-This sucks you right in and never lets you go
-I loved the characters, the magic, and the island
-Loved the world that was built and the parties and mystery
-Reminiscent of The Great Gatsby

Wild and Wicked Things is a slow burn sapphic fantasy with a bit of spooky and witchy flavor. There is a heavy Gatsby-ish feel to the atmosphere and the locale, which drew me in pretty well, and the plot is semi-reminiscent of Practical Magic though a bit heavier on the darkness. This is not a light and fluffy read.

The pacing is quite slow and I did struggle with getting immersed in the story at the beginning, but there was some decent suspense and I was very curious to see where things would go. Some readers may find this frustrating or a deal breaker.

Though the story was enjoyable and I enjoyed the character dynamics, I would have liked to have seen a bit more development in the characters. There were times when the plot felt a bit info-dumpy rather than allowing the story to tell itself and this approach did make the characters a bit thinner than they otherwise could have been. The characters are also not necessarily likable, but I tend to be more entertained by this tactic than turned off.

The historical content was really great. It generated a world and magic system that was both intriguing and original, so I had a good time with my read. That being said, the magic system was not fully explored and definitely could have been given more backstory, especially as I found it interesting.

Creative and filled with beautiful writing, this debut was fun and intriguing. Francesca May is one to watch as her imagination may bring some magnificent things in the future.

DNF at around 20%. The book was so slow and boring. Characters seemed very shallow and didn't seemed to be developed (maybe that happened later?).

** No Spoilers **

I did get this as an ARC; unfortunately, I had a life-altering thing happen and couldn't read this until it came out, and I purchased a copy. This was the first thing I read after things calmed down; it was refreshing to read something where I could escape into a world that was not my own and go through someone else's life experiences. It was an amazing adventure and a very good read.

The world of Wild and Wicked Things is pretty much what if magic is illegal. To the point where basic plants are such lavender is enough to give you a federal charge. But in the 1920s-1930s. Despite this, some things remain the same, such as your Dad dying and giving you a spooky house next to a super hot and very taboo young women. Also your BBF ran away an gave herself a whole new life including a husband. You think how did your friend get her whole new life? Ask the neighbor who everyone whispers witch.

Wild and Wicked Things at times was slow, the characters interesting even when they annoyed me. I did love the mirroring of the prohibition to the ban on magic. I will say this book is like a thick sandwich. Tasty but sometimes you gotta put it down because it's a lot. Worth a read.

This book was just not for me. It was very slow moving especially in the beginning and it left you wanting more from the characters. The ending felt rushed with all the action suddenly happening. Sadly wasn’t invested in the characters at all.

I, like many, heard that this was a "sapphic Great Gatsby" and was instantly into the idea. It's magic with LGBT+, which makes me happy, and I do love witches. However, I'm not a huge fan of the characters. I wanted to like them and love this book, but I just had a hard time with this one. I didn't connect with it in the way I wanted. It may be different for others, but for me, it was just ok.

Francesca May's 'Wild and Wicked Things' is set in an alternative 1920s Britain where magic is real. However, after the war, it's been ruled illegal due to it being used during the war. Those who live on Crow Island have made their lives from magic, whether real or fake, and it has led to the island becoming a place to see and be seen. Anne travels to the island from her working-class home to take care of her father's estate and to see if she can reconnect with her best friend Bea, who left for a more glamourous life. Anne rents a cottage next to Cross House, home of the Delacroix witches, orphans who were gathered by the previous owner to train and use their magic, previously for the war effort, now to make money. Emmeline is the eldest of the Delacroix witch siblings and the magic she uses isn't leading to the best life for her. She did something ill-advised and it's starting to drain her and will eventually kill her. Anne steps into this world of magic and mystery and is completely changed by the events and the people.

This was a good book, I liked the setting and the story line sort of a Gatsby-style setting with witchcraft. The characters are all interesting and quite a few show some amazing growth over the story, which you don't always see. Anne starts off pretty meek and boring but finds her spirit and backbone by the end of the book. Emmeline learns to not be so cagey and defensive and let others help her. None of the characters are true heroes or villians, so like most people in the real world are shades of grey and may do bad things as well as good. There are definitely kernels of other stories that could be teased out of this book if the author so chooses, and I would love to see more of some of the characters, especially Cilla & Nathan.

Wild and Wicked Things takes place after World War l. Annie Mason moves to Crow Island and discovers that magic is more common on this island. Annie moves in next to a mysterious group of people that she suspects are witches. The witch that lives next to Annie, Emmeline, is very alluring to Annie. Annie builds a connection with Emmeline that she can’t explain. Annie falls into the world of dark magic and feels like she can’t escape.

This book was beautifully written but it just wasn’t for me. I felt myself getting bored while reading. The plot is very unique and well written.

