Dang! Another banger from Adrienne Young. Seriously, she is one of my absolute favorite authors. No one can put me into a story as well as she can. I can’t say much about the plot of this one without spoiling everything, but I was enthralled and read through it so quickly that I wondered if I had missed some of it (I hadn't). Spells for Forgetting is still my absolute no. 1, but this was very, very good and well written. 4.5 stars!

This author has fast become "one to watch " for me. I loved her last novel and this one was even better. I related with this one and enjoyed the storyline more..I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Adrienne Young is an auto-buy author for me and this book did not disappoint.

The Unmaking of June Farrow has all the magic and mystery of Spells for Forgetting in an all new way. June is just trying to live her life and avoid her family's curse, the curse where she'll eventually start seeing things and the small town where she lives will think she's gone insane. However, June has a secret, she's been seeing things for a year already and is scared the curse has already been underway. When her grandmother passes and leaves her a picture of her missing mother dated years before her mother was born June will have to decide to embrace her family's curse and discover the truth or keep ignoring the doors that are open to her.

This story will have you quite literally walking into a different time period with the amazing writing and well detailed world. All of the characters come alive and the world is extremely easy to get lost in even for someone like myself who isn't usually a fan of historical fantasy/fiction.

Even though I guessed the twists and the mystery aspect of this book very early on I couldn't stop reading and pushing for June to piece it all together and decide which life she wants to live for herself. All of the side characters are well thought out and the romance is extremely sweet if not entirely a second chance romance it feels like one and will have you rooting for them throughout the story.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is one of my favorite books of the year and I recommend everyone give it a shot.

Adrienne Young can do no wrong! This book is EVERYTHING. Adrienne knows just how to write a book that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and a blanket to feel the small town vibes and fall in love with the characters she creates. Women who were cursed to lose their minds is such a compelling read with mind boggling twists. It was a guessing game from start to finish and I was not at all disappointed. I love that it was not predictable AT ALL. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I received this ARC via NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written story about the women in a family who are cursed to lose their minds…. Or are they?

At its heart, this book is about the love a mother has for her children and vice versa. It’s about the life we want and the choices we’re willing to make to have that life.

It is an amazing story that will stick with me forever. I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for an eARC of The Unmaking of June Farrow.

Breathtakingly romantic and frantically suspenseful- The Unmaking of June Farrow has heart pounding romance and mystery wrapped up in a beautifully written package. I will never forget this book for as long as I live- it’s a book that sticks with you and imprints on your heart.

⭐️: 4.5/5

The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm and the mysterious curse of madness that has plagued their family line. June Farrow is determined to have the curse end with her, and she’s not surprised when she begins seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. After the death of her grandmother, she begins finding clues regarding the secrets of her family, setting her on a path that will change both the past and the future.

Just like Spells for Forgetting, The Unmaking of June Farrow has the absolute best small-town, magical, mysterious vibes. Right from the beginning, I was hooked by the mystery of the Farrow women, and I couldn’t stop reading to figure out how all the pieces fit together and how June’s story would end. It really is similar vibes to Spells for Forgetting, but while I was a little disappointed in the conclusion to that one, this one did not disappoint at all. It felt a little bit like a puzzle while reading, since the rules of the universe are a little complicated, and the way that the conclusion is explained can also be construed as complicated, the same way that many similarly-themed books are. There’s so many pieces to fit together that it keeps you guessing all the way through the book until the big conclusion. I read this one right when summer turned into fall, and it’s honestly the perfect fall read, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse Ballantine for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Another amazing book by Adrienne Young. I loved her Spells for Forgetting and this one was on par. Part Murder mystery part family curse part time travel fantasy this book kept me hooked. Definitely read this when it releases!

Adrienne Young’s Spells for Forgetting was my favorite atmospheric read of 2022, and I’m happy to say she’s continued that tradition for 2023 with this one.
June Farrow’s family has a curse - the ability to time travel falls to every firstborn, which is always a daughter, and with it comes an eventual madness. June has decided the line will end with her. She was raised by her grandmother after her mother’s madness seemingly wins out, and she abandons June, never to be seen again.
But when a mysterious photo appears, and June finds herself seventy years in the past, she realizes the threads of time are far more tangled than she ever imagined. Everything she thought she knew comes into question, and with it, she has to make a very difficult decision, for both herself and her family.
Full of mystery and heart, The Unmaking of June Farrow is a beautifully written, lovely tale about strong women and the bonds that they make that time itself cannot sever.

The grip this book had on me, you guys. It kept me guessing, thinking, immersed in this layered world that June Farrow is a part of, in a way only Adrienne Young can. Incredible!

The complex characters, nuanced relationships, and beautiful setting are woven into a beautiful, heartbreaking novel that I will think about for awhile.

I really don’t want to spoil anything and would recommend going into it somewhat blind, as it added to the experience for me!

This started slowly at first for me, but when I realized what was really going on, I was invested. Out of control invested. This is my favorite book by Adrienne Young so far! This is brilliant, emotional, and overwhelmingly beautiful.

June is one of the Farrow women. Over time, the name Farrow has become synonymous with madness. June is 32, and just now starting to experience some strange hallucinations, but all is not as it seems.

This story, full of mind-boggling twists, really just took off and I had the best time reading this. It's the kind of book that makes me want to slowly absorb every word, every piece, of this story. I just really enjoyed this one.

