The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a tale woven in generational magic and the journey between finding the pathway home or searching for a new one. This was a perfectly cozy read for October or for whenever you’re feeling magical.

When Carrie returns to her mountain town after the death of her grandma, her plan is to fix up the cottage in the winter and sell it the following year. Of course, she meets Matthieu, who she has hired to help and she falls for him. All along the journey she is having to come to reality with her past and future and face questions that must be answered.

I was definitely expecting there to be a bit more magic and for the pace to pick up a little since it was a mystery but I still enjoyed it. The world building was great and that really made the story even cozier and helped you escape into the mountain town.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy, witchy, heartfelt, atmospheric. I wish there was some more magic in it, but the lack of more didn’t really ruin the reading experience. Very folklore vibes!

This book has the bones of a good story but fell short of my expectations. I was hoping for more witchy vibes based on the title and felt the story needed some elaboration to make connections. Additionally the end felt rushed and I am still unsure what exactly the “curse” was….

A very atmospheric read, that I enjoyed.
The mountains were almost a character themselves. Somehow sentient, but watchful more than active. They cast their own looming presecence throughout the book.
The plot was well done, as was the writing. The magic system more internal and background rather than an external manifestation. It's not my favorite way to portray magic in books, but it worked here.
The characters I had a bit of an issue with, as they almost all seemed angry and bitter, with little self-reflection on the cause until well into the story.
Overall I enjoyed it, and it left me reflecting on the story afterward.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells follows Carrie after she returns to her hometown following her grandmother's death. What I liked : the setting and the ending. What I disliked : the majority of the characters until the very end. Unfortunately I failed to connect with the characters and hoped for more magic.

I received an ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Greenlaw’s The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a delightful and enchanting novel that transports readers to a world of magic, mystery, and sisterhood. This whimsical tale follows the lives of three extraordinary women, bound together by their shared love of nature and the ancient art of witchcraft.

Greenlaw’s vivid descriptions of the woodsmoke women’s magical practices and their deep connection to the natural world are both captivating and inspiring. The author’s skillful blending of historical folklore and contemporary storytelling creates a rich and immersive reading experience.

This charming novel is perfect for anyone who enjoys a touch of magic in their lives. Whether you’re a seasoned witch or a curious newcomer, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is sure to cast a spell on your heart.

Thank you so so so so much to the publisher for my ARC and finished copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and the storyline. The writing was lyrical and beautifully written. The setting was magical and enticing. The characters and the alternating points of view really helped to develop the story in both the present and through the flashbacks. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book to find out what would happen at the end and who the mystery man really was.

If you enjoy books that are realistic with a touch of magic, along with beautiful settings and conflict between friends, old lovers, and family, you will love this book!

3.5 ⭐️

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is an atmospheric, witchy, and mysterious read that follows several generations of the Morgan family’s women and the magic they draw from the mountains surrounding their home.

The writing is beautifully done but the pacing is a bit slow and while I’m usually a fan of multiple timelines and POVs those just didn’t work as well for me in this story. There are some Practical Magic vibes happening, which I loved. I think this definitely makes for a solid fall read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

In a magical new direction for One Christmas Morning author Rachel Greenlaw, an evocative and mysterious story about lost love and the magic of coming home, for readers of Adrienne Young and Breanne Randall.
-
This was such an engaging story! A story told in multiple timelines as we hear about two sisters but then one of their daughters and her best friend as well. The magic and spells made in this charming small town beneath majestic mountains. The mountains that have as much folklore as the Morgan family with their witchy ways.
Each character had so many secrets and so much misdirection. Loved how it ended with so much of the stress and worry mostly relieved by finally being able to talk it out. It is so hard to see someone again after a long time and they left under hurtful circumstances its hard to talk. But they finally made the right deal with the mountain or stopped making deals with the mountain and things settled. And her mystery man was such a fun twist.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

not the best magical realism/witch-esque novel i’ve ever read, but not the worst either. i enjoyed the three different povs but didn’t necessarily care about the characters’ problems…

Carrie is a woman who left her fiancé at the altar 10 years ago and hasn’t been home since. After her grandmother dies and leaves her cabin to Carrie, she returns home to the mountains that call the women of her family with magic and promises and curses. A beautiful story of family, love and forgiveness that is fantastically atmospheric.

I enjoyed this story! Though it took me a while to get into it, I couldn’t put it down once I did! I loved Carrie and Jess. They were such flawed and complicated characters, and I think that’s what made me fall in love with them. I like how the story was set up, with perspectives from Carrie, Jess, and Cora as readers got better insights into how the story came together in the end, making you realize that there wasn't really a bad guy in the story, which made this such a realistic read.

I’m a sucker for a witchy read, especially during the fall months, and this was so fun! If you’re looking for a little romance with a magical twist, this one is for you! It was cozy and warm, albeit a little slow at times. The world-building was good and overall just a fun read!

4 stars.

