A haunting story of love, bewitchment, and what a human can do in the face of supernatural forces, The Goblins of Bellwater has the hallmarks of a classic faerie story and a modern darkness that will surely appeal to readers of such books as In the Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.

Kit's family is cursed to serve a goblin clan that followed his great-grandmother over the Atlantic from France. He bears this burden as well as he can, but when a miscalculation in his tithe leads to the goblins acting out against someone close to him, it's more important than ever to find a way to break the curse and save not only himself, but his descendants and the residents of Bellwater, Washington.

The very start of the novel, involving what Kit's life is like and why he has to serve the goblins, reminded me of classic warnings against dealing with faeries of all kinds. Seeing them lure Skye in and how she tries to battle against the "deal" with nearly clever and yet devastating consequences for Grady was a tense time, knowing what's coming but unable to look away.

About halfway through I noticed that things felt like they were lagging a bit. A lot of scenes started feeling like they were being repeated: encounters between Livy and Kit, Skye and Grady, that sort of thing. There were enough variations in each one to make it seem like things were progressing, but upon reflection I don't think they really were. It was understood that Skye and Grady were now cursed, I knew from the beginning that Kit was (family obligation to the goblins), and these things kept happening: being reminded of these events, seeing little glimpses of connection, but not much development.

The story did pick back up shortly thereafter, though, and it became thrilling. The revelation of the good fae, the "locals", and how there's only one person to save everyone under really difficult conditions, might seem like a typical "good MC saves the world" but it didn't feel like a rehash. Livy's adventures, Skye and Grady's "relationship", and Kit's despair was fun to read to the end.

On the topic of relationships, Skye and Grady were a difficult situation and I wasn't sure how the author would handle it. They have a lot of really intimate moments, but there was the question in the back of my mind as to whether it was a true partnership considering they were under an enchantment the whole time. It did get addressed in parts throughout, with Skye's thoughts that she couldn't voice, and resolved at the end when she and Grady were finally able to vocalize what they'd been feeling for the past several weeks and what they'd do now. Was it love, was it real, etc...those were the questions I needed answered because they seemed like they could be great, except for the bewitchment.

With the goblin treachery, curses to be broken, and difficult interpersonal relationships, The Goblins of Bellwater was an enjoyable, well-paced read that reminded me not only of Holly Black stories, but of classic Grimm ones as well.

I just couldn't finish this one. The ending didn't really grab me, and to be honest there are a lot better urban fantasy books that pique my interest much more.

This book was really good. It is my first time reading from this author but I really enjoyed the book. It did start out a little slow. It was a little creepy and I loved that! This was one of those books that as I was reading it I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but once I finished the book I really liked it. The goblins were really creepy but interesting. They were gross, and a vulgar, Which I loved, that's how goblins should be! It's starting to feel like Autumn where I live and this book is just perfect for a fall read! The cover of this book is just beautiful and captures you right in! The synopsis is intriguing. Overall it was great!

Skye likes the woods. They smell good, offer shade and protection against the wind and rain, and they have pretty flowers and mushrooms in them. They have something else hidden in them, too...

Central Avenue Publishing and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published October 1st.

Skye and her sister occupy the family home. Mom has moved to Portland to be near her boyfriend. Skye is a barista and an artist and is hoping to get her artwork on display somewhere beyond the cafe she works in. No one has mentioned the goblins in the woods to her, so when they ask her to follow their mushroom path, she does. And then she falls under their spell.

If that's not bad enough, the young man she meets as she comes out of the woods is grabbed and kissed and she asks him to be her mate. He's still standing there with his mouth agog when she disappears again. Now he's been bespelled, too.

When Skye's sister and his cousin find out what has happened, they try to break the spell. It will take the local fae to help rid them of goblins and Livy will have to do all the work.

This is a good fantasy with lots of romance as well as magic to deal with. You never know what the goblins are going to do next and they are very sneaky in wording their promises. I wouldn't recommend playing in the woods with them. It's hard to stay alive...

I have loved this poem for awhile now, and this book just amplified my love. Anything with goblins, and gothic fairytale, I am on board for. Great read!

I love contemporary urban fantasy and this book was exactly what it said on the tin.
I got a YA love story with magic and goblins, what's not to like?
I really enjoyed the prose and the way the language crept around the goblins and the forest in a lyrical way and so many times I as reminded of Rossetti's poem and Labyrinth the movie. Not in the bad way, but in the perfect intertextuality that influences us all.
The way that mental health was depicted in the book was very interesting and I thought it gave a realistic and sympathetic account of depression.
While I feel that this book would be a novel I would recommend to students who are 14+ I would definitely use this is teen reading groups and workshops.

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I was profoundly bored.

I was given this book to read for an honest review.
This book was slow to begin but as the story evolved it got very interesting.
The characters were well written and described

Closer to 3.5 than 3 stars. Kit's family is under a 1000 year curse thanks to a deal an ancestor made with Goblins to stop her true love from being forced to marry someone else. He thinks he has them under control, and he does, as long as delivers the promised monthly gold at each full moon. The goblins are tricky as* hats, and when he's a few days late, they get their revenge by luring in a local girl and tricking her into walking their path and having a fruit tart shoved in her mouth. She soon begins to lose all interest in life, can't speak about what happened, and has to choose a mate. Finding a loophole, she discovers a man walking through the woods and kisses him, choosing her mate and sealing her fate and his. Sexy love scenes, cursed relationships, and a family curse makes this a romping fun read but nothing too complex or deep. Enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book. To me it was a quick read. The setting, the characters, and the plot were all a hit for me. My only critique is the ending, even though I think that it was practical and logical, I feel as though it was a little boring. I would have preferred a little more spark at the end or maybe kept the end the same but added an epilogue flashing forward.

If you love fairytales, this is the book for you. As Skye is drawn to the forest, she comes across goblins, and like the fae in most tales, they trick her and curse her. It is up to her sister Livy and the local mechanic Kit and his cousin Grady to figure out how to get out of a fae curse.

When I first read the premise of the book I was pretty intrigued by it, because fae are one of my favourite mythical creatures, so I went with very high hopes into this one. Unfortunately, it ended up disappointing me quite much.
I felt the story was focusing more on the romance than in the fantasy elements of it, like the goblins. The romance was very insta-love-ish and fast that it made no sense to me, and the couples were nothing extraordinary.
I though it was going to be more focused on the goblins and how their society was, and basically their history and every day, but I hardly saw those parts. The romance took so much importance that it made the book more contemporary than fantasy.
There were also conversations or interactions between the characters just to fill the plot (that's what I felt at least) and they bored me sometimes. And all the events throughout the book happened so fast you didn't have time to get really into the story.
Overall, I think that even though the whole premise sounded really interesting, it wasn't developed well and it was too focused on the romance than the fantasy and the goblins.

A fabulous example of a well written new adult genre novel..

This book was so, so good. It started a little slow but never dragged. This book was a little creepy and I really enjoyed that aspect.

For me, this was one of those books that as I was reading it I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but once I finished the book I loved it.

This book is classified as New Adult on Goodreads, but there really isn't any of that what I consider unnecessary, boarding on trashy, sex scenes. They are implied, but not explicitly described. Which I think more New Adult books should do.

The goblins were really creepy and made me very uncomfortable when I read scenes they were in, but that is kind of the point. They are supposed to make you feel that way. They are gross, and a little vulgar. I just didn't like them, and I wanted to see them defeated.

The only complaint I can think of for the book is that I don't really have much of a clear picture of what Skye, Livy, Kit, or Grady looks like. I can't recall a time when their appearance was described. It's not really much of a complaint as far as the writing goes, but I like to have a picture of what the characters look like, it helps me build a mental image of what the world looks like.

The important thing is, this book was highly enjoyable to read. So once it's released in October, if you like creepy books about Fae beings, then you should check this book out.

My Thoughts:

I loved this premise of this book but not the actual book. I do not think this book was for me and if you like fantasy with a side of romance this might be the right book for you. I did not like the romance part of the novel. I loved the fantasy and the pace of the novel but that is about it. This books a quick read to get me out of my reading slump.

Plot:

Sky falls victim to a curse set by Goblins who live near her in the forest. Her older sister has no clue that this has happened to her since she cannot speak about what happened to her. Kit starts dating Livy and tries to keep her from the goblins. Sky starts dating Kit's cousin and lure him into the forest. They have to undo the curse and make sure they do not turn into goblins.

