TW: suicide, death of loved ones

3.5 stars!

you always did say that the brightest light casts the darkest shadow.

I really struggled to rate this one. I really did enjoy it and I think it covered a really important topic well but I didn't quite get what I thought I was going to get. There were a few things that just really bothered me and that kept me from completely loving it.

About 60 to 70% of this book was about the budding relationship between Willow and Beau. I mean, that's fine and all but I thought I signed up for a murder mystery. Sure, there was that aspect but the romance completely overshadowed it. The POVs were from Willow and Beau. They often talked about what they felt for each other. It was nice at first but it started to get a bit old after a while. I also noticed that they talked like they were a lot older than what they were. Willow and Beau are seniors in high school but they talked like they were mature adults. That just kind of threw me.

However, I did like that this book covered grief very well. Grief is a raw and almost always an ugly thing. Grief changes you, almost down to a cellular level. This book really covered the topic well with Beau and Charlotte, his sister. They both carried a lot of pain with them and you really felt it. It's refreshing to see a YA novel talk about grief and bring it up in a way that doesn't sugarcoat it.

Some other positives were some POC rep. Jorie was black as well as her mom. Beau and Charlotte were half Filipino. There was also rep for poor people, which is something I can relate too. Pax, Beau's friend, was poor with his mom having been laid off.

Overall, I liked this book; I just didn't expect the romance to take up so much space and time. Had the book been marketed a tad differently, my rating would have been higher. Regardless, I still liked this book and will recommend it for those that are looking for a romance book with grief as the forefront topic.

I'd rather have my heart infected with love than live a day without it.

Wicked Charm was a pretty fast paced mystery, but there was also a big focus on romance. It somewhat took up more of the book than the actual murders did. It's told in alternating chapters by the two main characters, Willow and Beau.

Willow has recently moved in with her grandma in the swamp in Georgia. Beau lives next door with his grandpa and sister, Charlotte. Willow is warned by her grandma to stay away from Beau because he's wicked. Her grandma isn't a big fan of her neighbors and we find out why later in the book.

I liked Willow, but it was annoying that she was so obsessed with Beau right away. I get the pull of someone you are attracted to, but it almost seemed unhealthy. But she was a pretty fiece girl who wasn't afraid of much.

Beau was not my favorite person, though he did get better as the book went on. He was just so cocky and lied a lot. He was a player, but he had a reason to not get attached to anyone.

Charlotte was mean and closed off, but for the same reasons as Beau. I ended up really liking her and would have loved more of her story.

Jorie becomes Willow's best friend and their relationship was nice to read about throughout the book.

My favorite character ended up being Willow's grandma. She was protective, honest, and she swore a lot. Totally my kind of adult. She loved her granddaughter and definitely looked out for her.

The swamp was the perfect location for this story. It created a creepy atmosphere even before the bodies started showing up. I loved how descriptive the author was for this part of the story.

Bodies of girls start showing up in the swamp and each girl dated Beau in the past. Willow must decide if she can trust him and figure out who the killer is.

Spun with the forbidden sweetness of iced tea and the darkness of country nights, WICKED CHARM unfolds at a Southern pace a tale of two souls grown deep in the Georgia swamp as history, circumstance, and gruesome murders draw them together like a moth to a flame. Both wicked and charming this story is one that will seep into your skin like a Southern summer and stick like beads of sweat rolling down your neck.

There is a depth to this book and a certain peaceful charm that had me mesmerized from the very first sentence.
-pooled ink Reviews

