Unfortunately *The Coven* by Harper L. Woods is one of those books whose synopsis is much stronger and more interesting than the book itself. If you’re eyeing *The Coven* because of the promise of a secret town with a prestigious, magical university or for the implication of a fleshed out world that is full of judgement and condemnation for the magic that exists on its fringes, turn away now, there is nothing for you here: the school simply exists to serve as the backdrop for most of the main conflict and the few students “attending” this school only exist to be used as cannon fodder (which is honestly fine because these characters are paper-thin cutouts that exist only to serve the two main characters, all hastily introduced and just as quickly forgotten). A more accurate blurb might be: *The Coven* follows Willow Madizza, a young yet powerful witch, on a journey to fulfill her life’s purpose and reclaim the source of magical power that once belonged to her family.

One of the few positive things I can say about *The Coven* is that the magic system is pretty neat. In this world, there exists eight main branches of magic (most of which we don’t get to see in action but, hey, we’re told they’re there -_-), with a handful of family bloodlines housed in each. The Madizza line is one of the two remaining earth magic families which means Willow is able to wield the earth and plant life around her in her in an earthbending meets Poison Ivy kind of way. I loved it!

Unfortunately that’s where my praise for this book ends.
- I love a book with multiple points of view.. but it’s so much less enjoyable when **none** of the POV characters are likeable.
- This book is tagged as a romance but there is nothing romantic in the slightest in this book. The insta-lust was insta-repulsive and as most other reviews suggest, be sure to read the lengthy list of trigger warnings at the start of the book.
- How the characters behave and some of the coven’s ritualistic traditions were completely nonsensical: The centuries-old “headmaster” pursuing a 19-20 year old student is generally repulsive but past that, it’s completely unbelievable—why is this ancient being behaving like an angsty teenager? Not to mention that the coven’s main ritual is spicy just for the sake of being spicy—AT A SCHOOL—leaving me annoyed and grossed out more than anything.
- Surely *The Coven* started out as fan fiction.. because almost everything it attempts to do has been done before (and done better) by the works that obviously inspired it.

At two points, 20% and 64% of the way through to be specific, I was absolutely ready to set this book down and never come back, and to be honest I’m not entirely sure why I stuck with it until the end. *To simply be able to check off some readathon challenges it satisfied? Because I felt beholden to those that sent me an e-ARC for the upcoming physical special edition release? Or maybe there was a part of me that was morbidly curious about how this book ended?* Eh, it was probably a mix of all of the above. So after giving this my all-time lowest star rating, I’d say I wouldn’t recommend *The Coven* to anyone, but if I *had* to choose I’d say this might be a good fit if:
1. your motto is that pretty fore-edges trump all, OR
2. earthbending is your favorite bending art, AND
3. you don’t really care about romance or character depth you just want more spice in your life.

*Thank you to Bramble and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book.*

This is the second book by Harper L. Wood. If I'm being honest, I was scared to read it because I didn't enjoy the other series that much. I'm so glad I gave this series a chance before letting my thoughts on the last series sway my opinion.

I really loved Willow; she was a strong, fiery, and independent woman. I'm sort of over these types of characters being written as sassy just to get that point across. I think Willow would have been stronger without it so much of the time.

Grey is 100% a villain, and I love that because he isn't just playing at it. He would burn the world down for what he wants. I don't know why the visual of a man destroying something and fixing his cufflinks like nothing is so appealing to me, but I'll have to deal with that. 😅😅


I received this as an ARC from Netgalley

This book begins as essentially a classic vampires vs witches story. The writing reminded me often of Amelia Hutchins. I didn't particularly find the characters likeable, but that made the ending all the more interesting to me. I wasn't invested in the outcome, but I was here for it with popcorn because that ending was 🔥🔥🔥
The last 20% had me, and I am grateful to be approved for both books in this series because I'm on to the second right now.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC!

This was different, but I definitely enjoyed it and will read the next one. This was my first read by Harper L Woods.

3 ⭐️

This is your average Romance Fantasy. Nothing really new, but if you like the genre you’ll like the book.
This was pretty insta love/lust, and i wish we had more romance. The age gap was pretty big, which was somewhat uncomfortable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bramble for allowing me to read this book

The school is reopening fifty years after a tragic event at Hollow's Grove University. Willow is a witch who was chosen to attend a prestigious school. The school's headmaster, Alaric "Gray"son Thorne, despises Willow as much as she does him. Their mutual animosity adds a layer of tension to the mystery of the school's history that Willow is trying to unravel. She must use her survival instincts to confront her strained relationship with Gray and face the dark secrets that haunt the university.

