Thank you, NetGalley, for approving me for this ARC.

Gabriel & Sadie who are both whitches, from rival families and Sadie makes a lien (where he can sleep with her and take some of her magic, one time only) with Gabriel in order to save her brother (Brendan) and he can call upon that lien anytime (providing he can find her). If she breaks the lien, then she will die

Shes been hiding from the magical community for the last 6 years and not using any magic if she can help it as this could lead Gabriel right to her door until 6 years have passed and her family need her because Brendan is now on trial for murdering Gabriel's father and Sadie is a top lawyer who they need to represent her brother.

Sadie returns home but under a disguise spell, which alters her appearance not too drastically but enough to hide who she really is but of Gabriel does.

Over the story, we start to find out why their families are rivals and secrets are uncovered, which we learn along with Sadie.

This has got whitches, enemies to lovers, hidden secrets, and it's all centred around a murder trial, I will definitely be reading book 2 when it comes out.

I really wanted to love The Twisted Mark and based on the synopsis I thought it would be right up my alley.

The storyline had a great premise and the writing style was good. However, I found that many parts of the story dragged and fell flat for me.

First, I would like to thank NetGally and the publishers for letting me be an advanced reader for this book. I have to say that I am a bit torn. The story idea is a great one; however, I couldn’t get over the MMC and how he was portrayed even though he was "in love” with the FMC. He was not likable what so ever. This is basically a magical mafia story that revolves around a courtroom drama. I had a hard time finishing this book but it is not because of the story but it was because MMC. Obviously, I finished the book because I believe that if your asked to be an advanced reader you should absolutely follow through and complete the book. The author has something here and if the MMC was different I really could have enjoyed this story.

WOW!! FANTASTIC!! Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a magical and unique witchy fantasy romance that has your enemies to lovers trope, forbidden romance, morally gray characters, family rivalry, secrets, betrayals and a murder mystery! It is a journey filled with suspense, tension, magic binding spells, sizzling romance, and unexpected twist and turns. I absolutely loved this book so much!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Sadie, who is a powerful witch and lawyer, lives in London. She avoids using her magic for fear it would lead her archenemy, Gabriel, straight to her. When she finds out that her brother is on trial for the murder of Gabriel's father, Sadie has to travel home to represent him in court. Will she be able to hide from Gabriel with the disguise spell on her? Better yet will she be able to resist the pull she has for him? Is her brother innocent? How far will she go to protect her family? Who is the true villain?

Overall, I was completely captivated from start to finish! I will say to be prepared because it does not end on a happily ever after. However, it does have a happy ending. Now I cannot wait for the next book in the series!! I highly recommend this book and it deserves all the stars!!✨✨🔮💫💫🧙‍♀️

Title: The Twisted Mark (Witch Trials #1)
Subtitle: A promise made. A magical debt unpaid.
Author: Sophie Williamson

Date Released: July 26th, 2023*

Category: Urban Fantasy Romance

Synopsis: Sadie Sadler lives in the big city. Takes the train to work each day. Drinks fancy coffee. Does yoga… and never, ever does magic, lest it leads Gabriel Thornber straight to her door.

Sadie’s family have used their magic to protect the small northern town of Mannith for centuries. But now, Sadie’s brother Brendan is on trial for murder, and Gabriel, the charismatic and sinister head of the Sadlers’ only rivals, is moving to take the town. Only Sadie has both the knowledge to save Brendan and the magical strength to face down Gabriel.

The trouble is, there’s a good reason Sadie left home and turned her back on she bargained away her powers and her body to Gabriel to save her damn brother the last time he got in trouble. If she comes home, Gabriel will try to collect… but there’s no way she’ll allow her brother to rot in jail or her family’s strength to wane.

Returning in disguise, Sadie’s plan to save Brendan and get out is tested as she’s dragged back into a world of magic and power, with Gabriel at its centre. Battling both her long-standing terror of him and a growing, dark attraction, she must decide who Mannith’s real villains are and how far she’ll go for her family.

A promise made… a magical debt unpaid. This is a fight that could cost Sadie everything.