Characters:

Sky was okay and I liked her the best. I liked Kit as well. Livy was really interesting and I was not a big fan of Kit

Fun new take on Fantasy through Goblins. This was a very enjoyable short read. I've become accustomed to the world of beautiful faeries, and goblins are not the same at all. When it comes to recommending it to students I believe it would be fine for older high schools students. I agree with it being named New Adult fiction since there is casual sex, but nothing is described in detailed. There is also some swearing when characters are upset, but nothing filthy. Characters are drawn together in a very instinctual way that is romantic. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

If you have Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market,' then you may have an idea of what to expect from this book. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; but it is something to note. If you haven't read 'Goblin Market' (I advise that you do), it's about a pair of sisters, one enthralled and seduced by the goblin's beautiful fruits, but then withers without them. Her sister saves her.

That, in a nutshell, is also the plot for 'The Goblins of Bellwater.'

Personally, I didn't mind knowing what was going to happen; I predicted (correctly) that it would stick to the general story arc of Rossetti's poem, but that was okay with me: there was plenty of other little twists and add-ons that kept it interesting. But if you want a book to surprise you - this isn't for you.

Skye and Livy live in Bellwater, a mostly unspoilt place, with little contact from their parents. Livy works as an 'eco-warrior,' which I really liked, as it resonated with me. Skye, meanwhile, works in a cafe whilst she tries to get her artwork noticed by an agent, someone, anyone! (Sound familiar to any other would-be authors or illustrators out there?) But, this is an updated, modern version of 'Goblin Market' - you've got to have your boys! Kit is what's called the 'goblin liaison;' a curse was placed on his family decades ago meaning he has to pay the goblins in gold each month. The goblin magic means he can steal from anyone, anywhere without the fear of being caught; it might sound fun, but Kit has a conscience, and detests his work. Historically, all the goblin liaisons have died young (goblins don't always play fair) and the curse falls to the closest relative, making the curse ever-lasting.

When Skye is seduced by the goblins, she's incapable of talking of anything that has happened to her, incapable, practically, of speaking, except in echoes. Livy, desperately worried about her, asks Kit's cousin Grady to come and spend some time with her, trying to get her open up, and providing her with good solid meals - Grady's spending time in Bellwater with Kit whilst he searches for a job as a chef. So, when the goblin magic compels Skye to choose a mate, she chooses Grady, and not a goblin.

This is not what the goblins had in mind.

But, boy, do they have some fun with it. Two humans ensnared by their curse? - it's just a bonus!

Kit gradually works out what has happened to Skye and, subsequently, Grady, and the plot really starts to kick off. The goblins won't bargain with him, and he knows better than to be tricked into another curse that could haunt his future family for centuries. So, it's up to Livy to sort it out.

I enjoyed 'The Goblins of Bellwater;' in fact, I enjoyed it a lot. Knowing the general story beforehand left me free to pick up on more of the nuances, and the ways in which Molly Ringle had tweaked and updated this Victorian story for our modern era. It's been a while since I've read some good modern fantasy (not quite 'urban' fantasy, as it's set in the wilds), and I thoroughly appreciated the ride. My favourite part was Livy's quest to save Skye. I won't go into details here - this is the part where Ringle veers from Rossetti the most - but it was great fun.

To be slightly picky, it all seemed a bit too neat, with all the loose ends wrapped up, but sometimes that can be okay. Sometimes I like a story that has a clear ending and we know where everyone stands. The descriptive passages were brilliant; Ringle has a real artists' eye when it comes to depicting the goblins and other fae. I was slightly unconvinced by Skye and Livy's relationship at times; I felt that Livy's character wasn't quite protective enough of her younger sister. But, these are minor points. It wasn't the most brilliant book I've read this year, but it was a lot of fun.

I've noticed that a lot of reviews state DNF (Did Not Finish), which surprised me. I think this may stem from the predictability of the plot, and, perhaps, the character of Skye who was, at times, one-dimensional. However, the reason she was one-dimensional is very clear: she's under a goblin spell. She literally cannot behave differently.

Start reading this with the knowledge that it's predictable and you'll be okay. If you want huge surprises, then this book isn't for you.

For me, it was great, particularly because of my love for the original Rosetti poem. I really need to read some more fantasy...

Thank you to Net Galley, Molly Ringle, and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me the chance to read this book. It will be released on the 1st of October.

Interesting story and well fleshed out likable characters. Beginning was slow and it took a few chapters to catch my interest.

While I loved the poem this is based on I cannot say the same for this adaptation. I don't think a love story really worked for this. I wasn't emotionally connected to it and the characters were not developed well enough to draw me in. I did like the setting and scenes, I thought that was given priority and where Ringle's strengths lie.