I love how descriptive the writing is. I felt as if I was there in the forest with Iris & Pike. The theme of oneness with nature including animals is beautiful. I felt for Iris as she wanted to be known and accepted---and how this carried throughout the book.

Really enjoyed this one!
It's a super fun and unique story. The magic system is probably my favorite part! It's so well thought out and explained in detail enough to tickle your brain, but not so complicated or info/dumped as to lose the reader's attention.
Solid characters and development, knowing this was YA I was expecting the typical female teenage protagonist, but Iris is a refreshing surprise!
Overall a good story, totally recommend!

I really enjoyed Rachel Griffin’s other book, The Nature of Witches, so when the synopsis of this particular book was revealed I was VERY excited!

This book follows Iris, who was forced to move with her mom after an accident that led to her best friend getting her magic taken away. After seeing how her magic made others treat her and those around her, Iris now hides the fact that she’s a witch from everyone around her. She turns to her grandmother’s ritual of writing spells and curses and dispelling them into the earth to sort through her feelings and calm herself. She works at her mother’s wildlife refuge with Pike, who is interning at the refuge. After he reveals that he hates witches, Iris creates a curse meant to turn Pike into a witch. Before she can dispel the curse, an owl swoops down and steals the curse. Iris must set out to track down the owl and dispel the curse before it gets loose and turns not just Pike into a witch, but everyone in the region.

Like The Nature of Witches, the writing in this book is gorgeous! There are tons of quotes that I highlighted, and while the writing was beautiful, it was still easy to read! The pacing was good, and I especially liked the scenes where Iris and Pike were camping on the mountain. The vibes of this book were perfect, and made me wish that I had read this while I was camping because that would’ve been the perfect setting to read this one!

I did like the bickering and banter between Iris and Pike, although I don’t think that the chemistry was really there between the two. They even say that when they’re at the refuge they are rivals, but once they leave the refuge it’s a different story. Even separately, I didn’t really like Iris or Pike as much as I wanted to, and of course that ended up impacting my enjoyment of the book. Iris was too nervous and worried about everything, and I never really felt like I got a good sense of who Pike was other than just kind of mean to Iris.

This is still a great book though, it’s just the romance between the two characters just didn’t work for me in this one. Definitely worth the read, and I’m looking forward to Rachel Griffin’s cozy witch book!

Transportive, atmospheric, and breathtakingly beautiful, Griffin’s writing will capture your soul with her vivid storytelling, nature-filled narrative, and witchy cast of characters.

After a traumatic experience, Iris and her mother relocate to the Pacific Northwest to start a new chapter of their lives, where Iris struggles to conceal her emotions about her dark past and conflicting present. To dispel these harboring thoughts, she crafts a curse never meant to be cast. But when an unexpected encounter causes her to lose control of the curse, Iris is determined to do whatever it takes to stop it, even if that means teaming up with the one person who gets under her skin the most.

Wow, just WOW. This book stole my heart and swept me away! I felt so connected to the main characters with their great love for animals and their relationship to the nature surrounding them. (I would most definitely be a Lunar witch!) Every aspect of the story, from the developed emotional journey of each character to the deep magical ties to the earth, and the balance of nature, was meticulously thought out with care and precision.

The romance also just made my heart melt and SOAR! Griffin writes romances so rich and intimately crafted, woven intricately into the story and balancing perfectly with the theme of the ‘push and pull’ of nature. The witty banter, wholesome characters, and sweet connection between the two were just EVERYTHING.

I LOVE that Griffin writes about nature and adds a witchy spin to an environmentally conscious story. The respect and love shine through with each tale, and I can’t WAIT to see what journey she will take us on next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Wild is the Witch is an intriguing sophomore novel from Rachel Griffin. Somewhat stylistically similar to The Nature of Witches, it’s a stand-alone story which shares similar concepts and themes. Griffin once again brings her atmospheric writing to the table, creating an evocative, imaginative contemporary fantasy.
While I’m not fond of meanness or any type of prejudice, especially as the start of a romantic arc, Griffin makes it work here, especially as both parties involved have work to do. Pike is anti-witch, and that leads to the initial animosity, but Iris allows her hotheadedness in response to get her in over her head while attempting a revenge-curse. It could easily fall apart, but Griffin executes it deftly, creating a situation where enemies have to find common ground.
The tension is also well-executed, with a solid buildup to falling in love. Despite the precarious circumstances they were in (or perhaps in some ways because of it), they found a way to overcome their differences and see each other in a new light and their bond deepened.
Rachel Griffin has once again captured a compelling contemporary take on witches that stands out from the crowd. If you enjoy contemporary fantasy or witchy books, I recommend checking this one out.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC!

