This is the perfect book for autumn with its witchy vibes, murder mystery, and long-held secrets. The claustrophobic atmosphere of Saiorse Island felt like a character itself and the inhabitants of the island felt so real. I read this in one sitting as I was so drawn into the mystery that I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Spells For Forgetting
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Adrienne Young
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy Mystery/Thriller
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 27th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

”There are spells for breaking and spells for mending. But there are no spells for forgetting,” I warned her.”

This story takes us to the remote island of Saoirse, where everyone is hiding a secret and The Orchard seems to be at its centre. When August Salt comes back to bury his mother’s ashes, he’s met with the people who ran him off the island in the first place. For Emery Blackwood, August being back means her nightmares are back, the ones she’s had since that fateful night where the orchard caught fire and Lily was murdered. Everyone on the island thought August did it but Emery, who knew August inside out, is convinced he’s innocent.

The magic system was very subtle in this book—it actually felt more mystery/thriller than fantasy because of the use of modern witchcraft. I enjoyed that though. It made the setting and everything about the story seem much more real.

I loved that many of the chapters were told from different points of view. Everyone on that island had a secret and it was fascinating reading everyone fighting to keep theirs.

The main points of view were Emery and August who had chemistry in spades. They were perfect second chance soulmates and I loved reading about them coming undone by each other with revealing old truths and new secrets.

This book was spooky, atmospheric, full of bad omens and thinly veiled threats. It was so enjoyable I almost packed my bags to move to Saoirse island. If you like evil town councils, a murder mystery, a secluded island, and of course, spell work, you might consider moving their too.

This was not terrible but the main problem for me was that the two main characters who were in their thirties still felt like teenagers. I couldn't perceive a difference between their behaviours and dialogue in the past and the present.

Added to this, there was not a whole lot going on for the first 100 pages and the rest of the book was not fast paced by any means.

I did solve some of the puzzles ahead of time and I'm no genius.

The opening scenes of the book gave me the impression that there would be a lot of references to magic but this faded into the background. I guess I was expecting something with vibes like Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert.

As someone who reads both teen fantasy and adult mystery/crime, this should have ticked lots of boxes for me but it fell flat and didn't seem to have its feet firmly planted in either territory.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes, I come across a book I wish I'd written. It doesn't happen often, but it's a particularly magical feeling, because it's a bit like finding a soulmate or a kindred spirit.

Spells for Forgetting is one of those books.

Everything about this book is magical. It is atmospheric, haunting, and achingly beautiful. I've read quite a few books lately, but this is the one I find myself thinking about in my quiet moments, because it hangs around. Some books are like a punch, a thunderclap. This one is much quieter and I've been completely obsessed with it. It includes some of my favourite things: witchcraft, woodland setting, second-chance love, a murder mystery, a (sort-of) villain that gets her comeuppance But beyond that, the story is genuinely haunting. In spite of the romance, there is a both darkness and sadness, and you aren't ever sure what is going to win out.

Young has a definite talent for bringing worlds to life. I genuinely feel as Saoirse (the island) is a real place- that I could catch a ferry there and breathe in smoke, mist, and magic. The setting was an inspired choice. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to have an enclave of magic in the modern world, so Young sets the story on a island in Puget Sound. This not only informs the setting, but also helps give form to the characters and the relationships between them.

I've been a fan of Adrienne Young since the very beginning of her career and this book is definitely her best work yet. If you want a lyrical, slightly spooky, read for Autumn, you can't go wrong with this.

This is definitely a great autumnal book, with its small town spooky setting and the atmospheric writing. It unravels a murder mystery that happened in the past and all is not as it seemed.
I think the island of Saoirse itself was the best character, I didn't hugely mesh with the two main characters of Emery and August. I didn't feel like they had much chemistry , however I did end up enjoying their story as it was revealed through the alternating timelines. The side characters and their motives fell a bit flat and cliche , and I would have enjoyed a bit more character development and magic!
Overall I would recommend, it read and flowed quite quickly and you do get invested in the mystery. I liked the magic and mystery of Saoirse Island but just wanted to care more about the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the e-arc!

Full review will be posted soonish and I'll add links to blog as well.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and adrienne young for sending me this arc!

4 stars.

we've seen it before: the small secluded town with old families that hold more secrets than anyone would be able to count – and each more shocking than the last. i've read books like this before, but none were doing it like spells for forgetting. i applaud you for this one, adrienne. i LOVED the fable duology, but i loved this one even more.

the atmosphere was *so* right; the haunting coldness of saoirse island, the secrets between the old families, the you-can-only-leave-this-place-if-you-manage-to-catch-the-ferry, the MAGIC. because, yes, there is actual, old magic that the women of this island can pull from its ground.

the murder mystery – which evidently was the plot – wasn't even my favorite part. it was the world you were being transported into. i could feel the coldness of this island going into fall from my couch where it was 28°C/82°F. i would be thinking about pulling on my favorite sweatshirts, before catching myself and thinking "no it's still too hot for that". and to me, being able to be sucked into a story, is the most important part. let me feel ALL of it like i was there when it happened.

