Thank you to the publisher for an EARC of this book.


I was highly anticipating The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan. I absolutely loved A Secret History of Witches, and had high hopes for this one. I really enjoyed the writing style by Louisa Morgan, she writes so beautifully, but the plot was just missing for me. I enjoyed jumping from the past to present during the mid to late 1940s. It just didn’t develop plot wise until 80% through for me. I felt it was very drawn out, and not much was happening. I wanted more witchy vibes throughout, but that was lacking as well. Unfortunately I would have rated this a 2 star, but because I love Louisa Morgan’s writing I gave it a 3. I will still continue to read more from her as well.

The Witch’s Kind is the latest novel by Louisa Morgan. It’s a light paranormal novel, with lots of lush details and a casual buildup. It’s very relaxing of a read, while still having plenty of interesting things going on in the world around the main characters. It’s described as being perfect for fans of Practical Magic, and having read the book, I couldn’t agree more.
Barrie Anne is a capable woman; she survived the war, has been left alone, and will not tolerate the idea of moving away. She’s content with what she has now. That contentment isn’t lost when an unexpected event changes everything for her. If anything, it gave her a new reason to fight.
This novel lightly touches on paranormal beings and events, but it reads very much like a women’s fiction novel. It’s introspective and empowering, and has a lot of heart to it. The paranormal events and creatures are discussed openly though, just with a casual ease of taking it all in stride.
Warnings: This warning is very much also a spoiler, so consider yourself warned. Barrie Anne lost her baby boy shortly after he was born. The trauma carries with her for the whole book, though it is more obvious at some points than others.
The Witch’s Kind was such a relaxing and engrossing read. I know those two sound like they would contradict one another, but they truly don’t. It’s delightfully written, with lots of details and no sense of rushing whatsoever.
I mentioned earlier that this book was described as being perfect for Practical Magic, and it’s true. The tones are remarkably similar, so I believe that if you enjoyed one, you’ll love the other. And that’s coming from an adoring fan of Practical Magic.
The paranormal elements add to the story, rather than detracting. Barrie and her aunt take everything thrown at them in stride, which only further shows what they’re capable of handling. It also proves just how interesting these women really are.
The novel keeps jumping between two points in time. One is the past (but only by a few years), and the other the present. I personally enjoyed the moments in the present more, though I understand that the past was setting up for the current set of events (naturally). I felt that the present flowed much more smoothly, and I was more invested in the events occurring in that timeline.
Barrie was easily my favorite character in the novel, second possibly only to Willow. There was something…more about that dog that I would love to know. I likely never will, and I’m okay with that. But she certainly caught my attention and my curiosity.
I loved how relaxing and quirky this novel was. Its tone was so shockingly soothing – even when something dramatic was occurring on the pages. It was like the book equivalent of a hug. It’s not every day that I come across a book that feels that way, so you can believe that I appreciated it.
I haven’t read any of Louisa Morgan’s other novels, but after this experience I’m going to have to check them out. I hope they’re just as detailed and enjoyable as this novel was.

A fascinating and engaging book that mixes different genre (historical fiction, paranormal, sci-fi) and create an amazing mix that entertains, moves and keeps you hooked till the last page.
The female characters are well written and fleshed out, strong women who had a hard life and you cannot root for them.
The plot was engaging even if it was a bit slow at the beginning.
I liked the descriptions and I liked the plot.
I requested this book because I read another book by this author and really liked it, this one was even better.
I look forward to reading other books by ms Morgan.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Oh my goodness, this novel is just so, SO good! To say that I adored and devoured this book would be a vast understatement. I loved it so very much! The author brilliantly sets a scene, landing her readers directly into the middle of the fray. The characters are absolutely exquisite, with their own complexities, beautifully flawed and completely memorable. I loved every last word of this book, and can't recommend it enough! I must have everything this author ever puts her hand to.

In a lot of ways, this book reminds me of a more interesting Shape of Water. I won’t go into much more beyond that, but if you like that movie, there’s a chance you’ll like The Witch’s Kind. For the most part, the plot is compelling, and Barrie Ann’s growth is lovely to watch. The most captivating parts of the novel are her relationships with the women in her life: Aunt Charlotte and Emma. Even without the supernatural element, I think that this novel would have been a good read because of how strong the relationships between the women are. That’s not to say that I want the supernatural element to be gone because I don’t! I enjoyed this unique little take on witches, and I only wish that there had been some more detail into the universe of the witches beyond the bits of speculation Aunt Charlotte offers from time to time.

