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Member Reviews
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Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I am such a sucker for witchy, cozy, magical realism books and this was so cute!
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I love this book and the way the author portrays the characters and writes the plot, and this is only the first book in the series!
The flow of the story and writing will leave you hanging on every moment between the characters, the world in which they wonder, and on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is going to happen next.
Colleen Delaney is fantastic fantasy writer, and this book is one to grab and devour.
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This was lovely yarn and I loved the connection between the sisters. A little romance, some thrills, and general good vibe reading book. I enjoyed it and look forward to more in this series.
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This was a great series starter. I loved the dynamic between all the sisters and know there will be many more books in this series. I love titles that really empower women and this one did. I can't wait to see where it goes!
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It's been a long time since I enjoyed a witch book as much as I did this one! Witches that practice the "old magic of herbalism and tarot, rather than the ones who wear pointy hats and wave magic wands.
I love the idea that magic is handed down along the female line, which makes perfect sense in a religion that worships a goddess.
The Bay sisters were a really great set of strong female leads.
Although there was an undercurrent of romance with mention of them all having soulmates somewhere, they certainly didn't need men to look after them!
There was just enough romance in this book, and the spicy scenes were just right to keep me reading. I don't really believe in soulmates, but if they exist l'd like to find mine and experience what Laurel and Owen had. Wew!
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and finding out what happens next to Laurel and Morana. I'd love to find out more about the other sisters and their powers too.
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3.5 stars and def would recommend!
The hedge world, the water witches! Entertaining, gripping. Owen and Laurel clawing their way back to each other despite the “morally gray water witches”.
Laurels jumping back and forth was what drew to me to this book. I loved it!
I really enjoyed this one. Thanks, NetGalley for sending it.
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What a different and delightful read! This isn’t like the normal witchy book I’ve read and I really enjoyed that about it! I’m sad it ended on a cliffhanger but I’m hoping that means there will be more books!
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this was easily a 5 star experience.
i loved the magical elements and the romance was spicy!
i hope this author makes this a series that follows along with the rest of the sisters.
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The Hedge Witch by Colleen Delaney was definitely one of my favorite reads this month! It's has such an interesting plot and is different than most witchy books I've read. I loved the Bay sister's and their unique personalities, and of course, their cool names.
The idea of soul mates and Laurel and Owen finding each other in past lives and the present life is sweet. I really wanted them to get to know each other better, but hopefully, that's in the next book? It ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm guessing it's going to be a series. I'll be curious to see if the next book focuses on the continuation of this story or if it will focus on another Sister's story. Lavender and Sage sound interesting! Side note: I kind of wanted to punch Laurel for going to the Bachelorette party, c'mon!
Thank you, NetGalley and City Owl Press, for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm excited for the next book!
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"The Bay Sisters" is an enchanting and quick read that transports you to Star Island, where five witchy sisters live. The story kicks off with a Beltane prophecy that each sister will meet their soulmate within six months, leading to a magical and romantic adventure. Laurel Bay's journey is captivating as she discovers a past life with her soulmate, Onfroi, in Medieval France. When Owen Davies arrives on the island, their connection is undeniable, sparking a tender and intriguing romance. The variety of personalities among the sisters adds depth and fun to the story. While the ending felt a bit abrupt, it leaves you eager for the next installment. The book balances modern references, witty banter, and witchy vibes, making it a delightful addition to your fall reading list.
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Super fun read. The cozy vibes were strong with this one, which is what i needed. It kind of gave off vibes of Charmed for me, which isn't a bad thing
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The Bay Sisters are five witches who live fairly normal lives on Star Island, a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. While celebrating Beltane, a voice tells the sisters that each of them will meet their soulmate within the next six months.
While in the hedge world, Laurel Bay discovers a past life of hers where she is with her soulmate in Medieval France. For weeks, Laurel meets up with her soulmate, Onfroi, in the hedge world, and Laurel becomes obsessed with finding him in this life.
When a stranger ends up on the island, Rosemary Bay just knows he is the soulmate of her sister Laurel, and sends him to their house to fix their porch step. This stranger turns out to be Owen Davies, of the Davies Water Witch Clan, and he surely is Laurel's soulmate.
While navigating her new relationship with Owen, Laurel also discovers a witch is after her because of a curse Laurel casted in her past life. This witch is relentless and wants revenge and will stop at nothing to get it.
This story was very enjoyable and went by far too quickly! I loved the past life and soulmate elements on this book, and I can't wait to continue the series.
