Carrie is born into a family that is tied to the magic of the mountains, skipping each generation. She escapes to travel the world, but when her grandmother dies Carrie returns to Woodsmoke and her inheritance. Her plan is to fix up her grandmother’s cottage, spend the winter, and leave the next year. But it’s not that easy to escape the family legacy.

After someone starts leaving Carrie flowers by the cottage, she meets Matthieu who offers to help fix up the old cottage. There is a tale about a stranger who shows up as the first snow in winter, a person who will leave as the frost thaws in the spring, leaving a broken heart. And in the beginning, no one sees Matthieu, and then he leaves, but Carrie knows he is real.

I loved this story, following Carrie as she renews her relationship with the mountains, struggles with her relationship with her great aunt, who is jealous of Carrie’s legacy, and following her growing relationship with Matthieu. It was haunting, full of emotions, and discovering the truth about parts of her past she had misunderstood.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a sweet, warm, cozy witch
Family story/ not sugar cookie cutter- but a story of grit, determination and secrets.


Thank you to NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw offers a moody blend of magical realism and small-town secrets, but it didn’t fully capture my attention. The story follows Carrie Morgan’s return to Woodsmoke after a decade away, where she must face her family’s mystical legacy and confront long-buried emotions. The novel’s setting—a mountain town steeped in folklore—sets a wonderfully atmospheric tone, but the plot unfolds at a sluggish pace, and Carrie’s character development feels somewhat flat.

While the premise of mysterious love and enchanted mountains intrigued me, the romance between Carrie and Matthieu lacked depth, and the magical elements felt underexplored. Greenlaw’s prose is evocative, and the descriptions of Woodsmoke’s haunting beauty stand out, but the repetitive nature of Carrie’s internal struggles made it hard to stay invested. Additionally, the multiple perspectives sometimes distracted from the core narrative.

Overall, The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is an atmospheric read with cozy gothic vibes, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional punch or magical intrigue I was hoping for. It’s an enjoyable but not particularly memorable story. Three stars.

What a wonderful, cozy story! I loved everything about the world building and character development with this book. I’m a sucker for a beautiful book cover…I know you can’t judge a book by its cover,This one you can. I look forward to buying this for my little home library. I highly recommend this if you love a witchy, spooky, paranormal fantasy. Publish Date is October 22, 2024 Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Rachel Greenlaw for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this look at magic, identity, family, loss, grief, romance, and friendship. There was a lot to handle in this book, and I think Greenlaw does it well. The minor characters were well-rounded and believable, and I definitely found myself feeling for Carrie and all she struggled with throughout the novel.

Absolutely recommend for spooky season! Rachel is such an amazing storyteller. She weaves a tale that leaves you wishing you could see, touch, taste, and smell the world she has built. You read her characters and fall into their story as if you are physically there watching it unfold. This book is so atmospheric, so well done- it will absolutely be a book I read every year.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy.

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells is a strange gothic romance focused on a book of lore and mountain magic, including tales of a handsome man who comes with the frost and disappears with the spring thaw. There is small town distrust, curses, jealous sisters, friendship that transmuted into sisterhood, and warnings not to go looking for those the mountains take.

This is a vividly written story about the roots that tie us to places and people, the holes they can leave when you sever them, and the true costs of meddling with magic. There are secrets and mystery, gossip and rumors, all set under the foreboding shadow of mountains whose magic can just as easily break you as fix you.
The tension underneath the plot rises steadily throughout the book. The more answers you get about the past the more you can see where things are headed in the future. I honestly didn’t expect to be surprised by the end of it but I was. I was so sure for most of the book where things were going but there was just enough ambiguity that it left me curious and I’m glad I followed it through to the end.
I enjoyed this enough to recommend this to other readers but not so much that I think I would read it again. Unraveling what happened in the past was the most interesting part for me. I appreciated the focus on the deep love that can exist between friends and family. The romance aspect sort of fell flat. Carrie falling in love is a pretty key component of the plot but I didn’t really sense the chemistry there at all. Matthieu as a character needs to be somewhat mysterious, but I think it goes too far in that he feels like a plot point instead of a fully rounded character. That combined with the multiple perspectives and the time jumps left me wanting a lot more from their relationship.
If you’re interested in subtle magic, family drama, non linear timelines, and a bit of mystery then this would probably appeal to you.

This was a delightful and fun story!
I do have to say I wish I had waited to the winter time to read this book up. This is the perfect cozy, snowy day read. I might just have to pick it up again around Christmas!


Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells- I felt like this book pulled me apart stitch by stitch as we got into the history of why the FMC Carrie left Woodsmoke, the rift between her & her childhood best friend Jess, and her grandmother & her great aunt; thankfully, the ending satisfyingly put me back together. I found myself sad and angry for Carrie when learning her history. I will admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of Jess’s chapters, but I grew to like her more as the book went on. I enjoyed the combination of the current timeline with pieces of the past dropped in along the chapters. The use of magic was interesting and not how we typically see magic utilized in more lighthearted reads and it definitely fit the tone of the book better, I was a bit confused by an explanation and outcome for a certain piece of the magic in the book, but I sometimes lose the thread when certain aspects of magic are explained within stories.
I think fans of Spells for Forgetting and Practical Magic (the book, which I found to be darker, not the movie) would really like this one. Thank you @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC! 🏔️📖 🧙‍♀️
#magic #netgalley #fallreads #romance #paranormal

Carrie left Woodsmoke a decade ago with chaos in her wake. When she returns after the death of her beloved grandmother, she isolates herself with a mysterious man fixing up the cabin she inherited. When he disappears unexpectedly with the frost, is it the mountain's magic, or something less sinister?