Unfortunately, I didn’t much care for the telling instead of showing aspect of the novel. Everything is spelled out so much that there isn’t a chance for the reader to try to make these discoveries for ourselves. I feel bad, but I didn’t care for the writing style in this book at all. However! It’s a really fascinating concept, and I think that the strengths lie within the way the women of the novel interact with each other. For fans of The Shape Of Water, this book will certainly be of interest to you!

The Witch’s Kind by Louisa Morgan was like a steaming cup of English Tea: it smelled of home and was filled with memories of mornings spent along the water. There is no better word to describe this book other than “homey”. It was a delightful read written with the love of family and the strength it takes to have one. I recommend this book as a relaxed summer read, spent along the shore with a glass of iced tea quick at hand.

This narrative took time to develop, but the most beautiful flowers take the longest to bloom, right? I’m not the biggest fan of nonlinear narratives, but I thought Morgan did a great job keeping me interested in both story-lines. I loved aunt Charlotte, but I think Barrie Anne fell a little flat in the characterization department, but not every character is supposed to jump off the page. Sometimes, the beauty of a character is their simplicity.

I loved the mundanity associated with the supernatural elements of the narrative, a marker for Louisa Morgan’s writing, and while I must admit that I loved The Secret History of Witches more simply because there was more focus on supernatural elements, I still enjoyed this book.

The is one of the best -- if not the best -- Witch book I've read in a long time. It has everything: war, love, action, magic, intrigue and it's multi generational and smart. The author has clearly done her research on WW2 geopolitics in creating this fascinating world and even more fascinating characters.

This story jumps back and forth through past and present. Telling Barrie's story, a woman who has gone through from horrific events, when she's living isolated on her farm. and the then, the past, showing Barrie coming of age through college, marrying, and trying to survive the WW2. All the while with her Aunt Charlotte as your life companion, helping and tending to her emotions. Well, very strange things begin to happen. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby and the second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie's long-lost husband who is not quite who he used be. I'm getting pet sematary vibes.

The book moves at a slow pace, and some readers might get frustrated at the pedantic pace of the story, but I rather enjoyed it. I enjoyed the changing of the points of views and the changing of the times. I also appreciated that the book centered around the 1930's and 1940's and spanned through World War II which isn’t the typical time frame for a witch book. It was nice to get something beyond the seventeenth century when witch hunting was at its peak.

This is overall an absolutely beautiful written story that I highly recommend every book reader to check out.

"An absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II, by the author of A Secret History of Witches.

Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar - two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret.

But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne's long-lost husband - who is not quite the man she thought she married.

Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves - and the child they think of as their own - from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family...

For more from Louisa Morgan, check out A Secret History of Witches."

A combination of three of my favorite things; the Pacific Northwest, historical fiction, and witches!

I was given this ARC by the publisher via netgalley for an honest review.

I love paranormal and witches and creepy stuff. When I saw the word "witch" in the title I immediately requested to read this book. The stuff about aliens confused me.. I wasn't quite sure why that was in there. The husband was a smidge over the top, but other than that overall I enjoyed this book.

My first read by this author, The Witch’s Kind is an engaging paranormal read. I enjoyed the storyline and most of the characters and will be recommending this to others.

The Witch's Kind is a fascinating unique story that is wonderfully written. Louisa Morgan is a talented author and her books always takes you on a wonderful adventure.

4,5 stars

This book was a very fast and comfortable read.
What marked me particularly since the very beginning of my reading was its timeless quality: This is a book that I could have read many years ago, after rummaging in my parents' bookcases. The writing is classic and an easy flow, with interesting and credible characters. The story is slow but with a very good rhythm, it was quite a page-turner for me! I was very afraid in the beginning, when I understood that the story will be switching, chapter after chapter, between "now" and "the past". But as a fact the story is very linear, each story completing the other one perfectly, and no frustration nor difficulties were met. A rarity for me, as I don't care much for flashbacks. But the writing construction is very clever and the reading absolutely effortless.

The historical context was interesting two, especially the point a view and the role of women during war time. One of the main theme of the story is clearly feminism, how woman are perfectly able to leave alone, all alone or between women, without any men - especially bad ones. All the main characters of the story are female, except one, and he's not a good person. The tone isn't one against men, not al all, some are presented as good and honorable persons. But the writer chose to show a situation where a young woman has to live with an abusive, elusive and lying husband.

Even if the story is quite mundane, with a lot a every day details, it's never boring. There is a special intensity, a momentum toward something. A thing that is going to happen, we don't know what, nor when, only that we'll be surprised, and maybe also scared.

The fantasy aspect is minimalist, as reduced to one only thing, but it's also central, and mysterious, and very well developed. The reader just has to know and accept that it's not a classical fantasy book, much more a classical story with a tiny shinning magical spot.

I'll certainly read more books of the author, to begin with "A Secret History of Witches".
I've rated this one four stars and a half, and not five, for two reasons: firstly I'm a little frustrated about the magical point, I would have like to know how it has evolved later on. I'd appreciate an epilogue about fifteen or twenty years later on, maybe? The second point is about the husband psychology; I thought it was a little caricatural in the end, a bit "too much", too "black or white". I quite understand the necessity of such a dark exposition, but still, more subtlety would have been welcome (even if it would have made the story... different. Sorry to be so unclear but I don't want to spoil!).

To conclude a book I recommend to all readers who love classical stories with good characters, a strong atmosphere, some hidden magic and a lingering mystery. For Daphne du Maurier's fans for instance, or Elizabeth Goudge's ones.

Having been a fan of Morgan's ever since A Secret History of Witches, I knew I had to pick up The Witch's Kind. But The Witch's Kind is softer, it's less focused on witches, then it is focused on trusting your own intuition. The way women ignore their gut reactions, or their instincts are twisted against them, their memories prone to re-writing. There's a quiet tension that builds throughout the book as we jump from the past to the present. We witness the unfolding of these relationships, the dissolving of feelings, and the emergence of new emotions.

Louisa Morgan has written a fantastic novel.. It's historical fiction with a bit of the paranormal thrown into the mix. Strong female characters give this novel it's heart and soul, along with a great dog!! Barrie Ann and Aunt Charlotte face many hardships in this tale, but they persevere and make through the rough times.
It is a beautifully written book where the story unfolds like the magical tale it is.
I think fans of Alice Hoffman may enjoy this book because of the bit of the strange and unusual it presents.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this novel.

I was given a ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Strange feelings, lights, and occurrences make this book seem strange until all is revealed.

Barrie goes out to ring the bell for her dog. When it hears the bell, it returns home and it's time for a meal. But it takes while for him to show up. And, when he turns up, he's carrying a baby in a blanket...

Redhook Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published March 19th.

This story has some interesting factors in it. Barrie's family has a special infinity with water; it tells them secrets and helps them see the future. The child the dog retrieved has ears and gills behind that; it appears to be alien. And the man she envisioned as her husband for life left her. She lost the baby she was carrying. It would have been fine but he came back. And he's no good, through and through.

She keeps hats on the baby, buries the baby's mother, and loves it like it was her own. She and her aunt live together. They raise crops on the farm and sell the produce and goods they produce from it.

There are people looking for her husband. His story of his time in the service is all a lie. She wants nothing to do with him and tells him so. Then he steals her baby because he can sell it. Never anger a witch...

I liked this story a lot! Barrie and Charlotte were both wonderful characters and I really liked the writing. The supernatural twist was just enough to keep you wondering.

A marvelously written story with a solid plot. Good character development and dialogue. Totally enjoyed the book

I loved this book. I enjoyed her first book as well but I think I liked this 2nd one better. This book gives a look into the way things used to be for a woman in her own. It's easy to forget how much has changed for women in the 70 years and now much freedom we have to make our own decisions and love who we choose to love. It makes you wonder how far would you go to save your family? What are you really made of?

Feels very similar to the author's previous "A Secret History of Witches". Dreamy, fable-like, the story delves into the paranoia of the 1940s and 1950s for UFOs and communists and ties it closely to the suspicions of witches and other nonconventional women. A Secret History of Witches has circulated surprisingly well in our very traditional Baptist-leaning southern community, so we will definitely get this one also.