When Carrie Morgan returns to the small town of Woodsmoke where she grew up she knows the past has never truly left her. Morgan women have always been a strange breed and the family heirloom, the book of "workings" is behind it. Carrie left in a hurry ten years ago and has only returned following the death of her grandma Ivy. Ivy has left Carrie her home and business with the proviso that she remains during the winter to renovate the cottage. Who is mysterious stranger Matthieu who appears from nowhere to help. Has he really come from the mountains to spirit Carrie away? A strange book and I couldn't decide where it was set which troubled me. The description and name of the town seems American but the terminology is British. Confusing. #netgalley #thewoodsmokewomensbookofspells

I don’t even know where to start. I was taken completely by surprise by this book. It was mesmerising.

The descriptions and the town of Woodsmoke, the magical realism, the mystery & kind of folklore surrounding the mountains, the curse, the spells and the atmosphere all come together to create a magical read that will fill you with love, joy & hope. (It will break your heart as well but, don’t worry, it mends it too!)

Carrie is a gorgeous character with whom I adored. Along with her grief she’s also trying to rediscover herself and find out if Woodsmoke is her true home.
I’ve never wanted a character to find happiness more than I did her.

We then have Cora & Howard. Cora is wonderful and even though she did upset me I understood her reasons. And then Howard. Oh I loved him. Sweet, quiet, adorable and so wise. He stole my heart.

However I didn’t like Tom or Jess. I just found them to be selfish.

One of my favourite lines ~
“There is no razor at the edge of his syllables. No tiny cuts at the end of each word. Only a low, soft roundness that wraps around me.”

I’ve now read 2 books by Rachel (this and One Christmas Morning) and can confidently say she is an auto-buy author. Her YA Compass & Blade I haven’t read but do own so will get to that early next year.

Official rating ~ 4.5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley & HQ, for the eArc of this gorgeous book.

I was totally enthralled by this book from the beginning to the end. Just enough magic and mystery, but with a good dollop of reality, blended together perfectly in this novel. I wasn’t sure about the title, but the story blew me away.

Carrie is a Morgan, and the Morgan women have a very special place in the heart of Woodsmoke. They have a special book, passed from Grandmother to Granddaughter which shows them how to harness the power of the Mountains to make things happen – but the price is sometimes too high to pay. Carrie had escaped from Woodsmoke, but when her Grandmother dies she returns to renovate her cottage so she can sell it. Whilst there, she meets Matthieu who offers to help her with the renovations, and she is forced to evaluate all she feels about Woodsmoke. Is Matthieu all he seems? After all, no one else has actually seen him.

If you like a good book, with a bit of a magical touch, this is the one for you.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6956238966

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/woodsmoke-womens-book-of-spells-by.html

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. This is an easy to read book exploring relationships and the after effects when friendships fracture. I would have loved to have seen more of the magic and book of spells developed, as the title and plot line really draws you in, and I feel there was a missed opportunity to develop that side of the story. Imagery was beautiful and I could really imagine the mountains. 3.5*

Beautifully written this book left me as spellbound as most Morgan women were with the ancient mountains, folklore and the tome of stories. Told by Carrie, the youngest Morgan who has returned home and Cora, the keeper of the spellbook this novel is one of secrets, family and belonging. Of friendships, sacrifice and dealing with the past for a better future. Atmospheric and immersive it's ideal autumn reading when the first frost arrives.

This lovely story showed female friendships and relationships at their worst and best. From Carrie and Jess to Cora and Ivy, these women have developed bonds that fail to quieten even in the toughest circumstances. The community and how they reacted to the Morgan women were reminiscent of the community in Practical Magic. I loved the descriptions of the mountains but felt that I wanted more magic and spells. Still an enjoyable story though.

3.5 stars
An enjoyable read with magic and folklore rippling through the pages. I found the characters and their relationships so interesting and enjoyed seeing how the village and the mountains played such an important part in the tale. The mountains, almost characters in their own right were foreboding and mysterious and added that tension needed and felt thoughout.

