A sapphic, Great Gatsby inspired gothic story about witches? Sign me right up. Wild and Wicked Things largely delivered on much of what the premise promised — the dark romance, murder and lush writing were all exactly what I hoped it would be. The magical side of things was what really drew me in, blood magic that demands a cost is always intensely interesting to me, especially when that magic is woven into the real world. The setting for WaWT is pretty much our world in post WWI England, but magic exists and is bound by laws and treated almost like alcohol during prohibition. This part was fascinating and I really wish it was explained more. Which draws me into my main critique —

I truly loved the atmospheric writing and characters, but felt like there was a lot to be desired when it came to properly setting the scene and fleshing out the backstory. Whilst a huge exposition isn’t always necessary, I felt like this book could’ve used more info when it came to Bea and Annie’s relationship in particular. I didn’t feel much connection with Bea like I did Emmeline because I didn’t know much about her. Her desires and motivations were largely glossed over or alluded to and I feel like the reader really would’ve benefited with knowing more about her. If perhaps some extraneous plot details were trimmed and more focus was given to really fleshing out the characters, it would’ve been a five star read for me.

Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed Wild and Wicked things and love seeing more sapphic representation in publishing. If you’re a fan of witches, magical realism and gothic tales, you’ll love this book.

I devoured this book on a weekend. Wow, it was that great. It’s been quite some time since I read a book and that left my head spiralling in elation. I loved how the elements that were put in work to make this so whole and complete. I especially enjoyed the writing, it was quite easy for me to get into it and live vicariously through the words.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May is an awesome and totally unique novel that has it all: mystery, suspense, murder, action, an element of science fiction, historical fiction, and so much more. I loved it!

This book has so many elements within it that it easily could have been too much and too complicated…but it all fit together perfectly. I was sold from the first chapter…and devoured this book in two days.

This book takes place in the post-WWI timeframe, and the historical aspect is truly felt…however the author was able to impressively weave magic, suspense, high-stakes suspense and drama into the plot so that I was gripping the edge of my seat several different times, just to see how it all plays out.

This book has so many facets to it, that I can’t even begin to explain its premise. I loved Emmeline and Annie. Such intriguing and complex main characters that bring a lot to the table. I loved the interplay, the internal and external conflicts surrounding one another, their pasts, and between one another as well. The ghosts that are sought after and that are dealt with head on…brilliant. I dare anyone to read this and not be blown away.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Redhook Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/29/22.

A fairly light read with a magical and historical setting. Some lovely delights sprinkled here and there.

2.5 stars

I finished this in a day so suffice to say it's a quick read; however it's structured a bit odd.

The opening prologue didn't set the tone for the novel at all. It took a while for the book to pick up speed and start to make sense with the various threads weaving a tapestry of a story. The central love story didn't feel very earned BUT the growth of Annies character and as the bits and pieces of her backstory came to light, it made more sense. The side characters deserved more though. It felt like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meet Practical Magic in a lot of ways. I wish there was more about the lore of the Island actually as opposed to what was dealt with just on the surface as it seemed very rich.

the only Gatsby call out I truly got was the purple light and the parties to lure someone there.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

There is so much to love about this book. The character dynamics, the found-family structure in Cross House that we see formed in the flashbacks, the sapphic longing and tension between the two main protagonists, Emmeline and Annie. It's all dying to be read. At the core, this is a book about Annie and Emmeline—both as individuals and together. They both have to deal with a past that haunts them—one Annie didn't have much say in and one Emmeline was forced to have a say in. And together, they have to figure out what this connection, this thread, that connects them means.

I've personally never read The Great Gatsby, but I've seen this tagged as "Witchy, sapphic Gatsby." It delivers on the lavishness for sure. Unfortunately, there are a couple of things that stopped me from truly loving this book. I felt the pacing was off. This might sound odd, but it felt like I was reading two short novels in one volume. It went from an almost character study of tension, longing, and the desire to rekindle an old friendship. And then all of a sudden, it's a domestic thriller. Now it's a horror? The direction seemed to keep changing. I don't know if this was intentional or inspired by something, but to me it made the book seem longer than it was because I kept getting...I don't know...genre whiplash? As far as I'm aware,this is a standalone novel. It felt like there were a few plot lines that were introduced and wrapped up with an, "Oh by the way here's the conclusion to that thing real quick." It felt odd.

All that said, in the end this was such an interesting read. It has an almost uncomforting comfort to it, as oxymoronic as that sounds. I was in it for the characters. For Annie and for Emmeline. The side characters were great, too, but the main protagonists were why I was invested. Their strangers > instant connection > is one of us going to acknowledge this thing between us energy they have going on. Annie discovering a side she never knew she had in her—one that takes risks and goes to parties and knows what she wants. The type of person she had to leave her home to discover. And I loved reading about Emmeline coming to terms with who she is. A sister, a caretaker, a forlorn lover whose feelings can't be reciprocated.

This truly is a book of wild and wicked things. (Okay but how can you NOT use the title to describe it? It's literally perfect!) And maybe that's what connects the seemingly random genre shifts; at their core, they're all centered around whispers in the dark—the comforting ones and the chilling ones.