The Witches of Willow Cove was such a fun read, especially with the Harry Potter references throughout the book. It's entertaining with a good pace and an interesting story with several layers, in addition to some twists and turns. I also liked several of the characters and found them relatable, even if they were 13.

Also, I hope this will turn into a series, as there's lots more to explore.

This was a really fun, witchy middle grade book! Upon turning 13, Abby discovers that she has magical powers. When the strange Miss Winters shows up and wants to teach Abby and several of her friends magic, a chain of suspicious events begin to occur in the town. Meanwhile, Abby’s best friend Robby is trying to research what really happened to his mother, while drawing connections to the town’s mysterious history. Abby must work with her friends to uncover more about magic and friendship. Is Miss Winters truly trying to teach them magic or does she have other motives?

The writing was very accessible and I think many readers will be pulled into the mystery and magic of Willow Cove. I would recommend it for all readers 8 and up who are looking for a magical read about friendship and witches. While this is a middle grade book, I do think any older readers or parents who like stories about magic or witches will enjoy this. Harry Potter fans will appreciate the clever references to Harry Potter throughout. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author! Thank you to Josh Roberts, Owl Hollow Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great KS3 book, possibly for mature upper KS2.
A story of witches and mystery.
Who is Miss Winter and why does she enlist the 6 girls from Willow Cove? What is their connection to the witches born 300 years ago.
An easy and enjoyable read.

I received an eARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I was searching through Netgalley one day and, I'll have to be honest, the cover grabbed me.

I enjoyed reading this story. I like how the author actually gave us 13 year olds that actually acted like 13 year olds. I think Middle Grade readers will really enjoy this. The plot was good, the characters were great and the story rolled along just right. Other than the week's missing between chapters, I can't complain about anything. I will definitely recommend this to everyone.

Full of magic and twists and turns, the story of Abby and her journey of self discovery is a great read for UKS2 children. The reader follows the challenges of the life of Abby and her best friend Robby, and the very real issues that best friends can have. When a new girl arrives, along with a brand new teacher, Abby and Robby find themselves drifting apart, but both on a mission to solve the mystery of disappearing citizens of Willow Cove.

The book makes links with real life history, such as the Salem witch trials, which children may wish to research further if they are interested. However this may also mean that that the book is not suitable for more sensitive individuals or those with particular religious beliefs. The characters the reader follows throughout the book, range in personality and circumstances so also provides opportunities for more children to be able to find a character that reflects their personal circumstances. The book also deals with loss of a parent and therefore this may also deem it unsuitable for some readers.

I love reading books about magic, so when I saw "The Witches of Willow Cove" on NetGalley as a ARC, had to ask to read it. I was not disappointed.

Six 13 year old girls find out they’re witches. They form a coven with their new substitute teacher, Miss Winters, as their teacher. She teaches them how to master their powers, how to work together to accomplish goals, and how to be there for each other when needed. But something is wrong. People are dying or disappearing without a trace. Do those things have to do with the sudden appearance of Miss Winters in town, or is it just some crazy coincidence? The girls, and 3 other friends, will have to work together to figure out just what's going on in Willow Cove before it’s too late!

I found this to be a very well written first book. It was intelligent enough that adults and parents can read it and it’s not dumbed down like some middle grade books can be. I found it to be suspenseful, without being scary. Funny and sometimes sad. It kind of took me back to what it was like to be 13 and in middle school again. The clicks, the drama, the fun, the boys, etc. Made me want to go out and start exploring caves and spooky woods again. Made me wish I could be a witch myself! It was engaging and it held my attention right to the very end.

I would recommend this to anybody 8-100+ that likes witches, magic and little mischief! It would be nice if this were to become a series so you can follow these kids as they grow with their powers and friends. I’d be very interested in reading them if the author opts to write them.

Otherwise, I’ll be looking for more from Josh Roberts. I think more great books will be coming from him.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced ecopy.

It took a couple chapters to get into. Willow cove is home to some witches, they get their powers when they turn 13.

Full review on my blog in a couple of days.

