Different stories, different authors, different styles of writing...a bit like a mix CD. I liked some of the stories but I guess I'd rather read a whole book by one author.

This was one of the best anthologies I have ever read. The editors are to be commended because each story "stood on its own two feet." I just adored that all of our witch characters were diverse women, coming from very different cultures, different periods of time, women who were good friends, daughters, lovers, women exploring their sexuality and or sexual identity. Future readers, prepare yourself for 15 witchy tales. As is my custom, I will be breaking each tale down with their own star rating. Overall, though, it was definitely a strong 4 star representation for me. In addition, I was introduced to 15 new to me authors and enjoyed reading who their favorite witch characters were when growing up.

Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia. 4.5 stars
Esperanza Luna is a social media guru, but that's because after a terrible accident, her family is determined to keep her safe. But Luna craves friends and wants nothing more to be able to hold hands and get kissed by someone who loves her. When Luna begins chatting with Mari, she feels confused by the butterflies in her tummy and the skipping of her heartbeat. Maybe not a "witch" tale per say, but it has a good message about being fearless and giving love a chance.

Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer 5 stars

New England, 17th century. During a complicated birth, midwife apprentice, Deliverance Pond, feels helpless when the mother dies. But her pain is ever greater when her midwife instructor, Midwife Ley, is put on trial for being a witch. Cremer does an excellent job of showcasing the mass hysteria in the colonies over supposed witchcraft.

The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe 5 stars
Bettina Clarke receives her witch mark when she is 16 years old, but soon finds herself irritating her elders when she declares her love for her best friend, Auggie, instead of the male partner the elders declare is her "soul mate." But Bettina knows that it will be work because the love of her life has always been Auggie Both Bettina and Auggie will have to use their strengths to withstand the punishment of the elders and defeat FATE once and for all. I felt that this was such a strong and powerful love story and loved its message.

Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith 4 stars
Oh yeah, nothing like a good revenge story about dealing with that "mean girl " from school. Mattie, works for Lady Xosia, not everyone 's favorite magical person, but Mattie is content. One day, Mattie receives a visit from an old classmate, Savannah, a Priestess who states that the High Warlock needs help and Mattie is the only one to do it. But it might mean betraying her boss.... Just a great story from beginning to end.

The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert 3 stars
Queenie is dealing with teen angst and coming to terms with the fact that she is actually a witch. Her mother already reminds her that it's hard enough being black, why on earth would Queenie want to make herself stand out more? But when her friend Webb asks for her help, Queenie finds herself more curious about that book of spells. Hey, I loved the characters, but that ending made me desire more!

The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakar 3.5 stars
Five members of a coven are about to put on their annual play when one of them makes a deal with a demon. Great lesson about asking friends for help.

The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley 3. 5 stars

The Keegan women have been feared by the people of Boyle's Run for generations because of a legend that their ancestress, Mary Keegan placed the town under a curse. Teenager Wendy Keegan is determined to help end the curse and jumps at the chance that new friend Karen gives her to approach Mary's statue. However, Wendy just might not be prepared for her friend Karen's secret.

The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma 5 stars.
Narrated by a female collective of known as "we" this was perhaps the most terrifying piece in the collection and that is why I am not going to say more than that. Muhahha....

Divine are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova 3 stars
A family of witches answers their grandmother's call to the ranch where some unexpected events happen. This was maybe the first story, I just couldn't really immerse myself in. However, I felt the reading was beautiful.

Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff 2. 5 stars

Two girls unite and there are a lot of antics as they try their powers out on others. I really don't have a lot to say regarding this one.

The Well Witch by Kate Hart 5 stars
Texas, 1875. Oh this was such a good one and terrifying because the character lifters had to fight for her life. Great villians in this one, too! Highly enjoyable!

Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood 3.5 stars
Based on a vision of her granddaughters in the future, Jo believes that she can break a family curse and ensure that her sisters and she will survive together. Of course, disaster ensues.

Love Spell by Anne-Marie McLemore4 stars

A young attracts the attention and love of a young altar boy, but can a witch ever be happy in love? Ok, I lied this author isn't new to me! I absolutely adored one of her novels and hated another.

The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord 4 stars

Nova, Rosemary, Willa all take turns narrating this story. When Rosemary finds herself entwined in an awful relationship, it is going to take her sisters courage and life to win her back.

