Thank you for NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Where to start with this book. I wanted to like this book so much, but ended barely finishing it.
This is my personal opinion alone and I have to say that the writing had no issues with it.

What this book excelled at was the atmosphere. It was so well defined and got me hooked. I also liked some of the Gatsby elements....but this is all that I enjoyed.

I was missing the real Gatsby vibe, a more detailed world-building and likeable characters. I very rarely have such a hard time vibing with any of the characters of a book. This is why I am highlighting the fact that other people might enjoy this story more if they have a character they like.
Another big issue was the pacing of this book. I don't mind a slow burning book, especially because I was so hyped for the queer representation, but this was slow paced, then slower paced and then we had a bit of "movement".
All in all I have to give this one a 2,5-3/5 stars because I had a really hard time finishing it.

3.5 ⭐️ A sumptuous British Gatsby retelling with witches & a slow burn sapphic romance

Thank you to NetGalley & Little Brown Book Group for a DRC in exchange for an honest review✨

Very slight spoilers ahead 🤫

As soon as I saw this book on Goodreads my first thoughts were: Witches✅ Gatsby Retelling✅ A Beautiful Cover to Boot ✅… I MUST READ THIS BOOK and i’m so happy i was able to get a DRC✨

Wild & Wicked Things has such an interesting premise and I was intoxicated by the mystery, magic, glitz, and something a more sinister , that enveloped Crow Island - the author had a beautiful, descriptive style of writing. 🔮

As a character, I liked Annie and felt like her development from mouse to lion was a really nice progression that happened organically as she uncovered more about her father, her friends and herself. I adored Nathan, and loved the dynamic between him, Isobel and Emmeline and how the addition of Annie/Bea affects this.

Although I liked this book and it was an enjoyable read it didn’t quite give me the spark I expect from a 4 or 5 ⭐️ book. The pacing felt a little off and at times the plot seemed to move quite slowly which didn’t inspire me to devour it in one go- there were some plot hooks which I think maybe could have been introduced or partially resolved earlier on to prevent a lull in the pace of the novel and there were others, namely around Violet and Georgie, that I wished were developed further or in more depth.

Overall this was a unique retelling that managed to successfully blend everything at the heart of The Great Gatsby with a variety of other elements such as a british setting, the addition of magic/witches and a sapphic romance.🔮

Set in post-first world war England. Around the time that witch trials were only just coming to an end across the ocean in the USA.

After the death of her father, Annie travels to the island where he spent his days away from her and her mother. Uncovering the past and the secrets of Crow Island.

Themes of strong friendships, powerful women, dark family secrets and the lure of money and power.
Although it’s set post-war there’s nothing too specific that makes it untelateable to the modern reader, it has a timeless feel.

Could Annie be the most powerful witch on Crow Island?

What a wonderful decadent read. It was so immersive and atmospheric. I really struggled to put the book down once I had started; the characters and writing pulled me straight in and I loved every minute!

This was such a highly anticipated read for me but I just couldn’t engage in the story. The pacing felt too slow to grab my attention and I found myself putting the book down, so sadly it’s a DNF for me.

Wild and Wicked Things has my heart. It's one of those books you come across and just know it's going to stick with you for a long while, overpowering you with the urge to recommend it to anyone and everyone regardless of their favoured genres.

If you've heard of this book at all, you'll know it's a Gatsby inspired sapphic romance, casting Gatsby as a powerful, enigmatic witch and Carraway as a doe-eyed girl with hidden fire.

If you haven't heard of it - you're in for a treat.

The first half of the book was atmospheric, with lush and vivid writing - if a little slower paced than I normally go for. I'll be honest, at one point I started to doubt how much I wanted to invest in a 400+ page book for vibes alone. But it was SO worth sticking around on Crow Island! The tender, electric romance, the mystery and tension, and OH, the witches of Cross House, all combined to make this a strong contender for my favourite book of 2022.

I'm expecting to see Wild and Wicked Things absolutely everywhere this summer. An easy 5 stars!

Annie Mason's parents separated when she was young, and her father has remained a distant, virtually unknown figure in her life, but when he dies she inherits his belongings and house on mysterious Crow Island. It's a place with a reputation, for Crow Island is the last refuge of magic in a world from which it's been banned., but Annie despite her misgivings needs to go there to sort her father's property, and there's an added incentive in that it was also the last address Annie had for her long-lost friend Bea.

