I received this book in exchange for an honest review - for a full review check out my YouTube or Goodreads account

I just adored this book. The threads of celtic lore add to a beautifully vivid story, strong both on plot and characters. I felt transported - perfectly imagining the places and people, and intrigued by the mystery of the missing children.

The mark of a good book is wanting more, and I was thrilled when I learnt that there was a sequel.

I have been to Scotland once and felt like I returned. The beautiful writing style touched topics such as the power of family or love. The characters had depth, complexity and were really relatable. I highly recommend this one!

I don’t often come across books I struggle to finish, as even when I don’t like them or feel they’re not as good as other books on the TBR, I’m still able to finish them. However, with A River Enchanted, it goes into the rare pile of DNF’s (only two have come before it).

Whilst the premise of this was exciting - especially with the setting being Scotland - the book felt like it lacked an energy to make me care (I read to 60% before I just lost interest entirely).

I know Ross is an incredible author as Divine Rivals has been one of my favourite reads of 2023, however, on this occasion, the writing style was too dense for my tastes.

Have you ever read something so beautiful that it stays with you long after you finish it? Well, this book had that effect on me. I was out with my friends today, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, and all I wanted to do was to go back home and start reading the second book. The ending was so painful, and my mind was consumed by it. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. Although I was expecting more action and a faster pace, I realized halfway through that it was a cosy fantasy. This isn't my usual genre, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance because it was so atmospheric, and I immediately fell in love with the characters.

I really enjoyed how well the characters were written in this book. They each had their own personalities and struggles, making them feel like more than just tools for the plot. Clearly, the characters cared deeply about their island, people, families, and loved ones.

However, I did notice that the pacing was slow, and the book felt more like a young adult novel despite being marketed as an adult book. Some adult scenes were written vaguely or poetically, while others faded to black.

Overall, the writing style was beautiful, magical, and captivating. Rebecca Ross brought the story to life and made me feel like I was one of the main characters. I was utterly hooked and obsessed, and I would love to see this book turned into a movie with Timothee Chalamet as Jack.

It's important to note that while the story has some romance, it's more focused on fantasy.

#ariverenchated #scifiandfantasty #bookblogger #bookfriends #bookreview

what a pretty story! definitely one of those cosy, comfort reads thats perfect for a rainy day spent under a warm duvet.

the strength of this story is how atmospheric it is. its very fairytale-esque with the lure of scottish charm. the mysterious island of cadence, the age-old feud between clans, and the magic of impish spirits create a very tangible world. and the characters are just as complex, just as intriguing.

i will say that the overall vibe of the story feels YA, even though the characters are older. i do wish the story had felt more mature, but i know this is RRs first venture into adult fiction, so i have no doubt it will improve with the next book in the series. which is an installment i eagerly look forward to!

I have been meaning to read this book for such a long time! However after how much I loved Divine Rivals, I thought I’d better finally give this a go!
This story follows Jack, a musician who has been summoned back to his home to help solve the mystery of the disappearing girls. I found it made a nice change with the main character being male although we do get a few different POVs in the book which I also liked. However, I did find some of the chapters were quite long and would often change POV halfway through and this would have been better being split into shorter chapters. I loved the Scottish fairytale vibes in this book and I am planning on starting the sequel ASAP!

I liked this book, the writing was whimsical and well written. I like the mystery and trying to work that out. But unfortunately the story was very slow, and I didn't connect with the characters.

A beautiful fantasy tale, cosy and engaging, I loved the notes of Scottish folklore, it added so much to this atmospheric tale. I can’t wait to pick up the second book

Enchantments weave a deep spell over the mystical Isle of Cadence.

Mischievous spirits bring joy to the human inhabitants until their tricks take a dark turn with the disappearance of girls.

Adaira, the heiress of the east, understands that only a bard's music can summon these spirits to find the missing girls. However, the sole bard capable of such magic is her childhood foe, Jack Tamerlaine.

After a decade away studying music at the Mainland University, Jack reluctantly returns to Cadence to collaborate with Adaira. Together, they uncover a sinister truth about the spirits and a hidden, darker secret that threatens them all.

Though a newcomer to fantasy and mythology, I'm broadening my horizons and thoroughly enjoying it. The author skillfully delivers a beautifully written story with vivid characters and settings. The world-building is a standout, crafting an intricate realm with its own histories, cultures, and languages.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

DNF at 45%

I think I probably could have pushed on to finish, but I found it such a slog and I’d rather spend my time on books I’d really enjoy. There was some specific stuff bothering be (see below) but in general, I just found myself irritated. I was irritated by the characters. I didn’t really care about the girls-are-being-kidnapped plot. There wasn’t anything that kept me engaged.

The writing style really wasn’t my cup of tea. I found the prose to be edging into ‘overwrought,’ in the sense that it felt like the author had a thesaurus open as they were writing but didn’t really know how to use it - words felt shoehorned in where they didn’t really fit, for the sake of attempting to elevate the tone. I also found the style more reminiscent of YA than Adult - people were conveniently expositing in dialogue, the POV characters’ interiority was frequently melodramatic. I don’t mind this as much when I want to read YA, but I picked this up because I was in the mood for Adult.

