“Watercolor is her favorite: it’s the most defiant of all mediums. The artist may do what he pleases with his brush, but he cannot control where the pigment drips and bleeds.”

Sneaking off to be alone in the art gallery at a fancy 1800s venetian party is a big mood. Loved the concept of this and would love to see what happens next. The writing style was very direct and didn’t quite lend itself to the mystery, Felt maybe a little anachronistic for the time period and setting. Also I wanted this to be darker and more… vengeful at the end?? Not sure if that’s the right word. But overall I enjoyed it and I loved her fox!

Thank you so much to Amazon Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so suspenseful for such a short story! I loved the setting, which was so different than I often see in new stories. It was twisty and mysterious. A perfect palate cleanser between longer books.

This is an ominous short story about a magician's assistant. She's had amnesia since her wedding day a year ago, and has started to feel like her husband is hiding more than just how he does his tricks...

I liked this quite a bit! It's a nice short story that does just what short stories are supposed to do: give you insight into one narrative device - in this case, the main character of the Conjurer's Wife - and leave you satisfied, although it might not tie up all of the loose strings.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the story.

I absolutely LOVED that this complimented her new book that’s coming out, the Amalfi Curse. This was short, engaging, and interesting! I loved it on audio.

Thank you Net Galley for this e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC of The Conjurer’s Wife by Sarah Penner.

This was an Amazon Original Stories, so a short story. I have to say, this might have been on of my favs my Sarah Penner yet. And there were mentions to the Amalfi Coast, which had me curious if this was a segway into the upcoming book of hers called The Amalfi Curse. As for this one, I don’t want to say too much about Olivia and Oscar as in such a short read it may give too much away. But check this one out. A good one, and short.

I picked this up because The Lost Apothecary completely swept me away, and I was eager to see how the author would handle a shorter format. I wasn’t disappointed. The writing here is as vivid and atmospheric as ever, and the setting feels like its own character—Venice practically pulses with mystery and intrigue.

The story is compact but packs an emotional punch, especially as Olivia’s journey unfolds. The twist was such a standout moment—unexpected yet completely satisfying. While I found myself wanting more depth in a few places (probably because I didn’t want the story to end), it’s a testament to the author’s talent that even in such a short format, the characters and themes felt rich and layered.

For anyone who loves historical fiction with a hint of magic and transformation, this is a quick but rewarding read.

This was a really great novella and it mentions the Amalfi witches which is what Sarah Penner’s next book is about the Amalfi Curse and I can’t wait to read that one. While it was really short, it packed in a lot of story and emotion and the end was so satisfying.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Picture 1820s Venice: 🌙 canals shimmering under moonlight, whispers of power hidden beneath society’s polite veneer 🕯️, and a conjurer whose secrets are more than sleight of hand 🎩. Sarah Penner delivers a mesmerizing tale of real magic, betrayal, and one woman’s bold journey to claim her power.

Olivia, the titular conjurer’s wife, begins as a quiet figure in her husband Oscar Van Hoff’s dazzling world. The world sees Oscar as a masterful magician, but Olivia discovers his talents aren’t tricks—they’re real—and the truth is far darker than the sparkle he projects. When she uncovers a secret that could undo everything, the stage is no longer Oscar’s—it’s hers. 👏

The pacing? Pure magic ✨, though I couldn’t help but wish the story lingered a little longer. Olivia’s transformation deserved a broader stage—this short story screams full-length novel potential! Just imagine the rich layers of intrigue, romance, and rebellion Sarah Penner could have explored with 300+ pages to play with.

But as it stands, this tale enchants. The Venice setting glows like moonlight on the Grand Canal, and Olivia’s journey from stage prop to star of her own story is as satisfying as a perfectly executed vanishing act.

Final Thoughts: The Conjurer’s Wife is a shimmering, tantalizing glimpse into a world of real magic and empowerment. A spellbinding short story that deserves a grander stage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for now, but Penner—if you ever decide to turn this into a novel, I’ll pre-order yesterday.

This is a delicious little read and all male characters should have just a little fear (maybe a lot) of what Sarah Penner will do to them through her writing. It's a short story, so you aren't going to get a fully fleshed out novel here, but it's a bite-sized bit of drama and magic and justice, and you should definitely devour it.

I enjoyed the premise of this short story and was invested in Olivia finding more answers. Enjoyed the short story but was left wanting more and had some unanswered questions.

The Conjurer's Wife is a short story that follows Olivia Van Hoff, a young woman married to a famous illusionist living in 19th-century Venice, whose exploration into the secrets behind his magical acts reveals a dark reality he seeks to hide from her.

I have read from Sarah Penner before, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the Lost Apothecary, but the synopsis for this short story sounded interesting, and given its short length, I was willing to give her another chance. I don't necessarily regret this, but I don't think that her writing is anything to write home about, both in terms of artistry and plot work. Penner has a simplistic, easy-to-read writing style that is accessible to most people; I feel this style is more suited to a shorter narrative than a long-form novel like her previous works. However, I still felt like her writing left a lot to be desired as Penner didn't handle the important topics that could have been delved further into with much nuance or detail. Similarly, I also thought that the plot was a bit over the place for such a short narrative and too fast-paced towards the ending, given how slowly the earlier parts had, which made the story feel rushed and incomplete.

