**Features:**
- A unique blend of regency fantasy and science fiction
- Court intrigue and slow-burn romance
- Features strong female characters
- Depicts a character dealing with loss, depression, and suicidal ideation


The war has cost Irene her husband, her sister, and her freedom. Believed by the British to be a witch, she is shipped to England to be married off to one of the king’s nephews. However, she has no intention of following orders. Not when she has a sister to protect and a husband who might still be alive.

With an exciting premise and intriguing cover, I was really hoping this book would sweep me away. Unfortunately, it was more middle of the road. Conceptually, this is an intriguing world and the creatures are really cool. Most of the main characters driving the story are female and show strength and resilience in different ways. Irene starts off in a very dark place mentally/emotionally at the beginning of the story and this mixed with her confinement gives the book a slower start. However, as she starts to re-engage with the world, more pieces come together and the story really picks up steam. Though there is a lot to like in this book, I feel that it’s a bit clumsy at times in its execution and a number of moments felt jarring or confusing because of it. Overall, if you are interested in trying a book that blends regency fantasy, horror, and science fiction in an intriguing way and don’t mind depictions of depression and suicidal ideation, this one is worth a try.

**It takes all kinds of strength**

I love a book that has strong female characters, especially ones that portray this strength in ‘unconventional’ ways. Though Irene is mostly your typical warrior character, she is surrounded by other female characters who definitely have their own presence and authority in this world. Whether their actions helped or hindered Irene, their impact was felt and the book never seems to bring their femininity into question because of it. I also appreciate the depiction of Irene’s struggle with her inner demons and the strength it takes to overcome them, especially for a character like Irene.

**A winding and uneven path**

This book kicks off seeming like a historical fantasy, but it soon becomes clear that this isn’t really the case. The mystery of what exactly this world is and how our characters got into their situation quickly became far more compelling to me than the actual plot line they were moving along. There are a lot of unique elements that play together surprisingly well in this narrative as well. However, the introduction of these elements and how they interact often feels a bit clumsy. Since understanding what is really going on is a big part of this journey, I don’t want to get too specific. Generally speaking, the introduction of these elements can feel very abrupt and it feels like it takes 2-3 mentions of it for the world and characters to really start reflecting that this is a true and recognized element of their lives. Overall, I found myself thinking “Okay, I guess that’s a thing now” and “Did I just read that right?” one too many times. While it didn’t completely ruin the experience for me, I feel it got in the way of this book realizing its full potential.

A time traveling deus ex machina, deathless love, war, accusations of witchcraft—sounds exciting! Sadly, the characters are inconsistent, the bad guys are cartoonish, the pace is somewhere around death march, and the plots are frankly inane. Most of that would have been fixed by a good editor, though, so I hope the author finds one.

Wow. What did I just read?!?!? I love that this book combined elements of historical fantasy and sci-fi with a love story embedded as well. I would not call this a romance but a very painful, war love story. There are moments when I felt like the story dragged in certain areas. I wanted more details in certain instances and less in others. There was a time travel aspect that had some holes in it (as do a lot of time travel novels). On a very personal level, I hated how Fiona (MFC's Sister) often manipulated Irene (MFC) into doing everything for her.
Fiona is kind of a brat, but Irene allows it. Despite this frustrating aspect, I found myself still pulling for them throughout the book. Overall such a great starting point for a series. I would recommend this story for those who like historical war fiction with a tiny bit of fantasy to it. Although witches are mentioned in this book, it's not a
"witchy" book, but it is a beautiful story of longing and love.

Thank y0u for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 56% in. I think that the main character is dry and robotic, along with the story being written in the present tense, I found this book hard to read, and I could not push myself to read anymore. Writing a book in the first person and present tense is really difficult.
There were a few things I liked about this book. First, I think the premise sounded like Outlander meets Dr. Who and I really liked that idea.
I liked how the main character was honest about what she was feeling, even when she knew she was upset about the wrong things, even when she was at home with her sister and Meiying, she still was truthful in her excitement and resentment. I like the relationship that Irene had with Fiona. The sisterly love and devotion were very present. They loved each other very much and would do anything for each other, and that loved carried into their marriages.
I liked that they traveled to a dystopian realm, or world. It was a very interesting twist. I was confused on how long they have lived in this world, where monsters took over and electricity and plastic were a danger to have. It wasn't very clear on how that happened. Maybe that is something that is explained later in the book, or maybe in the second one when it comes out. But it was interesting how they thought she was a witch, when they lived in a dystopian version of our world and wouldn't necessarily be strangers to magic and witchcraft.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

The premise of the book caught my attention. A warrior witch who is captured and forced to be wed to a price. I really enjoyed the banter between characters, especially Anita and Irene. The only reason why I gave it just three stars is due to the pacing. It was very difficult for me to push through this book as it explained the setting, characters’ background, and also the political aspects of the court. The time traveling was a bit too much for my taste due to how it was introduced and explained. I struggled to understand what the current time frame of the was.

