A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy, #1)

Dec 20, 2011 Megan McDade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed on my blog : http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.com

So, A Witch in Winter is about a girl called Anna Winterson who moves to a small fishing village called Winter with her dad. Her dad has just recently lost his job and fell into a depressed state so moving to Wicker House in Winter is a new start.

Wicker House is a damp, run down and just about liveable house, overlooking a forest with the sea in the distance, nothing like living in London. For some reason Wicker House reminded me of th...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, won, ya-paranormal-romance

A Witch in Winter is one of them novels that you can lose yourself in straight away. From page one British author Ruth Warburton has created an engrossing and captivating novel that is Young Adult Paranormal Romance at its best.

The story follows the life of Anna Winterson, a young girl who moves into the small town of Winter with her father. The house they move into is known amongst the town people as a witches house but Anna is quick to shake it off, well that is until she finds a mysterious b...more A Witch in Winter is one of them novels that you can lose yourself in straight away. From page one British author Ruth Warburton has created an engrossing and captivating novel that is Young Adult Paranormal Romance at its best.

The story follows the life of Anna Winterson, a young girl who moves into the small town of Winter with her father. The house they move into is known amongst the town people as a witches house but Anna is quick to shake it off, well that is until she finds a mysterious book hidden in the house. Anna soon finds out that it’s a Grimoire; a witches spell book. One night while having a sleepover with her friends Anna tries a spell but everything backfires when the hottest bad boy at school dumps his girlfriend and claims he is now in love with her. What can Anna do? All she knows is she needs to reverse the spell that she put on Seth and fast because she soon starts to fall for him and she doesn't want to become as monstrous as the witch clan that are using their magic for their own gain.

I love British authors mainly because I'm British but most books I read are American authors and I do love them too but I just love reading books that are by British authors because they make me feel at home. The UK compared to the USA have so many different rules from the drinking age to the school years but A Witch in Winter sticks true to us British people. It was great reading about our characters going to Sixth Form and having girlie moments with her friends over a bottle a wine. It was so much fun because I could relate to it that much more.

The story itself was fun, exciting and easy to read. One that I will look forward to reading more about. Anna was a great character and I really felt I connected with her and all her drama. She is thrown into a whole different situation that she has no control over and I believe she handled things very well. She quickly learns that she's a witch and she knows from the start that she doesn't want to do bad things with her magic, so she works hard at trying to right her mistakes. Her journey was enjoyable and emotional because you can see her battling with her feelings with for Seth. She honestly doesn't know how he feels and it was easy to get wrapped up in their romance. I'm so eager to see more.

I also really enjoyed the backstory with the Witches and how Ruth bought in the Old English language. It was something new and refreshing and I think she did an great job with it. The ending was tied up nicely however we know it's not the end of Anna's journey so I'm super excited to find out what happens next.

Overall, A Witch in Winter was a great debut by author Ruth Warburton. Any fans of Witches and Paranormal Romance will love this and I highly recommend it for 2012.

Thank you to Hodder Children's Books for providing me with an advanced readers copy for review.(less)

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May 31, 2012 Amy (Turn the Page) rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I have always, always loved stories about witches and witchcraft, especially historical novels about witchcraft. When I realised A Witch in Winter was a contemporary, I was momentarily a little disappointed, but Warburton creates quite a rich, historical atmosphere with her setting that there was no chance of this becoming too Sabrina-like. I like my modern-day witches to have a strong connection to the past and A Witch in Winter definitely achieved that.

A Witch in Winter is a fun read,...more 3.5 Stars

I have always, always loved stories about witches and witchcraft, especially historical novels about witchcraft. When I realised A Witch in Winter was a contemporary, I was momentarily a little disappointed, but Warburton creates quite a rich, historical atmosphere with her setting that there was no chance of this becoming too Sabrina-like. I like my modern-day witches to have a strong connection to the past and A Witch in Winter definitely achieved that.

A Witch in Winter is a fun read, a strong debut and definitely my kind of book. I loved how English this book was, with its fantastic setting, evocative of an old Cornish town by the sea, held up over the centuries by the various spells and enchantments placed by the witches who have lived there over the years. The old, crumbling house Anna moves in to with the witch marks carved into the wood, and the old grimoire found in the fireplace, these were highlights of the book for me. It was great to read about a secondary school where the kids are studying their A Levels (although oddly, I still didn’t recognise some of the classes Anna was taking). I loved all the British insults and it made me smile to hear phrases I’ve heard all my life instead of American ones.

It also made a nice change to have a fairly average protagonist. Anna won’t go down as one of my favourite heroines of all time, she’s too pale to make that big of an impression. But I really appreciated how she reacts to the knowledge that her inadvertent love spell has caused Seth to fall in love with her. She knows it isn’t real, she knows it was a terrible thing to do to someone, is horrified how it makes Seth act and is determined to undo it, no matter how she feels about him. Since I like my heroines a little more feisty, it was Emmaline I particularly liked, and who I hope to see far more of her in the second book, but Anna felt like an everyday teenager, which isn’t a bad thing

Warburton has created a romance that I can see a lot of readers rooting for. Seth seems like a genuinely nice guy (apart from a few overly possessive moments). It is an example of the dreaded ‘insta-love’ but in this case there is a more plausible reason behind it. I liked that neither Seth, Anna, or the reader, can be sure if the growing feelings between these two are real, though I had a few issues. I personally didn’t find Seth all that interesting (I far more intrigued by Abbe). Seth was a bit too much of a ‘golden boy’ and the growing romance between him and Anna got a little too sappy for my liking. Seth also forgives her far too quickly and it just seemed too easy that the boy she barely knows and accidentally casts a love spell on turns out to be the right guy for her anyway. But this is still the first book in a planned series, and Warburton has definitely set up more than one obstacle for these two to be together.

A Witch in Winter isn’t just about a love spell gone wrong. There are darker, more dangerous sides been drawn in this first book and the beginnings of a quite exciting premise that sets the tone for the series nicely. There are more witches and warlocks converging in Winter than Anna realises as she finds herself right in the middle of a powerfully dangerous society.

