The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne

DNF @ 15%

This is very poorly written and extremely boring. The characters are flat and dull, and I just don’t care. I went and looked up spoilers, and I’m so glad I didn’t spend more time reading this. I love archaeology and legends and treasure hunting, but it sounds like none of that actually matters in the end anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting and unique read! The setting was beautiful and well-described, and I became invested in the lives of the characters. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting a romance with a thrilling, fantasy feel!

I ended up DNF'd this book.
Although the promise was rather interesting, I wasn't connecting with the characters and even though I usually love slow-paced books, I like when I feel that the story is always progressing and I did not feel that with this book.

Sitting side by side on the clifftop, he turns to her solemnly and says, ‘The water witch is real.’ She rolls her eyes and grins, teasing him. ‘Sure. A psycho mermaid. Got it.’ But now he’s gone forever… will she find the truth beneath the waves?



Brittany, France. Ariadne Walker’s fiancé Simon drowned in the stormy Atlantic Ocean doing what he loved: searching for the lost underwater city of Ys. Local legend says it was destroyed centuries ago when the princess of Ys became a water witch, cursing the name of the man who betrayed her.



Ari never believed these tall tales. And the letter Simon sent before he died finishing their relationship is a devastating secret she’ll take to the grave. But arriving in Brittany, Ari encounters a man emerging from the sea in a rocky cove, saltwater dripping from his dark hair. Rafael swears the legends are true: and his ancestor was cursed by the water witch. Now, his own life is in terrible danger. And the secret to breaking the curse lies hidden in the lost city.



When Ari finds a cryptic map and a golden mask of a woman’s face amongst Simon’s things, she has no choice but to believe Rafael’s plea. Can they follow the trail and save Rafael’s life? Pouring over the map by candlelight, the flickering flames only add to the heat between them… but will Ari’s fragile heart soon be shattered all over again? And will they ever find Ys and break the curse – or will the water witch demand another sacrifice?



An absolutely addictive romantic fantasy read filled with passion and mystery, that will sweep you away to the wild coast of northern France. Filled with real myths and legends from this magical place, The Water Witch is perfect for fans of Luanne G. Smith, River of Shadows and Jennifer L. Armentrout.

-----

Interesting plot and characters with mystery vibes in it. It's a pretty solid 3 stars book. Highly recommended for JLA's fans!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book is magical realism , which is a subgenre I adore. There are nods to topics I love reading about like archaeology, artifacts, legends, lore, and archival research

I really enjoyed the characters, I just wish we got a bit more from the ending. Id recommend to people who love a treasure hunt novel and slow burn romance !

Thanks for the ACR.
I feel that the story was non-original and not very exciting.
It is good for a quick read, but ultimately feels forgettable.

I’m a fan of this author, and while this one didn’t quite meet the enchantment of the first two, there was still plenty to recommend it. I was instantly taken by the fantasy part of the story. I loved the setup of the reckless princess and how the alleged curse was established. I also liked that there was a bit of mystery as to the origins or history of the lost city. I love a good archeological mystery. But I feel like the present would have been more believable if we had more details from the past. I can’t say much more than that without giving things away. I honestly didn’t make much of a connection to any of the characters in the present. I thought they were fine but didn’t do anything to really stand out to me. Still enjoyable. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delicate prose, myths that merge with reality, intertwined stories, mysterious deaths, a lost city, an ancient curse and a promiscuous-witch-queen-psychopath-murderer that you must defeat to save you, the man you love and the soul of an old love.
From Hitler to Atlantis, translating from French to Breton, you seek the treasure, you risk your life... and you expose your heart.
What beautiful and dangerous book it is!

~•~•~•~•~

Una prosa delicada, mitos que se fusionan con la realidad, historias entrelazadas, muertes misteriosas, una ciudad perdida, una antigua maldición y reina-bruja-promiscua-psicópata-asesina que vencer, para salvarte a ti, al hombre que amas y el alma de un antiguo amor.
Desde Hitler hasta Atlantis, traduciendo del francés al bretón, buscas el tesoro, te juegas la vida... y expones el corazón.

This was an interesting concept for a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I did feel like it lacked depth with the characters. I think if you enjoy books where characters do things without explanation and that are slow paced with a bit of magic. I did like the plot twist towards the end as I didn't see that coming. But overall it just lacked what I was looking for.

I was pulled in by the novel's description and despite fantasy not being my usual genre, I wanted to give this a go. I'm glad I did. The storyline held my attention and I loved the vivid imagery and setting. Overall it was an intriguing read and I enjoyed how the adventure and fantasy elements played out.