I loved every moment and aspects of this book: the plot, the world building, the characters.
It's an engrossing and entertaining read that can be appreciated by children and adult.
Hope to read another story with these characters soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

4.5 Stars

This book filled the witchy hole in my heart.
A magical story of friendship and teamwork, with kickass teenage witches navigating their newfound abilities while trying to find out if their beloved teacher is actually who she says she is.
Any fan of Harry Potter, Starfell, or Nevermore would love this fast-paced, action-packed read.

I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the sequel immensely. The plot was well-developed and interesting, although the story started very quickly. This would definitely keep younger readers interested from the start.

If you like stories with secrets, intrigue, danger, and magic, this would be an excellent choice. The language is appropriate for the age group and there is some very light romance/romantic interest (age-appropriate for characters, who are 13 years old).

It was easy to read, and remained interesting throughout. While it ended in a satisfactory conclusion for now, it is definitely a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the sequel! My enjoyment of this novel was not affected by the age of the characters (important to note given that they are almost 20 years younger than me).

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing a copy of this eARC for review.

I enjoyed following the journey of Abby, Robby, and their friends. Middle grade readers who like stories about witches combined with a good mystery will enjoy The Witches of Willow Cove.

The Witches of Willow Cove! Such an awesome and fun book for any reader...of any age! I loved this book with its strong leading characters, believable development, and unbelievable acts of magic! It makes me want to belong to a coven too!!! The idea of girls being the witches and getting their power when they turn 13, will lead every girl out there wondering if her birthday will bring worth some magical special birthday wish! I love the strength of all the female characters and the power of girls together, and what they can overcome!

I loved The Witches of Willow Cove, though, it did not differ much from anything I have read about witches before.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every now and then I go through a phase of wanting to read books for much younger people so I take awhile and read books for middle readers or young adult books. This was one of my recent choices and I was not disappointed. I actually really enjoyed it. This is a book that is full of magic, danger, and a bunch of heart. It is a story that will captivate readers, young and old as we all root for Abby and her friends as they try to solve each new mystery that comes their way. It is a story of true friendship...both new friends and the ones you have all along but that you look at in a new way. It is a story of young witches you have recently learned who they are and how to use their powers that come to them on their 13th Birthday. It is a story that encompasses both witches in the past and in the present and twines them all together...I loved this book and I would totally recommend it to young readers and old readers who like stories of witches and friendship.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

The Witches of Willow Cove, is absolutely captivating from start to finish, Had I not been interrupted by my daughter numerous times I would have completed this in one day. I did not want to put it down at all.

Willow Cove is a place where witches exist and unexplainable things are happening to them. We are immediately thrown into the story and the pace never lets up. The story starts out by following Abby and Robby, but the cast of characters slowly grows from there, and while the cast is large it never feels overwhelming. We know who are main characters are and who are supporting characters are, but everyone gets just enough spotlight that you grow to love them all.

I loved Robby, when he was introduced I was afraid he would slowly fade to the background of the story but Roberts made sure that did not happen. While the story does focus on the witches and their power, he made sure that the non magical kids got their share of spotlight and were proven to be needed just as much as their magical friends. It made the storytelling balanced and more enjoyable to follow along.

All while navigating the magic and witchcraft of their world these kids are thrust into, they are also battling everyday life and the struggles of growing up and seeing best friends fight and struggle to communicate in this changing environment was gratifying. When peoples worlds change at alarming rates it does put strain on relationships, so the realness put into that made the story that much richer in context.

The only aspect of the story that did bother me some was the "instant" relationship of Robby and Becca. It was so quick and spontaneous that it didn't fit the flow of the rest of the context. Everyone else was gradually learning their powers, or gradually learning information about the witches, that their instant relationship was odd. I can understand and believe instant attraction to one another, but it would have felt more believable if they gradually worked their way towards a relationship.

The Witches of Willow Cove is a magical, and spooky coming of age tale that I think both boys and girls will love and enjoy! Ill be adding this to my shelf once its released!

I'm always on the lookout for wholesome, magical adventures and was immediately intrigued by The Witches of Willow Cove by debut novelist Josh Roberts. Following a particularly dramatic Halloween experience in which thirteen-year-old Abby Shepherd and her best friend Robby escape imminent danger by flying off on a broomstick, Abby discovers that she is a witch and that she is not alone in Willow Cove. Five other girls in the tiny hometown of Willow Cove are witches too and the mysterious Miss Winters arrives to teach them about their burgeoning powers.

