This book was so perfect to read at this time of year and made me feel nostalgic for school/college life. I read it in about three days as I couldn’t put it down - the suspense starts building immediately! Think The Craft meets moody northern England in October. Loved it!

In a Nutshell: An atmospheric YA novel with toxic friendships and witchy histories. Takes a bit too long to get going. Pretty good overall, though it could have used some elements even better.

Story Synopsis:
Long Byrne is a town with a dark history. 400 years ago, two sixteen-year-old girls Rose Ackroyd and Jane Hollingworth were declared “witches” and hanged.
To commemorate the grim occasion, the college Cate attends is planning to put up a play about the girls. As a farm girl who loves to write and is passionate about the topic of witches, Cate immediately signs up as the scriptwriter, with her talented best friend Tawny auditioning for an acting part. But when new student Bryony also gets an acting part and becomes too close to Tawny, Cate begins to question her intentions. Add in some strange, inexplicable occurrences, and Cate isn’t sure whom to trust, including her own senses.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Cate, with some witchy excerpts from books about Long Byrne at the end of most chapters.

Bookish Yays:
😍 I loved the setting of Long Byrne, with its dark history of witch killings and its current obsession with witchy lore. The atmosphere of the small town, especially of its mysterious moors, is written vividly.
😍 There are four young girls at the helm of this story: Cate, Tawny, Bryony, and Tawny’s younger sister Robyn. Each of these is a layered character (surprisingly so for a YA novel) and isn’t portrayed as flawless. They have their charms and their shortcomings.
😍 The plot is also good, with the intermingling of the past and the present coming out well through the play and the players.
😍 The story covers several tough themes such as depression, toxic friendships, parental issues, grief, and suicide. Most of the themes aren’t written over the top. The topic is raised, but the hints are subtle. For instance, we get a sense of one character’s depression only much later without realising the reason for her eating issues. Her mental deterioration is such that we don’t know if her trauma is causing her situational reaction, or vice versa, or if it is a vicious loop feeding into each other. Nicely done!
😍 The author’s note at the end is quite interesting. I loved how she used the book as a way of resolving her own issues. Read it to know more.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 There are minor supernatural elements scattered throughout the story, but the actual witchy content comes up only in the final quarter. I wish the eerie stuff had receiving more prominence in the plot. The main story is more about friendship struggles than anything else. Though this is handled well, it is not what I read the story for.
😐 There seem to be some Sapphic feelings between Cate and Tawny, at least from Cate’s side. Though this is hinted, it is never explored. I am not sure why the clues were provided in the first place if they weren’t intended to be brought out in the open even until the end. However, the play handled this topic well.


Bookish Nays:
😟 As is typical for a YA novel, all the adults in the book are idiots. No parent or teacher is shown as having much understanding or empathy until the final “group hug” resolution. I am really fed up of this approach. YA novels shouldn’t establish a breach between adults and its younger readers, but rather, ensure that its readers know that they can (usually) rely on adults for guidance when needed. This self-centred, “lone warrior” approach doesn’t benefit anyone. Moreover, the character detailing of the adults is quite incomplete. We never know why/how Cate’s dad remarried, or why he allows his college-going daughter to handle the whole farm on her own when he was the one who wanted to move there, or why her mom did what she did. This further alienates the adult characters from the readers.
(And please, ‘No one over forty should wear skin-tight anything.’ – Ouch! Judgemental much?)
😟 For a story with so much potential for thoughts and action, the pacing is really slow. Most of the book goes in the build-up. The final 25% or so is the only one where we actually see great action. But this is also not perfect, as the resolution is too quick and too easy. Moreover, one particular thread is left unfinished. I am not sure if this is because of an intended sequel, but it left me disappointed.

All in all, despite some scope for finetuning, this is still a pretty interesting YA story. It is a great attempt for a debut work, with its atmosphere and storyline being the highlights.
Recommended to YA mystery readers who would love a dash of witchy paranormal added to a dark plot with intense themes. That said, the themes and some of the incidents are too intense for younger YAs. The presence of cuss words also makes it a red flag for the younger YA segment. Only for the 16+ age group, then.

3.75 stars.