The complexity and friction between Willow and Gray are prominent in the storyline. Willow was raised by her father to be suspicious and not have faith in the Coven that runs the school. Her father's tactics have caused trauma, which elicits certain behaviors and affect her decisions. The struggle between power and corruption is woven throughout the book.

I enjoyed the witch and vampire aspect of the story, which was unique. I am not a fan of age gaps, but it was not too outlandish because he is a vampire. The story moved quickly and did not have slow moments. The romance was a slow burn and enemies to lovers, which I am a big fan of. It was not too spicy and was later in the book, which helps create the relationship and the desire for the reader to want the characters to be together.

There are a few things that could be addressed in the book. Willow was the maternal figure for her brother, and then we never heard from him again. I did not understand the vampires feeding on students. It was like an afterthought to highlight Willow's traumatic upbringing. There should be another way to explain her inner turmoil.

Overall, the book is a 3.5 stars. I did love the plot twist at the end. If enemies to lovers and very dark, morally gray characters are your thing, this book will be captivating. The balance between duty and desire and the impact of past traumas on present actions provides an exciting story.

I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley and Tor Publishing for my honest review.

was really looking forward to the second book in this series. There was this building fire that left me hanging by the precipice in the last book. Damn I hate cliffhangers!

Yeah, so I really looking forward to knowing where the story was going. Now image me hanging there desperately waiting to see what happens on the next page and as I read I come to realize . . . Woh, wuh - the ground that I once hanging precariously over is right there. There was no cliffhanger. Boo, the character I love in the last book somehow has become a whiny hater who won't stop dividing her complaints between hating and wanting to "run".

I spent 50% of the book wanting to throw it out the window, crying soundlessly how unfair it was that I was feeling so cheated. Thankfully things picked up and started going somewhere, but honestly I don't know if I feel happy with how it went or cheated.

I did enjoy the narrator as it brought the story to life. Overall, this book probably could have been one longer book, but what do I know.

** Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion * *

Ugh, save me but what happened

Fantastic cliffhangers!! However, I have gripes with age gaps that give me the ick. I wish the story was fleshed out more so the pacing in story felt cohesive.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper L Woods for the ARC. This was a nice surprise. The witch and vampire tension through the ages. The heartless headmaster and the dark romance. Not even romance, really. Lust. The witch who doesn’t want to be one.
This was a very engaging story and I enjoyed the FMC. The focus on blood and blood magic was intriguing. Gave me Blood and Ash vibes.

Can’t wait to see what happens next in #2.

This book has gorgeous artwork for the cover and edges! For the story itself, I enjoyed reading through the book. There were just some moments where I needed to step back, let my brain refresh, and come back later so I could continue digesting the story. (Part of that is ADHD and attention span) Overall, the book was great, just not my absolute favorite

I love a good witchy book and this hit the mark. I can’t wait for a second book in this series to really get the plot and world building going even more.

This was a gripping story& i loved the FMC!! I didn’t know where it was headed which i loved. I highly recommend to the people who love dark dark romantasy stories that focus on witches

Harper L. Woods' The Coven is an enthralling entry into the dark fantasy genre, weaving a tale filled with magic, mystery, and intrigue. From the very first page, Woods captures the reader's imagination with a richly detailed world where witches, covens, and ancient prophecies come to life.

The protagonist, Elara, is a compelling character whose journey from an ordinary life to discovering her witch heritage is both relatable and extraordinary. Woods excels in character development, allowing readers to empathize with Elara's struggles and triumphs. Her growth throughout the novel is portrayed with a deft touch, balancing vulnerability and strength in a way that feels authentic.

It is such a rarity to be able to read something a little more fast - paced, yet still able to keep going without being rushed.

The copy was kindly given to me by publisher and Netgalley for review; all opinions are my own.

Okay Harper, okay! I didn't know what to expect from this book but I loved it! While it had an college academic atmosphere, the characters felt older (which wasn't a bad thing). It was spooky, witchy and so very autumnal- I highly recommend you read in the fall for that reason. There is a beautiful, lyric element to the prose that I really loved. The spice was SPICY... I wasn't expecting for it to get as smutty as it was, not that it was a bad thing. I will definitely continue on with the series and pick up her other series as well.

