Wild and Wicked Things takes place in the 1920s, when people partied hard to forget the traumas of the War, but it is set in an alternative reality, where magic is real and dangerous. Witches controlled the soldiers and the fighting, so now magic is banned. Even being caught with magic paraphernalia is likely to result in being executed. One exception is Crow Island, where real magic is sold to the tourists as the fake, harmless kind.

The story is told in the main part from Annie's point of view, as she arrives on Crow Island to close up her late father's house and finds herself completely out-of-her-depth amongst the fashionable Bright Young Things. Even though Annie is wary of her glamorous neighbours and their out-of-control parties, she is drawn to them in equal measure, particularly the owner of Cross House, Emmeline Delacroix.

Emmeline was my favourite character; outwardly tough and hard, with an uncompromising attitude that wins her few friends on Crow Island, but who would do anything to help someone she loves, even put her own life at risk. The characters are a particular strength of this story. Along with Emmeline, there is Isobel, whose magic can affect the weather, and Nathan, a gentle soul whose power is to see into the darkness of others. And it was lovely to see Annie grow in confidence to become more than a match for Emmeline!

The story was a little bit slow to start and I would have loved more world-building - particularly backstory about Crow Island and the mysterious Council - but the characters were brilliant, the tension built up to a terrific finish, and there was even a sweet romance. A kind of mash-up between Gentleman Jack, The Great Gatsby and Practical Magic! Fabulous!


Thank you to Francesca May and Orbit for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This is such an atmospheric book, magic and suspense drip off the pages.

I loved the pacing, it's got such a contrast of idyllic scene setting, really evocative of 1920's contrasted with edge of your seat tension. Interwoven with a sense of discovery and wonder, the constant watching eyes of the crows leave you constantly on edge.

This debut book was a really solid 3.5🌟 I really wish we'd have seen more of the supporting characters, some of the main ones were maybe a bit more self absorbed than I like and I find that whilst we were told about the 1920s society with a magical prohibition I felt like we could have had more exploration of it.

I received an eARC of this book, thank you @orbitbooks_uk and @netgalley it is out today, look at that gorgeous cover!

#WildandWickedthings #queerlove #witchesofinstagram #netgalley #historicalfantasy #1920 #gatsby #magic #witchy #bookstagramuk

This tale is set in an alternative Britain, where magic was once deemed acceptable and good but has turned bad and been outlawed after the unfortunate outcomes of the war. And witches have been demonised alongside.
Nevertheless, there is a significant wealthy sector of the population which wants to hang on to the good things that magic gave them: useful cures, charms and potions which guarantee a good time for all. A sizeable number of them visit the parties thrown at a sumptuous property on a mysterious island – thrown by a group of witches hiding in plain sight – in order to indulge in these forbidden concoctions.
It is to this island, property and group of people that Annie finds herself drawn when she receives a letter from her father – a man she barely remembers. As she gets drawn further and further into the activities of her new ‘friends’, Annie finds herself in the centre of a world which is dangerous, dazzling, exciting and ultimately terrifying, and the consequences of her actions threaten to overwhelm them all.

I have heard many many good things about Wild and Wicked Things and so I was very excited to pick it up. It sounded like a book that was right up my alley. It has sapphic witches, gothic vibes, a 1920s setting. I read The Great Gatsby years ago and while I don't remember much of it, I think this is a very well done retelling. Francesca May's writing is incredibly beautiful and draws you into the story and before you know it, you are completely engrossed. Once I picked it up, I simply did not want to put it down. I loved all the characters too. Emmeline and Annie were written so well, and I felt they had such a wonderful character arc, both as individuals but also together. I couldn't really pick a favourite between them even if I was forced to. I loved reading about the side characters as well; Bea being my favourite of everyone we see.

I lowkey did not want this book to end and I hope we get to read more of Emmeline and Annie's adventures someday.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the e-arc!

Unfortunately, I did not get to the Arc before I received my own finished preorder copy of this book arrived, so will not be reviewing the arc as I have a finished copy to read. I expect to read the finished copy in the near future.

The concept hooked me from the outset.
I love anything with dark magic and looking forward to immersing myself in Crow Island and its mysterious and decadent inhabitants.

The setting is eerily atmospheric, especially with the weather, the crows, and the isolated aspect of being on an island shrouded in darkness and forbidden magic.
Intrigue is there from the beginning. A seemingly sweet and somewhat naive Annie grows wonderfully throughout the book.
The neighbours and their magical parties seem innocent and fun except for an undercurrent of darkness and danger.
All of which create intricate threads wonderfully woven together by the end.

There is (as I love to say) a delicious array of characters, including Nathan & Isobel. I wanted so much more of them.
Emmeline is a favourite of mine. She appears strong, confident, and wise beyond her years, but not so deep down is vulnerable and delicate, which makes her such a compelling character.

The beautiful writing and characters kept me interested, but the first half of the book was slow, so much so, I would put my kindle down after two or three chapters and then not pick it up again for a day or two.

Randomly, I would love to ask the author if she loved The Golden Girls and one Golden Girl in particular? Why? Well, I’ll leave that as a mystery for now, as It might be pure coincidence, but whatever the reason is, it made me smile.

Thank you so much, @netgalley & Little Brown Book Group, for the arc ebook in return for my honest review.

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.