The summary for this sounds terrible and cheesy. In reality, it’s compelling and sweet. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a little too high stakes to be cozy fantasy IMO, but it’s also not pulse-pounding adventure, high heat Romantasy. It has strong Practical Magic vibes. I liked the characters, the way the generational stories wove together, and the magic. The ties to music seemed stronger in the second half and therefore felt a little overdone. I would have liked more balance, not just with that, but in the overall pacing. As much as I enjoyed the book, there were sections where my focus drifted.

I really wished that I enjoyed this book more based on the synopsis, but I felt like the pacing was off. Some explanations of the past were given at unusual times in the book. I also felt like certain parts were rushed and characters moved through the world at odd speeds.
I also felt like the romance was less enemies to lover and more at first glance. Even when the author tried to make it seem like Ambrose didn’t like Doreen (via Doreen’s POV) you could still see that it was just her POV. That is fine except I was expecting more of an enemy to lovers’ kind of book.
I overall think maybe this should have been spaced into 2 books or even been a bit long because it felt rushed at the end. I did love the sisterly bonds in the book. I also would recommend it as a quick cozy read, but would not market it as an enemy to lovers trope.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a fun and whimsical tale of an ancient curse and the witch who wants to break it. It took a few chapters to get going but once it did I didn't want to stop reading it. The setting and characters are intriguing.
Thanks to NetGalley and St, Martin's Press for my ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book had so much potential but unfortunately wasn’t executed very well. The romance was a SLOOWWWW burn and when the romance did happen it was “insta love” which isn’t my cup of tea. The first half of this book was extremely slow I found myself struggling to continue. I did enjoy the last 100 pages or so a lot but unfortunately I just wasn’t a fan of the slow burn.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book and had high hopes. I wanted it to feel like Practical Magic but with a twist, but I had an issue with the pacing. The characters were great, and the storyline was interesting, but I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it had been longer and edited a bit more! I'll pick another of Paige Crutcher's books, though!

I liked the premise of the book but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story the way I was hoping to. It was all a bit convoluted and difficult to follow. Doreen and Ambrose were both individually great characters, but I wish I had felt more of their chemistry. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY SMOKES!
It's giving "Masters of Death" by Olivie Blake and fantastic, century-old love curse!

So the beginning was a lot to get the book off the ground and was heavy to read, but then the trials, the twists, THE ENDING- THAT LAST SENTENCE?!

Like WHAT JUST HAPPEN!? Blew my mind wide open! Perfect rain/fall moody reading week we had

Definitely going to be a story that haunts me and will be re-read like certain journals from the novel 😉

Doreen wants real, honest-to-goodness, true love and is willing to die for it. Literally. She & her cousin, Margot are the 13th generation & meant to be the strongest witches yet. Doreen goes on a heroes quest and discovers the truth of love. Whether it's philia, storge, or eros, love has the power to either lift or destroy. Through the mists and quests, Doreen discovers so much about her power, her family, and the history of the three clans.

The beginning was a lot at once trying to build up the world and lay the stones of history. After the first quarter, the book found its footing, and the world grew on a melody. I can't wait to have a physical copy! Oh? That ending- the last sentence- you'll just have to wait and see!!!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of A Circle of Uncommon Witches!

It’s so refreshing to have a main character that isn’t 18-23 years old (main character is almost 30). Unfortunately that’s the only thing I really liked about this book. I spent the first 100 pages just waiting for something interesting to happen only to be disappointed. This book was rushed and incredibly slow all at the same time. It felt like there were too many things happening and not enough time spent on those plot points. Another round of editing or splitting the book up into two books would’ve made this a little better. I also found it very difficult to connect with the characters (very one-dimensional). Overall, the book had a very cool concept but the execution was not great.

Doreen is the thirteenth generation in her family of cursed witches. Generations ago they were cursed to never have someone truly love them, so by the age of 3o they either end up in one sided relationship or face death. Can Doreen along with Ambrose the witch her family has been torturing for decades over come the curse before her 30th birthday?

This was my first time reading one of Paige's books. I'm not sure if it's a common theme or just in this one, but I found the characters point of view jump around a lot never truly giving the entire story. There was a lot of long winded wind up and back story for an ending that seemed too quickly wrapped up.

I was very fortunate to get an arc of this. The premise and cober was interesting. Sadly, I couldn't get into it. Felt like it was lacking in some ways.

The plot of this book was very interesting and had a lot of potential but unfortunately the execution fell a bit flat. The book struggled with pacing with the beginning moving very fast but then dragging through the middle parts. It also as a fantasy lacked the typical world building one would expect and that made it hard to follow the magic. I definitely enjoyed parts of it and am interested to see what the author does next.

