The Unmaking of June Farrow has to be the most unique second chance romance I have ever read. It has time travel, family curses, magical realism...

I was completely hooked by the mystery of it all and the atmospheric writing. I also really loved the themes of family, marriage, and motherhood that the story brought forth.

I was a little confused at moments when it came to timeline dates and ages, but I just rolled with it and overall really enjoyed the story and found it to be so creative. Anything this author writes, I will read.

I feel there was some missed mark in the book. There was ability to expand in so much that Young didn't fully develop and left me lacking in wanting her to dive deeper.

This book is packed with family history, emotional connections, and a cozy vibe that you'll want to wrap yourself up in and never leave. I did have some bumps in the road when I first picked this up. I am familiar with Adrienne Young's previous work, Spells For Forgetting, which was one of my favorite reads of 2022 & 5 stars. I was riding a wave of slight disappointment through the first 30% of June Farrow due to the heavy descriptions, and the lack of connection to June and her relationships.

The book took a sharp turn for me right around that mark and the more June's character develops and I couldn't put this down. I really enjoyed the rich atmosphere, the emotion you could feel in the pages, and the direction the rest of the story went. This, reflecting on my previous review of Spells For Forgetting, is something the author knocks out of the park consistently.

I know this is a highly anticipated book this fall, and while this wasn't in my top rated, it's still worth the read and might hit differently - so do it!

An absolute delight! Every time I read one of Adrienne’s books I am completely transported into the story. It had me on the edge of my seat, dying to know more with every chapter. Similar to her other book, Spells for Forgetting, this one is also very atmospheric, and perfect for fall(or anytime!). I’m not sure what category to put this in because there’s so many wonderful elements. It’s got mystery, suspense, generational curses, complex family secrets and magical realism with a hint of romance. And of course we can’t forget, time travel!

June is such an interesting character right from the start. The story follows her as she experiences the curse befallen to all the Farrow women, madness. Or it is? Questioning what’s real and what isn’t June’s world is thrown upside down when she receives a letter that leaves her with more questions than answers.

As much as this book is about love it’s also about secrets and heartbreak, especially involving those we care most about and the sacrifices and hard choices we have to make involving them.

It’s been weeks and I still think about this book, so safe to say you should grab it when it comes out this October!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I continued to be amazed by Adrienne's ability to create such depth of characters and story from the very beginning of her novels. Each character on the page feels like a real person, like you're reading an extremely enthralling history book. They're well-rounded and have their own motivations and backstories. The writing is so visceral that it practically jumps off the page. You can practically hear the way Eamon says June's name. Your heart hurts for June every time she looks at Annie. Your brain screams "more" as June unravels the mystery of the curse of the Farrow women. This book was so atmospheric, and the tension, mystery, and need to know are palpable. I could not put this down until I finished it. The way that each timeline intersected was remarkable. I felt the story unraveling as I read as my reading pace quickened. I didn't know how Adrienne could solve it or put it back together again, but she did. And can we talk about this line -- "You may have ruined my life, June. But first, you gave me one." Screaming.

Loved. Absolutely loved.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🫑
The Unmaking of June Farrow was my 5th book by Adrienne Young and, once again, I was not disappointed.

I have to admit that the first 24% of the book was a little slow. It was a lot of character building setting up the background of the story. It was a lot of walking through the day-to-day activities before…BAM! At 25% I started to get very intrigued and had a hard time putting it down from that point.
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The Farrow women are cursed with a hereditary ailment that plagues the mind; leaving them with hallucinations and an unraveling mind.

June is determined to break the curse and discover the mysteries surrounding the death of her mother. However, in order to do so, she may just have to give into the hallucinations she is afraid of so that she can unmake her truth and finally take control of her life.
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Adrienne Young’s books are so beautiful. She paints a wonderful picture of the worlds she creates, allowing you to step out of reality and into the mysteries of her story.

This is a Magical Realism story combing modern and historical Blue Ridge Mountains small-town charm with mystery and suspense and a complex plot.
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It is considered an Adult novel based on the age of the characters. There is a pretty vanilla on-page explicit scene, but I wouldn’t say it’s for 18+. Any age is fine as long as you can follow along with the complex plot.

Since I typically review mostly fantasy books, I want to point out that this book falls along the themes of Spells for Forgetting; it is Magical Realism, it is not Fantasy.

If you liked Spells For Forgetting, you will like this one even more.

i really really really wanted to like this one. i seem to be in the minority here, but i do see how a lot of people will enjoy this.

the cozy mystery and small farm town elements were there. there was magic, a non-linear timeline, a whodunit plot line, and familial relationships. i just don’t think that it came together well. with time travel/non-linear timelines, it can get clunky and confusing really fast and this just didn’t work for me. i felt a major disconnect with the characters and the plot because i was so focused on how the past and future were fitting together.

i really wish i connected to the characters and the story more because i think this concept is very unique and interesting. the lyrical writing was definitely the star of the show!

thank you to delacorte press and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

3/5 stars!

