I hear gender flipped Gatsby with witches I requested immediately. The setting & atmosphere of the book were captivating and well written.

The reason I’m giving it 4 instead of a full 5 is because of character development. I wish Nathan & Isobel’s characters had been more fleshed out. I absolutely love a found family & I feel like there was a lot of unexplored potential here. We also don’t get to know any of the characters super well outside of their magic & their one (1) personality trait.

On that note, Annie’s character arc was more of a jump than an arc. The book starts with us being told how meek Annie is/was, but we never really see that? It’s just a lot of “Old Annie would have run, but not now.” I would have liked to see more of a gradual character development of her really growing into herself. It was just a very sudden change. I did like her relationship with Emmaline though I would be greedy and would have liked more scenes of their relationship developing.

I also really liked the narrative set up with flashback scenes and withholding information from us, in the beginning I found it very confusing and eventually went back in the book when I was getting more into it and understanding of the plot, it was only then I was making any connections between the past and present.

I would just really, really like to live in a cottage on the beach of Crow Island where I take long walks with my cup of tea while listening to the sounds of the ocean with my witch girlfriend, is that too much to ask?

A beautiful gothic, witchy, atmospheric book. Loved it so much it on rotation for me to read again very soon

Wild and Wicked Things is a hard book to review. Sapphic. Witches. Morally ambiguous characters. All very appealing to me, and yet I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it.

I found it hard to connect with any of the characters (although Nathan came close) and when there was a moment when I thought I would, they’d do something or make a choice that I couldn’t understand, which made some of the conflicts and tension feel thin. Despite this, I did welcome Annie’s character arc. For me, the chemistry of the romance between Annie and Emmeline outside of their magical bond was wanting, partly because of the lack of build-up and development of their relationship, so I found it difficult to understand their attraction to each other. I was intrigued how magic would work in this world. At times it was enthralling, but it was also confusing, and I couldn’t quite feel grounded in the worldbuilding and the different timelines.

However, the mystery of this island was fascinating and I enjoyed getting to know more about it in the flashback scenes. The mood of this book is atmospheric perfection and I loved the vivid and lyrical descriptions and the feel of the strange Crow Island, and I could have read more about the atmospheric island.

Thank you to Orbit, Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

TW: violence, transphobia, death.
Oh. My. God.

This book is nothing short of incredible. It has a FANTASTIC range of beautifully diverse characters, who I absolutely adored. It’s fast paced, dark and has brilliant LGBTQ+ rep.
Definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I took quite a while to get into this book. While it does pay off eventually, it's a bit of a slow burn with the characters taking some time to really come through, so it's important to be aware of that going in. That said, I enjoyed the setting and the worldbuilding, and there was an element of mystery that never really gets fully explained in the book, which I quite enjoyed. Definitely a book for anyone who enjoys a sapphic, witchy story - just be prepared to wait for it.

This book was beautifully written, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the setting and the various descriptions of the magic surrounding the characters. However, I struggled to connect to the characters and the pacing felt really slow, so I struggled to get invested in the actual plot of the story, rather than the wonderfully lyrical writing.

Set just after the First World War, in a Britain where magic exists but has been outlawed. The main character, Annie, arrives on Crow Island, after the death of her estranged father, and immediately becomes intrigued by her neighbour, the enigmatic Emmeline Delacroix. She throws lavish parties, attended by the great and the good. That there is magic there is understood but tolerated, as it benefits those in power. Annie sets out to find out more about her, and in the process discovers more about herself and her father. I liked the atmosphere of this novel, and it does owe more than a nod to The Great Gatsby (and Practical Magic in parts), but I would not go so far as to describe this as a re-telling of the former. I enjoyed this very much.

I have been highly anticipating Wild and Wicked Things ever since it was announced and described as a sapphic, witchy The Great Gatsby and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. It was the gorgeous gothic slowburn I didn’t know I needed.

I studied The Great Gatsby in school and thanks to my wonderful teacher, it became my favourite classic. So I was beyond excited to read Francesca May’s take on it. Wild and WIcked Things captures so much of what I loved about Gatsby: the symbolism, the nature of the island and its people (though with a fun magical twist) and the characters who are wonderfully imperfect (and often downright horrible). The gift of this book is that it lays bare these characters’ flaws and you empathise with and love them anyway.

What struck me from the very first page was how gorgeous the writing is. The decadent nature of the prose worked so well with the story to create the perfect Gatsby-esque atmosphere, with hints at the occult and wickedness too. The way May describes the setting, the characters and the magic is so compelling and visceral that I was immediately drawn in. This is particularly impressive as the slow building, simmering nature of the book isn’t one that usually works for me. I often find myself getting bored in these scenarios but Wild and Wicked Things sunk its claws in and refused to let me go.