A Witch in Winter sets just the right tone for Young Adults Paranormal Romance that I think younger and older readers will enjoy. I would have liked a grittier story with more practiced witchcraft and was desperately hoping Warburton would tell us more about the grimoire and the original witch who owned it, but I cannot complain. There’s nothing overly unique here but A Witch in Winter is fresh, atmospheric and has plenty of action, mystery and romance. Though it’s a series and there are some unanswered questions, there’s no major cliffhanger and it works as a stand alone novel. I’ll definitely be picking up A Witch in Love this July.

*Many thanks to Hachette Children's books for sending this in exchange for an honest review*(less)

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May 09, 2012 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 12-debut-author-challenge

I love books about witches. I think perhaps my obsession with witches all started with the movie Teen Witch. It’s a movie from the late 80′s about a girl who discovers she is a witch… or perhaps it stemmed from another witch movie from the late 80′s The Worst Witch. (Which was also a book!) I mean who wouldn’t want magical powers! I even wrote a book in elementary school about turning myself invisible and playing pranks on people at school. Regardless I’ve wanted to discover that I just happened...more I love books about witches. I think perhaps my obsession with witches all started with the movie Teen Witch. It’s a movie from the late 80′s about a girl who discovers she is a witch… or perhaps it stemmed from another witch movie from the late 80′s The Worst Witch. (Which was also a book!) I mean who wouldn’t want magical powers! I even wrote a book in elementary school about turning myself invisible and playing pranks on people at school. Regardless I’ve wanted to discover that I just happened to be a witch. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m still hoping.

But anyway… we should really talk about A Witch in Winter. I wanted to read this book because of the witch aspect, and I’m so glad that I did! It was such a fun book to read and I can’t wait for the next one!

Anna Winterson, moves to the small town Winter with her father. (Winterson and Winter… did you catch that!) Anyway, they move into this big creepy house, from what I can take this house has a lot of secrets we have yet to discover. Anna makes a few new friends at school and a few enemies too. This isn’t spoilery since it’s in the summary, but Anna finds out she is a witch when unknowingly enchants a boy at school after her friends find a spell and have some fun at a slumber party. (Wow run-on sentence!) This novel however, is not your typical witchy romance. There is a darker aspect to the novel as well, a good vs evil element, if you will. I think readers who love paranormal with romance but are looking for something a little different, will really like this one.

I loved Anna’s character. She continued to surprise me throughout the entire story, she’s not at all your typical heroine and that was refreshing. I loved that she didn’t do what I expected her to do most of the time. Although I do have to admit there were a few times I wanted to give her a hard love tap! And Seth was such a great guy, it was nice to have a paranormal read with the love interest not being a jerk.

And this might sounds a little funny… but I LOVED the UK slang in the book! I hope they don’t change that if they do end up publishing it in the US, it helped cement the setting of the story so well.

I was so thrilled to have a chance to read this book and I sooooo can’t wait for the next one! I’m not sure if this one is going to be released in the US (fingers crossed) but it’s worth the read if you can get a UK copy!(less)

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Jan 06, 2012 Amanda Kelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, 2012-debut-authors, ya, wishlist, own-arc

Also reviewed on my blog, The Vintage Bookworm. (www.vintagebookworm.blogspot.com

I can tell you right now that I will most likely have trouble writing this review. I have a love/hate relationship with this book. It took me a while to get into this book, which then made it to where it took seven days to finish it. When I was reading it, it aggravated me so much because I'm not very used to this much UK English. But when I put it down to do something else, I kept thinking about it. The story line....more Also reviewed on my blog, The Vintage Bookworm. (www.vintagebookworm.blogspot.com

I can tell you right now that I will most likely have trouble writing this review. I have a love/hate relationship with this book. It took me a while to get into this book, which then made it to where it took seven days to finish it. When I was reading it, it aggravated me so much because I'm not very used to this much UK English. But when I put it down to do something else, I kept thinking about it. The story line. What would happen next with Anna.

Witches are one of my top favorite supernatural beings. I've loved witches for as long as I can remember. I was obsessed with the TV show Charmed when I was in middle and high school and still kind of am. So when I first found out about this book, I knew I'd love it.

Anna is pretty easy to relate to. She just moved to a new part of England that seems a lot different than London where she grew up. She starts a new school and there is this guy there that she thinks she may like. In the beginning I got really curious of how the witches would come in. She doesn't know she's a witch in the beginning and I'm going to leave it at that so I won't throw out any spoilers. Anna is pretty down to earth and nice and is fine not having a boyfriend. She doesn't need one. I really like how she grew more confident by the end of the book. She grows a lot from the beginning.

I like some of the other characters, but not all. The ones that felt more real to me were Seth, Emmaline, Maya and Anna's dad. I really hope they grow stronger in the second book.

I loved the story line! I was a bit scared when I read the summary despite my love for witches because I thought it would be a regular over done story, but it wasn't. It was unique.I had a little trouble with the language, but I could kind of hear the accents in my head when I read it. (I LOVE English accents. <3 *le sigh*)I think I might of gotten used to it by the end because it didn't bug me as much. I was more into the action in the end. LOVE the action scenes.

Overall, despite me not loving this book to death like I thought I would, I do want to read the next book. I'm really curious about what happens next with Anna and Seth and, of course, the Ealdwitan.(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Caitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, own, review-book

A Witch in Winter tells the story of Anna, a girl who moves away from her beloved London to a town on the South coast, and into a creeptastic old house. I absolutely adored the setting for this book, I love YA books set in the UK (especially ones written by UK authors), and the small town location really added to the atmosphere of the story. I love how relevant the sea became to the plot, and just how scary it could be, how such a beautiful and natural element could be utilised in such a way.

An...more A Witch in Winter tells the story of Anna, a girl who moves away from her beloved London to a town on the South coast, and into a creeptastic old house. I absolutely adored the setting for this book, I love YA books set in the UK (especially ones written by UK authors), and the small town location really added to the atmosphere of the story. I love how relevant the sea became to the plot, and just how scary it could be, how such a beautiful and natural element could be utilised in such a way.

