I genuinely enjoyed reading this book! I was delighted when I realized it was a standalone. So many authors lately have tried to stretch their story over several books and I think Crutcher did a great job of telling a story with a compelling, sufficiently complicated plot in a one-book format.

I would've loved a bit more backstory if only because it was so interesting! I loved the concept of witches cursed to never find true love; but also being forced to marry before the age of 30 or face death. What a choice! I think every reader could find it within themselves to grapple with that decision along with Doreen and Margot.

While we're making wish lists, I also would've loved more time with Ambrose and Doreen. I liked their relationship but the reader would've benefited from getting to watch it grow and develop a bit more.

I honestly was sucked into this book from the beginning. I loved the setting and the plot. I liked the characters, even Doreen and Margot's morally gray family members. I look forward to reading more from Paige Crutcher in the future and would love to read a book about Margot and Dean next.

It took me forever to read this book for some reason but I kept wanting to come back. I never felt like I wanted to DNF, perhaps I was just savoring it. I truly enjoyed every aspect of the story. It is so visual, fantastical, dreamy, and otherworldly. Such an intriguing plot that kept me guessing. It was mysterious and full of secrets and twists and I almost never knew what to believe was real, even till the very last line. The MCs were easy to root for and the subtle romance in the book gave me butterflies!
I'm glad I was introduced to Paige Crutcher through this book and I'm excited to read some of her other witchy books.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc!!

I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, entertaining, and simply magical. I loved the concept and story line of the book.

A confounding obstacle course of spiritual and emotional ordeals will hopefully bring an end to a horrible curse.

My very first feelings were sympathy for these witches and this curse that basically left them with two terrible choices as adults. The curse was explained in great detail and very cleverly when we met Doreen and Margot in the first chapter. They are two very likable characters and I was rooting for Doreen to find a solution.

Ambrose got a raw deal and his selfish motives at the start made complete sense. For some reason, that I'm not entirely sure of, Ambrose made Doreen believe they were going to see someone who could help with breaking the curse. This led them to the trials in the underworld, which were fantastic and intricate and reshaped Doreen's view of her own world and abilities. The complicated plot surrounding Ambrose's curse and Ada's own history was confusing at times and it took a while to unravel all those parts.

Doreen and Ambrose were clearly attracted to each other from the start, but I wasn't all that convinced about them as a couple. I wanted to be. Ambrose spent most of the story pining for Lenora and denying any connection to Doreen, and then it all suddenly changed (with a good explanation, I should add). But that made it more difficult to believe in Ambrose's feelings for Doreen.

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read, but there were a lot of things happening that were difficult to piece together. If you like witches, curses, and spending time in alternate realms, then this might be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A bewitching and enchanting tale that blends magic, mystery, and mild romance. The writing is immersive and spellbinding drawing the reader into a different realm. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Paige Crutcher, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own,

DNF at 40% - and it was a struggle to get that far! I had high hopes for this book based on the synopsis but unfortunately the book just didn't land. The characters seemed very disconnected and clunky along with a clunky story line. I was constantly confused as to where the characters were going and what the point of each excursion was. It felt very much like a dream where to start in the middle of a situation without much build up and explanation.

Sadly for me this book didn't hit the way I was hoping.

Interesting, but I have to admit that I lost the plot several times.
I enjoyed Doreen, Ambrose, and Margot, but the way things were interwoven was a bit confusing.

Paige Crutcher's "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" is a fun, fast-paced story filled with magic, sisterhood, and adventure. The relationships between the women were the highlight for me—fun and dynamic. It's the kind of relationship that would translate perfectly to the screen; I could see this as a movie or series one day.

I jumped in feet first because the premise sounded awesome. And I loved the energy of the beginning, but somewhere in the middle, the story started moving almost too fast. At times, it felt like too much was happening, and I got distracted.