This book was a cozy read perfect for autumn, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and lore of the mysterious mountains.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This was one of the best novels in this genre that I've read in some time. It was so well done, the characters and their development was executed perfectly. I love when a character can grow on you the more you read, and the author definitely achieved that.

A bit about the story:
Carrie Morgan moves back to her hometown of Woodsmoke to renovate the cottage her grandmother left her. She hasn't returned home in a decade, and is planning on selling the cottage and leaving. As a Morgan, she never really fit in anyway, as her family has a reputation of being witches. However the whole town turns to them when they need help themselves.

Cora, Carrie's aunt is worried about Carrie leaving again. She so badly wants her to stick around and take her rightful place there. Carrie met Matthieu as the first frost came in. Cora knows that curse well, and what it means, and tries to warn Carrie that he will disappear forever once the frost and winter have gone.

I received a free copy of, The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells, by Rachel Greenlaw, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When Carrie's grandmother passed away she inherited her cottage in Woodsmoke. Carrie did not leave Woodsmoke on a good note and is a little wary about coming back, until she meets Matthieu, can he help her fix the cottage? This was a pretty nice read.

"The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" by Rachel Greenlaw offers an intriguing premise centered around a group of women and their magical abilities, promising a blend of mysticism and personal empowerment. However, despite its potential, the novel fails to deliver a cohesive and engaging story.

One of the primary issues is the lack of a clear and compelling narrative. The plot feels disjointed, with various storylines that don't seamlessly connect. This fragmented structure makes it challenging to stay invested in the characters' journeys or the overarching storyline. Key plot points often feel rushed or underdeveloped, leaving the reader wanting more depth and clarity.

Character development is another area where the book falls short. While the concept of a group of powerful women is appealing, the characters themselves are not fleshed out enough to make a lasting impact. Their motivations and backstories are often glossed over, making it difficult to empathize with or understand their actions.

Greenlaw's world-building, while imaginative, can be confusing and inconsistent. The magical elements are not always well-explained, and the rules governing this world seem to change without sufficient explanation. This lack of clarity detracts from the immersion and enjoyment of the story.

The writing style, although descriptive, sometimes becomes overly flowery and hard to follow. This can make the narrative feel sluggish and bogged down by unnecessary details, detracting from the pacing and overall readability.

Carrie Morgan left Woodsmoke, not content to stay in town , following the family's tradition of healing and spells. Upon returning to town after the death of her grandmother, she plans to stay only as long as it takes to do repairs in her grandmother's cottage and sell it. Carrie is also dealing with the people hurt by her past actions and the appearance of a mysterious man. Healing and the casting of spells come with a price. How much truth is there to old wives' tales and legends?
Family ties and the bonds of friendship.
#TheWoodsmokeWomensBookofSpells #HarperCollins #Avon #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw which I give about 46 beezilluIon gold stats. Like many of the people of Woodsmoke, I believe in the magic of the mountains. This is a beautifully written book about that magic.

If you are looking for a cozy feel good book to read on a chilly night this is the one. Rachel Greenlaw does an amazing job of helping you connect to each and every character through different POVs. While I found Cora to be frustrating at times, I loved how Greenlaw helped us connect by showing us flashbacks. I also loved how she keeps us guessing as to if Carrie’s love interest is real or just part of her imagination. I think each character has an important lesson that helps the reader connect to them.
Carrie - you can’t always run away from your past
Jess - picture perfect people aren’t always what they portray on social media
Cora - meddling never ends up the way you had hoped

Things that I liked:
Different POVs
Short chapters
Flashbacks that help the reader understand the present
Cozy setting that gives Practical Magic vibes
Epilogue that actually tied the ending up nicely

Things that I wished for:
Chapter on Ivy’s POV
Flashback of Carrie and/or Jess

I really enjoyed this one! It follows a family who are the last magical family in the region.
I loved that it spans multiple generations and is a slow Cosy read. The fact that it shows magic isn’t a fix it all thing and there’s give and take and that magic has consequences was great!

Thank you, Netgalley!

The book is more a slow, cozy read than I expected. The book was a little underdeveloped, but overall I really enjoyed this magical journey Rachel Greenlaw took me on. I recommend giving it a try to see what you think. It was more a 3.5 for me but given the star options, I'd boost it to a 4 rather than dock it to a 3. Look forward to more work by this Rachel.

A fabulous magic novel! The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells introduces us to the Morgan family, the last ones in the Woodsmoke mountain region who are in the know about the magic it gives and takes.

I loved that this book focused on multiple generations of women, showing the ties between and the growth of the characters. The book flashes back and forth between the history of the Morgan women and the present day. I love how we don't dwell in the flashbacks, only long enough to understand the present. Some books get mired in flashbacks in order to give context, and this books only lingers just enough.

You may find yourself wincing on the first couple pages where the prose seems unnecessarily flowery, trying to set up the magical vibes of the book. However, the prose settles down very quickly and you ease into the small town, feeling right at home. The writing style allowed me to easily picture this small town entering into winter with the cool breezes and chill in the air. Reading this in July made me desperate for fall leaves. You don't often see magical/witchy books set in winter, and that was a breath of fresh air.

Other things I loved about the book:
- I appreciate that the magic in this book isn't a cure all and that magic has consequences. it is a give and take.
- While the book has a strong cozy vibe, it is grounded in real life issues of belonging, grief, friendship, trust, and character growth. You will like this if you like cozy novels but be prepared for real life issues.
- Great pacing. I never felt like I HAD to set it down. Read it in just a few days.

Romance/Spice:
- I would say this is less about the romance and more about the characters and female friendships / family connections. While there IS romance, it's included I feel more as the realities of living, vs feeling like a 'romance' novel.
- Closed door / not spicy. Read this if you love witchy small town books, not for spicy romance. Which is also great, just know what to expect.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, thank you! All opinions are my own.