My thanks to UCLan Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Black Air”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

In the Black Air, Jennifer Lane has created a dark, spooky suspense with finesse. Subtle, but chilling it crept up on me until I found myself unwittingly devouring the pages. It all happens in a remote Lancashire village called Long Byrne. It has been overshadowed for 400 years by the burning of the Long Byrne witches. The whole incident is steeped in legend and today none know what’s real and what’s not. Some even ask if the ancient legend with its gruesome and likely horrific injustice, stay buried.

Into this cauldron is thrown our heroine Cate Aspey. A mere 16 years old suffering emotional trauma since her mother death but in denial, she is grateful for her friends Tawny and Robyn Brown. When the head of their school Miss Rillington decides to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Long Byrne witches hanging on Halloween with a dramatization of the incident, she might have let loose more than she bargained. The pupils are shocked when a newcomer called Bryony Hollingworth, a descendent of one of the accused back then, joins the school. Worse she is actually residing at Hollingworth house which has never been occupied until now. CREEPY.

Told in 1st person POV, the book gave me goose bumps making my blood run cold. Downright chilling the novel plays out like a feverish dream. I’m struggling to put into words how eerie it all was. Though I don’t usually read about witches and spooky stuff, I’m not sure what got me reading this book. Once I started it sure got me hooked in no time and I could not put it down. I had to know what happened next. Surprisingly, I kind of liked this book. Despite Lane being influenced by the Pendle witches’ saga, her turn of the events is pure genius. Utterly gripping I held my breath and gasped with shock at every new twist. There were quite a few “didn’t see that coming” moments. Ticking every single box for me. with the perfect mix of spine-chilling intrigue, suspense and unease it totally consumed me.

But that’s not all. Hidden within this spine chilling novel are some chilling mental health issues that impact on Cates life. True Lane mostly alludes to them making it a side story.

Definitely a must read. If you like creepy and unpredictable doubtless you will definitely experience it with this truly deliciously dark, unsettling, twisted, addictive spooky read. What’s not to like! Thank you Jennifer Lane.

This story follow Cate and her life as a 16 year old girl starting her A-levels with her BFF Tawny when a new girl joins the school with a family history connected to witches who were killed 400 years ago.

I really enjoyed the storyline and writing, and I think it did a really good job of describing how life is as a teenage girl in high school / college and even more so when discussing topics such as grief and eating disorders (TW for anyone who might want to potential read the book). There were definitely dark aspects to this book, even with the storyline being about witches!

There were sections that I did get a little confused or needed to re-read a portion to make sure I was following correctly but I do think that added to the plot about the witches and the history of the village and how everything was connected through what was happening to the group of girls.

Overall I really enjoyed The Black Air, especially reading this time of year, it is a great read for September / October, slightly spooky with witches and curses.

As a practicing pagan I enjoy a witchy read from time to time but particularly for the ‘spooky’ season. There is just something about reading a witchy or spooky book when the leaves are turning, the air is getting chill and you can snuggle up with your cat (or dog if you prefer) a warm beverage and read. Having read both of Jennifer Lane’s non-fiction witch and wiccan related books I was excited to see what her young adult offering would be and it was everything I expected and more.

Set in a remote village that is overshadowed by a gruesome legend and ancient superstitions who can say what is real and what is not. Over 400 years ago witches were hanged in this village. Fast forward to present day and the sixteen-year-old Cate Aspey would do anything to change her life. Stuck in what she sees as the middle of nowhere with her hermit dad and a step-mum who can’t seem to do anything right, Cate is sure she will go out of her mind. Thankfully she has her closest friends to keep her sane, Tawny and her little sister Robyn. The only thing Cate loves more than her friends is the legend of the Long Byrne witches that haunts the village even after 400 years. The hangings of the young Jane Hollingworth and Rose Ackroyd leave their shadows still across the community. And when the beautiful and serene Bryony Hollingworth arrives the whole of Long Byrne starts talking. Who is she? And is it just coincidence that she arrived just before the anniversary of the legendary witches’ deaths?

