoke, there is a tale. It is said that when a stranger shows at the first sign of snow in the winter months, they will disappear before the coming spring. There will be no clue, no obvious answer as to how they would have left. In their wake, there will be a bleeding, broken heart.

Carrie Morgan is from that snowy Mountain town. She had left the town behind in her rear-view mirror, no intention of ever coming back. Carrie had run away to pain in Europe for nearly a decade, doing what she loved. Except, her friends and loved ones always haunted her in the back of her mind. Never able to completely leave her loved ones behind.

Morgan had left more than friends and family, however. She had chosen to leave behind that ancient power that drew from the mountain and the creeks and the trees. The spells and the curses that ran through her veins and poured out into nature and the town.

Carrie's grandmother has passed away, she inherits dilapidated cottage that needs time, care, and love to renovate it. In this process, our main character meets Matthieu, a stranger that sweeps into the town as the spring turns to fall, as full turns to winter months.

Feelings begin to stir in her heart for this newcomer, despite the old wife's tales.

But then, the old legend becomes true and Matthieu disappears without a trace. Carrie knows he is real, despite the tale and despite the townsfolk warnings.

All in all, I think this was beautiful and tragic and heartbreaking. The history of the town was well written, the romance bittersweet. The generational magic of Carrie Morgan's family is something ancient and magical. This novel had a clever plot line, and the characters felt real. The issues felt like they would be a real struggle through family bonds.

Resurrecting old family ties and reigniting friendships was heartwarming. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

3.5 ⭐️ The magical world of Woodsmoke and its mountains was unique and enticing. I was drawn into the story within pages. The book has a poetic lilt - "Folklore" vibes. The story focuses on the Morgan women and the book of spells that passes through the generations in their family and how it affects the whole town. Some of the character development was purposefully vague, but I would have liked to see more of it by the end of the book. It would be a stretch to classify this book as a romance. It's all in the title - it's about the women of Woodsmoke.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC e-read.

Really lovely book with clever plot line and writing. Family history mixed with family drama in a small town with a paranormal twist.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book.

This book has for me almost a cozy gothic vibe. Carrie comes home after being gone for 10 years to renovate her late grandmothers cottage. She's unsure of her future and what she wants, but she knows she needs to do this to fulfill her grandmothers will. While doing this, she finds love and figures out herself and what she really wants and needs. The magic is subtle and there are multiple POVs. The story moved a little slow for me, overall I enjoyed the book.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! From the first chapter to the end, I was completely lost in this story. If you love a great withcy read this book should be added to your TBR!

So, I got this arc right before a family emergency cropped up and I didn’t think I was up to reading this. But after things calmed down, I opened up the arc and started reading.

And boy am I glad I did!

This book has major “Practical Magic” vibes, but it was just a tad bit better. The family legacy, the friendships, the past colliding with the present, the mountain legends… it was all one big roller coaster that left me crying in sadness and happiness.
I loved that the magic involved wasn’t like those you read in whimsical fantasies. The magic felt real in a way, which made things that much more heartbreaking as you read.
If there’s ever another book, I would love to read more about Carrie and Matthieu, and the legacy that she may or may not carry on with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed reading The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw. This novel tells many evocative stories within its pages, all of which swirl around The Morgan Women and the mountains of Woodsmoke.

I would have enjoyed learning more about the history of the family and the stories that were passed down. Perhaps that could happen if more is written in the future about The Morgans and the small town of Woodsmoke.

To be published October 22nd, 2024
by Avon and Harper Voyager

#Fiction #mountains #Magic #folklore #legacy
#Fantasy #wildplaces #superstition #Family
#Romance #tradition #secrets #friendship
#lostlove #Avon #HarperVoyager
#Brightbookreviews #Goodreads

I enjoyed this as a cozy magical realism story but I thought the romance was a bit underdeveloped. We are told they are falling in love but outside of one or two moments I didn't feel like I was actually being shown that they were having any kind of connection.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and the shifting timeline. I loved Howard and Cora. Their story was so sweet and heartbreaking.