Quote: But that’s human thinking. He can stop whatever spells I attempt. He’ll show no mercy. And ultimately, if I tried to prevent this, by all our rules and customs, I’d be the one in the wrong.

The UnReel Take:
Story: 3
Writing: 1
Characters: 3
Setting: 3
UnReel AR: 2.5

Bottom Line: I mean… I finished it. Granted, that had more to do with the fact that I was having fun hate-reading, but I put down a lot of books, so finishing does mean something. Seeing as how I made notes on almost every page of this book, I could probably write a dissertation on why I didn’t like it but suffice-it-to-say this was like reading a trashy soap opera where every character talks like a Lifetime movie (weird image I know, but I stand by it).

Ideal Reading Location: North England. Or, if that’s not possible, just put on a background compilation of Jamie Tartt talking.

Drink Pairing: Gin. I’d say Beefeater, but dealer’s choice.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Twisted Mark, the first installment of the Witch Trials series pulls you in, right from the beginning. It follows the story of Sadie Sadler, as she defends her brother in a trial in her hometown. Sadie had sworn off magic after saving her brother and owing a debt to a rival, Gabriel Thornber. Sadie is reluctantly dragged back into the world of magic and of her family and their influence. Is her brother innocent? Is her family to be trusted? Will Gabriel call in his debt?

I could not put this book down. I read it every chance I got - it pulled me in and constantly surprised me.

What I liked: I like that Sadie had pulled away from magic, in part to save her family, and now she's faced with getting pulled back in that world to save them again. The constant guesswork of who to trust was compelling. Should she trust her family blindly? Should she trust her magic? Her logic? I also enjoyed the fact that while you seem to have a good of idea of who is good and evil at the start...by the end, you realize they are all a little bit of both. And the spice.....perfect. The tension between characters was beautiful!

What I didn't like: I can't think of a thing I didn't like!

I will definitely check out the next book when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sophie Williamson for this ARC!

While I am generally not one to pre-order, after reading The Twisted Mark, that's exactly what I did with the Binding Mark.

I really enjoyed the The Twisted Mark, I would probably say it leans more towards Urban Fantasy with a heavy dose of romance rather than a true paranormal romance novel.

Sadie left her family and hometown in Yorkshire to escape the consequences of a desperate deal she made to save her brother years ago but now she is forced back when the very brother she sacrificed herself to save all those years ago needs her help again. In Yorkshire she's confronted with ugly truths about her family and not-so-ugly truths about the man she thought was her enemy.

The Twisted Mark gets bonus points from me for being set in the UK and for combining witchy and legal drama. My main criticism was that it lacked a bit of oomph. I wanted to see more legal flair and withering set down that start with 'my learned colleague'. Hopefully, we'll get to see Sadie confront her family more in future books but for now I will be eagerly anticipating 4 October when book 2 comes out.

Sadie Sadler is a witch driven into hiding from her home town due to a “lien” placed on her by Gabriel Thornber, who is the powerful son of a rival magic family. Six years after the lien Sadie is a successful lawyer in London, not practicing her magical skills and keeping under the radar, so she is reluctant to return home to defend her brother in a murder case. Brendan is charged with the murder of the patriarch of the Thornber family, Gabriel’s father, and although the Sadlers are the top dogs in Mannith, the Thornbers are snapping at their heels to take over, so winning the case is vital. Of course Sadie answers the family call.

This was a book I was really looking forward to, and the blurb made it sound very exciting. Sadly it was anything but. A woeful cast of characters, all pretty dire, with a stumbling plot. If it hadn’t been for the repeated sex scenes I would have presumed I’d stumbled across a YA book.

I managed the first 25% then speed read the rest in the hopes I would come across something to make reading worthwhile. Fantasy means many things to many people, but tight t shirts and gratuitous sex is not for me I’m afraid.

Not one for me to recommend.

Thank you NetGalley.

