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.

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).

I had some issues with the main character and the language, but the fascinating plot kept me going.

Secret Legacy starts like many similar books of the genre. Young girl is suddenly confronted by her own specialness; magical school awaits; she meets another special boy and they fall in love... only these things happen in the first two chapters or so. Which I'm guessing is why many other reviews of this book I've seen are complaining about tropes and insta-love. I personally didn't mind it so much (although in my book, Wade is way too pushy and needy). The story developed really fast and there were interesting questions emerging (the more I read the more I was wondering what's going on) which resulted in a very immersive read. And if that's not a successful series starter, then what is? I'm definitely intrigued to find out what happens next with Autumn and her friends. I was particularly intrigued by her connection with Colt and by Dominic's character.

However, I had some issues with Autumn and with how she is portrayed. She is supposedly 20 years old, but very often both her internal dialogue and her behavior are more reminiscent of a young teenager. She's temperamental, childish, storms off a lot and seems unable to use basic deductive reasoning. This is weirdly juxtaposed by a vocabulary that would be more suitable for a 20 year old... living during the 1800s. Having this character say things like "Alas" and "why are you so glib about this endeavor" (while talking to her boyfriend, mind you) is certainly a weird choice and one that felt a bit jarring at times. Overall, I do believe the book could benefit from a second round of line-editing and proofreading. The world building could be strengthened a bit as well, although I do understand this is a series starter and perhaps things will be revealed later on.

Having said all that: Secret Legacy kept me reading. I turned page after page, curious to see what happens next and wondering what the next book will bring. When you have a solid plot like that, it feels unfair to focus on small mistakes and editing snafus — hence my 4-star rating.

P.S. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me an ARC of this book. As always, opinions expressed as 100% my own.

Nestled in the woods of Windhaven, Blackwood Manor waits to unleash a dark and deadly legacy…

When Autumn Blackwood shows up at Windhaven Academy for the Witching Stick Orientation, she hopes to find out what dormant powers she could possibly possess to have been accepted to the elite supernatural school. Instead, the academy is in chaos as everyone frantically hunts for two missing girls.

But as school begins with Autumn no closer to figuring out her powers, strange occurrences start to follow her everywhere. Even at home, Blackwood Manor keeps many secrets, and Autumn can’t escape its haunting past.

New friends urge her to learn more about her family’s history in order to unlock her powers and make sense of what’s happening at Blackwood Manor, but Autumn’s not so sure. Once an accident brings Autumn face-to-face with death, however, she realizes her gifts are tied to a legacy that can either save or doom them all…

I hate to say this but I did not finish this book. I have seen some rave reviews on this book, but I did not feel the same.
I’m normally ok with insta love if it’s done properly but in this book it just did not feel right and made no sense.
I did not like the characters. To me they were immature for there age. I thought I was reading about a 12 year old instead of a women of 20.
I didn’t like the dialogue between the characters, if the author was aiming for witty banter she fell short. As most of the time I was confused by the conversation and did not understand what was going on.
I only read to chapter 6 and could not read on.

*3.5 stars

This is a refreshing, modern take on magic and witchcraft. Under 300 pages, this was a quick and engaging read that left me ready for book two!

I believe readers of Shirley Jackson, Joe Hill, & J.K. Rowling will be interested in this series and finding themselves enjoying the plot!

Book Review

Title: Secret Legacy (The Windhaven Witches #1)

