Secret Legacy is the first book in The Windhaven Witches series and is full of quotes from Buffy, which I loved! Autumn thinks she is a 'normal' person and her mum encourages her to think that way. Her dad is supernatural but she doesn't have much to do with him. So imagine her surprise when she receives a full scholarship to a prestigious school that she never even applied for. She decides to go for it and then is swept away by forgotten memories, unknown abilities, and mysteries.

The one thing I wasn't too keen on is the Wade situation. Not only was it insta-love but there is seriously something off with that dude and Autumn never seems to notice! And please don't tell me about his silver eyes any more! I just can't cope!!

Apart from that, there was plenty here to keep me occupied and turning the pages. I would love to know more about the other main characters and the school Autumn is attending but, maybe, that is something that will follow in later books.

There are some usual tropes in this book - from normal girl with untold powers to slightly dodgy boyfriend - but it is entertaining. The world-building could do with some work as I have questions about how the supernatural fits into everything but, on the whole, it wasn't bad.

A great start to a new series and I can't wait to find out more. Definitely recommended by me.

ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you for letting me review this title.

Overall it was a nice book, but it need a bit more development.

Not for me. I tried several times to read this and couldn't get into it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

This book was okay. It was not the best read I have had, but it was not the worst. I enjoyed this book and will get the other 3. I did however find the beginning of this book a little slow and did not quit pick up until the end. This could be because it was setting up the middle two books. 

Autumn Blackwood is an interesting character. Throughout the book, we are learning about her father’s family, the town, and herself along with her. Not knowing why the Windhaven collage would accept her and she herself did not apply, Autumn goes and to figure things out. She meets fellow students, who seem to know a secret but will not tell her but will guide her. When you read this, you see her growing as a rounded character. I am interested in seeing how much more we will see this growth, seeing how this book ended. I like how she does not trust easily unless her instincts tell her otherwise. She wants to be adventurous but still cautious because of the supernatural’s involved in the town.   

The other characters in this book all hold the same secret against Autumn. As the reader, they are holding it from us. I like this set up for this book. It works well. These characters are interesting, and you want to be cautious like Autumn but also want to know what is being held back. These characters are a little flat for me, but I hope they will round out in the following books.

The setting is a town called Windhaven. The Author intertwines the history behind this town with the locals and the supernatural. Even though this has been seen before, I still enjoy this idea. It feels natural and you can see this town in any city or country.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and felt well written. This book sets up for the two middle books in this series well. I recommend this book for those who like paranormal new age books and dark fantasy.

i really enjoyed reading this book, it was a great start to a series, it introduced the characters well and the world that they built. I look forward to more from the author and this series.

Actual Rating 3.5 ⭐

I love a witchy novel and this did not disappoint. I was intrigued right from the get go, there are so many secrets that I was just dying to find out! I also loved the characters and the relationships in this in particular the main character/love interest.

I wasn't 100% on the writing style, the encounters and dialogue between characters sometimes felt a little unnatural and some ways in which the characters acted in more serious situations didn't always fit - which ended up making it slightly anticlimactic in the end.

Overall I'd recommend you give this one a go if you love the supernatural and an overall sense of eeriness. I'm definitely looking forward to picking up the next installment in this series.

This was a great YA fantasy novel. I read it in two days, and can't wait to read the next book to see what happens next. I would definitely recommend this book, and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and more books by this author. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The premise was intriguing. Magic academy? Sign me up for it.
But then the plot was just messy, too rushed and basic. It was nothing new.
I didn’t really like the writing as well.
I don’t think I can manage to give a proper review due to the DNF.

Full review here: https://fictionfixerreads.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/dnf-thoughts-secret-legacy/

DNF'ed at 20%.
Secret Legacy was a struggle for me to read, with its underdeveloped characters, romantic and familial relationships, and worldbuilding. Its prose was indeed descriptive, but only in terms of physical surroundings and not where it should count towards plot or emotional impact. It also suffers from mood shifts so fast, it left me with emotional whiplash. The main character suffers from “I’m not like other girls” syndrome like other female leads in the early 2000s but has no justification as to why she’s “not like other girls.” The dialogue is also filled with quips trying to be witty but end up sounding unnatural, even for the modern fantasy this book is set in.

I can’t give a rating due to a DNF status. If you do want to check this book out, I’m not stopping you. Heck, maybe this book would appeal to a lot of people. It just wasn’t for me.

