This was such a fun, whimsical read! If you enjoyed Practical Magic, pick this one up! I got the same vibes from page 1 throughout the entire book. Honestly, an October release is perfect because this is a perfect witchy read.

Carrie returns to Woodsmoke, having inherited her grandmother's cabin with the intention to fix it up. She meets and begins to fall for a stranger who disappears when the Frost melts, causing her to rush into the mountains to find and save him.

This story really captivated me with the relationships between the women and the relationships they have with the mountains and Magic.

A fabulously magical book just in time for spooky season; self-described as “a tale that begins as a love story and ends with a curse.”

There are three POVs: Carrie Morgan, who has returned after a decade to the village of Woodsmoke after her grandmother Ivy’s death to renovate and then sell her cottage; great-aunt Cora, Ivy’s 80 year old younger sister, known as a bit strange around the town, but whose “spells” and tokens are grudgingly welcomed; and Jess, Carrie’s former best friend, now uncomfortably married to Carrie’s ex (Tom) ten years later and mother to six year old Elodie.

What’s commonly known is that there’s the “curse of the Morgan women” who pass down a book from grandmother to oldest granddaughter (always skipping a generation), “The Morgan Compendium,” filled “tales of the mountains, of the seasons, warnings and curses and fables and recipes and spells, shared around the fire on winter nights.”

It’s the collected stories of every Morgan woman who’s carried it, going back generations. The book is currently in the temporary custody of Ivy; Carrie is the next to inherit it. The belief is held that “when a story is no longer shared, it becomes a secret. Then it all too easily either withers and dies or grows into something quite monstrous: a curse.”

The book also has recorded memories of other Morgan women who have disappeared into the mountains: Great-great grandmother Tabitha’s sister Sybla; Clémence Morgan’s sister Abigail; Nora Morgan’s Edith. And there are “rules:” Don’t stray from the path. Accept the gift even if it wasn’t left with good intent. “And if you see someone stepping off the mountain trails, or hear a voice luring you away, never follow.”

Carrie tries to follow the “rules” (including leaving salt, lavender, and fennel on windowsills), but she just wants to fix up the cottage and escape gossipy Woodsmoke again as soon as possible. She needs help, but the only available village handyman is her jilted Tom, so she hires a man renting a nearby cabin for the winter, Matthieu, whose brother also disappeared years ago into the mountains. Matthieu and Carrie grow close and Carrie reconsiders her decision to leave Woodsmoke. Cora warns her that Matthieu, like the men of the cursed Compendium stories and women they bewitched, will disappear when the frost thaws... and he does.

I loved the story and wanted more! The characters are all richly drawn and the story is, indeed, magical and romantic. This is a book I’ll be recommending over and over. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Matthieu, however, has midnight blue eyes, “the deepest navy,”like the other young men who tempted Morgan women.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Although Matthieu's wildflower bouquets contain yarrow and evening primrose — evening primrose wilts quickly once picked.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager/William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

OK, confession, firstly, I predominantly picked p this book based on the cover...yes, yes I know you don't judge a book by its cover, I've said the same myself so many times, but come on......just look at it!!

It's so chuffing gorgeous, I'll definitely be buying the paperback to add to my keeper shelf (I need this on my keeper shelf, it's look super pretty!🥰)

So, I would have been a little red-faced if this book hadn't been excellent, right, but thankfully my diving on the cover was the right move as the story within is just as beautiful as the glorious cover on the outside, in fact, it's easy to say I have fallen head over heels in love with this beautiful book!!

This tells the story of Carrie who returns to the mountain town of Woodsmoke after travelling she must return after her grandmother dies and leaves Carrie her dilapidated old cottage in the centre of Woodsmoke. She is determined not to stay, that she will only be there long enough to renovate the cottage. That is until winter comes and a mysterious stranger appears to shake her life up a wee bit!

Carrie knows the legend that circulates in Woodsmoke, that on the first of the snow, a stranger appears only disappears without a trace, this is exactly what happens with Matthieu, but Carrie fully believes that he's real and even more so in danger and sets out on a journey of lost love and self-discovery.

I really liked the magical aspect, to me it felt more like folklore/nature powers style of magic than witches and wizards type of magic. I loved the fact that Carrie's female line can harness the power of nature!

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is an utterly charming, beautifully written magical romance interwoven with personal drama, loss and love. I was completely lost within the pages and captivated by the highly original story!

Highly recommended!

Thank you net galley for the arc of the woodsmoke womens book of spells. I love anything witchy and this book did not disappoint it was so cozy and I loved reading about the women through the generations. This book could be a Netflix series!

YES YES YES. this is *the* spooky season book!!! while it may not absolutely knock your socks off, it was the perfect atmospheric read. i sat and finished it in one go, and had an absolute blast jumping into this world and i highly recommend for the good ol ‘ber months!!

🏔️ Book Review 🏔️
📚: The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells
🗓️: Pub. October 2024!
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is a moving, magical, sophomore novel by @ . It's a story of love and what you'd do to keep someone in your life. Grandmother to granddaughter, mother to daughter, great aunt to great niece, best friends turned sisters, the Morgan Women grapple with the legacy of their family and the price the mountains of Woodsmoke requires.

I loved how the relationships didn't end with pretty bows and everything forgotten. Sure, there were bows, but those bows were still marred with the flecks of mud flung from the wilderness surrounding the town. A little bit of realism in a story marinated in magic.

The relationship between the magic of the Morgan Women and the mountains was an interesting element that enhanced the story. I loved how big of a role the magic plays without being a convenient way to close a plot hole or bring about a conclusion that seemed hopeless. It's at the base of every problem and every decision the women in this story make.

