This book reminded me of the tv show Charmed. That is a good thing, I loved Charmed. The story is steady flowing although until the ending there wasn't much in the way of action to get your reading pumped up. The romance is the story is very slight and in the background to the main story of Stevie and the Coven. I loved Stevie and Charlie's relationship and how autism affected their lives. The Coven members were very likable and had their own quirks. The idea with the knitting was great! Overall this was a good read and I would pick up the next one to see what the characters are up to. I received a free ebook from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Love anything witchy, so this was right up my alley. Story arc was a little bit predictable but it was a fun read and will certainly be looking for the next one..

Having an autistic child, I can relate to the disappointment, acceptance, and miraculous wonder that can only be described as magical when you discover what they can do. The strength and support Stevie received from her friends was wonderful to read about. Beyond that, this is well written pure witch read where the good are good and the evil are evil (nothing says bad like trying to kill a kid).

Where to start with this book? Well let’s kick off with the things I did like. You all know I love a book with more than one woman in it. In this case there are multiple women, which is always a good thing. There was also a nice relationship between Stevie and her mother which is a dynamic that actually I don’t read a lot of (so often mothers are awful people or they are dead).

I also enjoyed the ‘witches in a modern setting’ aspect of this. I think it may have been stretching it a bit when it suggested that loads of people in the town could be witches and people just didn’t know…that felt a little forced and I think that there would surely have been a bit more awareness had their been magic going on.

But those were about the only things I liked about this book if I’m perfectly honest.

A lot of Stevie’s character is built around the fact that she is a single mother of an autistic child. Not a bad character in itself, however I just felt like this was handled in such an ableist way. Throughout the book, Stevie’s focus is on how she can ‘fix’or ‘cure’ her son with a better diet (and by the end of the book maybe with magic). I’m no expert on these things but I have a feeling that those people who actually are autistic might not be so pleased to be portrayed as something to be fixed. I appreciate that may be a real feeling that mother’s of autistic children struggle with but at the same time at no point in the book was this called out. That really put me off Stevie’s character and given that she is the focal point of the plot it sort of ruined the story for me.

Also, let’s talk about Vanessa, who we are set up to believe is evil (at the start, before she has actually done anything evil) because she…wears a tight dress and is a bit promiscuous? Now, have we not learnt yet that wearing a tight dress is not a symbol of morality? One can be evil and also flirt with people but the two are not mutually exclusive. Another thing that just put me off this book entirely. It was a bit like we were pitting the evil, sexy Vanessa against the angelic, divorcee, single mother and we were of course supposed to loathe Vanessa in her tight dress! No thankyou.

So yes, this book didn’t really hit the spot for me for a number of reasons. It felt a bit like one of those books you pick up in a holiday cottage and then leave behind afterwards.

That being said, I am sure there are people who will really enjoy this book. I don’t think I move in the same circles as them. Nor do I think we would get along (I’m just too darned opinionated for some people). If you want a really easy slightly witchy book then this might work for you? But if you do read it see if you can spot the problems I’ve picked out?

My rating: 2/5 stars…not my thing. Just not for me.

By the way, as I said I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The coven by chrissy lessey.
The future queen awakens…

Newly single mother Stevie Lewis divides her time between raising Charlie, running a store with her best friend, and avoiding the meetings of her mother’s Beaufort Historic Society. Although her life has its challenges, it’s altogether average. Just the way she likes it.

When Vanessa, a ruthless dark witch, launches an attack against young Charlie, Stevie’s simple life derails, and her long-dormant powers awaken. A 300-year-old secret is exposed, revealing her destiny to one day rule the clandestine community of witches who hide in plain sight.

Now she must master her own magical powers before it’s too late. Because Vanessa’s on the warpath,
Absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Loved Stevie. She was my favourite character. Love anything to do with magic. 5*. Netgalley and xpresso book tours.

After her recent divorce Stevie Lewis is only concerned with seeing that her young son is taken care of after his diagnosis of autism. Stevie has no clue that those surrounding her are actually witches and that she is a descendant herself until she picks up a strange necklace in her mother’s home triggering visions of the past.

Vanessa, a ruthless dark witch has come back to town seeking revenge upon Stevie’s closest friends and family. The coven that Stevie has not known her family was even a part of bound Vanessa’s mother’s powers and tried to do the same to her and now Vanessa has come back to free her mother. When Stevie’s son’s life is threatened her powers emerge and she finds herself more powerful than the rest of the coven.

