”The coins jangled in her pocket, weighing heavier than they should because they were ill-gotten gains. Her heart beat faster in her chest, weighing heavier than it should because it was broken. But it was her soul that weighed the most, for she’d sold it to the Devil.”

It’s 1885. A woman is on the run for her life, desperate to evade the police nipping at her heels, and collides with a man. She breaks her ankle, and in that moment he lies, pretending she’s his wife. It’s a lie they both take on in the next half-year that comprises this book.

The things I liked about this book:

-The “mystery” of it. What, exactly, did the new Luna do to see her attempting to evade the noose? It had to be something where she was sympathetic, but generally hanging offences are, well, quite dire. So I was hooked trying to puzzle it out first. The author teases it out piecemeal, and kept me sufficiently engaged without getting frustrated and bored waiting for the solution.

-The atmosphere. We got a creepy woods, magic (or not), possible spirits, a protective raven named Bran—it really is the perfect read for October and Halloween.

Things I didn’t quite like:

-The dialogue was a little wooden and stiff at times to my ear. And add to that it just seemed more modern most of the time.

-I didn’t really feel much yearning or connection between the pretend Luna and Marcus. It was inevitable they would sleep together, but it would have been nice to feel some sparks. They could have done with a few chapters of interaction where they deepen their bond over some sort of activities before heading to kissing and then, of course, sex. I know Luna was frustrated he didn’t come to bed, but that doesn’t really suffice for me when it comes to love and caring.

I would say this book is 3.5, but that leaves me to round up or down. I’ll choose up, solely because of the passages interwoven that show why exactly the protagonist fled. I guessed just before the reveal and was like, “Oh, how clever!”, and the pleasure in that can lend a half star in the positive direction, I suppose.

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

Full of twists and turns, this story is a love letter to Jane Eyre. When a young woman collides with Marcus Greybourne, he provides her with an alibi, that of his wife, Luna, whose is also known as the Ravenswood Witch. As Luna tries to escape her own past, she is faced with threats of both spiritual and human making. As her feelings for Marcus grow, she must decide who is friend or foe, and if she can handle the consequences of a life she has not lived.
While I enjoyed many aspects of this book, and certainly did not foresee the ending, I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. I have loved Jane Eyre for decades now, but felt the references were too obvious and heavy handed. The plot, while well thought out and researched, seemed very slow to me, and I would spend days in between reads simply because I felt the pacing was so slow. There were some details, usually related to trying to write a novel as though it was contemporary to Jane Eyre, that felt awkward and clunky. It seemed like the author kept switching from trying to be written in 1800s and a modern style. But the character development was excellent, and I loved the multiple point of views and thought they were well done. In fact, how the author utilized the multiple POVs to tell the story might be my favorite part, and one of the best plot points I’ve seen in some time.
Spice level is mild to non-existent, and there was no cursing.

This gothic romance was an easy and fun read. I enjoyed the strong gothic atmosphere that .gave me s strong Rebecca vibe- particularly the haunting presence of the First Luna Greybourne and the fact we don’t learn the identity of our heroine until much later on in the book.
There is a hint of a mystery in what has happening to the first ‘Luna’ and why is the false ‘Luna’ happy to take her place and the biggest mystery of all- why does everyone seem happy to accept the whole charade and the fake Luna.
There is a parallel storyline which is interesting, but I don’t think adds much to the main story.
The description of people with mental illness and how they are treated was difficult to read but it is in keeping with the times, but some might find this hard to read.
Perfect for Fans of
Gothic historical romances

1885, a young woman is on the run from the police. She stumbles and hurts her ankle bumping into a stranger. The stranger is Marcus Greybourne and he claims to the police that the young woman is his wife. The story then goes on from there.

This story had a lot that I enjoy. Firstly there is the gothic feel to it with it's rambling old house. This is always a plus for me. The house also comes with it's secrets, one being that Marcus already has a wife. Alongside the story of Marcus and the young girl the story flits to another young lady, Eloise. All will be revealed with the two timelines.

This story did remind me of Jane Eyre and also Rebecca which are two books I enjoy very much, with Rebecca being my favourite of all time. The story also is full of superstitions around witchcraft and how small villages deal with it.

I did find the story a bit slow paced however and for a while I felt not a lot was happening. However this changed with the big twist and this I did not guess. I thought this twist really did make the book.

