Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" by Page Crutcher. I truly appreciate the opportunity to read it.

As someone who usually devours books and stories about magic, I was really excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to connect with the story and it took me a long time to finish the book.

The writing, while well-intentioned, felt somewhat amateurish at times. There was a noticeable tendency towards "telling" rather than "showing," which prevented me from fully immersing myself in the magical world and the characters' experiences. I often felt like I was being told what to feel, rather than being allowed to experience it organically.

Ultimately, "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" didn't quite deliver the magical experience I was hoping for. While I can see the potential in the premise, the execution left me wanting more. I'm rounding up to 3 stars.

This book was okay. It entertained me while I was reading it but I’m still confused by the whole story. Parts of it were really interesting and a lot of fun. Other parts were just kind of bleh.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I really enjoyed the story. It was fairly easy read, but that's always nice at times. I liked the characters and the back and forth. The romance was forseen but enjoyable, although I do wish there was more tension. I was a little confused at the ending when the curse was broken.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher is an enchanting blend of magic, curses, and reluctant alliances, set against the atmospheric backdrop of Scotland. The novel follows Doreen MacKinnon, a powerful yet lonely witch determined to break a centuries-old curse that dooms her family to heartbreak. Her only hope? The very witch who cast the curse—Ambrose MacDonald—who has his own plans for vengeance.

The premise is undeniably intriguing, offering a mix of adventure, romance, and high-stakes magical trials. The dynamic between Doreen and Ambrose has moments of tension and chemistry, making their uneasy partnership one of the book’s highlights. The trials they face add excitement, and Crutcher’s descriptions create a vivid, immersive world.

However, the novel struggles with pacing, sometimes dwelling too long on internal monologues at the expense of action. While the concept of love versus destiny is thought-provoking, the romance doesn’t always feel fully developed, and Ambrose’s character arc feels rushed in the latter half.

For readers who love witchy fantasy with a strong dose of adventure, this book has plenty to offer. But if you're looking for a deeply emotional romance or tightly woven plot, it may leave you wanting more. A solid, enjoyable read—just not as spellbinding as it could have been.

Doreen MacKinnon's family and coven were cursed centuries ago to never know love. She can choose between entraping a man with her magic or dying of a broken heart. She takes things into her own hands and picks option number 3: freeing the man who cast the curse and forcing him to tell her how to break it. Now, she and Ambrose MacDonald must face a series of trials in a world of dreams and danger if they hope to escape alive.

So surface level, the story is fascinating with the world Crutcher crafted as magically complex as the relationships that fill it. But while the romance is there, it feels rushed because you don't really get to see a lot of interaction between Doreen and Ambrose. They go through the trials and face danger, but scenes of them being together and getting to know each other are sparse. I would have liked more tender, revealing moments between them. And their relationship progression isn't the only one I had trouble with. There are so many complicated relationships and emotions going in every direction that this book needed a relationship map complete with explanations of how things sometimes got from one point to another.

It also gets needlessly complicated in moments when things should just be straightforward. It's like Crutcher set herself a word count goal that she had to meet or else. It sometimes works to make lines poetic and add to the magic, but it also makes things feel repetitive or wordy- a double-edged sword.

Overall, it's a fascinating story full of magic and moments that pull you in, but it's told in a complex manner that doesn't work for me.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the magical read!

I did enjoy this book from when Doreen freed Ambrose and they went to Scotland to break the curse up till the journals. Not a fan of the insta love between those to but I could deal with it (though it was kind of silly how he professed he undying love and was tortured for 300 years for loving another MacKinnon witch and then immediately had feelings for Doreen?). I actually loved reading more about the connection between Margo and Doreen. They were so strong together, making spells, and figuring out how to break the curse. I was good up till it got to the journals and then it got really convoluted about which curse needed to be broken, what the trials really were and how it related to Ada and the MacDonalds and MacKinnons with their fighting and eternal enmity. The magic and spells were cool though.

So, I think because it reads like a book in a series (with so much history and backstory told through the journals though it is a standalone), it kind of lost something and so it was mostly good and I had to see how it ended, it lacked a certain something and I preferred other books she wrote better.

This book had so much potential to be a fantastic fantasy with a romance storyline. The magic was intriguing, the plot twists kept coming, and the relationships were great. However, I have finished this book and still have no idea what happened for major parts of the book. Aspects of the magic system weren’t explained well enough to know what happened, and some world building lacked to the point where the reader was expected to understand the lore behind something without it ever having been explained. The same phrase being repeated over and over was supposed to clue the reader in… except this was the same phrase throughout the whole book. Also, the love story was extremely unbelievable and not developed on the page in my opinion. The magic system and journey were very unique and interesting, but the lack of clarity makes it difficult to recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an early copy!

I always gravitate towards books with trials, especially involving witches! The premise and lore truly hooked me, and I was happily surprised by the twists! Doreen is such a loveable female main character, and her family's curse line gave me practical magic vibes!

The world-building was really good. The plot was definitely more intricate and complicated than I had thought, based on the blurb. Not a bad thing - just not the super easy, breezy read I was anticipating. Focused on breaking the generational curse of her family, Doreen goes through trials to succeed. These were engaging and unique - I loved them.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing the opportunity to read and review this book.

⭐ 3.5
🌶️ .25
👀 Multi POV 3rd person
🩷 Something I liked: the Robert Frost poem
🙈 Something I disliked: there isn't one thing that stands out as "dislike", honestly just a general "it's not really my jam"
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 I'm really not sure what to think about this book. I felt like I was reading a mashup of a lot of books I've read in the past. So there are a lot of things that I kept finding myself thinking "this seems familiar".

That's not really a bad thing but I definitely think this would work better as a movie. There's a lot of stuff going on and a lot of layers to this story that would be better enjoyed in film. However it is definitely worth reading this book for the ending and that's why I bumped this up to a 3.5 ⭐.