Doreen MacKinnon is the 13th generation of the MacKinnon witches making her very powerful. Her family has been cursed to never love and Doreen is intent on breaking the curse. 300 years ago, Ambrose MacDonald fell in love with a MacKinnon woman, but when he was forbidden from being with her, he created a curse against the MacKinnons. As a result, the witches trapped him in a tempest. Now, after freeing Ambrose, the two become reluctant partners to end the curse. Together they embark on a dark and complex quest filled with trials and traps. The story is part paranormal adventure and part enemies-to-lovers romance.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and the magical elements in the story. I wished the book was longer to allow the characters, backstories, and the magical system to be more fully flushed out. I wanted a better understanding of some character's motivations as well as an understanding of the magic and curse at play. Despite the story leaving me with questions, I found it engaging and the overarching message of love conquers all to be nice.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

*A Circle of Uncommon Witches* by Paige Crutcher is a bewitching tale of love, vengeance, and the power of destiny. Doreen MacKinnon, a witch cursed to never find true love, is determined to break the centuries-old spell cast on her family. The twist? She must team up with Ambrose MacDonald, the very witch who cursed her bloodline in the first place. Their reluctant partnership forms the heart of this story, filled with tension, magic, and unexpected sparks.

Crutcher weaves a compelling narrative as Doreen and Ambrose embark on a journey that takes them through trials, ancient castles, and even into realms beyond imagination. The story's blend of adventure and romance keeps the reader hooked, especially as Doreen is forced to confront the sacrifices required to break the curse. The dynamic between the two leads is electric, and their evolving relationship adds depth to the plot. Though the story has its predictable moments, the rich setting and well-developed characters make it a delightful read for fans of magical romances with a dash of destiny.

“To be loved back, in kind, might be the truest form of magic that exists.”
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of A Circle of Uncommon Witches!

I didn’t hate this, but I have to admit that I didn’t love it either. While the premise of this book seemed very fun, I have to admit that I was let down for a few reasons.

Firstly, I find that the story was all over the place and I felt thrust into it with very little explanation. The pacing could have also used some work, as some situations that could have used more time were glossed over, and some scenes were much too long.

Doreen and Ambrose were constantly getting on my nerves for whatever reason, and I just wasn’t rooting for them. I knew they would end up together, but things went from 0 to 100 with them very quickly - almost insta-love, which I don’t love.

Though this didn’t affect the reading experience for me, there were several typos in the last handful of chapters which were easy to catch.

All in all, a promising premise but a flawed execution in my opinion.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up to a 4!

The book had really good ideas for the plot, I would’ve appreciated more insight on the magic system and have the enemy’s to lovers not be so rushed. I would’ve like to have more “play” or banter between the two characters.

I felt like I was getting whip lash when I was reading it with how fast things were going!

The aspects I LOVE are the heavy family relationship vibes and detailed information about the past!

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for this advanced copy of the book!

I really enjoyed the Practical Magic vibes at the start, and the forbidden love/Romeo-and-Juilet troupe. I found that the book began quickly, but then slowed down considerably a few chapters in. The pace slowing down drew me out of the book a bit. But I did love the mystery, sense of adventure, and magic in the book.

I was hooked on the mystery in this book with a sprinkle of romance. I couldn’t put this book down as I wanted to figure out how everything and everyone was connected to the curse. I also absolutely loved the setting in Scotland. I visited Scotland for the first time a couple years ago and am going back next year and I think this book captured the beauty of the country while weaving in magic that makes the country come alive! I will truly never be able to think of Old Man of Storr the same after reading this book!

Honestly the one thing this book left me wanting was more. Some parts of the book seemed to move so quickly and I would have loved for them to be developed further. I also liked the brief differing POVs but would have loved more of this especially from Stella’s perspective. We only got a brief glimpse of her perspective and after feeling like she was horrible the entire book I felt her perspective gave me a better understanding as to her motivations. There is so much that could have been developed there! I think that could be said for many of the characters as well as they all have so much potential to dig in deeper to their character development.

what a lovely and whimsical read. I personally love books like this. The characters were enchanting and lovely and the romance made me swoon. and was intrigued with the curses in this book. Loved every bit of this witchy story.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches
by Paige Crutcher
Pub Date: Feb 25 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Doreen MacKinnon is doomed to die of a broken heart - if she can’t break the centuries old curse placed on her family.

Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch, fell in love with a MacKinnon. And when the MacKinnon witches forbade him from seeing his love, by secretly hiding her away, he retaliated by cursing the family and its future generations to never find love. But it wasn’t without a cost. Now, Ambrose is imprisoned by those same witches, trapped in a tempest and doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved.

But Doreen isn’t like the other MacKinnon witches. As the 13th generation of the MacKinnon line, Doreen is one of the most powerful witches in centuries… and one of the loneliest. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases him to help her break the curse, once and for all. Ambrose agrees to help, but with his own motive: vengeance. He plans to use her as bait to enact his revenge on her family.

Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. As they work together, sparks start to fly, but soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice.

Paige Crutcher's A Circle of Uncommon Witches is a story of adventure, romance, and destiny, that asks: is true love worth the cost?

So, I loved the Honey Witch, and if you also loved the Honey Witch, then you are going to love this one too. Romance books with curses and witches are just top tier.