I enjoyed this a lot but not as much as some of her previous work. I feel that parts of the plot dragged slightly, however I loved the atmosphere and setting. It was a dark tale filled with adventure, magic, and romance.

I read "Half a Soul" earlier in December and fell in love with this world! Was it wild for me to skip from the first book in the series to the most recent? Probably. Do I think it negatively impacted me? Absolutely not. Can I wait to read the rest of the books? NOPE!

I enjoyed this so much. Things were a little darker than the regency fairie tales (which you would expect) and so wonderful. I enjoyed the darkness. I enjoyed Winnie. I enjoyed seeing our favorites from Half a Soul coming back into the story. I cannot wait to see where this is going. As long as Olivia Atwater writes a story about a girl dealing with meddlesome fairies, you better believe I am going to read it. :)

Worthy continuation of the universe that we discovered in Half a Soul. If that book was whimsical and romantic, this was darker and grittier, and a little more sinister. Loved the main leads and their slow burn romance, and how they help each other find their own autonomy. Loved the cat, as well. And though some may complain about the ending, I thought the openness of it was perfect, leaving the author plenty of room to explore the universe further-- which she definitely should. Would love to read more of her work.

Victorian gothic fantasy - say no more!!

A gothic dark but whimsical fantasy romance that is somewhere between Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Pride and Prejudice 🤭

Winifred got a job in a strange house as a governess to the young master, but all the things are not as they are... When the boy got takes to the faerie and replaced with a changeling she has to seek help from the unusual ally.

Overall it was super entertaining, I listened to the audio witch made this book better! I loved the magic in the book and all the revelations that came with it got me sitting on the edge on the seat.

🚨 TW: sexual harassment / child grooming (not on page but omg, made me sick to my stomach)

I loved this book it was so fun and atmospheric i also loved how the whole story came together. I absolutely loved Winifred and how she went about things, she was such a great main character. I also loved her familiar ollie he was adorable. I also loved the romance in this book. Overall I enjoyed this book and the author's writing and hope to continue the series in the future and read her other series. Thank you to Starwatch Press and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for our honest review.

This is the second book by Olivia Atwood that I have read and overall I have really enjoyed her writing. I find that the style is really consistent and I don’t find myself being pulled out of the world with out of place words or phrases like other books.

I do think that I slightly preferred Half A Soul more than this one because it was more of a cozy vibe which is what I was looking for. Also, I found that the magic (especially Winifred’s) felt a little bit underdeveloped. There was mention of her being a black magician but I don’t think it was truly explored or that it made that much of a difference to the story.

Finally, I just wanted to mention the romance and relationship between Winifred and Mr Quincy. Although I think I preferred the romance on Half A Soul I did think this was a good slow burn. However, please can we stop giving MMCs tails?!

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and am glad to have read it. I didn’t expect it to be so closely related to the Regency series and think if I had known I probably would’ve read the other books first.

3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this - interesting characters and a whimsical setting. Lots of fun and i particularly enjoyed that the characters’ intentions were not always what you thought they’d be to start with

I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC of the Witchwood Knot since I have read and enjoyed some of Ms. Atwaters work already! This book is much darker than her previous stories but I would still consider it whimsical and cozy.

The gothic yet cozy vibe in this book reminded me of T Kingfisher to an extent (but less scary) which from me is the highest of compliments.

The reason why this was not a 5 star read for me was because the story was a little confusing at times and the romantic subplot didn't capture me the same way as it did in her other books.

I would give it a 4.25 which means I still thoroughly enjoyed it! It is also paced really well and feels like a complete story even though the ending leads me to believe book 2 will be even better!

Having been a huge fan of Half a Soul, I was glad to continue into the same universe. While Soul was light, romantic, and whimsical, the was a darker, more mysterious, grittier in tone. Still equally good. I found the main leads quite intriguing, and thought that open ending leaves the author room to explore sequels. Sequels I would definitely welcome!

My first dive into Olivia Atwater's writing was a pleasant surprise. The Witchwood Knot is a mix of fun, eerie vibes, and a gripping plot—an ideal modern fairy tale for those who love dark, magical tales. While the pacing could be better, I enjoyed the overall story and can see myself returning to it for the characters and the magic woven into the story.

Winnie is a talented Victorian governess with many hidden abilities. A dying matriarch requests Winnie to come to Witchwood Manor to care for her grandson, whom the magic might attack. When Winnie arrives at Witchwood Manor, she discovers a powerful and dark force there, and she remains cautious, especially around her male employer.

I appreciate an intelligent protagonist, and Winnie is brilliant. She reminds me of Emily from Emily's Encyclopedia of Fairies, which, according to both books, is a great way to handle the Faire folk. The gothic romance blends perfectly with the setting. There is a romantic element, but it's beautifully non-romantic.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

What a brilliant book.

I very much enjoyed this, my attention was captured from the first few pages.

Winnie arrives at Witchwood Manor to be a governess and is greeted by a rather rude butler - Mr Quincy. But not all is as it seems and the manor may be haunted!

I didn’t realise this was a spin off book but I 100% need to go back and read the others if they’re as good as this was!

All of the characters see development, whether they are the main characters or simply the maid. The romance is very gradual but satisfying.

Oliver is the best familiar ever, he stole the show. I just loved him.

If you’re looking for a clean, slow burn romance set in a gothic haunted mansion with faeries and magic, this is for you!

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. The magic system took a while to get my head around but once I understood it I really enjoyed this story. Winnie is a new favourite fmc, she's hilarious, intelligent and bold. I really enjoyed seeing her out of her comfort zone too with interactions with Robert. The unexpected romance at the end was a pleasant surprise. I hope we get to see more of quincy in the future. I would recommend this book to others.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my arc!