The Twisted Mark has earned itself a spot in my top 3 reads of the year! Sophie Williamson has perfectly crafted a secret fantasy world within an everyday normal world. The relationship between the main character, Sadie, and everyone else in the book is complicated ALWAYS. And while I usually find this frustrating, this book pulls it off perfectly with a self aware character who accepts and owns up to her ‘mistakes.’ The forbidden love trope is there, but it plays out in a ‘forbidden, but not quite’ way that was very intriguing. There is not a single dull moment; I could not put this book down. I highly recommend The Twisted Mark and have already pre-ordered the second book in this series.

Sadie is in hiding, to avoid having to pay off a magical debt. But when her family are in trouble, she has no choice but to go home and put herself at risk of her family's enemy coming to collect...

This is a pretty good magical romance with interesting world building. There was some strange pacing - it took a while for the plot to properly get going, and then other important events felt rushed. However, I was hooked enough to finish, and will probably grab the next in the series!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 but more so a 4

I would first like to thank the Publisher and Author for the opportunity to receive an Arc. I loved this book, the magical concepts and tension between Sadie and Gabriel were off the charts! I felt like the beginning of the book was a bit slow, often is with a first in the series, but by the 50% mark I could not put it down! The twists and turns and character development was nicely portrayed throughout the story. I cannot wait until October to read the second book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

Sadie Salder has been living away from home and practicing law in London for 6 years now. She avoids using her magic at all costs and has barely kept up with her family back in their magical small town of Mannith. She can't risk letting Gabriel Thornber know where she is so he can track her down and call in her debt. When she finds out that her older brother, Brendan, is on trial for murder, she decides to travel back to Mannith under disguise to represent him. Will she be able to hide in plain sight from Gabriel and can she resist the dark but compelling attraction she has to him? How far will she go to protect her family and is Gabriel actually the real villain her family has made him out to be?

I really enjoyed this book and pretty much read it non-stop in any free time I had over the past two days. The storyline was different from a lot of fantasy/fantasy romance books I have read recently and it really kept me engaged and intrigued. It's a bit of a darker romance than I usually read but I didn't mind. There were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I really started rooting for certain characters by the end. Gabriel and Sadie's connection was undeniable and I loved their chemistry. Both of them are flawed but it made them seem more real and authentic. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I really liked the mystery plot to this story, and I found myself wanting to figure out what happened. Which was what got me through the book. On the Romance side, I wasn’t really into it. I feel like the two main characters didn’t mesh together, and I honestly found them annoying. There were also parts where I was literally falling asleep. To me this wasn’t a page turner. I did however like the idea of the plot and the way it was written.

The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson

Sadie Sadler lives in the big city. Takes the train to work each day. Drinks fancy coffee. Does yoga… and never, ever does magic, lest it leads Gabriel Thornber straight to her door.

Sadie’s family have used their magic to protect the small northern town of Mannith for centuries. But now, Sadie’s brother Brendan is on trial for murder, and Gabriel, the charismatic and sinister head of the Sadlers’ only rivals, is moving to take the town. Only Sadie has both the knowledge to save Brendan and the magical strength to face down Gabriel.

First off this is not my usual type of book , but from the first chapter I was totally sucked into the story
It might have started off a little slow but I think it was brilliantly done to draw you into the depth of the characters and I found myself racing through the book to see how Sadie can help save her brother.
Sophie Williamson is a very talented author and I can't wait to read more from her.

Book Review 📚
The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson - 4/5 ⭐

I like to think that I don't like Romance but yet I read them and I'm amazed by them. The Twisted Mark doesn't let me down! If there was a book to read for enjoying romance, then this is it.

The courtroom drama was absolutely amazing and nothing I've ever come across in a book, so that was a brilliant first for me. Magic all around - and who doesn't enjoy magic?! It's a very hate-to-love trope but it was very enjoyable. There was a decent amount of twists through the majority of the book, but amazingly, none of it was predictable!

