This was a fun read. Usually, novellas aren't for me, and don't have enough sustenance for my liking, but this one did. The visuals were phenomenal. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I would've like a bit more answers. I'd still recommend this as a read to anyone. Sarah Penner is an auto read from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing- Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was so-so on Sarah Penner's first book The Lost Apothecary, but adored her next book, The London Séance Society. I have been waiting to gobble up another one of her books and saw that she is releasing a new book in April, so imagine my joy at seeing a short story by Sarah Penner. This short story was magical and clever and I quickly became entranced with Olivia and the story. I was very sad to see it end and honestly would have loved a longer story. Pick this one up!

Sometimes a woman takes their power back in small ways, and this is how Olivia first starts rebelling. But even the smallest rebellions turn into finales.

A good illusionist is a master of tricks and secrets, and Oscar Van Hoff is a master. It even leaks over into his personal life, his wife Olivia has no inkling into how he performs his acts of magic. But what happens when those secrets are uncovered?

I really enjoyed this story and the route that it took. The big reveal(s) at the end completely took me by surprise and I didn't see them coming. I loved the growth that Olivia showed in such a short novella. There was so much story in such a small amount of pages!

The only thing that was offputting about this to me was that Olivia constantly referred to herself in third person even though she was the only POV. It was confusing because I thought she was talking about someone else, or that the POV was a third party. I had to reread the first few pages a couple of times before I understood. It was a very unique way of telling the story and it makes sense when you get to the end, so it might not annoy or confuse others the same way that it did me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novella and thought the story was super rich. This is the kind of book that you will be left thinking about for awhile afterwords because it makes you ask yourself some deep questions. Sarah Penner has a real knack for historical fiction and mystery, and this novella was more evidence to that!

This was such a cute little novella and I romped through it in about 20 minutes. I loved Olivia and Marmalade was just the cutest ever it left me wanting to look after a little fox cub.

Reading challenge category - 2024 Flourish and Blotts: Divination - Tea Leaves: A book that includes tea (gossip)

Olivia is the wife of a conjurer, Oscar. She is expected to do as she's told by him for the show and in life. Olivia can't remember anything before a year ago - Oscar explains that she had a horrible accident and suffered head trauma and amnesia. Olivia discovers that Oscar has many secrets and that her life isn't what it seems to be.

I vacillated between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but ultimately went with 4 because I loved the ending. It was also a fun surprise to see that this was an introduction/teaser to Penner's new book, The Amalfi Curse. I hope Olivia makes an appearance in that novel! It's a quick 40 page read that I found enjoyable!

This was a perfect, self-contained vignette that was surprisingly emotional. If the author would turn this into a full-length novel or even expand it to include what happens next I would very happily read it!

This is brilliant and really crafted well—no real estate was wasted. Stories like these prove that even with brevity, you can still deliver a satisfying arc.

Read if you like stories like comfort me with apples, Galatea, and the yellow wallpaper. I’m adding it to my collection of satisfying female rage.

I greatly enjoyed this short story. I think this is definitely going to be in her new book about the witches on the Amalfi coast and I’m really hoping her story is continued in the book as I want more!

**Thanks to Amazon Publishing and the author for the e-ARC I received in exchange for my honest opinion.**

I love this short story about a magician’s wife and her discovery of how he conjures up his magical displays. It’s got vibes of empowering women and embracing the life you’re dealt and taking control of your own destiny. At around an hour long, it’s a perfect short listen. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

a lovely short story but still reading worthy. Sarah writing left me turning pages.
Loved all her other books and recommend this little jem as well

The conjurer's wife doesn't know how the conjurer makes his magic, but since her accident a year ago, she doesn't really know much about anything. This little bite of a story was rich with detail and mystery. The writing was lush with description that brought to life the textures of the stage and setting. Just as you hope from a short story, it had a great twisty and clever ending.

Poor Olivia. She remembers nothing before her fall. Not her wedding to Oscar, not being an orphan, not even working as a seamstress. These are all things her husband has told her.