I think the story itself is really well written, and it's very creative. It's hard to say a whole lot without giving away spoilers but I liked the idea of the storyline. Unfortunately the execution seems to drag.

Along with that there are a lot of hidden meanings that are making it hard to follow what's happening. Everything is a curse within a curse and there's more to the story than you see on the surface. And that's fine but it's happening with everything and I wish that it was just centered around 1 thing. But again for me this probably would have been resolved if it was a movie.

It also seemed like there was context missing that would have made the story more relatable and understandable. I have a feeling that if I were more involved in witchcraft or practiced this is as religion or maybe knew more about the lore I would have been able to connect more with the story.

For the right person this is going to be a great book, but I am not that person. I think this author will find their niche and do really well within that niche.

I am a sucker for witch in the title of any book! This book did catch me by surprise though. I enjoyed it even more than I anticipated! This is a definite recommendation.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and the author for a free advanced reader copy of this book.

4⭐️

Cursed to die with a broken heart, Doreen MacKinnon is determined to break the curse and find true love.

This was a cute book. The vibes were vibing. It felt a little like practical magic and masters of death by Olivie Blake. It was predictable in the comforting sort of way. I loved the sister like relationships, the romance was great. Overall, a great story for the witchy romantics out there

If you want a book with magic, witches, strong women, love, curses, and trials then this is a book you need to add to your TBR. This book took me a couple of chapters to get into but after that it had me hooked. I enjoyed seeing Doreen fight for what she knew she could change. She wasn't afraid to go against what she had been told to be able to find love.

The trails that Doreen goes through in the books she learns so much about who she is and what she can do. She is more powerful than she realized. This is a slow burn with some steamy moments. I liked the story of these characters and how they were all interconnected. Learning the past of these characters and what their ancestors went through. This book was also about giving up what you thought and looking for the truth.

This book had so much potential, but it just felt a little flat and at times boring for me. The overall plot and the idea is really great, but the writing was just not it. At times the author tries to be real poetic, but I feel like the book would have benefited from a more simple writing and direction. Also, I counted at least 10 mentions of "The thirteenth generation witch" or some variations of it...I think mentioning it 2 or 3 times should have been enough lol.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for providing me with an ARC of this book

This captivating tale of fantasy, romance, and adventure will sweep readers away into a world where true love, self-discovery, and the power of breaking free from generational curses reign supreme. Fans of the genre will be enchanted by the story's exploration of the transformative magic of love and the indomitable human spirit. This book is a perfect fit for anyone who believes in the power of love to conquer all, overcome any obstacle, and break the chains of inherited burdens. It is a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit and the boundless possibilities that arise when we embrace love's transformative embrace.

This was just okay.
It was fun but I wasn’t hooked too much to it nor super engaged.
I had a hard time connecting with the plot and the characters.

I was eager to dive into this—the magic, Scottish backdrop, curse, and family dynamics all seemed captivating. But for some reason, I had a hard time connecting with it. It took a while to draw me in, and at times, I struggled to stay engaged.

As the story progressed, I found myself more interested, and I really appreciated the romance and family themes. However, it still felt like something was missing. Certain parts left me confused, and while I enjoyed aspects of it, it never completely pulled me in.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC for me to review honestly.

I wanted to love this so much, the premise was right up my alley as I love witchy stories. However, this unfortunately did not work for me and I am rating it 2.5 stars.

For me the romance in this book happened really quick and the plot moved too fast for me, and I ended up feeling confused at times. I also didn't believe in the romance between Ambrose & Doreen, and I didn't like them as a couple.

Overall, loved the idea behind this book but I think the execution could be better.


***I did not post this review outside of Goodreads***

Author Paige Crutcher does an excellent job of involving all the senses in her writing by creating fear, love, anger, and hope. Her writing style is full of descriptive scenes gripping the reader’s mind emotionally throughout the book.

Doreen MacKinnon (main character) and her cousin Margot (secondary character) have been very close since childhood. They are so close they understand each other’s thoughts and are protective of one another. Through some tragic generational history their family line has been cursed by Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful male witch who fell in love with a MacKinnon three hundred years ago.

Meanwhile, Ambrose is imprisoned and trapped in a tempest by the MacKinnon witches. Angry and heartbroken, he barely exists but he wants to be free and more importantly he wants revenge. When Doreen frees him, he decides to use her to get back at the witches who caused him so much pain.

These three characters with their intense dynamic personalities create a fascinating storyline as they rush to break the curse that controls all of them. What a surprise the last few chapters are when choices are made in the name of love... you may set them free or even die for them! I know readers will enjoy this book.

Any book with witches and finding true love, I would gladly read it! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the #ARC

This book started strong and compelling - the main idea is that Doreen has to break the curse so she doesn't die if she failed to find true love. To do so, she has to free Ambrose - trapped for hundreds of years due to long-standing feud with their families. Their journey had to go through trials and in doing so, learn to trust each other eventhough they both had different intentions. All the while without realizing they are falling for each other but unfortunately they are doomed until they win the trials and break the curse.

It all started compelling BUT.. here's the but that disappointed me along the way. The plot steered to a different direction and got me confused. The backstory was a bit complicated and felt like the author wanted to tackle and expound on too many subplots that didn't align anymore and felt unnecessary. Too many pages or disarray of ideas that needed to be cut.

Was Margot sacrifice necessary? Coz that was weird
The dolls felt creepy and unsure what's the connection.

"To be loved back might be the truest form of magic that exists"

Felt so bad for what could possibly be a book with so much promise and yet felt unsatisfying.

I did love the Scotland setting as Isle of Skye, Portree town and Man of Storr are some of my bucketlist itineraries one day.