Annie is a 'nice girl'; her mother's brought her up to be good, to never question, let alone break, the law forbidding magic, and to only envisage a future of husband and family, but from the moment she arrives on Crow Island Annie is tempted. From the tourist shops selling harmless herb-scented teas, the crows gathering ominously on roofs and fences, to the wild kazam-fueled parties held at the Delacroix house there's a scent of magic in the air. But it's the enigmatic neighbour Emmeline Delacroix, with her dark, mysterious past and gender-bender style that Annie finds most bewitching; despite the warning from her father's friend/solicitor, and even after she uncovers the dark bond forged by Emmeline and Bea, Annie can't help being attracted.

I'm going to make it clear upfront that I know the author - in happier pre-Covid times she helped run the local Waterstones book group I attended - and I heard long ago of her pet fantasy novel - a witchy, gay take on The Great Gatsby, that to be honest I thought sounded a bit weird. But I applied for and received a Netgalley copy, started to read - and loved it!

It's not remotely a formulaic lesbian re-telling of Fitzgerald's story but a fantastic read in its own right - dark, wicked and so entrancing. Gatsby dazzled his neighbours with money and alcohol, and no one queried their sources; Emmeline does the same with magic, from the small innocuous potions to perhaps attract a lover, to dark dangerous spells that are bargains sealed with blood and demanding blood (very literally) in payment,

Much like Gatsby and co, these wild and wicked characters are morally ambivalent at best; messed up by their personal backstories, and with no sense of right and wrong beyond how it fits their needs. No one is out and out 'bad', and not even Annie could claim to be 'snow white'. To my mind, it makes them more interesting and realistic, but in a fantasy novel they may not be to everyone's taste.

A gentle warning - Wild and Wicked Things may start slowly and quietly but builds through unsettling moments to horror and bloody violence. So, be warned, it's may not be for readers of a tame, easily disturbed disposition.



Last year I included another, more traditional, Gatsby spin off - Nick by Michael Farris Smith - in my picks of the year; this year Wild and Wicked Things will be up there.

In complete transparency, I couldn't finish this book. The synopsis sounded incredibly intriguing and just up my alley but in fact for the first 25% of this book that I read absolutely nothing of note happens. I found the book to have a very weird and mismatched writing style and I couldn't believe how far into the book I was getting for nothing to have happened including the things mentioned in the synopsis. Unfortunately not a book for me.

While I was incredibly excited to read this book (The Great Gatsby meets witches? Yes please), it just didn't quite work for me. I'm a stickler for a good magic system that makes sense, and the one in Wicked and Wild Things made absolutely no sense at all -- it had no real rules to follow and was never really explained in a satisfying way. For me, this is one of the ways a fantasy book falls apart. In addition (and honestly, probably more importantly), I never warmed to the characters. I found both Annie and Emmeline totally two dimensional and flat and honestly, just not that interesting. I didn't get the chemistry between them or really understand why they even liked each other.

Wild and Wicked Things is a book that will definitely be loved by some readers, but it wasn't one that worked for me. It was pure vibes, but didn't really contain anything of substance. I did, however, really like the author's writing style -- I look forward to checking out her next book.

<b>thank you so much to orbit and netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy!</b>

i am SUPER sad about this one. unfortunately, it just really didn't work for me.

to start with, the characters; annie is irritating, bea is spoiled and emmeline is like if rosa diaz from B99 had magic, lived in england after WW1 and was less likeable.

the romance? if that’s what it is? is frustrating and i don’t buy it at all. i can’t see what annie sees and it just feels pathetic; especially with the way emmeline treats annie, it was infuriating.

i wanted more of the magic and the town and the island and i don’t see why this was marketed as a fantasy book first when it’s a jumble of different genres together and all of them done poorly...

the pacing seems so strange to me; like the author had certain beats they wanted to hit and then weren’t sure what to do in between other than create a character that seemingly no one around her likes, who hangs around with people who keep telling her to leave.

i didn’t like the ending, with how it felt too open and too closed at the same time. it felt off balance, especially for a 460+ page book.

overall i just didn’t like this, but i can understand why others will. it unfortunately wasn’t for me but thank you so much to orbit for giving me a chance to review!

Wow! This was rollercoaster ride of a book. Dark and bewitching the whole way through.