The Black Air is a wonderful young adult novel that while sometimes dark it delivers exactly what if says it offers a story about the lengths girls will go to for their friendships. There is a lot this book deals with and each element is dealt with the respect or care it deserves such as mental health, grief, eating disorders, toxic friendships and relationships, witch trails and so much more. The writing is haunting and atmospheric and while the supernatural element takes a while to arrive it is introduced and woven into the tale seamlessly. This is very much a tale of the characters as much as the place and history of the that place.

Our narrator and guide is Cate and while we see the characters through her eyes each of them is formed well and rather reliably although at times we cannot help but wonder what is real and what might be in Cate’s mind. The pacing of the story is well measured and does not feel to rushed or too slow given the story. The characters are all interesting and have a part to play. The Black Air at its core is so much more than a tale about witch trails and the legacy they have left behind. It’s a story about people, about how messy lives can be and how sometimes the relationships we form can help us through.

I fell in love with the cover and then I fell in love with this story: a bit disturbing at times, atmospheric, and dark
Great world building and character developed, a twisty and fast paced plot
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.25 Stars
One Liner: Great atmosphere; suitable for older YA readers

Long Byrne, located in rural Lancashire, is a small farmer’s town with centuries of history. It is where two young girls, Rose Ackroyd and Jane Hollingworth, were declared and hung as witches. The incident happened 400 years ago on the 31st of October 1623.
When the college management decides to enact the event as a play, Caitlin Aspey, aka Cate, signs up as the scriptwriter. Cate and Tawny are inseparable besties. However, the arrival of Byrony changes the dynamics between the duo.
Things get tense when loyalties shift and the play’s date inches closer. Of course, some strange events seem to be occurring in the town, though not many are aware of the impending danger. But is it real or imaginary? How can Cate handle the developments?
The story comes in Cate’s first-person POV.
(The GR blurb is different.)

My Thoughts:
According to the blurb, this is a ‘contemporary story with a dark mystery at its heart’. It is also a story of ‘obsession, mental health, disordered eating, the supernatural, and the lengths teenage girls will go to for the sake of all-consuming female friendships.’
I must say that the book justifies the description on many fronts. However, I wish the supernatural elements were introduced early. It comes at a point where I decided the book wasn’t a fantasy. I still wouldn’t categorize it as one, though. This would have upped the stakes, but I guess the contents would have become a little excessive for the target audience (YA).
Still, I wouldn’t recommend this to the younger teens. Not because it’s scary (it’s not). But the writing is so good that the characters get under the skin. It may be too uncomfortable for young minds, especially if they aren’t used to such reads. (Also, check the triggers at the end of the review.)
The first-person narration in Cate’s voice is haunting and touching (don't miss the author's note). We cannot help but be moved by what she’s going through. The touch of uncertainty makes us wonder what’s real and what’s her imagination. After all, Cate is in depression and survives solely on coffee.
We see Tawny, Byrony, and Robyn (all the y’s can be confusing) through her eyes, which also shows us the flaws on both sides. Still, the characters seem surrealistically authentic. The obsession, fear, dependence, toxicity, defensive mechanism, loneliness, etc., comes across clearly.
The setting is wonderfully dark and brooding, and hints of sinister presence throughout. The timing (autumn months) adds to the impact. It is atmospheric and takes the reader to Long Byrne.
However, the book has its flaws. A few aspects remained unanswered. While I’m okay with some of them, I still don’t know (why Cate’s dad remarried. There seems to be no reason for this).
The pacing is slow (which I expected) but gets a little too slow for the majority of the book. It’s not until we cross the 70% mark that things get really complex. I wouldn’t have minded if this came sooner.
The adults in the book are unidimensional and cardboard cutouts. Maybe Miss Rallington, the teacher, is the only one who comes close to having a decent presence (though there isn’t much to her personality either). If only the adults were more involved in their children’s lives… alas!
The book deals with many topics like mental health, grief, absent parents, bullying, toxic and obsessive friendships, witch trials, etc. However, most of them are seamlessly woven together to present a compelling narrative. The ending is realistic and hopeful – the best we can expect under the circumstances.