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I really wanted to love this one, but it fell flat for me. I made it about 20% through (which I realize is not very far), before I decided it just didn't capture my interest. The premise was amazing, and I loved the idea of a group of witch sisters, but their personalities were all a little too outlandish, as if the author was trying to highlight their differences, and the love story was a bit too cheesy for me. I think this will definitely appeal to romantasy readers, and there's a chance I may try it again at another time, but I wanted to provide feedback now since we are now past publication date.
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This book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review (thanks, NetGalley!).
The Raves:
- This is a cute book! And a quick read, which is nice, it's not too difficult to digest.
- This book is a little spicy, but not too spicy where it gets in the way of the story. I loved the soulmates storyline, it was sweet. I also loved getting a peek at who these two people were in their prior lives.
- There wasn't a lot of world-building necessary for to enjoy this story, which is nice. I love a good, solid book with a new world to explore, but it's also nice to have a simple read without focusing too much on the world around these characters.
- I loved the variety of personalities each sister had. It was fun to experience different witchy vibes for each one.
The Rants:
- The ending was a bit unexpected? I kind of wanted more from it, but it ended alright (albeit a bit abruptly for my taste). Though, this is the first in a series and we'll likely get more in future books.
- Some of the tension between Owen and Laurel felt forced. The object of the tension makes sense story-wise, but the reactions felt a bit too dramatic for drama's sake.
If you're looking for a cute, quick, witchy read with a bit of romance and soulmates, this could be for you!
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Beautifully written book! I loved the fmc! She was well-written, relatable, and loved her journey through the novel! The love story of Laurel and Owen was heartbreakingly wonderful, and I could not stop reading! Finished in less than a day because I had to know the ending! Very much enjoyed the writing and will be looking forward to more from Colleen Delaney in the future!
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Thank you, City Owl Press and Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Fans of Charmed, The Craft, Practical Magic, and A Discovery of Witches will love this enchanting story filled with witchy vibes, East Coast charm, and a love that defies time. It's packed with romance, witty banter, modern references, and all the witchy cottagecore vibes your heart desires.
Laurel Bay, is a tarot reader on Star Island, she finds her life turned upside down when a past love reappears, leading her into danger with a vengeful witch. Meanwhile, Owen Davies, yearning for his soulmate, stumbles into Laurel's world, setting off a captivating tale of star-crossed lovers.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It would be a wonderful addition to your fall TBR. The structure, style, and pacing were perfect. I'm giving it 3.5 stars due to a romantic trope that didn't exactly align with one character's personality traits. It felt unnecessary and didn't serve the character meaningfully. A few spicy scenes were included.
Spice Level (1-5): 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Star Rating (1-5): ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
My Rating Scale:
1- run. save yourself.
2- did not like at all.
3- liked.
4. loved.
5. obsessed. read it.
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I had enjoyed the overall feel of this story, it had that fantasy element that I was looking for and enjoyed about the genre. The characters had that feel that I was hoping for and thought the use of the past life worked well. Colleen Delaney has a great writing style and enjoyed what I read.
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I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love witches and this book was no exception. Think Practical Magic with its own set of rules, some steamier scenes and past lives coming to fruition.
I love the dynamic between the sisters and its very cosy fantasy. I will be reading book 2!
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Magic and family come together in this fun novel. Laurel is a simple hedge witch who does tarot readings for a living. She knows that she and her sisters will all meet their soul mates soon, but she doesn't expect to be the first on the list.
When she meets Owen in a dream realm, Laurel can't stop thinking about him. Her soulmate. Owen is in much the same boat, but as they realize their link to one another, Laurel faces threats from a past life.
Together they defend their family and island from a witch intent on destroying the Bay Witches.
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Thank you to City Owl Press and NetGalley for an eARC copy of The Hedge Witch by Colleen Delaney.
If you like Practical Magic and Charmed, you will certainly love The Hedge Witch. The first book in a series, The Hedge Witch introduces us to the Bay Family and starts with the story of Laurel, a Hedge Witch. Following Laurel's journey to learning about and meeting her soulmate, to the multi-generational curse on her family and the lengths they would go to stop it in their tracks. It was certainly a cozy-read, but despite this being a series, I wish the book was a bit longer and gave more world building. I do enjoy when books get straight into it, but I also like growing with the series, even if it starts off slow. It also could have been polished a bit more, there were sections that I felt weren't written by an adult. But, past that it was a fun and fast read.