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booksarethenewblack 's review for:
Wildwood Whispers
by Willa Reece
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
I will never stop judging a book by its cover. I know, I know! We are not supposed to do that but I can’t help it. The good thing about this cover is that it’s gorgeous on the inside too! I was surprised at all the different things going on with this book. We have a murder mystery, cult, magical realism, romance, and a character finding herself. It made it an interesting read!
I ended up enjoying this book but I struggled to get into it. It took me about 25% to really get into the story. I think the biggest reason for that is that the plot moves slowly. In addition to that, the pages were wordy. There’s a lot of paragraphs that are beautiful and flowery but don’t say much. I admit I was a bit confused about what was going on at times. With that being said, after I hit the 25% mark it took off for me. I found that the flowery words fit the story so well and made it feel very magical. There’s so much detail that I felt like I could picture everything exactly in my mind. Even though, I was more immersed in the rest of the book the plot still drags from time to time. The last third of the book makes the whole thing. There’s a lot to unpack in that time but I think that Willa Reece does a fabulous job making it all fit in and it doesn’t feel forced or rushed.
Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a very character-driven book. Mel has a very complicated past but she’s a well-rounded character. I loved her and it was great to see her find the hope, beauty, and even magic in the world! I loved all the characters in this book. There is a small romance but it’s such a slow burn. Mel and Jacob did feel intense at times though. I liked the fact that the romance wasn’t the main focus of the story.
Overall, I loved this story. I’m so glad that I kept on going because I was so worried that it would be a DNF for me. Trust me, give it some time and it will really grab you. It’s just so beautifully written and has a strong message about hope. The women in this book are fabulous and I enjoyed getting to know them all. This was my first book by Willa Reece but it will not be my last!
Many thanks to Orbit for providing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I will never stop judging a book by its cover. I know, I know! We are not supposed to do that but I can’t help it. The good thing about this cover is that it’s gorgeous on the inside too! I was surprised at all the different things going on with this book. We have a murder mystery, cult, magical realism, romance, and a character finding herself. It made it an interesting read!
I ended up enjoying this book but I struggled to get into it. It took me about 25% to really get into the story. I think the biggest reason for that is that the plot moves slowly. In addition to that, the pages were wordy. There’s a lot of paragraphs that are beautiful and flowery but don’t say much. I admit I was a bit confused about what was going on at times. With that being said, after I hit the 25% mark it took off for me. I found that the flowery words fit the story so well and made it feel very magical. There’s so much detail that I felt like I could picture everything exactly in my mind. Even though, I was more immersed in the rest of the book the plot still drags from time to time. The last third of the book makes the whole thing. There’s a lot to unpack in that time but I think that Willa Reece does a fabulous job making it all fit in and it doesn’t feel forced or rushed.
Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a very character-driven book. Mel has a very complicated past but she’s a well-rounded character. I loved her and it was great to see her find the hope, beauty, and even magic in the world! I loved all the characters in this book. There is a small romance but it’s such a slow burn. Mel and Jacob did feel intense at times though. I liked the fact that the romance wasn’t the main focus of the story.
Overall, I loved this story. I’m so glad that I kept on going because I was so worried that it would be a DNF for me. Trust me, give it some time and it will really grab you. It’s just so beautifully written and has a strong message about hope. The women in this book are fabulous and I enjoyed getting to know them all. This was my first book by Willa Reece but it will not be my last!
Many thanks to Orbit for providing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!