Anna was a great character, she was a real teenage girl. Her reactions to the events were pretty much how I imagine I'd react, which made it easy to love and relate to her. I adored how the whole witchcraft thing came about, her and her friends trying out a spell for the fun of it (and because they were slightly inebriated, what doesn't seem like a good idea when you're in that state?). I was obsessed with magic when I was younger and I can see it being something I would've done, albeit not with the same results. I loved how Ruth didn't shy away from teenage drinking, or things that young people genuinely do, which again added a much more realistic element to her characters. None of the secondary characters fell flat for me, not even the ones introduced at the late stages. They all had their parts to play, and their roles were clearly defined within the plot.

The love story was so fantastically different, I loved the idea of it and it was so well executed. I loved the ambiguity of not knowing exactly what was going on. Despite that, I wasn't a massive fan of Seth, but then he wasn't the sort of love interest I take to, seeing as he was a decent guy, but I can see many other readers adoring him.

The ultimate battle was amazing, the enemy was one that I actually found quite scary, and the solution was neither easy nor lazy. The actions of the characters did have consequences, for everyone involved and for the people caught in the crossfire.I liked being able to see these consequences, rather than the story glossing over them which happens so often. The witchcraft was very clever and well rooted in genuine old English. It's clear a lot of research went into creating this aspect of the plot which is something I always appreciate.

The writing was fantastic, pacy and full of humour and suspense, it wasn't superior to the plot and complemented the tone of the book perfectly. This is an excellent example of paranormal YA. It has everything you'd expect from this type of novel, but it avoids the cliches and predictability that so often mar such a story for me. I think the cover is absolutely spectacular and I cannot wait to see the finished article!

This book is part of a trilogy, and it's a series, and an author, to watch.

http://thecaitfiles.blogspot.com (less)

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Dec 03, 2011 Brodie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, aussie-swap

Could a harmless, fleeting thought of that cute guy at school spark a chain of events that will forever change your life and every single person you're connected to? You think not? Anna Winterson would strongly disagree. Shortly after she and her father move to the small coastal town of Winter, Anna finds an old, hidden grimoire in their house. During a sleepover with her new friends, they each use it to perform a love spell... just for fun, right? For everyone else it is, but when Seth Waters d...more Could a harmless, fleeting thought of that cute guy at school spark a chain of events that will forever change your life and every single person you're connected to? You think not? Anna Winterson would strongly disagree. Shortly after she and her father move to the small coastal town of Winter, Anna finds an old, hidden grimoire in their house. During a sleepover with her new friends, they each use it to perform a love spell... just for fun, right? For everyone else it is, but when Seth Waters dumps his girlfriend and suddenly declares his undying love for Anna, she begins to suspect that perhaps witchcraft is real after all. Desperate to fix her mistake, Anna tries counter spells, but she's uncertain whether they actually work because Seth is still hanging around her. Still claiming he has feelings. As the novel progresses, there is that seed of doubt as to whether or not it's the love spell or if he genuinely cares about her, because Anna can't just snap her fingers and conjure up the truth. And as much as she'd like to, she can't deny her own growing feelings for Seth.

Anna is the kind of protagonist that you can easily relate to. She has a down-to earth sort of feel, but she's not meek nor does she need a guy to survive. She stands up for herself, she takes action and despite the conflict that rages in her heart, she's prepared to make the tough decisions. I loved seeing how she began to grow more sure of her powers, particularly toward the end where she needs to be sure, because she's pretty much in the centre of a war where there is no room for uncertainty. That's not to say she's a totally capable and seasoned witch by the end, but she develops in a believable way.

This was such an engaging novel, the kind that you think you've been reading for only ten minutes but find an hour has passed because you've been so caught up in the story. I especially loved the ending, where everything drew to a climax and erupted into an epic showdown. It went out on a bang, everything that happened throughout the book mounting into one huge battle between two powerful forces. There are casualties, there are sacrifices and choices must be made that are none too easy, but that's what makes it such a compelling read. The magic is laced with reality. It's not just about frilly love spells, there is heavy witchcraft abound and nothing is swept under the rug, every action has a reaction and not all reactions will be for the best.

The town of Winter was just as much a character as those who reside within it. Ruth does a fantastic job of luring you right into the heart of this small town, where you can taste the salt of the sea, feel a tickle on your spine as you enter the haunting Wicker House and have your heart pound in tune with the thrashing waves and hammering rain from the violent storms that rage the town. The action scenes at the end of the book are fantastically written. You can't draw away from the pages until you know how it will all end, who will make it out alive and whether the fight is worth the risk after all.

Unlike the love spell Anna unintentionally created, it's clear Ruth has taken the time and care to carefully measure each of her ingredients to brew this spell-binding novel. A heady blend of magic, forbidden romance, action, high-stakes and consequence, A Witch in Winter will satisfy all lovers of witchcraft and juicy, complicated romances!(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, witchcraft

This book could be worth more than 3 stars to you, especially given that it is the first in a trilogy. It just depends. I certainly would recommend it to a YA paranormal romance fan who likes...

From the description, one knows that a strong and empowered young woman comes to find herself a witch but yet it implies the focus of the story is on the romance she discovers both wittingly and unwittingly.

For starters, I'll say this. I started this trilogy after having first read the description for the...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Sparklyminstrel rated it 4 of 5 stars