On with the review!

- 3.5 Stars -

I love how prominent nature has been in both of Rachel Griffin’s books. Her descriptions of the places around her are vivid and clear. You can smell, hear, and see what she’s trying to convey, and it makes for an entrancing read. However, her descriptions of people seem to get a little lost or convoluted, almost taking a back seat to the description of different settings.

This book was unique in incorporating such a close and distinct relationship with animals. The animal lover that I am truly enjoyed it. The idea of having animals as friends, protectors, and in some cases, instigators, hit home for me. Their personalities really came through and they were such a joy to read.

While there was depth to the story, the tone seemed very sedate and calm, not unlike her first debut novel. And while I enjoy the tone, it connected but did not captivate. I also felt like there could have been more feeling to the story. At times I felt myself getting so lost within Iris’ anxiety/panic attacks—literally questioning everything a hundred times over—it made for a bit of a jerky read through. A bit like emotional whiplash, and sometimes a confusing read.

Overall, it was heartwarming. Once again, a tale of acceptance—finding it both for one’s self, and from those around you. Iris finds love, growth and appreciation. She goes from the lowest of lows, after facing her innermost fears and insecurities, accepting the possible consequences of loss and judgement, then is of course rewarded with strength, growth and acceptance, after accepting herself first.

A heartwarming read, and will be reading whatever this author decides to publish next!

Iris is a witch.
Pike hates witches.
Iris accidentally curses Pike.
Iris needs to work with Pike to catch the curse without Pike realizing she is a witch who cast a curse on him.

What could go wrong?

I really liked Iris's character, even as she frustrated me endlessly. The poor witch was traumatized by an event in her past and deals with constant anxiety and now she anciently lost the curse she did not really mean to cast on Pike - the cute boy she kind of hates. Iris reluctantly seeks Pike's help but does not mention the whole witch and curse thing. To complicate things further she begins to realize that Pike is not just the prejudice jerk she believed him to be. Unfortunately, Iris holds her secrets as close as she does her anxiety and is stubborn until pretty much everything goes wrong.

Pike's character is lovable, but Wild Is the Witch is more Iris's story. She had to learn to let go of her fear, to once again find joy in her magic, and to believe that she could be worthy of love as a witch.

Wild Is the Witch worked well for what it was: a young adult novel about witches and magic, with a side of teenage angst and romance.

Pike's character is lovable, but Wild Is the Witch is more Iris's story. She had to learn to let go of her fear, to find joy in her magic once again, and believe that she could be worthy of love as a witch.

The first thing that impressed me about Rachel Griffin's WILD IS THE WITCH is the quality of the prose and how captivating the voice is. It really is a compelling opening. Next was how immediately drawn I was to Iris's story. There is no shortage of YA literature about witches, but Griffin's take felt really fresh. Her descriptions of how magic works in this world is just so beautiful; and how witches/mages and magic are integrated into the contemporary world is done in such a way that it feels believable. I love that Iris and her mom have an animal sanctuary.

Overall, WILD IS THE WITCH is a brilliant standalone. The relationship arc between Iris and Pike is perfect; the enemies-to-lovers trope is executed really well and it's just wonderful how you can see them eventually fall for each other. Despite how prickly they are to each other--especially at the start of the novel--you can't help but cheer both of them on. There is a lot of drama at the climax, but Griffin manages to tie all the loose ends together without rushing the pacing. The ending is very satisfying. Definitely a story I will be recommending for ages!

This is a fantastic book. It has the same super enjoyable vibes of Rachel's first book, but is very unique on it's own.

I really liked how the book started, it sets the perfect backdrop for what's at stake here and how stepping outside of the rules, even just briefly, can make such a big impact.