I really enjoyed reading this fast-paced suspenseful and mysterious young adult novel that takes places in the swamps of Georgia. Hart writes in such a mysterious way that you will be drawn in from the first page and second guessing who the killer is until the last page. This novel is full of love, family, suspense, a dark mystery, a charming but mysterious neighbor, friendship, and romance. The perfect read that is sure to keep you up at night. Overall, I highly recommend this intriguing young adult novel that is sure to make you sleep with the lights on!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reading the synopsis first of this book, I knew that it would focus on romance with mystery featured throughout. After starting the book and getting further into the chapters, it was focused to much on the Insta-Romance and not enough of the supposed mystery and suspense. The author did an amazing job at describing the scenery of location that the book took place, a swamp in Georgia. The descriptive writing could not save the unbelievable story of a teenage girls parents letting her go off on her own with a murderer on the loose, let alone with the number one murder suspect. Another problem that should have been dealt with earlier in the story is how the 'bad boy next door' went around hurting every girl he laid eyes on. The repeating of he hurts them, but never going into detail on what he did to them was quite annoying. One could assume what he did to break all those girls hearts, but it would have been better for the author to spell it out the second time it was mentioned. This book lacked the suspense and mystery that it promised, but I would read another book of the authors works for her descriptive writing.

The setting was my favorite thing about this book. The low review was due to a few issues. First, there were young girls being murdered and left dead in the swamp so why did the grown-ups still let their kids go into the swamp? Or why did the kids still want to go into the swamp after multiple dead bodies showing up? Second, the murders were left in the background of the story. I think it would have been a better read if they focused more on the murders and added some depth to the story. The romance was good but not enough to carry the book. The effort was there but just not enough to make the story flow. I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Amber Hart did an amazing job on this YA mystery romance. Her narration and description of the swampland will pull you directly into the setting and make you feel like you are truly there with Willow and Beau. While the book did seem to center a little more around the romance than it did the mystery aspect it was still a wonderful read. I was kept guessing about the identity of the murderer through the whole book, but Amber did a great job of leaving little clues here and there without giving it away to quickly. I look forward to more by this author.

Wicked charm is a suspense, mysterious novel set in Okefenokee, Georgia alongside a boggy swamp. It's a little spooky, it's quirky and unique.

Willow Bell and her parents are moving in with her grandmother. She lives in a desolate area near a swamp. Their only neighbours are the Cadwell family. A disturbingly beautiful family with a wicked charm. Beau is Willows age and known for breaking hearts. Girls fall for his good lucks, but unfortunately, he gets bored easily. Willow isn't immune to Beau's charms, however, she has read the warning label. The Cadwell family are bad news but also hard to resist.

Beau takes an interest in Willow straight away. He wants to get to know her which is unusual for him. This is the classic story of wanting what you can't have but there is depth to their relationship. They both want similar things and Willow takes the time to get to know Beau.

Beau has a girlfriend when Willow comes to town adding to his bad boy edge, however, this doesn't impress Willow. He does what he does best and breaks Samantha's heart. Unfortunately, his ex-girlfriends start to turn up dead near the swamp, who are the suspects;

-Beau for obvious reasons
-His sister Charlotte is also a mysterious cold-hearted tough cookie
-His grandad also has a bad reputation
-Then there are all his ex-girlfriends, their families and friends
-His own friends
-Willow

Everyone might want to say date Beau but everyone also kind of hates him. He's had it too good for too long and someone thinks it's time he pays.

When I started reading this it reminded me of Beautiful Creatures, however, this mystery was like nothing I've read before and I was hooked on every page. I love the swamp setting and the suspense. My only niggle was the fact this book kept mentioning Beau's wicked side and I didn't really feel like we saw it.

4.5 stars out of 5. I would totally love to see a sequel to this story- Charlotte instalment.

This book is written from both Willow and Beau's point of view. Perfect Teen read. The two main characters are perfect for each other.

*ARC received. My review is fair and honest.

Firstly, I would like to thank netgally for letting me read this book,even though I would of bought it myself after reading just a few pages. I’m truly amazed how the author managed to fit all the pieces together,with romance,murder even vendettas!

I don’t think this book could have been written any better,every sentence just seemed to click. I felt connected to the characters in a way I can’t begin to explain. It was impossible to put this book down, I couldn’t bear not knowing who was the murderer was. It was a total shock to find out who it was, it had crossed my mind once,but I had shook my head thinking that was impossible!

I was incredibly pleased with this book and will be looking for both new and old books from this fantastic author.

This book makes me wish there were half stars because for me it falls in the 3.5 star range.