My rating: 3.5/5, or maybe just a little over... either way, I'm feeling nice, so I've rounded it up to 4 :)
A Witch in Winter is, to put it breifly, a story about Anna, your normal, typical girl who winds up in the small town of Winter and meets the dazzling Seth Waters, and accidently puts a love spell over him. Awkward.
A Witch in Winter is one of those fun reads that won't make a great impression on you, but you don't regret reading, either. For me, the synopsis was badly written, but I liked...more My rating: 3.5/5, or maybe just a little over... either way, I'm feeling nice, so I've rounded it up to 4 :)
A Witch in Winter is, to put it breifly, a story about Anna, your normal, typical girl who winds up in the small town of Winter and meets the dazzling Seth Waters, and accidently puts a love spell over him. Awkward.
A Witch in Winter is one of those fun reads that won't make a great impression on you, but you don't regret reading, either. For me, the synopsis was badly written, but I liked the general gist of the storyline. The lovely colours on the front cover drew me in (as most colours do- I'm like a hyper bumblebee when it comes to colours of book covers) and all in all, I enjoyed the read.
I love fantasy (especially witchcraft), paranormalcy (is that even a word???) and romance, so I was sure this book was gonna be the perfect combo. And sure, it was fine. I liked the main character, Anna, because she was brave without being too tough and kick-ass, and very real. There're too many invincible heroins these days- a tough girl who can take care of herself is fine, but in real life, not every teenage girl is invincible (yeah, listen up, YA authors!) However, Anna had that whole "I must protect everyone I love even if it means I have to do something really dumb!" agenda going on. A little bit of this is fine, bt after a while, it's kind of irritating. It's against human nature to want to throw yourself in front of every person you know even if you've just met them, to protect them from harm's way. With Seth, her crush/boyfriend, she's constantly telling him that he can't be with her because she's sooo dangerous, and always goes on about how everything's allllways her fault and she feels soooo bad. Maybe I'm being a little harsh here, but after a while, it just got on my nerves.
You know what also got on my nerves? The INSTANT love connection. It's like, she meets Seth, and BAM! She's in love. Or near enough. Seth confesses his love for her on page 60. 60! That's, like, 1/6th of the way through the story! There's no build up towards their relationship, and therefore no chemistry. I know the love spell is how the whole plot starts, but it was waaay too soon. And the annoying thing is, their converations weren't complete no-brainers, like some are between characters in YA romance novels (at least they actually talked instead of the girl constantly swooning and blushing) so they could've actually built up to a really nice romance. But no, the romance came on too fast for me, and ruined the effect a little.
Despite all my rambling complaints, I still give this book a perfectly reasonable 3.5, because it wasn't a bad read. I liked most of the characters, even if Seth annoyed me a little with his puppy dog act, and Emmaline is an awesome character, strong but a good friend, too. If you're a fan of witchcraft and don't mind a flimsy love story, I'd give it a read. Just don't expect it to change your life. (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Catherine (The Book Parade) rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review was originally posted at The Book Parade

When I first ever saw A Witch In Winter and read the blurb, I didn't think I would particularly like it. It sounded like just yet another average, soppy, possibly-a-little-bit-cliche paranormal romance. Although it did involve witches, which was a good point and made it a little different; I can't remember reading a paranormal romance revolving around witches recently... Angels, werewolves and vampires - yes, but witches...no. Anyway, I just ha...more This review was originally posted at The Book Parade

When I first ever saw A Witch In Winter and read the blurb, I didn't think I would particularly like it. It sounded like just yet another average, soppy, possibly-a-little-bit-cliche paranormal romance. Although it did involve witches, which was a good point and made it a little different; I can't remember reading a paranormal romance revolving around witches recently... Angels, werewolves and vampires - yes, but witches...no. Anyway, I just had a feeling, a witchy intuition maybe, that A Witch In Winter wouldn't be my cup of tea. Still, when it magically appeared in my local library, I decided to give it a chance and hope that I might be pleasantly surprised. Sadly, this wasn't the case. It wasn't that I hated the book or anything, I just didn't really like it.

For one, I definitely did not fall under Anna's spell. I got the feeling that she was meant to be a strong female protagonist type of character but in actual fact, she only sometimes showed a hint of a headstrong and determined personality; other times, she just seemed to give up too easily.

She was also one of those self-sacrificial characters who think they have to save everyone by isolating themselves from everyone else and sacrifice everything they want because they're the reason people around them are getting hurt, and say things like 'I'm bad for you, you shouldn't be around me'... I'm sure you've come across enough of those kind of characters to get the idea. And, while at first I thought it might be refreshing to have a girl playing this role instead of a boy as it has been every other time I've encountered this kind of character, I soon realised that this 'I have to sacrifice myself to save everyone' and 'I'm bad, you should stay away from me' kind of character is just annoying whether you have a boy or a girl playing it.

Anna and Seth, and their relationship really rather annoyed me. They came across to me as over-dramatic, whiny, erratic teenagers. Teenagers who claimed to be desperately and profoundly in love with each other. I will also take this moment to mention that Seth's and Anna's relationship was one of those 'insta-love' ones - just another thing to add to the list of reasons why I didn't like, or believe, this relationship. At one point, Seth furiously declared Anna 'the worst, most despicable person I've ever met,' (or something along those lines - I can't remember the exact wording) despite having professed how deep and true his love for her was earlier before. Well, if he loved her as truly as he claimed, then nothing should have been able to change his mind so drastically. I mean, on the love-hate spectrum, he literally catapulted from one extreme to the other even quicker than the insta-love relationship between him and Anna formed.

The character I liked most was definitely not one of the main characters, but one of the secondary characters - Emmaline Peller. She was sensible and nice, but still a strong character, and I would probably have enjoyed a book focusing on her as the protagonist rather than A Witch In Winter, which had Anna as its protagonist.

One thing I must give Ruth Warburton credit for, though, is her writing. While I may not have really enjoyed the storyline of A Witch In Winter, I found that there was some very nice descriptive writing and use of some gothic imagery which mixed together to conjure up a somewhat spooky, magical atmosphere.

This is probably the first "bad'' review I've written on The Book Parade, and I know I have probably overlooked some of the positive points that I'm sure A Witch In Winter had but didn't shine out for me, clouded over by the fact that overall I didn't really enjoy it, but I know that a lot of people didn't have the same issues with this book that I did, so please don't be deterred form reading this because of me, although if some of the things I mentioned sound like the kind of things that annoy you in a book, then you may not want to be too eager to read this.

(And, WHOAH, that was a long sentence! ;) )(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Shanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: january-2012, witches-magic-warlocks

I wanted to love this book. It was recommended to me by a friend who insisted that I would love it because it was original, well-researched and stayed true to the beliefs of witchcraft.

So, let me tell you now that it was not.

It was not original. I found quite a few similarities between this book and The Craft movie, as well as The Secret Circle by L.J.Smith.

Then we have the instant love recipe which is really getting on my nerves. Seriously they were confessing their love for each other in like...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Malika Gandhi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Two of the things which enticed me to read this novel was the word ‘witch’ in the title and the other thing was the cover look. These elements made me stop and reach out for the book which spelt out ‘intriguing’, ‘must read’, and ‘paranormal’. I couldn’t resist.