As usual, Adrienne’s prose is so atmospheric and lovely. This story was heartbreaking and the family bonds were strong. I loved the mystery element to the story! The writing was so descriptive and beautiful and you really felt everything that was happening.

The romance part of the story was incredible. The way the story came together had me in tears by the end. I am still thinking about June a week later after finishing this book. I loved everything about it!

+ magical elements
+ family bonds
+ non-linear timeline
+ emotional romance
+ strong, protective women
+ small town atmosphere

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book that’s quickly become a favorite!

The Farrow women are known in their small town to be different, strange and mysterious as they have lived on their wildflower farm for generations. June Farrow, raised by her grandmother after she was abandoned as an infant by her mother is determined to change the destiny of the Farrow women. After her grandmother’s death, June follows the clues to learn more about why her mother disappeared decades before and this search leads her to another time and another version of herself.

I really enjoyed this novel once I got into it. I love magical realism and time travel so this book was right in my reading wheelhouse. The story and characters were great and mostly I liked how it all tied together in the end. That being said - there is a bit of messiness with the dates and time jumping that lead to some interesting conversations with other bookstagrammers (with no real closure on some of it) so it is a bit confusing with a few plot holes. I read it but two of them listened to audio which I think led to the confusion so I would suggest maybe not solely listening to this one. If you like a good magical realism story I highly recommend this one. I think I will have to look at this author’s backlist.

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC for review

Whenever I read a book where theoretical physics comes into play, I get an absolutely giddy feeling because I know the author will take me on a journey. And I don’t know how to review this because it’s such a carefully plotted storyline that you have to walk a fine line when discussing it.

So, as a reviewer, you mention the romance, the red door, and the feeling of having a strong tribe and family, but you can’t mention much else or other readers won’t get the experience. They won’t get that feeling of ‘whoa’ that takes over your entire body when you watch the book in motion, when all the carefully laid clogs start to work together, and you realize what a fantastical journey you’ve been on.

Life is often cyclical, and most people see time as a straight line, but some of us who study physics know that it is anything but. It would be easy to go off course when bringing those concepts into a book, but Young stayed the course. She wrote a book that brings the beauty of love and time and all its iterations into a superbly stunning read.

Thank you, Ballantine Books, for the advanced copy.

It took me several tries to read this book because of the very slow pace. I think the plot really just picked up once the mysteries started to unfold and the plot twists all came towards the end. The last 20% of the book wasn’t enough for me to fully understand the intricacy of the plot as it felt liked info-dumped on me. I might have to reread it to fully absorb the story.


But, it did have beautiful writing by the author. She made it easy to imagine the story setting despite the time skips. Some twists were predictable, but it still offered some mindblowing stuff. I was frustrated on how the characters acted on some parts, but I think it went well with the mysterious theme that the author was trying to achieve.


What this book contains:
- small town mysteries
- time traveling
- magical realism
- self-discovery
- second chance romance
- strong family (motherly) ties
- eerie & mystical vibes


Pacing & writing style:
- very slow pacing until you hit 80%
- more in-depth narrations than dialogues
- detailed imageries
- first pov


Ratings:
3.75/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Random House), and the author for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so beautifully written. It kept me guessing and wondering where the story was going but as things unfolded, I couldn’t put it down. I loved each of the Farrow women and their stories. I will be putting all of Adrienne Young’s books on my TBR because I just loved this one and the perfect writing. Thank you Random House and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

The Farrow women are well known in their small mountain town--primarily for their thriving flower farm and the curse that affects them. After being raised by her grandmother when her mother disappears, June Farrow is determined to ensure the curse that plagues the women in her family will end with her, one that she knows has already come to claim her. For a year preceding her grandmother's death, June had begun seeing and hearing things that weren't there. To save those she loved a little heartache, she held that secret close to the belt until she uncovered clues regarding her mother, which takes her down a path to more questions than answers. With that truth coming to light, a red door appears and though she doesn't believe it to be real she crosses the threshold to a new journey that may lead her to the answers she seeks.

Wow, just wow. This story was a thing of beauty. I cannot possibly put into words how much I loved this book. June had such conviction especially when it came to the people she loved. Her interactions with her family had a pleasant mix of comfortable banter and awkward tenseness, which was natural given the circumstances. She is a fierce FMC who comes from a long line of formidable women. While I could talk about it all day, there are some things, especially some characters, one must simply experience and that shouldn't be ruined.