The characters here are so well developed and the storyline is so unique, I don't think I've ever read anything like this before. The setting is described so well that you can really picture the beauty and amaziingness around them.

This is definitely a great book for those who like witchy, adventure feeling books.

Iris Gray is a witch.
And no one can know.
After a devastating accident involving magic killed one of her friends, Iris and her mother were drive from their home. Even her own father no longer wanted to be with them.
Iris and her mother moved to the Pacific Northwest where they opened a wildlife refuge for injured animals. Despite their reasons for leaving, Iris loves her new life and will do anything to protect it.
So when the wildlife refuge’s intern Pike Alder makes his hatred of witches known, Iris panics. Terrified that Pike will find out and Iris and her mother will be forced to leave their home, Iris creates a curse. Growing up, her grandmother had taught her to create spells and release them in the earth, a ritual to ease her anxiety. Iris creates the curse with the purpose of releasing it, and her fear, into the earth. But when an injured owl flies in between her and her ingredients, the curse latches onto it.
Owls are scared to witches and Iris’ mother sends her out into the wilderness to find the injured animal and bring it back to be healed, unknowing of the curse it carries. But Iris’ mother doesn't want her to go alone. Pike and Iris travel into the wilds of the Pacific northwest to find the owl and the more they learn about each other along the way, the more Iris is desperate to stop the curse from being fulfilled.
I absolutely adored this book about love and grief. Wild is the Witch is the first book I’ve read by Rachel Griffin, and I look forward to reading more.

CW:
Grief and loss
Loss of parent
Death

Thank you, Rachel Griffin, Sourcefire books, and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This is a young adult book. It does discuss some heavy topics. It is a book about first love and personal growth set in the woods of the pacific northwest. The magic system is interesting, I enjoyed the explanations. Iris is independent and I loved her growth in this story. It was a delightful easy read. I will read again and recommend.

A very whimsical light fantasy plot.
I love the air and vibe of witches within Rachel Griffin's books, nature being so tied and balanced in the magic world, and the world knows about it.

However, this story did not have enough substance to keep my love, which made me sad. Also didn't help that I didn't love Pike, and not valuing the love interest hindered my enjoyment and the story. Her writing and worlds are beautiful, but the story wasn't.

Also, I couldn't forgive the MC for her dumb mistakes, especially after she had seen the effects of a bad choice first-hand.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy of Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin. I originally thought this was a sequel to Nature of the Witches and was confused as to how that would work but was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't a sequel and a whole new story.

Iris and her mom run a wildlife refuge and have a summer intern named Pike Adler. Iris is a witch and vows to never let anyone know this after an incident with her friend a couple of years prior. Pike and Iris pretty much hate each other so of course, you know they fall in love. Enemies to lovers? Yes please.

After Iris has a misfortune with a curse and it escapes into an owl who then flees, she knows she has to go find the owl. Pike comes along because of course he does and the two set off into the woods to find the sassy owl before any damage is done.

I find something incredibly comforting about Rachel's writing. It's like someone gave me a hug, wrapped me up in a blanket and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I love how she writes relationships and banter and just everything. One of the scenes in this book that I loved was Pike and Iris having an honest conversation about why they don't like each other. They knew that it wasn't going to be easy to hear the feedback but they did it anyway and moved through the hatred. It was really well done.

If you haven't picked up anything by this author yet, please do yourself a favor and give her a try. Wild is the Witch comes out on August 2, 2022 and is available for pre-order wherever you buy books. And the cover is gorgeous!

A very enjoyable read, full of life lessons and of course my fave...enemies having to work together and a one tent situation....if you know what I mean. I love any witchy reads and this one is definitely on the list of faves now!

The writing was immersive and so well written, hooking me in from the first page. I have not read a book by Rachel Griffin before but I will definitely be picking up her other book very soon.

I loved the character's arcs and growth, the banter and bickering and...the owl!!!

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin was a book that I was looking forward to reading since I finished Nature of Witches.  This one did not disappoint and I was sucked in from page one yet again!  Rachel Griffin is officially on my auto-buy list!

✨𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: August 2, 2022

Synopsis:
Iris Gray’s past is filled with tragedy which is why she has made a promise to herself to keep the fact that she’s a witch a secret. With her and her mother’s recent move to Washington, Iris can really hide who she is. But, iris still practices magic, especially when she is hurt or frustrated. Which is exactly how she feels around Pike Adler, an intern at the wildlife refuge her and her mother work at.