AND THE PLOT TWISTS. i would never have guessed them. i had my mouth open with my jaw on the floor at one point.

anyways, good read, excellent for this upcoming fall and the spooky season. good soup. :)

I think I have found the perfect autumn book! Spells for Forgetting is a captivating, enchanting, atmospheric, mesmerising read - I can't find enough words to describe how good it was or how big of an impact reading it has had on me!

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Then August disappeared. Fourteen years later, Emery is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming.

Heartbreakingly sad and breathtakingly beautiful, this might very well be the best book I've read this year. Thank you so much Netgalley Quercusbooks and Adrienne Young for the ARC!

I was SO happy to get this arc from netgalley; I absolutely adored the Fable duology and Adrienne Young is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

I love a small town setting and this was such a good murder mystery. You’re left wondering throughout the whole book who is working against Emery and August and what really happened 14 years ago. Why didn’t August get charged? Why is there so many unknowns about the orchard?

I read this book in one day, you just can’t stop yourself wanting to know what’s going on especially with all the little clues that are dropped in along the way. It’s so atmospheric and some of it is quite unsettling.

The chemistry between Emery & August is palpable and i was left just waiting to see whether would get together - it’s not an easy thing to get over for your ex to be accused of killing your best friend. The only let down in this book was that the ending was quite abrupt and quick and I would’ve liked to see more of that.

This was such a great murder mystery filled with twists, turns & confusion about what happened all those years ago. I would recommend this to everyone as It was such an addictive read!

One of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not let me down.
Dual POV with lesser characters thrown in too and 2 well defined main characters with lots of depth to them which made the 2 person POV easy to follow.
I really need to read fable now as it's been on my tbr for so long!

Wow I loved this.
It also made me very anxious, which was not pleasant but, that usually means a book is really good, and made me feel a lot.
The characters had so much depth, and are so varied. The setting was amazing, the feeling of the island the smells, the magic, really, fantastic.
The love story is this book is beautiful, heartbreaking and unique. My heart hurt at the thought of things not working out for them.
I enjoyed to see all the mysteries and lies unravelling and see how my suspicions got slowly confirmed, I loved that I was right!.
The ending, have a resolution that feels incomplete but at the same time very realistic and I loved it. I would love to know how things moved after this events in the island, I am so so curious. That curiosity will keep me thinking of this book for so long, I know it.

It also reminded me a little to "only murders in the building" at the beginning with the murder mystery and going back and forth in time with 2 dual time lines and 4 friends. Plus there are some beautiful quotes wroth repeating.

God this was so good
Is a 5 star read that I can't wait to have in papper.

I've heard great things about Adrienne Young, several times I've considered picking up Fable but if I'm being brutally honest.. I HATE the cover and it puts me off every time.
When this title appeared on Netgalley I was intrigued by the synopsis, liked the cover and title and finally thought it was time to give Young a try.

The Island of Saiorse (pronounced 'Sur-sha', I looked it up immediately so I wouldn't keep stumbling over it) is a beautiful setting.
I'm easily won over by small communities in rural settings- especially tightknit communities with secrets, grudges and tangled family histories.
Young does a fantastic job of making the reader feel like an insider, introducing us slowly to each name on the island and the ties between them all.

Spells For Forgetting centres mostly around Emery and August, a couple separated as lovestruck teenagers fourteen years earlier by the unsolved tragedy of fire and murder.

Told in first person, present we switch between the perspective of both main characters initially, with the well paced addition of lesser characters as the story develops both in past and present timelines.
Whilst some find too many voices can become difficult, I thought Young had fleshed each character out well enough for me to follow easily.
Using multiple perspectives allowed the reader insight that Emery and August couldn't provide, adding further detail to the mystery.

The relationships between Emery and others were very well done, August in paritcular was a joy to read.
I would have liked to see Lily's perspective in the past timeline though I do understand why Young used the personification of Saoirse instead.

The pacing of Spells For Forgetting was perfect and despite a small amount of repetition in the character monologues I very much enjoyed all aspects of the novel.
The truth behind the drowning on dry land probably should have been obvious to me but I was still shocked by the reveal.
A low fantasy thriller perfect for an autumn read, maybe I should pick up Fable after all!

The island of Saoirse is full of darkness, mystery and secrets complete with reclusive inhabitants who like to keep the island to themselves and where everyone knows everyone’s business. The story revolves around a murder which happened years before the present day in which the book is set but is littered throughout with flashbacks. Most of the perspectives are from the main protagonists, Emery and August, as well as POV chapters from other characters which enables the “whodunnit” mystery to unfold from different viewpoints.  

