I love a good witchy read. I liked the take and angle in this story. I like the way the characters developed and the pace kept me up all night turning pages

I had a hard time getting into this book, which did bum me out because the description sounded like something I would immediately love. I did enjoy the book in the end, I am glad I stuck it out. It was a very enchanting read that was pretty fast paced and easy to read.

Thank you Paige Crutcher and St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for my review

I chose this book because I tend to love all things witchy. Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. There was so much going on and it was hard to connect with the characters. 3 stars

A Circle of Uncommon Witches 3.5/5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The book follows Doreen MacKinnon, a powerful witch, as she sets out on a quest to break the generational curse put on her family 300 years ago by Ambrose MacDonald. To break the curse, Doreen must work with Ambrose (who is still alive and has been imprisoned) to complete a series of trials. As the two get to know each other, they cannot deny the growing attraction. Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice. Will true love be worth the cost?

🏰🔮✨🧙🏻‍♀️🩶

I was really drawn to the premise of this book, and Paige did not disappoint! I found myself laughing so much during my reading. The banter was TO DIE for! The enemies-to-lovers dynamic will do it for me every time. It is so nice to pick up a book that is fast-paced and FUN to read. Also, I adored the setting of this book. I am a sucker for all things Scotland! 😚

I highly recommend you check this book out if you love romantasy, witches, and tension!

A solid 3 star fantasy romance about witches. I didn't give it more stars because there was A LOT going on and was hard to follow at times. Some of the side characters and plots likely could have been cut out and the book would have flowed better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher is an enchanting and captivating fantasy that follows a group of witches with unique powers who come together to protect their secrets and navigate the challenges of their magical world. Crutcher's writing is immersive and filled with charm, blending mystery, magic, and strong character development. The plot is engaging, with plenty of twists and emotional depth, making it a perfect read for fans of magical realism and stories about female empowerment.

Okay so . . . A Circle of Uncommon Witches has lots of magic, folklore, and POVs. Maybe even too much? Fantasy is one of my favorite things but there was A LOT happening here.

Ancient families, curses, trials, ghost, gods, liars, tricksters, and other random beings and creatures. And the magic system was quite confusing. I will say there was such vivid imagery, and traipsing around Scotland with this band of characters was pretty fun. There are so many lovely quotes throughout and Doreen deserves the world. Parts or this kept me hooked and parts of this truly had me confused. Also for all the anti-insta lovers out there, this may not be for you. I don’t have a problem with it usually, but this one had me scratching my head a bit. Nevertheless, a fun book, just be prepared to ask yourself “wtf?” more than a few times.

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A Circle of Uncommon Witches has a charming premise and a richly magical atmosphere, but it struggles with pacing and character depth. While Crutcher’s lyrical writing shines, some plot points feel underdeveloped, making it hard to stay fully invested.

Dive into a world of magic and romance as two unlikely enemies work to break a 300-year old curse before their very existence is eliminated. If you love a great paranormal adventure battling a creepy soul-sucking witch, then you need to check out A Circle of Uncommon Witches.

Doreen MacKinnon is a stubborn, impulsive, and courageous witch who aims to break a curse before she turns 30 or risk dying from a broken heart. The problem is she needs help from the one man responsible for the torment of her coven never being able to find true love. She did not think her journey would involve freeing a trapped witch, going against her family, stepping through a portal, and getting feelings for a man she should not trust with her life.

Ambrose MacDonald is the witch who cursed the MacKinnon witches who took his true love away. He’s mysterious, angry, and extremely resilient. I mean, this guy is trapped and tortured endlessly in a nightmarish time loop and still manages to keep his sanity. I found Ambrose captivating with his little smirks and natural protectiveness toward Doreen. The banter between them is fun and refreshing. It’s not just the typical good vs. evil vibe but a promising tension that keeps you on your toes.

Ms. Crutcher juggles an intricate plot and complex character development while creating a compelling story that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a blend of magical adventure, unexpected twists, and a little romance, give this one a shot.

