Trigger warnings: childhood abuse, attempted sexual assault, drowning, murder, suicide. Not very graphic but read at your own discretion.

This is the weirdest, most wonderful mishmash of genres. It is adult general fiction with a little bit of fantasy and a whole lot of mystery that also tackles childhood trauma.

I've seen some users categorise this as romance and it is very much NOT a romance. If you go into this with that expectation you're going to be disappointed. Throughout the story there is a vague impression that couples will form, but there is no actual romance until 85%.

When the abusive Rachel Rowan dies, her (adult) children are caught up in a murder mystery and left to deal with the many enemies that their mother made with her blackmail scheme. All of this must be dealt with while battling bad memories. I definitely did not guess who the murderer was, but I don't think there was enough foreshadowing to.

A Spell of Rowans is absolutely fascinating. I was totally, totally immersed in the story. It certainly succeeds in provoking emotional responses. I felt deep sadness for what the children endured, pure rage for how horrible their mother was, and great uncertainty over where the danger is coming from. There were definitely some gasp-worthy moments!

I didn't like the writing style at all, it just wasn't for me. It seemed slightly amateurish with a dependence on telling rather than showing. However, the content is so good that I'm not even going to consider lowering my rating.

This book is definitely worth 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

This amazing magical fantasy novel follows a unique story line that has currently been untapped. Focusing on specific magical skills that each of the Rowan children have rather than having an arsenal of magic a their fingertips is a direction that I didn't know I needed to be popular until reading this book.

The book deals with difficult family dynamics, and also social issues such as autism and mental health in a way that was considerate and not too in your face.

The plot left you wanting more with each page, and the character building was everything I always hope for. There were twists and mystery that Nash built well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of magic integrated into the modern day.

Only when their evil mother dies does Vic return to her hometown and her brother, Liam and her sister, Phillipa. All three have mystical powers and together they want to get rid of their mother’s ashes and house the quickest way possible, but even beyond death their mother will not easily let go of them. As another murder is committed in town suspicion is once again cast on the Rowan family, and they’re pulled in to solve the mystery, with the help of old boyfriends Reed and Hunter.
Interesting story line and characters, a quick read that’s fun.