This book Initially gives you a gender switched Gatsby feel but… I am allowed to say better? With witchcraft, blood debts and sacrifices, evil spirits, creepy crows and complex relationships. This book focuses on the main character of Annie, whose estranged father dies and she goes to the island he has been living on to settle his affairs. There she reconnects with her lost friend Bea, discovers family truths and a strange beautiful neighbour that throws parties that are not strictly legal…

Honestly didn’t have any expectations going into this book, I had just seen it talked about so much. But this book is definitely darker and more wicked than I anticipated, the characters are complex but I loved them and the way the story unfurled. Very dramatic, dark and creepy at times… I love a witchy book, this one was outside my normal comfort zone but I loved it.

Wild & Wicked Things is an action packed book about bad ass wichtes. The writing was beautiful & very well paced so that it didn't became boring one second. I absolutely adore that this book has a shapphic ship & includes non binary people. So this book has everything you need: it's gay, inclusive, has an amazing plot & amazing characters that you will fall instantly in love with

I was super excited to receive this are as it was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it is safe to say it did not disappoint!
I can’t wait to get my physical edition as this is a must have for my shelves! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early!

This is a interesting story about hidden and punishable magic, set around World War 1, on a mysterious crescent moon shaped island. It follows Annie who has gone to the island after her estranged father has died and left her his house and belongings. She rents a cottage on the island next to a house where parties are thrown every weekend and the whispers of magic are heard. She feels a pull towards the house, and in particular to Emmeline who lives there.

She uses this opportunity to rekindle a friendship with Bea, her best friend, who had moved to the island and had not left on good terms. On meeting her, Bea is married and has spun lies about her life to her new husband.

The magic system was interesting and I think it could have been explored further. It had a very slow build, it was mysterious and definitely reminded me of practical magic. I really enjoyed Emmeline and Annie’s development and tension. I wanted more. I found Bea irritating which I think the author was aiming for and some of the choices she made were predictable.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in sapphic relationships, witchy, forbidden, mysterious vibes. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this a little slow to get into but that’s the only criticism I have for this, because once I got to the end I wished it would slow down and not end at all. The plot was so good and this is so wellwritten well I just couldn't put the book down once I got into it. The world building was really good too and it made you feel it was so very real at times, I thought that the characters were interesting and relatable. Overall, it’s a thoroughly entertaining and fabulous story , there are references to Gatsby that I enjoyed and I definitely recommend this to everyone

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Headlines:
Blood, bodies and darkness
Friendships tested
Heritage

This book threw the reader into Annie's world post WW1, a different version, one with magic but magic that was pretty much outlawed. An inheritance took Annie away from her frugal home on the coast to an island where her father's property and belongings awaited her. This new place was full of decadence, forbidden things and danger.

Annie's character had real growth, she moved from obedient young woman, in the shadow of others to an independant thinker and leader in some respects. That part of her she knew was there, the magic, was allowed time to grow. I liked Annie, Emmeline, Nathan and Isobel. I did not like Bea. The sapphic elements were subtle at times but present and important to the story.

To all intents and purposes, this was a historical fantasy thriller. There were many dark moments, some gore, and some real sinister feels at times. It was easy to get swept up then shrink in tension at the dark scenes.

The plot was really curious in terms of the magic, how it worked, how it controlled and I appreciated that the magic in this world was scary in nature. I think many will appreciate the freshness of this story.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the early review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found Wild and Wicked Things very well written and enjoyed both the characters Annie and Emmeline. There's a lot that happens, which is too spoilery to say.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend to others

3.75 Stars

Synopsis: Annie heads to Crow Island to sort through her late father’s belongings. But Crow Island is full of magic and temptation, and the prohibition has not been kind to magic. Then Annie meets Emmeline, and is drawn into the dangers and temptations of the Island.

CW/TW: Murder/Death/Blood/Self-Harm for magic/Domestic violence/Abuse/Child Abuse/Implied, alluded rape.

Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is Gothic, Gatsby-inspired story of witches and wanting.

Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is an intensely gothic story with prominent Gatsby influences. May’s writing is beautiful, the detail and settings are intensely rich and the prose is vivid and engaging. Overall, the book is slow paced and character driven, reminiscent of The Great Gatsby, relying on clever motifs, imagery and dynamic, complex characters. The narrative and pace is balanced by the multiple POV and dual timelines; our main characters, Annie and Emmeline, are the two main POV’s but we also get short chapters that give us more insight into the story and builds tension and mystery.

