On the island of Saiorse, Emery Blackwood and August Salt are as inevitable as winter chasing spring. They never quite meet, but they always reach toward each other. Their love is as deep as the ocean and they are bound by moonlight. On a night filled with tragedy, August and Emery are ripped apart. When August returns to the island years later, it is only so he can bury his mother and leave as soon as possible. Yet Emery and August have never been able to stay apart and the island’s ways are mysterious. It soon becomes clear that the truth about what happened the night of the tragedy is still a mystery and there are many dark secrets lurking beneath the town’s surface.

I absolutely loved Spells for Forgetting! Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Adrienne Young is such a talented writer who can write a compelling story in a sentence. She pays impeccable attention to all the senses, creating a lush and atmospheric tale. The sounds, smells, and feeling of Saiorse Island will captivate readers. I wish I could visit! The tea shop, the orchard, and the lighthouse stand out as particularly vivid locations. Emery and August’s love story is a slow-burn filled with yearning. I loved watching them find each other again years after they had been ripped apart. Spells for Forgetting is the story of a tightly-knit town with shadowy secrets, a magical island, and a love story written in the stars. 

I would highly recommend Spells for Forgetting to anyone! Readers who enjoyed Small Favors (Erin A. Craig), A River Enchanted (Rebecca Ross), or A History of Wild Places (Shea Ernshaw) will devour Spells for Forgetting. Spells for Forgetting is an exquisite adult debut from Adrienne Young and I can’t wait to read what she writes next! Thank you so much to Adrienne Young, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.