When They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May 4 .5 stars
Reading like a manifesto that discusses how women are treated by the patriarchy, we meet several female characters that are being imprisoned. A good story to top of this collection.

So there in a nutshell is a little snippet of what a reader can discover in this collection.

This is a really strong anthology! Almost every story left me wanting more. It's also very inclusive--queer witches, trans witches, witches of color, etc. (In many cases by #OwnVoices authors. Not for the witch part, as far as I know, but for other marginalized identities.)

Shout outs to Tess Sharpe, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Emery Lord for having my favorite stories in this? But truly I enjoyed them all. Highly recommended for fans of witchy stuff.

Toil & Trouble is a brilliant collection of short stories about powerful women that bend and break the traditional chains that bind them. From a series of varied perspectives, the power of women comes through in ways that are soft and easy as well as hard hitting and intense. Each author tells the story of the witch or bruja as if magic itself coiled around the words. The prose is beautiful and poetic, and yes, sometimes heartbreaking. I enjoyed every single short in this collection and will be buying it the moment it is released.

I don't usually like short stories but I was really drawn into this book. While most of the stories were well done and really spoke of women owning their power and not letting others tell them how to behave some were just not all that good. I was encouraged that about 1/3 of the stories featured lesbian characters which is a refreshing switch from most mainstream books I've read, I particularly liked the one where the main character is given a male soul mate only to have her reject this because she had already fallen in love with her childhood girlfriend. There are definitely some stories in this collection that are well worth a read, while I wish the editors would have looked a little more closely at some of the others and given them a pass. However stories of empowering young women will always be a hit in my book!

I stayed up until 11:20 at night to finish this book, not because I loved it but because I couldn't wait to get it done and over with. I would like to say that there were some excellent stories among the 15 but truthfully I cannot. I never fell in love with any one story and some were downright awful. There was a lot of swearing in a few of the stories and that really took away from the book overall. Many of the characters also drank beer and did other teenage things that didn't seem fitting for a story about witchcraft. I guess I was expecting these stories to be similar to the Grimm brothers fairy tales and I'm telling you right now that they're not. Another note of warning about the romances found in many of the stories. There was some serious kissing scenes and also some people sleeping and having a sexual relationship with others. Again, not something I wanted to read about in a fairytale. I'd say that about a third of the main characters were lesbians so that was refreshing. Overall it wasn't a bad collection of stories, it just wasn't for me.

This was just okay. I had much higher hopes for this but a lot of the stories just left a lot to be desired, 3 of them I DNFed and only three of them did I truly love. There were a couple that I liked and wanted more from then the ending I received, but overall “The Truth About Queenie” by Brandy Colbert, “The Well Witch” by Kate Hart, and “Love-Spell” by Anna-Marie McLemore were my favorites. Honorable Mentions (4stars) go to: “Death in the Sawtooths” by Lindsay Smith, “The Heart in Her Hands” by Tess Sharpe, and “Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths” by Jessica Spotswood.

I went into this book with a specific mindset and was disappointed with what I read. I only liked one story, the Salem witch inspired one, while the others had zero effect on me. Maybe the issue is because these are short stories so I didn't connect with the characters or want to find out more about their lives. Another issue was the writing style since for some stories I didn't understand the magic or what was going on; the play story was one of those as well as the Sawtooths one.

I'm not a person who cares for short stories so this obviously wasn't a book for me, but I recommend it to anyone who loves stories with a hint of magic and mystery.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

While I fell in overwhelming love with the characters of this book, and the hints of worldbuilding that exist behind the scenes, I felt like the pacing could use a good deal of work and ultimately the ending left me wanting more.

An interesting, enjoyable collection of stories about witches. Many different interpretations of what it means to be a witch. As with any anthology, the story quality varied but it was overall very enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed these stories. They were full of different types of witches and witch lore. I loved seeing different authors takes on strong female characters and their idea of witchcraft. I loved the feminist themes throughout all of the stories.

A lot of good stories in this anthology about all types of witches. I really enjoyed this for the most part. Interesting to see how different authors have different stories about what a witch is.

Where do I start with this review?
First off I want to thank Harlequin for giving me the oppurtunity to read this awesome book early.
There is so much I loved about the anthology that Its going to be difficult to put it all into words into a neat and concise review. I don't like when my reviews go on to long.
I think the first point that I want to comment on is the characters. I love strong female characters, strength in all the different forms and capacity that It appears. I think we need more strong women in literature and was majorly excited when I heard about the release of this book. Witches? Come on, I was sold. I'm just happy it lived up to all of my expectations.