I did love the monsters and the fact that it was something completely new from any book I have read before. The monsters/magic and the character development kept me going. I enjoyed the unique spin of the plot.

Unfortunately this was the first book I DNF’d. I was drawn in by the title and the cover of the book, however I just couldn’t get into this book. Just not what I enjoy to read. Nothing against the book but I gave it 150 pages and it just wasn’t pulling me in.

This book was SO much. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect based on the sort of vague description, and nothing could’ve prepared me for all that occurred; time travel (essentially), ice monsters, arranged marriages, and— no witches…

This book truly was like nothing I’ve ever read before, and while it took me a WHILE to get through, I thoroughly enjoyed almost the whole thing. I LOVED the characters and all their connections, Merrick and Irene? Goals. Irene herself was such a strong and loyal badass, I loved seeing her work through all the hardships life had for her.

I’m so curious to see what the next book has in store!

I have a little bit of mixed feelings about this book. I think the writing style was ok, could've been a bit more fast paced since it lost me every here and there. I liked the character transformation and how you got to know them more by the author showing you their pasts. But these time jumps were so drastic that they had me all over the place and made it hard for me to stay focused on the book.

First of all, I am honored to be chosen for this arc, and first in its series book! Second, boy did this book take me on a journey.
I really enjoyed how it was set up, how it flashed back to give you more information, then flashed forward to leave you hanging.
I also enjoyed the raw emotions from all the characters and real and right their journey felt, and how it felt to them that their 'machine' was helping them even from the past, guiding their path through the new world and all they have to fight for. Some parts felt drawn out, but I don't think it took away from the storyline at all, just left a little lull at times.

I have not yet finished reading - I will be amending my review when I do finish (I hate to leave a started story unread). So far this has the potential to be a good book. The tenses have a tendency to be all over the place; commas are far too frequently used, thoughts left unfinished and scattered. Just when I was starting to really enjoy the book, you are taken from what you understand to be medieval times (guns are a new technology) to a king driving a Bugatti and listening to Smash Mouth. It is a little too "all over the place" for me. This book can definitely be cleaned up of unnecessary detail for better execution. Good idea for a storyline. I refuse to DNF it yet, but I do need a break.

Witch Wife was a fantastic read. I am not normally a fan of the differing timelines but Reese's masterful ability to keep the story flowing was outstanding. I was hooked from the first paragraph.

I'm not sure exactly what category this should fall into. Sci-fantasy? Fantasy-historial? Let's just create a brand new category and give this all the awards. I loved the characters, the world building, and the unflinching ordeals our MCs handle. I can't wait to read the next novel in the series.

There is a LOT going on in this first-of-a-trilogy novel: it's an alternate-timeline science fiction in which our hero, Irene Shannon, is captured in battle by the Redcoats and shipped off to England, for political/witchcrafty reasons. The author does a nice job creating a sprawling world where monsters walk, the UK monarchy reestablishes power over a former Colony (cue the <I>Hamilton </I>soundtrack: "You'll be back/soon you'll see"), and scooping us up along us the depths of Irene's misery and desperation as she plans to kill herself to foil the Redcoats. I really enjoyed the way what felt initially like historical fiction gathered anachronistic details (makeup?!) and weird elements (monsters!) to make a propulsive avalanche of a start.

What was less impressive for me was the middle section <spoiler alert> when the story retreats to how Irene and her beloved and brilliant sister created a machine that allowed them to hop into a different timeline, one year or so earlier. I wasn't convinced by the "science," and I didn't feel much for Irene or her sister (and it's hard to show someone brilliant being brilliant, but...is the sister actually bright?). And the final section, perhaps only because I hadn't been as deeply vested as in the first third, felt to me a bit facile and hurried.

With that said, this is the kind of wide-ranging romantasy that will appeal to readers of the genre. Thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Had to DNF. The concepts seem interesting, but the presentation just felt overly dry. Events were just kind of listed out instead of being described or shown.

Wow, this is one fascinating, action packed and wild book! The sisters at the heart of this story are both amazing in their unique ways and their relationship and dedication to each other is inspiring and very emotional. Add in some of the coolest monsters around and it’s a definite recommendation from me!