The story starts with Anna arriving in a small town called Winter. She is to start school and make new friends.

Anna makes friends quickly and meets a boy called Seth, who she instantly likes. Seth, however, is already taken and Anna is fi...more

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Jun 02, 2012 slayra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, in-english, ya-uf-and-pnr

RATING: 3 stars (barely)

Anna Winterson moves from London to a small fishing village after her father lost his job. Starting at a new school (with boys) and making new friends proves to be a little easier than Anna thought: she meets a few girls and a gorgeous (but badass, of course) boy named Seth.

One day her father finds an old book in the old house they're living in. When her new friends come to stay the night they try a love spell and soon Anna has a problem: the gorgeous Seth seems to be obs...more RATING: 3 stars (barely)

Anna Winterson moves from London to a small fishing village after her father lost his job. Starting at a new school (with boys) and making new friends proves to be a little easier than Anna thought: she meets a few girls and a gorgeous (but badass, of course) boy named Seth.

One day her father finds an old book in the old house they're living in. When her new friends come to stay the night they try a love spell and soon Anna has a problem: the gorgeous Seth seems to be obsessed with her.

I liked this book until it devolved into just so much teen angst over (what else) teen love. Very unrealistic. YA authors: people don't behave that way, teenagers included. It's ok to get a little creative but this much? No.

Still it had its good points and at first I liked the characters well enough. Sure, they were very stereotypical and Anna is very meek and normal (she definitely isn't normal heroine material... which was good, in a way), but they were charming. The story was very interesting, although the plot has been used before, I liked the fact that Anna discovered her heritage and powers through trial and error and made mistakes.
But overall there was just so much that was left unexplained: the house, the book, where do witches' powers come from. I know that there will be more books, but these are basic aspects in my opinion. A little more of that and a little less of Seth's almost-creepy, almost-stalking and it would have been fine. The author devoted way too many of the book's pages to the teen love.

At first I thought this was going to be insta-love; then I thought that no, the author managed to turn it around nicely; and then, what a disappointment: it was insta-love (yes, YA authors, professing love after a week is insta-love... not only after the first hours/day).

Basically... the insta-love and the teen angst ruined it for me.

Overall, a nice enough read, but it doesn't stand out in the genre. It could have been better if there were some more revelations about the magic and the witches but the author chose to focus on the teen romance (obsessive and unrealistic, as it's usual) and so much was left unexplained. I really hope she comes back to it later, because the story has potential. (less)

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May 10, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Hodder ISBN 978-1-444-90409-7
• Sam Hawksmoor Review
With a breathless and breezy writing style we meet young Anna who is relocated to a tiny Cornish fishing village from London following her father being made redundant. They arrive at a spooky run down house (known locally at Witch House) that her Dad is hoping to renovate.

Of course Cornish fishing villages are rife with superstition (I used to live in Penryn so I know this for sure). Anna is also apprehensive...more A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Hodder ISBN 978-1-444-90409-7
• Sam Hawksmoor Review
With a breathless and breezy writing style we meet young Anna who is relocated to a tiny Cornish fishing village from London following her father being made redundant. They arrive at a spooky run down house (known locally at Witch House) that her Dad is hoping to renovate.

Of course Cornish fishing villages are rife with superstition (I used to live in Penryn so I know this for sure). Anna is also apprehensive about making friends at her new school mid-A Levels. Will she fit in; will they like her or hate her?

Her dad finds a half burned old book in the old Aga and it seems to be written in old English or something but it is this old book that changes everything for Anna.

At school she meets Seth - gorgeous boy with a ‘past’ and an illegal tattoo she is informed by her new friends but be warned Seth has a very possessive girlfriend Caroline, the queen bee of school.

Her new found friends come over for a sleepover and they discover the burned book is full of spells! Fuelled by alcohol they try the spells out to ‘bind’ the objects of their affection to them forever.
Next school day, still nursing hangovers Anna discovers Seth has dumped Caroline and is totally in love with her! The spell worked. But only for her, not the other girls.

Anna realises this means trouble for her, not only from Caroline, but she now has the devotion of a boy who doesn’t know he is bewitched. Worse, when she tries to undo the spell she causes lightning to strike the house and leave her half buried alive. Seth is the one to rescue her binding him to her forever!

OK this isn’t neo-realism. It’s a complex little love story about a girl who has discovered she has witch powers and she can even alter the weather. Anna quickly discovers she isn’t alone in the village, there are many others with wicker skills, but for some reason she seems to be the strongest. She needs training. The trouble is who is to train her? Soon a battle will begin between those who want her powers for themselves and those who want her to stay free.

The Witch in Winter is a fun read and a caution about getting exactly what you crave.
As a reader I am a bit alarmed that the police and the local press don’t seem to be aware there are bodies flying off the cliffs and floods in the locality, but hey, it’s Cornwall, they are always slow to catch on down there.

© Sam Hawksmoor May 2012
author of The Repossession�(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Adele symonds rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book Review – A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Publisher – Hodder Childrens Books
ISBN 978-1-444-90469-7
This is a really good read, I read it in one day around my other obligations.
This is the story of Anna Winterson, a teenager who moves with her dad from London to a small seaside town called Winter. It follows her discovery that she and many others are Witches and a battle of magic ensues. Her love life with Seth is complicated by magic. There is a sequel planned for later this year.
I really...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Bungle Midnight Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Firsted reviwed over at the Midnight Reads blog :)

I want to start off by thanking Cait over at The Cait Files for holding a giveaway which led to me winning a signed copy of A Witch in Winter, and also thank you to author Ruth Warburton.

I loved this book!! And one of the main things I love is that this is a British book, set in Britain by a talented new British author and one I will be keeping boths eyes on!!

Anna Winterson has no idea that a move to the small town of Winter with her farther wil...more Firsted reviwed over at the Midnight Reads blog :)

I want to start off by thanking Cait over at The Cait Files for holding a giveaway which led to me winning a signed copy of A Witch in Winter, and also thank you to author Ruth Warburton.

