This was my first experience reading Catherine Cavendish. I really enjoy the historical fiction genre and the timeframe and setting for this book were right up my alley.

The story takes place in 1893 close to Yorkshire. We follow two identical twin sisters, Evelyn and Claire, as the move from the city to a small cottage out on the moors.

Once settled into the cottage strange things being to occur. Claire says that she has conversations with someone who has long since been dead. Evelyn gets an eerie since that she has been to the cottage before and feels as if she recognizes some of the neighbors but isn't sure why.

Once an odd toy known as the Garden of Bewitchment seems to manifest within the cottage the odd and bizarre really start to escalate.

Catherine does a great job of keeping the readers in the dark about what is really going on. Are the two sisters really seeing and experiencing these things, are the hallucinating, are they being haunted? We slowly learn that this innocent children's toy is more sinister than it seems.

I thoroughly enjoyed Catherine's writing. The characters are well developed and the setting is very atmospheric and claustrophobic at times. The lore she has created for the Garden of Bewitchment was great.

There is a revelation near the end of the book that I was able to predict somewhat early on that lessened the impact of the ending some for me. I feel like there were a few too many nods throughout pointing towards this and a little more subtly could have made the ending more shocking.

There was also a bit of a pacing issue. We slowly learn bits and pieces about what is truly going on throughout the book but at the end with get quite a lot of information at once that could have been spread out more evenly along the story.

Overall I enjoyed my time within the garden. The story was intriguing and a nice spin on the classic haunted house tale. If you are into horror and enjoy a more historical setting then I would recommend this to you.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review. What an wonderful pleasant surprise !

The Garden of Bewitchment
by Catherine Cavendish

Emily Bronte has some serious competition in Catherine Cavendish !!!!
THIS IS A WONDERFUL NOVEL and so difficult to put down. From page 1 it was totally engrossing and I cannot say enough great things about the story. Quick paced Gothic mystery set in the spooky moors with many references to the Bronte sisters and their classic novels which, this book is sure to become.

The story revolves around two eccentric sisters who live together and are collaborating on a fantasy novel. To avoid the company of other people they move to a new and more secluded cottage in the countryside. One of the sisters befriends a neighbor who tells her a fantastic and frightening story which he claims to be true. The Garden of Bewitchment was supposedly a child's board game that he found in the attic of his uncle's home when he was a young boy. This "game" had some terrifying qualities and truly had him rattled, thus also frightening his new friend who has quite an imagination of her own. One sister shares the Garden of Bewitchment story with the other and both try to figure out what exactly is going on since the Garden seems to be appearing in their home now, along with some other unusual paranormal events.

As the story progresses, it is difficult to figure out what is real and what is not. The reader knows the sister's are a bit off, but are they insane? What about this neighbor, is he real and his story about a garden that comes to life? There are other odd characters along the way, all of which keep the reader guessing.

You know you've read a great book when you are still thinking about it three days later ! The thing I can't seem to figure out is the ending. I went back and read the last few chapters twice, feeling that I had missed something really important. However, as I believe it was meant to be, I am still confused about what was real and what was from the mind of a lunatic. Loved it !

Strongly recommend. 5 stars !!!

I believe author Catherine Cavendish may have lived a past life or two in Victorian Great Britain: she possesses a rare and quite special gift for writing that period "from the inside," and so readers "experience" her stories rather than just peruse a narrative. I felt I lived with the characters in her newest, the spectacularly spooky supernatural story GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT. Evelyn and Claire, twin protagonists, literally identical twins, their lives, their hauntings. Claire's obsession, that mysterious and alien concept "toy" referenced so delightfully in the title: for the duration of reading, all this was a part of me.

Evelyn and Claire are twins, the death of their father left them wealthy women. Something frowned upon by society and the neighbours, as two unmarried women in their 30’s is scandalous in 1893.

So, they decide to move to a small cottage near Haworth, on the Yorkshire moors. Close to their beloved Brontë family home. Claire is particularly obsessed by Branwell Brontë as she feels him close to her and has conversations with him…he talks to her.