The actual plot is centred around the characters. Annie is visiting Crow Island to sort out the home and belonging’s of her late father. She moves into a cottage close to Cross House but the island is far from home. After the war the prohibition meant a strict lockdown on magic, and severe punishments for witches, but Crow Island seems to live and breathe magic and every bone in Annie’s body screams danger. But, when Annie notices her neighbour, Cross House resident, Emmeline she feels unnaturally drawn to her and the dangers around her. I really enjoyed Annie’s story, as she unravels the mystery behind her father and the magic on Crow Island. Annie’s story is a personal one of facing fears and embracing wanting but it is also deeply tied with Emmeline’s story and the dangers of magic and wanting too much.

Emmeline’s story is also very personal but tied to magic. Emmeline is keeping a lot of secrets, her story is imbued with mystery and tension, and all of her secrets slowly unravel over time. I really enjoyed Emmeline’s part of the story, her arc and her connections with the two other Cross House residents. Her story gives us the most insight into magic, and when she meets Annie this leads to even more development and insight into magic, witches and the characters dynamics.

I really enjoyed both characters plots that intersect and engage in interesting, angsty and tension filled ways. May explores themes of power, wanting, freedom, identity, love and failure through the characters and their arcs/plots. Much like Gatsby, this book utilises beautiful imagery, powerful symbols and motifs to foreshadow events and represent themes.

A lot happens in this book and so it is easy to spoil, so I’m going to keep this review shorter than usual but I really appreciated the Gatsby-esque story style and use of figurative language skills that beautifully and cleverly add depth and meaning to the story.

From extravagant parties to blood fuelled magic – this book is a brilliant mix of glamour and darkness – with money buying desires, and deadly debts being made, the magic in this book really stands out. While I wish we had been given a bit more in terms of the magic system (e.g the council and differing types) we do get a lot about the different types of magic and the deadly nature of it. The duality of the good and bad magic can do was interesting with the book leaning into the dark and deadly aspect of magic. From blood magic and incantations to divination and elemental proficiency, the magic is very diverse and multifaceted and I enjoyed seeing how the different witches used their magic and the way it’s represented. Another interesting element was the ‘tether’ – this was an intriguing component in the story that I liked watching get explored.

The characters in this book were all very complex and well written, messy and flawed. The rep includes: lesbian mc’s, and a bisexual side character. Our first mc, Annie is initially a meek woman, not bold nor a risk taker – she is reserved and avoids danger. But as the story unfolds, she develops well showing a fire and confidence that slowly becomes emboldened. Annie is not perfect, she is messy and morally grey but she does deeply care for those she loves. Emmeline seems like Annie’s opposite, she takes risks, is powerful and knows it and has a confidence in herself. But, Emmeline is dangerous and more vulnerable than she reveals, she too feels deeply about those she loves but takes a harsher stance to protect them. The two mc’s have a great dynamic and their complex personalities develop well over the course of the story. Three other characters are prominent; Bea, a selfish and clever women who has drive but isn’t afraid to follow it at the expense of others – she is an old friend of Annie’s. Isobel and Nathan are Cross House residents, Emmeline’s friends and both also have strong personalities. I really loved Isobel and Nathan’s characters – and I liked how we learnt more about them as the book progressed. There are so many morally grey characters in this book that it is so fascinating to watch them tackle the challenges presented to them.

There are also other characters that appear a lot, Arthur and Mr Anderson being two of them. All of the characters are well developed and work well as the driving force of the book. The messy and flawed characters keep you intrigued and their dynamic relationships work well to create tension, angst and other emotional moments.

Overall, Wild And Wicked Things, by Francesca May is intensely dark and imaginative. It has strong Gatsby elements but maintains a unique and magical story with a sharp edge. The complex and dynamic characters drive the slow paced story and keep you invested.

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley from Orbitbooks in exchange for an honest review – thank you!*

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for the ARC to review.

I really struggled to get going with this book but once I started it, I was drawn in to the world. It's such a rich setting and the Gatsby vibes really came through throughout the book while also allowing the book to have its own dark and witchy vibe going on.

I didn't find myself convinced by the romantic relationships in the book, however I did like the way in which coming to terms with ones own sexuality was explored.

Overall, I found the book slow to start with but strong throughout. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read something dark, witchy and historical.

Ohhhh YES. Glorious gatsby meets practical magic, incredible atmosphere, beautiful writing - just stunning!