The Coven is the first book in the new Crystal Coast series by Chrissy Lessey. The story is an adult fantasy read starting 300 years in the past with a coven of witches that were threatened then and now in the present their descendants are at battle with one another.

One thing I found nice about this one was including a young mother struggling to understand her autistic child. Witches and magic aside just including this little bit in the read made it feel very current and very real as autism is on the rise and very tough for many parents dealing with trying to understand just what makes their child tick and how to communicate and bond with them.

Now as far as the fantasy aspect and the witches, magic and long line of family secrets the story was also a nice read. With Stevie not knowing at all the world in which she had been born since she hadn’t developed her powers it was as if while she was learning I was also learning that world with her. Definitely would continue reading this series just to see where the author takes the characters next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

So, let me start off by saying I don't read a lot of what's known as "women's fiction" even though most of the authors I read happen to be female, but that being said this reminded me quite a bit of Practical Magic which I loved. It also reminded me of, oddly enough, Boys on the Side because of all the support newly divorced Stevie has from friends and family in raising her young autistic son. I am by no means an expert, but this book also seems to paint a pretty fair portrait of a mother coming to terms with autism and trying EVERYTHING to make her child's life just that little bit better.

Most of the book seems to center around how everyone knows everyone in small towns and Stevie's day to day struggle in dealing with the reality of autism and her divorce. We're also introduced to Susan, a bested crazy witch, and her daughter Vanessa who will do anything to get her mother's approval, even try to run down a young boy with a car. Finally, in the last third of the book Vanessa and Stevie's confrontation can no longer be put off. Can Stevie who's new to her magic and fighting to protect her son put Vanessa in her place once and for all?

There's a little bit of romance started in this book that I hope carries into the later books since Stevie's ex-husband seems very territorial without respecting what she actually wants or needs. Of course, I also want to see what happens with her burgeoning magic and her changing relationship with her mother now that they are both practicing witches. If you're looking for some southern small town charm with your witchy eccentricity look no further.

Okay not gonna lie I adored this book. The prologue starts of in the past with a sacrifice and three young witches captured by the notorious pirate Blackbeard, before fast forwarding to modern times where there decedents find themselves in all sorts of trouble. The start of the book is a bit choppy as it moves through introducing all of the main characters, it took me a bit to catch up as each had their own chapter but once I had grasped who was who everything seemed to flow seamlessly.

Stevie had to be my favourite character by far and the one whose character development I am eagerly awaiting to see in the next books in the series. (Sidenote, don’t you just hate finding a book you love and knowing you will have to wait for the next in the series. I am not a patient person haha.) What I did like was that although she is a direct descendant of the original ‘Queen’ and is effectively a queen in training she has no idea of her own powers or that exist in the first place, it was great making that discovery with her and I felt it also gave a better understanding of the history and what everyone is really about as everything was explained to her.

The highlight though had to be her relationship with her son Charlie. This something I think the author managed to pull of exceptionally well as what the synopsis does not mention is that Charlie is autistic, and unlike other books I have read I felt she was able to write his character in away that was authentic to the situation. It is her love and devotion for him that ‘awakens’ her powers, and it affects a lot of the decisions she has to make later on in the book.

This was such a good book. I loved the spellbinding storytelling and the easy way the book flows through the story. Stevie is the main character who's witchy powers come to light when her autistic sons' life is in danger. All the characters mesh well and are very likeable (or unlikeable as the case of a couple of them will be). I found myself lost in the book and really want to go and live in a place like Beaufort!!

I will definitely recommend this book and will be buying her next as soon as it's published.

I really enjoyed this book! Inline ed the magic and the history! The author just pulled me in and I was sucked into this world! The book was an easy read and kept me invested in the story.

The Coven follows Stevie as she goes from average mom to powerful witch. We first meet Stevie in her hometown, where she co-raises her autistic son Charlie with her ex husband Sam. Just dealing with the everyday trials of life she learns she is a witch, and not only that, there's a powerful witch after her. It's admiral seeing how hard Stevie is working to make sure her son as the best life possible. The characters are all well developed making you want to know more about the occupants in this little town. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a fantasy novel.

I really wanted to like this book but it was so flat. Predictable, 2-dimensional characters, no surprising twists and the always offensive magical autistic child.