Soon after they’ve settled in, Evelyn meets Matthew, a visitor to the area and they soon become friends. He tells her a tale of a game he found as a child, The Garden Of Bewitchment. This board game had a miniature house, trees and items to make a perfect little garden, but something evil tried to escape, so Matthew ran away and left the game in an attic never to be seen again.

Claire, then finds the game mysteriously appear in her bedroom and things get dark…….

This is a gothic, supernatural tale with a really creepy feel. Just what is trying to trap people in its game world? A game of Jumanji from the imagination of Poe or Lovecraft. A brilliantly written, atmospheric and goosebumpy read. You’ll never look at a doll’s house in the same way again! Creepy stuff.

Thank you to The publishers and NetGalley for a free eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

A wonderful tale of supernatural intrigue, I had no idea it was going to end the way it did. I was reminded slightly of MR James, the story telling was fantastic!
The characters were well described and I loved that the setting was in Bronte country. The tale was well suited to the wild mysterious landscape.
I can't believe that I haven't come across Catharine Cavendish before, I will certainly be reading more of her books.
Thank you netgalley.

A good idea which unfortunately fell a bit flat. The story was slow moving and took some time to get going and then suddenly had to pack a lot of information into the ending, this resulted in a lot of telling rather than showing and for me - a lot of confusion.
So much more could've been made of the garden and woven into the story at an earlier stage.

Horrors both of our own imaginings and of the supernatural come home to roost in Catherine Cavendish’s The Garden of Bewitchment [February 2020, Flame Tree Press].

When the Wainwright sisters move to the country to escape the judgmental eyes of their neighbors—after all, what could be more scandalous than two spinster sisters living alone, unwed, and wealthy in the end of the 19th-century England?—what is meant to be a quiet respite quickly becomes a tale of deadly horror. And it seems to all start with the appearance of a mysterious, eerily sentient toy called the Garden of Bewitchment.

Atmospheric and rich in detail, Cavendish masterfully draws the reader into the slow-burning horror that makes well-crafted Gothic literature so delightfully addictive. It all starts with tension between sisters. Identical twins Evelyn and Claire might share the same physical characteristics, but they exist in almost two completely different worlds. Evelyn is pragmatic and responsible, Claire unkempt and somewhat unhinged, infatuated with Branwell Brontë, who although deceased is very real in Claire’s mind—and her heart. The one thing the sisters do share: Calladocia.

Like the Brontë sisters, the Wainwrights are writing a novel about Calladocia, a universe of their own creation. Their existence at opposite ends of this imaginary world provides an unsettling allegory for the widening gap between the sisters as Cavendish’s story unfolds, pulling the sisters apart with it. When a strange toy featuring a miniature mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden, the Garden of Bewitchment, appears in their cottage, the boundary between the real and the imaged begins to crumble. As the separation between reality and the nightmare the sisters have found themselves trapped in becomes ever-frightening, Evelyn and Claire are forced to try to sort out which of the horrors are consequences of the toy’s unnerving influence, and which might be of their own making. No one—and nothing—is as it seems in The Garden of Bewitchment.

Though at time the pacing seems a little uneven, The Garden of Bewitchment delivers as a gothic tale of unexpected horror, unraveling insanity, and what happens when the realities we’ve constructed for ourselves turn against us.

I loved everything about this book and LOVE the author!!! This is definitely a book that I will recommend to all and was a very fast and easy read. I can not wait to read more of this authors works and am so very happy that I was given the opportunity to enjoy this book. I will be buying this to keep on my book shelf!

The story began very well and I was curious to know how it evolved, but after a quarter of the book read, I began to lose interest. The plot is confusing, slow, heavy and supersaturated of promising elements not very well used.