The creepy vibes in Spells for Forgetting were on point! I loved that there was always something that was being left unsaid and the reader was left guessing as to what that was. I found myself completely transported to the haunted island of Saoirse, with its dark and gloomy streets, rundown shops, and dilapidated houses. Despite this bleak setting, I couldn’t put the book down – the suspense grows at the perfect rate that left me staying up too late to continue reading.

My only gripe would be that after thoroughly enjoying the tension building, the ending is fairly rushed with a couple of loose ends that were left untied.

However, the rainy and spooky atmosphere made this book the perfect contender for an autumn TBR and I will certainly be re-reading closer to Halloween. An easy and enjoyable 4.5 star read.

Spells for Forgetting is set to be published on 27 Sept. 2022. Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young – I have previously loved Adrienne’s work, notably the Fable series, and this does not fall short in comparison. This review is wholly my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I really enjoyed the magical setting of the island and the way Emery and August’s stories unfolded. The way magic weaved throughout made the story more interesting than the usual mysteries I read. Thank you so much for this arc.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book- the spooky vibes really got me excited. Unfortunately I didn't love it the way I thought I would- it just fell a little flat with the characters and their motives.
Also reading their POVs felt the same in some parts.
However I will say the magical and overall creepy vibes really did sell me up until a point.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars because I still enjoyed the read.

Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I was really excited to be approved for Spells for Forgetting as it sounded like a magical and mysterious read by an author whose work I have previously adored. However, the story and I just did not gel, I can’t work out why though.

The book itself contains some great elements, an island full of mystery and secrets. A community with cliques within cliques fighting to keep their island alive. Decent, strong and well constructed main protagonists with compelling reasons for their actions and investigations, especially Emery and August. The mystery and plot themselves were well constructed and there was a decent bite in the tail.

The writing itself is great quality and the story is well structured, but that thing that makes something just click for me wasn’t there. I suspect that I’m in the minority on this one, and it won’t stop me from loving Adrienne Young’s other work at all. She is a fabulous author and I truly believe the old phrase “it’s not you, it’s me…” is definitely the case for this book. And I’m really sad about this, as I truly wanted to love this book.

4.5 ⭐️
Wow! This was not what I was expecting but in such a good way! I was totally and utterly hooked with this story, the mystery, the darkness, the suspense. The characters were so flawed and realistic, and not at all what you expect them to be. All in all a very quick, gripping story, I honestly could not put this down. The world-building was fluid and easy and the writing was great.

Highly recommend!

Huge thanks to Quercus Books for the eArc!

The main characters Emery and August were impossible not to fall in love with. The island itself, Saiorse was the perfect setting. I found myself completely transported and only wish that I could visit and go apple picking in real life. I appreciated the fact that we got the perspective of the island and the story from multiple characters.
The end line was absolutely perfect however my one problem with the book was I felt the ending was a little bit rushed. After all the atmospheric build up I wanted more out of the ending. I felt there were a few characters we didn't really get a conclusion from and there were a few loose ends.
Apart from that this was such an easy read and very hard to put down
Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Very atmospheric, but I feel like I went into this one expecting a lot more magic and mystery than I ended up getting. Still a solid read that I think enjoyers of second chance romances with a dash of mystery would highly enjoy!

I loved the premise of this book, set on an island and filled with magic, but for some reason the premise the actual plot didn't quite tie up for me.
This essentially a love story between Emery Blackwood and August Salt. On the evening of their graduation something terrible happens on the island and their plans for running away are scuppered. When August returns some fourteen years later to bury his mother's ashes on the island, he is met with anger and hatred from the islanders who had driven him away. Even Emery with whom he'd been so passionate about and who had loved him beyond all else is unable to believe he is back and that he is innocent of the things he stands accused of. Slowly and eventually together they begin to unravel the secrets the islands have made and kept over the years and they are at last able to be together.
The book has a slow start and is told from multiple points of view in very short chapters which I found rather distracting. I really liked the setting with the tea shop and the orchard and the town that wraps itself up for the winter when the tourists disappear. I also like the foretelling with the sudden onset of winter and the starling strike - in fact I would have liked to read far more of this.
A couple of points jarred a bit. Given how damp and rainy the island was I found it hard to believe that the Salt cottage had survived fourteen years with no work done on it and no one going inside. I would have thought it would have been hideously mouldy and somewhat tumbledown. And secondly, given how much of a loser Dutch was I found it surprising he was given control of the orchard given how important it was to the island.
I liked the characters and the personality of Lily was revealed carefully and well, creating just the right amount of mystery.
All in all, an interesting read, but something of a slow burn. I would be happy to try another book from this author.
With thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for an arc in return for an honest review.