This is basically a winter Hallmark story with a small dash of magic, which sees a woman returning to the small town she left ten years ago after her grandmother's death, which some people will love but it wasn't for me at all. The further I got through the book, the less interested I was with any of the characters. For starters, they're all so self-absorbed. They make "magic bargains" to get what they want, knowing that there is a price to pay and it's not always them who pays it, and they don't even seem to feel anything like guilt or regret about it. In typical small town style, if you leave the small town, you're lost forever because apparently it's impossible to call, write, email or even return for a visit, until you dramatically decide to do so ten years later.

For a story where a person's place and sense of belonging is apparently such an important detail, and Woodsmoke is important enough to feature in the book's title, there is a surprising lack of description of the place itself, other than that it's a small town near the mountains. There's hardly any side characters either. It could have been anywhere. There was a small amount of magic but it was mainly small town family drama and romance, and the magic didn't seem to be as important as I thought it would be. I felt like I didn't really know what the point of the book what, it was a bit of this and a bit of that, and didn't really hit the mark for me on any score.

This book wasn't what I expected - it felt darker, more dangerous and with a sharp edge and yet I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Told through the eyes of Carrie, her childhood best friend Jess and her great aunt Cora, this book shows that magic has a cost that someone has to bear, meddling will always come to light in the end, and that the mountains hold dark secrets.

Every character in this book felt so human, flawed and trying their best in an ever=unfolding situation. The long past relationship between Cora and her sister felt like years of resentment, slowly bubbling under the surface until it was too late to resolve.

This felt like all of the darkest, and brightest parts of Appalachia, captured in a book, and it made me nostalgic for a home I've never lived in.

A little on the fence with this book.
Enjoyed it but found it had too little magic to live up to the blurb.
Also it was a book that wasn't sure where it was based, Americanisms jarred in places.

I didn't know what to expect, I know it wasn't going a witchy rom-com. I got a lot as it's a very beautiful, poignant, and gripping story that mixes tropes, old myths, the story of a family of magical woman and a love story.
Magic is at the center of the story: magic as curse, magic as a mean of exchange, magic as part of your inheritance.
Well written, emotionally charged, excellent world building and storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rachel Greenlaw’s “The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells” wasn’t quite what I was expecting, although, to be fair, I wasn’t sure what I’d get when I asked for the ARC! I so enjoyed her previous novel, “One Christmas Morning,” so I hoped I’d be in for something intriguing and well executed. An interesting cozy paranormal romance, I hoped. And yes, it’s that, but this also is a captivating blend of multiple genres—mystery, supernatural, family drama, a little bit of gothic suspense, and romance, and Ms. Greene intertwines them all as she teases us by blurring the lines between reality and magic. However, if you’re looking for a deeper exploration of the townsfolk and the nuances of the magic presented here, then know that “Woodsmoke” focuses more tightly on its MC than its wider elements. While the set-up features generational magic, it’s the narrative that provides the atmosphere and “feels” rather than overt, fantastical use of it. So, enjoy the enticing excerpts from the Morgan Book of Spells, but if you’re a fan of Harry Potter or some such, don’t expect wand waving.

Instead, enjoy a compelling story of love and that “magic” (in the non-magical-realism sense) of rediscovering your roots. I adored the atmospheric world that Ms. Greenlaw creates, effortlessly drawing you in. I almost felt I was inside Carrie Morgan’s cottage setting, enveloped by the mystical charm of the surrounding mountains as the story touches on some deeper themes such as grief, sacrifice, identity, and what it truly means to call a place home, all while giving us a delightful, and different, romantic thread.