I absolutely adored this. This was my first Olivia Atwater novel and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story and the characters. Just a perfect cozy fantasy.

The Witchwood Knot is about a governess named Winifred Hall who was hired by the dowager of Witchwood manor. She was hired for her very specific set of skills. Winnie is tasked to care for the dowager’s grandson, Robert, when things take a turn and he is swept away by the fae. Winnie’s only task, now, is to get Robert back. This book was great! It has a very steady cadence throughout the story. Winnie is an amazing FMC and is capable of standing on her own strengths. Atwood does a great job at making all of her characters lovable. Although there isn’t a large contrast for character growth with the main character, the relationships Winnie builds make you want to befriend her! Overall, the only reason I’m only giving this 4 stars is because the story feels very even-keel. This might be a preference, but I love a solid twist and this book only had some sharp turns. A great read!

Winifred Hall as a governess for a young boy, Robert, as a favor to Lady Longfell. However, the favor has more to do with protecting her young charge from the cursed house and dangerous faeries. One of these faeries is Mr. Quincy, the butler of Witchwood that no one has heard of. Protecting her charge proves difficult when she starts unraveling the details of the curse

Overall, I did not like this book. I found it mediocre to be frank.First I should say though some of this is not the fault of the actual story but the fault of the person who wrote the summary. The beginning of it states, “The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.” This does not happen until the 51% percent mark-chapter 9 specifically. Because of this, I kept thinking I missed it. Plus, it is also tagged as romance. While there is a romance, and it is an interesting one, I think it inaccurate to tag it as such. To me, it would be the equivalent of tagging Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as romance and there is just as much romance in that novel. It does not help that the praise for the novel emphasizes this. The romance does not appear in any capacity until the 75% mark.

Where the author goes wrong is in the pacing. While the whole book is fast-paced, the first half of the book requires so much set up that it is easy to get confused. I had to reread multiple scenes because I was confused. There were many scenes but few major plot points occurring.

The last 10% of the book was excellent. While this book is not my cup of tea, and I cannot see how others would like it, I am sure others would.

The Well-Dones:
- An immersive experience, with lots of detail to the characters and their backstory and the slow piecing together of the world that is the Witchwood Manor and the Witchwood Knot

- Winnie's (female protagonist) tenacity and ability to continue despite the terrible things she's experienced
Highlighting the negatives that come with being a conventionally beautiful person -- when powerful men do as they please and act like you owe them something simply because you're beautiful

-The moment when both Winnie and Mr. Quincy, the male protagonist, owns up to their fears. Quality moment

The Not so Well done:
-The story was slow to start. Not much happens until about halfway through. It dragged and I was starting to lose interest.

-I'm not sure I fully understand the conflict of the story. 🤣😭 I still have a few questions even after finishing the book but perhaps the plan is to unfold some more information about the world in the sequel.

- My biggest issue with the book--and why I can't take Mr. Quincy seriously AT ALL as the romantic interest--is that Mr. Quincy has a . . . rat tail. That's literally how it's described. He has a FREAKING TAIL. And all I could think the whole time was, "Mr. Ratburn? Is that you?" And I could not get over it. A DAMN TAIL. What.

Overall, if you can get over a love interest having a tail, this is a good read. Very Gothic, dark and grim.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thanks to Starwatch Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Witchwood Knot is in the same world as Half a Soul so I recommend reading those books before picking up this one. I believe this book takes place after the events of Half A SouI.
I really enjoyed this story and I hope the next book comes out soon as the conclusion left me wanting more and worried for some major characters.
I love Olivia’s writing, if Olivia wrote a pamphlet I would read it with vigour. She is becoming on of my favourite writers. This book is reminiscent of gothic tales like Wuthering Heights but also discuss complex subjects like sexual harassment and assault.
The main character was faceted and strong. I enjoyed her character development. The secondary characters were well rounded and interesting. The afterword was so important in this story that I recommend once everyone finishes the story to read the afterword to truly understand the impactful writing.
I would recommend this series of books to anyone who is a fan of historical fantasy with a flair of whimsy.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!


I am a bit upset over this book because.....



.......the sequel is nowhere in sight??? I was unaware this is first in a *series*. I then thought it could be read as a standalone like Olivia Atwater's Regency Faerie Tale series but I was mistaken. I also finished this book in less than a day and now I am very eager for the sequel!

The Witchwood Knot is another masterpiece from OA. I have read books set in the Regency or Victorian era but they never entice me as much OA's books do. Like all of her books that I've read, the MC is this book is as lovable as the rest. As I don't read Adult books often, I was wary of this book but I adored it.
We, Asians, don't express our love that openly and so growing up I have always avoided “love stories”. I have come to appreciate pure and honest love which this book does an amazing job at. I loved Mr. Quincy and Winifred, they have such a healthy love story. But that is not to say that the entire book is simply a “love story”, it is just a subplot which I appreciated. There are other themes which must be talked about often, one of which is SA. Sure, it was difficult reading about it (I was so utterly disgusted at Mr. Green) but it was also healing in some way. It was wonderful when Winifred took back control of her own body. I applaud the author for the care with which she handled this topic.
All in all, this is a must read for all fantasy readers. It is also suitable for YA readers who can handle the TWs.

Rating: 4.5 stars

There was a point in this novel when I had considered dnf-ing because I couldn’t get on with Winnie, but I’m glad I ultimately pushed through. There were cute elements to the relationship and Atwater is incredibly talented when writing atmosphere.

I think this story requires readers to have already consumed her regency faerie tales. While it mentions in the blurb that we’re returning to that world, I think my enjoyment was damped by not understanding what we’re clear references to the original books.

Rating: 2.5 stars