This story is full of witches, fantasy-horror, and was so much fun I cannot wait for the follow-ups in this trilogy/series. What a great ride.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC gift in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so good! Love the different types of love we see throughout the book, and the way we see war represented from two sides. The setting is so interesting and cool and the mesh of sci fi and fantasy feels seemless and totally justified in story even if we don't get written in world justification for everything the whole thing just feels so fleshed out that I'm buying whatever they're selling.

I cried so many times reading this, the emotions were so vivid especially grief and pain. Seeing a character be at their absolute lowest but still go on fighting and feeling like that fight is completely worth it is so cool.

This book is something entirely unique, a scifi isekai timetravel historical fiction romance that's actually about sisterhood and the revolutionary war. I recommend for all enjoyers of good books, but especially for people that like vivid imagery, a character justifiably losing their fucking shit, seeing a side character get her story written for once, slowwww build romance, and political drama.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me ARC access!

When I read the Witch Wife’s synopsis as I was browsing Netgalley for new books to request, I did not think twice hitting the request button. I thought this was a historical novel with fantastical elements. You can color me surprised because halfway into the book, I got what I asked for and more. The Witch Wife is not just historical fiction which the synopsis would lead you to believe. It’s a cross between sci-fi, historical fiction, and fantasy. Heh.

The story is heavily focused on the struggles of our heroine, Irene Shannon, a courageous high ranking official of the rebel army, and a ‘witch.’ However, prior to becoming any of these things, Shannon was just surviving a life of cleaning toilets and mopping floors. How had she transformed into such a confident and fearsome warrior? Well, that is for you to find out so read this book. There was lot of interesting things that were explored in this book. One is the sisterly bond between Irene and her older sister, Fiona. They are practically inseparable and while I admire their loyalty to each other, what irked me the most is the fact that Irene’s personality depended heavily on her sister. Every decision and action that she made was because of her sister. After every thing that she has been through, I assumed that by the end of the book, she’d find herself and you know, realize that she’s already a whole woman with or without her sister. Second thing is that, there are certain elements in this book that you just have to either swallow or suspend your disbelief in order for you to enjoy the whole story. Take for example, while I like how the romance between our characters was written, I certainly frowned at Irene having too many marriage proposals from men of three different backgrounds. Like, seriously? Irene is the least likeable character in this book because as I have said, she’s just way too obsessed with her older sister it’s almost criminal. Third, the most interesting thing is that there are mystical creatures posing, on top of the war between the government and the rebels, a threat in this world created by Lumen Reese. It’s one of the reasons why I want to read the second book because I want to know if my theory is correct.

The Witch Wife’s overall storytelling was perfect…Nothing too melodramatic but was able to hit me emotionally. I liked how most of the characters were developed except for Irene. My favorite character would prolly be the Brigadier as he is just a good soul (without the despicable moral superiority) through and through. I’d like to see him in the succeeding books having a good life that he deserves.

All in all, I’d say that the Witch Wife is a winner. Go and add it to your TBR pile.

I loved this book. I really did but something was missing in this story for me. Lumen Reese is such an amazing author and really knows how to build the characters in this book.

My review is Posted on my Goodreads and the link is down below.

0 to 100

When we meet Irene Shannon she clearly shows us that she wants to end her life. From my perspective, I really felt sorry for her because her husband was dead and from these pages we didn’t know if her sister, Fiona, was alive or not. I enjoyed the relationship between Anita and Irene because it kind of seemed like she wanted to help. When the Queen came to see Irene, I laughed when Irene scratched her because girl, what did you think was going to happen. In Part 2, it goes on to Fiona’s marriage and how the first was one was clearly not “the one”. It really interested me when they involved AI/ the time travelling machine to try and solve Fiona’s grieving of her second marriage but then as lovely as that would sound, AI/ time travelling is just AI/ time travelling at the end of the day. In my opinion, I don’t think it can realistically foster the human connection to meet Fiona or anyone’s desires effectively. It’s just a tool essentially. I digress, the take on using this piece of technology interested me a lot and made me excited when they linked the memories and feelings of Irene to the computer and it made the book more enjoyable to me.