Thank you to Ms. Crutcher for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i hadn’t realized that i read the author’s debut novel until about halfway through this book 🫣

this was a fun romantasy full of witches and generational curses, with Scotsmen. i truly have a knack for reading scottish romances without knowing they’re set in scotland…

i also listened to the audio, and i really enjoyed the narrator!

I loved the concept of the book and the overall idea, but something about it didn't quite work for me personally. The pace of the story and romance felt too fast - almost disorienting, if that makes sense? When romances don't have enough build up of an emotional connection and time for small moments before the flourish of their relationship, it feels forced and unrealistic. I enjoyed some of the side characters moments, the trials, and the friendships, but aside from that, not much else. I never felt compelled to pick the book back up but was never put off by it either, I just felt neutral. I could live without knowing what happened next. The ending did not round out the book well either.

When witch Doreen learns she is doomed to either die by the age of 30 or marry for love, knowing the only way she could have someone fall in love with her would be to put a spell on him, she decides to break the hundreds years old curse to hopefully have her own choice in life. Full of grit and determination, she finds Ambrose, who has been cursed by her family hundreds of years ago, and releases him from the spell to help her break the spell they are all under. Fighting ghosts, magical creatures, and a very angry decided witch who wants their souls, they must work together to defeat her and break the spell. A cute fantasy story with a happy ending. Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s for an ARC of this novel; all opinions are yours own.

In A Circle of Uncommon Witches, Paige Crutcher takes readers on a magical journey through Scotland and the realms beyond. The novel begins with the rebellious Doreen MacKinnon, a 13th generation witch seeking to break a curse of her family. Three hundred years ago, Ambrose MacDonald, a powerful witch from a rival line, fell in love with Lenora MacKinnon, and when he was forbidden from seeing her, he cast a curse upon the entire MacKinnon clan, dooming them to choose loveless marriages or perish by the age of thirty. When Doreen realizes Ambrose has been held captive by the MacKinnons, she sets out to free him so he can help her end the curse. Together, they face epic trials that bring them face to face with their greatest fears.

While navigating foreign landscapes, dark magic, and vengeful ghosts, sparks begin to fly between Doreen and Ambrose. Their witty banter and sensual attraction to one another will keep readers interested in the outcome of the trials which can break the curse, allowing the MacKinnon women to fall in love and be loved. The book moves beyond romance, fully exploring the bonds of women and presenting fully rounded characters with positive and negative traits. The relationship between Doreen and her cousin Margot is of particular interest, informing the plot and themes from the beginning to the end.

In addition to providing readers with an engaging plot, Crutcher builds a world of magic, explaining how the families use oak trees to travel across space and time and seal their spells with maple syrup. If you enjoy witchy stories filled will full-fledged magic like Paige Crutcher’s What Became of Magic, pick up A Circle of Uncommon Witches. This is an atmospheric and entertaining read!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

This book is for everyone who loved Practical Magic as a little girl and wanted more of the idea of the cursed witches. Margot and Doreen are the 13th generation of witches cursed since their ancestor, Leonora MacKinnon, fell in love with Alistair MacDonald, who cursed Leonora's interfering family for interrupting their love. Like all MacKinnon witches before them, Margot and Doreen are forced to choose between placing a husband under their spell or dying by age 30. But Doreen sets out to break the spell - even if it means working with Alistair, whose anger has not improved over centuries.

Like with any story about witches, the core relationship has to be between the sisters. Doreen and Margot are cousins, but having been raised together means that they have become sisters for all purposes. I really enjoyed how they made different choices - Margot is married, while Doreen left the man her family had enthralled to love her, but the sisters have incredible empathy for each other and work to support each other and believe in each other. The book contrasts this with some understandable family conflict - when they only way for your family to survive and thrive is exploiting men, can there ever be a love with an equal power dynamic? I think by turning a common dilemma between men and women on its head, the book is really able to ask questions about power dynamics in a fascinating way..especially when the antagonist turns out to be someone who made a painful decision from a broken heart. "Broken hearts break hearts" is something a character says in the first chapter - it's as true in this novel as in the real world.

