"The Conjurer's Wife" by Sarah Penner is a captivating and enchanting read that will transport you to a world of magic, mystery, and romance. This delightful novel follows a young woman named Lucy, who marries a charismatic conjurer and becomes embroiled in a world of illusion, deception, and wonder.

I rather enjoyed this short read. Set in 1821, Italy, a Venetian conjurer pulls off such captivating tricks (wallets to flowers and foxes from thin air) that not even his wife (and assistant) knows his secrets. After an accidental discovery regarding her accident last year that left her broken with amnesia, Olivia seeks out the truth about her husband's tricks, her accident, and her mysterious wedding with no witnesses.

I read this short story during a nail appointment, so it does not take a major time commitment. The story drew me in from the beginning, and each little twist and turn kept my interest peaked until the end.

This had potential but ended too abruptly for me. I think I would have enjoyed a full length novel so much more.

For a short story, it was entertaining. I liked the setting, period and the characters were well developed. Yet, I feel that some things were unanswered, or that should have a second part. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC.

The wife of a magician finds herself increasingly annoyed with him and wanting to break free. As she finds out the source of his magic, she learns a dark secret.

Overall, for a short story, this was pretty good. My biggest problem, as with most short stories, was that I wish there just had been more in places. If it had been like 10 pages longer even, I think this might’ve solved that problem.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Read this one buddy read with my girlfriend who originally also gave me The Lost Apothecary. We’re both Sarah Penner fans now and The Conjurer’s Wife was excellent too. A nice length with it being a short story as well.

First time reading a book by Sarah Penner and I had no idea what to expect. Who knew a short story could hold your attention and come with a plot twist. I love how it was short but so full of information. I wish it was longer but at the same time, it was perfect. I am definitely going to check out more of her books.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for the advance copy for an honest review.

A short story (only 30-40 pages), but I though it was such a smart, well-written story. Well crafted!

Sarah Penner, who wrote The Lost Apothecary, writes a wonderful short story ... about the conjurer's wife (go figure). I re-read most of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read the advance read copy of The Conjurer's Wife by Sarah Penner in exchange for an honest review. GoodReads indicates that certain versions are no cost, must be part of an unlimited package. For $0, why not?

This is an excellent short story about a young woman in nineteenth century Venice who is married to an illusionist and works as his assistant in his shows. There were mysterious circumstances in the past that caused her to lose her memory and she is search for the truth behind what actually happened. I was very excited to read this as it was written by Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary, which I really loved. I greatly appreciate how Penner’s stories involve women who are oppressed and evoke a sense of female empowerment through unconventional means. I really enjoyed this short story as it was well executed and packed a punch with the twist, which I did not see coming at all. As with most short stories, I just wish it were longer and more detailed with more resolution. I really enjoyed this main character and want to know what happens next for her! I would highly recommend this one as it is a quick, shocking read with a great message and outcome. Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Penner, and Amazon Publishing for the gifted ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

This was a great short story! I loved the characters and how fun the story was! THE REVENGE!!! Perfection

NetGalley ARC

Such a fun short story with a mysterious underlying feeling. Definitely a quick read if you have a bit to sit down and enjoy it. I personally loved the woman power moment in this book and that it felt like you were right there with her along the way making her realizations.

5/5 ⭐️

Super short story but packed with intrigue and a hook.

This is all pointing to Positano and The Amalfi Curse, I hope Olivia reappears in the book this spring. I think she’s an interesting character and I loved her revenge in the end!

The Conjurer's Wife is a short story by Sarah Penner. Oscar Van Hoff is a master of illusion and his shows have become the talk of the town in Venice. Even his wife Olivia, who is also his assistant, doesn't know he performs his magic. When she discovers his secret it will change her life forever!

Sarah Penner is hands-down one of my favorite authors. I don't often read short stories, but in true Penner fashion this one is brillantly written. It's almost a perfect precursor to The Amalfi Curse, with mentions of the characters and the plot. I read The Conjurer's Wife after and still loved it.

If you're looking for a quick pick-me-up read, this is one to check out.
4.5/5 stars

Thank you Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A page turner from the very beginning. I never knew what to expect or what could possibly come next in this story. It was enjoyable with a great plot for a short story.

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for an early copy for review.

I was hooked from the first page, and I really need this to be a full novel. I don't usually read short stories because I always need more, but I couldn't resist anything by Sarah Penner. I need more!

I did not realize this was a short story instead of Sarah Penner’s next novel. That said, I was pretty hooked until the abrupt ending. I thought my kindle malfunctioned when it wouldn’t advance any further. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

When I downloaded this ARC I did not realize that it was only a short story! Only 40 pages, I thought I just read the first chapter and was really hoping for more! This story premise would make an excellent full-length novel.

What a great story! The author's writing made me vividly picture everything that was going on. A short 40-page novella that said so much! Fantasy full of suspense. It had heartwarming and heartbreaking moments and I wish there were just a couple more pages at the end, however, I enjoyed its completeness.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for a copy for an honest review.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this as an eGalley from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This is a very short read that has some magic and irony in it. I don't have much to say about it; it was okay but nothing special.

Oscar Van Hoff is a magician that confounds his audiences with amazing magic. His wife, Olivia, is his beautiful assistant. Olivia is suffering from amnesia and getting more and more discontent with being Oscar's perfect assistant. Then Olivia uncovers the secret of Oscar's magic, along with another horrible truth.

This is an okay story with an ironic twist to it. However, the page space is so short you don't really engage with the characters or the world. The story felt very dissatisfying to me. Although Olivia uncovers the secret to Oscar's magic, we never learn more than the basics of what happens. This world does not seem to have magic in it normally, so I was puzzled by this one small piece of magic.

The whole thing feels very unfinished. To write a really good short story, you need to be able to build characters and a world in a very small space. It is difficult to do that well, and I don't feel like this story did a good job at that. It is fine; it only took me 20 minutes to read. However, it is also completely forgettable.

My Summary (3/5): Overall I could have taken or left this. It is an okay story with a fun bit of irony, but the world and characters didn't really come alive from me. If you are looking for a mediocre story about magic and a woman taking her independence from a controlling man, you might enjoy this. I just found it to be bland, and it didn't make me want to seek out additional writings from this author.