To summarize, The Black Air is a haunting and atmospheric tale where past and present collide in a small town obsessed with witches. It is slow-paced but worth a read (when you are in the right mood).
Thank you, NetGalley and UCLAN Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***
TW: Coping with the death of a parent, suicide attempt, eating disorder, toxic same-gender, friendship, depression, mental illness, unaddressed grief, animal death (not graphic), and bullying.
***
P.S.: The cover is so subtly done! I saw it on full screen to see the elements silhouetted in the face. Wonderful!
************

💨 The Black Air 💨

By Jennifer Lane

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date : 7th September 2023

I was kindly given an ARC of The Black Air in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley!

This book is pure Halloween, witchy, ominous, dark.. just perfection for this time of year.

It was a bit slow to start but really picked up towards the middle. There was also an issue on the app which meant the spacing of the words was messed up but you can easily look passed it for this babe of a book!

Cate and Tawny are best friends who are intrigued by the mystery of the Long Byrne witches - two “witches” who were hanged after they had a falling out and exposed themselves for what they were .

New girl Bryony has started school just in time for the Halloween Reenactment of the tale.. the twist? Bryonys ancestor was one of the witches!

Cate, Tawny and Bryony navigate this new friendship triangle while trying to rehearse for the play, the two young witches will be reunited once again on stage in front of the whole village, except this time the script has been written by Cate, following in her mums steps as a budding writer.

Will real life mirror fiction as she writes them as two girls in love who were promised never to be separated? How thin is the veil on Halloween? What happens when Cate struggles to cope with her mums anniversary.

I had chills the whole way through this. The world building was excellent, the scene setting, the atmosphere. Perfect book for a hot chocolate, a blanket and a candle, cosied up at night.

I had a good time diving into The Black Air. With its wild, somewhat stifling setting and mostly captivating characters, it really invokes a unique atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the protagonist, Cate, through her direct narration. Her steady unveiling of her mental health issues, mainly rooted in past trauma, is a compelling use of the unreliable narrator device.
That being said, I wasn't thrilled with the book's tendency to fall into the cliché of depicting witches as young girls possessed by evil or as mentally unstable women. Additionally, the storyline and character justification become somewhat muddled at certain points.
Nonetheless, overall, it's a great read. It's tense, mimicking the wildness of the moors, and poignantly truthful in detailing Cate's mental health decline.

Thank you NetGalley and UCLan Publishing for this eCopy to review

I found The Black Air interesting to read, how historical events can still affect the present day. The story follows Cate as she deals with the death of her mother, her father's new marriage and fitting in at school. It soon becomes apparent that she is not very well, she does not eat or sleep and has an unhealthy interest in the local history of a group of young women being hanged as witches.

With the arrival of Bryony Cate's friendship with Tawny is threatened and Cate's illnesses gets much worse. Full of emotion and drama (on and off stage) this was a gripping take on the subject of witches. The moor is described very vividly full of dark brooding atmosphere

Absolutely adored this magical story, wrapped in a mysterious and often almost isolating setting, with friendships, family and feminism at its heart. It's an emotionally charged story of self-discovery with almost poetic writing and stunning imagery, with vibes of Practical Magic and The Craft.

Thank you so much to UCLan Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

400 years ago two teen girls were hanged as witches, now the local school are putting on a production to share their story. Cate is in charge of creating the script wanting to share the story as it was. Plus an ancestor of one of the girls has arrived in town living in their old house.

A very different take on a witch story, I liked the characters they were very interesting girls and you get thoughts on them right at the start. Bryony was a bit creepy and Tawny had secrets, there was a strong pull that felt like Cate was somehow part of the legacy, she seems to be pulled by it and Robyn was being taunted and haunted by the witches ghosts.

I really liked the idea behind it by recreating that piece of history in the small town, I liked unlocking the true secrets and learning everything. I liked the friendship between the girls even though it seemed like more than friendship for the most part, and also the rift that starts to form between them, from Tawny and Cate being complete besties until Bryony arrives and slowly they separate and it causes a whole big rift.

The school putting on the production event for a Halloween show was really insensitive, it’s a sad and tragic story of cruelty and outdated thinking that caused so many deaths. Though I weirdly liked it as it worked for the setting and made the book even more interesting, it’s still sad that they did it. But in this rural small town it’s an obsession, a money maker, a tourist attraction so they grasp at the whole thing. It’s kind of sad though that because of this legend the small town doesn’t let them rest from it.