When you think the story might have this story figured out, it shifts in another direction. The mix of mystery and magical realism with a looming murder and disappearances adds to the twists and turns in this book. It draws you in so quickly, and Adrienne's magnificent writing immerses the reader into the story. Do not sleep on reading this one!

As always. AY has created something so fresh, inventive, and atmospheric that I don’t even know where to begin describing what category it fits into. For now, I think I’ll go with magical realism.

There isn’t a ton I feel like I can say without spoiling. However, I loved June as our narrator. She was soft and quiet but strong and protective of those she loves. I loved the family dynamics, the twisty curves AY threw at us, and how everything wrapped up in the end. I loved going on this journey to solve multiple mysteries, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Read this if you:
•like magical realism
•atmospheric writing
•want to feel ALL THE FEELS (long after you finish the book)
•like books where everything pieces together beautifully

I can’t give this book enough stars. The writing is lyrical and beautiful. You’re immediately hooked on the story and you don’t want to put this book down. This book truly has a bit of something for everyone. There’s an emotional romance, there’s small town vibes, there’s magical realism, mystery, historical fiction, and more! This is a MUST READ book. There were times that my heart BROKE reading this book, and others where the writing and the story just sewed my heart back up and was so dang heartwarming.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW

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🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ vague open door
🤬🤬🤬 brief strong language

This book is, in a word, evocative. Gorgeous storytelling and layering. Honestly one of the best books I’ve read this year. I couldn’t put it down after the first few chapters. The mystery unraveled at such a perfect pace and gave me all the fall vibes. It releases on October 17 so do yourself a favor and preorder now!

The Unmaking of June Farrow is another brilliant story by Adrienne Young! Young’s writing style is so beautiful, evoking an air of mystery, suspense, and magic that is hard to put down. I became so easily immersed in June’s story as she tries to end the curse that has plagued all of the women in her family. It’s is a mind-bender, and I’m so glad I buddy read it with Leah at Leah’s Books because I had a lot of predictions and things to talk about as I read this compelling and unforgettable book.

June Farrow comes from a long line of unusual women, and after he gran dies, she’s left with some cryptic clues that might be related to the curse all of the Farrow women share. June’s journey takes her to places she never imagined, and she becomes embroiled in secrets that are much bigger than she ever expected. I adored June and her story. It’s a mind-bending journey, complete with a murder mystery, love story, and more.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, as I don’t want to give anything away, but, whew, it is good! Young has a writing style that really resonates with me. Rich in imagery, the writing is almost poetic in its delivery. The storytelling is immersive, atmospheric, and compelling, and I found it almost impossible to put the book down. That’s the gift that is Adrienne Young. She grabs you right from the start by weaving engrossing and wholly unique stories with rich and vivid settings and layered and complex characters.

An exceptional blend of mystery, magical realism, and romance, The Unmaking of June Farrow is one of the most memorable books I’ve read this year, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoyed her other adult novel Spells for Forgetting. I can’t wait to see what Young has in store for readers next!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5
I LOVED this book. I was a huge fan of THE SPELLS FOR FORGETTING and couldn’t wait to read this one. Young has a gift when it comes to writing atmospheric, magical stories. I loved the back and forth between timelines. It was interesting that we worked backwards in time in this story which made it so unique. I loved June’s character. A strong, independent woman who would do anything for her family. I highly recommend this cozy, mysterious magical realism story.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a story of a young woman who risks her life to end her families curse. This fantasy/mystery read has a twisting timeline as June also works to figure out the disappearance of her mother. While I found this book to be super well written, I don’t think it was my jam. I found the timeline aspect to be a bit confusing at times and typically enjoy a little more suspense or action (as I am mainly a thriller reader). This book was “cozy” with a touch of romance and could see this being a readers favorite, but again it just wasn’t for me.

I gave this novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I do think the author did an amazing job putting this story together and I enjoyed the character development. If you are into cozy mysteries with a touch of fantasy, I think you would love this read!

I just finished this book and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. Any book with a time-travel, timeline component gets so tricky so fast, and I don't know if I followed the rules and how everything worked. Because of that, I think I was trying to decide if everything made sense instead of just being in the story, which made me feel less connected to the characters and their journey.

There's no doubt that this was written well. Adrienne Young has a beautiful and atmospheric writing style which I generally enjoy. That said, I felt sad for like 95% of the time while reading. Every character had so many devastating things happen to them. For the majority of the book, I was frustrated for June because people were blaming her for choices out of her control, keeping major secrets from her, and it felt like she had no control over her life.

I think there are a lot of people who will enjoy this and I honestly wish I connected to it more because I think the concept is fascinating and there are so many beautiful scenes in the book. Overall, it's sadly not one of my favorites (the plot with the minister was a big part of this). Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.