3.5 stars:
The Ravenswood Witch is a gothic story set in 1885 in England. It starts with the female main character is running from the law and just as she is about to get to the ferry – she collides with Marcus Greybourne and breaks her ankle. Marcus convinces the local police that she is his wife, Luna Greybourne. Luna Greybourne is known as the Ravenswood Witch, and we aren’t sure where Luna is during this time. As the female character “Luna” integrates into her new life we learn more about her past and about the real Luna. I enjoyed the story, the gothic atmosphere and the “twists”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy.

"The Ravenswood Witch" by Jenni Keer is a captivating historical fiction that incorporates elements of gothic mystery, the supernatural, and romance seamlessly.

The year is 1885 and the protagonist is a female fugitive accused of committing murder, who comes across a rather hostile Marcus Greybourne. In order to defend her, Marcus persuades the village policeman that she is his hermit wife, Luna. Unfortunately, the hermit, known as the Ravenswood Witch, has her own reasons for not showing up that are rather intriguing.

Keer’s work is very descriptive and beautifully written, creating a highly evocative and captivating background for the reader. From her twinkling diadem to her vaguely sinister yet alluring tower house, Ravenswood Hall is a living, breathing entity rife with ominous overtones and elfin hints.

The use of several voices, particularly Luna’s, in the recounting of incidents enriches the story and makes it quite interesting.

Most importantly, the quiet protagonist finds her romance in turbulent circumstances that manage to add anticipation to the tale. The paranormal aspect, on its turn, is very effective interspersed in the narrative, making the readers very satisfied.

To sum up ‘The Ravenswood Witch’, this is an enjoyable and well-constructed novel that will surely give you quite a few surprises. It is definitely highly recommended for those readers who prefer paranormal historical fiction with elements of gothic mystery.
Overall, "The Ravenswood Witch" is a captivating and cleverly written novel that will leave you with many "aha" moments. It's a must-read for fans of gothic mysteries and historical fiction with a supernatural twist.

Jenni Keer has been a must read and buy author of mine since I read Burlington Square and At the Stroke of Midnight. I find that she writes extremely well and has a touch of paranormal in the way of time slips and alternate dimension types of paranormal. This was different from those 2 in the way that this was paranormal based on witches and ghostly characters but nothing that shifted time and space. Different to what I knew of her writing but not bad at all.

This book is written from the point of view of 2 characters. One, a female on the run from the law and accidentally running into (literally) a man who really needs her help. This is the main voice throughout the book and we get to know and like her character although we don't really find out her name until about two thirds of the way through the story. The lesser written about POV is Eloise, a madam of recent fortune who acts like a spoilt brat and ruining the lives of whoever should get in her way. I was trying to piece together the 'who from one part is a character in the other' and I thought I had it figured out, until I found I didn't.

I loved the 'familiar' Bran and his antics, I appreciated the different characters that made up the village although can't work out why one of them wasn't given more grief for her witchy antics herself. There wasn't quite enough of the 'what actually happened in detail' at the end for me and thought that could have been padded out. All in all, another great read from Jenni Keer and a perfect read for spooky Halloween season.

Thanks very much to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Jenni Keer for the advanced review copy to read. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars - historical, gothic mystery.

After Marcus accidently causes a young woman to fall and break her ankle he offers her respite at his home under the condition she pretends to be his missing wife. The young woman, seemingly on the run from the police, accepts his offer but is wary as the missing wife, Luna, is a suspected witch. The story also switches POVs from the young woman pretending to be Luna to a wealthy girl, Eloise in a neighbouring town and her maid Rose, as Eloise tries to win the heart of a local boy, her father deems unworthy.

After a slow start the book started to pick up but I felt frustrated by the story. The young woman pretending to be Luna never wavers from her story so we don't truly know who she is, until the story draws to a close. I was shocked by her reveal as I was convinced she was someone else. I felt this overshadowed the slow burn romance of the story as Marcus also pretend she is Luna, so I was never really convinced of his feeling towards the fake Luna.

I did really enjoyed the atmosphere and the creepiness of the manor and the overall witch story arc but I also felt let down by the ending as it was left partially open.

If the synopsis hadn’t screamed at me that I must read this, then the fact it said fans of Jane Eyre will be utterly spellbound meant I was in and once you add in witchcraft, you couldn’t pull me away from it. I loved the completely gothic feel to this story, the house and it’s idiosyncrasies, accusations abd rumours of witchcraft, things that go bump in the night, I couldn’t have loved this book more.

Then there’s the Raven, well no spoilers but you’re going to love him, so intriguing and thoroughly entertaining, I loved him, almost as much as Marcus and ‘Luna’ , ok maybe a little more. I love the atmospheric feel reading this and their are some real spine tingling moments in this book.

It’s definitely an October, spooky season read and I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves a slow burn, lots of mystery, complex characters, an addictive and atmospheric read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Looking for a perfect book for this fall months/Halloween reads? Look no further! For me it was just okey, didn't love but I enjoyed it. It was slow at times and I struggled to keep the interest up, but I got through the book at last. An okey read.