Cate goes through mental trauma and as you read her story you see her descent with her eating disorder, with the history of the house across from her, with her neglect from her dad, the loss of her mum, the rocky relationship with her step mom, the heavy job she does with the animals, with creating the script for the play, then her obsession with the new girl and the rift that forms between her and Tawny, because of her. Then the history repeating itself as it did 400 years ago in the exact same spot.

Cate gets enraptured into the history, the story, the house, the girl that lives there, she follows her moms footsteps almost as her mum was heavily interested in that small town, in its story of the witches. As she creates this script, unraveling the story, she slowly starts to unravel herself mentally. The further she dives in her story the more her mind spirals and declines.

The story is written at a slow pace, but was very interesting, we follow a messy lead character with a lot of flaws telling you this deep rooted history in this small town that her mum was obsessed with and she became so too. I did like the copycat thing though, and that one question Cate has writing the script becomes answered with the life mirroring scene that occurs.

The witches being portrayed as the generic kind a simple teen that was out of the ordinary and everyone around her deems she is with the devil being the reasoning behind their brutal murder, which is always a shame when it the typical but it’s the usual explanation so it made sense, plus the ages of the characters in this book made it work perfectly.

If you love witches, the lore of, the story of, the darkness, the haunting-ness of the crimes that happen in those days and a good deep YA story you’ll love this it’s a great thriller, it has a dark mystery and you’ll really like the characters as they were real and layered and very flawed. I found myself invested in the characters and wanting to understand them more as I kept reading.

In a remote part of rural Lancashire, a village prepares to celebrate Halloween and the 400th anniversary of the Long Byrnes witches' death. History lies heavy of the inhabitants, particulary 16 year-old Cate and her friends. But who's to know what's real or not, what's the result of ancient trauma?

I enjoyed reading The Black Air. The setting is appropriately wild and slightly claustrophobic, the characters mostly engaging. I liked the voice of the main character and narrator, Cate, revealing little by little the struggles she's facing with her mental health, largely due to past trauma - a good example of an unreliable narrator actually!
I was disappointed that the story seems to embrace the trope of witches either as girls/women possessed by the devil or mentally unstable young girls. The plot and character motivations also get a bt confused and confusing at times.
But all in all a good read, tense, as wild as the moors and extremely touching in its honest account of Cate's deteriorating mental health.

This is a YA story set in a fictional village in England where the residents are still obsessed with the witch trials 400 years previously. The main character, Cate is tasked with writing a play to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the hanging of witches Rose and Jane. Then a new girl turns up at a school - a direct descendent of the witch Jane Hollingsworth and weird and spooky events ensue.

This was a quick read. The plot progressed rapidly and the writing was very atmospheric.

The thing I liked best was actually the subtle and sensitive portrayal of Cate’s eating disorder. This story definitely had elements of the unreliable narrator with it taking time for me to realise how unwell Cate was. At times I struggled to concentrate on the main plot as I was so angry with her father who appeared completely unaware or uncaring of her illness.

I sometimes struggle with the pacing of YA fiction and I did feel that the characters’ relationships moved very quickly and sometimes I didn’t know quite what was going on. I think we were supposed to finish the book not being certain of the actual chain of events due to Cate’s illness.

Overall I thought this was an interesting and atmosphere approach to a modern day witch story.

Note for publisher - I sent the ebook to my kindle and there were a lot of words which were run together - not sure if it was a formatting or editing issue but it made reading challenging at times.

The Black Air captures perfectly the intensity of teenage friendship in a small rural town. Beautifully written, raw, gripping and eerie – this is UKYA at its very best.

Narrated by sixteen-year-old Cate Aspey, who moved to Long Byrne following her mother’s death a few years earlier, the plot centres around Cate’s fragile psychological state and her friendship with her best friend Tawny: beautiful, charismatic and bold.

Cate is a wonderfully unreliable narrator, dry and brittle, but the bone-deep damage that threatens to shatter her is soon apparent. She’s neglected by her father who immerses himself in work, at odds with her new stepmum, finding solace only in Tawny’s company and in hard physical work caring for the animals on their farm.

I love the description of Long Byrne as one of those rural places ‘you can’t see on Google Maps until you really zoom in close. The kind where buses only go by twice a day’. The town is notorious as the location for the murder of Rose Ackroyd and Jane Hollingworth who were hanged as witches on 31st October 1623.