My Rating : 4.25🌟
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Kindle/ Netgalley/ September2020
#mabookyardchallengeSep20
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Okay first let's talk about that cover 😍😍
Thank you so much @netgalley for the review copy, which let's me give you my unbiased opinion.
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This book follows our main character Autumn who is thrust into the world of power and supernaturals as she tries to find herself and control the power she might possess with the help of her new found gang.
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First, I absolutely loved the concept of the story. The Elite Supernatural school kind of gave me cliche vibes, but after reading the book, it's not what it looks like. (I know.. trust me, it's still the crux of the story, but not the main course) I really liked the fact we get to learn everything through Autumn's point of view. She is sassy, doesn't take shit from anyone and is very loyal. Cat was an absolute bundle of bestie energy and I loved their relationship.
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Second, this book went in ways I didn't expect it to. I still predicted the ending (kinda) but the way it progressed surprised me. I loved all the characters introduced (Ahem ahem Colt I'm looking at you) and the relationship they had.
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Now coming to the story and character arc, I think Colt and Dominic gets the most Character arc. I really liked how things went with them wrt the power dynamics and scene wise. (I'm still looking at you Colt). When I started reading the book, I wasn't into it tbh, but once I crossed 5 chapters, I was hooked! Since we are thrust into a world with zero knowledge, I would have loved to know more about the history of the academy or atleast about the characters more. This is the first book in a quartet, so I'm keeping my hopes up to know more about the four friends and what role Wade plays in this storyline.
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Overall, I absolutely loved the Characters, the story progression, the relationship between characters and especially the uber great grandma (who is on my most favourite characters list). I can't wait for the next book to come out so that I can read more about Colt (I'm still looking at you).

Secret Legacy had an appealing premise in that she receives a mysterious acceptance letter to Windhaven Academy orientation in order to find out what her powers are. I dove in, anticipating witchcraft and mystery but there was a lot of murkiness surrounding the main character (Autumn), as there is an instalove plot and family secret drama with her mother. I didn't find the writing to be particularly engaging, but it was an okay book overall. It wasn't too long and it was a pretty quick read.

We follow Autumn as she gets accepted into a prestigious school for the magically gifted. What Autumn doesn’t know is why she was accepted when she doesn’t have any powers that she is aware of. Once at Windhaven strange occurrences begin to happen and girls start to go missing. Autumn struggles to solve the mysteries surrounding her as well as maintain her relationship with her boyfriend Wade. The story starts out on shaky legs and it took me a bit to get into it but once the story hit its stride it flowed nicely and I found it to be a quick and easy read. I’m curious as to how she’s going to explain Autumns gift and what happened at the end. It does end on a cliffhanger and it’s a doozy so be prepared to grab the next book ASAP. A nice young adult story with coming of age themes full of witches, ghouls, ghosts, and mystery. A fun read.

I found this book to be a bit of a drag to get through. There were so many elements that felt copy-pasted from other blockbuster books of the YA fantasy drama. Don't get me wrong: I understand that nearly all art is a reponse to other art forms. Being influenced by great works is how more great works come to be. But, instead of an original piece, this felt more like a hapazard collage of elements that worked in other books, but we not fully flushed out in this one. The plot was very basic, the characters could be mildly compelling.

This book was a lot of fun. It is a perfect fall read. A mysterious school, a missing parent, a love interest who might be the bad guy: it's got it all. I like that it is targeted towards new adult readers and not YA. It's nice to see magic in the 19+ range. The writing style is easy to follow. The plot and world building are strong. A good read.

This book is too fast paced that I can't even begin to wrap my head around Autumn and Wade's relationship. You met someone. In less than 24 hours, you let them kiss you. Then a week or two, tops? You're in a relationship.
Talking about reality, I guess I kind of understand her, since well I have been young once! But then I also have to remind myself that this book is under the Fantasy genre, so I guess pretty much anything is fair game. I just feel like it could've been better if the pace was veered towards introducing their world. I just had to say this because the big reveal about Autumn's powers is totally amazeballs and I sure want to know more about it!