For the most part, I enjoyed the historical setting; Penner did a good job grounding the story in the historical setting of 19th-century Venice. However, I also thought that the more fantastical elements didn't blend as well with the historical setting. In particular, the discussion about the Witches of Positano felt a bit out of place as the people of 1821, especially in Italy ( a notoriously Catholic country), were a lot less open-minded about any sort of witchcraft or 'occultism' (something which would become a lot more popular during the later half of the 19th century). For a brief history lesson, Italy had executed women on the charge of witchcraft as recently as 1724, the last known execution on the charge of witchcraft in Europe happened in 1750, and the last suspected execution occurred in 1783 in Doruchow, Poland, just 38 years before the events of the story. Given that the main character is a woman and many of the characters who are discussing the witches are also women, and also that Olivia is married to a controlling husband who profits off of the 'witchcraft' that would have gotten a woman and possibly a man as well killed just 40 years ago, I wish the author had explored the theme and connection between witchcraft, sexism and abuse a lot more. Similarly, though I liked how Penner used the more imaginative and fantastical elements of the story to allude to the abusive dynamic between Olivia and Oscar, I think Penner could have done a better job at showing us Oscar's abuse and mistreatment of Olivia rather than simply telling the reader of it, as I believe this would have driven home the discussion on abusive relationships a lot more.

Overall, the Conjurer's Wife provides an intriguing setup for discussing important themes regarding magic, abusive relationships and sexism in an imaginative and compact narrative. However, Penner fails to capitalize on the nuances of these topics or come to a satisfying conclusion for the narrative and its central character, leaving the reader wanting more, not in a good way.

I enjoyed this story and the zing at the end. I could see this short story expanding into a novel. I love Sarah Penner’s way of storytelling. Thanks for sharing this story through NetGalley.

The premise sounded interested, and since I was familiar with Sarah Penner from reading The London Seance Society, I decided to give this a go.

This story kept my attention, and was the perfect length. My suspicions about Oscar were slowly developing as the story developed, and I was thrilled to know that I was correct when the reveal happened!

I have some lingering questions about the world, but I feel like this matches the vibe of most novellas I read. This is worth reading/listening if you are between novels and want a palette cleanser.

Loved this short story. It was very interesting. I did go into the story knowing it was a short story, but I was full on ready for it to be a whole novel!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Penner and Amazon Original stories for allowing me this arc eversion in exchange to my own opinion.

This was a real surprise for me, I love a short story and I feel like this one gave me exactly what I needed!! Some short stories feel incomplete or rushed but this one had good backstory, intrigue and interesting characters. It was like a historical Annie Bot. Loved!

This was a fun read. Usually, novellas aren't for me, and don't have enough sustenance for my liking, but this one did. The visuals were phenomenal. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I would've like a bit more answers. I'd still recommend this as a read to anyone. Sarah Penner is an auto read from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing- Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was so-so on Sarah Penner's first book The Lost Apothecary, but adored her next book, The London Séance Society. I have been waiting to gobble up another one of her books and saw that she is releasing a new book in April, so imagine my joy at seeing a short story by Sarah Penner. This short story was magical and clever and I quickly became entranced with Olivia and the story. I was very sad to see it end and honestly would have loved a longer story. Pick this one up!

Sometimes a woman takes their power back in small ways, and this is how Olivia first starts rebelling. But even the smallest rebellions turn into finales.

A good illusionist is a master of tricks and secrets, and Oscar Van Hoff is a master. It even leaks over into his personal life, his wife Olivia has no inkling into how he performs his acts of magic. But what happens when those secrets are uncovered?

I really enjoyed this story and the route that it took. The big reveal(s) at the end completely took me by surprise and I didn't see them coming. I loved the growth that Olivia showed in such a short novella. There was so much story in such a small amount of pages!

The only thing that was offputting about this to me was that Olivia constantly referred to herself in third person even though she was the only POV. It was confusing because I thought she was talking about someone else, or that the POV was a third party. I had to reread the first few pages a couple of times before I understood. It was a very unique way of telling the story and it makes sense when you get to the end, so it might not annoy or confuse others the same way that it did me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novella and thought the story was super rich. This is the kind of book that you will be left thinking about for awhile afterwords because it makes you ask yourself some deep questions. Sarah Penner has a real knack for historical fiction and mystery, and this novella was more evidence to that!

This was such a cute little novella and I romped through it in about 20 minutes. I loved Olivia and Marmalade was just the cutest ever it left me wanting to look after a little fox cub.

Reading challenge category - 2024 Flourish and Blotts: Divination - Tea Leaves: A book that includes tea (gossip)

Olivia is the wife of a conjurer, Oscar. She is expected to do as she's told by him for the show and in life. Olivia can't remember anything before a year ago - Oscar explains that she had a horrible accident and suffered head trauma and amnesia. Olivia discovers that Oscar has many secrets and that her life isn't what it seems to be.

I vacillated between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but ultimately went with 4 because I loved the ending. It was also a fun surprise to see that this was an introduction/teaser to Penner's new book, The Amalfi Curse. I hope Olivia makes an appearance in that novel! It's a quick 40 page read that I found enjoyable!