The Witches of Santo Stefano is a wonderful story! I listened to the audio and was immediately immersed in Cassie's life and her desire to find out about her family's past when she and her cousin realize there are many lies surrounding their grandmother. Cassie was brave (driving in Italy by herself!) and it was heart-warming to watch her navigate her new life. Ms. Webb's writing will make you feel like you are right there walking the streets of Santo Stefano with Cassie.

Xe Sands did a wonderful job narrating this! I've only read a few Wendy Webb books but thought this was just as great as the others and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more by her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Publication date: 24 September 2024

☾ Plot:
In The Witches of Santo Stefano, Cassie embarks on a quest to return to the Italian village her ancestors once resided in, where she must uncover the truth about her elusive family history. As she unravels the secrets of an esoteric lineage spanning generations, she finds herself confronting her own identity and the enduring power of her heritage. The novel draws the reader into a rural Mediterranean setting enriched with intrigue, emphasising the folkloric traditions of Italy. The rustic village of Santo Stefano is vividly detailed, from its cobbled streets to its community steeped in superstition.

☾ Writing:
The book alternates between historical and contemporary timelines, maintaining clear boundaries between the past and present. While the pacing is gentle, Webb’s descriptive writing captures the idyllic location and the enigmatic aura of the story. The use of sensory details, particularly around food, nature, and mysticism enhances the charm of the prose.

☾ Characters:
Cassie is a well-rounded protagonist, balancing vulnerability with determination, nurturing a loving found family amongst a thriving cast of secondary characters as she unfurls the reality of her origins. The historical figures, Violetta and Isabella, provide a compelling contrast; the bond between past and present generations is sensitively portrayed, tying into the story’s magical and familial heart.

☾ Impact:
The book offers a subtle and well-researched peek at traditional Italian witchcraft, with symbolism playing a key role. Cassie’s personal struggles and the sacrifices of her ancestors evoke empathy, prompting reflection on the enduring power of the human spirit.

☾ Entertainment Value:
Fans of magical realism, family sagas and dreamy, atmospheric mysteries will likely find this book enchanting, though those seeking a fast-paced thriller may feel less satisfied.
The premise may feel familiar to those who enjoy the genre, but the intricate narrative and cultural details ensure this is a uniquely fresh experience.
An ideal choice for a cozy, escapist read, especially for fans of works like Practical Magic or The Lost Apothecary.

☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦ ☾ ❦

Genres:
☾ Contemporary fiction
☾ Cosy mystery
☾ Family saga

Tropes and Themes:
☾ Ancestral secrets
☾ Dual timelines
☾ Found family
☾ Magical Realism
☾ Witches
☾ Generational gifts
☾ Strong female lineage
☾ Heritage and identity
☾ Superstitions
☾ Small town
☾ Self discovery

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As The Book Witch, I am, I love all things gothic and shrouded in mystery. I can’t believe I haven’t been under Wendy Webb’s spell till now. She’s rightfully hailed as the Queen of the Northern Gothic, and after reading The Witches of Santo Stefano I am hooked. I feel like she’s conjured a tale just for witchy-loving readers like me. With her enchanting blend of atmospheric settings, family secrets, mystery, magic, and a deep-rooted connection to generational magic, Webb had me flipping pages like I was stirring a cauldron.

Consider me bewitched—this gothic-loving soul is ready to devour everything in her coven of stories!

As Cassie delves into her family’s past in the enchanting hill town of Santo Stefano, the story truly springs to life. The locals add to the charm: Renzo, ever-gracious and always around; Dante, whose history weaves intriguingly with Cassie’s; and Luna, the ethereal dream interpreter whose cryptic warnings linger like whispers in the night. And, of course, the protective animals—because no true witch is complete without her loyal, mystical companions watching over her.

The balance here is potion perfection. The true enchantment of the story lies in the balance between community and the mystery behind the secrets and the search for the truth.

Oh, and the food had me envisioning myself right there, savoring the mouthwatering flavors, while I sipped wine, curled up with candles casting a warm, flickering glow as I lost myself in the pages.

It’ll make you want to pack your bags for Italy—or maybe just reach for a spell book of your own.

The Witches of Santo Stefano by Wendy Webb is a captivating novel that seamlessly blends mystery and supernatural elements. The story revolves around Tessa, who inherits a historic home in the titular Santo Stefano and uncovers dark secrets about her family’s past. Webb’s talent for atmospheric storytelling shines, with vivid descriptions of the coastal town adding depth to the eerie narrative. The characters are well-developed, particularly Tessa, whose journey of self-discovery is compelling. While the plot is engaging, some readers might find the pacing uneven, with slower sections interrupting the tension.

