This book had an interesting start but not very much worldbuilding or explanation, it was a bit confusing to work out what was happening at times and seemed to have quite a circular plot.

We follow two magical sisters Hazel and Holly as they travels magical worlds, develop their powers and track down their father all in the hope to save their mother's soul. Along the way they meet two brothers Hawthorne and Hemlock who come to their aide and support them on their quest. It's a coming into power story for these two girls, becoming the magical women they were meant to be. There's some laughs, romance and dark moments along the way as well. I enjoyed the world building and the women's evolution, my only complaint was that it took me a while to get through. I felt like perhaps the fact that this book was originally written as a serial with bits of the story released at a time, contributed to it feeling like it could have been edited down a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel. It is funny and wicked rolled up together. I loved Hazel and Holly. I am hoping to read more from this author.

Perhaps this is a case of wrong book, wrong time? But I just could not get into this one. It felt excessively long and while I was appreciating the world building, I just could not find myself engaging with the characters. Because of this, it seems unfair to give this a one-star rating, so I upped to two, in the hopes that this is one I'll come back to.

My full video review: https://youtu.be/k6kSh-bgQQs

Hazel and Holly are two sisters and witches, they try to find their father who has bound their dead mom's soul to earth so she can't move on.

The premise sounds awesome, but the execution could've been much better! I found myself being bored and not really enjoying myself throughout the book. The magic system was interesting and I did start to care about the characters after a while, but the story was too all over the place and didn't carry any weight. I did find some parts to be totally okay, but the book just seemed soooo long and at a point I just wanted it to be over. 2/5 stars!

Sadly, this book was about three edits away from being good. The world building was interesting. The ending was unexpected and great. But the journey to get there was painful and by the time I got there, I didn’t care. The characters were flat. The whole book felt like it was trying to hard. I’m so disappointed.

DNF at 11%

Firstly, the characters speak and act like they should be in a middle grade novel. I was surprised when Hazel mentioned she was twenty-three and her sister, Holly, was seventeen. Neither one of them acted their age, and it really affected the overall story.

Secondly, the perspective was weird. The first chapter mentions someone named Willow, and it took me a few paragraphs to determine that it was Hazel and Holly's mother. A few more context clues would have been helpful, but it also didn't feel right for their mother to be referred to by her first name while she was speaking with Hazel. They didn't call her Willow, it was just the story's point of view. Her conversation with Hazel also didn't feel like a mother talking to her daughter. It was like they were acquaintances having a disagreement over where to go for dinner, not a daughter wanting to save her mother from a hellish situation.

Thirdly, Hazel is trapped in a cellar with a single door and no keyhole. A gnome is there when she wakes up, searching her pockets, and she watches his lantern disappear as he leaves. How did he leave? It seems unlikely that he squeezed himself through the crack underneath the door, and Hazel didn't mention the squeaking of hinges, or the air of a door opening and closing. How was he able to get in and out of her room? Also, if he could do it magically, why did he need her help to escape?

You would really. have to suspend belief to make this book work. I'm always a little more understanding when magic is involved, but it still needs to be explained in some way. The author needs to make me believe whatever she's selling.

Also, the characters were unlikable and forgettable. As I mentioned before, neither of them acted their age, and both made really ridiculous decisions. Holly is seventeen and falls in love with a man in his thirties after one meeting (she seriously questions why he doesn't show more interest in her), even after he lies to the guests at his party and watches them fight over his attention. Speaking of the party, why were they trying to tear each other to shreds over him? They're all witches, but only Hazel seems unaffected by his charm and glamour. His servant or butler rang a bell and suddenly everyone was accommodating again, but why? Nothing made sense! It was preposterous.

The transitions between chapters were abrupt and confusing, and the dialogue was definitely more suited to a younger audience. Everything about this book was frustrating, and I still have no idea what was going on or why.

3.5stars

I liked the idea of this though I didn’t really relate to any of the characters. They were all either underdeveloped or unlikeable. Holly was supposed to be 17 but came across like 13 and Hazel made seemingly random choices on a heroes mission that didn’t feel heroic.

