I loved this book and the characters. I enjoyed the story and the slowly building relationship around the rest of the plot. My favourite Atwater book yet, can't waiting to see more from the world and the cross over from previous books!

I loved her previous works but this one was really hard to get into.
The pacing felt so awkward at times and I haven’t been able to pass from de 85% of the book which should be where the story picks up.

The most important thing you can know about this book is that it has a ghost cat and he's a very good boy. The Witchwood Knot follows Winifred, a magician who has been hired to be a child's governess, but really, she's there to free Witchwood Manor from the curse that holds it. This is a pretty solid book. I usually really dislike the Victorian Age, but Winnie was a very solid protagonist. The rest of the cast was also good, between the hardy cook, Winnie's petulant charge Robert, and Mr. Quincy, a faerie butler who is so far from what he seems. The writing could be a little dense at times and the beginning is slow. If you make it through that, it's a satisfying read. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

Olivia Atwater can write and delivers an entertaining and compelling story set in the world of half Soul.
It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a lovely read!
The Victorian Gothic atmosphere was spot on, and I really enjoyed the story and characters.
I wish the chemistry with the love interest (no spoilers) was built up even more but overall it was a good book, with deeper themes than I expected at I first, including themes around childhood, trauma, and metaphors about human exploitation of nature and others.
The several "true" fairytales interspersed in the book really added to the world building. I get that this book is set up in a wider universe created by Olivia Atwater but I never felt like I was missing out on something or not understanding something.

I want to thank Victory editing and NetGalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

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This was published on Goodreads on April 29th 2024, and May 1st 2024 on Librarything and StoryGraph

2.5 because I'm so 50/50 on this!

I love Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater SO much!!! But this one sadly just didn't have the same charm and couldn't grip me as much.

I found myself pretty bored if I'm completely honest - and I hate to say that!

The gothic atmosphere was great, and I enjoyed the location setting within the manor but ultimately everything else felt a little flat for me. The characters didn't seem nearly as compelling to read compared to Half a Soul. And okay maybe I shouldn't compare them but because I know what Olivia Atwater is capable of, I just felt let down/confused.

Ultimately this was underwhelming for me but I could see others really enjoying this!

This was my first time reading anything by Olivia Atwater and it definitely won’t be the last. Her writing immediately sucks you into this Victorian Fae world. I really enjoyed diving into this eerie, unique gothic fairytale fantasy. It constantly keeps you guessing of what is really going on in Witchwood Manor and who to trust and believe. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this arc, these opinions are 100% my own and honest.

I’ve really become a fan of Atwater’s books, and I really like her faerie stories. I liked this one too but I wish it would’ve committed more to the Gothic vibes it was promising. I wasn’t nearly as scared or on edge as I think I could’ve been, and the romance felt a bit too rushed—a shame because I thought the pairing was really interesting!

I found this book to be really engaging and I loved the premise. I'm a sucker for spooky stories so this story was right up my alley. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

Overall I enjoyed Winnie’s character, and her contrasting dynamic with Mr. Quinn was fun to see pan out. If you want historical, gothic, fantasy this book is for you!

I love Olivia's writing in every book I have read so far and this one is no exception! I love the little spooky vibes mixed with a bit of mystery and sweet romance! It is a perfect book for fall! The main character was so fierce and well written! I can't wait to read more books from her!


Also, sorry this review is being turned in late! I thought I had already reviewed it but it must not have sent correctly!

I loved Atwater’s regency trilogy so I was so excited to see her going more gothic with the victorian aesthetic!
The main characters are always so wonderfully written and its so great to have realistic female characters who are strong and independent without being over the top.
The romances are always the best part of her stories and as always this one really delivers and you cant help but love them!

4.25
Again a beutifully written story by the amazing Ms. Olivia. At first I was a little bit sceptical if I would like this but the story swet me right off my feat.
The atmosphere was perfect, a little bit spooky. The characters were just as fascinating.