I liked the vintage atmosphere and the creepy story.
The author is an excellent storytelling and you will be involved in this story full of twists and turns.
I liked the well thought cast of characters and the atmospheric setting.
It was a good read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Wealthy twin spinsters, Evelyn and Claire, have decided to move from their late parents estate to the moors to live a more quiet, private life than they did in Yorkshire. Their new home feels familiar but Evelyn can’t place why. Something about the cottage unsettles her sister, Claire as she starts to talk as if she is being courted by the deceased Branwell Bronte. The aroma of whiskey and cigar smoke wafts through the house without explanation. But the true weirdness begins after Claire discovers a strange game called the Garden of Bewitchment in her bedroom.

With no idea of where it came from, its presence both entices and threatens the sisters as strange things begin to happen in the cottage.

“The Garden of Bewitchment” is a horror novel set in 1893 Yorkshire. Evelyn and Claire are authors inspired by the works of the Bronte sisters as they slowly piece together their shared literary universe with no real intentions of publishing but just writing to write. With this being a period piece, some of the dialogue feels a little heavy and unnatural, like Cavendish was emulating the Bronte sisters to which the sisters are the contemporaries.

Our introduction to the sisters and their daily routine is a bit slow until the subsequent discovery of the Garden of Bewitchment after their neighbor, Matthew Dixon recalls his frightful experience with the strange game as a child. The pacing of the novel goes into overdrive once we clear the inciting incident and then it just… ends. There were lots of questions unanswered that left me feeling conflicted. I had an inkling of some of the ending but I wouldn’t say I saw all of it coming.

Claustrophobic and isolating, the atmosphere of the moors felt rainy and foggy even on the days in the novel that weren’t raining. “The Garden of Bewitchment” was an interesting departure from the modern horror novels that I normally read. I’m interested in reading more encounters with the Garden of Bewitchment and the things contained within, which I felt that we didn’t get enough time with.

I loved Catherine Cavendish's creepy tale The Haunting of Henderson Close, so when I saw this new title pop up I knew I had to read it! Glad I did....Cavendish delivers yet another fantastically creepy tale! This one snuck up on me.....the story, the atmosphere and the horror build slowly, but perfectly. Loved it!

Two spinster sisters move into a new cottage. They bicker a lot, as sisters will. Each has their idiosyncrasies....Claire is obsessed with the long dead Bramwell Brontë and sees things that aren't there. Evelyn becomes a bit obsessed with a neighbor, Matthew Dixon. When a strange miniature garden appears in their house....a children's game.....sinister things begin to happen. The Garden of Bewitchment is cursed, after all.....

This book is a bit like gothic suspense meets Jumanji. Very atmospheric....and incredibly entertaining! Lots of twists and creepy weirdness!

Another great book from Catherine Cavendish! I am looking foward to her next book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. No ghostly Brontës assisted with the writing of this review.**

The Garden of Bewitchment is the latest novel by Catherine Cavendish, are you ready to be haunted?

Sisters Evelyn and Claire leave their home to set down stakes in a quieter area. They’re looking for a fresh start and somewhere they are less known and can work on their writing together. But something is amiss, will the sisters make it out alive?

This was a fun period piece, Cavendish has a wonderful style of writing that draws you in, and makes you feel like you’re reading something from a past era. This is a book that gets more complex as it goes on, and Cavendish expertly weaves numerous plot points together for a fun, yet creepy read.

The Garden of Bewitchment will sit well with fans of historical horror, if that’s not your flavor, its still worth a shot.

The setting of this book gives something of a vintage feel and yet the story is fresh and original.
A roller coaster of twisting turns and incredible events that takes the reader on a surreal journey right to the end. Who is who, and what is what, and what is really going on? It is a skillful tapestry that will keep you guessing, and keep you glued to the page.

Historical fiction mixed with magical realism, plus a Bronte obsession? Ok. I'll bite. To be honest, the blurb made me hope for an adultish version of Octagon Magic (one of my favorite childhood books) - this doesn't quite meet that, but there are some interesting quirks. Like who Matthew is, and what he wants. Like the appearance of the house/game, and the gardens. Oddly, the middle section was better than the opening or the ending.

eARC provided by publisher.

