I think this book was just a, "it's not you ,it me" case. I am pretty sure a lot of people will like this book but sadly it did not work for me.

Firstly, it's marketed wrong, there's nothing in the story that is even remotely similar to Crescent city. I can see some similarity to Uprooted but even that is far fetched. If anything the world and the culture in this book reminded me lot of Malice by John Gwynne. And I think that was the only part of the story that I enjoyed. I liked the magical island setting and the different spirits and the lore & myths attached to them - it was fun.

This is my first book by the author and I found her writing to be quite good and easy to follow. However, I'd like to mention that even though its marketed as an adult book, it feels YA, if a bit older. This felt like one of those books where a lot is happening but you also feel like nothing has happened at all. Again, it maybe just me but that's how I felt while reading it.

That aside, the biggest weakness I found were that characters, I just couldn't connect with any of them, I absolutely did not care about them and found them to be very bland. There are two main couples in the book and I absolutely didn't care about either of their relationship.

Jack and Adaira's ( one of the main couple) relationship escalated at such a speed that it didn't feel believable. The blurb hinted at an enemies to lovers kinda situation but they seemed pretty cordial to me from the start, if a bit wary of each other. As a result the ending of the book fell flat for me. The other couple, Torin and Sidra were dumbasses whose spent majority of their time agonising over each other and never properly communicating. Miscommunication trope isn't my thing and in this case it was also very boring. In the hindsight, I suppose the mystery behind the missing girls was done well but it was too little, too late.

On the magical isle of Cadence, girls are vanishing. Are the elemental spirits - such a vital part of island life - responsible? Or is the danger more mundane?
Magic can imbue crafts - woven into cloth to strengthen and protect, to create magic blades, into music to call up the spirits.
A young bard is recalled to the island of his birth in order to help uncover the mystery of the missing girls but will the spirits be will to talk?

Well written, with a beautifully described world - a sort of mythical Scottish island where the spirit world is close by. Although I was unsure if that would be all the story had to offer, I was pleased that the characters and relationships developed layers & depth. In particular, I liked the emotion & maturity of the relationship between Sidra and Torin.
The magical and spirit/faerie aspects were nicely done- feeling organic & connected the environment and the lives of the characters.
The mystery of the missing girls provides the driving force to the plot, creating a sense of tension and unease, as well as allowing the characters to develop.

Although this is an ongoing series, the main plot wraps up quite nicely, whilst also leaving some threads to be followed in the next instalment.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

A River Enchanted is the kind of book you read on a dark winters night, it's beautiful and atmospheric and Ross' lush writing drags you onto the isle of Cadence and refuses to let go. The Isle of Cadence has been split between two clans for as long as anyone can remember. The Tamerlaine's to the East and the Breccan's to the West, constantly at war with one another. Jack Tamerlaine hasn't set foot on the Isle in 10 years, since he was sent to the mainland to study at University, so he is surprised when he receives a letter from is Laird asking him to return home. Once he returns he is even more surprised to learn that the letter didn't come from the Laird himself but his daughter Adaira, Jacks long time nemesis as a child. Young girls have been going missing and Adaira believes the spirits are behind it and, knowing they only answer to the Bard's music, has called Jack back to help. As they work together, they learn that the Spirits do know something of the missing children, but the more they tread down the path, the darker it gets, until they find a secret kept for years that could change the future of Cadence forever.

Told from multiple POV's although Jack and Adaira are at the forefront of the story, A River Enchanted weaves them all together to make for an unforgettable story. Jack is a Tamerlaine by name only. Born a bastard he never felt truly accepted by the clan and saw his mainland training as a kind of banishment. He simply longs for somewhere to belong and it takes him a while before he realises that Cadence is his one true home. He resents having to work with his childhood torturer, but the more time he spends with Adaira the more he realises that in 10 years his feelings and hers may have changed. Adaira is the heiress of the East and, with her fathers growing illness, finds herself taking more and more of the Laird's roles upon herself. She wants nothing more than peace for her people and the safe return of the kidnapped lasses, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that. Torin is Adaira's cousin and Captain of the East Guard. Linked to the border between the lands he can feel when a Breccan crosses and where, ensuring the safety of the clan. But his job weighs heavy on him, as does the slaughter of Breccan's he has committed, and he wonders whether it is too late to become something else. Sidra is Torin's second wife and step-mother to his daughter Maisie. She likes her life, but longs for something more, she longs for her ever distant husband to return home more often, and she longs to be something more to Maisie than she thinks she deserves, and is willing to admit. The story is peppered through with other POV's that help add to the atmosphere as well as fill in chunks of the story that would otherwise be looked over, and they all play a large part in furthering the plot.

Having spent a good few holidays up in Scotland I can safely say that A River Enchanted nails the atmosphere completely. It can be dark and dangerous but also magical and breathtaking and Ross uses her unique and brilliant magic system to show this. Cadence is almost in a world of it's own, one of the last places in Scotland to remember and revere the Folk. Thanks to a curse put on the clans years ago the Tamerlains of the East live on a bountiful land, in full harmony with the spirits, but their magic comes at a cost. Weavers can weave secrets into Plaid making them near indestructible, Dagger's can be forged with enchantments making them truth-telling, or poisonous to the touch, but in the East enchantments come with a price making the user ill, weak and lessens their life span. In the West, however, their magic would come freely and without consequence, but their crops would grow sparse, their water would run murky and their fires would grow weak.

A River Enchanted is filled with folklore and fairy tales and, thanks to Ross's lush writing style, almost reads like one itself. It's not a fast paced book by any means, more a meandering tale that weaves through different POV's, drip feeding you Scottish Lore as well as little hints as to who exactly has been taking the children and the impact that will eventually have on the story. It's a story that is incredibly hard to put down, not because it's filled with plot twists (although there are a few shockers in there) but more because it just envelops you as a reader, transporting you to Cadence so you can't help but get invested in the characters and their outcomes, and I simply never wanted it to end.

