I loved this so much! The two storylines weave together to create one magical tale. There's mystery, romance, LGBT representation, magic, and more. I read it less than 6 months ago and already want to read it again! ( )

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on ebook through Amazon First Reads.

Thoughts: I stopped reading this about 20% of the way in. The story jumps between a character, Gracelynn, in the 1930's and another character, Deirdre, in the 1880's. I had a lot of trouble distinguishing between the two characters' voices and was constantly having to go back to check what year the chapter was based in to figure it out. The story moved very slowly and at 20% in not a lot had actually happened.

Gracelynn and Deirdre are young women from different generations that live on Tin Mountain and work as healers under the tutelage of senior family women. We hear a lot about their day-to-day activities, as they try to help the villagers stay healthy even as they are suspected of witchcraft.

I just didn't have any interest in this and decided to set it aside and read something else. I did get this for free through Amazon First Reads so no harm, no foul. This just wasn't for me. I gave this 3 stars since I only read the first 20% of the book. In general I have found that many of the books offered through Amazon First Reads are fairly weak and not a great match for me. There have been a few exceptions to that but this wasn't one of them.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this wasn't for me. The two character voices we switch between are way too similar and not much had happened at 20% in. I don't plan on finishing this one. ( )

This was the second of my Kindle FirstReads picks for this month, but I had my eye on this book long before. I loved it!

I loved both Gracelynn and Deirdre, but I admit, Deirdre’s portions were more interesting. Gracelynn didn’t seem to do much until the end. The book is told in alternating POV - Deirdre (Granny) in 1881 and Gracelynn in 1931. It’s based around a curse that comes every 50 years, and a mysterious being that haunts the women of the family.

I found this to be a wonderful tale of family and love and woven in with mystery. The setting is beautifully described and I could really feel the isolation and stillness.

I’ve been loving stories about witches in conjunction with female love and togetherness, and this definitely fits the bill.

And there is a happy ending, with loose ends tied up. I have to go back and read the author’s debut, and would very much read her future works. ( )

This was the second of my Kindle FirstReads picks for this month, but I had my eye on this book long before. I loved it!

I loved both Gracelynn and Deirdre, but I admit, Deirdre’s portions were more interesting. Gracelynn didn’t seem to do much until the end. The book is told in alternating POV - Deirdre (Granny) in 1881 and Gracelynn in 1931. It’s based around a curse that comes every 50 years, and a mysterious being that haunts the women of the family.

I found this to be a wonderful tale of family and love and woven in with mystery. The setting is beautifully described and I could really feel the isolation and stillness.

I’ve been loving stories about witches in conjunction with female love and togetherness, and this definitely fits the bill.

And there is a happy ending, with loose ends tied up. I have to go back and read the author’s debut, and would very much read her future works. ( )

Set in Arkansas in the Ozarks, the story jumps between 3 women in a family over 100 years. a spirit has taken over a preacher man's body 100 years ago. He hoodwinks the grandmother, so he can use her magical powers to increase his strength. He returns to her daughter as a different preacher to restock his powers. Now 100 years later, he's back for the granddaughter as his powers are waning again. Only she has figured things out and she is intent on thwarting him. ( )