4.5 stars bumped up because the prose is gorgeous!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Carrie left Woodsmoke 10 years ago in a flurry of rash decisions and heartbreak, leaving behind everything she knew

So when she does finally return it is to whispers, gossip, and cold shoulders. Her Gran has passed away, leaving her the house and Carrie just wanted to return to spruce the place up to sell. Her aunt, Cora, tries to convince her to stay but between feeling the Wanderlust and her broken relationship with her old best friend and old fiance, who are now a couple well established in their life, Carrie is unsure if Woodsmoke is where she belongs

But whilst mending a broken house, Carrie also meets a traveller, Matthieu, but her aunt warns her the man is only there over the winter and will break her heart.

Carrie must tackle some very conflicting feelings and decide where she wants to be. And who she wants to be with.... as well as accepting her complicated family history with a magical book, the town, the people in it, and also the treacherous mountains that surround it....

This was such a touching book, it really dove into the emotions of all the characters through their own POVs in addition to Carries. I really loved the raw honesty and complex nature of what they felt as this is how emotions are... hard and complicated

Definitely giving the Practical Magic vibes and Perfect for this time of year

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the review copy, all opinions my own

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is cosy, witchy, magical story that is perfect for this time of year! After jilting her ex at the altar ten years ago, Carrie Morgan returns to the small village of Woodsmoke after inheriting her grandmother’s old cottage. She comes back to refurbish the home and discover if her attachment to Woodsmoke as her 'home' remains. The Morgan family have long been associated with witchcraft in the village which adds additional pressure to her return and family’s legacy.

The renovation proves more difficult than expected and Carried hires Matthieu, a skilled craftsman who brings his own hidden past to Woodsmoke as well. Drawn to his mysterious nature he interest intensifies when he disappears and no one else seems to know of him. Could these occurrences be connected to the eerie mountains Carrie now lives in. The ghosts of her, and her family's past, both re-emerge with her strained relationship with Tom, Jess, Cora and how to soothe those old wounds.

Carrie had been left Woodsmoke cottage by her grandmother. She hadn't left it previously on a good vibe and is anxious upon returning. She needed to make some repairs. It was a lovely read, but I wish there was more magic as the title suggests and perhaps less characters as it can gey confusing at times.
Thank you to netgalley and HQstories@HarperCollinsfor an early copy to enjoy

I read this E-ARC book in exchange for an honest review and I selected it looking for something magical and wintry to match the changing weather and this didn't disappoint.

Centred around the Morgan women, Carrie Morgan has reluctantly returned to her hometown having left under a cloud a decade before. She's drawn back by family ties and the ominous presence of the mountains which provide a foreboding backdrop to this magical tale and feel like the baddy in the story.

I found the story relatable And not so seated in magic that the characterisation was lost. I liked the ambiguity of the fantasy element - was it magic or was it the forcefulness of each of the strong characters involved? There was no way to tell.

The story progressed at a pace and it had a satisfying ending. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who enjoy the occasional fantasy and magic lite

A beautifully moving, emotional, magical book. Rachel Greenlaw enchants from the first page, the characters are so well written and the story is so enjoyable.

A Morgan woman can make a wish. She can scratch at the door of the mountains and ask for the world, but if they agree to help, she must give something of equal importance in return. An eye for an eye. A secret for a secret.

A life for a life."

I started reading The Wooodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw and quickly wondered why this was the first book I had read by her. It was a cosy and atmospheric read that kept me hooked for the entire book and left me thinking about it for a long time after. There wasn't a moment of The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells that I didn't love.

Carrie is returning to her hometown of Woodsmoke, a little town in the shadow of some mountains, after 10 years away. She returns following the death of her beloved grandma, Ivy. Ivy had stipulated in her will that Carrrie should return to Woodsmoke to restore the cottage. Her return stirs up a lot of memories, gossip and superstitions.

The women in Carrie's family have a book of tales passed down through her family, a book filled with 'workings' and tales of bargains to be made in the shadows of the mountains.