Author: Carissa Andrews

Genre: Occult/Horror

Rating: ****

Review: I didn’t much about Secret Legacy going into it purely because it was tagged on Amazon as horror and I prefer going into those books knowing nothing about them. We are introduced to Autumn Blackwood who has been accepted into Windhaven Academy even though she is adamant that she didn’t apply to the school. Windhaven is a university for the supernatural, the acceptance confuses Autumn since she is completely mundane but her mother’s reactions to the letter and the fact someone has fully paid for Autumn’s education there makes me think she isn’t mundane. The letter also mentions her lineage and a legacy which intrigues Autumn to the point where we know she is going to be attending Windhaven Academy whether she wants to or not. Shortly, after the argument with her mother she meets Wade in the cemetery although she doesn’t learn his real name for a little while. It turns out he is going to Windhaven Academy too as he has some physic abilities but not this year since he has to care for his dying grandfather, but he offers to attend the initiation with Autumn which is known as the Witching Stick. So far, Secret Legacy is interesting, I am not usual into paranormal books, but the occult and horror tags have me interested to see where the author goes with this set up.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we get some development on the friendship between Autumn and Wade, although I wasn’t thrilled with how quickly they became more than friends, but he seems like a nice guy. However, in these kinds of books the nice guys always seems to have a hidden agenda of some sort. Autumn has made the decision to attend Windhaven but she needs somewhere to stay so she decides to contact her father and see if she can stay in their ancestral home, Blackwood Manor but she is having trouble getting hold of him so she decides to pay him a visit. The family dynamic here is interesting as Autumn’s parents are separated but I feel there is more going on there than Autumn knows. When we meet her father and he mentions the Manor is his legacy and he is has been waiting to tell/show her a lot of things, I am convinced that Autumn is supernatural and whatever abilities she has will have come from her father. As Autumn prepares to leave for Blackwood Manor, Wade was beginning to grow on me as he is super sweet and more than a little dorky but the insta-love kind of grated on me a little. However, soon after arriving she begins to notice strange things around the Manor like cold pockets but the strangest thing is a woman’s voice welcoming her home but there isn’t another soul in the Manor other than her father and the housekeeper that are both male. Autumn mentions this to Wade and he believes there might be a ghost there, but I have a feeling it is more than that and Autumn’s time at Windhaven might help her unravel the mysteries of her family.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, nothing much has happened so far, but the slightly creepy atmosphere keeps the reader hooked for something more substantial. We do get more substance to the novel as Wade and Autumn attend the Witching Stick only to learn it has been cancelled because two children have gone missing. Originally, I thought Windhaven was a university, but it seems to be more like Doctor X’s school as the two children who disappeared are only ten. In the aftermath, Wade and Autumn see someone vandalising her car and he scratches the truth shall set you free into it, but Autumn doesn’t understand why this was done. She and Wade have the house to themselves and are doing what normally 20+ people do when a vase breaks by itself and we get a small glimpse of Autumn’s power her as she restores a rose which was damaged when the vase breaks but she thinks nothing of it at the time. When she starts school properly she realises how little she knows about the supernatural world that to Cat and her twin brother Colt, Cat seems utterly freaked out when she realises that Autumn lives at Blackwood Manor and the writing on her car and warns her not to wander around by herself especially near the pond, which happens to be the same place the children went missing. Autumn is beginning to believe all these events are connected, the strange things at the Manor, the writing on her car and the children going missing but she doesn’t seem to be doing much investigating beyond discovering a hidden door in her room, which is missing its handle.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Autumn learns that it was a boy called Dominic that scratched her car, but Cat warns her to stay away from him because of who his family is, but Autumn isn’t going to let it slide. After confronting Dominic, he agrees to tell her why he did it but when Cat refuses to say something that Dominic felt was important, she leaves without learning anything. As she can’t get a straight answer out of Cat or Dominic, Autumn decides to ask Colt what he knows, and he tells her everything will become a lot clearer once she knows the history of Windhaven and the Blackwood family. The trio head to the library where Autumn learns her ancestors were one of the founding families that created Windhaven but her so many greats grandmother died in the house, seemingly of suicide and Autumn is freaked out because she saw her die when she held onto the banister but she doesn’t say anything about it. As the mystery deepens, I was hoping something big was going to happen soon as we have only seen small things, but Autumn doesn’t seem particularly motivated about figuring out what is going on. I also wish Wade was around more often as both Colt and Dominic are being presented as possible love interests but honestly, I prefer Wade.

As we cross into the second half of the novel, things are getting interesting. Autumn is learning more and more about her family history and her powers are emerging. She is not only seeing and hearing Abigail but when she touched the rug where her body lay, flames erupt from her hands, the same way they did when Colt touched her hand. Abigail leads her to the door handle for the door in her room but her father turns up so she can’t take it and see what is behind the door. However, later that night an ominous glow appear from behind the door and Autumn is beginning to think that her father might be in league with the creature many believe took those two children. When she discusses this with Cat and Colt, they tell her that someone has blocked her memory which is why she remembers being locked her in room in the Manor as a child when she actually locked herself in there and only came out to eat. It also explains why she doesn’t remember Cat and Colt who were her friends when she was only little. Her father does explain a little saying that he and her mother thought it was best for her to grow up away from Blackwood Manor and the supernatural, but he didn’t believe she would be completely ignorant of her world. This isn’t the end of it as Colt informs Autumn that one of the psychics at the school told him to warn of her about Wade. When she asks Wade about this, she sees an angry side to him she hasn’t seen before but honestly, she hasn’t known him that long, but she decides that if no one is going to be honest with her, she needs to find the information herself.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, things were really getting tense as the creepy atmosphere intensifies. Things begin to get serious when Wade unexpectedly comes to visit and Dominic takes an immediately disliking to him telling him that he needs to tell Autumn the truth about what he is and he does begin to before he is called away as his grandfather has taken a turn for the worst. In between this we see Autumn showing Cat and Colt the basement alter she found which is the same one she saw Abigail using in her vision and as Abigail was a necromancer, we know that this is what Autumn’s power is. However, things get really strange as Dominic rushes over interrupting the conversation Autumn was having with her father about her disappearance as a children where the creature took her away and killed her but she resurrected herself to tell her that Cat has been involved in a car accident and they need her help. Obviously, Autumn is distressed not only because her friend could possibly be dying but because she doesn’t really know how to use her powers.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, Autumn rushes to Cat’s aid but her power isn’t working before they group can do anything the creature appears wanting to take Cat’s soul because she is what it calls a Gemini twin. After temporarily getting rid of it, the group head to her house for the basement alter she needs to save Cat’s life. Abigail surprisingly is the one to help Autumn find and use her powers to save her friend and her father is also there to lend support as Cat is going to need a lot of time to heal. However, there is still something to come as the creature warned Autumn her time was running out and she suddenly gets a phone call from Wade telling her his grandfather has died and he wants her to return home so he doesn’t have to be alone but I have a feeling he wants her to use her powers to bring him back which she isn’t going to be able to do without help.
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It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue