I love reading anything to do with Witches and The Weybourne Witches was no exception. I loved the characters and the history. The relationship between the women was particularly important to the story and I was drawn to these women.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this eCopy to review

The Weybourne Witches by Amber Raven is a captivating tale set in the village of Weybourne, Norfolk, in 1647. The story begins with Brigid Netherwell, who is accused of witchcraft and condemned to death in front of her young daughter, Willow. Willow vows to record her family's story, ensuring their legacy is not forgotten.

Decades later, the narrative shifts to twin sisters Myrtle and Marigold Netherwell. They are forced to confront the dark secrets of their past and the legacy of the Netherwell women. As they navigate their own challenges, the story explores themes of resilience, family, and the enduring power of magic.

I enjoyed the atmospheric imagery and vivid storytelling, which transported me to the world of the Netherwell witches. The characters are richly developed, and their stories are intertwined with historical and magical elements that made the narrative compelling and immersive.

Overall, The Weybourne Witches is a spellbinding read that delves into the lives of women who must confront the darkness and secrets of their heritage. It's a story of survival, love, and the strength found in family bonds.

I could not finish this book as the story was very disjointed. The book follows Myrtle as she recounts her story into her families book of voices and reads the stories of her ancestors. With each chapter at the beginning of the book being a different ancestors story of the abuses they suffered at the hands of the Longe men. Thus subject seems to be glossed over so casually that it becomes a depressing read.

This was a beautifully done story and worked with the witches element to this book. The concept was everything that I wanted and enjoyed the way this story was being told. Amber Raven wrote this perfectly and enjoyed getting to go on this journey with the characters.

Richly developed, warm, and complex tale of witches, light and dark, past and present, and two families intertwined in ways that taint and strengthen. For fans of witchy tales, not to be missed.

Myrtle has lived a long life, and now, in her twilight years, she's decided to record her life history alongside her ancestors. Through her reading the stories and reminiscing on her own, we get a picture into her struggles and achievements through life.

*****

I wasn't expecting this to be a magical realism book in the way that it was presented. We're given random views into the past in a disjointed way for a good chunk of the beginning of the book. That's interspersed with vague details of current day, before we get into the meat of the story, which is all current day. It had the potential to be an epic and interesting read, but in reality, it was sad and flat. The core of the story is a young girl who consistently gives up all of her time, care, and mental health to take care of her neglectful drunk of a mother and her mentally unwell and abusive twin. She gives up everyone she's ever loved, all of her dreams and freedoms, and all of her youth, to be dedicated to a sister who wants to ruin her. It's just slowly sadder and sadder that she's wasted all of her life, being at the beck and call of someone who treated her terribly, and she'll maybe get a decade or two in advanced age to live as she wants.

That, combined with the callous and cold way all of the female family members are abused, and its just casually brushed aside was unsettling. It's almost framed in a way that it's expected, or not that important each time a woman in the family line is abused, assaulted, and raped. It was astounding to me that it would be presented so nonchalantly just to advance the story. Especially when the entire premise of good and evil hinges on a conflict we don't get nearly enough details into, and is resolved way too easily.

This book left me unsatisfied, and I can't see what I would recommend about it, as the only impact it had on me was to feel sorry for the lead.

*****

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins One More Chapter for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Weybourne Witches by Amber Raven

Not my normal choice of book but I was drawn to the premier of this one , and I'm very glad I did .

Set in the village of Weybourne, Norfolk, it is 1647 and Brigid Netherwell, is accused of witchcraft and condemned to death. Her young daughter Willow and her family look on with the horror of trying to prove her innocence, especially her daughter Willow .
I was lost in the story and loved reading about Willow and twin sisters Myrtle and Marigold Netherwell.
I was totally immersed in the story and really enjoyed it .

The Weybourne Witches is the story of Myrtle, a 60 year old woman who is writing the story of her life and family. Overall I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit & I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read a witchy tale with strong women characters. It was cosy but also quite dark, with some heavy themes. The characters were well-written, fairly unique and enjoyable to read about. I particularly enjoyed Myrtle’s arc, there was some mystery around what happened to her & I felt engaged by this. She was also my favourite character though there were some good side characters too. The book was easy to read & I never felt any confusion about what was happening - it was all very straightforward.

This book contains a few instances of sexual assault but the way they are written is sort of matter-of-fact with little emotion. As someone who can be triggered by SA in books I’m not really sure how I felt about this. The SA was written in a way that I could just read and then move on quite quickly and I didn’t really *feel* much emotion in response to it which I think is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good in that it wasn’t triggering at all for me (this is really positive in my mind) but bad because I sort of think SA should be more uncomfortable to read about 🤷🏼‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author & publisher for providing me with an ARC that I was able to read and review.

I like books about witches, the historical fiction kind and I thought that "The Weybourne Witches" by Amber Raven might fall in that camp. Unfortunately it was more fantasy than historical fiction. The bits that focussed on the line of witches and their connections with nature and the past were the bits I liked but not really the rest of the story.

I love tales of witches. The reasons why women were accused of witchcraft range from the ridiculous to the outrageous.

Set in the village of Weybourne, Norfolk, it is 1647 and Brigid Netherwell, is accused of witchcraft and condemned to death. Her young daughter Willow and her family watch in horror and Willow vows to right the wrong.

I loved this book.

I was lost in the story and loved reading about Willow and twin sisters Myrtle and Marigold Netherwell.

