Thanks to PenguinTeen for both the Netgalley e-arc and the gifted physical finished copy! This my honest thoughts and opinion of the gifted copies I read.

With the fall season slowly (and I mean slowly, leaves are changing but its still humid and hotter then heck around my area) rolling in, I’ve been feeling the hankerin’ for a good witchy, folklore and superstition filled story. Bittersweet in the Hollow scratched that itch so good, if I was a dog my back leg would be thumping.

You want generational witches? Check
Small Appalachian mountain town? Check
Old folklore and superstitions that date back to the founding of the town? Check
Murder mystery? Check
Secrets, hidden identities, betrayals and more? Check, Check, Check, and check.

Seriously. Kate Pearsall dropped me into Cabal Hollow and unlike the young residents, I didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to continue to wrap myself up in the mystery of the James family women, and to plunge myself deep into the superstitions and folklore that seep through to the core of the story. I closed the book and needed to flip it over and start again.

Kate Pearsall’s writing is seductive in that even after putting the book down, the story and questions whisper in your ear, pulling at you to come back to uncover more. She lays out clues and questions in ways that keep you guessing as to their truths. Lindel’s missing memories haunt the reader as much as they haunt the town reeling from another tragic loss. This story is so beautifully done. The atmosphere is right. The characters are engaging, compelling, unique, and likable. The plot gives and takes and twists and turns and keeps you guessing every step of the way. The pacing is so well done that even the lulls in between answers and action packed sequences keep me turning pages.

If this isn’t on your TBRs for October, it needs to be.

This book was a rollercoaster of a ride and had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Throughout the story, it felt like you were asking more questions that you needed the answers to. What happened to Linden in the forest a year ago? Who or what is the Moth man and what happened to the missing girl that didn't make it home? All of these questions had me wanting more from this story and I ended up finishing this book in one day.

This story was beautifully written, and I enjoyed the magic system. Each sister had their own unique power and I felt that Linden's power to taste feelings was vital in helping her throughout this mystery. Although I believed this book to be a standalone, it looks like a second book is in the works according to Goodreads, I am excited and curious to see how the story will proceed. Overall, this is the perfect book to get you into the Fall season.

Bittersweet in the Hollow comes out on October 10th.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to review Bittersweet in the Hollow. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love love loved this book, such great characters, and lots of feeling! I had never read a book by this author so I was very excited to receive this arc and it definitely did not disappoint!

A YA horror/thriller about a family of witches set in a small town in Appalachian?! I knew I had to pick this one up. I loved the descriptive writing, setting, and the family dynamic of the James women. It overall was a cool, unique story, but just too long. The middle in particular didn’t have enough action or critical moments to keep my attention. I also felt that the end was a little info dumpy. I’m glad I read it, but it’s not a new favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.

Linden was born with abilities, just like her sisters, her mother, and her grandmother before her. For centuries, her family has lived in tiny Caball Hollow, located in the National Forest. A year ago, Linden vanished, only to turn up the next day with no memories of where she'd been or what had happened to her. Now, the same thing is happening to someone else, only she winds up dead. What's hiding in the wood of Caball Hollow?

This is one of the best books I've read this year, hands down. It's moody and stretches familial roots deep. There are so many secrets that slowly unfold, all while keeping a perfect pace. It's the first in the series, and personally, I'm all in on another book! I think the characters are well-fleshed out, and the feeling of the town is solid. I also love the legend of the Mothman-type creature and the lore behind it. It touches its roots in Scots-Irish legend and does it in a fascinating way. It's everything I love in a book, and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!
In Caball Hollow, the James women have been serving up comfort foods for 3 generations and secretly magic remedies for much longer. Linden is the third sister in the youngest generation, an ability she often views as a burden, and one night of missing memories while being missing in a forest. She was content with letting sleeping dogs lie and try to push past that night. Exactly one year later that plan falls about when a friend goes missing and turns up dead in the same forest.
With the help of her sisters, maybe a ghost or two, one boy whose made her feel rejected for the last year and one boy her sister knows isn't telling, can she solve the case before it's too late?
This book was so good, I finished it in one setting!
I am so in love with this book! I loved the bond between the sisters, it reminded me a lot of my own sisters! Sorrel is the oldest with the ability to charm bees, Rowan is next with the ability to know people lie, and the youngest is Juniper with the ability to talk with ghost. Then of course Linden who can taste people's emotions.
I love that this book was constantly weaving magic into the mundane. The suspense in this book was perfect. There were definitely times I absolutely regretted reading this book at night because I actually got a little spooked so many times. This is a perfect fall spooky read🍂🍂

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an advanced copy of this book!