This book wasn’t for me but if you like magic, romance, and mystery then this is the book for you.

3.5 This book follows Annie Mason who has zero desire in magic. She has to go on the island where her fathers estate is. While there, she intends to re connect with her friend Beatrice, Beatrice though chose to leave so that she can keep up with the jones with her new husband.
Annie then meets Emmeline Delacroix who is a witch, and witnesses a weird interaction between her and Beatrice, which intrigues Annie further; and Annie ends up in a world filled with gothic witchcraft, scandals and secret.
This book is widely atmospheric, so much so I had difficulty getting into it.I reminded me of the Great Gatsby, which I love, however in middle it feel flat for me.
Overall I love the premise of this book and I appreciate the sapphic characters, however this unfortunately wasn't for me

After receiving a summons from the recently deceased father she's never really known, Annie finds herself on Crow Island where the people are wild and the magic wicked. Pulled by forces unknown, Annie continues to find herself at her neighbor's infamous parties and begins to form a bond with Emmaline, a wild woman with a reputation for being a witch. When she witnesses Emmaline in a public fight with her own childhood best friend, Bea, Annie knows there is no going back to the life she knew before.

Wild and Wicked Things blends fantasy, mystery and historical fiction into one intriguing plot that will leave you questioning from the very first page.

The Good:
- Beautifully written
- Sapphic
- Dangerous magic
- High stakes plot


The Bad:
- The pacing was a little slow and I struggled to connect with the characters for a good portion of this book

Overall this is a really enjoyable story, especially for those who typically prefer contemporary or historical fiction and want to give fantasy a shot without being overwhelmed by complex magic systems and world building.

Thank you to Redhook Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

I think this one had too much whimsy for me. I tend to prefer fantasies with hard magic systems, and it felt like we never really learned anything about what their magic could do and what kind of limits it had. I also had a tough time with the pacing. For the first 60%, I found that the story dragged and it was a chore to pick up the book. The later half of the book was so action packed that I had trouble keeping up. I think that the story could have done without the flashback scenes or they could have been better utilized to teach us about the magic system in the book.

I wasn’t able to finish this book after reading about 30% of it. It was hard for me to connect to the story and characters. Usually, sapphic witch stories are something that catches my eye all the time, but it did not do it for me this time :(

Great story premise but was a very slow start that had me not wanting to continue on at times, near the end is where the book and plot shone.

I appreciated the world building aspects, Crow Island was completely present in my mind but there needed to be more plot and revelations mixed in to create pace and appeal.

The characters were complex and diverse in their struggles but they were too unlikeable and not in that morally grey way that I often am drawn to, I can’t quite put my finger on what I disliked so much.

I do think a lot of people will enjoy this book there are some great fantasy tropes and ideas but it was just a bit flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
This book is well written and it had me hooked in the beginning I found myself withdrawing from the story towards the middle and slightly pick up a bit but not as much as the start. I was slightly more interested in the world than the main characters.

World War I has just ended and Annie Mason has arrived on the mysterious Crow Island to handle her late father’s estate and reunite with her childhood best friend, Bea. As Annie spends more time on the island, she is drawn into the dark and magical world of her neighbor, Emmeline Delacroix. When Annie witnesses a confrontation between Emmeline and Bea, boundaries are tested and the cost of this magic just might be their death.

This book is described as a Great Gatsby retelling with a sapphic, witchy twist and I feel like that is a very accurate description. The writing was lush and beautiful and the atmosphere was on point. You could really feel what the characters were going through, but there was still a little bit of a disconnect between myself and the characters. I’m not quite sure what caused it though. It may be my dislike of The Great Gatsby influencing my opinion. The pacing also felt a little slow for the first two thirds, but did pick up for the ending.

I will still check out future works by May.

Both witchy and gay - what could be better? From the mysterious island, the Gatsby style parties and the murder mystery, this book is a thriller from start to finish.

A sapphic slow-paced fantasy romance giving some gatsby vibes, and who doesn’t want more Gatsby? When you find out let me know. The issue is that those vibes were inconsistent throughout the novel, and I think the author spent the first 2/3 of the book struggling to move the plot forward. It dragged. When things finally did speed up, I was already fatigued mentally from trudging through the first part, and it didn’t create a favorable reading experience for me.

Unfortunately I didn't feel intrigued enough by any element of this story to finish it, and therefore DNF'd at 27%. I'm not a fan of The Great Gatsby, but I hoped infusing it with a bit of witchy magic and sapphic romance would be an improvement to the original story. From the first page I could tell the prose would not be for me--it was flowery in a way that was trying too hard. The characters didn't grab my attention, and I didn't pick up on any vibes/atmosphere that would make this book worth my while.