I loved this book!! And one of the main things I love is that this is a British book, set in Britain by a talented new British author and one I will be keeping boths eyes on!!

Anna Winterson has no idea that a move to the small town of Winter with her farther will lead to her discovering that she is a witch and has powers that only others could dream of. After meeting Seth, Anna enchants him to fall in love with her, and it works only a little too well. She loves Seth and wants him to love her the same way, without magic, but as she uses her powers to try and fix her original enchantment she causes destruction and unleashes evil. Anna also attracts the attention of other witches, some good and wanting to help her, and others not so good that I think would use her power for all the wrong reasons.

Anna is a brilliant character, her world may be changing and in spite of it all, and her self doubt at times, she is a strong-willed and strong minded character. I love the relationship with her dad and I can't wait for the questions and answers about who her mother really was.

I liked Seth, he's a guy with a mildly bad past after falling of the rails and I love his relationship with Anna. I really like how his own story pans out in the book and I love the whole idea of not knowing if he truely loves Anna or if it's just the spell at work. Warburton did this rather well and her writing is just brilliant!

I can't memtion Anna and Seth with out mentioning Emmaline! Yes there are some fantastic secondary characters in this book but I just love Emmaline! I love her whole attutide, she isn't affraid to speak her mind and stand up for her family and friends. She's the kind of girl who speaks her mind and I love that!!

4/5 stars. Why? Because A Witch in Winter is a brilliant start to a promising new series from a fantastic new author and I can't wait to read more. For me, Ruth Warburton has already made her name in the YA genre and one I'm recommending to all my customers!
(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Susan Mann rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book, I really did. I loved Anna, what a great main character she is, an every day girl who discovers she has amazing magic powers and is a witch. You can fully relate to her and I felt that this could happen to anyone. That there really is magic out there and I believe.

Witches are one of my favourite subjects, so this book was right up my street. A Witch in Winter is about a girl called Anna who moves to a town called Winter with her dad. They move to a run down old house which se...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Georgina Martin (Bookz and Bitz) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, owned-paperback

Anyone that reads my reviews knows I dislike fairies with a passion, but few will know I feel the same about witch and wicca stories. Good ones are just so few and far between. They rely on cliches and stereotypes (minus the warty noses thank goodness) and I'd yet to find a compelling new take on the witch story. So it was with trepidation that I started A Witch in Winter (AWIW)

AWIW is told from the POV of Anna Winterton, a London teen who has moved to a little village (Winter) on the south coa...more Anyone that reads my reviews knows I dislike fairies with a passion, but few will know I feel the same about witch and wicca stories. Good ones are just so few and far between. They rely on cliches and stereotypes (minus the warty noses thank goodness) and I'd yet to find a compelling new take on the witch story. So it was with trepidation that I started A Witch in Winter (AWIW)

AWIW is told from the POV of Anna Winterton, a London teen who has moved to a little village (Winter) on the south coast. Winter is fictional but from the descriptions I suspect it was placed around lewes, plymouth etc. Little is said about Anna's mother, other than she disappeared when she was young. Anna's father had a nervous breakdown following being fired and so bought a run down cottage on the outskirts of the village, in an attempt to start again. The book begins as Anna and her father arrive in Winter, and as Anna begins school at the local comp. Anna soon makes friends (and spots a cute, but taken boy - Seth) and they share with her stories about her cottage, nicknamed Witch's Cottage and the villages long wiccan-related history. When Anna's father finds a spell book it seems only fitting that the girls perform some of the spells - love ones of course. None of them believe that they are ACTUALLY conducting magic, its all a bit of fun, and when the other girls objects of affection are no different, they all laugh and move on. All except Anna, suddenly Seth has dumped his girlfriend and is starting to obsess about her and confesses his love for her. Still Anna thinks its a joke, a game. But just incase she tries a few counter-spells from the book. Nothing changes. Anna is then introduced to some local witches, mad at her for her spell on Seth. Anna discovers she's a witch (of course) and with the help of her new friends tries to un-enchant Seth. Along the way there are a few enemies made, and a governing body of witches who want to get to know Anna better - whether she wants to or not.

As I said, I don't like witch stories, but AWIW won me over. Its a charming tale, with a great twist on the usual girl meets boy stories. By casting the love spell, Anna will never know if Seth truly cares for her or whether she forced his hand. The magic in the book was more believable than most, Warburton's description of the power within Anna is fascinating and her writing brings a wonderful visual to the reader.

The only part of the story that worried me was the Twilight-eque plot (no, not vampires) but the 'evil' council vs the small coven, who call thier friends to arms to watch the injustice (I can't say any more for fear of spoiling the plot), it was all very breaking dawn which distracted me slightly. Whilst Meyer doesn't have the monopoly on such a plot, it is the first thing that springs to mind, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to think so.

As other reviewers have pointed out, its lovely to have a YA book set in the UK. They are few and far between, so AWIW was a refreshing change. I loved the way that Warburton wrote the characters, not just Anna, but all of them. The teens were TEENS, no pretence for the sake of writing, they drink when until they're sick, they smoke they might just talk about SEX, there's even a tattoo snuck in there :O , As I said, they are true teens. Anna's dad is normal too, he worries, he doesn't really know how to relate to a teenage daughter, and he's keeping secrets. There is definitely more to find out about Anna's mother, and I suspect the only one to know is her dad but he's not ready to talk, all interesting fodder for book 2.

I really did love the book, it hasn't sold me on witch stories, but its sold me on Warburtons writing, any future wicca story is going to have a high standard to beat. Yes there is the twilight bit that was a little annoying, but thats a few pages in an otherwise brilliant book, its all good vs evil, love and magic but thats what YA readers generally want, if we wanted something hard hitting, soul searching and generally depressing, we'd look for something outside of the genre.

Roll on book 2 (I'm off to buy it now!)(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult

Having just finished two really exceptional books, this book suffered a bit by comparison. It's not a bad book, and is fairly well written, but it didn't possess that spark that separates the awesome from the pretty good.

There are things that I liked about this book. I liked the characters, especially Maya. I am a bit of a sucker for witch stories, especially where the story incorporates historical witchcraft elements. I also really enjoy stories set in England, and written by English authors.