Such a magical delight. It felt like a heartfelt treat with a mixed bag of romance, magical realism, and folklore.

Set in Woodsmoke, Carrie - the FMC - let the town for bigger and better things, only to return after being left her grandmother's cottage and shop. Carrie has great big plans for renovations, and plans to sell as soon as the spring comes, but will she?

Mattieu is hired to help her with renovations, and although there are warnings - Carrie quickly falls for him, only for him to disappear! It was magical, and the journey of self discovery and relationships was really well done. Carrie is lost and adrift, but as she settles into the world she begins to find her place.

This is an incredible well written story - the 3 POV's made me hesitate just a bit, but I was able to quickly connect with them and read. The story was atmospheric and the book was incredibly thought-provoking.

Thank you to Rachel Greenlaw and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw
This was a beautifully written, atmospheric story about Carrie Morgan and her tentative return to her hometown of Woodsmoke. When Carrie comes back, she’s confronted by the ghosts of choices she made a decade ago when she fled. Now, she’s back to fix up her grandmother’s cottage, left to her in the will. Determined to stay only for the winter, Carrie’s plans start to shift when she meets Matthieu. He arrives with the frost, and she feels an instant, almost otherworldly connection with him. However, Aunt Cora warns Carrie that Matthieu is too much like the spirits from old folklore—tricky beings who vanish with the thaw, leaving broken hearts in their wake.

As Carrie navigates this relationship, she also has to figure out if Woodsmoke is truly her home. Is Matthieu—and the bond they’re building—real? Or will it melt away with the winter frost?

I enjoyed many aspects of this story. It’s soft, atmospheric, and perfect for readers who love that kind of vibe. However, I could have used a bit more intrigue—the author could’ve taken some plot elements further. At the same time, everything wrapped up nicely for me in the end and I was left overall satisfied.

I’m giving this book 4 stars, which feels fair based on the quality. That said, if I’m being extra specific, my personal enjoyment lands somewhere closer to 3.75 stars.

I think this would be a great read for fans of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young and/or Weyward by Emilia Hart.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A little witchy a little mysterious and a little romance. This was a cozy read but more Practical Magic than Halloweentown. Wonderful prose and not too heavy of a story. This is a good read at any time.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells
by Rachel Greenlaw
Pub Date: Oct 22 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.

Carrie Morgan ran from Woodsmoke ten years ago, and the decision has haunted her ever since. Spending a decade painting and drifting around Europe, she tries to forget her family’s legacy and the friends she left behind. But the Morgan women have always been able to harness the power of the mountains surrounding the town, and their spells—and curses—are sewn into the soil. The mountains, they say, never forget.

Sure enough, when Carrie’s grandmother dies and leaves behind her dilapidated cottage, she returns to renovate—certain she will only be there for one winter. She meets Matthieu as the temperature dips, a newcomer who offers to help refurbish the cottage. Before long, and despite warnings from her great-aunt Cora of the old stories, Carrie finds herself falling for the charming stranger. But when the frost thaws in spring, Matthieu goes missing.

Carrie is convinced he’s real, and he’s in danger. As she fights her way across the mountains to find him, she must confront all the reasons why she left Woodsmoke and decide whether the place she’s spent the last decade running from is the home she’s been searching for.

Rachel Greenlaw, the beloved author of One Christmas Morning, returns with another beautifully crafted, emotionally charged, and

Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author. This is a fun atmospheric read perfect for a October read. I enjoy reading multiple points of view and enjoyed how the author built suspense in this story. I found myselfl turning pages into the night . This is a read i highly recommend. The author has included magic, realism, romance and family in the story each done to perfection for the reader.

We meet our main character Carrie who has returned to Woodsmoke to move into her Grandmother's charming woodland cottage left to her in the will. Carrie has been drifting across Europe for a decade and is not sure she wants to settle into a quiet life at a cottage in the woods. .She meets a neighbor who has intriqued her but he soon disappears in the woods. Carrie goes to find him using a bit of her famililes magic to help her on her quest.

This is a fun read with great characters. Carrie grows into who she is meant to be and bravely embraces her families magical history. I enjoyed this read and the perfect setting for October. Well done to the author

I enjoyed this book however, everyone at one point irritated me with how selfish they were lol. I also felt like the friend, Jess did not need her own pov - it added nothing to my view of the book. Not as “magical” as I hoped just mysterious with a hint of something there. This one was just okay for me, 3.5 overall.

I wanted so badly to love this book. While the potential was there, I just couldn't become invested in the characters or the storyline. There are multiple POVs, and while I loved Cora and Carrie I felt I could have done without Jess.

The fantasy elements were lacking for my taste, and the storyline was super predictable. If you dont care much for fantasy and are looking for an easy and straightforward read, check it out. If you are looking for true fantasy and a magnetic plot this might not do it for you.

Highlights were
Generational magic
Superstitions
Found love and acceptance

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.