When her school teacher has the not-so-bright idea of re-enacting the events of 1623 in a dramatic staging, at first Cate is drawn in, finding release and creative expression in writing a script that focuses on the intense bonds between the seventeenth-century girls. But new girl Bryony disrupts the dynamic between Cate and Tawny. With secrets of her own, she first attracts Cate and then appears to manipulate her, and the three-way friendship starts to undermine Cate and Tawny’s bond.

Cate’s state of mind deteriorates as the performance approaches, and her grip on reality blurs, the past seeping into the present. As the story reaches its dramatic conclusion, up on the high moor, it is impossible to look away. The impact of Cate’s grief reveals itself in a shocking conclusion, with the threat of real violence. Can Cate and Tawny’s friendship survive all it has endured and save both girls now, or will the terrible past be repeated?

I loved Cate, with her distinctive voice, in all her vulnerability, and the vividly imagined landscape also plays a leading role. The Black Air is a superb YA read that will continue to haunt its readers – it deserves all the success.

Book Review 📚
The Black Air by Jennifer Lane - 4.5/5 ⭐

Like every book, I picked this up based on it's cover. Yes, I judge a book by its cover - simply because I love to be surprised. And let me tell you, I was blown away. The story is extraordinarily beautiful.

I had a clue that there was some make believe aspects, but the blurb on the cover lead me to think it was more thriller. That was a mistake. It's a witch/fantasy/YA. It was phenomenal. It reminded me of Practical Magic and The Craft and they are both amazing films from my adolescent years so this book really made my day as it took my back to my younger years.

The emotions throughout this book are high! It's literal raw emotion with basically everything you're reading. It's beautifully done. I cannot put into enough words how much I enjoyed the plot in this book - following the witch trials and not knowing whether it's real or not but the aspect of it was amazing.

The characters were phenomenal. There were times I absolutely adored them and times where I hated them, but that's the magic of writing a brilliantly perceived character. Lane was so descriptive with her writing and made the characters come to life and expressed their emotions in such a riveting way. It was flawless.

It's such an empowering read with a focus on mental health, trauma and an overwhelming edge to belong! I felt this so much as an adult but my younger self could of done with a book like this. It's beyond words. It's fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and UCLan Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Title: The Black Air
Author: Jennifer Lane
Rating: ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Synopsis: Set in the depths of rural Lancashire as a community marks the 400th anniversary of the Long Byrne witches' deaths, this is a story about obsession, mental health, disordered eating, the supernatural, and the lengths that teenage girls will go to for the sake of all-consuming female friendships.

Opinion:

"The Black Air" by Jennifer Lane is a riveting and emotionally charged novel that takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of feelings and self-discovery. From the very first page, Lane weaves a captivating narrative that delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and inner struggles.

One of the standout aspects of the book is Lane's skillful character development. Each character feels authentic, flawed, and relatable, making it effortless to empathize with their experiences. The protagonist's journey of self-acceptance and growth is beautifully portrayed, leaving a lasting impact on readers.

The author's writing style is both poetic and immersive, which adds an extra layer of depth to the story. Lane masterfully crafts scenes and settings, making it feel as though you are right there with the characters, experiencing their joys and heartaches firsthand.

"The Black Air" explores various thought-provoking themes, including mental health, identity, and the power of friendship. The novel gracefully handles these sensitive topics with sensitivity and authenticity, sparking essential conversations about mental well-being and self-awareness.

As the plot unfolds, the book maintains a steady pace, balancing moments of introspection with surprising twists that keep readers on their toes. The seamless integration of mystery and emotional depth makes "The Black Air" a truly engaging and unpredictable read.

While the novel undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression, some readers may find certain sections of the story emotionally intense. However, it is precisely this emotional rawness that adds to the book's profound impact and makes it an unforgettable read.

In conclusion, "The Black Air" is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that leaves readers reflecting on its powerful themes long after the final page. Jennifer Lane's masterful storytelling and compelling characters make this book a must-read for anyone who enjoys a thoughtfully crafted narrative that tugs at the heartstrings.

// netgalley arc reader ebook