Nonetheless, the book's rich history and supernatural twists make it a worthwhile read for fans of gothic fiction. The intertwining of modern-day mysteries with historical witch trials provides a thought-provoking exploration of legacy and identity. Overall, the book is an intriguing, well-crafted story that keeps you hooked until the end.

Set mostly in the beautiful country of Italy, in the small village of Santo Stefano, Cassie searches for the truth about her family and hopefully find happiness, not knowing that her line is cursed. I do like the how she was able to go to that place for her research, especially after that bum of her husband cheats serially on her. Cassie is so nice and meets so many friendly people who go to such lengths to help her (can't imagine people just drop everything and pull up lots of old papers and photos, to help a foreigner very often so it is really sweet).

I also like how the chapters vary from present with Cassie to the past with Violetta, her mother and aunt, and their mother so we can find out how and why the curse came about and how standing up for yourself might change everything. It is a well written story with true love, heartbreak, awesome dogs and donkeys, all in the wonderful town of Santo Stefano!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

We follow Cassndra, who starts to look into her faily's story and as she tries to find her origins, she discovers more than she had bargained for. This story is told over several generations and although a little slow at the beginning, once the story starts to meld together the pace picks up and is a very enjoable read.

This author always weaves an intricate story with memorable characters and scenic places. This book was no exception to that. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

My thoughts
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

My first wendy webb book.
And I absolutely enjoyed this story.

This book has witch's with history, cheating, husbands, and a trip to italy with so much more.
I love how this story gives some backstory, and it tends to go back and forth, on the dual timeline, and I love books on dual timelines.
So this was a perfect story.

Simply just phenomenal. I loved everything about it.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not enjoy this book because I could not connect with the characters or the magical parts. It felt more forced that it needed to be.

Another great read from Wendy Webb! The setting may have changed, but her writing is as compelling as ever. This story takes place in Italy, which is a huge departure from midwestern Wharton. Cassie is a typical Webb heroine who travels from Wharton to Italy to seek answers regarding her family. This book was a little light on the Gothic, supernatural elements that I’ve loved in Webb’s previous books, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Wendy Webb for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this book

This was an interesting read about a woman going through bad times & in her grief, she goes to Italy to find out her family history, and what she finds is more than she planned for ... we go through the past and present from chapter to chapter.

Was interested in completing the book but it won't be a book that I buy to own.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


Book tagline: An investigative journalist uncovers the haunting secret history of her own ancestors in a bewitching novel by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Lake.

This multi-generational tale, which flipped back and forth from Cassandra( contemporary period) to Violetta/Fiora/Rosa/Isabella in late 19th/early 20th-century Italy, kept me hooked. I loved the writing style, the characters(especially the animals), and the coincidences that happened throughout the storyline. Not to mention that prologue locked me in for a spooky read. There are just enough moments to have kept me turning the pages to work out the mystery. This is my third Wendy Webb read ( The Keepers of Metsan Valo and The Stroke of Winter being the other two titles).

If you're looking to read one witchy title during this year's spooky season, check out The Witches of Santo Stefano





#TheWitchesofSantoStefano #NetGalley.
Publication Date 24/09/24

Loved it!! The book had the same feel as many of the author's previous books. The majority of the story takes place in Italy instead of Lake Superior. Naturally, there's a supernatural aspect. The women in Cassandra's family seem to be witches. They cast spells, treat ailments and appear to be bee whisperers. Loved how the book alternated between characters. I enjoyed Cassandra's story but my favorite part about the book was reading about Isabella, Violetta, Fiora and Rosa. I enjoyed learning about their family history and getting to know all of them. The women definitely possessed gifts. I couldn't wait to find out the mystery surrounding Gia's birth certificate. I adored Bianca and Giuseppe. Freddo was always there to keep Violetta safe. I loved the ending when everything was finally revealed and Cassandra knew the truth about her family. Santo Stefano sounded like a lovely place to visit. It was the perfect place for Cassandra. Everyone was so nice to Cassandra and welcomed her to the village, except maybe the older woman in the market who called Cassandra a strega (witch).