All in all, this book wasn’t for me. I don’t know if that’s just how I’m feeling at the moment - the premise has a lot of things I’d usually enjoy - so I might consider coming back to it at another time, but honestly I doubt I will.

A River Enchanted is an atmospheric, gripping read. I loved how Ross was able to construct a world that I was able to visualise easy. From the descriptions of the water, to the homes people lived in, to the landscapes — I was able to conjure up images of them all with ease. The impact of this is that the world then began to feel so familiar, increasing the hold this story had on me, as it submerged me in to the world.

I loved how Ross used Celtic folklore/mythology in the narrative, weaving it in seamlessly in to the plot. Again, it was all done so easily that it felt so natural, so real. It did not take me much to suspend my disbelief.

I enjoyed how the mystery unravelled itself through the course of the novel, with secrets slowly coming to light, as the characters began to learn more about themselves and the truth of the world around them. I will say, for me, at times the story felt a little slow moving and I do wish it was faster paced. This slowness is the reason the book did not gain another star, as I do feel at points the book dragged too much.

I liked the character development that went on through out this whole book. I feel like all the characters were confronted and challenged with a harsh, often life changing, truth. I’m excited to see the consequences of these truths play out in the next book, with how the characters react to them…and how the truth reacts to them.

Thank you for the chance to read this novel by Rebecca Ross.
I loved the world building, Rebecca is an author who can craft a world so beautiful you can close your eyes and imagine it in detail.
The pace was slower than my usual taste, but you could see it was setting up for the next book too.

There's no denying that Rebecca Ross is a good writer because she is, but A River Enchanted just wasn't for me. I tend to like faster paced books with a bit more happening but this one was quite slow and, at times, a little repetitive.

I was waiting for some revelations or just something to pick up the pacing but not enough happened to keep me interested. Unfortunately, I DNF'd.

It's well written though (hence it's 2 stars and not one) but just not my cup of tea.
I'd still recommend this to anyone who likes a slower, atmospheric, fairy-tale-type story.

I've read and enjoyed the author's previous young adult fantasy novels and likewise enjoyed this. Despite being marketed as adult and having multiple character viewpoints it had more of a YA vibe in my opinion, although the characters were slightly older. I did find 'A River Enchanted' rather slow and a bit too focused on romance at times, but have since read the sequel 'A Fire Endless' which had a faster pace and better conclusion than I had been expecting.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

4.5/5

I read Rebecca Ross' YA debut before and loved it. So when this book was published last year and received a lot of praise, it immediately piqued my interest, especially since it is an adult fantasy. And the cover of the UK edition is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. I hadn't decided whether to get it physically or just listen to it as an audiobook when I found it on NetGalley and requested it. I ended up reading this e-book along with the audiobook.
When I started reading the book, I have to admit that it was hard to get into. Somehow I didn't like the writing style. It bothered me that our male protagonist was also voiced by the same female narrator. I didn't even understand why there weren't two narrators, or it should have been a man since Jack was the main character. At first, it didn't work for me that Jack was speaking in a female voice, but later I got used to it and it didn't bother me. Once the book started to work, and from then on I loved the writing and the atmosphere.
The world had a minimal amount of fantasy elements, but it was very nicely embedded in the book. The mystery was interesting all the way through, although I wasn't a fan of the solution. I also liked the characters, they were likeable. My only problem was perhaps that the two couples' love stories felt a bit similar.
I deducted half a star for these little things, but I really liked the book. If it continues like this, the sequel has a chance for 5 stars :D

A Scottish influence folktale fantasy, that has definitely become one of my all time favourite reads. I instantly got sucked into the world of Jack and Adaira. Their story is so incredibly magical and enchanting, that you can not help but fall head over heals in love with the book. Our sub-characters as well where just *chefs kiss*. You cannot help but be drawn into this book. Incredible.

A beautifully lyrical fantasy!

I read and loved Divine Rivals and that finally gave me the push I needed to pick up A River Enchanted after holding off for so long and I’m so glad I did.

This was such an incredibly written story, I was immersed in the plot and the characters from the very beginning and there was something so haunting about the plot, with the girls going missing. I loved every second and can’t wait to read book two!

Adding absolutely everything Rebecca Ross has ever written to my TBR.

Maybe it just wasn't for me but I was left a little disappointed as I was excited by the premise.
I unfortunately only got about 25% though, I unfortunately found it dull and lackluster and didn't care for any of the characters.
The Scotland setting was what really drew me in, however the world building in this fell flat it didn't feel fleshed out enough giving the reader little information for a YA fantasy.
An underwhelming one for me unfortunately.

I really enjoyed this book!

An atmospheric book with Scottish/celtic folklore vibes to it. I agree with another review, the characters are not what drives this book but the isle and the spirits and the feuding clans. But this isn't to say that I didn't like the characters! I found myself caring about them. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the fact it followed multiple characters, but it really suited the plot and I found myself hooked.

It isn't a quick read and the pacing is slow but in a way that suits the story, which needs to unravel this way. The slow pacing isn't just filler with nothing happening, it's just adding more to the story and I didn't feel that the book should have been shorter or bits could have been cut like after I've read some books.

Overall I really liked this and I'm definitely going to pick up the sequel!

4⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.