Out October 17, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Adrienne Young's voice is a staple in fantasy romance. Her thoughtful prose and careful worldbuilding make you believe the places she writes about are real and that's where the true magic lies. Her books always feel like a cozy blanket in autumn.

Thank you, Ballantine and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of The Unmaking of June Farrow.

If you read only one book this year, this is that book.

This was my first Adrienne Young novel, and I can tell you right now that it is definitely not my last! I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I am a sucker for a good magical realism novel. This is it! This is one of my top favorite books of the year. I did not want this novel to end. It made me want to cry, scream, laugh, love, all of the feels. This book was impossible to put down. I stayed engaged, and I didn't want it to end. This is one of those books that you go back to time and time again.

The Farrows are cursed, but June is determined to end the curse once and for all. The Farrows are known all throughout Jasper, North Carolina for their beautiful flower farm and maybe also because of the unusual circumstances of June's mother's disappearance causing June to be raised by her grandmother. After June's grandmother dies, June delves even deeper into finding out the cause of her illness and her mother's disappearance. Following the breadcrumbs will cause June to go on the journey of a lifetime (or two).

This book brought me to tears. A love story, a mystery, strong family bonds and time traveling all rolled into one! I was hooked from the start.

While this is filled with rich storytelling and a beautiful magical realism, I feel like I have missed something.

This one just didn’t connect for me and it breaks my heart because I adore this author! This was by no means bad (in any way), but I found that half way through I still wasn’t feeling that pull to the characters or the story.

Toward the end, I found myself enjoying myself a lot more, but sadly it wasn’t enough for me to fully enjoy my reading experience.

3.5/5

As someone who grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I was very excited to read this one! Set in a small (fictional) town north of Asheville, NC, The Unmaking of June Farrow is a heartwarming fall read with a time traveling twist for fans of Alice Hoffman.

Although the story itself is fairly different, there are a lot of similarities between this book and Spells for Forgetting. Both books feature small towns with a dark past (~mysterious murder~), elements of magical realism, and an MC in her 30s who has a strained relationship with the love interest. What sets this book apart is its emphasis on family, specifically female relationships. As someone who loves Alice Hoffman, seeing the relationships between mothers and daughters and grandmothers across generations was definitely my favorite part.

Time travel is incredibly tricky and I think it’s hard to write it convincingly without creating a lot of plot holes. To this end, I’m not sure the author was entirely successful. I was able to follow along with the logic throughout the book, but I didn’t think the conclusion was very believable (avoiding spoilers). However, if you’re able to just go with it and not think too hard like me, it probably won’t bother you.

I liked, but not loved, the characters. I didn’t feel as connected to them as I wanted to, and I think the main reason for this was my frustration with a lot of their actions. There was a lot of miscommunication/hiding of information for no reason other than holding the reader in suspense. The caveat to this is Margaret, who is a saint. Love her.
Overall, despite my handful of complaints, I really enjoyed this one! Adrienne Young is a descriptive, beautiful writer and creates an atmosphere that’s perfect for fall. I recommend if you would enjoy a cozy mystery with a touch of romance and magic. :)

Synopsis: The Farrow women are well known in the small town of Jasper, North Carolina, both for their flower farm and for their family curse. June Farrow has grown up in the shadow of her mother’s madness and sudden disappearance, raised by her grandmother. For the past year, June has been seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. She decides to follow a series of cryptic clues to discover the origin of her family’s curse and end it once a for all.

Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I think it’s best to go in blind and keep an open mind, but also pay close attention as it can get a little confusing (but I promise it all comes together in the end!). As always, Adrienne’s writing is beautiful and atmospheric, and it will transport you straight to small town North Carolina. The twists and reveals took me by surprise throughout, and I really enjoyed slowly unraveling the mystery. This book explores themes of love, family, grief and sacrifice in such a powerful way. I will be thinking about this enchanting book for a long time, and I’ll definitely be grabbing a physical copy to read again!

Read this if you like:
🌻 magical realism
🌻 mystery
🌻 unconventional romance
🌻 generational family stories

"But this aching love that was breaking ground inside of me didn't feel selfish. It felt brave." 🥹🥹🥹

Absolutely fantastic! Part murder mystery, part timeless love story, part magical realism. With an atmospheric setting, a fast pace and well-developed characters, this book captured my attention from the beginning and did not let go. It was heartbreaking, hopeful, and mind-bending all at the same time.

I’m a huge fan of Adrienne Young. I’ve read all her books, but I’m still deciding how I feel about this one. I liked it and couldn’t put it down towards the end, but I don’t know if I loved it as much as some of her others.

It was not at all what I expected and I strongly recommend that you don’t read any spoilers going into this book. Just let the storyline and twists unravel while you read. I’ve never read anything like this book, so kudos to Adrienne for coming up with something original.

As with every book that Adrienne writes, the story is beautifully written. She’s an amazing storyteller and her books will always be an auto-buy for me.

Once I started this book, it was impossible to put down. From the first chapter, I was fully invested and had to know what happened next. I've never read this author before, but I will definitely be reading more by her because this book was SO GOOD. I've never read anything like this before and I definitely want more of it! This was truly amazing and I can't wait to read other books by Adrienne Young. I HIGHLY recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.