Wild is the Witch is a lovely, magical book that made me want to run away and live in the woods. Iris is a witch, although she doesn't tell people anymore after an incident with her best friend. Iris and her mom run Foggy Mountain Wildlife Refuge and Pike is an intern there. He hates witches, which makes Iris afraid of his reaction if he discovers she's a witch. As a way to release her fears, Iris creates spells/curses and burns them, burning her fears away. But when she creates a curse to turn Pike into a witch, it accidentally attaches to an owl before Iris can dispel it. Now Iris and Pike have to track down the owl before it dies, releasing the curse and affecting not only Pike but everyone in the region.
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Rachel Griffin writes the loveliest descriptions of nature, fully pulling you into the book and making you feel like you're in the story. Especially the woods in Wild is the Witch. They feel old and powerful, and I want to get lost in them.

The book is a slow burn, but in the best way. Parts of it are very much a character exploration, as Iris comes to terms with the curse she cast and its consequences, not just for others but what it could mean for her. Plus, there's Only One Tent, which is an amazing upgrade from Only One Bed. I also really loved Pike, who was sarcastic and soft and supportive. I'd definitely love more in this world, and more of how the magic works, but the hopeful ending was sweet and perfect.

4.5 ⭐️ This audiobook was so delightful! I loved the setting in the woods, the enemies to lovers banter, the magic system, as well as the animals involved. It was adventurous and all characters were lovable in my opinion. I’d love to revisit this same world and characters in a spin off. Especially to meet Amy!

I have been wanting to read The Nature of Witches since I received the arc for it way back when. But for some reason I never got to it. When it came time to request Wild is the Witch I knew I had to have it because the covers were stunning which had to mean the books were amazing. And I’m here to say that neither book disappointed.

Getting approved for Wild is the Witch was the motivation I needed to read The Nature of Witches and I really enjoyed it. It was a solid 4 stars for me. So I was excited to read the next book, even if it was different characters.

I absolutely loved Wild is the Witch. Iris was such a fun character to follow and here and Pike together was my fave. The way magic works in this world was really interesting and I liked how different it was to other books with magic and witches. This read like a really good YA contemporary with magic to make it even better.

If you like witches, magic, and enemies-to-lovers you need to read both these books. I gave Wild is the Witch ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Another amazing book from Rachel Griffin. I was immediately taken by Iris' story and couldn't wait to read more about what happened that fateful night. It reminded me of the Harry Potter but not as fantastical or tacky. I really enjoyed reading this one and am proud to have it purchased and placed on my shelves alongside The Nature of Witches.

Loved this book. Rachel Griffin has never disappointed me with her novels, and this one was no different.

I really enjoyed this one. Somehow reading this story unfold just felt cozy. The mother daughter relationship was probably my favorite part. There are popular tropes here but the story still felt different than anything I've read in the best way. I'm always looking for books that just draw you into their world and this one does just that!

Griffin’s writing is captivating and immediately draws the reader into the story. The protagonist, Iris Gray, is a witch who witnessed her best friend commit a terrible act of witchcraft. Iris is learning to manage her trauma and losses in the aftermath. In an attempt to start over, Iris and her mother moved to the Pacific Northwest to run a wildlife preserve. Pike, one of Iris’ co-workers, drives Iris crazy, and in her frustration, Iris creates a curse, which an owl swoops up. Thus, Iris and Pike must search for the owl in the backwoods before the curse is unleashed and devastation ensues.

This book is more about relationships than magic; all prominent characters cope with trauma. I enjoyed this book once I could look past Iris’ idiocy in crafting the curse in the first place. I had difficulty believing she would have prepared that specific curse after what she had witnessed. She was still recovering from the emotional trauma from that event, and I doubt she would have so carelessly made a devasting curse.

Once I got past my hangup, this was a nice romance. I loved the setting and the animals. Griffin’s writing was lovely, as were her characters. This was a solid YA read.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Fires for the ARC.

Iris Gray is a young witch working at a wildlife refuge in the PNW. Pike is an intern at said wildlife refuge and the most obnoxious person Iris has ever met and he happens to hate witches. So of course Iris curses him and it all goes wrong!!

Queue enemies to lovers on a quest to save the world, or at least the PNW! Iris’s curse ended up in an owl who has escaped the refuge and she has to get it back. Pike of course doesn’t know she’s a witch and she isn’t about to tell him… adventure ensues.

