This book sucked me in with a premise that reminded me so much of southern Appalachian folk stories and the magic women of that region. I really liked how this book centered on three women all dealing with holding on too tightly and not letting go enough and learning to work through grief, guilt and becoming new people. I’m really glad I pre-ordered a special edition of this book as I think it will be one I think about for a long time. 4.75/5

Thank you netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I did enjoy this book and it did deliver cozy, magical, october season vibes! The hardest part to grasp, for me, was the multiple POVs (3 different voices/POVs) got a little confusing for me. I found it a little hard to keep track but the heart of the story was intriguing and interesting to follow! It kind of reminded me of Practical Magic in a way, just a little more mysterious and fantasy like so i enjoyed that.
I don't read a lot of fantasy but loved the fantasy aspect of this book and think it would be good for those just dipping their toes into that genre! Overall I think it could use better use of the POVs, maybe just 2 instead of the 3 but still a good fall read.

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells follows Carrie, who returns to Woodsmoke after ten long years following her grandmother’s passing. The book is told in 3 POVs: Carrie’s, along with her great aunt, Cora, and best friend, Jess. What follows is a cozy, magical story revolving around the Morgan family’s magical history and its reverberations into the present day.

I really, really wanted to like this book, but it fell short in some ways I just couldn’t get over. First, I felt Jess and her storyline were kind of superfluous to the plot. Jess is not magical, nor a Morgan, and her POV largely revolves around her marital problems. It felt like the Morgan’s magical storylines kept getting interrupted by Jess’s POV. I wanted more magic in this book, and Jess’s side story really took away from that.

Second, the book started off slow and stayed slow. I don’t mind this pace, but it felt like not much was happening throughout most of the book. It didn’t keep my attention, and I didn’t find myself very motivated to pick the book back up.

All of that being said, I loved the writing and truly felt transported to the Woodsmoke Mountains! I also loved the inclusion of passages from the Morgan Book of Spells. I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the gifted ARC

"The magic of the mountains is a dark thing, demanding a price, demanding blood from every Morgan woman for every bargain made in its shadow, or so it's whispered around the town."

Carrie Morgan returns to her hometown after ten years of running away, hoping to settle down. Jess Gray, riddled with guilt, is conflicted by the return of her former best friend. Great-aunt Cora, has meddled and bargained with the magic of Woodsmoke Mountain out of misguided and greedy love, can she make Carrie stay?

Told from the points of view of Carrie, Jess, and Cora, The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells weaves a tale of folkloric magic, a family torn apart, and the bonds of friendship that can never be broken. If you're a fan of magical realism, you will probably really enjoy this one. I'll definitely read more by Rachel Greenlaw. Gorgeous writing.

Thank you to Rachel Greenlaw and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC of The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells in exhange for my honest opinion. I really liked this one. Four Stars.

Carrie returns to the small town of Woodsmoke when her grandmother dies and leaves her the family cottage. Carrie agrees to renovate and leave in the spring, but a mysterious stranger to town has her re-examining her "do-it herself" attitude, and changing her perception of whether she can belong in the town she left behind.

This review may contain spoilers.

Right from the beginning I found the setting confusing. The small-town feel, mountains, town name, and close-knit community made me think we were in Appalachia. However, slang and language made it feel like the UK, even though from all my understanding the UK is flat. It wasn't until a crowd-source suggested Wales that I was able to slot the setting into place. This still pulled me from the story again and again, and would have been very easily resolved by a quick mention that, hey, we're in Woodsmoke in northern Wales!

The book is ambiguous about the magic elements. Is the magic real? Is the family just obsessed? Is it all coincidence? Again, the ambiguity may appeal to readers who like to draw their own conclusions, but did not appeal to me.

Some of the tension was rushed for a neat ending.

Overall, this book had promise, great premise. Could have used further editing on the execution.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

4.5 stars

I loved this book way more than I expected. When I got the arc and reread the synopsis, it didn’t seem like a book that would suck me in. I thought it may be good, but something I’d have to make sure to pick up to finish. This was not the case. I started it late last night and didn’t want to stop. I finished it today and was sobbing at the ending bits. There was not much actual magic. It was more in a presence and the atmosphere of the book. Those always seem to pull me in. The love interest was perfect. I’m obsessed with the whole “is he real, is he magic” thing. While I didn’t love Cora’s POV at first, I soon learned to. I resonated with Jess a lot at the beginning. Feeling overrun and under appreciated with a child keeping you crazy and a husband not fully there. I was always looking forward to her parts. Everything came together nicely. The character growth was fun to watch. I will definitely be needing a copy of this book for my trophy shelf.

I hate multiple POVs but the subject interested me enough to overlook that.
Carrie and Cora’s POVs made sense but Jess’ felt like it didn’t flow. I feel like Jess’ story took away from the other two and I would have liked more of them and less of her.
I love magical realism and this did not disappoint in that aspect, especially with the generational tie in. The ending was disappointing for me.

This was such a lovely story from beginning to end! It was cozy and enjoyable to read. I love stories of coming home. The history and lore of the town was well written and added to my enjoyment of the story.

