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!

I had really hoped to like this one more, but overall it just fell a little flat for me, and seemed a bit too long. I wanted more magic and more atmospheric vibes.

3.75 ⭐️ I truly appreciated the enchanting theme of a magical family and a book that has been cherished through generations, sharing the rich knowledge and wisdom of ancestors. I liked the multiple perspectives, but I felt it might have worked better with just two points of view. I was hoping Jess would contribute more to the magical elements of the story, but it mainly focused on her relationship with Carrie. While I found it interesting to learn more about why Carrie left town, I didn’t feel the need for all the details of Jess's life, especially since some of it overlapped with Cora's perspective. I would have loved to see a bit more magic and spell casting from Carrie, along with deeper connections in her relationships, but overall, it was a cozy read perfect for the spooky season. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyagerfor the ARC!

Great read of a girl running from her past only to find away to claim her future! Does the mountain really rule the town? Will the town let the mountain win? Theses are just a coupe of questions that ran past my mind when reading this book. It's a love story; all around!!

This delivered a cozy atmosphere, delightful setting, and magical undertone.

I wish we could have had deeper connections and examinations of the relationships between the 3 POV characters. I didn’t always find their relationships incredibly believable as I felt we weren’t shown much evidence of their bonds.

Overall, I definitely had a good time reading this and would recommend it to someone looking for something breezy and autumnal!

A big thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is set to release on October 22, 2024.

I loved diving into autumn with this whimsical, cozy read! It is written in a way that allows your imagination to decide how far into the magical world you want to fall. You already know I want the mountains of Woodsmoke to take me allllllll the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Carrie returns to the town of Woodsmoke after her grandmother passes away and leaves her, her cottage. She ran away from this town years ago from the whispers and rumors that her family are witches and can talk to the spirits that live in the surrounding mountains. As Carrie gets help from a strange man to restore her grandmother's cabin, she can't help but wonder if he's real or part of the local ghost lore.

Thoughts 💭
The story itself was pretty unique, and the writing was beautiful. I love magical realism in a story, and even though they were never actually called witches, Carrie's family had interesting magic qualities to them. The story of the man from the mountain was intriguing. Was he real or a figment of the magic from the mountains? It drew me in, trying to figure it out. But, at times, the pace was slow. Some events were redundant or drawn out. If the story were more concise, I would've rounded up to four stars. I would've also loved a little more magic (just a personal preference).

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.