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the story, writing style and characters. This book did not disappoint, there was the right amount of mystery, throw in some witches, an Italian village that hasn't changed much, visions of a barn and a large spider and you get a great read. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wendy Webb, venturing out of the Midwest, created an atmospheric setting with this one, as well as memorable characters. This is a great, seasonal read, and with characters that are more in the "middle age" years is nice for readers who need to see more of these characters in fiction.

4 stars

What a beautiful, bittersweet novel about family and the power of the human heart.

American writer Cassie Graves is reeling during a difficult time in her life - cheating husband, kid off to college, extended family dwindling. Her cousin tries to cheer Cassie up by including her in the current ancestry research she's been working on, but some documents on an ancestry website actually conjure up more questions than answers. Cassie decides the easiest way to get to the bottom of everything is to go to the city referenced to in these confusing documents: Santo Stefano. So off she goes to Italy in search of answers, but ends up learning and experiencing a lot more than she bargained for.

There's quite a bit of narration back and forth between the women's timelines during the story, and I occasionally had a hard time keeping some of the names and dates straight. But the majority of the time I knew when and where we were, and with who. This book is chock full of love, loss, pain, magic, and beauty. I found most of the characters to be quite endearing and the descriptions of the Italian food almost cruel in their deliciousness.

Do witches really exist? I guess it depends on your definition of 'witch'. Most likely not, but I think there are definitely women out there who are tapped into the power of nature and their own intuition, and can harness it for good. My feeling is that there's a little witch in all of us.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Wendy Webb, and Lake Union Publishing for giving me a free digital advanced readers copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided voluntarily.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I haven’t been reading too many historical/magical realism type books lately and this was a great change of pace. As someone that has been fascinated by their own family history that also had quite a few surprising reveals (including some actual “witches”) this book hit home in a weird way. At least the realistic parts did. I’m a big fan of multi-povs and multi-timelines when done right and this book was done right. Between the family dynamic, the secrets, the settings, the different time periods, etc. I absolutely loved everything about this book and will definitely be reading more works by this author in the future!

Let us go on a trip to the small town of Santo Stefano, Italy. Where the drive to and from scares the heartiest of drivers. Santo Stefano is a small town like no other, built around a castle where the wealthiest reside. People are linked to the people who started it all, since the beginning of Santo Stefano. The smells and tastes that Wendy Webb created made me want to hop on a plane and fly to Italy.

Cassie is reeling from her recent discovery. Her husband had been unfaithful, she did not see it coming, would never have thought he was a cheater. But he was, and she is left in a pile of despair. She has moved back to the house she grew up with. Her cousin and her are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery of her Great Grandparents. Cassie grew up hearing their love stories. This is all thrown into the air when they discover that there is no entry of Giovanni into the United States. The stories could not have been made up. They were too real, too good, and what Cassie has always strived for. The only way to completely understand the clues is for her to pack a bag and head for Santo Stefano. Where she can finally uncover the truth about her family.

This is a fun mystery that takes you into the soul of Italy. There is more romance than witchcraft, which made me a bit sad. Of course there is a family curse that lurks in the background. It is told in dual timelines by multiple points of view. It will have you tearing through the pages to find out what is going on with the donkey, the dog, and the mysteries of Santo Stefano. Thank you to Wendy Webb, Amazon Publishing, and Lake Union Publishing for my gifted copy.

I really enjoyed this book about the witches of Santo Stefano. The thrill of delving into one’s family tree to discover connections that you never knew were there and the history and memory of the people who still live in the place where your family lived is so exciting. Cassie decides to follow the path of her family after discovering her husband had an affair. The path lead her to Santo Stefano, a little village in Italy where her ancestors had lived. There she discovers that they were labelled as witches and some of the villagers are calling Cassie a witch. A bit of mystery, with a bit of magic thrown in is always a recipe for a good story. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved everything about this book. The stunning detail of the Italian scenery, the Gothic vines, the mystery, and the supernatural all weave together into something I couldn't put down. Dual timelines can be tricky and easy to muddle the details but the author did this with apparent ease, managing to seamlessly transport you back and forth without getting lost. This was the first book by Wendy Webb I've read, and if her others are even close to this I can't wait to read them all.

Thank you to #netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book, the way the author describes the events was beautiful and i found myself right there beside Cassandra. The whole search into her families background was so delightful. I loved every page, fast paced, never dull for a second, The way she describes the whole story was so interesting and pleasing i did not want it to end! Cassandra goes to Italy in search of the reason why her grandmother left Santo Sterfano and discovered so much and made so many friends!