ᰔ

100 - 200

a lot happened here, when they turned up in a random place, i knew something would happen to between them. i’m hoping that the asian guy and irene had some chemistry but i think it’s safe to say that for the plot they’re just gonna be friends. it’s surprising how they went from not knowing each other to get married 😮 but i guess it had to be done. i knew miranda wouldn’t like fiona and irene, i would like to know more as to why but i think you could probably tell because they’re “illegitimate daughters” and a mother is protecting her daughter right 🤷🏾‍♀️. #motherknowsbest. when irene still wanted to continue working, it was giving girl boss but in those times, you weren’t meant to work when you got married but it hurt a bit that miranda wouldn’t let her😪. now when i tell you about this QUEEN, what does she not get? smiling and then being cold, it’s like she either a) wants irene to like her or b) wants irene to despise her. i can’t believe she made her eat the Croquembouche when she clearly didn’t want too!! when irene hurt herself after that it was like “what did you expect her to do?” she doesn’t even wanna exist, which ☝️is quite sad to think about. but understandable with what she’s going through psychologically, emotionally and mentally.


ᡣ𐭩 •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅

200 - 300

𝒾 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓃, 𝒹𝒾𝒹𝓃’𝓉 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝒽𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓉𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃’𝓈 𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓎. 𝒾 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝒹𝑒𝑒𝓅𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒷𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉. this quote really went to heart for me because we know that we’re in a society where it can be still frowned upon for not getting married and having children. but this quote said to me that you can do what you want, it’s your body, you’re life at the end of the day. the bit about not expecting love, to me, reflected the way Irene views herself and the situation she was in. her primary goal was too ensure that her sister, Fiona, gets married and meets “the one” to protect her and be there for her. moreover, it was really nice to see that Irene was able to be in a relationship with a man who valued her, even if they didn’t speak a lot at the start😌. at the start of the first few pages, i got myself confused and thought she married Felix but she married Merrick so when i realised that they were husband a wife a few pages on, i was a bit confused but i liked seeing the development of their relationship and how they really care about each other. when Sara had a go at Irene for taking away what was hers, i understood how she felt but i wish they could’ve talked it through maybe but hey, not all stories have happy ending and everything happens for a reason.


ᯓ★

300 - 400

irene and merrick are united!!! this made me really happy but i felt like it was a bit slow between these pages but it picked up the pace after a bit. the last sentence made me feel like 😃. i wanted a bit more to take away but it was good enough for me.




₊✩‧₊˚ ཐིཋྀ ˚₊✩‧₊

conclusion:

overall, this book was okay, it was a bit slow paced in some areas and then fast paced but it was enjoyable as the story went on. i felt like it dragged a bit but as i said before, it picked up the pace and it was alright.

Thank you for Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for giving me a free e-arc of Witch Wife by Lumen Reese in exchange for an honest review.

Witch Wife by Lumen Reese
The Crocus Trilogy, Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 21 November 2024

Irene Shannon, a fierce warrior, finds herself captured on the battlefield after losing her husband and sister. Expecting death, she instead becomes a prisoner of the British crown. The royals, having heard tales of two English sisters allied with the New World, believe Irene to be a witch and seek to marry her into their family. She staunchly refuses.

What ensues is a battle of wills and a daring plot for freedom. Irene forms unlikely alliances with a diverse group: the king's illegitimate daughter raised in a brothel, a one-legged Brigadier General, and a gay Earl. As she plans her escape, Irene learns her husband might still be alive, igniting her determination to return to the monster-infested New World, no matter the cost.

“Witch Wife” marks a strong start to Lumen Reese's Crocus Trilogy, blending elements of fantasy, horror, and historical fiction into a compelling narrative. Reese's writing style is engaging, creating a world that feels both authentic and fantastical.

The author excels in character development, crafting complex, multidimensional figures that resonate with readers. Irene Shannon, in particular, stands out as a formidable protagonist, her strength and determination driving the story forward. The supporting cast is equally well-drawn, each bringing unique perspectives and motivations to the plot.

Reese's incorporation of the witch element is skilfully done, adding depth to the narrative without overwhelming it. The balance between historical setting and supernatural elements creates an intriguing backdrop for the story to unfold.

The pacing is generally well-maintained, with enough action and intrigue to keep readers engaged. However, some might find the initial setup a bit slow before the plot gains momentum.

While the book successfully sets up the trilogy, it does leave many questions unanswered, which may frustrate some readers but will likely entice others to continue with the series.

The novel's exploration of themes such as resilience, loyalty, and the nature of power adds layers of complexity to what could have been a straightforward adventure story.

In conclusion, “Witch “Wife offers a fresh take on historical fantasy, with its strong characterisation and intriguing premise. Despite some pacing issues, it successfully lays the groundwork for what promises to be an exciting trilogy. Readers who enjoy genre-blending narratives with strong female leads will find much to appreciate in this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the author, Lumen Reese, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.