The characters are okay-ish? They're not bad but not great, I felt like one or two are likeable but several I just hated! But that's supposed to be the case on most of them so Williamson handled that really well! I'm ever hopeful there will be a second book to continue the story of our MC as she was awesome!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This story line intrigued me; a little town where people know about the witches, a lien to give up her powers and body to save her brother, magical family feuds, etc. While I do think the author had an interesting story, I wish there had been some more backstory to the characters. It seems like Gabriel loves Sadie just because of X (spoiler so can't put it here), not because of her actual personality or thoughts. There were a few parts where I felt the dialogue could have flowed a little more naturally. I give this book 3.5-4 stars. I will read the second book to see where the story goes.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit different than what I was expecting. It was dark romance but also a strong mystery vibe.

6 years ago, Sadie made a bargain with her family’s enemy, Gabriel, to save her brother’s life. She immediately leaves her magical small town to live and work in London. She swears off all magic because it will allow him to find her. When her brother gets in trouble again, her family asks for her help. Returning in disguise, Sadie has to discover the truth, figure out what she really believes in and decide where her loyalty lies.

I loved the magically protected town and the mafia rival family vibes. I enjoyed the world building and that Sadie was so magically powerful. I liked that our MMC is morally gray but would do anything for her. I didn’t love the causal sex between the MCs and other people. This was also instalove and that trope is not a favorite of mine. It was much darker than I expected with some torture and pain during a few spicy scenes, as well as blood magic and human sacrifice. Most of the interactions between the MCs felt more like obsession and lust and less like romance and love and I think that bothered me a bit. It had a mystery vibe where the book was set up following the trial of Sadie’s brother and there were lots of court scenes since she was his lawyer. There were some interesting plot twists and even though I didn’t enjoy everything, I also really wanted to know “who done it” and what happened next. This book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger and the next book in the series comes out in October.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. The Twisted Mark releases July 26th.

Sadie's living a normal, if slightly boring, life in London, working as a lawyer and going on unfulfilling dates. She hides her magic, doing everything to distance herself from her family, and the man she made a deal with six years ago, who she still can't seem to forget. When she's summoned home to represent her brother accused of murder, she has to decide whether to keep living a lie or return to the family fold.

There was great world-building, with the little Pleasantville-esque bubble over Mannith, and how it hides in plain sight from non-magical beings. Sadie and Gabriel's had a true enemies-to-lovers (and back again) relationship, and it was perfect! I didn't know whether to root for him or not, but he won me over by the end. Sadie's brother, Brendan, rubbed me the wrong way a lot of the book, but I think that's just a sign of good writing of morally grey characters. I can't wait for the sequel!

The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson is a captivating witch/practitioner romance book that combines elements of magic, mystery, feuds and love in an intriguing manner. The author's ability to weave a spellbinding tale kept me engaged throughout the story, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to uncover the secrets that lay within. It was a bit difficult to get into for the first 50 pages however, I’m glad I continued on.

The characters in The Twisted Mark were well-developed and relatable. The protagonist, a witch with a mysterious lien mark, had a compelling personality and depth. Her journey back home to Mannith and the challenges she faced as she delved into her magical abilities were intriguing to follow. The romantic relationship that blossomed between her and Gabriel was labile but passionate, adding an extra layer of emotion to the narrative.

The plot was filled with twists and turns, keeping me guessing until the very end. While the pacing was generally well-executed, there were a few moments where the story could have benefited from further exploration. Nonetheless, the suspense and mystery kept me engaged, and the resolution was satisfying, even though I’d love to see the relationship progress before book 2.

One minor drawback was that certain aspects of the magical system and the rules governing the practitioners' powers were not fully explained. While this allowed for an air of mystery, I would have liked a bit more clarity on certain elements. However, this did not detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, The Twisted Mark is a delightful magical enemies to lovers romance that combines magic, mystery, and love into an enchanting tale. It's a book that will capture the hearts of readers who enjoy supernatural romance. I recommend it to anyone looking for a bewitching read that will transport them into a world of magic and romance.

Thanks for the early access to read this book! I was however somewhat disappointed. The characters are very one dimensional and I found it really hard to like any of them. Sadie is interesting to a point but very easy led by others and that pattern became dull after a while.