Set in the mountains of Appalachia in an unspecified state, this book has a lot of fall vibes. Carrie Morgan fled from her hometown of Woodsmoke ten years ago. with her heart broken and friends and family relationships shattered. When her grandmother dies and leaves her the family cottage, Carrie makes a decision to stop running from her problems and come home. Her family is known in the community for having witch powers - drawn from the mountains, but always with a cost. Her great aunt Cora longs for Carrie to take up the family traditions and inherit her spell and story book of lore. When Carrie finds a handsome stranger to help her with cottage renovations, Cora is frightened that Carrie is following a curse that has struck other generations of Morgan women - falling in love with a stranger that arrives with the first frost, and disappears by the spring thaw. Other relationships are also portrayed - Carrie's former best friend has married her ex-fiance so there is some hometown drama to sift through. Enjoyable, but dragged a bit and got repetitive in parts. Satisfying ending.

Artist Carrie Morgan returns to Woodsmoke, the town she grew up in ten years after fleeing it and everyone she loved. Now she’s back because her grandmother has passed away and left her the cottage she knew so well, The story is told from several points of view including Carrie, her great aunt Cora, and her former best friend with whom Carrie had once formed a blood bond with. We see snippets of the characters in their past too, all of this history that is slowly unwound helps us to understand what is happening now. The women in Carrie’s family have passed down a magic that requires a sacrifice when it’s used, and the secrets around it have changed all of their lives. The story is about uncovering those secrets and putting pieces back together again, the ties of friendship, and the ancient stories of the mountains surrounding the village. I loved the portrayal of the mountains as an almost living being, Carrie and her friends were brought up hiking their many paths but had been taught to never stray from them, least they never be seen again. Her great aunt has read a book of stories and spells to Carrie since she was a child and someday it will be hers, having been passed down through generations, the question is does she believe in them.
A wonderful, atmospheric book for autumn with longer, dark days and the first frost soon approaching. The characters and their complex relationships are well drawn, the setting and even the name of the town evocative of a hidden place, and the slow reveal of past and magic all kept me drawn in to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an advance copy, I recommend it!

The cover definitely drew me in. I liked the magical elements of the book. However, I think the different perspectives and the random tidbits at the beginning of each chapter put a damper on the story. Although I cared about the characters, it just didn't really become the story that I had hoped it would be. I think it could have dipped more in evolving the elements of magic and family history.

There seems to be a particular genre of witchy women’s fiction and tropes that often occur — an ancestral spell book, a small-knit gossipy community, generations of healers with a shaky reputation, coping with grief, romance, and a sentient natural setting. This book has all of these landmarks of the genre and did them well. The characters immediately came across strongly, with clear personalities, particularly Cora.

Book Review: The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Rachel Greenlaw for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is the perfect cozy read for fall, filled with all the enchanting autumn and winter vibes that make this season special. The story effortlessly blends friendship, family, and romance, while keeping the reader intrigued with a touch of magic and mystery right up until the end. The witchy, magical elements brought a delightful and mystical charm to the book.

What stood out most was the heartfelt exploration of relationships—whether it was the fear of losing long-term bonds, the challenges of parenthood, or the significance of aunts. This resonated deeply with me, especially as someone who values my relationships with my own aunts. It added a personal and touching layer to the narrative.

If you're in the mood for an atmospheric, slow-paced story brimming with magic, witchcraft, and a gentle slow-burn romance, The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is a wonderful choice for a cozy fall read. Highly recommend!

I really hoped this book was going to pick up in the 2nd half and compensate for the slow start however it never did.
Pros: -I loved the multiple POVs (although wish either Cora or Carrie had a different name)
-The generational pass down of stories and magical secrets was a really nice touch.

Cons: - I found it hard to connect to any character, all of them annoyed me in one way or another.
- I wish we got more stories from the other Morgan women.
-the curse/payment for the bargains could have been explained a bit better. It took me too long to finally understand that Cora was the one paying a price for all the bargains instead of the people requesting.
-which leads me to the last con, with such a steep price for the bargains I found it hard to believe that any Morgan woman would accept to help anyone. Nothing was explained on why these women chose to help others.

Overall it’s a good book, but not one I’ll be reaching for again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me access to The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 - This book was not for me. I thought it was a cool idea, but just fell flat. I also really did not like any of the characters that were followed, so I had a hard time getting into it and enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

I was very excited for the book based off of the description. I am a large fantasy fan. The book left so many gaping holes with this "magic" that had been passed down for generations. I am not sure what benefit the reader received with chapters is Jess POV.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw is a delightful and whimsical tale that explores the themes of redemption, second chances, and the healing power of love and friendship in the face of grief and loss. A story that I will read again soon.

Solidly OK. Slow moving in places. Lots that could have been better explained. It felt like it was going to go really weird but then it just went a little weird, which was honestly disappointing. For my friend who says blood magic is always evil, this novel supports that stance. I would have liked more realistic, fleshed out relationships.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. I attempted several times, and could not get past the first 10 percent of the book.

**Book Review: *The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells* by Rachel Greenlaw**

4 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Rachel Greenlaw for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

This was a great fall read, filled with all the cozy fall and winter vibes that make it perfect for the season. The story beautifully weaves together themes of friendship, family, and romance, keeping you guessing until the very end. Without giving too much away, the witchy, magical elements were delightful and added a fun, mystical layer to the narrative.

Beneath the magic, the story was deep and touching, exploring long-term relationships and the fear of losing them, the complexities of parenthood, and the importance of aunts. As someone with many great aunts, I found this aspect especially relatable and heartfelt.

I would recommend *The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells* to anyone interested in a slower-paced, atmospheric story with magical, witchy vibes and a slow-burn romance. It’s a perfect, cozy read for fall!