If you like books about old magic, romance in every stage, friendships, coming home and finding your roots, and finding your true self, this book is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book. It told the story from three different perspectives which really enhanced the narrative. It took a few chapters for me to get into the book, but once I did, I had to know what happened next and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. My only complaint about the book: not enough stories from the Morgan compendium.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is about a small town on the edge of the mountains and the family of women who pass the book down from grandmother to granddaughter through the generations. As the book opens Carrie Morgan is returning to Woodsmoke to renovate her grandmother Ivy's home after her death. Carrie has been moving from place to place for the last 10 years, so this book is primarily about coming home and the way our relationship with our hometown changes as we grow older. In this book, there are touches of magical realism, but not a lot. The magic of the town is hinted at but not fully developed in my opinion.
There are three main narrators in this book, Carrie, her former best friend Jess, and her great aunt Cora. The story is told in alternating chapters and jumps back and forth through time to fill in why Carrie chose to leave the town, and her life now as she renovates her grandmother's cottage with the help of a mysterious stranger, Mathieu. The characterizations of the three women felt a bit uneven, and there are some storylines that I felt weren't fully explored and just dropped. The book itself was beautifully written, but overall felt half developed and just a bit lackluster.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

4.5 stars rounded up

A beautifully woven tale of a magic, mystery, and the weight of family legacies. I was spellbound, eager to turn each page searching for answers and desperate to puzzle out the truth on Woodsmoke Mountain.

Carrie's homecoming is fraught with grief for the life she left behind and those who remain that have slipped away from her. Can she return to her roots? Does she want to embrace her family legacy or break free from it? What price will she pay for whatever she decides?

- - - - - -
I would have loved to have connected a bit more with Carrie, but on the whole, this was wonderfully done.

If you enjoy magical realism and paranormal mystery, with a side of generational trauma and a dash of romance, you'll enjoy your journey through Woodsmoke Mountain.

This is a tale of family. Choices made and to come. Full of heart and sprinkled with magic. Magic powered by belief. I believe you will not regret your time spent in Woodsmoke!

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is cozy, atmospheric, and beautifully written, but the romance lacked depth and the didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I have come to really enjoy most books that are labeled as "magical realism" and this one was no different.

dare I say, this was mighty folklorian.

✧ 4 stars, brb grabbing my cardigan and prancing around a nearby forest in hopes of catching the attention of a burly mountain man

thank you Avon for the eArc in exchange for an honest review

This book wasn't for me. it is an interesting break the cycle kind of story. It has magical realism and multiple POVs on 3 different woman effected by the "magic" that the mountains carry. The writing style wasn't for me it's in a weird first person present tense I couldn't get over and never really could enjoy the story. The background for the story is very minimal and the character building is there but but it never made me care for the characters. It's a decent little story for those who like heartfelt light stories.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Carrie is born into a family that is tied to the magic of the mountains, skipping each generation. She escapes to travel the world, but when her grandmother dies Carrie returns to Woodsmoke and her inheritance. Her plan is to fix up her grandmother’s cottage, spend the winter, and leave the next year. But it’s not that easy to escape the family legacy.

After someone starts leaving Carrie flowers by the cottage, she meets Matthieu who offers to help fix up the old cottage. There is a tale about a stranger who shows up as the first snow in winter, a person who will leave as the frost thaws in the spring, leaving a broken heart. And in the beginning, no one sees Matthieu, and then he leaves, but Carrie knows he is real.

I loved this story, following Carrie as she renews her relationship with the mountains, struggles with her relationship with her great aunt, who is jealous of Carrie’s legacy, and following her growing relationship with Matthieu. It was haunting, full of emotions, and discovering the truth about parts of her past she had misunderstood.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a sweet, warm, cozy witch
Family story/ not sugar cookie cutter- but a story of grit, determination and secrets.


Thank you to NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw offers a moody blend of magical realism and small-town secrets, but it didn’t fully capture my attention. The story follows Carrie Morgan’s return to Woodsmoke after a decade away, where she must face her family’s mystical legacy and confront long-buried emotions. The novel’s setting—a mountain town steeped in folklore—sets a wonderfully atmospheric tone, but the plot unfolds at a sluggish pace, and Carrie’s character development feels somewhat flat.

While the premise of mysterious love and enchanted mountains intrigued me, the romance between Carrie and Matthieu lacked depth, and the magical elements felt underexplored. Greenlaw’s prose is evocative, and the descriptions of Woodsmoke’s haunting beauty stand out, but the repetitive nature of Carrie’s internal struggles made it hard to stay invested. Additionally, the multiple perspectives sometimes distracted from the core narrative.

Overall, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is an atmospheric read with cozy gothic vibes, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional punch or magical intrigue I was hoping for. It’s an enjoyable but not particularly memorable story. Three stars.

What a wonderful, cozy story! I loved everything about the world building and character development with this book. I’m a sucker for a beautiful book cover…I know you can’t judge a book by its cover,This one you can. I look forward to buying this for my little home library. I highly recommend this if you love a witchy, spooky, paranormal fantasy. Publish Date is October 22, 2024 Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Rachel Greenlaw for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this look at magic, identity, family, loss, grief, romance, and friendship. There was a lot to handle in this book, and I think Greenlaw does it well. The minor characters were well-rounded and believable, and I definitely found myself feeling for Carrie and all she struggled with throughout the novel.

Absolutely recommend for spooky season! Rachel is such an amazing storyteller. She weaves a tale that leaves you wishing you could see, touch, taste, and smell the world she has built. You read her characters and fall into their story as if you are physically there watching it unfold. This book is so atmospheric, so well done- it will absolutely be a book I read every year.