Ov...more Having just finished two really exceptional books, this book suffered a bit by comparison. It's not a bad book, and is fairly well written, but it didn't possess that spark that separates the awesome from the pretty good.

There are things that I liked about this book. I liked the characters, especially Maya. I am a bit of a sucker for witch stories, especially where the story incorporates historical witchcraft elements. I also really enjoy stories set in England, and written by English authors.

Overall, though, I would say that the book had a lot of weaknesses. First, I found Anna's untrained ability to manipulate her power to be completely unconvincing. There was not an adequate explanation of how her power could be so latent, yet when she started using it, was so substantial. It is also absolutely inconceivable to me that she would've been able to fly under the radar for as long as she did. Perhaps some of these questions are answered in the second book.

In addition, I always have a problem with romances that develop too quickly and unrealistically. Infatuation, and even too rapid professions of love, are all well and good, but they don't convince me that the love is genuine or deep. The relationship between Seth and Anna felt like it developed far too quickly without anything genuine behind it. Hopefully, this will also be remedied in the second book.

The final conflict was resolved far too easily, and the idea that Anna could've tapped that latent power and overcome witches and warlocks who far outstrip her in training and resources is simple unbelievable. While I am prepared to suspend my belief to some degree - this is a story about witchcraft, after all - this is sort of the equivalent of the girl from my local raquet club managing to win Wimbledon after receiving a couple of tennis lessons. I don't care how good of an athlete you are - the untrained prodigy doesn't beat the well-trained expert.

If I had to sum up this book, it is an acceptable first effort by a new author. It felt very shallow, and I could see it being developed as a television show for the Disney Channel or Nickleodeon. It was a bit too "Witches of Waverly Place" for my taste, without enough convincing conflict to keep me satisfied. Having said that, I liked it enough that I think that I will read the sequel and see where Ms. Warburton takes the story next.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Sumaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-nf

3.5*
I read it in one sitting... not because it was exceptionally amazing, but the story was different and I didn't get bored or want it to end quickly or feel like it was dragging. And some of the characters were a little to hot to ignore...
*ahem Abe ahem*

I liked Anna, she was strong and she didn't absolutely die whenever Seth came near her, or get fazed by the warnings Mr Brereton gave her. How she comes to realise she's a witch is unique but I just, sort of wanted her to not believe it, or no...more

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May 20, 2012 Luna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anna arrives in Winter (a small fishing town) with her father following his redundancy. He needs a fresh start and Anna is along for the ride. When they arrive at Wicker House, Anna is less an enamoured with their new home, I don’t blame her considering it’s falling apart around them.

Both Wicker House and Winter are richly described. The story is very well written and I grew fond of Anna very quickly. Having realised that her spell actually worked on Seth she sets about undoing the damage and in...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Basma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Feel free to read read more reviews and vist me on my book blog, My Bookish Thoughts.

Witches. I love them. Ever since I've watched Charmed, witches have managed to be the mythical creature for me. Naturally, when I read the title, I had high hopes.

A Witch in Winter is set written by an English author, and set in England; I admit, despite being English myself, I haven't read quite a lot of English books. Well, not any in the YA genre. I got as further as Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy.

Anyw...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Lisa (Badass Bookie) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Short Story ? - A delightful read with a fresh take on paranormal romance! A Witch in Winter's small seaside town setting is perfect for the eerily beautiful story that Warburton has written! Fantastic characters including a adorably sweet protagonist and a gorgeous boy with a english accent! A Witch in Winter is definitely not one to be missed if you're a fan for witchcraft, the english scenery and a romance like no other, this one is for you! :)

The Long Story ? - A Witch in Winter is o...more The Short Story ? - A delightful read with a fresh take on paranormal romance! A Witch in Winter's small seaside town setting is perfect for the eerily beautiful story that Warburton has written! Fantastic characters including a adorably sweet protagonist and a gorgeous boy with a english accent! A Witch in Winter is definitely not one to be missed if you're a fan for witchcraft, the english scenery and a romance like no other, this one is for you! :)

The Long Story ? - A Witch in Winter is one of those books that you can easily slip into and lose track of time. One of my favourite things about this novel was the setting, the little town of Winter has this memorising quality about it. The way I picture it - it's a tiny town, dark, eerie and quiet. The perfect setting for a witchy paranormal! Another thing I loved was the romance tagline, for Anna and Seth it wasn't love at first sight, it was love at first love potion! I love that Anna accidentally bewitched Seth and how their fake romances eventually turned into a real one! I love the mystery behind Anna's witch heritage. I really enjoyed the majority of the plot but I thought the ending was a little too timid? I would have thought the "final battle" would have been bigger? Perhaps longer? I don't know! Overall, it was still one of the better paranormal reads I've read this year!

The characterisation was well done! Anna is a very done-to-earth and easily likeable girl! She's nice, sweet and funny! Normally I wouldn't buy the whole nice girl and most popular guy ever romance but it kinda works with A Witch in Winter because it all started out as a accidental bewitching! Seth is extremely likeable and not just because he's good-looking and speaks in a english accent but he's love for Anna really comes through as the novel progresses and I thought it was extremely sweet how much in love they are! I also really liked Abe ( who I thought was totally badass) and Emmeline who might be a little socially awkward but is a loyal friend and a great witch!

A Witch in Winter is definitely a novel work checking out! With all the paranormal romances out there featuring vampire this and werewolf that, it's good to go back to basics where magic WAS the paranormal! I'm so lucky to have acquired a copy for the sequel because I can't wait to see what happens next! Beautifully written, great plot, fantastic romance and the town of Winter is just magical! :)(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Sian Lile-Pastore rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

the beginning reminded me of the movie The Craft and the Sweep: Volume 1sweep/wicca books by Cate Tiernan (which I really enjoyed when I read all 12 or so of them a few years ago).

so, the beginning grabbed me but I got less and less interested as it went along and didn't really enjoy all the action stuff at the end.