After an intense interaction with Pike, Iris creates a curse for Pike. She doesn’t intend to send it his way. She plans on using her grandmother’s trick of putting the curse back into the Earth. But when an owl swoops down and steals the curse Iris is left needed Pike’s help even though he doesn’t know the complete truth as to why he is needed.

Thoughts:
✨I absolutely love a book about witches.

✨Beautiful writing that hooks you from page one.

✨I knew I would devour this book so I was glad I set time side to read it. I could not put it down

✨A YA novel that is age appropriate but entertaining for all ages!

✨Loved all the magical elements

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Five big bright stars for Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin.

👏🏼Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Wild Is The Witch, I'm convinced that Rachel Griffin can do no wrong! This is a beautifully written sophomore young adult novel!

This book opens to a scene that sets the story in motion, and propels our main characters' fears and apprehensions. This one event shapes and influences who Iris is. It was also a fantastic way to enter this new witch world with a big bang!

Griffin is a master at making the Pacific Northwest come alive in your mind with her descriptions of the fog and rain, as well as the sights and sounds of the forest. You almost expect the pages to be damp from the humid climate - that is how strong the atmosphere comes across.

As this is a young adult, there is a subtle approach to any sexual references, and it is are pure perfection; these innuendos are done in such a stunning way, and I think if you didn't fully understand these more adult references - the reader could skirt over them without losing anything from the story line. How Griffin does this is brilliant to me! Also, Iris deals with anxiety, and I love how Griffin both handles and describes this for her character. It is something I found to be handled incredibly well.

I've kept this review away from being a comparison between Wild Is The Witch and Griffin's first novel, The Nature Of Witches - but I feel compelled to say that they both feel so very different. This one feels very romance forward, whereas The Nature Of Witches was more of a coming of age, with a romance element on the side. Know that you can't go wrong with either book!

Griffin writes books that makes sense in the world we live in; it's written in a way that makes you a believer. A believer in the magic that is clearly all around us; because after all there are signs and coincidences everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the complimentary copies to read and review.

I received a digital advance copy of Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin via NetGalley. Wild is the Witch is scheduled for release on August 2, 2022.

Wild is the Witch starts with Iris on trial. She is a witch, who was present as her witch friend unintentionally caused the death of another person. The council recognizes that Iris was not involved, and could not have prevented the disaster, and send her off. The community is not so forgiving. Finding it difficult to exist in that community, Iris and her mother move far away and open a wildlife refuge, hiding their witch nature. Here, Iris and her mother are joined by Pike, a young intern who is vocal about his hatred of wishes. Iris is so irritated by Pike’s thoughts that she crafts a curse to turn him into a witch, intending to burn it to dust rather than cast it on Pike. When an owl swoops through and steals the curse, Iris is forced to track the owl down and destroy the curse before it is released to affect Pike and many other people. Needing an extra set of hands, Iris is forced to take Pike with her to hunt down the owl and save Pike and others without revealing her secret.

This novel is very focused on Iris and her natural relationship with the owl she is tracking and her somewhat tortured developing relationship with Pike. We get some small pieces of Iris in her life before the refuge, but I would have liked more of this. There is almost a feel that Iris’s life starts when she moves her with her mother. This may have been intentional, as Iris sees her life starting over with this move. A little more background would have helped the ending of the novel feel more solid, as someone from Iris’s path becomes a key player late in the book. We only see Pike through the lens of Iris, learning things about him in the same moment Iris does as they grow closer on their journey. I found myself wanting to know more about him, which made sense for the story, as that is what Iris is feeling as well.

A huge strength of this novel is the setting. The bulk of the book takes places in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. Griffin does a great job of catching the feel of the woods Iris and Pike are traveling through, soaking them with atrocious weather, and attacking them with unexpected wildlife.

There were some spots in the story where things didn’t quite fit together in a logical way. Pieces of equipment, for example, disappeared and reappeared as needed. I also felt that characters made choices for the sake of plot in a couple of places. Again, a little more building of who Iris is may have helped this.