It was a pretty entertaining read. It’s fast-paced, with some amazing descriptions. The author is definitely able to transport you to the location of the swamps and make you feel like you’re right there between the gators and the bugs.

The story itself leans to romance but has a good though slightly predictable element of suspense. It reminds me a lot of the Point Horror book series, only with more mature voice. I didn’t mind the predictability because of the author’s dedication to details, but I do wish there was a little bit more of a twist.

"Wicked Charm" is a YA instalove romance with a hint of murder-mystery. Willow has moved to the swamps where her grandmother lives with her parents. She is immediately interested in the cute boy next door, even though her grandmother warns her away from him due to her history with his grandfather. Beau is the hot guy next door, who frequently dates and dumps the girls in town. He has a solid reputation as a player/heartbreaker, and he's running out of girls to date- until Willow is new to town. Suddenly, he is interested in changing his ways to win the heart of Willow.

As a side story, there are also teenaged girls ending up dead in the swamp, and all clues point to Beau (their former boyfriend) as the killer, although he maintains his innocence. He has an equally cold twin sister, Charlotte, who would be a heartbreaker, except that all the guys are too afraid to ask her out. They live with their grandfather (their parents are dead) on the swamp. Aside from Willow and Beau's grandparents' houses, there are no other residents for miles. The story alternates between Willow and Beau's points-of-view.

I was hoping for more suspense and mystery with the killer, but instead, we have teenagers wandering around the swamp willy-nilly and occasionally trying to think about who the killer is (their parents/grandparents seem more concerned with whom they date than the dangers of wandering about with a killer loose). It never seemed very suspenseful (in my opinion- but I will admit that I may have a higher threshold), and the killer becomes pretty clear about 70% of the way through (and then there were some plot holes around it that I found difficult to believe). Another big question I had was how on earth they kept finding these bodies so quickly when only two families live near the swamp and- it's a swamp, so the water is not really clear. Maybe this was just me, but I was a little skeptical about how it all played out.

As for the main genre, the romance was a little too easy in my opinion- Beau is just suddenly ready to change his ways and they both are instantly in love with each other, pretty much right away. However, if you can get past the how, the romance itself is pretty well done with a few intense kisses here and there. This was definitely the main focus of the book with everyone warning Willow away and her going for it anyway. Overall, I didn't really feel too invested in the relationship.

I think this book would be better for younger YA readers who are looking for romance with a hint of mystery. The writing flows pretty well (although sometimes when the characters talk, they spell out everything they are thinking- which can be awkward in phrasing, but would be helpful for younger readers) and it definitely hits the romance elements! Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

So Wicked Charm, by Amber Hart, is a romantic suspense thriller for teens.

Well, there’s a little more emphasis on the romance than on the mystery, but I did enjoy our murder mystery and the author did a pretty good job at keeping that aspect suspenseful.

The atmosphere of the book is sultry Southern Gothic. And it does get extremely steamy without getting into sex. Honestly, at times it was slightly uncomfortable since you’re reading about two 17-year-olds. In a couple of years these teens would probably end up being the hottest, sexiest people on the planet. They don’t get graphic ever, but the sexual tension between them is pretty fiery.

I did figure out our murderer, but it wasn’t immediate. The author gave some great clues as to their identity, but I didn’t really pick up on it until later. Maybe I was blinded by the steam?

Solid romantic suspense. I loved the swamp, the characters, and the Southern Gothic atmosphere. And had our characters been adults, I wouldn’t have been nearly so uncomfortable.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I thought I was getting a really interesting mystery/thriller but ended up getting a romance with steam.

Check out author's other books? Nope
Recommend this book? Prob. not

Notes and Opinions: This one just didn't work out for me at all. The story was just to far fetched (parents allowing their teen daughter to go out with a murder suspect to the swamp where bodies were found!). I wouldnt let my kids go anywhere a body had been found let alone with someone on the suspect list! This one was just a jumble of this and that and really seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to be. For me, the story was all over the place and just not realistic.