Now she is working as Oscar’s assistant. He is the conjurer. His audiences adore him. He makes things appear as if by magic and Olivia wants to know how. Figuring out his secret will lead her to the secrets of her past and possibly to the key to her future.

This was a fun short story that could be prequel to Ms. Penner’s upcoming release. If it is, I can’t wait to read it!

Olivia is the wife and assistant to a Venetian conjurer. He performs the most amazing tricks and Olivia has no idea how he does so. One night after a party she discovers her husband’s secret and learns more about her past.

This short story had a nice little twist at the end & I enjoyed the fox kit that was conjured. Thanks to NetGalley & Amazon Original Stories for a copy of this short story.

Lots of details crammed into this short story, I felt like I was in Venice with Olivia. Would have loved for it to go further. Did she make it to the mermaids? Is there a limit to her existence? It’s an original plot and enjoyable read but not fully satisfying.

This was a fun little read-in-an-hour short story which kept my attention the whole time. My only hang-ups -- if it's set in Italy and the main characters (seemingly) live in Venice, why don't they have Italian names? Why Oscar and Olivia? But also, riding in a stagecoach in Venice? Not possible in the historic center (where the theater of the plot takes place). If you can get past these impossibilities, it was witty and clever and I enjoyed the ride.

A very fun short story! I loved the ending and didn’t predict the twist which is a plus. This would be fun to read in a middle-grade classroom and possibly use in a secondary level creative writing class.

4 Stars
One Liner: Nice!

1821, Italy
Olivia Van Hoff is the wife and assistant of famous conjurer and illusionist Oscar Van Hoff. The crowd goes crazy to attend his shows, and Olivia wonders about his magic acts. Her routine job of smiling and reciting the same lines for every show bores her. When a random act leads her to a secret, Olivia decides to take control of the situation.
The story comes in Olivia’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
This 40-page short story uses the craze for illusionists and ‘spiritual stuff’ in the 19th century as the backdrop to talk about the identity crisis, the role of women, the art of magic, etc.
Though people flock to see professional illusionists and are proud that they don’t encourage fraudsters, they also have a generational hatred for witches (pagan magic and women).
For a short piece, this establishes both characters, provides intrigue, reveals a few secrets, and leads the finale to an open ending. In a way, the end suits the character arc and lets readers come to their own conclusions.
The atmosphere and setting are well done despite the word limit. It is easy to visualize the scenes and characters, especially Marmalade (read to find out who/ what it is).
Though the story has a slightly heavier vibe, there’s a sense of lightness too. The balance is quite good and makes the story engaging. It’s a quick read as well.
To summarize, The Conjurer's Wife is an interesting and entertaining short story that touches on a few important themes.
Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The ending felt rushed and left lots of things unanswered unfortunately. However it was a short, fun little read.

Magnificent short story, with a captivating plot and delightfully vivid descriptions.

Set in Venice in 1821, Olivia Van Hoff is the wife of Oscar, a conjurer and magician. Olivia is becoming increasingly frustrated by Oscar’s controlling nature and the secrecy about his performances. In the lead-up to their final show for theatregoers, Olivia seeks to find out more, although what she discovers will change her life.

Given the level of creativity demonstrated in this short story, I am interested in reading more work from Sarah Penner.

With thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy, for review consideration with an honest review.

I really liked The London Séance Society, so I decided to read this short story by Sarah Penner before even reading the synopsis. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Conjurer’s Wife follows Olivia Van Hoff, wife to a famous conjurer, as she grows frustrated by her husband and her mysterious past. The story follows the duo on the last two shows of a tour in Venice. Without giving much away, I liked the descriptions of the shows and found them very entertaining. While I didn’t know wholly know Olivia’s backstory before her accident, it wasn’t as surprising as I would’ve liked. I wanted more answers and wasn’t sure how the witches fit in aside from showing how Olivia wanted friends. I did like the ending, though.

This was a good short story that I read quickly. It was published on January 1, 2025.