Another point I loved was the diversity. The first story in the anthology features a latinx character, something you don't see in very many books at all. As a hispanic/american woman there was so much in that story that I could relate too. I loved seeing the Latin community represented!
Oh and there is plenty of spooky, I just wanted that to be a note in this. I love spooky and I totally think this is a book that can be revisted again during Halloween! Give me all the spooks and scares!!


This was overall a fantastic collection of stories, with a beautiful group of voices. I know there will be a story in there for everyone to relate too and enjoy!

A collection of stories about witches of all kinds and backgrounds makes up TOIL AND TROUBLE. There are witches in love, witches who seek vengeance, witches who wish to be left alone. Witches who can heal, who can curse, who aren't witches at all. With many different authors of varying backgrounds, these stories take the idea of a witch, and branch into many different interpretations of what that means. Four stories really stood out to me:

"Starsong" by Tehlor Kay Mejia: This is a sweet and romantic story about a teenage witch who uses social media to help others through predictions and star charts. When she starts a conversation over DM with another teenage girl who is decidedly a skeptic, an exercise in debate could be turning into something more. This was just a really sweet story with some lovely characters. I don't usually gravitate towards romance that often, but Luna is a really well developed character and I just wanted her to be happy.

"The Legend of Stone Mary" by Robin Talley: The grave of a witch is seen as a town legend where teens go to goof off, but Wendy, Mary's descendant, is living the consequences of being seen as a modern day witch. When she tries to get close to a new girl, complications arise. This one had a healthy mix of fun urban legends and the consequences of small town prejudice and Othering. It felt the most like the kind of story I wanted from this collection, and it was my favorite of the bunch.

"The One Who Stayed" by Nova Ren Suma: A group of girls who have all been wronged by similar trauma come together to try and help another who is about to meet the same fate. This one is one of the darker stories in the book, concerning sexual abuse and rape, but what it says about resilience and strength through support of those who know is very powerful. Nova Ren Suma is known for her darker stories, and this is no exception.

"Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May: Thirteen women are all accused of witchcraft and taken to a labor camp where they are supposed to repent. But they aren't so much witches as they are victims of a society that wants them silenced and broken. This is the other super dark story that concerns the victimization of women, but it is also incredibly powerful and feminist in it's message. The rage against misogyny and rape culture leaps off the pages, and the book ends on the powerful note that is this tale. It's raw and dark and upsetting, but it's incendiary as well.

The rest of the stories didn't stand out as much for me, sadly. They were either a bit dragging or a bit muddled, or the focus was too much on romance which isn't really my kind of thing unless it's in moderation. But I do want to say that this collections is awesome in terms of the stories it tells and the voices it amplifies. These witches are not solely rooted in heteronormative, Anglo Saxon mythology, and that in and of itself is important and noteworthy.

TOIL AND TROUBLE didn't live up to the hype I made for it inside my head, but I do think that it's a noteworthy collection as a whole. There is a lot to like in this anthology, so don't let my own personal predilections deter you from checking it out.

I was intrigued by this anthology of witches but I ended up feeling mixed about the end result. Some of the stories were a bit boring or not that great (Afterbirth and The Well Witch were my least favorites. I probably liked The Gherin Girls and Why They Watch Us Burn the best.

It's okay to have on your TBR if you love witches and paranormal stories but I was left slightly disappointed with it.

I usually don't read short stories I prefer novels. But thought I would give this one a shot! I wasn't disappointed!! Loved them all!!!!

I was absolutely floored by this anthology. I don't normally enjoy the majority of the story stories in anthologies but I loved all but two of these stories. I skipped the story written by Tristina Wright because of the scandals surrounding her. I won't support her or her writing. There was another one that just wasn't quite my cup of tea. However, all of the other stories were lovely. They were across all different time periods and different worlds, even those that were made up. I loved the included queer representation.

I also really loved the different variations of witches. I loved that there were witches who were aware of their powers and others who were coming into their powers. There were witches whose mother's disapproved of how they were using their powers and others who supported them in their actions.