Overall, Wild is the Witch is an atmospheric journey of a young woman rediscovering the strength to truly be herself despite the opinions of others.

Another slam dunk from Rachel Griffin!

First off, Rachel has a way of writing about witches that makes it feel so life-like. Mixing the fantastical elements of witches with present-day "magic" like science and medicine is a terrific marriage, and I can't get enough of it. I feel like I'm stepping into a modern-day fairy tale whenever I pick up one of her books.

When I started reading Wild Is the Witch, I had no idea that I would not only be getting the whimsical, cozy story I now expect when reading a Rachel Griffin novel but also a delightful enemies to lovers romance.

The originality of this story blew me away! An accidental curse, forced proximity romance, all while chasing an adorably frustrating owl. The conflicts in this book are top-tier and pulled at my heartstrings more times than I expected. I stayed up WAY too late reading this one!

Rachel continues to impress me with her creativity and writing. I cannot wait to dive into more of her stories!

The Quick Cut: A young witch has to venture into the woods with her witch-hating coworker after an owl takes off with a curse she wrote.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing the ARC for an honest review.

We all have people that we don't get along with, whether they are coworkers, family members, or classmates. Sometimes, the pressure of butting heads with these can create a pressure or internal strain that has to be vented. For Iris, the consequences of her venting ritual could be devastating when an Owl flies away with a curse she wrote, before she could dispell it.

Iris is a witch. However, after an unfortunate incident a couple years ago, she's promised to never tell anyone her status. She lets out her frustrations by writing curses and then dispelling them to the ground, like her grandmother taught her. However, when a male coworker named Pile makes a painful comment about witches, Iris decides to write a curse making him a warlock. The problem? An owl from the wildlife refuge she works at just grabbed it before she could dispell it. Can she rescue the owl and eliminate the curse in time?

I will confess to being an absolute Rachel Griffin stan. Ever since reading the ARC for her first novel, I've been engrossed by the way she seamlessly weaves magic into reality. With this second novel, she's struck reading gold again with this enemies to lovers tale.

Iris has her damage, especially from what happened in the past. While she loves being a witch, she promises to never tell another person her status again. Life has a way of shaking up the status quo though and that owl grabbing her curse certainly does that. Not only is she forced to deal with some unresolved feelings from the past, but she's also required to do it while working with her least favorite coworker, Pike.

Pike is a human male who's been burned by magic before and let's anyone know his dislike for witches. He's a natural enemy to Iris, even if he doesn't realize it. So seeing the way he bickers with Iris makes you smile as a reader. At first, you want to see Iris get the upper hand. However, the more these two open up, the more you realize they are far more alike than they can see. It creates a genuine connection that will make your heart melt.

A nature based story with all the magic you want.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin is a contemporary fantasy set in the Pacific North West. Iris may only be eighteen but she has been through a lot, her best friend was stripped of her magical powers because she caused the death of her boyfriend while trying to turn him into a mage, and Iris saw but could do nothing to stop it. Even though the powerful Witches Council declared she was not complicit Iris still feels an enormous amount of guilt which is compounded by the break up of her parent's marriage because of magic. Iris and her mother moved to Washington where they now work at an animal sanctuary and where no one knows they are witches. This is a good thing because Pike, the intern who works with them is very vocal about his hatred of witches and magic in general. Pike and Iris just seem to continually rub each other the wrong way, and one day after a particularly nasty argument Iris decides to vent her frustration by writing a curse , one that she will burn rather than cast. Unfortunately her plan goes awry and instead of burning to smoke the curse is picked up by an injured owl . As an amplifier the owl will magnify the effect of the curse if it is released, the only way that Iris can keep Pike and countless others safe is to track down the owl and remove the curse , but this will be no easy task, especially when her mother sends Pike along with her , making it increasingly difficult to keep her secrets.
I really enjoyed this book, the way the magic was incorporated into the story was really well done and I loved the idea of animals acting as amplifiers for a magic that works with the natural order. Both Iris and Pike were likeable characters and I enjoyed seeing their relationship change and grow over the course of the book. There is so much emotion in the book, grief, fear, anger, forgiveness , it really does take the reader on a roller coaster ride. I was captivated by the story and read it in a single day, and I hope that the author will revisit these characters again at a later stage.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.