Thank you to Netgally, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Rachel Greenlaw for providing this ARC and the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4.3125/5
Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal
Multi POV
➳ curses
➳ magical realism
➳ small town
➳ nonlinear timeline
➳ cosy
➳ family legacies
➳ healing
➳ forbidden/doomed romance

✨ “Maybe, as I learn to love this place and embrace every facet of it—and myself—I will accept the magic and the mountains as a part of me in a way I never did before. I will tell him. I will. But tonight is for starlight, and tomorrow belongs to the future.“ ✨
Rachel Greenlaw’s poignant yet whimsical prose created the perfect sense of magical realism that will leave you spellbound. This read is perfect for fans of Practical Magic, The Unmaking of June Farrow, Spells for Forgetting, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. It was the perfect balance of romantic love and familial/platonic love and healing. I loved following the characters on their paths to healing and redemption.

📚📚📚
*Song - [Season of the Witch by Lana Del Rey](https://youtu.be/ifGx4ZH2U1Y)*
If you’re curious about whether Rachel Greenlaw’s writing lives up to the book description (and don’t want any major plot points spoiled) then read below

1️⃣

Atmospheric Setting?

❦The slow trickle of fear taking hold, the knowing that life is different in Woodsmoke. You can’t be sure that a gift is always left with good intent. You don’t stray from the path. And if you see someone stepping off the mountain trails, or hear a voice luring you away, never follow. Sometimes a gift is just a gift. But sometimes . . . I swallow. Sometimes it’s a warning.❦

Absolutely delivered. It was lush, cosy and eerie all at the same time. The small town of Woodsmoke was richly described, and the ominous and haunting presence of the mountains and the magic associated with them could be felt on every page. I can’t place my finger on exactly why, but the setting of this story was giving the same vibe as the standing stones at Craigh na dun in outlander, meets the small town in practical magic. While the mountains don’t serve as a method of time travel, they have the same sort of foreboding and almost *alive* presence about them.

2️⃣

Mystery and Intrigue?

❦ I have that feeling again. Like I’m being watched. Tested. Like every move I make is being weighed and measured.❦

If you’re not questioning reality and asking yourself whether the mountains truly are living things that enable/perform magic, then you’re probably hyper-analysing every crumb of interaction between Carrie and Matthieu desperate to discover the mystery behind him.

As soon as he appeared on page i was lured in… a man that appears with first snowfall and disappears with the thaw? Who is he?! Frosty the Snowman? Jack Frost?! More importantly… would he be interested in coming to my house and performing handiwork and making me coffee this winter too?? This man is mysterious, and I found myself immediately intrigued.

3️⃣

Romantic Tension?

❦love doesn’t work that way. It can’t be forced; it can’t be tricked.❦

I was initially reticent with this story and had the sickening feeling that Carrie might’ve returned and ended up with the childhood sweetheart, Tom, that she left at the altar. While i’m not against second chance romances, Tom is now married to her childhood best friend Jess. Although i was initially a bit resistant to Jess, they have an adorable daughter and i just don’t support breaking up a happy home.

❦Everything around us, everything else boiling up inside me, fades away, leaving only him, only his mouth, his touch, the warmth of him wrapping around me. It’s as though I’ve been lost in a blizzard with no end and no beginning. And now suddenly I’m no longer cold.❦

Thanks a million, Rachel Greenlaw for delivering us a forbidden romance to support in the form of Carrie and Matthieu. Nothing makes for romantic tension like a forbidden/doomed love, and the curse surrounding their relationship had me on the edge of my seat and overanalysing every interaction.

As an additional bonus we were graced with Cora and Howard’s romance in the form of flashbacks and i think they’re my second favourite couple of this story. I honestly think the love Howard had for Cora was the sweetest love in this entire novel, as it aged over the decades.

4️⃣

Magical Realism?

