This was surprisingly really good.

I was worried that it would feel too much like fan-fic or overly forced in its references to Buffy but it was not. I'd even go so far to say that one could enjoy it as a standalone.

I love this Buffy and Co. resurgence. And though I have to admit Tara wasn't my favorite character, I really enjoyed the way Poston delved into her background. I liked getting to know her more and see who she was before she gets added to the Buffy gang.

Poston's writing is fun and she stays true to the original character. Overall I would recommend this book to any Buffy fan and maybe a few who aren't but are looking to get into the Buffy universe.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review. I did read and enjoy this one, but my complicated feelings about the Buffy franchise (and particularly Joss Whedon) made me reluctant to loudly recommend this one.

Recently I've really been getting back into my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I've appreciated all of the books that have come out set in the universe. I was especially interested in this one because I have generally enjoyed novels by Ashley Poston. That ended up being the same case with this book.

I liked that this book was about Tara, a character that I liked hearing some more backstory about. This book felt like it had a pretty accurate depiction of the character, the voice of Tara felt pretty similar to how Amber Benson played her in the show. I thought the plot of the book also felt well with how episodes typically played out as well which was good.

However, I'm not sure if this book would really hold the attention of someone who wasn't already a Buffy fan.

Overall I really enjoyed it but would only recommend it to pretty big Buffy fans and not just casual ones.

Poston proves she is exactly the correct author to add to Tara’s canon. Sweet, emotional, and nostalgic!! Suitable for younger YA readers and adult Buddy fans alike

As a watcher and fan of Buffy when it originally aired, I was curious about this spin-off. Tara is such a great character, and I was hopeful the author's treatment of her earlier years would land properly. I wasn't disappointed - the story in this book easily fit with what happened and what was alluded to in the original show. The family relationship was especially well developed. A great read for Buffy fans, and still accessible to those who haven't watched all the seasons.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion for allowing me to read an eARC of this title.

I have to be honest, the extent of my Buffy the Vampire Slayer knowledge is that it was a TV show, Buffy killed vampires & David Boreanaz was Angel, but the description of the book sounded good and since it was set before the show, I figured my lack of knowledge would be okay. However, I just could not connect with the characters.

I can see fans of the TV show really liking this story, but since the show was in the 1990's I will not be purchasing it for my high school library unless it is specifically requested by students.

This was so good! This is middle grade lgtbq 90s buffy the vampire slayer story. I loved it!
I just reviewed The Bewitching Hour (A Tara Prequel) by Ashley Poston. #TheBewitchingHourATaraPrequel #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I love Buffy so much and really enjoyed The Bewitching Hour! It gave me such a strong since of Nostalgia and the story here was unique and incredibly interesting! I love Ashley Poston so this was a win/win for me. Incredible story with an equally incredible writing style!

The Bewitching Hour took me right back to the night I ran across a Buffy rerun and proceeded to make the show my entire personality pre social media days. (For the curious, it was the season 5 finale The Gift.) The Tara (and Spuffy) seasons were always the best imo. Tara Maclay immediately became a favorite character of mine and I will never ever ever ever forgive her ending. The Bewitching Hour felt like watching a Tara centric episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We deserved to know more about her and her background. I don't really know if this book could be considered canon, but I choose to believe it is.

The Bewitching Hour is a Buffy prequel that takes us back to Tara's senior year of high school in Hellborne, Vermont in late 90s. She has just moved to a new school after her mother died and she is struggling with terrible treatment from her family and struggling with her powers as witch. Soon, students start dying and she becomes the number one target. With the help of another new girl, Daphne, who turns out to be a witch-hunter, they set out to find the real culprit.

I loved Tara and Daphne and the golden retriever of a jock Baz (who has his own secrets). They were so fun to read about. I loved all the 90's nostalgia and nods to the Buffy series. I wish we knew where all the other character's journeys took them. The audiobook is amazing. Emily Ellet did a great job portraying Tara. I still kind of wish they had gotten Amber Benson to do it. And now, I immediately need to do a Buffy rewatch.

