A larger and slightly less cosy story than I was expecting -- in a good way! It still has a lot of tea and scones (maybe don't read while hungry), but also a plot where our heroine, having been left widowed and destitute by a scuzzy husband, encounters the supernatural in the form of sister Crones, high fae, evil critters and unpredictable magic -- and a training montage age 60 is fun!

I'm very keen on reading about middle-aged & older heroines in general, though here I would have liked more breathing space for her to find her footing before introducing a future Love Interest. And though for the most part this is a pretty traditional Chosen One discovery arc, setting up the series scope, it's done well and it's always great to read about older characters reinventing themselves.

Now to wait for the next in the series. (This is not a standalone.)

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read The chic crone by Kirsten Marion. This is the 1st book in the Rowanswood crones series which was published earlier this year. I love reading stories that have strong older women, as well as characters who are not aware of the magical world, falling into their abilities. I was hooked right from the beginning as Olivia learns that her dead husband, not only had another family but died in debt. Olivia ends up traveling to the magical town of Rowanswood with her cat Magnus, and discovering she is a fire crone. One of my favorite scenes is Olivia discovering her grandmother's home is her picture-perfect home, only for it to change to a hovel when she upsets the house.
This is an urban fantasy/cozy mystery with lots of humor and was a fast read. It does end on a bit abruptly, but the next book should be out in the fall and I am looking forward to reading it.

Olivia, a successful author, is a master at suppressing any facts and emotions that might threaten her sense of contentment. But after the accidental death of her husband, her world falls apart: Nigel not only leaves behind a longtime mistress and two children but also millions in debt. Olivia loses her home and the royalties from her books – and suddenly finds herself with nothing. Just then, she inherits the house of her late aunt.
In the secluded village of Rowanswood in Cornwall, Olivia encounters unusual events. There, humans, witches, and magical beings live peacefully side by side – and suddenly Olivia is forced to come to terms with her own, previously unknown powers. In tense situations she is repeatedly aided by the charming Gaelin, who, however, harbors a secret of his own. When dark creatures begin to threaten the village, Olivia must learn to use her abilities to protect her new home.
What makes this cosy fantasy novel especially appealing is that the protagonist is an older woman. Her confusion and her struggle to come to terms with new realities are portrayed in a convincing and relatable way. The central theme is one of self-acceptance and empowerment – occasionally accompanied by some more detailed passages. Overall, the story is exciting, layered, and full of mystery, leaving the reader eager for the sequel.

This ends on 3.5 for me. Cosy feel, easy read fantasy, setting the beginning of a series. It’s one of these inherit a house stories - don’t get on the wrong side of this one, it takes umbrage. The beginning of the book was interesting, then for me the story became a little flat. However the introduction of the house, and a mistress’ shenanigans raised the game. The book is short, you know from half way through that it’s just a starter. However the threads left to be teased out suggest an interesting future in Rowanswood for chic crone Olivia. Thank you to Kirsten Marion and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

I like the premise of this, but I didn’t love the book itself. The characters were older (yay!) but still very concerned with their appearance, style, body shape, etc. there were several plot holes that (presumably) will be filled in in book 2, but realistically this ought to have been a 350+ page book complete with final ending rather than end in a near-cliffhanger. The romance was heavy-handed, and I didn’t like any of the characters enough to care whether they had love interests or not. A lot of the plot was contrived and didn’t make much sense (the MMC somehow managed to hitchhike into the no-Fae zone not once but twice?) and there were way too many villains. I didn’t like that the magic-learning was slow and often ineffectual/accidental; it wouldn’t have made sense for it to be too easy.

While not my favourite book/writing, this was a low stakes read with moments of humour and real-life pathos in equal measure. My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book! It is a slow burn romance where the main character, Olivia, discovers a magical world after her husband's death. It is considered a paranormal fantasy, which is why I loved it so much. It's not too long, coming in at 325 pages. It is the first book in the Rowanswood Crones Series and released earlier this year on 03/21/2025. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a world building paranormal romance. I am thankful to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I invite you to check it out as well.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers/author for a chance to review this ARC! All thoughts are my own.

This book is about a woman in her 60s who gets her whole life turned around in the span of a few short days. I’m always happy to read about FMCs who are older than 25.

While I think some parts were silly & novelty - the writing never pulled me in. I love cozy Fantasy but I kept putting it down and had to force myself to pick it up. The first 10% had things going on nonstop and after this - I felt underwhelmed. A few things were exceedingly convenient to the storyline and some elements didn’t flow easily. The conversations between Gaelin & his brothers were stilted and didn’t feel natural.

I liked Olivia & the other witches - they were silly and fun to read about. I was a bit thrown off by the insta-lust/insta-love but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment. Magnus the cat was the absolute spotlight for me! I also loved how the author included the reinvention of oneself - I think these elements were incredibly well incorporated.

Overall, I think it was a fairly balanced read for me, I just wish it would’ve gripped me more - because it had a lot of elements that were right up my alley. I think it’s going to check a few boxes for a lot of people and I recommend this as a palate cleanser!

Wow! Here's my money, give more stories in this series because I loved this one.
A cosy fantasy featuring a fleshed out middle age woman who discover being a powerful crone (the older witches are called crone) after she lost her husbands, discovered he had two families and there was no money left.
Excellent storytelling, characters and world building development.
Can't wait for the next story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine