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In Silence And Shadows
Travel to the gentle rolling green hills of Yorkshire where the White Rose Witches are both their own heroes and their own worst enemies. Once an inseparable group of friends, the seven are now severed, scattered across the world, hiding immense secrets.
Evie Hepburn loves fairytales. She lived briefly as the princess in her own romance with her famous husband once upon a time. Now she’s a media darling that shines brightly but briefly three times a week on her lunchtime television show before she retreats to the shadows and secrets of her family farm to be a single mum.
Subdued by years of cowering away, layer after layer of her personal life becomes exposed when she starts dating handsome builder Robbie Anderson. This time, shying away in silence will not protect those she loves. Evie will lose everything if she cannot stand up and fight to be the villainous witch she really is, not the princess she wishes she was.
Book one in the White Rose Witches series.
Evie Hepburn loves fairytales. She lived briefly as the princess in her own romance with her famous husband once upon a time. Now she’s a media darling that shines brightly but briefly three times a week on her lunchtime television show before she retreats to the shadows and secrets of her family farm to be a single mum.
Subdued by years of cowering away, layer after layer of her personal life becomes exposed when she starts dating handsome builder Robbie Anderson. This time, shying away in silence will not protect those she loves. Evie will lose everything if she cannot stand up and fight to be the villainous witch she really is, not the princess she wishes she was.
Book one in the White Rose Witches series.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2024
3 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 13, 2025
I really liked this novel - pure escapism! I read it on the now ceased-to-exist The Pigeonhole.
This also makes me realise just how behind I am with my reviews - I’m hanging my head in shame (and getting on with it!).
Evie and her brother live and work on a farm left to them by their parents. Evie has also found some fame by working on a daytime TV chat/ lifestyle show. However, Evie has a secret. She possesses magical powers and is being haunted by a ghost who is clearly trying to bump her off. She’s helped along by her brother and a rather hunky builder and his brothers.
The setting is cosy: think rolling hills and fields, warm coffee shops and freezing, haunted farmhouses (maybe not so much that last bit!).
It’s very spooky, there’s a good dose of myth, legend (my favourites) and magic, and a big battle at the end.
What’s not to like!
This also makes me realise just how behind I am with my reviews - I’m hanging my head in shame (and getting on with it!).
Evie and her brother live and work on a farm left to them by their parents. Evie has also found some fame by working on a daytime TV chat/ lifestyle show. However, Evie has a secret. She possesses magical powers and is being haunted by a ghost who is clearly trying to bump her off. She’s helped along by her brother and a rather hunky builder and his brothers.
The setting is cosy: think rolling hills and fields, warm coffee shops and freezing, haunted farmhouses (maybe not so much that last bit!).
It’s very spooky, there’s a good dose of myth, legend (my favourites) and magic, and a big battle at the end.
What’s not to like!
September 15, 2025
Atmospheric, Emotional, and Tinged with Witchy Secrets
Georgie St. Claire’s In Silence and Shadows is a moody, character-driven story about identity, resilience, and the haunting power of secrets, set against the rolling green hills of Yorkshire. It’s part family drama, part modern fairytale, and part witchy mystery, blending romance with a simmering undercurrent of magic and danger.
At the heart of the novel is Evie Hepburn, a woman who once lived the dream as the princess in her own fairytale romance, married to her famous husband and adored by the public. Now, divorced and raising her child on her family farm, she’s both a media darling and a recluse—a bright personality on television a few days a week, and a guarded, secretive figure the rest of the time. Evie is layered and sympathetic, carrying both the vulnerability of someone who wants to be loved and the strength of someone who has survived heartbreak and public scrutiny.
Her tentative romance with Robbie Anderson, a charming builder, is written with warmth and tenderness, offering moments of light amidst the shadows. Yet this budding relationship forces Evie to confront her past and her true nature, peeling back the layers of silence she has built around herself. The tension comes not only from romance but from the darker elements lurking beneath her surface: her ties to the White Rose Witches, a once-unbreakable circle of friends now fractured and scattered, each hiding secrets that threaten to resurface.
The setting of Yorkshire provides a lush, atmospheric backdrop, its pastoral calm a striking contrast to the turmoil within Evie’s life. The magical elements feel grounded, more a metaphor for hidden strength and suppressed identity than flashy displays of power, which makes Evie’s eventual confrontation with her own truth all the more powerful.
Georgie St. Claire’s In Silence and Shadows is a moody, character-driven story about identity, resilience, and the haunting power of secrets, set against the rolling green hills of Yorkshire. It’s part family drama, part modern fairytale, and part witchy mystery, blending romance with a simmering undercurrent of magic and danger.
At the heart of the novel is Evie Hepburn, a woman who once lived the dream as the princess in her own fairytale romance, married to her famous husband and adored by the public. Now, divorced and raising her child on her family farm, she’s both a media darling and a recluse—a bright personality on television a few days a week, and a guarded, secretive figure the rest of the time. Evie is layered and sympathetic, carrying both the vulnerability of someone who wants to be loved and the strength of someone who has survived heartbreak and public scrutiny.
Her tentative romance with Robbie Anderson, a charming builder, is written with warmth and tenderness, offering moments of light amidst the shadows. Yet this budding relationship forces Evie to confront her past and her true nature, peeling back the layers of silence she has built around herself. The tension comes not only from romance but from the darker elements lurking beneath her surface: her ties to the White Rose Witches, a once-unbreakable circle of friends now fractured and scattered, each hiding secrets that threaten to resurface.
The setting of Yorkshire provides a lush, atmospheric backdrop, its pastoral calm a striking contrast to the turmoil within Evie’s life. The magical elements feel grounded, more a metaphor for hidden strength and suppressed identity than flashy displays of power, which makes Evie’s eventual confrontation with her own truth all the more powerful.
January 10, 2025
I love a book with cosy vibes. I love being able to settle into a story and get a real feeling for the setting. The only problem being that most of them are set in the States. Not a problem. I enjoy those as much as any other book.
In Silence and Shadows broke the mould for me by being set in a little village in Yorkshire. Think rolling green hills, warm coffee shops, and the best of God's Own Country. You crack open this one and you can almost hear the kettle boiling and the tea being brewed! (Best brew in the country for those who've yet to try it!)
In Silence and Shadows also manages to mash up “cosy tale set in a village” with “dark fantasy set in a village”. Again, I'm a sucker for real world fantasy books. Think Neverwhere, Rivers of London, and The Stranger Times. I love reading books set in places that I've lived or visited and being able to accurately pick out landmarks based on a single sentence.
Evie is an esteemed TV presenter with a secret that she's unwilling to tell the world. Along with her brother, Atlas, and her two kids, they live on a farm that has, to many villagers, a sinister past. Evie is desperately trying to erase the rumours and turn the farm into something more positive and beneficial to the community all while battling her own demons and powers. But some villagers have other ideas, ideas that they've held for many, many years...
The book starts out in your cosy little village, getting you all relaxed and settled before hitting you with the action. If you like witches, modern day stories, warring factions, small English villages, beautiful countryside, tales as that have passed through generations, and a hint of Hot Fuzz (“The greater good...”), then In Silence and Shadows is for you.
In Silence and Shadows broke the mould for me by being set in a little village in Yorkshire. Think rolling green hills, warm coffee shops, and the best of God's Own Country. You crack open this one and you can almost hear the kettle boiling and the tea being brewed! (Best brew in the country for those who've yet to try it!)
In Silence and Shadows also manages to mash up “cosy tale set in a village” with “dark fantasy set in a village”. Again, I'm a sucker for real world fantasy books. Think Neverwhere, Rivers of London, and The Stranger Times. I love reading books set in places that I've lived or visited and being able to accurately pick out landmarks based on a single sentence.
Evie is an esteemed TV presenter with a secret that she's unwilling to tell the world. Along with her brother, Atlas, and her two kids, they live on a farm that has, to many villagers, a sinister past. Evie is desperately trying to erase the rumours and turn the farm into something more positive and beneficial to the community all while battling her own demons and powers. But some villagers have other ideas, ideas that they've held for many, many years...
The book starts out in your cosy little village, getting you all relaxed and settled before hitting you with the action. If you like witches, modern day stories, warring factions, small English villages, beautiful countryside, tales as that have passed through generations, and a hint of Hot Fuzz (“The greater good...”), then In Silence and Shadows is for you.
September 10, 2025
This book has the perfect level of cozy, witchy vibes for a spooky season read, and I’m 100% here for it. The plot had a nice mystery with a hint of romance and some (mostly) subtle fantasy elements until the end when it turned Properly Witchy. It actually felt more like a mystery novel until probably the last 20%, but honestly I’m not mad at that.
The characters are well-written with interesting backstories, and I lives the Yorkshire countryside setting. I also liked the contrast between Evie’s city life and country life, and her conflict between wanting to keep a nice life for her kids while hating the limelight.
My only criticism is that the writing felt very clunky at times, with some awkward sentences, especially in the first half, and there were a few scenes that I wasn’t sure needed to be included or that were over-written (describing every little detail and a bit of telling-not-showing) and it did break my immersion a bit. BUT I would still recommend it to anyone who likes witchy cottage vibes and a nice easy romance (no enemies to lovers here!). I’m definitely intrigued to read the next one.
The characters are well-written with interesting backstories, and I lives the Yorkshire countryside setting. I also liked the contrast between Evie’s city life and country life, and her conflict between wanting to keep a nice life for her kids while hating the limelight.
My only criticism is that the writing felt very clunky at times, with some awkward sentences, especially in the first half, and there were a few scenes that I wasn’t sure needed to be included or that were over-written (describing every little detail and a bit of telling-not-showing) and it did break my immersion a bit. BUT I would still recommend it to anyone who likes witchy cottage vibes and a nice easy romance (no enemies to lovers here!). I’m definitely intrigued to read the next one.
September 26, 2024
A good solid 4 🌟
This was my first experience of the "Romantasy" genre, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable one.
I loved the way things were slowly revealed, with the flashbacks to the very beginning helping to drip feed/give clues to what was going on.
The characters of Evie and her brother Atlas were very intriguing, especially to begin with. I initially found Evie hard to like, but once more was revealed about their past, I understood her more, and she grew on me.
Robbie did feel a little too good to be true as a love interest and I am glad there was another side to his character, which came out near the end of this book and will hopefully be explored and developed further in subsequent books.
I will be very interested to read the next in the series and see where not just Evie and Robbie's relationship goes but also how things pan out with her other school friends as they return to the area, will there be more Witchcraft or other spirits?
With thanks to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity.
This was my first experience of the "Romantasy" genre, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable one.
I loved the way things were slowly revealed, with the flashbacks to the very beginning helping to drip feed/give clues to what was going on.
The characters of Evie and her brother Atlas were very intriguing, especially to begin with. I initially found Evie hard to like, but once more was revealed about their past, I understood her more, and she grew on me.
Robbie did feel a little too good to be true as a love interest and I am glad there was another side to his character, which came out near the end of this book and will hopefully be explored and developed further in subsequent books.
I will be very interested to read the next in the series and see where not just Evie and Robbie's relationship goes but also how things pan out with her other school friends as they return to the area, will there be more Witchcraft or other spirits?
With thanks to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity.
September 28, 2024
The first in the White Rose Witches series set in Yorkshire. Evie lives with her brother, Atlas, and her two children on a farm in the ‘Witch’s House’. She works in the media and has a great love of fairytales. The locals are suspicious of her and Evie is receiving threats in the form of little black cards. She begins a romantic relationship with Robbie, a local builder, but can she trust him?
I enjoyed this story although I did find some of it a little disjointed - I kept wondering if I’d missed something. Nevertheless I found it quite different, imaginative and absorbing. I liked the characters and, being born and bred in Yorkshire myself, I loved the setting! The genre is classed as ‘romantasy’ and I think ‘In Silence and Shadows’ is a good example of this particular genre. I read this book via Pigeonhole, one stave a day over ten days, and I was entertained throughout. An engaging and bewitching read - I look forward to book two!
I enjoyed this story although I did find some of it a little disjointed - I kept wondering if I’d missed something. Nevertheless I found it quite different, imaginative and absorbing. I liked the characters and, being born and bred in Yorkshire myself, I loved the setting! The genre is classed as ‘romantasy’ and I think ‘In Silence and Shadows’ is a good example of this particular genre. I read this book via Pigeonhole, one stave a day over ten days, and I was entertained throughout. An engaging and bewitching read - I look forward to book two!
October 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this - modern setting and a good selection of characters, but a decent amount of fantasy thrown in without it being over the top if that's not normally your genre. Evie and her brother, Atlas, are compelling lead characters and there is a lot of intrigue about their background and childhood. I enjoyed the short flashbacks to the ancestor stories as well which helped set the tone and context. I feel sure there is more to come from the villain in this one! I'm pleased that this is the first in a series and look forward to the next ones. Georgie writes very evocatively but in an easy to read fashion, which keeps you turning the pages. Thank you to Pigeonhole for the read - and to the author for reading along with us!
September 29, 2024
I enjoyed this Romantasy, a story of a woman tv star (think one of the loose women) who also works the farm where her parents left her and her brother, as children, to fend for themselves.
Our heroine, Evie has some magic powers, and is plagued by an evil spirit in the old farmhouse she’s knocking down. She helpfully meets a handsome and protective builder. Lots if spookiness ensues until a big battle at the end of the book.
Looking forward to seeing how this series develops.
Read with The Pigeonhole.
Our heroine, Evie has some magic powers, and is plagued by an evil spirit in the old farmhouse she’s knocking down. She helpfully meets a handsome and protective builder. Lots if spookiness ensues until a big battle at the end of the book.
Looking forward to seeing how this series develops.
Read with The Pigeonhole.
November 5, 2025
This book started off a little slow for me, but once the mystery kicked in, I was hooked. I don’t usually gravitate toward magical realism, but I decided to overlook that element here — and I’m glad I did. The story has such a cozy, small-town charm, and the Yorkshire setting felt beautifully atmospheric. While the pacing in the beginning could be tighter, I can see a lot of potential in this series. Excited to see where the White Rose Witches go next! 🕯️💫
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September 25, 2024
I loved this book from beginning to end! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy fairy tales; this book taps into the child in me, while also operating on a very adult level, with some thought-provoking themes. It's a great mix of light-hearted and serious, written in a very easy style, with likeable characters. Thank you, Georgie and Pigeonhole for giving me the opportunity to read it. I'll be looking out for the next in the series.
November 12, 2025
It took me a while to get into this one, definitely a more laid back fantasy read - real life themes overpower the witchyness of the story. It was nice to read a book where the MC is a mum and being a ‘mum first’ really comes through in the storytelling. An easy, enjoyable read that I couldn’t put down towards the end🤭
September 26, 2024
I read this book courtesy of the Pigeonhole and almost didn't sign up for it as I'm not usually a fan of Romantic Fantasy. However I'm really glad that I did as I enjoyed reading about Evie and her family so much so that I'm look forward to reading the second book in the series.
November 21, 2024
The book is beautifully written. loved the characters and the cozy and mysterious vibe of the book. Highly recommended!!!!
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September 25, 2024
I read this book through thepigeonhole. It was witchy romantic, exciting. I'm looking forward to more!
September 25, 2024
Not a genre I would usually go for but I’m glad I did. It was like a modern fairytale. Well worth the read
September 26, 2024
Well I tried a very different genre, and although I quite enjoyed the story, the fantasy side just didn't work for me.
Thanks to Georgie for reading along on the Pigeonhole.
Thanks to Georgie for reading along on the Pigeonhole.
September 27, 2024
I had a chance to read this on Pigeonhole, and I really enjoyed it. Excellent modern-day romantasy book (not normal my thing), which left me excited for the 2nd in the series
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews