Doreen must break a 300-year-old curse or die of a broken heart on her 30th birthday. The only problem is that the way to break the curse involves teaming up with the very person who created it.

The lore in this book was spellbinding, and I was captivated by the trials and the various clues laid out in the story to break the curse. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance, and I always eat up any book that includes that trope. I absolutely loved the dynamic between the families, trials, and their history. I also adored Doreen’s relationship with her cousin.

However, I was a bit underwhelmed by the romance in this book. At times, it felt more like a fantasy novel with a romance subplot. The transition from enemies to lovers seemed abrupt, and that storyline felt a bit rushed compared to other elements in the book.

Overall, I would still highly recommend this book based on the elements that I enjoyed and mentioned in this review. Solid four star read.

I tried to finish this book because it was an ARC provided to me by netgalley, but there were just too many things wrong with it.

The chapters repeated the same information over and over again as if trying to make sure we understood a point they were trying to make that was already made obvious. The first chapter was an extreme example of this when talking about the curse and explaining how it happened (according to them). Another would be the phrase "Doreen is clever but she is not [fill in the blank].

The insta-attraction was also not something that I typically enjoy. I found the banter between the two sub par.

I also am not a huge fan of the size & power imbalance as well as the 300 year age gap.

Beyond just the content, I found the writing to be a bit too simplistic for me which made me less engaged with the story.

I hate to do this, but I had to DNF at 40%. I tried. I truly did. The blurb, the title and even the cover drew me in. Unfortunately, there was so much telling and not enough showing. I felt like I wasn’t let in on a lot of what was going on and felt like an outsider.

The characters didn’t stand out to me at all. And the whole Ada plot confused me to no end.

I always try to keep going and give books a chance, but I just didn’t feel like the details were exciting and it felt all over the place for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing to read this ARC.

Everything about the book called to me from the cover, title to the synopsis. Unfortunately I had to dnf, it’s always hard for me to do this but the book was sadly not for me. Jumping from pov to pov without giving a a warning was very confusing. There was a lot of things that were not mentioned, like the magic being number one. And maybe getting glimpses of the main characters as their younger selves would had helped to understand them more. As always thank you NetGalley for the opportunity!

Doreen is trying to break a curse that was placed on her family which will cause her to die of a broken heart if she isn’t married by 30. It was placed by a powerful male which named Ambrose, who was forbidden to see his love. He was in pretty imprisoned by Doreen‘s ancestors and she said some free so he can help her break the curse. They have to go through a series of trials.

I like the characters a storyline in the magic. It did get confusing at times. The beginning of the book felt like it was a second book in a series. I also felt like I needed more details about the characters, how their powers work and why they don’t really use them, and why the family is the way it is. Overall, it’s a good book, but not one of my favorites. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the chance to read and leave my honest opinion.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Page Crutcher is indeed an uncommon book about witches, crossing over into the epic fantasy world with a life or death quest, otherworldly settings, romance, and enough suspense to keep you hooked until the very end.
The book is much more than an epic adventure. Crutcher looks at the mistakes people make and the consequences of those mistakes not only for them, but for their families for generations to come. This is a book about the magic of true love, and how life is not the same without it. The main characters are well-balanced, displaying courage in the face of daunting situations, compassion when faced with those who seek to harm them, and determination even when faced with seemingly impossible challenges.
Crutcher has woven a spellbinding story that grabs you from the very start and refuses to let go.
Thank you for the ARC of #ACircleofUncommonWitches to #NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book!! Paige Crutcher does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy books!!

This was a super cute book!
Overall a 3 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!

I love the premise of this book the most! What a cute witchy book!

There were points throughout this book that definitely got a bit confusing and I found myself having to circle back to the beginning of a chapter to figure out what was happening and why. Some of the characters also felt a bit underdeveloped and I found myself forgetting who was who during the story.

I loved Doreen (the female main character) and Ambrose (the male main character) and of course, Margot (the cousin of the FMC).
I loved the bond between Margot and Doreen and family was an incredibly important aspect of Doreen’s character.

One thing I wish had been different would be the build-up of the romance between the main relationship. At times I definitely felt the ongoing conflict of trying to complete the Trials, overwhelmed the little moments between Doreen and Ambrose that should have built up the entire romance.

Overall, I thought this book was a super cute read and now I need a second book about Margot!!

While I enjoyed this story, the ending was lacking, confusing and left me wanting more. I cannonly hope the author considers a follow up book. 4.5 stars.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this as an arc.

a Pleasant and delightful book! Storyline and characters were strong. This will be a great read during Halloween season i think.

I enjoyed the storytelling style with this and how we’re cast over varying realms from differing points of view, with magic at the center. I liked Doreen’s strength and her connection to Margot.

