Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This book had an intriguing premise and a few engaging moments, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. The story moved along well, and the writing was solid, but it lacked that spark to make it truly memorable. It was an enjoyable read in the moment, but not one that will stick with me over time.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. Cerra is truly a masterful storyteller. This novel took the reader on a journey through a land and with characters that were vibrant and tragic. The story was heartbreaking and gripping in its universal story that people will go to great lengths for those they love.

Was this review helpful?

Many thanks to Netgalley for this book. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

This book has fantasy with some mystery elements. I didn’t really like any of the characters but I thought it was an entertaining read. I’m glad that Liv survived the sisterhood and her scar. I wish that her friend Sam had survived. The book never openly talks about witchcraft and magic but it kind of alludes to it without being obvious. I’m glad Liv finds someone else after everything with Noah and has a child too.

Was this review helpful?

I had a good time with this book, but K.L. Cerra's other book, Such Pretty Flowers, was definitely a better read for me. I loved the witchy, feminist vibes and look into marriage and children, but the pacing was a struggle. I had a great time with the ending! It was grotesque, creepy, and unsettling. However, I don't feel there was enough of that throughout the first 3/4ths to have me hooked. I hate to compare to a previous book, but I didn't feel the atmosphere was as all consuming and amazing as her previous book either. Again, it came out at the end, but it was almost two little too late at that point. The characters were fine, but i wish we learned more about Eden and Cora (especially Cora, we know nothing about her). I will definitely still continue reading her books!

Was this review helpful?

A fantasy novel filled with magic and mystery. I found the premise of the book intriguing and the vivid descriptions of the spells and magic drew me in. I didn’t care for any of the characters so I never really engaged with them. The pacing slowed in some areas and I felt disconnected. Still an interesting read.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Was this review helpful?

Under Her Spell was hard to get into. I want to reread it so I can see if I like it better the second time. I feel like it was slow to start but near the middle I could’ve put it down!

Was this review helpful?

This was everything I love in one book! There's thriller, fantasy, some horror, dark & mysterious. Amazing character development, the writing style was awesome. Can't wait to read the authors other books!

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

Was this review helpful?

Not really sure what I expected with this one but not what I had in mind.

Don’t get me wrong I love mysteries, missing persons and everything creepy. But this one was a bit more witchy than I was expecting. The ending kinda got a little rushed and parts left me a little confused as far as logistics.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

Was this review helpful?

Under Her Spell is a creepy horror thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Liv gets a note from her former best friend Sam, saying she's in trouble and needs help. She goes back to her hometown to find that Sam has disappeared. The story alternates between now and then, their high school senior year, when they meet. Sam in the now timeline is working with Cora and Eden, whom she had avoided in high school, when Cora and Eden were considered weird and a bit creepy. But now, they run Beloved, the best wedding planning business of the area.

Liv is engaged to Noah, and her family gets her an appointment at Beloved. But she isn't sure about marrying Noah, nor is sure about why Eden and Cora still have a draw over her. Is it magic that she senses when she sees beetles, strange eyes, and rooms that change before her eyes?

If you loved The Craft, this is the book for you. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

There were some interesting elements to this book. The premise is interesting, the character history with the missing woman and MC’s history. The witches history was sort of random, then their abilities were shown as to an automatic 100. The story jumped from a missing person to random murders quite quickly. I wouldn’t say this was my favorite read or my least favorite. Someone else might enjoy this more than me.

Was this review helpful?

3.75 stars
This was an interesting book. Then turns I took I wasn’t guessing at some points. The main character Liz returns back to her hometown when her friend goes missing. She is determined to find her and make amends for what happened when they were in high school. Her friend was working and living with a group from high school that seemed unreachable. Along the way liv discovers some eery things.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a twisty read. Liv as a narrator is so unreliable, and not that likeable as a character but honestly I really enjoyed the story.

I liked the way the chapters would rotate between the present day and the past. Especially the way that Liv and Sam got close their senior year of high school, compared to Sam being missing eight years later.

The Sisterhood was the highlight of this story for me, I loved the mystery behind these witchy women. Eden and Cora especially were such interesting characters.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the earc, all opinions are my own.

Liv needs to return to her small town after a strange note from a friend. She is planning a wedding and doing some secret sleuthing while there. I found it a bit hard to keep track bouncing back and forth between the present and the past in the different chapters.

Was this review helpful?

A quick read that is possibly more of a YA book. School age teens, friendship, witchcraft, and magic combined with missing persons and murder.. Liv receives a mysterious note from a long lost best friend, Sam. When she discovers that Sam is missing, she cannot stop herself from trying to find her friend even at the risk of her own life.

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy from NetGalley. This book is not what I expected from the synopsis. The longer I read the more unreliable the main character/narrator seemed to be. It picked up speed at the end but also took some strange turns along the way to get there.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers copy of this title. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.

This story involves an engaged woman (Liv) who receives a letter from an old high school friend asking for help, and who has since been reported missing. Liv returns to her roots in search of her friend and encounters old frenemies from her past. The story alternates between events of the past and present. Liv comes to a crossroads and is forced to make hard decisions in her pursuit of the truth.

The book is entertaining, with touches of the supernatural and unexplainable when it comes to the meaning of “sisterhood”.

Was this review helpful?

Dark witchy magic sums this book up, I thought the writing was creative and spell bounding. The cover of this book is beautiful, I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Liv Edwards has everything a handsome fiancé, apartment in Boston and new career in law. But all that is about to change when she receives a message back home from her childhood best friend Sam. Haunted by her past and not sure if she is ready to face it, she owes to her friend to help her. When she returns to her hometown it is to late Sam has disappeared and all things point to foul play. Sam has changed to, for one she was living with the strange girls from school. Under the cover of a bridal store they run holds dark secrets, Liv is determined figure out what is happening, but will she reveal dark things about herself that she has been hiding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Mystery, magic, and spooky thrills- this book had me on the edge of my seat! This was definitely a fun read for spooky season but, in the end, I was left wanting more!

Was this review helpful?

This was darker than I was expecting it to be, and the premise was great. However, it just seemed like it was missing something. I was very intrigued by everything happening, but the main character was a little hard to like. There were many plot points that felt disjointed, especially things involving her fiance. With so much going, it seemed like certain things didn't get wrapped up in the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?