This story took me by surprise and found myself very intrigued with the concept and how things play out for the characters. There is this level of intrigue that Ari endures especially when Rafael comes into the picture. One thing I really loved is that there was the lore included that gives you some understanding of how and why things happen. Great story. Highly recommend

Amazing, full of tall tales, folklore, local legends, magic, and a curse! Plus, that beginning!!!!! The Water Witch bewitched me from page one, and I didn't want to stop reading. This book was full of so many elements that I enjoy in books. It's part mystery, part romance, part legend, involves a curse, a witch, and more. It really has everything I look for in a book! I enjoyed how the author built the story and the world, she intricately intertwined parts of the past into the present as things unfolded. There are twists, turns and things I wasn't expecting which kept me franticly page turning until the end. This was my first book by Thorne, and I look forward to reading more in the future!

Oh the book lover's joy of discovering that underrated gem of a read and then letting others in on the secret. This fantasy romance sprinkled with elements of mystery and a dash of fairy tale will take you on such an enjoyable reading journey if you let it.

Ari is still grieving the loss of her fiance Simon who died in a tragic accident. The last thing she wants to is to go back to Brittany, France - the place where Simon died and focus of his obsessive search for the lost underwater city of Ys. But her brother needs her help so despite her grief and the secret of Simon's last letter to her, Ari goes to help him. The last thing she expects is to cross paths with a handsome, mysterious Rafael whose family seems to be connected to the lost through an ancient curse of the water witch. What lays ahead might bring more questions than answers

This is the kind of book I love to take with me on vacation - so that I could read it uninterrupted. I am a big fan of mixed genre stories, especially in beautiful settings. I loved the chemistry between the main characters and the whole book kept unfolding like a movie in my mind. I felt myself transported to the little village and I felt its dark but seductive vibe throughout the book. If you are a fan of the genre and love discovering new authors, this one is a win win and I highly recommend it as the best kind of mind escape.

Grateful to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am also grateful that Jessica Thorne has 6 more books just waiting for me to discover.

This book had everythomg I love - magic, lore. witches. The story follows Dr. Ariadne Walker as she copes with the trauma of losing her fiancé, Simon, while trying to unravel his secrets and the secrets of the lost city, Ys. Little does she know, she’s about to unveil much more than she bargained for.

Ari doesn't want to travel back to France but when her brother calls and begs her to come back under the guise of going through their father's papers she kinda feels like it might not be that simple. Doesn't Jason know how hard it is for her to come back? The memories of Simon are too fresh even after all this time of grief and she has been running for so long. When she gets there and finds out that Jason found supposed treasure from the fabled place of Ys, she's even more angry - Simon already died looking for this city, why does everyone want to find it?

Rafe is visiting his great aunt in France and trying to reel in her spending when he finds out she's been financing treasure hunts for Ys, he fears the hunters are just using his aunt for money. His skepticism increases when he and Ari have an unfortunate encounter on the beach. Bu\t can they get over their prejudices to discover the treasured city? Or will the legend take the down too?

Sweet and fantastical story or love, grief and magic.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was so fun. I really enjoyed it. This book kept me interested and i enjoyed the book and this genre

Such a gripping book, that had me intrigued from the first page. The characters where magical, and I liked each and very single one of them. The storyline was well structured and beautifully written.

I loved this book. It kept me hooked and had twists and turns that were both unexpected and well written. I barely put it down, just hooked needing to find out what would happen next. All the emotions with this one, I would definitely recommend to a friend.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

Araidne Walker is called to Brittany by her brother two years after her fiance, Simon, is found dead in the Atlantic ocean. Not really wanting to give up her teaching job at a university, Ari is convinced Simon’s death has something to do with a legend about the lost city of Ys and an ancient curse touching the men on the peninsula. On an archeological dive, she finds a gold mask which draws her deeper into the mystery of a legend about a mythical being.

Here’s what worked for me:
The intro to the book is amazing and full of legend! I was caught in the very first chapter.
The writing was full of beautiful imagery.
There was a sort of a ‘who dun it’ weaved in a weird sort of a way.

Here’s what didn’t work.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Ari. I know she was hurting from Simon’s death and seeming betrayal but overall, I just didn’t really like her.
Rafael wasn’t too endearing to me either. He sorta came out of the blue and had this animal attraction to Ari that felt a little forced.
The story lagged in the middle. It took a long time to get to the end but then once the end came, it was layer upon layer of not knowing who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. And then it was over.

I’m a huge fan of Jessica Thorne and was so excited to read this book. But it fell flat to me and was a little disappointing for what I know she can do.