This is the first book in what will be a four part series, with all parts coming out this year (thank the heavens!) This book was a great read! I am a sucker for supernatural stories and this was no different. Autumn is a typically 20 year old who's life is turned upside down in more ways than one. Windhaven Academy is home to many characters who are a great addition to the story of Autumn and her hunky guy Wade. Moving in with her dad into Blackwood Manor because a new mystery all in itself. When she finally finds out about her mysterious past and her family's legacy it's only the beginning. The reveals are sprinkled all throughout this book and it seems like there's a new one around every corner just as intriguing as the last, with an ending that left me screaming for more! Luckily this whole series will be releasing these last few months of the year and I'm so glad because I don't think I could wait any longer. This was definitely a five star read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Xpresso Tours, NetGalley, and Carissa Andrews for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a review.

This review can be found on my blog as well as Instagram and Goodreads.

Let's just start by saying that Secret Legacy was such a pleasant surprise for me! I rarely read books about witches, or paranormal in general, so I decided to pick up this review opportunity to range over my reading preferences. And I was not disappointed!
Of course, this book has its flaws, but it was entertaining enough to read in just a couple of days and to make me wonder about how the story might continue. Autumn is a funny narrator: young but mature, a little unconventional and appearently, supernaturally gifted. I found her voice to be extremely enjoyable and easy to follow, so much that I was a little bit disappointed when I realised that the book ended. I really would have loved to live a little bit more in that world and experience a little bit more paranormal events. For being such a pleasant world, I though that the author should have payed more attention to its characteristics, and dedicate more space to answer some major questions that inevitably raise: how did supernaturals and mundanes coexist? How do those powers work? I'm sure that some of these doubts will be answered in the following books, but still, I felt like some basic world setting should have been given at the beginning. This said, I particularly liked the development of the Blackwood's "micro-world", which was much more structured than the general setting: their history, their legacy and all the mystery that surrounds them was driving me crazy with curiosity and a little fear - you definitely get some horror vibes there!
Speaking of the characters, they were all quite enjoyable but I didn't get the chance to get attached to them. The story is so fast-paced that there is not really a particular focus on any of them, so when you finish reading the book, they don't really stick with you. I would love to get to know them better and explore the relationship they had and will hopefully rebuild. If there is one thing I must reproach the author is the love at first sight clichè - or maybe I should reproach Autumn for being so naive? I mean, wouldn't you get suspicious if you magically encounter your big love at night, in a cemetery? I have to say, though, that despite the unreliable beginning, the love story does continue with a much slower pace, gaining more credibility that I hope they will demonstrate in the following books.
So I'm giving this book a 3.5 stars, mainly because of its vaguety. It has all the good premises: a nice story, a good, creepy atmosphere, interesting characters - but not enough space is payed to any of them, due also to the lenght of the book: just 289 pages! But I will definitely take a look at the rest of this series because I'm sure that the best is yet to come!

This book was just okay for me. I found myself really not wanting to finish it. I did push through and finish it.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

DNF @30%. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it through this one. My first, and largest, gripe is the writing. The verbose descriptions and superfluous adjectives led me to believe someone received a thesaurus and was challenged to use it at least once per sentence. It was especially annoying in the dialogue, as our 20 year old heroine sounded ridiculous. Moving on to our MC, she is supposed to be 20, but swings between acting like a tween and talking like an old lady. I just couldn’t read any more.

The synopsis promises mystery and magic, set in a paranormal school… But although the story start with the main character, Autumn Blackwood, receiving an acceptance letter from the Windhaven Academy magical school she didn't even apply to; it’s not until almost the middle of the book that she actually goes to the Academy.
This story has a lot of potential: family secrets, magic, supernatural kids, unknow powers, some kids missing… so why did I feel like nothing happens in the first 30% of the book? Well, something happened in that part: Wade. I really didn’t buy that insta-loved, it was kinda forced —they didn’t know each other that much and she was thinking about leave everything for him?—, but also I have to say that I didn’t hate it at the end, it was better developed later in the book.
It took too long for anything to really happen, but when the action took place and the mystery appeared, it was better… a LOT better. I really liked the mystery, and I really LOVED how it unfolded. More than once I was like “wtf”. Unexpected.
I can say I was really surprised with the revelation of the mystery surrounding Autumn’s past and I had no clue about what her power could be. There were a few things more that were unexpected, but spoiler! So, not saying a word. I’m usually complaining about things being predictable, so this was great!
Yeah, the plot was great. But the characters? Not the main character —Autumn was acceptable—, the other ones, the side characters… I had this feeling like they were only there for Autumn’s benefit, they only had an appearance when needed.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The story it’s slow in action as this is the first book in a series and, as all the first books, it served as an introduction to this magic world. I can’t wait to read the next book, Soul Legacy (The Windhaven Witches #2).