Love a gothic novel & although there's quite a lot where not much happens there's a good twist (some may expect it but I certainly didn't!)
Very different from her previous books which I also enjoyed.

This book? Loved it! The cover, the writing, the characters, the story line, the twists…..perfect!
I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic style of this one, had the feel of a classic whilst reading it.
The story is well paced and flows so well, I got carried away with it and hadn’t realised how far I’d gotten in the first sitting. There was more than one twist in the book, and I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t expecting some of them at all.
This is perfect for the time of year, but to be honest, I’d read it at anytime.
Extremely enjoyable and I’d happily recommend this to everyone.

This book pulled me in from the very first page and didn’t let go. Set against the haunting backdrop of Ravenswood Hall, the story weaves together elements of mystery, gothic romance, and dark magic to create an atmosphere that is both chilling and mesmerizing. The plot is rich with suspense, and the tension builds beautifully as secrets are slowly unraveled. The protagonist's struggle to maintain the charade while navigating the eerie, shadowy halls of the manor had me on the edge of my seat. Fans of Jane Eyre and gothic tales will love the brooding charm of Marcus Greybourne, the creeping dread of Ravenswood’s dark past, and the powerful sense of foreboding that lingers on every page. This is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ravenswood Witch has all the elements of a classic gothic romance, a broody lord, a haunted manor, a superstitious village and all encompassing forest, which is perfect for the autumn season. As someone who reads a lot of gothic literature, and gothic romance, this was a little light in tone for what I was ultimately hoping it would be, but it was still very much enjoyable. If you're just getting into gothic romance, this is a good place to start!

The Ravenswood Witch is a deliciously gothic story set in 1885 in southern England somewhere. (Stonehenge is mentioned as being not all that far away.) Most of the action takes place in a small village. There are hints of paranormal activity and, of course, accusations of witchcraft.

The story centers around a young woman, unnamed for most of the book, who is hurt while trying to elude the police for something she didn’t do. The young man who she ran into, Marcus, takes her into his grand, but rundown house (mansion, really). Since she looks a lot like his wife, Luna, he winds up asking the young woman to impersonate her. Luna seems to have been totally crazy and violent. What happened to the real Luna? And was she really a witch?

Another story is told as well, interspersed between “Luna” and Marcus’ chapters. It involves a woman named Eloise who has “set her cap” for a young man named Daniel, in a town not too far away. We eventually find out how the two stories are connected.

The atmosphere was wonderful, with brooding woods and a mysterious well that went dry years ago, but is still thought to have supernatural powers of some sort. There’s a raven, who “Luna” names Bran, as she nurses him back to health (a broken leg). I adored Bran and his antics.

The mystery was excellent and there were a variety of characters who were intriguing: were they trustworthy or not?

I would have liked to learn more about the real Luna, but we only get a little bit of information about her and about what drove her to behave the way she did. I would have liked more about Marcus as well.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a creepy yet captivating book !
Once I picked it up, I could not put it down, for I wanted to know every secret this book held.
Many plot twists, some predictable, but some totally unexpected and made the story even more pleasant (Yes chapter 33, I am looking at you).
A nice and easy read ! Some aspects could have been better I guess, but I had such a nice time reading it that any other note wouldn’t be fair.

This darkly Gothic story explores some familiar ‘madwoman in the attic’ -style themes but with differences that keep you guessing as to whether the tale will end up in paranormal, mystery or even romantic genre territory.

I can definitely see comparisons to Jane Eyre, Rebecca, The Yellow Wallpaper, and even classic fairytales like the story of Bluebeard’s wives or the Stockholm syndrome favourite, Beauty and the Beast. Our initially nameless heroine narrator flees from arrest straight into the arms of a mysterious stranger, and they strike a fake-marriage deal for her protection and his financial gain. Which could work for a thriller or a fake-turned-real romance, and the author really kept me guessing until the end as to which I was reading.

We get two interwoven storylines – one of a well-brought-up young lady and her interest in a free-thinking new arrival to the courting scene, and the other with our fake ‘Luna’ who is fleeing blame for that young man’s suspicious death – and both timelines are paced so that the plots only come together towards the end of the story. This is a brilliant addition to the suspense elements of the story, but it does mean that it is a little hard to get to know our main character until quite late in the book, and Marcus is absent for quite a lot of it too – I would have liked to see more of their pasts really, to get more of a feel for their characters in the present.

There was plenty going on in the plot to keep me busy though. I really loved ‘Luna’s’ interactions with suspicious locals, her investigations into her husband and her marital predecessor, the occult or ghostly goings-on, and her slowly developed relationships with the Webbers (servants) and Bran (raven). I didn’t, however, fully buy into the the romance, as it felt like there were too many secrets, suspicions and deceptions underlying the relationship for it to prosper in the long run… but then, I felt the same about Jane and Rochester too!

What did really work for me was the mystery and suspense, and the haunting oppressive uncertainty that permeated the story and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on and who could be trusted. So I would definitely recommend this for those looking for a highly atmospheric historical mystery with some surprise twists in the execution.

This one was just ok for me! I love to read books with the season, so it was fun in that sense. My sister read it as well so it was fun to talk about it when we finished.

This is the perfect autumn read, full of witchcraft, mystery and intrigue. The tension gripped me from the very beginning as the story sets off at a pace and takes you straight into the mystery. A young woman on the run, her backstory slowly being revealed. A preoccupied man who is prepared to take in an injured woman, but for what gain? A mysterious house full of secrets and ghosts that brought to mind vibes of Jane Eyre. This is a book that will send shivers down your spine as gradually the truth is revealed in this super gothic novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

I Iove witchy books lately!
Tihs book started out with a bang, with a woman on the run, so I was hooked straight away. She then gets rescued by a man who suspiciously pretends she is his long lost wife, which is when the intrigue begins and doesn't let up.
There are plenty of nervy moments for the reader, as the woman tries to find out more about the wife and questions the staff at the house. There are huge Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier vibes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it is a quick and suspenseful read that I couldn't put down.

"Rebecca" or the wife from Jane Eyre vibes for sure, with a sprinkling of changeling.
Dual timelines, two POVs, two (maybe more!) murders, mystery abounds.
What a perfectly dark, witchy fall book. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole book until the very end, which fell flat for me.

Spoiler:
I was with the book the whole time, all the way through the "twist" and who the real witch was and I believed Marcus was going to get what he wanted and that Luna/Rose could possibly pull off her identity. But the last few pages, I could not connect with the rest of the book. The last few pages that are about Luna/Rose "confessing" and the authorities need to look into her mistress, didn't feel like the same book to me. It didn't feel like the true ending. No one asked where the real Luna was, and just seemed like everything was skimmed over even though throughout the whole book everyone was questioning Luna/Rose!

Great fall read. A really nice mixture of spooky, darker elements with a love story. Loved the descriptions of the atmosphere and the house and surrounding woods.

The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Keer

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’

The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle.

To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local constable that she is his reclusive wife of ten years, Luna. He carries her back to the neglected and crumbling Ravenswood Hall, promising if she agrees to maintain this charade, he will keep her safe until her injuries have healed.

But the house is haunted by shadows and secrets. What’s more, the real Luna Greybourne is missing, without trace. Scratches and marks made by her around the house suggest witchcraft; and indeed Luna is known locally as the Ravenswood Witch; her reputation in tatters, like the wallpapers of the padlocked rooms she’d destroyed.

My Opinion

I went into The Ravenswood Witch with an idea of what the book would be like, but I was so wrong. I am trying to read more Historical Fiction as it is definitely a genre I have stayed away from, and this was a pleasant surprise.

With a spooky setting this is going to make for a great book to read this Halloween. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I read over 80% in one sitting. I really enjoyed the way that Jenni Keer has used alternating timelines to fill the reader in on the past.

Rating 4/5

It’s that time of year again. Nights are drawing in, leaves are crunching underfoot, there is a frosty nip in the morning air. Halloween approaches and everyone feels like cuddling up in front of the fire with a good piece of gothic fiction. Or is that just me? Well, if this description sounds like you as well, you can do a lot worse than pick up Jenni Keer’s new book, The Ravenswood Witch.

Jenni is getting a reputation for writing beautiful, historical fiction blended perfectly with a dollop of the supernatural and her writing just keeps getting stronger and stronger with every book so, those of us who are in on her rising brilliance eagerly await her latest novel and this one has been worth the wait. A young woman is careening through the woods, running for her life, when she collides with a mysterious man, who is forced to rescue her. But has she actually been rescued or simply catapulted into a different type of peril? The man’s wife – known locally as the Ravenswood Witch – is missing, occult symbols scratched around the house all that indicates her presence, and there is only one suspect in her disappearance…

The setting of this book perfectly sets the tone, creepy woods, gloomy house, nearby village full of hostile locals; it has more than a whiff of the Rebecca about it so, if that is your vibe (and who doesn’t love Du Maurier?) you are going to LOVE this book. But it is in the characterisation that its strength truly lies. The cast is small but mighty and each one is drawn with precision and purpose, perfectly playing their role and coming together to tell a believable story of the unbelievable. Everyone has a secret, everyone could be dangerous and working out who to trust and who is dangerous not only proves problematic for the main character, but for the reader as well, it is brilliantly done.

Whilst the book is largely character-driven, the plot is also cleverly woven to keep the reader guessing right until the end – and beyond. The author knows exactly when to let information slip and when to keep certain cards close to her chest and she slithers through the plot with mastery and obvious glee, so the reader is compelled to follow her merry dance, but this is no hardship. I devoured the book in 24 hours and loved every minute.

This book is a masterclass in how to write modern, gothic fiction and it is really obvious to the reader that the author loves and is committed to what she is writing. the enthusiasm cannot help but carry over to the reader, and both reader and writer go on a joyous journey of storytelling together. The discovery of books like this is why I read. Truly wonderful.