As I’ve mentioned the characters were all deeply flawed but so compelling that I adored reading about them. I related a lot to Annie, our main character, who has always felt meek and timid, and been written off for that. Seeing her come into herself in this book was a delight. Emmeline was another interesting character: the definition of morally grey, alluring and with a dark past. I loved the complex relationships between them all too: the sibling bond between the witches of the Delacroix house, the old friendship between Bea and Annie and the new blossoming relationship between Annie and Emmeline. Though I would have liked to see a bit more development on the romance and that’s what stopped this book from getting five stars.

I really enjoyed Annie’s slow realisation that she’s a lesbian and the self acceptance that came with that. I felt that it was handled very well within the context of the time period. I also liked that Emmeline was gender nonconforming. On Twitter, May called her a nonbinary lesbian and I loved getting to explore this in the novel, though I would have liked a bit more emphasis on her not feeling like a woman, rather than just not conforming to society’s views of womanhood in the 20s.

The plot diverged from The Great Gatsby quite a bit so I wouldn’t go into this expecting a true retelling, though there are definite influences and references throughout. Wild and Wicked Things is undeniably gothic, with its creeping mystery, unfurling darkness and careful, slow burning plot. It is an absolutely stunning novel and I highly recommend picking it up.

A brilliant gender bent great Gatsby tale. This book was so decadent and rich, highly recommend it for fans of the original source material.

I had a few weeks to think about this book and the longer I think about it, the more I understand why I did not like it as much as I hoped I would. This book is like a game of chess, a move is followed by another move by another move and whilst it’s not predictable as such what move is next, it still feels like it’s only ever going to be one of a series of moves. I expected a more expand story, one that would leave the board, but it did not. So yeah, it was a good read but not beyond that.

Historical fiction books are such good genres. Unfortunately I just couldn't finish this. The concept of the plot was really clever. I'd have to say it was the characters that let it down. The pace was set slowly and the world building made is more chaotic. It just didn't live up to my expectations

1.5 ⭐️

Unfortunately this has ended up being a DNF for me. I almost stopped reading at 30% but it did get slightly better. Currently at 70% and hardly anything has actually happened slow burn is an understatement. None of the main characters are likeable and there is barely a plot. This should have been a much smaller book the first 30% could have been done in 10%. I don't understand how anyone has given this 5⭐️

This was a very Gatsby inspired and feeling witchy story. Set on a crescent moon island of the coast of Whitby England where magic still lingers after being made illegal following World War 1.

Written from 2 characters points of view switching between characters, it was done well that you could easily know who you were reading about.

The book was written beautifully with lyrical descriptions, I loved the setting and the alluring yet dangerous feel toward magic.

I enjoyed the characters and the mc development through-out the story, but felt it was a little predictable and I didn't feel as emotionally invested in the relationships as much as I would have liked.

Still a great story and one I am glad to have read.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC copy.

Ugh, words can not describe how much I loved this book! I could not put it down! It was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year and it certainly did not disappoint. This is definitely a book I will re-read at some point in the future.

I didn’t know much about this book before requesting it but I knew it was sapphic, roaring 20s, with witches. The latter two I love and the first one is an extra. So I didn’t know it was a The Great Gatsby retelling but it’s everywhere. I loved the little details but nothing is an exact copy. Or at least, I can’t remember. I’m glad I’ve read this book instead of the classic (which my friend recommended against).

The characters are well done. The relationship dynamics between Annie, Bea, and Emmeline is interesting to read, especially since all three of them are so different. Annie does feel a little dull at the beginning until she starts to follow her heart. In a world where everyone is expected to conform, it’s sometimes better to not fit in. All of the characters have their own struggles and deal with them in their own fashion.

I loved the large number of mysteries in this book and how slowly the mystery of Bea is revealed. Everything is connected through magic. It reminded me a bit of the 90s/00s witchy movies. Super dark and bordering on horror. Do check content warnings if you need them. All of this increases the pace of the book the longer it goes on and by the last quarter, it’s hard to stop reading. You want to know how it’s going to end. How does it all tie together? Even the small questions prompted at the beginning of the book are answered.

I give Wild and Wicked Things four stars. It’s an incredible story with twists and turns, witchcraft, and powerful relationships. I highly recommend it to people who loved The Great Gatsby, The Diviners, or Practical Magic (1995).