That said, I still really enjoy Paige Crutcher's writing and look forward to reading more from her. Even though "A Circle of Uncommon Witches" wasn't my favorite, it had plenty of charm.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is not my usual sort of book. I’ve read very few stories about witches but nonetheless very much enjoyed this title. The author creates memorable characters, a well-crafted world, and an interesting and exciting plot. It is the kind of story that one reads waiting for a happy ending and resolution. Read this one to see how it all turns out.

Recommended to readers who enjoy romance, magic, a bit of fantasy and a fun story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-St. Martins Griffin for this title. All opinions are my own.

Note that I began my review on the site with the summary that is here on NG. I credited it.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher is a story of adventure, romance, and destiny, all by asking one question: is true love worth the cost? After being kept from his true love, Ambrose MacDonald curses the MacKinnon witches, preventing them from finding true love. In turn, they imprisoned him; he'll outlive everyone, trapped in a tempest. Doreen MacKinnon is destined to die thanks to a curse placed on her family by Ambrose after he he lost the woman he loved. If she doesn't fine true love, her fate is sealed.

But there's something different about Doreen and her cousin. They are the 13th generation of Scottish Witches which means they are more powerful than those who came before. Every single person she shows an interest in, falls under her thrall. So when she discovers where Ambrose has been trapped, she releases Ambrose who has been trapped in a tempest and tortured for the past three hundred years. He agrees to help break the curse although he is more interested in vengeance against her family than helping.

As the two work together, sparks start to fly but Doreen must keep her eye on the bottom line: ending the curse and saving her family. Even if it means heartbreak. Together, they enter a series of trials, which take them to a castle in Scotland, off a cliff, and into a world beyond their wildest dreams. But soon Doreen must choose how far she is willing to go to break the curse, and what she's willing to sacrifice. Both Doreen and Margot are curious witches. Margot can create her own spells, while Doreen remembers every spell she's seen, or encountered.

Doreen narrates the novel primarily, although there are chapters where Ambrose speaks as well as Ada (who is an underworld Witch), which allows readers to explore the story from all viewpoints. There are journal entries, also, that are read aloud in parts, which helps to fill in the background of some of the more historical figures that play an important role. The story is a good mix of romance and fantasy but light on the witchcraft and obvious spellwork by our main cast of characters with Doreen, Ambrose, and Margot, despite witches being in the title. Also, I am still waiting for answers on the ending and since I hate open ended endings, thus my rating.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches has a compelling premise—generational curses, forbidden love, and a reluctant alliance between enemies. The setup promised a mix of adventure, romance, and magical intrigue, but the execution didn’t always fully deliver.

The magic system sometimes felt inconsistent, with moments where the rules seemed unclear or underdeveloped. There were also character shifts that felt abrupt. Some significant emotional or personality changes happened so suddenly that I found myself flipping back to see if I had missed something (I hadn’t, reading on an eBook). This sometimes gave the impression that parts of the story were rushed or incomplete, making it harder to fully invest in the characters and their journey.

That said, the overall story was enjoyable, and I generally like most books I finish. There were moments of strong atmosphere and some compelling emotional beats, but the book leaned heavily on familiar fantasy tropes, especially the “chosen one” concept, without always adding enough depth to make them feel fresh.

Ultimately, A Circle of Uncommon Witches had the potential to be something more than it was. It’s an entertaining read, especially for fans of witchy fantasy romances, but it left me wanting a little more depth and development in both the world-building and character arcs.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches kept me hooked with its twists and turns, revealing little but crucial details at just the right moments.

Doreen MacKinnon is the latest in a long line of witches cursed to never find true love - a fate she’s determined to break. Three hundred years ago, the powerful witch Ambrose MacDonald cursed her family in revenge after being forbidden from his own love. But his vengeance came at a price, leaving him imprisoned in a raging tempest. Unlike her ancestors, Doreen refuses to accept her destiny, and when she discovers Ambrose’s prison, she sets him free to help undo the spell. Though he agrees, Ambrose has his own agenda: revenge. As they face magical trials, dangerous landscapes, and unexpected feelings, Doreen must decide how far she’ll go to break the curse and whether true love is worth the risk.