This is the first book I've read by the author and I would read more in the future.

I quite enjoyed this book though I found it a bit slow and repetitive in parts. The story didn’t have any exciting twists or reveals which didn’t help. It was an interesting premise but wasn't as gripping as it could have been.

This was brilliant! Perfect for autumn now that the weather is getting colder and the leaves are turning brown. It was a magical read and I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters were everything for me. Thank you!

As the leaves turn and the chill of October sweeps in, there's nothing quite like curling up with a captivating read that embodies the spirit of Halloween. Enter "The Ravenswood Witch," a spellbinding tale that brilliantly weaves together mystery, intrigue, and a touch of the supernatural.

Set against the haunting backdrop of 1885, we meet a mysterious young woman, whose name remains unknown, desperately fleeing from an unseen force. Her journey leads her to a fateful encounter with the dashing Marcus Greybourne. A collision that results in her injury—a broken ankle—sets off a chain of events that entangles her in Marcus’s life in ways she could never have anticipated.

Marcus, charming yet enigmatic, convinces a local officer that she is his long-lost wife, Luna. The charade allows her the time to recover, but as she settles into the eerie Ravenswood Hall, it becomes apparent that the house holds secrets of its own. The tale of Luna Greybourne, the so-called Ravenswood Witch who has mysteriously disappeared, looms large over their interactions. The atmosphere is thick with eerie happenings—visionary glimpses of a woman wandering the grounds and ominous scratches appearing on furniture, hinting at the supernatural forces at play.

The narrative unfolds in dual timelines, shifting between the current predicament of our new Luna Greybourne and the world of Eloise, a privileged young woman existing months prior. Eloise’s seemingly carefree life, alongside her maid Rose, contrasts sharply with the tension and intrigue at Ravenswood Hall, adding layers to the unfolding mystery.

What truly draws readers into "The Ravenswood Witch" is its gothic charm reminiscent of classics like "Jane Eyre." The author shines in creating a rich atmosphere filled with spookiness and superstition, all while threading in a hint of romance that keeps the heart racing. The dynamics between characters are compelling—who can truly be trusted in a web of deception? What fate has befallen the real Luna Greybourne?

This 354-page novel is the perfect length for diving into on a cozy night by the fire, draped in a fluffy blanket, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate at your side. With its blend of suspense, eerie occurrences, and emotional depth, "The Ravenswood Witch" is a must-read for lovers of gothic stories and mysteries alike.

Prepare to be captivated by a tale that is as chilling as it is enchanting—this book is sure to keep you guessing until the very last page!

Not for me. I requested this to read in October, as I always like to stock up on "spooky stories" to get me in the Halloween mood. This wasn't quite what I expected, and not my favorite.

Things i love about this book :
The time period
The writing style
The plot

that doesn't mean i do not like characters, my preference is the above. Enjoyed it very much

A slow burn read. Gothic mystery with a good plot and eerie setting. I enjoyed the different points of view and the story.

🎃🎃🎃🎃/5

So it’s not a Halloween book but I read the ARC during Halloween time mostly because it’s the vibe I was getting. Now, it def took me a bit to get through ngl and I took breaks in between but the reason I’m giving 4/5 is because it genuinely has a lot of gothic elements to it and just the overall spooky vibe.

I thoroughly enjoyed No 23 Burlington Square so I jumped at the chance to read and review The Ravenswood Witch.

This is a very different theme and I loved it just as much.

A young woman literally falls for Marcus when she is running away from her pursuers, breaking her ankle. He saves her by stating to them that she is his wife. Carrying on with the charade to benefit him, she finds herself morphing into the role of Luna, the wife who has recently disappeared. The house is a mess, with what appears to be devil worship drawings on the walls everywhere. Feeling lonely when Marcus takes a trip, she nurses a half dead raven back to life and it befriends her, and appears to be trying to protect her.

Is Luna dead? Is she haunting the house? Is Luna the Ravenswood Witch? And what’s the mystery of the Ravenswood wood and the wishing well?

I raced through this in a day. However, I can’t believe I didn’t tie up the two storylines until quite late in the book! Such an immersive storyline which kept me glued from the first page to the last with quite a shocking revelation.

Highly recommend especially for witchy season!

Thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the blog tour.

I don’t usually do well with spooky things, so I had to read this is one sitting so I didn’t get too scared. The suspense and mystery kept me reading long past my bedtime to make sure everything turned out okay in the end.

There are a lot of gothic elements. The manor is crumbling and covered in occult symbols and the forest is creepy and mysterious. There’s rumors of witchcraft, mysterious ravens, signs of the occult, and people who might not be trustworthy around every corner. It’s difficult to know who is trustworthy. Even the main character is mysterious, making us wonder who she really is and how she got herself in this situation.

Some elements of the story are predictable, but there’s enough tension that the predictability doesn’t take away from the overall story. Some of it drags a little, and the reveals aren’t paced as well as they perhaps could have. However, the way the tension builds over time lends well to the creepy, mysterious setting. It all builds to a satisfactory ending.

The cast of characters are interesting and mysterious. I particularly enjoyed Bran, but I do wish I’d been able to get to know our two main characters a little bit better. Some of the characterization seemed to be lost in the challenge to keep things mysterious.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it’s a great read for “spooky season” or when you want more atmospheric tension in a romantic story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

An amazing story which had me completely hooked. Very interesting and it really made me think of those days when life was extremely hard for people. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I don’t think this book was for me. The last 25% was great and action packed, but getting there was difficult. The pacing was slow, making it hard to get through the chapters. Not much happened, yet the story kept hinting that something was supposed to occur. It was creepy and haunting, so those vibes were there as expected.

The writing itself was good- there were no issues with the actual prose. The story and the lack of significant events were the main issues.

Overall, this missed the mark for me.

SYNOPSIS:
1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she's caught she'll be hanged for murder. As she gets within a stones throw from the ferry that will save her, she collides with a stranger resulting in a broken ankle. To her surprise the man convinces the constable she is reclusive wife of 10 years, Luna. He carries her back to his crumbling manor, Ravenswood Hall, where he promises he will provide for her while she heals. But the real Luna Greybourne is missing and the haunted house holds dark secrets. As strange happenings continue in the house and extend to the surrounding dark woods, Luna fears for her life as the village know her as the Ravenswood witch and want her to pay for her supposed crimes. Who can she trust and who is out to get her?

THOUGHTS:
The setting delivers the dark gothic atmosphere you would expect from a dark crumbling manor and the creep connecting woods.

However, I found the story itself rather predictable. It had little sprinkles of backstory involving Luna's life before she was on the run for murder. However, everything that happened there and the reveal of which character Luna was, was highly predictable. I also feel like there was no depth to the characters.

While the book held potential for me it was a little disappointing and is more about the vibes than the story itself.

What starts out almost as a rip off of Jane Eyre, reveals itself to be a nuanced and twisty gothic thriller.

England 1895. a woman is on the run, she's terrified of being caught, she stumbles into Marcus Greybourne and falls breaking her ankle. In return for Marcus' assistance in her hour of need she agrees to play the part of his estranged wife Luna and mistress of the house. Her true identity remains hidden and revealed slowly in flashbacks.

The real Luna's presence envelops the house, with strange scratchings on walls and ruined furniture, her last known whereabouts are suspected to be the nearby woods but it has been a long time since she has shared a home with her husband. Is Marcus telling the truth about his wife's last whereabouts or does he have a dark secret of his own.

A fine twisty, engaging tale

I really liked the vibes and the start of this book but I found the story a little too slow. Unfortunate I found it dragged on and I lost interest in the story quickly. It took me forever to finish it because of this, I don’t think it was the story for me at this time.

This author seems to be the one for unusual stories. When you read the title, you somehow have an idea what kind of story this could be. Be assured that it certainly isn’t the kind of the story I expected. That doesn’t mean it was bad or that I didn’t like it. I was surprised by the story and I liked it. The two main characters are lovable and their relationship developed nicely and reasonably. The ending of the story itself was surprising but in a way acceptable.
I liked the story and recommend the book.

Jenni Keer wrote a good, traditional gothic in the spirit of beloved authors like Mary Stewart and Victorian Holt. I'm always looking for new authors that give me those feelings, so this was a delight for me! I'll certainly feature this story on upcoming themed episodes. Should the opportunity for an interview arise, I'd be happy to do that as well. Thank you for the ARC!