No one is more disappointed to be DNF'ing one of my most anticipated books of 2022 than I am, but sadly this was going nowhere for me. I thought the author did an excellent job of creating a spooky, glittery vibe that perfectly matched the magical Great Gatsby comp, but I just did not care about any of the characters and every time I thought about picking this book up again, I found I had no motivation to keep reading. I also got the sense that the author was withholding things that it would have been natural for the characters to reveal solely to ramp up the suspense, rather than because it made any logical sense for them to do so.

I received a free advanced reader copy of Wild and Wicked Things in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Little Brown book and Francesca May for allowing me the opportunity to read this.
As soon as I saw the synopsis for Wild and Wicked Things I knew it was a book I just HAD to read; a post World War 1 world, but with witches?! Count me in!
I absolutely adore the glitz and glamour side of the prohibition era, The Great Gatsby is a book that I devoured during my A Levels and May brought the 1920’s to life once more, a time of short hair and even shorter skirts! I was instantly drawn in by the concept of adding sorcery to this time, even though it is not something I ever realised I needed until I saw this book.
Annie moves to Crow Island after the death of her father, on what she intends to be a short period of time so that she can see to his belongings. She quickly sees first hand the enthralling nature of magic when she finds herself living next to Cross house, a den of magic, and cannot find herself keeping away from Emmeline.
To add a twist to her once quiet life, her best friend Bea is also on the Island, having fell out of contact with Annie after she married Arthur.
No relationship within this book is simple, each fraught with different issues of both the past and present, in a way that kept my attention and had me wanting to know more. The consequences of the first World War show on every character; the loss of Sam and Eddie adding to the tension of Annie and Bea’s fractured friendship.
I felt this book was brilliantly written, and while it took me a little perseverance to truly get invested in this book, once I did I could not put it down, desperate to know where the story would take the characters next.
The time period made the sapphic relationships within this book even more potent, being set at a time where same sex love was such a taboo it made the interactions even more potent; the bravery of the characters shining through as they tried to be true to themselves and not societal expectations. The addition of witches only served to heighten this, as being a witch was a huge risk in itself.
This book truly deserves a read, I’ll certainly be looking out for any future books by Francesca May!

Looking for a book to read this weekend? I highly recommend the magnificently seductive Wild and Wicked Things from Francesca May. Set against an alternate, decadent backdrop of 1920s hedonism the book has glorious vibes of two of my favourite books, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Witching Hour from Anne Rice. If you like your books packed with witchcraft, curses, glorious parties, and illicit love affairs then this is one for you.
The book is a slow burn to start but this reflects protagonist Annie’s journey from a life of repression to a new life that plunges her headfirst into a darker world of intoxicating witchcraft. Once the book has you in its grip you will not be able to stop reading.
The world building from Francesca May is perfectly balanced, there is enough alternate history to ground you in the book’s reality and the setting of Crow Island, albeit off the east coast of England has a richness that reminds you of an endless summer in The Hamptons. So this weekend, the cleaning can wait, indulge yourself in wild abandon of Wild and Wicked Things.
Magnificent, intoxicating, unputdownable debut. 2022 must read. Five out of five

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May is described as a lush and decadent debut novel and it certainly lives up to that timeline. Set in the aftermath of the First World War, in a world where magic exists but is illegal this book is dark and romantic, a slow burn that layers the tension before a dramatic climax.
The book follows a young woman, Annie, who comes to Crow Island to settle up her late father's affairs and go through his belongings. In the process she hopes to reconnect with an old friend, Bea, who is now married and living on the island. When she discovers that the house next door is rumoured to be owned by a witch, she is understandably nervous but she is soon irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic Emmeline, a woman who will do anything to protect those she loves, even if it means putting her own magic and life in danger as part of the bargain. When Annie's old and new friendships collide she is forced into taking action and the consequences could destroy everything.
This is a slow burning book , and definitely one for readers who are drawn to character over plot and have a taste for the macabre. There are some interesting ideas, and I can't help but wish that some of them were a little more fleshed out to give a clearer vision of the world the book is set in. The concept of banning magic because of its misuse during conflict is a fascinating one, and it could certainly have been developed more. I would also have loved to spend more time with some of the secondary characters, particularly Nathan. I can definitely see the Gatsby inspiration, but since I was not a lover of the original this had little impact on my enjoyment of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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This was absolutely thrilling!

A post-WWI setting with magic already sounds promising but combine that with some of the richest worldbuilding I've read in a long while and smooth writing, Wild and Wicked Things is an incredible debut novel!

I would love to read more of May's works after this. And that cover is stunning!

Overall rating: 5/5 stars