Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Sarah Penner's work and this was a fun story with a bit of an abrupt ending. I wish there was more, but I did see that Sarah's next book is going to take place in the town mentioned frequently in this story, so I will have to see if there is any crossover! I would love to see more of Olivia!

I love when an author can pack a punch into a short story, and this one was just perfect. Sarah Penner created a world that glowed with possibilities and gave us something to make us think and want to explore it. Olivia was a wonderful character. She was mysterious and strong, and figuring out everything along with her was a perfect way to craft this story. Even in such a short story, I couldn't put it down. It had the feeling of old glamour and glitz, mixed perfectly with ideas of self, companionship, female empowerment, and autonomy. I will happily read anything that Sarah Penner writes, but especially any more short stories. It is not always that an author can create a complete experience that feels this satisfying in such a short amount of time.

I immensely enjoyed Sarah Penner's short story, "The Conjurer's Wife."

World-renowned magician Oscar Van Hoff regularly amazing audiences with his incredible illusions, confounding even his wife, Van Hoff's assistant.

in each performance, she knows her husband expects her to hit her marks and to stick to the lines he writes for her. However, with each performance, she begins to feel rebellious. She questions whether her husband perhaps holds any even darker secret.

Penner does a beautiful job of world building. I highly recommend this short story.

“ The Conjurer’s Wife“ by Sarah Penner – 4 stars - Out Now!

This short story does an excellent job of drawing in the reader, setting the place and scene, and finally placing you firmly in front and center of the stage where the Conjurer’s Wife stands, beautiful and mysterious.

This is a lovely little tale about a woman’s right to define herself with themes of empowerment, self observation, and a perfect middle finger to the patriarchy.

I find the information about the witches of Positano and the detail of the red fox cub, both fascinating, intriguing, and memorable, but also unnecessary and a seemingly irrelevant.

Thanks as always to NetGalley, the Author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this story. My review is my own. #ButIDigress #ButIDigressBookClub #SarahPenner #TheConjurer’sWife #NetGalley #ARC

What a lush little read! Olivia was quite a mesmerising heroine. Although the ending was a little hurried, I would still recommend for reader who loves rich and emotional historical fiction

I truly love Sarah Penner’s writing. And I will probably read anything and everything she writes 😂

This short story was such a beautiful read. Although short, it still had such an amazing story line.

THE CONJURER’S WIFE review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🔮After reading THE LOST APOTHECARY waaaaay back in my pre-bookstagram days, I was excited to read a short story by the same author! As I do with all novellas, I went into this one blind and really enjoyed it!

🔮It’s hard to summarize such a short book without spoiling it so here’s the basics in one sentence:👇
Olivia’s husband is an illusionist whose shows draw in huge crowds, but the secret to his success is darker than even his wife can fathom…

🔮For such a short story this one had me on the edge of my seat! I didn’t see the ending coming at all and I really enjoyed it! As with most novellas, I wanted just a biiiit more closure but that’s a me thing. 🤷‍♀️ I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait for this author’s 2025 release!

I found this short read super intriguing and lovely read. The writing was easy to understand, there was to a limited extent character development but you couldn’t expect a lot of that in a novella. While the suspense may have been predictable, it was still a mesmerising read to read about the circus set up and the reveals etc.

As a fan of Sarah Penner's previous novels, I couldn't wait to read this short story. And as soon as I started I knew it would be a quick read. I was hooked from the opening scene and didn't want to put it down.

Olivia is married to a conjurer, and their life together over the past year is the only thing she remembers. During a series of shows they're performing in Venice, she starts to get curious, and what she discovers about her husband and their life together isn't at all what she imagined.

I loved everything about this story, from the rich details of the setting to the perfectly paced twists and turns, to the surprisingly deep character development and the magic that those characters create. In fact, it this story was so good that I was left wanting more. I would love to see more of Olivia and her husband (which has me wondering if they might make an appearance Penner's upcoming book, The Amalfi Coast based on the mention of that area in this story).

The Conjurer's Wife was a pleasure to read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance electronic copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this little novella! I would recommend to anyone who likes Sarah Penner's writing or who likes reading about magic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read in exchange for my review!

I’m a huge fan of Sarah Penner - so when I saw this I jumped on it! This was such a unique story. I need more! I would read a whole book with these characters.

Gripping start, engrossing story, some feminist vibes, and the protagonist was a fascinating character who held the book on her shoulders despite its short length. However, I feel the novella never really reached its full impact or potential. Perhaps I wanted a more explosive ending. A great read nevertheless.

Another unique storyline from Penner! This was a very well-written short story, I just wish it was longer! Quickly paced and easy to read.

Penner writes a great character, and this short story is no exception. A woman with amnesia works as the assistant to her conjurer husband. Or does she? I would love a second story (or even a novel) following afer the events here!

There is something ironic about my new favorite work of Sarah Penner’s being her shortest. Though I adored this short story, I was left wanting so much more from Olivia and the witches of Positano! It was so captivating from start to finish. I first read Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary with my book club and was disappointed but I tried The London Séance Society to give her another shot and enjoyed it much more. However, this story of magic in Italy is wondrous. Something I love when reading something suspenseful is being able to guess the twists because that means the author laid a perfect trail to them. All of Olivia’s discoveries had me on the edge of my seat even though I figured things out and that is the sign of excellent storytelling to me. Marmalade is a delight, too. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A lovely snippet. Available on Kindle Unlimited and as such, free on Audible! I would be interested in this being a full book but it was great as a short story.

I loved Sarah Penner's debut novel and was interested in the premise of this short story.

Olivia's husband is a conjurer, and she works onstage as his assistant during shows. When they were married, she had a terrible accident that caused amnesia and blotted out her past from her mind, so Olivia knows nothing about her life but her husband. Despite this, she still doesn't know the secret to how he conjures.

I enjoyed reading this story. Even though it was short, I felt invested in Olivia and her experiences, and I was interested in reading about her life and where it was going. There was also a bit of a twist ending.

If you like this author, I think you will enjoy this one!

Sarah Penner’s The Conjurer’s Wife is a mesmerizing novella set in 1820s Venice, weaving magic, mystery, and personal awakening into a captivating tale. The story follows Olivia, wife and assistant to renowned magician Oscar Van Hoff, as she begins to unravel secrets both on and off the stage. Along the way, the story drops intriguing references to Amalfi and the witches of Positano—breadcrumbs that hint at something much larger brewing. Perhaps a prequel of sorts to The Amalfi Curse?

Penner’s writing is lush and atmospheric, transporting you to the canals and dimly lit theaters of Venice. Olivia is a wonderfully relatable character, caught between loyalty to her husband and her growing need for independence. The twists are compelling, and the novella sets an intriguing stage for the themes Penner may explore further in The Amalfi Curse.

If there’s one downside, it’s that the story left me wanting more—a testament to how engaging it is. But as a standalone or a teaser of things to come, it works beautifully. Fans of historical fiction with a supernatural edge will devour this one.

Beautifully written and highly entertaining. I loved the mix of whimsical magic and the slow horror. I would happily read a full length novel like this.

A quick atmospheric read, set in 1820s Venice. Olivia is the young wife of a conjurer, she feels something is off and feeling slightly rebellious, she doesn't stand on the chalk mark on the stage designated for her by her husband, Oscar. Oscar is not pleased, he delights the audience with conjuring tricks, beginning by turning a man's hat into a peony and then working up. Olivia ponders the secret of his magic and also what caused her amnesia, attributed to an accident on her wedding night. An entertaining tale with tension and some twists and a sweet fox cub. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.