Go Into This One Knowing: More romance than mystery

This book was reviewed by Lauren

First of all the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, and based on the synopsis of the story I was so excited to give it a read.
My biggest disappoint with the book itself is that while the summary depicts a YA murder mystery type novel, this was more like a straight up teen romance book with a little murder thrown in.
Putting that aside, I loved how much care the author took into crafting the swamp setting of the book, and giving us that feeling of really being in the swamp along side the characters. I also really enjoyed how connected the main characters were to the nature around them and it felt at times as if the swamp really was it's own character.
There was a lot of fun, cute moments between the 2 main characters but also a few moments very worthy of an eye roll or two. Over all I ended up loving both Willow and Beau but mostly wanted more back story on their grandparents. TBH I would read an entire novel about their story.
I would recommend this read for teens looking to get into their first kind of murder mystery novels but who have read YA books with all the usual romantic troupes. I think older or more seasoned readers can fly through this pretty quickly and while enjoyable won't be anything mind blowing.
Over all I really did enjoy this read but there was a lot of room for improvement, a big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for this read.

Willow Bell has recently moved from Florida and is staying with her grandmother deep in the Okefenokee Swamp so her parents can study birds. One day Willow sees Beau Cadwell the sexy neighbor boy next door, their eyes lock, and she is instantly drawn to this mysterious boy. Willow's grandmother and everyone at school warn her that Beau will not only break her heart but also steal her soul with this wicked ways. Willow thinks there might be a softer side to Beau that nobody else sees and she is certain she can get him to open up to her. As their relationship intensifies, girls that have previously "dated" Beau start turning up dead and he is the primary suspect. Willow must decide if she can trust Beau's charming ways or if he has other reasons for getting close to her.
Wicked Charm is a romantic YA novel set in the Deep South with a hint of mystery/thriller...but mostly romance. The novel explores love and loss and opening yourself to others in order to truly live. Willow and Beau are trying to navigate a new relationship but of course it’s difficult when there girls being murdered and one of you might be the killer. I did think that the murders would be a bigger part of the story line but I still really enjoyed this novel none the less. Although sex is implied the novel keeps it very clean making this one appropriate for even the younger YA genre. If a sultry southern romance with serial killers, gators, and snakes is your glass of sweet tea then this novel is the perfect read for you.

My biggest problem with “Wicked Charm” is that everything from the cover to the synopsis implies that this is going to be a thriller/mystery type novel when instead that component plays a very small role in the overall plot, so small in fact if you took it out completely until about 90% into the book you wouldn’t notice a change in the story as a whole.

Willow moves into town and is living with her parents and grandmother when she meets your stereotypical bad boy next door who has a new girlfriend each week but might have something in his past to justify his bad behavior and our girl is completely enchanted from day one, despite you know the murders of girls who are all connected to him- oh and her parents are totally fine with her not only seeing him but going out alone into the swamp where the bodies have been found for late night chats and make out sessions.

This feels like it was trying to be something more but ended up wrapped into a sort of Freeform high school drama that happened to have a body count if you bothered to read the first couple lines of certain chapters where it was briefly mentioned and then forgotten until the rather short and ultimately unsatisfying climax. All of the characters where more like x, y, and z’s to plug into a formula that has worked for other authors to achieve success but for this novel fell flat as there was nothing more to them to where, as a reader you felt a connection or rooted for them to succeed or at the very least not be killed.

Overall I understand how some might enjoy it if they are looking for a quick, simple read with nothing else to it but what’s presented on the surface, but all in all I was disappointed.

**thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This is a story is about "Nothing good comes from living in the Devil's swamp.
Willow Bell thinks moving to the Okefenokee area isn't half bad, but nothing prepares her for what awaits in the shadows of the bog.
Girls are showing up dead in the swamp. And she could be next.
Everyone warns Willow to stay away from Beau Cadwell—the bad boy at the top of their suspect list as the serial killer tormenting the small town.
But beneath his wicked, depthless eyes, there's something else that draws Willow to him.
When yet another girl he knew dies, though, Willow questions whether she can trust her instincts…or if they're leading to her own death."
This was my first book by this author, however I did enjoy it! It was fast paced and just alltogether an easy read. I give this book a 3.5 star rating!