❦This is the way of the mountains, the way it has always been. This is the truth we learned as children, the truth that followed us into adulthood, through whispers that bound us. A Morgan woman can cast a wish. She can scratch at the door of the mountains and ask for the world, but if they agree to help, she must give something of equal importance in return. An eye for an eye. A secret for a secret. A life for a life.❦

The magical elements rooted in the folklore and traditions of Woodsmoke, added an enchanting layer to the novel without overshadowing its emotional core. The magic here genuinely did feel as if it could exist in our everyday world.

5️⃣

Sense of Home?

❦I spend the rest of the afternoon highly aware of him. Of myself. Of the air between us, crackling and heavy as we move around each other, painting the kitchen and then the lounge. And realise that you can belong with a person as much as you belong to a place.❦

Yes, yes, a million times yes. I feel like the whole sense of home and homecoming was one of the more poignant themes in this novel and gave me one of my favourite quotes.

This was one of the few books where i can genuinely say i *felt* that sense of belonging that the characters experienced. Carrie struggled her whole life in the small town of Woodsmoke never truly feeling like she belonged, i felt an overwhelming sense of peace as she found her way and place in her life.

❧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*❦*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧❧

Initially, I only felt connected to carrie. as the story unfolded I found myself understanding and hurting for jess and cora’s journeys as well. Rachel Greenlaw has a way of easing you into empathising with the other characters, even when their personalities and characteristics differ from your own.

I found the nonlinear timeline helped provide peeks and insights into the characters hearts and motivations. The character arcs felt natural, and some of the plot twists felt undeniably and beautifully realistic. The characters are all flawed humans and these flaw provided so many growth opportunities.

For me personally, the most gripping aspect of this story was Carrie’s curse. I found myself eagle eyed and rereading every interaction she had with Matthieu desperate to find clues and answers regarding the mystery that surrounded him and their romance.

This book is slower paced in the beginning while you’re laying the foundation and getting a grip on the world building, but after the first quarter things speed up a bit and you will find yourself struggling to put this book down.

100% would recommend this book to anyone in search of a cosy, slightly chilling, low stakes romantic fantasy. Perfect for fans of Practical Magic, The Unmaking of June Farrow, Spells for Forgetting, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

💖
LIKES:
⋆ The setting and atmosphere of this book was unmatched
⋆ Rachel Greenlaw’s prose was evocative and whimsical without feeling campy.
⋆ The romantic moments drew me in and left me wanting to fully immerse myself in the character’s lives.
⋆ Healing, Homecoming, Reparations/Redemption themes were so beautifully executed in this novel.

❤️‍🩹
DISLIKES:
⋆ Not quite a dislike per se, but i would’ve appreciated a …. second epilogue. With a glimpse into the story maybe a few years or more down the road. Unless this isn’t meant to be a standalone, in which case the single epilogue was perfect.

**Fantasy Scoring**
Worldbuilding ➷ ✅ 4.5/5
Foreshadowing ➷ ✅ 4.0/5
Plot ➷ ✅ 4.5/5
Relationships ➷ ✅  4.25/5


Thank you to Rachel Greenlaw, Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
A lovely little cozy read with witchy vibes. Great palette cleanser book!

This was cozy and definitely witchy vibes. I was waiting specifically for it to have a little more things happening. The women were complex but I grew to love the town and them.

This is a great palette cleanser book. It is cozy and witchy (but also has some dark themes).

I found myself really immersed in the town of Woodsmoke (it's giving Hallmark movie vibes) and fell in love with the Morgan women. This is a story about coming home, rehashing + healing old wounds, romance, complicated family relationships and acceptance.

The book also flows nicely between the past and the present. Can't recommend it enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Rachel Greenlaw for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am new to Rachel Greenlaw but this title and cover just sunk its hooks into me immediately. So aesthetic and I was extremely hopeful for the story as well. I was anticipating it to be a little campy, but I honestly finished this feeling pleasantly surprised. Greenlaw has a penchant for building a beautiful setting and even more beautiful love. I found the chemistry between these two main characters to be extremely compelling. The magical element felt like just the right amount, and I think this will be a good book club read when the fall rolls around.