I love to read about witches and witchcraft and would so much have liked this to have more wicca (maybe a bit more herbalism in the shop?)in it rather than just the crazy powerful st...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Jessica (Jess Hearts Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t read a lot of books about witches but was really interested to check out A Witch in Winter purely because it’s written by a British author and the story’s set in England which is a bit of a rarity with paranormal young adult fiction. It was really refreshing to read a book set in an old British seaside town but at the same time it wasn’t so British that it wouldn’t do well over seas. I think that Ruth Warburton does a fantastic job of writing a solid British supernatural book that can...more I haven’t read a lot of books about witches but was really interested to check out A Witch in Winter purely because it’s written by a British author and the story’s set in England which is a bit of a rarity with paranormal young adult fiction. It was really refreshing to read a book set in an old British seaside town but at the same time it wasn’t so British that it wouldn’t do well over seas. I think that Ruth Warburton does a fantastic job of writing a solid British supernatural book that can stand proudly next to the popular US paranormal titles.

The book begins with Anna moving to the seaside town of Winter her and her dad taking residence in the old abandoned Wicker House more notoriously known by the locals as “The Witches House.” Despite the house being seriously creepy nothing is out of the ordinary until Anna finds an old spell book and messing around accidently casts a love spell on her crush Seth Waters. Seth quickly falls head over heels for Anna and dumps his popular girlfriend Caroline which makes life more than a little difficult for Anna at her new school. However Caroline is the least of Anna’s problems what with her discovering that she has magical powers, and not being able to remove her love spell on Seth. Plus there’s the Ealdwiton, a council of the most powerful witches, who are after Anna to use her new found powerful magic for their own purposes. Anna’s magic appears to be hugely powerful and with no training Anna manages to get herself into some serious trouble but with Anna’s growing attraction to Seth and his love that she knows she can’t believe in can Anna undo all that she’s done before she causes any more damage to Seth, her dad, and her new found friends?

What I loved most about this book was Seth and Anna’s romance. I really felt for Anna having to constantly do the noble thing and fight her attraction to Seth so as not to take advantage of him whilst he’s under the influence of her spell. Then of course there’s the mystery as to why the spell can’t be removed is it because Seth’s feelings are real? Or is Anna’s magic just too strong? I loved their complicated relationship and really hoped that Seth’s feelings for Anna were real because they made such a fantastic couple. I really liked them both as characters and had instant respect for Anna for not taking Seth for granted and always trying to do the right thing. With a guy like Seth fawning over her I can tell you she’s a stronger girl than me that’s for sure!

I think that A Witch in Winter was a fantastic start to what promises to be an awesome series. I’m so intrigued as to how strong Anna’s powers actually are and what’s in store for her next. This was a fantastic book that I read in one evening because I couldn’t put it down and I am already looking forward to its sequel A Witch in Love!(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Gothic Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: most-favourite

Firstly, let me say I absolutely love this cover. The colour is striking and makes it stand out on the shelf. The model is beautiful and I just love the way the whole thing comes together.

But whilst it was the cover that drew me in, it was the stunning story within that kept my attention.

A WITCH IN WINTER was simply sublime. It was a fast-paced, well-written, wonderful story. Very fluid in it's motion. I picked it up at 12 noon yesterday and was finished within the day. I was just so hooked I f...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Alicekloud rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 30, 2012 Midnight Bloom rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Anna Winterson and her father move from London to the small town of Winter, Anna isn't exactly thrilled that her new home, Wicker House, reminds her of a haunted house. After she invites a few of her classmates over for a sleepover and shows her new friends a damaged Grimoire that her father found while renovating, she learns the locals call it the Witch's House. The girls decide to have some fun, casting a spell that will bind an object of desire, and when it's Anna's turn, she can't help...more When Anna Winterson and her father move from London to the small town of Winter, Anna isn't exactly thrilled that her new home, Wicker House, reminds her of a haunted house. After she invites a few of her classmates over for a sleepover and shows her new friends a damaged Grimoire that her father found while renovating, she learns the locals call it the Witch's House. The girls decide to have some fun, casting a spell that will bind an object of desire, and when it's Anna's turn, she can't help thinking about Seth Waters, the incredibly handsome boy who sits beside her in class.

When Anna arrives to school after the weekend, she is shocked by Seth's sudden attention. But magic can't really be real, right? Frantic to undo the damage and reverse the love spell, she casts more enchantments, unaware of her own awakening powers as a witch. Emmaline, a classmate who keeps to herself and a witch in her own right as well, is understandably standoffish to Anna at first for the havoc she's wreaked in such a short time. Her family takes Anna under their wing, teaching her how to properly focus when using her powers and that they must keep their abilities a secret from non-magical people. Emmaline soon warms up to Anna though, becoming the loyal kind of friend you always want on your side.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes when Anna and Seth were declaring their feelings because the strength of them came a little too soon for my tastes, but I went along with it instead of questioning it too much. Anna's a kind person, confused about her new powers as a witch and how she's inherited them, but no matter how hard she tries to convince herself that Seth's feelings are true, a part of her still can't help believing it's only because of the spell.

I loved how Ruth Warburton has vividly brought the fishing town of Winter to life, with beautiful descriptions that practically make you feel the wind blowing from the sea. The Old English incantations were also really cool, and it was evident how much research Ruth Warburton has poured into folk traditions.

Ruth Warburton's debut novel, A Witch in Winter, is an addictive read brimming with witchcraft lore, romance, and magic on each page. The Winter trilogy is off to a promising start and delivers an enchanting tale that will cast a spell on readers! I hope A Witch in Winter will eventually be published in North America because it definitely deserves more exposure and readers to enjoy it!(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: I'm the editor who bought the book! I bought it because it's a gripping, romantic tale with no vampires, no excessive body hair, and -- most importantly -- no submissive female leads. Anna kicks ass, and I love her.

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Mar 20, 2013 CrazyBrit99 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: witches, romance, mystery

Second time reading this book and it is just as fast-paced, enchanting and bewitching as ever. The characters are so lovable, the plot so enchanting and the writing filled with detail and a unique style you can't help but fell stuck to your seat, not wanting to get your head out the book.

The blurb does not do this book justice. I just sounds like your average soppy love story. But it isn't. Because Anna has just found out she is a witch. May I add she found out she was a witch when she cast a s...more

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Goodreads Librari...: total pages incorrect	2	149	Feb 24, 2012 05:18pm

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