Catherine Cavendish brings us yet another atmospheric read with The Garden of Bewitchment. While the Victorian Gothic style is one with which many authors flounder, Cavendish's prose flows, clearly proving her niche. The country cottage set on the bleak and remote Yorkshire Moors—as well as a connection to the Brontës—simultaneously romanticizes and grounds the novel. She gently prods the story onward while still exhibiting an acute awareness of the period.

While at times the Garden reads like a tenuous laudanum dream, it doesn't take long for the encounters to turn menacing, evoking uncertainty and dread. Cavendish has dreamt into being our two female protagonists, whose impassioned individuality surely establishes them as unique as the Brontës sisters themselves. Surprisingly, the subject matter is never given a chance to become cumbrous as the increasing presence of the sinister game exerts its influence.

As is the theme often with gothic fiction, neurosis versus actual paranormal is at first difficult, if not impossible to discern. It's up to the reader to decide if the Garden of Bewitchment and its inhabitants are all in the mind or if there truly is an esoteric or even demonic power at hand.

This was a great story. I've read a lot by this author and she always writes interesting tales. Will recommend.

I was excited to read this book because I’ve read another book by Catherine Cavendish and I really loved it. But unfortunately I didn’t like The Garden of Bewitchment. The story just couldn’t hold my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

3.5 stars.


THE GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT, by Catherine Cavendish, is her latest novel released by Flame Tree Publishing. One thing I've come to expect from this author is incredible atmosphere throughout her entire story. This one is no exception to that! The Gothic feel set in almost immediately, and never let up.

We begin with twins, Evelyn and Claire, unmarried wealthy women, alone now since the death of their parents. In an attempt to hide from society--and the possibility of men after them only for their money--Evelyn insists they move to a more remote location.

". . . maybe she hadn't chosen Heather Cottage at all. Maybe it had chosen her."

Of course, this misty area is seeped in Gothic imagery and just enough isolation to let you feel as though anything is possible here. This is a land where the "unnatural" belongs.

". . . A few days ago, she wouldn't have given the supernatural a second thought . . . "

The characters of Evelyn and Claire have the most dynamics between them. Other chance encounters--one with a new neighbor--show that everything here seems "destined" to unfold, and that there are no mere coincidences. After the man, Matthew, describes his encounter many years before with a game called "The Garden of Bewitchment", Evelyn's sister finds a game by the same name in her new room.

A game that seemingly "plays" you, and is much more than an innocuous toy.

". . . I have seen enough in my life to make me believe there are some things best left alone and some things we will never explain . . ."

I loved the characters of Evelyn and Claire--even Matthew, to an extent. The only complaint I had during the first two-thirds or so of the book was that there were several "repetitive" scenes--basically same people, location, "slightly" different conversation.

". . . nothing was as it seemed in this place . . . "

Additionally, there were some characters later introduced that I just didn't understand the need for. One, in particular, really confused me towards the end--in an otherwise fantastic idea, this one part intruded on what could have been a "perfect" ending, in my mind.

"This is real life . . . It's much more sinister . . . "

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the writing style. The setting was perfect and gave my imagination plenty to speculate on, making it easy to fall into the events unfolding.

". . . Don't you feel as if you're losing touch with reality in some way? . . . "

The idea behind the GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT was sinister and led me to believe the actions happening here. My only real complaints were the "excess scenes" and one of the characters at the end that felt unnecessary and simply . . . confusing . . . as I didn't see where he fit in, or the reason for him at all. Aside from that, a riveting book that kept me thinking the entire read.

Recommended.

Wow, this was a great read! This is the first book by Catherine Cavendish I have read and I devoured it! If you love gothic horror, you'll love this slow burn ghost story with a touch of demons.

Evelyn and Claire, identical twins, move to a small cottage and things begin to become odd. A handsome stranger, a mysterious child's game and sisterly conflict create a story that will stick with you for a while.

I can't wait to read more from this author! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.