"There are tales in the book, Tales of beautiful people who are not quite real, stories from the mountains of the people of Woodsmoke being lured into the wild depths and never coming home. Perhaps the mountains are vengeful, perhaps just playful, perhaps in love with us. But it's been drummed into me to follow the paths and never stray from them. Most still follow the old ways here, even if they don't admit it aloud. But the hikers, the visitors, they don't know the rules. Some never leave the mountains."

Those who live in Woodsmoke are divided over the stories surrounding the mountains and over the use of the book to meddle in the affairs of those living in the town, and yet even those who claim not to believe still adhere to the superstitions.Carrie's Great Aunt Cora clings fast to her belief in the old ways but her mother and grandmother respect and feat the mountains and want no part in the bargains availble to them as a Morgan Woman. Carrie is an embodiement of the way most people in the town are hedging their bets - both believing in the power of the mountain tales, and not.

"I turn to the North, to the mountains. If I don't greet them, if I turn away and pretend they are not there, I know what could happen. I know the old tales. It's a curse and a gift being a Morgan woman with this knowledge. But we all know, really. Everyone in Woodsmoke has grown up knowing that magic isn't some intangible, wonderful thing. It's real, it has consequences, and it echoes in the mountain range. This ancient place, where magic seems to grow thick and wild. Some people in the town like to think that they don't believe, but I've seen them scratching at Cora's door. I've seen the outcome when her warnings are not heeded. We all have."

Carrie is all set to get the cottage sold and move on..until she meets a man who appears with the first frost, a man nobody else seems to have seen.

One of the things that appealed to me about The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is the underlying message of being careful what you wish for, a message that reminds me heavily of the old style fairytales.

"The magic of the mountains is a dark thing, demanding a price, demanding blood from a Morgan woman for every bargain made in it's shadow, or so it is whispered around the town."

Another thing that struck me about the book is the way nobody, not even the Morgan family themselves, can say for sure whether the mountains have real magic, or whether it is all just superstition born of the hardness of the landscape. Whether Mathieu is real or whether he is a punishment from the mountain's as Cora suggests, a man sent to make Carrie fall in love and then to melt away with the Spring and leave her heartbroken.

"What if Matthieu is something out of one of the tales of the book? What if...What if he did appear with the frost? What if Cora is right?"

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells is getting a lot of hype online and as far as I am concerned it is well deserved .I loved every character in the book and I dare you to read it without routing for Carrie.

REVIEW
cw: anxiety, panic attacks, brief mentions of miscarriage, grief, loss, death

In the mountain town of Woodsmoke, the locals have long heard tales of a stranger linked to the first frost. Carrie Morgan fled Woodsmoke a decade ago, leaving everyone she loved behind. Her decision has haunted her ever since. Born into the magical legacy of the Morgans women, generations of whom have been able to harness the power of the imposing mountains, Carrie returns to her late grandmother's dilapidated cottage. As the temperatures drop, there she meets Matthieu, a handsome stranger who offers to help refurbish the cottage. They grow closer, but as the last frost disappears, so does Matthieu, leaving Carrie wondering if he was ever real. As she searches for the truth, and him, she must finally confront the reason she left Woodsmoke.