While the story is framed around Doreen's quest to break her family's curse, the focus leans more on family lore and magical trials than on romance. Ambrose is a fascinating character, and I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Doreen, though I wouldn’t say their relationship was the central driving force.

I was definitely not a fan of the aunts throughout this book, but the rich world-building and the unraveling of the MacKinnon family’s history made for an engaging read. If you love stories loaded with magic, destiny, and a bit of vengeance, this one is worth picking up!

The women in the witchy MacKinnon family are cursed. Anyone they develop a crush on is magically compelled to be with them. OK, so maybe that sounds like a gift…except that they’ll never know if their partner actually loves them for them. And if they don’t settle down with one of these bewitched beloveds by their thirtieth birthday, they die. 29-year-old Doreen MacKinnon is determined to break the curse, and she begins by freeing Ambrose, the witch who cursed the family hundreds of years ago, from his enchanted prison. But ending the curse is going to be harder than anyone bargained for…especially because Doreen starts to find herself falling for Ambrose.

I’m not usually a romantasy reader, but I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and I’m glad I picked it up! It was a fun, fast-paced story with a cinematic feel and loads of great banter. I loved that female friendships and family relationships played a big role, and I really enjoyed the ending. This isn’t an all-time fave for me, but I had a fun day reading it.

I love a good witchy book. Doreen wants nothing more than to break the curse the women in her family suffer from. We follow her as she tries to break that curse and learns what it truly means to love and whether making sacrifices is worth it. Both Ambrose and Doreen discovered things about themselves as they took on this great adventure and quickly found out that even the best plans don't always go as planned, and maybe it isn't so bad.

Thanks to the St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc!!

A relatively interesting historical story mired in a slow modern day fairy tale. I couldn’t get into the romance which was disappointing as it had all the pieces that should have reeled me in. The ancient love triangle was the best part but there was too much going on to really get into it. Generally underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy. These opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book the lore, characters, and plot were all amazing. Thank you for the arc of this book as someone who loves everything witchcraft related this was a nice fun read.

This was a new author for me, however, I chose to read it because the description sounded like something I would enjoy. A family of witches, secrets, dark pasts and curses. Doreen doesn't want to settle and won't believe she only has 2 choices. Neither of which she wants. After watching her best friend and cousin Margot give in to their family beliefs of the curse and no option, settling for fabricated love, she is even more determined to change her future. With pieces of information about their family curse and a man named Ambrose her goal, she sets out to undo their families trouble. Through trials, family betrayal, tricks and unwavering goodness Doreen must make choices. Which will lead her to her desired outcome? Will she find true love? Ambrose and Doreen were great main characters and watching them evolve and untangle family history and lies was really engaging.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher.

I had a tough time getting through this book. It wasn't a bad book I just feel it was a little slow. Sometimes I didn't understand what was going on and I feel like some details may have been missed.

Once I had gotten through the book and was able to really sit and reflect I thought it was a good story. I loved Ambrose and Doreen!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

This one I walked into not really knowing what to expect. The beginning for me was a little muddled- not much backstory to go off of, yet there were so many pages leading up to the climax of this novel. I didn’t love the way it was structured overall, but I liked the plot line. Doreen as the thirteenth witch of her coven should have been more of a strong female lead, but I felt often she was overshadowed by her love of Ambrose and who he is as an enemy of the coven.

Once we got into journal entries of Ada and why she is the way she is, I thought for sure we’d get a little backstory on Doreen’s family life, however no such luck there. A few missing elements left this book just *okay* but I’d be curious to see if another book came out and made this a series if it got any easier to follow.

A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher was absolutely enchanting!
Okay, so this is my favorite. And not just my favorite Crutcher book.
No, this is the best type of fantasy! I don’t think I can quite put into words.
Paige Crutchers writing is captivating. She knows how to pull the reader into a magnificent and intriguing place.
The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb.
The attention to details in Crutchers writing really set the scene and tone.
Paige Crutcher does it again!