Fans of Netflix's First Kill will absolutely love this book as much as I did.


***Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for providing me with a review copy.***

Every Buffy fan we know (and especially the queer community) has wanted justice for Tara. We have always needed more backstory and this prequel is a satisfying look into Tara's life before Sunnydale. I (Christy) realize I've been saying we need another sapphic love story from Ashley and I realize she has delivered both a satisfying look into Tara's life while also giving us more sapphic relationships!

I really enjoyed this story! It had 90’s nostalgia, and mixed elements from some of my favorite series like Sabrina, Buffy, and Harry Potter, but the author made it her own. The sapphic love story was cute, but that’s not the main plot point, and I loved how she kept us guessing about who the evil witch was.
I also just love the author’s writing style! Every book that I’ve read of hers so far has been 5 stars for me and this one is no exception.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
As someone who grew up contemporaneously with Buffy Summers and the Scooby Gang, I guessed pretty early on that Ashley Poston was either not alive or very young during the 90s (turns out I was right; she was born in 1990). Maybe I would've tried to keep on after the excruciatingly cringe Boy Meets World reference, but Tara was too out of character and I just could not hang. I've read enough Buffy fic in my life that I don't need to continue this.

Tara was such an unappreciated character in Buffy, and oh how I miss Buffy. The story has a nostalgic and richly 90’s era vibe that might seem retro to younger generations but proves that a teenager in a new school is a situation that resounds with all, regardless of the timeframe. Throw in some magic, murder, witch hunters, and all the stuff that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer iconic, and it’s an entertaining read for any Buffy fan or paranormal teen reader. Hopefully this book will reignite the passion for the show with a new group of fans. I found it fun to go back and read about Tara’s pre Scooby and Willow days, when she was almost painfully shy and still in the shadow of her controlling family , still stinging from the death of her mother and unsure of her place in the world. Although we are aware Tara will not end up with Daphne and she’s ultimately fated for a cruel early demise, it’s still refreshing so go back and get to know her as a young witch and woman before her college days. She is the same kind, gentle spirit we grow to love in the show and the author does an excellent job of capturing the character and feel of the series. I love that the author chose to focus on this character because she is so quiet and soft spoken that it was hard to get to know her, and this book is bitter sweet because it makes you love Tara more even as it foreshadows her dark future and how little time she will have to be happy with Willow. As my favorite character in this book states, you can’t always tell who people are just by looking at them and this rich new cast of characters embodies all the humor, warmth, and comradeship from the series that inspired it. I have always loved the wicked willow trilogy for the interaction between evil willow and ghost Tara so it’s great to get to know her more in depth prior to her demise. And oh how well her family is written out in this book! Cousin Beth, who is a one shot spit in your face characters, portrayed by 5e stunning Amy Adams who grew up to be my favorite Disney princess, Giselle, again, so much more idea of who her character was from this book. Honestly it’s just comforting and thrilling to read such an exceptionally well written Buffy based book after all these years, like warm cocoa on a snowy day. Like coming home to a well lit house. This book gives me all the feels, and as a former Buffy fan fiction writer, I just couldn’t have asked for anything better than the beautiful, somewhat sad, but very funny and touching tale woven here with its memory lane boy band and internet chat references and delightful witch hunting family and quirky demons, and ofcourse, one very special witch who stole our hearts. High school may be hell, but it’s a heck of ride with friends like these by your side.

Any time I have the chance to revisit my beloved Sunnydale, or any of its characters, it’s a fantastic experience. Tara was probably one of my least favourite characters in the show, as she was definitely not around that long. Her character was one that did rock all of Sunnydale, and the events of her death changed the course of the show and the characters we loved so much. I think this book really allows the reader to get to know more about Tara, which I personally loved getting to do!