The story plodded along at an appropriate pace and I liked the intrigue until the anti-climatic final few chapters where his whole personality seemed to change implying a ‘and they all lived happily ever after’ vibe.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Double Beast Publishing for a copy of Hazel and Holly in exchange for my review.

Although it isn't usually one that would be up my alley with the sister witches and necromancy, I picked the book in hopes of broadening my reading horizon and it worked!! It sounded like the perfect blend of magic, fantasy, and sister bonding.

I did struggle through most of the book to stay engaged and engrossed in the story line. The characters fell flat and parts of the story jumped around for me. The world was well constructed and writing style was good but it left me feeling like it was missing something.

Overall, it was a good quick read and has me wondering more about this genre.

Ebook received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF
Got to 50% and found myself skimming much of the pages. Pace is slow and I found myself repeatedly confused between all the H names.
Tum was a great character with a lot of potential. Pity he didn't feature a little more.

I guess the best way to describe this is: charming.

It was a pretty good, pretty quick read. I wasn't super invested in the plot, but I did enjoy it. It claims to be adult fantasy, but I'm not certain that I believe that.

This book is a love/hate relationship for me. First off, I adore the title and cover which are stunning. The novel itself is apparently considered an adult fantasy but it reads more as aimed for a younger audience. With that said, I loved the world building, which was brilliantly done and really captured the imagination. The flip-side though is that the characters did not live up to the world. They fell flat at times and there were some slower paced bits that seemed like maybe could have been edited better. I'm not completely sold on this title but haven't dismissed the author either.

#HazelAndHolly #NetGalley

DNF @ ~20%

I was expecting a fairy tale YA with a focus on sister relationships, and I was very excited for it. But this book is like being in Wonderland--with all the confusing and illogical events and none of the quirkiness. Things happen in the story and I...didn't know why they were happening. What the point of them was. It's just so, so jarring.

Also, I couldn't really stand the main characters--Holly especially. I was shocked to find out that Holly was 17 because she acts with the emotional maturity of an 8 year-old. She's petulant, she whines constantly...it drove me crazy.

It's a shame because I loved the sound of the premise; the execution just fell completely flat.

The concept of the book could've been interesting, but I couldn't quite feel it as it should. The world is very good constructed and even the writing style is good, but there is something more to work on the characters and their dialogues especially.

Sadly I could not get into this one. I typically love this genre, I just did relate to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Hazel and Holly by Sara C. Snider. I’ve voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hazel and Holly is a story about two sisters, who haven’t seen their father in years and their mother’s soul is trapped in a gease. Convinced that their father is responsible, Hazel tries to find him and make him reverse the spell. With the help of two Warlock brothers, Hemlock and Hawtorne, Hazel and Holly are set on doing whatever it takes to find their father, even turning to the magic of necromancy.

Hazel and Holly is a fun, magical and heartwarming read about two sisters who will do anything for each other. At times hilarious and at times heartwrenching, the reader follows Hazel and Holly on a journey of discovery. The banter between the four characters is witty and fun and makes for great relationships. The middle felt a bit dragged and some issues could have been resolved sooner but other than that a great and entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Hazel (23) and Holly (17) two witch sisters that live in beautiful place (similar to the LOTR shire I think).
We mainly go through this story with Hazel as the main character who wants to find their father, Ash a necromancer warlock, that left them 16 years ago. When their mother got sick and died, he trapped her in a spell so she’s not dead or alive.

During their search they meet Hemlock and Hawthorn, two warlock wizard brothers and ask them for help.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it kept them in certain places too long, added unnecessary stuff and the constant back and forth with Elder was starting to get old.

The world building was good, lots of details there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the release of the book in exchange for an honest review.

First lets take a moment and look at this stunning cover. I love it! That is what drew me into the book. The concept sounded right up my ally but I am sad to say that I had to DNF this book. I was just a bit confused at times and I was not sure who certain characters where until several chapters later. I think it could have used a little more detailing on the story telling. I think the plot was very cute but because I was getting lost and I was already fighting a reading slump, this one just did not meet my expectations. I may come back to this at a later date.

Life in the Grove is quiet.