I loved Emery Lord's story and as always Anna-Marie McLemore's. These were delightful. I also loved that I saw old faces, such as Andrea Cremer, who I haven't seen a book from in ages. All of these styles fit together well and I loved the order that these came in. I specifically loved the sentiment of the ending story. It reminded me of the witch doesn't burn in this one by amanda lovelace and I think it fits the political climate of the times. It fits with the #MeToo movement and I think it's just an all around book of female empowerment.

My Review!
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia was really good! Enchanting writing, pulling me in from the start, with a latina who's trying to find herself and her magic, who just wants to move on from the past and do better for herself, and a barely-there cute exchange with another girl. I gladly would have read more of it, so this makes me even more excited for Tehlor's debut next year! This anthology is off to a strong start.
Rating: 4 stars


Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer was about a witch trial in 1650, told by a combination of storytelling from the young midwife apprentice, Deliverance, and testimony and interviews that result in the death of an innocent. A complicated birth questions everything, and throws the people into chaos, and it's a stark reminder of the way that women were accused of witchcraft and persecuted. But I really liked that ending!
Rating: 3.5 stars


The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe: "I didn't have a choice before. Now, I do." I LOVED this one. It's about girls who spur fate, who take matters into their own hands, to fight for a love worth turning their backs on their teachings and community. But through that, they find so much MORE, and they are strong enough to handle whatever comes their way. I especially loved the way that Bette takes back her choice in the beginning, by burning bonds that would try to sever a power that is hers. So great!
Rating: 4.5 stars


Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith was more fantastical than the previous stories, which I really enjoyed. It's hard to get that in such a short amount of pages, but it felt effortless, and not that hard to follow. And I so liked the bit of darkness to it, the way that the MC, Mattie, could sympathize and understand the "villain" but who chose a different path, a better one, even if a lonely one.
Rating: 4 stars


The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert was a lot less focused on the witchy aspect, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I was kind of bored, to tell you the truth. I wasn't hooked on this story. I just wanted it to end so I could start the next one. I'm sad because I loved Brandy's Little & Lion but this one did not work for me. I liked that ending, but that was about it.
Rating: 2 stars


The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: "Next summer's just a year away. I've got another play to write." I loved this one so much!! It was dazzling, beautiful, full of magic and sisterhood and even the trial and error of what it means to be a writer. Shalini had to trust in herself, and in her coven, to tell the story right, and she almost didn't. But she had to remember that she had worth, and a powerful friendship at her side, and that theater is a place to lay it all on the line.
Rating: 4.5 stars


The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley was a little disappointing because it went in a direction I didn't care as much for, than the one I was hoping it would be. But I still really liked this story. I've a particular fondness for curses, and I thought the way that this one was wrapped up in Wendy's present was interesting.
Rating: 3 stars


The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma was told by a collective of girls; girls who had been wronged, who had been broken. Girls who wanted something they shouldn't: revenge and justice and a safe place to let their anger breathe fire. Girls who protected each other, and those who couldn't protect themselves. This was my first foray into Nova Ren Suma's writing, and I loved it. SUCH a good short story!
Rating: 4 stars


Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova was, at its core, about family. Even when family doesn't always mean love and joy, but anger and hate too. It's complicated, and I liked how that was shown here. But I adored the relationship between Marimar and her cousin, Chuy. This seemed much shorter than the previous stories, though, so I didn't feel as pulled in. It had seemed so abrupt, the way that it ended. But I enjoyed it all the same!
Rating: 3.5 stars


Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff: I was born to bury saints in the yard. I reaaaally liked this one! I wasn't always a fan of the MC's voice, or the way it was written. But it wasn't hard to like the butcher girl and her new friend, witches who just wanted to exact revenge on those who deserved it, who wanted to make the bullies and the assholes feel as small as they make others feel. IT'S MY FAVORITE THING.
Rating: 3.5 stars


The Well Witch by Kate Hart was a lot lighter on the witchery than I expected, and wanted. It was set in 1875, about a girl living alone while her father's off trading, sparing kindness for strangers who turn on her by the end. It was a bittersweet story, one that focused more on the historical fiction than the paranormal, which saddened me, but I definitely still liked it. It just wasn't as great as I'd hoped.
Rating: 3 stars


Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood: "You cannot survive together. But it's not so easy surviving apart, either." The Campbell curse is AWFUL, and I hate it, and I just wanted the three sisters to be able to have everything they wanted without losing how dear they are to each other. I honestly want a full book of the prophecy Jo had seen, of a new Campbell generation fighting to break the spell, and Jo and her sisters reunited and happy together. I want MORE, damn it!
Rating: 4 stars


Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore: "If you let fear be your voice, you will never have sure hands." This was one of the stories I had been waiting for, and it did not disappoint me. I will say this every single time I read an Anna-Marie book; her writing is gorgeous, and I settle into the story, sinking into the words and staying there until I'm finished. I loved the MC, Adrian, and their romance. It was soft and sweet, and I'm so glad they found their way to each other. And I adored her relationship with her tia. SO GOOD.
Rating: 4.5 stars


The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord: In a way, you're related to many women who have suffered for misunderstanding and fear. Gah, I LOVED this one. It's a bit quieter on the witchery, on the gifts that Willa, Nova, and Rosie have. But through everything that happens, the thread of love and protectiveness and warmth that binds them together is a magic all its own. This had the trademark Emery Lord goodness, full of family and strength and feminism, and I loved that it was told in 3 POVs, that we got each of their thoughts and feelings. I could see myself in each of them, these girls who breathe fire and love fiercely.
Rating: 4.5 stars


Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: Destroying a girl is one of the easiest things in the world. And: The most terrifying thing in the world is a girl with power. This was an anthem, a war cry. A story to invoke anger at injustice and rape and the pain from those who choose to speak the truth even when it costs them. That ending was bittersweet, but still full of fire and magic. I loved it.
Rating: 4.5 stars


Overall, I freaking adored this anthology, as I was sure I would. Not only did it have so many of my favorite authors in it, but it was about witchcraft and the way that women are magic and fire and life. This was one of my highly anticipated books of 2018, and it did NOT disappoint. SO, SO FANTASTIC.

Overall Rating: 4 Paw Prints!

Here is my ratings for each story:
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia : 3 stars
Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer: 5 stars
The Heart in Her Hand by Tessa Sharpe: 3.5 stars
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith: 3.5 stars
The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert: 2.5 stars
The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: 1 star ( I could not even finish this story because it was so bad. I had absolutely no idea what was going on and I was extremely confused that I just skipped this story)
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley: 4 stars
The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma: 4 stars
Divine are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova: 5 stars
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yokanoff: 5 stars
The Well Witch by Kate Hart : 5 stars
Beware of the Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood: 5 stars (One of my favorite stories in this whole anthology)
Love Spell by Anne-Marie McLEmore: 5 stars
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord : 5 stars ( I loved this story because it showed how important family is. It reminded me of how I would do anything for my brother and he would do anything for me)
The Only Way Back by Tristina Wright: 4.5 stars
Why They Burn Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: 4.5 stars (This was the most impactful story to me. I loved how it was the last story because I know it will stay with people for a very long time)
Here is a quote from this story that resonated with me. " Here's how to fulfill a prophecy: you are a woman, you speak the truth, and the world makes you into a liar"

Those were my ratings for each individual story; As a whole, I loved how the story had diversity, inclusion, LGBTQ rep. I would like to say a warning that there are a couple of stories that discuss sexual assault, so trigger warning for that. I honestly loved the second 50% of the book over the first 50% of the book. The first half left me extremely disappointed but I am so glad I continued because the second half of this anthology was amazing. I definitely will be reading a majority of these stories.

This anthology is definitely one of the stronger ones that I've had the pleasure of reading. Honestly, though, if you're not into anthologies or short stories to begin with, then Toil and Trouble won't exactly be your cup of tea. But if you enjoy stories that celebrate the coming of age for young girls who are on their ways to becoming fully fledged coven witches and practitioners of a spooky sort, then I'd say this might be up your alley.

Toil and Trouble have some great stories; this book also has some rather boring and filler stories. No worries - all anthologies go through this issue. It's just how they work - you have some good ones and you have some bad ones. It's kind of like buying fruit by the bundle - you get a great deal, but some pieces are more likely than others to be riper than wanted.

That being said, I don't want to spoil any of the stories or give undue bias before you've even opened the book. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. I like romances and tend to be nicer to stories that even mention it. I don't particularly like gore or horror, even if it may be written fantastically. It's not my cuppa, unfortunately, but it may be someone else's.

Nevertheless, even as summer reaches its peak, this book will be available by the end of August, close to the beginning of September. I'm not expecting anyone to really start digging into this book until the first or second week of September, and by then, everyone will be more than aware of Halloween approaching. And this book will be perfect for a sleepy evening spent by the fire.

4/5.