I was so intrigued by the opening chapters of this book. Greenlaw skillfully wove the eery tension and steeped each chapter in anticipation of what secrets the Woodsmoke mountains were keeping. The story was told from the POVs of Carrie, Cora (Carrie’s great aunt), and Jess (Carrie’s childhood best friend, now married to Tom, Carrie’s former fiancé). As such, there were three interwoven storylines which drew on each woman's relationship, not only with each other but with their families, and the Woodsmoke mountains.
I felt sorry for Carrie, particularly as we discovered why she always felt so untethered. She was constantly in limbo and never felt settled. As the story progressed I grew more and more protective of her. I won't spoil anything but it made so much sense when the secrets began to be revealed. When the mysterious Matthieu appeared I appreciated the whispers of folklore and superstition. I do wish there'd been more actual on-page romance between them throughout the story. What we got was sweet, and sometimes moving, but most of it was merely told to us, which stopped their dramatic conclusion from having quite as much emotional impact as it could have. Still, I always appreciate characters who put their mental health first, so I loved that the author allowed one of the characters time to do so.
The themes of envy, resentment, and pride were also expertly threaded through the story. Cora was such an interesting character. Younger sister to Ivy, Carrie’s grandmother, you could feel her bitterness towards Ivy through each page, especially regarding not being given The Morgan Compendium. But you could also feel her protective love for Carrie, and as her own secrets are revealed it was impossible not to care for her and her husband, Howard. Howard was so kind and stoic. But my heart broke for him when we discovered the price he'd paid for Cora's actions. That said, chapter 42 was incredibly moving and I adored the flashbacks to their courtship, and early years together. Chapter forty-seven was particularly beautifully written.
The Morgan Compendium was almost a character all of its own, and you always felt the burden of the book. I loved the extracts at the beginning of each chapter. They built the tension perfectly.
Jess and Tom's story was also well-written, and the scenes where they each discovered that Carrie had returned felt visceral in different ways. Jess's turmoil was palpable, especially over the loss of her friendship, and my heart broke for her, particularly when she finally confronted Carrie. But she had her own secrets, and, without spoiling anything, it was interesting to see how those played out. I found Jess and Carrie’s journey particularly heartwarming. The epilogue tied everything up perfectly, if a teensy bit abruptly. I'd love to have had a little bit more of the dynamic at the end, but that's what bonus chapters are for, isn't it? *winks*
A beautifully crafted story about three women learning to accept their place in the world.

Overall Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own*

Favourite Quotes:

When a story is no longer shared, it becomes a secret. Then it all too easily either withers and dies or grows into something quite monstrous: a curse.

The magic of the mountains is a dark thing, demanding a price, demanding blood from a Morgan woman for every bargain made in its shadow, or so it’s whispered around the town. And Cora has carried all of that with her for many, many years.

“The mountains didn’t welcome her home, Howard. They’re tormenting her. Punishing her for— for leaving . . .”

You can’t fit yourself into a box that wasn’t built for you.

One wants me to leave, and one wants me to stay. It’s as though the town is divided, and that same divide sits in my heart.

Matthieu is the only person in Woodsmoke I don’t have some kind of history with. Spending some time with him is like taking a break from the muddle of my thoughts. It’s the distraction I desperately need, and being near him feels like a balm. Like he’s the coolness I needed to calm my flames.

The hidden mysteries of the mountains used to fill me with wonder, but now I am older, I fear their sinister edge.

“I’m sorry it’s creating gossip. I’m sorry the town has so little going on that I’m causing such a stir. Now you know how it is to have the last name Morgan.”

Why is losing a friend always so much harder than losing a love?

"Loving someone —caring for them and losing them . . . it is a distinct kind of grief. One that’s hard to shake.”

I love how Matthieu has surprised me, shown me a different side to the mountains. A playful side, a side not closely guarded and full of tricks, like those in Cora’s book. I feel like the mountains are mine again, that seeing this side of them is reclaiming a piece of the home I wasn’t sure would be mine to come back to.

He has to be real. How could someone who carries this much love and grief and promise not be?

I realize that you can belong with a person as much as you belong to a place. Matthieu is the one I want to belong with.

I’m afraid he may be the person I’ve been unconsciously searching for— a soul that matches my own.

Everything is just as it should be, and at last he can see the love he’s craved shining from her. Love for him, love for the life they’ve shared. It’s enough. It’s everything.

I have finally found my way home.

"You’re the love of my life. Always have been, always will be."

All there is in that moment is him.

A great cosy story. Perfect for the season! The writing was beautiful and I felt like I was there with the girls. I loved all the characters, especially Carrie and Cora. A lovely book!