This is a richly descriptive and atmospheris tale. It is perfectly told and is a book to savour.





twin sisters Myrtle and Marigold Netherwell

The Weybourne Witches is a captivating and richly atmospheric tale that entwines magic, family, and the enduring strength of women. Set in the village of Weybourne, Norfolk, the story begins in 1647 with Brigid Netherwell, a woman accused of witchcraft and condemned to death in front of her young daughter, Willow. In the wake of this tragedy, Willow vows to preserve her family's story, setting the stage for a centuries-spanning journey through the Netherwell bloodline.

Decades later, twin sisters Myrtle and Marigold Netherwell are drawn into the dark secrets of the past, forced to confront the legacy of the women who came before them. As they uncover the depths of their ancestors' powers and the dangers posed by those who seek to exploit their magic, the Motherwell women’s stories unfold in vivid and evocative detail, weaving a narrative that blends mystery, resilience, and enchantment.

Amber Raven's storytelling is nothing short of enchanting. The author expertly navigates multiple periods and points of view—a challenge that could easily become convoluted—yet she manages these transitions with remarkable ease. The different voices and experiences are distinct, and the rich development of each character allows readers to form an emotional connection with the Netherwell women. Raven brings each of them to life with skill and nuance, making it easy to become deeply invested in their journeys.

The book’s ending is both poignant and powerful, leaving a lasting emotional impact that lingers long after the final page is turned. For fans of witchcraft and family legacies, The Weybourne Witches is a must-read. If you’re drawn to stories filled with magic, mystery, and powerful female characters, this book will captivate your heart and soul, much like Practical Magic and other beloved witchy tales.

This is a story that will enchant and thrill, making The Weybourne Witches an unforgettable read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The premise of this book was what drew me in and made me so interested in reading this. I will never pass up on the opportunity to read a book about witches. It is the way to my heart.
The first few chapters of The Weybourne Witches were great - they set up the premise of this coven of Netherwell witches and their rivalry with the Longues. Going into it, I was expecting this story to predominately take place in the 1600s, not the 1960s and 70s! Some of the story lines involving the curse made sense for the 1600s... for the later years not so much.
The way in which the author wrote about the absolute cruelty to some of the girls in this book truly drew me out of the story and made me want to stop reading. The author casually writes about young girls being raped and abused in a very emotionless way, which I found to be quite haunting. There is a dire need for trigger warnings at the start of this book - they are lacking.
Ultimately, while the premise was interesting, I found the narrative to be awkward, emotionless, and confusing. I was questioning the rivalry with the Longues throughout (why did it continue? why did these girls continue to fall for these men? why did mothers continue to push their thirteen-year old daughters on horrible men twice their age?). I came away with more questions than answers.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I love reading stories about witches and the witch hunters and thought this is what this book was going to be about . I found the book easy to read however really wanted it to go into the twins ancestors history a bit more and be less about their relationship in present day . I felt it did not cover the past relationship between the Netherwell family and the longe family . An ok read but nothing outstanding.

The Weybourne Witches is such a good story. I wasn't expecting the plot in this book. It was fantastic!!! Such a lovely book. I totally recommend everyone.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Amber Raven for providing me with an ARC of The Weybourne Witches in exchange for my honest review.

The Weybourne Witches is a spellbinding tale that explores the lives of the Netherwell women — a bloodline of witches whose legacy spans centuries. As these women confront the darkness posed by those seeking to exploit their magic, their stories of resilience and power are revealed in vivid detail.

This book is pure witchy perfection and an absolute joy to read! Amber Raven skillfully weaves together multiple time periods and points of view, a narrative structure that could easily become confusing. However, she handles these transitions with grace, creating a seamless tapestry of interconnected stories. Each Netherwell woman feels richly developed, and I found myself deeply invested in their journeys. It takes real talent to breathe life into so many characters, and Amber Raven accomplishes this effortlessly.

The ending was beautiful, leaving me with a mix of emotions that lingered long after I finished the book. If you love stories steeped in magic and family legacies, The Weybourne Witches is a must-read — especially for fans of witchy stories such as Practical Magic.

An atmospheric and sometimes creepy tale of sisters. And witches. While this wasn't for me, I know that fans of the genre will enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This one wasn't really for me.
It felt disjointed at the beginning flipping back and forth between many stories of the witches, and I didnt really get into it after that.
Hopefully others will enjoy more.

If I had to describe this book I would call it “cozy fantasy.” I wish I had found and been approved for it earlier this fall. It would have been a great porch read on a cool fall evening.

While I liked the vibes of the book, sometimes the story was confusing. I believe this was due to editing. For instance, in chapter 4 Theda thinks if she kills FOUR people many would live. Yet at this point her grandmother had only told her she had to kill Ingulf and his father. It isn’t for another few sentences later the grandmother informs her she must also kill her parents. There was a few instances of things like this.
At one point it talks about Richard getting Gaia an apartment in Holt, yet nothing had been mentioned regarding her divorce yet. So that was a bit confusing.
Again, I am assuming there are things that got missed when things got moved around in the editing process.

Aside from that it was a pleasant read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

A fantasy story about troubled twin sisters. One has challenging behaviour and will always need care. Her sister chooses to tend to her at home. They both happen to be witches. There are ancient curses, a magical tree, spells, a real sense of place and the history of witchcraft. Suspend belief and enjoy!