Bittersweet in the Hollow is Practical Magic meets Appalachia. In this captivating mystery, Linden and her sisters journey to find a killer in Caball Hollow. Is it the Moth-Winged Man? Is it one of their own? All four girls have special abilities that aid them in their investigation. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book. I couldn't get enough of the food, the witchcraft, and the beautiful scenery. Even though it takes place in the summer in the mountains, it is the perfect Fall read. 5/5 I want to re-read it again and again.

I received this book from NetGalley and Penguin in exchange for an honest review!

This was exactly what I was looking for! I loved that it was spooky and mysterious without being over the top. I thought the story was super interesting and I liked that there was folklore in there as well. It really added to the whole atmosphere of the book.

My favourite part of the book was the characters though. I am a very character driven reader and I thoroughly was invested in these characters as whole. I thought Linden was very likeable and I was really invested in all her relationships and what happened to her. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the whole James family as well. Especially with the sisters! I'm not going to lie, the sisters could've been a bit more diverse in personalities but otherwise, I loved them! The parents, aunt and grandma were also great characters I could really feel. Cole was okay. I didn't love him as a love interest but I feel like that was because we didn't really see a TON of him. Linden and Cole's scenes together were a bit dominated by Linden, which is fine because I loved Linden, but it did make me not care as much about Cole.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and never lost my interest throughout. I would definitely recommend it!

Ps. the subtle little queer rep at the end made my heart happy.

This book had an interesting vibe, but was short on plot points to keep it moving. It's a slow burn in the beginning- which can be good, but ultimately it just felt lacking.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an arc of Bittersweet in the Hollow.

For me, this was the right amount of spookiness. I’m not into traditional thriller or horror, but have learned I like more gothic, southern gothic, and supernatural elements in my version of an unsettling mystery.

While I figured who the big bad was quickly, I still enjoyed the build up to that point. Overall it was well written, a good story, very atmospheric and had multiple elements that made it a good ending. I really liked this book!

In the rural town of Caball Hollow, Linden James, and the women of her family dole out delicious food at the Harvest Moon diner, but their generational recipes aren't their only secrets. She and every woman in her family was born with a unique, unusual ability, and her gift is being able to taste the emotions of the people around her.

One fateful night a year ago, Linden's world fell apart when her gift soured her relationship with Cole Spencer before she disappeared into the National Forest only to be discovered the next morning with no memories of what happened to her. A year later, Linden is plagued with nightmares, which leave her with more questions than answers. When another girl vanishes in a similar way only to be found dead soon after, Linden searches for the truth--about who murdered the girl, who or what the Moth-Winged Man is, and the secrets surrounding her family. Relying on her sisters and reluctantly Cole, Linden ventures headfirst down a path from where there might be no return.

I without a doubt loved this book!! The world that Kate painted into words made me feel as though I was walking the streets of Caball Hollow and the paths of Forest alongside Linden as she raced to find answers. The twists and turns of the present weaved together with the nightmares of the past had me unable to put it down. The depth of the characters is exquisite, and each one connects to the story in a meaningful way.

I LOVED Linden, especially her grit and unwavering determination to uncover the truth at any cost. Each of her relationships with her sisters was unique but the commitment they had to each other truly showed how close their bonds that transcended any petty squabbles, which reminded me so much of my own relationship with my big sister. The one-sided Hadrian-Rowan feud was a delightful comic relief. Despite the tension between them, the possibility of mending a lost friendship with Cole was genuine, and I loved the moments when it was so clear that he cared about her. The added excerpts from the James Family Book of Mountain Wisdom were a special touch that I absolutely loved!