I definitely saw the word "romance" used to describe this book, and for me it was definitely not that. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it! Mentally approaching this as a romance threw me off a bit, but read as a supernatural/suspense/fantasy it's got a lot going for it. I also appreciate that the author addresses the problematic nature of the main relationship right up front. Without that, I may have had a very different opinion.
I enjoyed the world building and the duality of witches who are not sinister in-and-of themselves as individuals, and yet carry a sinister heritage based on the origin of their powers. I will be watching for the sequel, which seems sure to come.

This was almost a 4 for me.

1st - I always appreciate when a book has a list of content warnings in front. Wish it would be more standard, truly.

I think the writing was above average compared to other books in this subgenre. I had no problems with any of the dialogue, or the characters, or the world building. I do think that in this case though, the story could have benefited by being a little bit longer, specifically I wanted a little bit more out of the school setting and having her uncover more details. I think what I found lacking were the few glimpses into Willow's internal dialogue. This is personal preference I guess because I'm not a big Romantasy girlie, but when every instance of reflection is just to reiterate the plot objective and lust over the love interest, it just starts to annoy me. There were 2 murders in the books and I don't think she spent any time trying to figure out who the murderer was.

I actually thought, as far as the 'romance' goes, that there was chemistry there and the spicy scenes were pretty good. I physically cringed towards the end though when he called her baby girl out of nowhere towards the end, though.

Speaking of the ending, that's where we lost the 4 star rating for me. I read this book in one sitting and I was on board with everything up until the last 15%. Once the plot twist drops and shit starts going down, I STRUGGLED with my suspension of disbelief. It went from 0-100 way to fast for me.

I am undecided if I'm going to continue to the next book.

I will definitely still be recommending The Coven to my Romantasy and Dark Romance loving customers. I do think that this is one of the better written ones that I have come across.

4 stars | 3 spice

I signed up for this book on NetGalley purely because of the cover and the promise of a witchy read - I didn't know I was signing up for some hot vampire dark romance action!!! But I am SOOOO glad I did!

The FMC Willow was so headstrong and I loved how she stuck to her actions throughout the book meanwhile everyone else just went with the flow. Grey the MMC was written so perfectly and I loved how even though he was supposed to be this heartless vampire he slowly started to gravitate towards Willow.

This book had me flying through it to not only find out where the characters were going but to find out more about the mystery behind the coven and everything surrounding them. The magical world was a bit confusing at times but it was easy to catch up.

The last bit of the book felt like a Maas book with so many shocks getting thrown at you - once you get to that part you will not be able to set it down and you will want to pick up the next book immediately.

I highly recommend this to readers who love witchy books as well as spicy dark romances.

Big thanks to Harper L. Woods, Tor Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Very interesting concept of a book. I enjoyed the romance that blossomed between Willow and Gray. People who like fantasy books will enjoy it!

Dark paranormal fantasy- could be triggering for some readers so definitely look up any warnings. But i thought it was great and I look forward to the rest of the series! 3 of 5 for spice.

The Coven
By Harper L. Woods
Release Date: August 6 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
MAN OH MAN. THIS BOOK. I was hooked from the very beginning, I binge read and finished it within a day. One of my favorite reads of 2024 so far, but I am a sucker for dark paranormal romance.

Can we talk about our MMC Gray?? 😮‍💨 He's everything I want in a morally grey man. The tension and chemistry between him and Willow was sizzling. And Willow is a baddie herself!! She's a fierce FMC and I love that she stands for what she believes in. The character development, world building, and magic system were all great. It’s fast paced and I also appreciate that. I had zero complaints with this book and the cliffhanger had me SCREAMING.

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
🔮 age gap (headmaster and student)
🔮 enemies to lovers
🔮 dark academia
🔮 secret identities
🔮 witches, vampires, demons

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: This is a dark paranormal romance with gothic vibes and a dark academia setting. The male lead in this series is pushy and domineering. He goes beyond the typical morally gray variety and is an actual villain who gets his HEA. Triggers include dubious consent, forced feeding, graphic violence, rough and explicit sexual content, restraint, forced proximity, betrayal, references to past abuse, knife violence, graphic depictions of blood, and physical harm inflicted upon the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!