Meanwhile, Robby is involved in a mystery of his own. When his step-mother goes missing and a local teacher is attacked, Robby seeks the help of his friends Zeus and new schoolmate Becca to get to the bottom of the events. Somehow he knows it is linked to the disappearance of his own mother years before.

Abby and Robby drift apart, their friendship strained by recent events, but their investigations soon lead them and their friends back together again as the group of children must fight a powerful force and prevent another great tragedy in the town of Willow Cove.

The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts | Book Review The Witches of Willow Cove is the type of book that I usually love but sadly I didn't love this one. While JK Rowling certainly didn't invent magic or Latin, readers will recognise incantations, magical creatures, wands and broomsticks from the Harry Potter universe.

I also found the astonishing lack of response to Robby's step-mother's disappearance implausible. When people go missing, family members can't breathe and are crippled by the uncertainty of it all; they don't carry on their lives as normal as we see with Robby's father. Finally, the novel depends heavily on a mean girl trope. While Olivia has a history of bullying Abby and puts her trust in the wrong person, Abby's extreme physical violence towards Olivia is not justified and is never properly explored.

I give The Witches of Willow Cove a disappointing three out of five stars and would be unlikely to read further if this were to become a series.

I don’t tend to read a lot of middle-grade, normally sticking predominantly to YA and adult, but I really enjoyed this!
The subject matter is something I always love. I’m obsessed with witches so I had high hopes from the start. I loved the friendship in this story and the elements of magic.
It was fun to read and difficult to put down!

Fans of Harry Potter will love Witches of Willow Cove! Witchcraft, witch trials, wands, spells, and mythical creatures will keep middle grade students involved from beginning to end. The characters are easy to get to know and relate to as friendships form and change throughout the book. The historical aspect of the Salem witch trials adds a suspenseful twist to the plot. The eerie setting that Josh Roberts creates makes the reader feel like she is really part of this haunting story.

The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts is a fantastic middle grade adventure. It follows the story of friends Abby and Robby who have been friends since childhood and are still close as they enter their teenage years, though that is not without complications as they navigate crushes and first kisses. The biggest complication however is that Abby is a witch. a startling revelation to both of them, but one that excites and intrigues them. When reclusive orphan Amethyst starts to exhibit magical powers too, along with several other girls in Abby's grade it seems like something strange is happening in their small town. When a mysterious new substitute teacher, Miss Winters, arrives and starts teaching the girls to use their powers in secret, Abby struggles with the guilt of keeping it from Robby, but he has worries of his own, his step mother has disappeared and he is worried about Abby and trying to keep her secret from new girl, and crush Becca. When he learns about the history of the town and the six young women who were killed as witches centuries ago, he begins to wonder if Miss Winters is more than she seems and sets out to investigate.
I really liked the dual narratives in this book, both Robby and Abby are great well developed characters, and I liked the message that just because you don't have magical powers, it does not mean you have nothing to offer. Both of their stories contribute to the overall story equally , and when they combine it makes for a very satisfying conclusion that requires both groups of children to work together. The secondary characters are also a lot of fun, particularly Amethyst, who is probably the one we get to know best in this book. I loved the small town setting, and the wonderfully descriptive writing which added greatly to the atmosphere without slowing down the pace. Speaking about pace, the book moves swiftly and the mystery is revealed in a way designed to keep the reader engaged. I believe this is a stand alone book but I definitely see potential for more adventures for this coven of young witches, and I hope that the author chooses to revisit Willow Cove.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a great MG and YA book with a bunch magic, mystery and some history wrapped into one.

Abby just turned 13 and found out she was a witch. Come to find out, there are more girls in her school with the same abilities. Her friend Robby, Zeus and Becca try to figure out the mystery that has plagued their town.

This book is perfectly written with a 13 year old in mind. It definitely held my interest and I didn't want to put it down.

I liked how this book mixed in some historical fiction of the Salem Witch Trials. I could totally see this book becoming a series.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!