This will definitely be one I will be re-reading and recommending to everyone! Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for the opportunity to reach this outstanding novel!

“𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰” 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

A wonderfully dark ya fantasy full of mystery and magic!

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘈, 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴!

This was the absolute perfect fall read and I loved it. It has such great world building that you really feel like you’re in Caball Hallow. Everything from the atmospheric small town to the whodunnit mystery all weaved through with magic was really well done. The James sisters, the four witches at the center of the story, each have unique magic but are trying to maintain a normal life. I’m a huge fan of magical realism and this one was wonderful. I recommend this for any and all YA fantasy readers, especially those looking for wonderful autumn reads! 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 is out October 10, 2023!

Thank you so much to @penguinteen and NetGalley for my early review copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a mysterious and riveting tale of a small towns famous folklore come to real life ✨

I loved the character & the story building of the sisters and family, the town and dinner - I really felt like I was in the kitchen with mama, gran and the girls slinging pies with my besties while trying to simultaneously figure out a murder mystery!

I honestly loved the book and the overall direction it went - sometimes I was a little bit confused but honestly that’s more of a me issue because it happens to me with almost everything 😂

This was on my list before I was welcomed to the NetGalley family and I’m so glad I was able to read this ARC, thank you!

If you’re a book lover like me, I’m sure you’ve come across books that you wish would never end. I felt that way with Bittersweet in the Hollow, and lucky for me it looks like there’s a sequel in the works, which I will be eagerly awaiting. I’ve gotten ahead of myself though, first I must try to put into words why I enjoyed this book so much and convince you to pick up this book ASAP!

I suppose I am partial to this book for one reason, which is that it is set in the small town of Caball Hollow and focused specifically on a family with four girls who help their Mama and Gran serve up the best food around at their little diner. I, too, have four girls in my family and though we didn’t have a family-owned diner, we did all work at a small local coffee shop for several years, so there are some nostalgic feelings there for me. Something my sisters and I didn’t have that the James sisters and many generations of the women in their family do, is subtle special abilities that are unique to each of them. And none of us disappeared for several hours in a dark wood, only to be found hours later, covered in mud and all torn up, unable to recall what had happened.

Linden James can taste emotions. (I know it sounds weird, but once I got used to the idea, it actually felt very intuitive and was an interesting addition to the story). This ability is something that throughout the book is very prevalent to the reader, making it easy to forget that Linden and most of the living women in her family are whispered about and called witches. Linden and her sisters have always kept their abilities under wraps and used them for good. But when a young girl goes missing on the anniversary of Linden’s brief disappearance last year, Linden is unwittingly pulled into the mysterious disappearance, which seems almost too similar to her own.

Caball Hollow is a small community with big superstitions. So when news of the disappearance is spread, the whispers and accusations start. The Moth-Winged Man is probably just an old tale that was told to keep kids from going too far into the forest, but someone (or something) is behind these disappearances and Linden keeps feeling something watching her from the edge of the woods. The story wouldn’t be complete without a young man that Linden used to be close friends with popping up everywhere, who eventually helps her look for her missing friend. When they begin to uncover more about the history of their town, their families, and the stories that have been passed through generations, they know the only way to get to the bottom of whatever is haunting their town is to keep investigating.

Reading this book felt like the best little spooky getaway. I was feeling under the weather when I read it, and it was nice to read about what was happening in the world of Caball Hollow for a bit of an escape. This book is perfect to read any time of year, but if you’re gearing up for fall it will surely help put you in the Halloween spirit!

Review of a Digital Advance Readers Copy from Penguin Young Readers Group

Bittersweet in the Hollow was a perfect introductory read for this spooky season. It wasn’t insanely terrifying but gave off all the spooky, backwoods vibes. My only complaint is that there were a lot of characters introduced right off the bat with not much backstory or explanation that in the beginning were hard to keep up with. One character she alternates referring to by either his first or last name (both of which are common first names) which also was confusing for a while. Other than that, great story.