When the young lord of Witchwood Manor is stolen away by dangerous faeries, his governess must find a way to steal him back. But Miss Winnifred Hall has a few surprises up her sleeve that even Witchwood’s sinister butler won’t be expecting. A Victorian gothic tale woven together from intricate world-building, a brilliant protagonist, and a heart-warming romance.

This book was so beautifully written & darkly whimsical! The story follows Winnie, a governess hired at Witchwood Manor, but there is more to why she is there than that. We meet mysterious characters & encounter eerie quirks of the manor, & as the story goes on, we start to learn why exactly Winnie is there & what is causing all of these creepy things to happen within the manor. This story was like a fairytale flipped upside down & I had so much fun reading it & finding new pieces of the story to unfold the mystery! The world building was also so stunning & the characters were so interesting. Great read!! I gave this 4.25 stars on StoryGraph.

The Witchwood Knot - Victorian Faerie Tales, Book 1 by Olivia Atwater is absolutely, compleyely and utterly my jam, toast and tea and everything in between!

Faeries, Magicians and Manors oh my! (See what I did there? Hehe) I digress, wow, wow and wow again! From the reverse pinocchio effect to the character development of Winnie, everything about this book is perfection.

Set in the Victorian era, Winifred Hall is employed to be a governess at the spooky Witchwoood Manor, owned by a cynical lord who just won't listen! Mr Quincy, we see you, yes, we see you

The perfect combination of Victorian Mystery and paranormal capers, a wholly unique read worthy of a re-read

Thank you to Netgalley, Starwatch Press and the incredible author Olivia Atwater for this stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

There is just something so wonderful about Olivia Atwater’s mind. This is only the second book of hers that I’ve read and she is just it.
Winnie was delightful, but I’d really like to talk about the setting of the book. LOVED the whole haunted house vibe. It was giving all the mystery and spookiness I wanted in my life.
Extremely fun, interesting read!

I received a free copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is a historical Gothic fantasy set during the Victorian era. Winifred arrives at the Witchwood Manor to become the governess of Robert, the son of a widower. Despite her dislike of children, Winifred refuses to let the fairies who haunt the estate take her young ward without a fight.

I was intrigued by this when I saw that it was set in the same universe as Half a Soul. While I haven’t read Half a Soul yet, I have friends who loved it and the Victorian era has a lot of fun ideas to play with. The blending of a Gothic atmosphere with the fairies really felt Victorian to me in the best way possible. I had a clear sense of time and place and everything felt rich and connected in that setting.

Winifred and Robert’s relationship was one of my favorite ward-governess relationships I’ve seen in a while. Winifred does not hide that she’s not a big fan of children and Robert doesn’t hide that he doesn’t want to be sent to Eton, a school away from his father and away from Witchwood Manor. Their wants seem opposed at first, but they’re actually in sink and the two have a battle of wills that felt true to the time period.

Mr. Quincy is an interesting fairy in that he tells Winifred a lot but he is also bound by his own rules of morality and loyalties. I’m always here for more stories about fairies having blue-orange morality, going back to the original Gaelic and Celtic influences. Mr. Quincy develops a begrudging respect for Winifred and she does for him as well as they continue to interact the longer she stays at the Manor and the more the fair folk demand Robert.

I would recommend this to fans of Gothics who also like stories about fairies with blue-orange morality, readers looking for historical fantasy with a darker edge, and those who want novels with a female main character who doesn’t like children.

This book was the fairy tale I needed, I had been in a fantasy rut. The Witchwood Knot got me out and I am looking forward to Book 2 in the series.

Everything Olivia Atwater writes is always so magical and whimsical and beautiful, it’s always so much fun to jump into a new fantasy world and this was no different. I love books about fairies and fairie lore and I’m happy to say Atwater delivered. I’m super excited for the next instalment as this left me with questions I cannot wait to be answered. 5 stars!!