The relationship between Doreen and Alistair is beautiful, and very much like a fairy tale. I did wish we had gotten to see the two of them build their relationship a bit more, but I did appreciate that the women's relationships were always in the front of the story. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves Practical Magic or any of Alice Hoffman's other works.

I have been deep into dramione fanfiction for weeks now so it was hard to make time to get back to my arcs. I'm so glad that I finally did! It had all the fun witchy vibes, it reminded me a little of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches! There was a lot that I really enjoyed but I think I felt a bit of a disconnect with the characters and relationships. A lot and not enough was happening but it was still a very cute witchy book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this gifted arc!

I enjoyed The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher, so I looked forward to reading this one.

It turns out I felt the exact same way about this book as I felt about The Orphan Witch.

I enjoy the books, even though I am confused at times. But magic should be confusing, right, that’s why it’s magic.

This book had a fairy tale quality to it, with a young, powerful witch trying to break an old curse. A curse that kept her line of witches from falling in love. To unlock the curse, she begins by releasing Ambrose MacDonald, a handsome male witch who set the curse originally.

Young powerful witch, handsome male witch … you can guess what happens.

They had to solve a bunch of trials, there were different POV’s, different settings, and it got confusing at times, but I still enjoyed it.

I love the cover. And i think for those who really enjoy fantasy and romance, they'll like this novel. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. The story felt disjointed and the characters fell flat.

Teetering between 2 and 3 stars. I took a lot of breaks while reading this because I just wasn’t drawn to it. I’d have other books come up and preferred them over this. The storyline in general was intriguing, but I feel like I got thrown in to a book with slim pickings for background information. There were a lot of random bursts of information I would find myself having to re read and wonder if I was supposed to understand what was going on. I still don’t understand the ending. Was it like… a hint at something? Or just an end?
I feel like the love story was very sudden. Like I don’t even really understand the timeline. I feel like the story happened over the span of 3 days but then all of a sudden she was like “I had a month and now I have days left…” like wait what? It was like they fell in love in 2 days with the slimmest character development and then the author was like don’t worry guys it’s actually been a month it’s more reasonable now 😅 anyways. Not my fav. It was fine. Probably a 2.75.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press publishing for this ARC!

In an attempt to break her familial curse, young but powerful witch Doreen Mackinnon frees Ambrose MacDonald — the witch who cast the curse after falling in love with Doreen’s ancestor — from imprisonment. To end the hex, Doreen will face grueling magical trials with Ambrose by her side, unaware of his continued desire for vengeance despite the sparks that start to fly between them.

I was really taken by the premise of this novel. Magical trials, feuding witch families, a centuries old love curse? It has all the components I enjoy in a fantasy story. The trials were inventive and the relationship between Doreen and her cousin Margot was a standout, but unfortunately, I felt like I was playing catch up for most of this book because of the pacing at the beginning. The narrative drops us directly into the action from page one and I didn’t feel like we were given enough context to fully grasp the parameters of the world. Because of this, I never quite understood the magic and how it manifested. We also didn’t get nearly enough of build up between Doreen and Ambrose and their connection felt too insta lust despite them journeying together.

The pacing remained quick throughout the entirety of the story which I did appreciate when Doreen and Ambrose faced the trials and their banter was quite humorous considering their centuries old age gap. This book was quick and cute but I wish there were about 100 more pages that set up the world building and love story a bit more. I still think this is a fun read for anyone who enjoys witchy romances and I especially got Practical Magic vibes from Doreen’s family dynamics!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press | St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars

This book was pretty good but it left a lot of questions and no answers. Loved Doreen and Ambrose. Still didn’t like Stella at the end and what she did made no sense. This is my second book by this author. I liked this one better than the first but she really needs a more fleshed out story in both of them. Not sure if I will read anything else from her.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for a review.