The James women of Caball Hollow were each born with a unique gift. Most call it witchcraft, but Linden often views it as a burden. Her ability to taste the emotions of others has always made it hard for her to interact with people and seemed to ruin her relationship with Cole Spencer. After spilling her deepest secret to Cole, Linden vanished into the forest surrounding their town and was found the next morning, with no memory of what happened. A year later, another girl goes missing in the woods, unlike Linden, who doesn't make it home. When Linden starts regaining some memories of that night, she realizes something dangerous is lurking in the woods, and some secrets should stay buried.

The first thing about this that caught my eye was the cover, but then I read the synopsis and was hooked. This had so many elements that I loved. Creepy small-town setting? Check. A family with generational magic? Check. A murder mystery? Check. Character-wise, I liked Linden and her family a lot. They felt like such a staple in this town, and I liked how rooted they were in the old mountain ways. I thought it was cool how they all had their own ability, but I wished it was more prominent in the plot. I liked seeing Linden unravel the mystery of what happened to her, and how it tied into her family's history. My only complaint was that the pacing felt very slow until the last 15-20%, and then it wrapped up super fast. I still found it enjoyable, and recommend it if you like atmospheric reads.

A must Autumn read! Bonus the book cover is gorgeous.

- Buried secrets
- Murder Mystery
- Witches
- Folk Magic

Firstly I loved that this book had a great spin on the moth man legend and it takes place in West Virginia.

Bittersweet In The Hallow is full of twist and turns, it kept me on my toes.

The characters were really compelling.
The story held my attention the entire time. I didn’t want to put it down.
Absolutely recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and PenguinTeen for the chance to read this remarkable novel!

In the small town of Caball Hollow, Linden and the rest of the James women not only serve at their Harvest Moon restaurant, they also have unusual abilities. Linden is able to taste what others are feeling, which unfortunately sours her relationship with handsome Cole Spencer the previous summer. The James women also quite the secret keepers even from each other.

For the past year, Linden has been haunted through her nightmares by what happened to her in The Forest, if only she could remember everything. She was found in the Forest with no memory of what had happened to her, other than that she had been lost. Linden must now work through her fears to figure out the mysterious murder of another girl that happened in their small town. She enlists the help of her sisters to figure out the secrets the Forest holds. As Linden learns more about her hometown, she discovers more about the Moth-Winged Man legend, as well as secrets within her own family. Will she be ablet o figure out the secrets of the Forest or will they be kept in the dark forever?

I absolutely loved this novel and truly felt like I was transported to this little town in Appalacia. Pearsall does a great job with weaving the setting of the story with the characters and the plot. She also did a fantastic job of twisting the narrative to keep the reader guessing and asking questions to try to figure out the mystery.

I delighted in Linden's grit and determination to set things right within this town to protect it from further kidnappings or murders. The relationships between the sisters was so fun to read about, because though they are all different, they support each other when absolutely needed. It reminded me of my own relationship with my sister. I was a big fan of Cole and the way he was always there to protect Linden, despite their strained friendship. Finally, I was mesmerized by the twists and turns this novel took me while I was reading throughout this mystery.

This book could have majorly benefited from having more description (particularly with the goal of enhancing spooky vibes or personifying the forest or giving the characters a bigger impression than just their names and the one guy with tattoos) and fewer but more dimensional characters. I had a very hard time placing any of the sisters (who all basically bled together they were so bland) in the context of their town, particularly in their age group. Linden is a pariah now, but that doesn't account for the space she used to take up (and lost) after the previous year's events.

The only particularly interesting part of the whole book were the sisters' magical abilities, but even they weren't much used. It all felt so surface level.

Bittersweet in the Hollow's characterization of the Appalachian region was realistic and accurate. This book is beautifully written and represents folk magic in an interesting way. The visual descriptions were easy to see in my mind, and I could visualize the farm and the diner and the woods perfectly. Having grown up in a small town, the close knit community brought up memories of spring festivals and church potlucks. The folk magic of Linden and her family, especially her sisters, is something I would love to see explored in more depth. I loved the details of their unique talents. I've never seen a book that uses taste as an allegory for emotion, so that was my favorite. Rowan's power to smell lies was also great. Excellent, vivid book!