I enjoyed this one, the pacing could at times be slow, and the stakes sometimes felt slightly lackluster but over all I loved it and I definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I was immersed in this book from the moment I picked it up. I loved the premise, and the execution was just phenomenal.

I was excited for this book because it really sounded like a young witch coming of age story. Which it is - but it also falls prey to that “girl couldn’t do it without boy” plot line.

We have obnoxious boy who teases, torments, & makes the MC’s life frustrating - but wait he does it for her! To help her take herself less seriously! But they don’t know anything about each other until spending 2 days in the woods together. I think you can catch where this is headed without me dropping spoilers.

This book was a journey through the wilderness while a Witch works to rectify something they’d done. I liked the vivid picture the author built. It was easy to see the characters and follow them on their adventure. I felt as if I was spying on them as they grew throughout the book. The ending fit well with the story line and wrapped things up nicely.

Overall, the book is fine. I love the interpretation of magic & it being in tune with nature/the universe etc. It’s just not what I was hoping for with all the potential it had.

Rachel Griffin is wonderful at weaving together magic and teen angst. A teen struggling with the consequences of their power and mistakes learning through her own magical journey. For teens and adults who love all things witchy.

18-year old Iris is a witch. She has worked extremely hard to hide her gifts in order to stay safe. While witches are not uncommon in her world, they aren't accepted very well either. She and her mother escaped to the Pacific NW to live their lives in quiet and safety. There's just one big problem, Pike. Pike works at the animal refuge Iris's mom owns. But he is a pain to Iris and when she needs to get out her frustrations, she casts spells that she then burns. Unfortunately, one spell was "stolen" by an owl. If she cannot find the owl and release the curse, it could be devastating for those living miles around. In a twist of fate, Pike and Iris are sent on the errand to retrieve the bird and return it to the sanctuary.

This was a fun story. At times Iris was really whiny and annoying, but overall I enjoyed the back and forth between her and Pike. It is a very creative look at witches and how it would look if they were living among us.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Atmospheric and stunning. Cozy and comforting and magic. Would definitely recommend to anyone in the genre.

I absolutely adored the characters and a different take on magic. I’m definitely reading again and sharing to my audience.

I loved this book! Witches, curses, magic, animals & adventure. The premise of this book immediately had my attention-Iris & Pike work with Iris' mother at an animal refuge. They don't get along well even on their best day. When Pike expresses his hatred of witches, Iris' feelings for Pike reach an exponential degree of hatred, she's a witch & so is her mother. When she tries to relieve the feelings by creating a curse to make Pike a mage, it gets bound to an owl rather than her herbs & she knows the consequences of turning a non-magical person into a witch/mage-she witnessed her best friend be stripped of her powers. She embarks on a journey to find the owl and release the curse & she'll be accompanied by the one the curse is meant to change.

The growth of the characters, the speed at which the story evolves, and the overall storyline make this a 5⭐️ read.

I was able to meet Rachel Griffin during the release of this book and get it signed and I am so lucky I got that chance. This book is so whimsical, and I love her writing.

I loved her debut novel as well and both are amazing. Wild is the Witch, is aesthetically pleasing and the atmosphere made me feel so comfortable. I read my copy in two days and couldn’t put it down.

I am looking forward to Griffin’a new novel and I am sure that one will be just as amazing as her other two.

Rachel Griffin's sophomore novel is a remarkable powerhouse of storytelling, with moments of heartbreak and immense hope.

A beautifully picturesque novel set in the Pacific Northwest, a witch-in-hiding and a magic-hating young man must traverse through nature to find an injured flyaway owl from the animal sanctuary where they both work. What Pike doesn't know, however, is that the owl isn't just hurt-it is also carrying a curse crafted for him, one that Iris must never let out, because at this stage, Pike would only be the beginning of those who would be affected.

Both the external and internal drives for Iris' search are strongly written by Griffin, and I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt like they had to hide a big part of themselves to be accepted.

I enjoyed the story and the plot a lot. The characters were lovely. However, there were slow parts but it still flow well.

Absolutely loved this story by Rachel Griffin! Her take on witches living in modern society is something I could picture and it’s fantastic!

I went into Wild is the Witch pretty blind, but expecting a true sequel to The Nature of Witches, and was unfortunately disappointed. The two books, though in the same world, didn't really it together in my mind (this may be a me issue for expecting something the book wasn't meant to be).

I'd recommend this one to many readers, as long as they are clear from the beginning of their expectations.

Enjoyed the connections to nature, and the magic system and I look forward to future books from this author.