*Thank you to Disney Hyperion, Penguin Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this wonderful book*

<b>The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston is the prequel story of one of my favourite queer characters from a TV show: Tara Mclay, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It’s an exciting and straightforward novel, perfect for the summer vacation! The book is the perfect blend between 90’s nostalgia, references to the show, a murder mystery and a cute (but maybe not so perfect) sapphic romance.</b>

I really enjoyed this book and I devoured it within a few days. After a bunch of heavy books this was the perfect book to make me smile and warm my heart.

I believe <b>the author perfectly captures the essence of the character and I felt like I was watching a Buffy episode</b> (one of the good ones too!) while reading it. It has all the elements that I love as a fan of the show: witches, a mystery, funny side characters and a touch of queerness that makes everything better.

One of my favourite things about Tara in this story is the way <u>she deals with grief</u>. You can see more about Tara’s relationship with her mom, <u>which adds depth to the character.</u>

The <b>pace</b> of the book can be described as frenetic, it advances continuously and it’s full of twists. You’ll be hooked from the first page and won’t be able to stop reading while you’re trying to discover all the mysteries.

The <b>side characters</b>, especially Daphne, are well-written. They are complex and their motives and personalities are clear from the beginning. The author plays with archetypes, and you will find some clear ones in this story: the hero, the badass girl, the funny guy, the mean girl…

Even when the ending is somehow predictable, it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable. I found myself smiling and hoping that Tara would have a nice life after this adventure. Sadly, we all know that’s not the case but I can always come back to this story whenever I need some happiness.

<b>The Bewitching Hour is the perfect origin story for a beloved character that didn’t get what she really deserved.</b> I was happy to meet Tara again from a different perspective and I’m sure you’ll enjoy all the little things that make this story a memorable one.

4⭐/5⭐
🏳️‍🌈 Rep: (L)GBT – Main and side characters

This hard a bit of a slow start and other parts could drag a bit, but when there were exciting parts it was really enjoyable.

It’s an ok read if you’re wanting more stories in the Buffyverse, just don’t expect too much from it.

It really does read more like fan fiction that other canon material.

I'm very new to this Buffyverse. So I was looking forward to getting know about the characters. So Tara, a teenage witch is moved to Hellmouth, a place known for burning the Red witch for highschool. Her father blames her witchiness as it didn't help her mom. Only her mom and she has the powers and she doesn't have anyone to share her feelings now that her mom is gone. And in her new school, strange things are happening and 2 kids were already killed and she witnessed the 3rd killing. She knew that there is another witch with dark magic in the vicinity. In her school, she gets to meet this new girl like her, Daphne who is actually a demon slayer. Even though romance is a subplot, the chemistry between the witch and her witch hunter was amazing. Another character I enjoyed getting to know was Baz. I loved how he took Tara in his circle and was there for her even when he had his own secret to hide. The magic, the action sequences and the way Tara and Daphne works together to find the witch were entertaining.
To read Ashley's YA book after 2 adult books reminded me of once upon the con series. Though I didn't get super obsessed with this one like her Adult books, with murders and mystery, this YA realistic fantasy will make you turn the pages super fast.

I received this ARC thanks to Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

As a 20-year-plus Buffy fan, I take all adaptations very seriously. Ashley Poston did an amazing job with this Tara prequel. I could see the characters while reading and it brought the Buffeverse to life for me. Even the first chapter read like the opening credits were going to start playing once you finished it.

I also enjoyed how Sunnydale was referenced, it made me so happy. This is a win for all Buffy fans that miss their Scooby gang

I wasn't too sure about this book at first. I'm a BIG fan of the original Buffy. But I gave it a chance because I really like Tara’s character in the t.v show and thought the tv show should have shown more of her story. The book was good. It was a good read. I loved all the twists and turns in the story. I think the author got the character right. It made me think of Stephen King's Carrie a little. I’m happy I got to read
It. If you like Buffy you will probably like this book. Even if you haven’t seen Buffy you can read this and not be confused . The author did an awesome job.