I confess I’m still confused a little bit by their aunt, Stella. Why is the fact she’s been abusing a man over the course of decades just something to shrug off? Why did she raise the girls as coldly as she did?

But I really liked Ambrose. I liked his ability to look at Doreen as her own person, and not the person whose family has tortured him for centuries.

Overall, this story came together nicely.

I really thought I would enjoy this more. I don’t know if I’m just burnt out on witch stories (which used to be my favorite) but I found this to be lackluster. It’s all over the place in terms of storyline and pacing and I didn’t really care for any of the characters. It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read but it’s not my favorite either.

This book was an absolute delight! The generational curse and family histories felt intricate and clever, creating a rich backdrop for the story. Although it’s set in modern times, the focus wasn’t on technology, which gave it a timeless, magical vibe that I adored.

The twists and revelations were perfectly paced, and the motherworld—a dark and chilling realm—added an eerie layer to the story. The vibes were impeccable: atmospheric, magical, and just the right amount of creepy.

Doreen and Margot’s friendship was a standout element for me. It was beautifully written and showcased the power of strong, supportive relationships. And let’s talk about Doreen and Ambrose—their dynamic was everything! The bickering, the reluctant partnership, and their eventual romantic connection were done so well. The tension between them kept me hooked, and their growth as characters felt organic and satisfying.

Overall, A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a captivating blend of adventure, romance, and destiny. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to read more from Paige Crutcher. Highly recommend it to fans of magical tales with heart!

Doreen is unwilling to settle for her families curse rather than die. In a last ditch effort with some twisted help from her cousin-sister, she remembers and breaks free the witch who caused the original spell.

Ambrose knows how to break the curse he put on their family line but is unwilling to do so but he's more than happy to string Doreen along while they head on an adventure to transform.

There are lots of past people and interconnected lives. Some are given more explanation and meaning while others should have been fleshed out more or eliminated. There are twists and connections that make everything more confusing than it needs to be, and it's also wrapped up without a real conclusion.

I enjoyed it overall bur had hoped for more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy. I enjoyed this book. The pacing was a little off but the story was still interesting to keep me engaged. I thought it wrapped up too soon but maybe we’ll get more from these characters in the later book. 3.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC.

“To be loved back, in kind, might be the truest form of magic that exists.”

This is a beautiful story about family secrets, curses, magic and discovering not only what love is but what it is worth. This book follows Doreen as she strives to learn the her familiessecrets in order to break the curse that they never know love. Unraveling the mystery is a part of the charm of this book as every time you think you have figured something out there is a twist leading you down a new path. If you are a fan of romantasy books full of twists, surprises and heart break then you should grab this book.

Dnf at around 50%.

This book was both confusing and boring. There are books where you can overlook being a little confused or go back and reread to try and figure out the issue, but this one I was so bored I didn’t even try.

That being said.

I can definitely see where other people might like this book. It gave off almost practical magic vibes. Almost. So I could see where someone else might overlook what I couldn’t.

Dnfed this book about 40% of the way through, there is just way too many grammar mistakes that I can’t over look and there were multiple parts of the book that I had to reread to understand what the author was trying to get across. The idea of this book is really cute witchy, cozy, with a little romance thrown in definitely my type of book but please edit this again before it goes to print.

The Vibes:

—cozy witchcraft

—generational curses (literal)

—gentle romance

Heat Index: 3/10

The Basics:

After being kept from his true love, Ambrose curses the MacKinnon witches, preventing them from finding true love. In turn, they imprisoned him; he'll outlive everyone, trapped in a tempest. Way down the line, MacKinnon witch Doreen frees Ambrose with the intention of breaking the curse—while he has revenge on his mind.

The Review:

All of the above sounds pretty exciting, right? I think it would've been, had this been edited a good bit to up the pacing and give more intensity to Ambrose and Doreen's connection. As it is, you have a great idea, a fun world, and pretty prose, without a lot of... oomph.

There's a lot of coziness here, and I think the premise would've been better served by a lot more tension. I mean. Ambrose has a lot of reason to seek revenge, but I never felt like Doreen was in true danger. They fell in love rather quickly, and then it was like "Welp. They're in love. On to the rest of the plot."

This is a "great concept, needed more work, but the writing is actually technically good" book, which I find rather frustrating.

The Sex:

This is basically closed door. Which I also found frustrating, to be honest. Do what's right for you as a writer, but this kind of intense story could've used some intense sex.

A swing and a miss for me, but I do think Crutcher has talent. She just might not be interested in the types of books that best serve my particular interests.

A dnf at 30%. It was an interesting premise but ultimately I was bored.. it jumped povs and the world building was meh.