The main character literally runs away from her life as the police are pursuing her. As she flees, she bumps into Marcus Greybourne when attempting to catch the ferry to London. That bump-in results in a broken ankle. Marcus Greybourne is so apologetic that he instantly adopts her and turns her into his wife when law enforcement catches up with them to protect her. Yet, this lie isn’t limited to this one incident. No, Marcus Greybourne insists she keeps the identity in exchange for protection and she gladly obliges (as her immobility doesn’t give her many options). Pretty soon our main character discovers her new identity is attached to a pretty damning reputation of being a witch and consequently the cause of many misfortunes. Rather than work to clear up her own reputation, she prefers to clear up the freshly assumed one … perhaps because a handsome and well-built husband is attached to it.

I liked the premise of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery surrounding our main character’s identity. There were quite some twists and turns. It was also intriguing how much mystery surrounded her new identity as Luna Greybourne. Who was this woman and what happened to her? The aspects of the mystery were well done and kept me guessing at what happened and who could be trusted. The clues provided in each chapter hooked me and made the mystery more captivating. I also really love the dark atmosphere and sometimes morbid, disturbing images. It painted an unromantic and somewhat frightening picture of witchcraft, which is different from what I'm used to.

However, slipping into this new role and how our main character handled it did not come across as believable. There were aspects of the main character's behavior and those around her that I found a bit disturbing and considerable effort was placed into making this behavior appear acceptable. Last, I felt there was a disconnect between our main character's behavior and the situations she encountered making her feel two-dimensional.

All in all, the story has some good parts and some parts I care less for.

I found this to be a quick easy read, in a positive way. Kept me company on a 3hr round trip, and the time flew by!
The whole thing has a slight undertone of menace which kept it interesting, and a good surprise or two along the way.
I liked the characters and the setting, and overall found the whole thing entertaining.

A young woman is on the run, wanted for murder. At the very last moment she is saved by a strange man. She is taken to his house in the woods and pretends to be his wife. But not everything is the way it seems at Ravenswood.

I really enjoyed this one. We are taken on a journey together with our MC, exploring the gothic mansion and unraveling the mysteries of the man who saved her and his missing wife. At the same time we get chapters from her past, leading up to why she had to run in the first place. The plot twists were nicely done and the atmosphere perfect for a fall read.

The Ravenswood Witch by new to me author Jenni Keer, published by Boldwood Press is an historical fiction I fell in insta love with. Characters and story are fantastic, just like the excellent writing, 5 stars.

Couldn't put it down! Its gothic with lots of suspense and mystery, it keeps you on your toes and makes you gasp at moments.
It's the perfect book to read in Autumn.
Jenni's writing style is great, if you have read her previous books then you will love 'The Ravenswood Witch'

BLURB:
The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle.

To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local constable that she is his reclusive wife of ten years, Luna. He carries her back to the neglected and crumbling Ravenswood Hall, promising if she agrees to maintain this charade, he will keep her safe until her injuries have healed.

But the house is haunted by shadows and secrets. What’s more, the real Luna Greybourne is missing, without trace. Scratches and marks made by her around the house suggest witchcraft; and indeed Luna is known locally as the Ravenswood Witch; her reputation in tatters, like the wallpapers of the padlocked rooms she’d destroyed.

As strange happenings in the house continue, outside the screech of a raven echoes across oppressive woods that seem alive with dark magic. And the woman who is now pretending to be Luna can’t help but fear she’s escaped the noose for a far more terrible fate…

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC

This book has echoes of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, which I absolutely loved. With its gothic atmosphere along with mystery and suspense, there was a lot happening that really pulled you into the story. The action takes off right from the start, which helped to really drive my interest into the story. I will say that there were a lot of errors and the writing could use some refining overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This was a very engrossing book which had echoes of Jane Eyre and Rebecca which are two of my favourite books
It was gothic with lots of mystery and suspense which lead to a dark atmosphere
The writing style flowed well which kept me reading and found the pages turning very quickly
From page one we are straight into the story and the mystery which made it hard to put down
I really enjoyed this

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Keer.
Omg. Absolutely brilliant read. I loved the cover. I got into it straight away. I did like Marcus and Luna. I didn't like Hilda. I did like the Webbers. Cleverly written. I loved the writing style. Very creative and unusual. I read this in two sittings. I did have a few ahh moments where things clicked in my head. I did like the ending. 5*.


Blurb.
A BRAND NEW spellbinding novel from the bestselling author of No.23 Burlington Square, Jenni Keer ‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’

The year is 1885 and a...

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A BRAND NEW spellbinding novel from the bestselling author of No.23 Burlington Square, Jenni Keer ‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’
The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle.

To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local constable that she is his reclusive wife of ten years, Luna. He carries her back to the neglected and crumbling Ravenswood Hall, promising if she agrees to maintain this charade, he will keep her safe until her injuries have healed.

But the house is haunted by shadows and secrets. What’s more, the real Luna Greybourne is missing, without trace. Scratches and marks made by her around the house suggest witchcraft; and indeed Luna is known locally as the Ravenswood Witch; her reputation in tatters, like the wallpapers of the padlocked rooms she’d destroyed.

As strange happenings in the house continue, outside the screech of a raven echoes across oppressive woods that seem alive with dark magic. And the woman who is now pretending to be Luna can’t help but fear she’s escaped the noose for a far more terrible fate…