One thing I loved about this book is all the different kinds of romance's that Ross graces us with. Our main romance with Jack and Adaira is a frenemies to lovers, built on a kind of grudging mutual respect and wondrously slow burn. But with Torin and Sidra she shows us a couple already married, but only just ready to love each other as openly as they want, both scared of how the other will react if they veer from the norm and show their true feelings. There's also a kind of forbidden romance that I can't talk too much about but I'm really hoping we will get to see more of it in the second book. But the main thing that runs through them all is respect, some of these characters couldn't be more different: a bard and a heiress, a fighter and a healer, but they respect each other and the roles they play and it just made me fall a little in love with them all.

I think it's safe to say that I loved this book. It contains all of my favourite things: folklore, unforgettable characters, frenemies to lovers romance and atmospheric and lush writing. This is my second book by Ross and I will definitely be searching out her backlist because I have loved everything I've read so far... now the torturous wait for book two!

A story that intrigued me from the moment I read it’s description, A River Enchanted is certainly a story that keeps pulling you in from the moment you begin this wonderful story that tangles itself in brilliant characters and stunning scenery that gives you hope and makes you heartbreak until the very last page of the book.

A story that is driven by the perspectives of many brilliant characters and how they tangle, it felt like watching something unfold in front of your eyes with intense drama and brilliant scenes that really leave you with the image of what is happening in your mind with such ease. Sidra and Torin in particular are just written so well, it feels like you’re reading something so genuine and you are reading something happen in real time.

Twists and turns happen and unexpected things occur, this book feels like a rollercoaster of emotion and story that in moments can feel like alot going on, not to mention as this book goes on its pace picks up which makes everything feel like it is happening so fast. However it is plot you keep up with and it makes for some incredibly special moments and some real scenes that leave you feeling alot of feelings, I can definitely tell you that.

A book of incredible characters set in beautiful scenery that just paints itself in front of your eyes, A River Enchanted is enchanting as it captures your imagination and leaves you thinking, this author I hope is working on book 2 as I need to know what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so magical to read. The descriptive writing really made it so whimsical. Definitely the kind of book you would read in a cabin, in the mountains, with the fire going. I couldn’t wait to pick this up every evening and sink in.

At first I was hesitant with the multiple POVs because I find that I always end up preferring to read one character over another. However, Sidra, Torin, Jack and Adriana were all amazing and each of their struggles hit a realistic aspect in real life.

Also the spirits were SO COOL to read about. Especially the wind spirits. Their descriptions were just otherworldly 😍 absolutely can’t wait for the sequel.

Put this on your tbr and buy it in February PLEASE.

A River Enchanted is a beautiful story of an island split in two by old grudges. The writing is lyrical and gripping, and although the pacing is slow that fits the story perfectly, and feels exactly right for these characters.

There is a lot of world building in the book, and I felt transported. This is the perfect read for a stormy day - something about it just feels so warm and magical!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was granted this book as a wish by the publisher and I am so grateful. It was incredible. The front cover is stunning and I was instantly drawn to it but after the first page it was clear to see the writing was great, the characters were well developed and the storyline was gripping. I couldnt put this book down it was full of magic, love, intrigue, suspense and unpredictability and the ending nearly killed me I have to know what happens. I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of A River Enchanted

A River Enchanted is a novel which pits magic, love, kidnappings and a bard against the odds.
Jack left his clan years ago for the mainland but is summoned back to the Isle. Upon his return he must join forces with Adaira to save his clan's daughters.
There's plenty of adventure, secrets and truths along the way and nothing is ever plain sailing.

I loved all the characters in A River Enchanted. Sida at first felt a little like second place, but I loved her strength and her "waking" moment when she finally, what felt like she realised her worth. Torrin also started off a a ruggable guard but his woes changed him and I felt like he did have redeeming features which made him more likeable.
I was pleased to see Jack grow as a character too, from the boy who he thought was worthless to the man that had a purpose.

I loved this novel, the writing style and the premise of the story was enthralling and I felt myself fall away with the story. The magic and the history of the spirits and folk were all interesting and I certainly didn't expect some of the twists and turns. I was however left feeling like there was so much more to give at the end - though I guess this will be revealed in book 2,which I can not wait to read.

This book drew me in right from the start and had me hooked to the very end!

@beccajross has woven a plaid, much like the ones the characters don, with this intricate and beguiling read! I can't say much without giving too much away but this book filled with Scottish charm was a delight to read and has really gotten me back to the root of the kind of books I like best of all. I can't wait to head back to Cadence because I need to know more, the deep cliffhanger this tale was left on has left gaping chasm that I'm desperate to cross!

This was a very slow moving story, with characters that spent more time thinking about what they should do than actually doing anything. I kept hoping it would speed up, but the focus remained on description and introspection the whole way through.

There were five viewpoint characters, and the only ones I didn't find unbearably boring were Jack and Adaira, the main romantic pairing. The others were captain of the guard Torin, healer and herbalist Sidra, and young girl Frae. Torin and Sidra are married, and most of their chapters showed them agonising over their strained marriage while failing to communicate properly. Frae had absolutely nothing to add, really.

I may have come off a bit harsh with this review. Slow, atmospheric stories are not really my thing, and there are plenty of very positive reviews of this book, so don't let me put you off. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for this review.

I will gather my thoughts and come back to leave more a in depth review but for now i will say this is a beautifully written nove. And something I really appreciate as someone who does like romance but not sexual intimacy is that this is an adult book which isnt too 'mature', i know there are people who like that but for me it just grosses me out and there are a lot us of like this! So i really appreciated that about this book.