The community nestled in the middle of an enchanted forest is a safe haven for witches and warlocks to practice elemental magic, brew all manner of interesting potions, and keep tabs on the gnomes who work keeping rats out of their cellars and spoils in their pockets. The one thing they don’t do is practice necromancy… which is a bit of a shame really, since Hazel and Holly’s father was a necromancer who trapped their mothers soul and Hazel is determined to let it out again.

A one-woman army, Hazel was prepared to sort out this rather distasteful issue all on her own, but when Holly drags her out of the house to go to a party, they end up bonding with two warlock brothers who decide to join their quest. Together the four of them leave the Grove to track down the girl’s father to sort out the rather unsavoury task of releasing their mother’s soul… whatever the cost.

Hazel and Holly is not a fairytale, but it reads very much like one. Sara C Snider’s writing style is very lyrical and the “dark, magical forest” setting most definitely felt like an old school gothic fairytale -- even the concept of the story has that dark edge reminiscent of a Grimm Brothers story. In fact, the writing style and plot concept is by far the strongest element of this novel, I was instantly captivated by Hazel and Holly’s story, the sisterly bond they share binds them together despite some very obvious personality differences- and it felt very real, and very reminiscent of the relationship between a lot of sisters.

Speaking of the sisters, we have 23-year-old Hazel as our main protagonist. She’s very stubborn, almost to a fault, and feels incredibly responsible for her younger sister, Holly. Hazel at the beginning of the novel, had not declared a main area of focus for her magic, and she spends some time trying to figure out what kind would best assist her on her quest to help her mother. There are four main types of elemental magic: Wyr, Weaving, Hearth, and Wild. However, there’s also a fifth type: Necromancy. And while Hazel decides on one of the four main types, she feels a pull towards Necromancy and most of her internal turmoil is based around the draw towards something that she has been taught is wrong. I actually found Hazel’s internal struggles quite interesting up to a certain point, but it did get quite repetitive after a while.

Hazel's younger sister Holly is 17, a Wild Witch and definitely not as well-rounded a character. She had quite a lot of potential to be interesting, but she felt very much like the quintessential “younger sister” that appears across a lot of YA books. She did have some interesting character development however, and I liked where she ended up.

This book does have a romance in it, and it is 100% an insta-love romance! Hawthorn and Hemlock are both very stereotypical male leads, and while I did enjoy the humour and depth they added to the dynamic of the core group, I was taken aback by the abruptness of the romance.

Snider’s main strength in this novel was by far the world building, although she probably could have added more depth to some of the concepts involved. As I mentioned above, the entire tone of the novel has this dark, gothic vibe and it was eerie and atmospheric and amazing. The magic system was also quite unique, and it was interesting to watch how the different styles of magic interact, although, I would’ve loved to see more of the magic system throughout the story.

Overall, Hazel and Holly was a mostly effective, if simply executed concept for a YA fantasy novel, and while I could’ve done with a little less name alliteration and a little more depth, it was a fun and light read, but just not for me. Overall, this book fell a little short of something for me, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. It could be the unrealistic romance and how flat the characters seemed, or it could have been that I wanted more from the world building, or from the decidedly generic plot. My main gripe with Hazel and Holly is that it was simply<em> underwhelming, and it made it too much like hard work to fall into.

OMG this was such a great book. I really loved how the story unfolded and all the snark that is in this one. It was about witches and warlocks and it was so full of snarkyness that I just fell so in love. Snider brings to life a new world and amazing characters. I really loved Tum and Chester and would love a story about them on their own. Maybe they team up to grab spoils.

If you are looking for a new story to fall for then check this one out ASAP!! Because I was laughing a lot during the story and it was just done so well.

The story itself is not faster paced, it is a slow burn of story that I could not put down. I think that for this one the slower story worked so much better than it being speedy. Every part of this story has a meaning on why it's in there. And Snider did a wonderful job bringing this story to life.

The characters were great. I loved how a side character even mentioned about how the four main characters all had H names. Because that was the only issue I had when I first started this one. Was keeping all the names right.

I don't want to accident spoil anything for anyone else. But I do want to say that although this is tech. an adult title you could totally read it as YA as well. Nothing really over the top happens so I would allow my 14 year old read this at the drop of a hat. I am so happy I got the chance to read this one.