A Spell of Rowans

by Byrd Nash

Raised by a narcissistic mother, the Rowan children’s magical talents were twisted to fit her needs. When Rachel dies, her children must confront the past to have a future.

Rachel Rowan could sniff out secrets and her antique shop, Rosemary Thyme, was a front to torment the residents of Grimsby. When she dies, her children are faced with the deadly fallout of blackmail, murder, and magic.

Victoria, whose empathic talent knows everyone’s hidden feelings; Philippa, whose glamour can bewitch; and Liam, the brother who touches objects to reveal their secrets, all find themselves in danger.

When her autistic brother is arrested, Vic needs to discover the truth to set him free.

A successful art restorer in the big city, Vic’s made a career of ignoring her past and hiding her strange powers. But with Rachel’s death, she must gamble away her secrets to face down forces determined to destroy her and her siblings.

And that hometown boy she dumped way back? He's in Grimsby, and knows the truth about her.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Magical Realism

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2021

About the author

Discover fearless women, clever as cats, partnered with men who fall first even if they do have a hidden agenda. Byrd writes riveting characters who are relatable but realistically complex.

Her book series showcase alternate histories with intrigue, fantasy, and the supernatural, while Byrd’s standalone novels are thought-provoking explorations of family dysfunction using contemporary settings and magical realism.

Reviews

[Ellie Spencer (catching up from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded down from roughly 3.5 stars ⭐️

A Spell of Rowan’s follows three siblings, who are thrown back together after the sudden death of their mother. The siblings have a dark past, with many buried secrets. They also have special powers but will it be enough to protect them?

I started off absolutely loving this book, I did not want to put it down! I loved the powers of each of the siblings, which created such unique characters. Unfortunately for me, I lost interest in this book about half way through. I struggled to connect with any of the characters properly, apart from Liam. Which affected my enjoyment after a while. I was invested in the storyline but not the people involved. That being said, I loved Liam and wish I’d been able to see more of him!

I really liked the mix of small fantasy elements in a detective/mystery novel. It’s something I’ve not seen before and I loved it. Although I hadn’t guessed ‘who dunnit’, I wasn’t really shocked when it was revealed. That being said, I really loved the important topics that this book touched on. Please be aware of possible trigger warnings for this book as some topics may be difficult for some. These scenes were so vivid but well written, I think my jaw dropped at one point! Overall, I enjoyed this book like I have previous books by this author. If another book was written about these characters I would definitely read it!

I would recommend this to fans of detective novels who don’t mind a bit of fantasy thrown in. I want to thank Netgalley, Rook and Castle Press and Byrd Nash for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: This started off excellently for me but began dipping around the midway mark. The finale left me disappointed. Nevertheless, it’s a unique story and deserves credit for its imaginative characters.

Story:

Three siblings, who have been in touch only virtually since a few years, meet up in their quaint hometown of Grimsby after their mother’s death. What makes this unlike any such situation is that their mother was a narcissistic woman who had made their lives miserable. Also, the trio aren’t ordinary individuals. Each of them is blessed with a special talent. Philippa Rowan, the eldest, can use her charisma to bewitch others into doing what she wants. Victoria is an empath who can glean emotions from others and even manipulate them. Liam can know the history of objects merely by touching them. Their reunion uncovers many secret revelations and begins a series of dark events. Will the siblings be able to escape the dangers facing them and move on from their pasts?

The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Victoria.

The book started off wonderfully. With the right amount of mystery and magical realism and a fast tempo, it created a storyline that didn’t allow me to keep it aside. I enjoyed every bit of the fantastical elements, even if the whys and hows of them weren’t explained. However, towards the middle, the book moves more towards a criminal investigation that seemed like a very abrupt switch in the focus. The story then tries to balance the crime thriller and the fantasy drama, and does an average job of it. However, the climax was way farfetched, with too many coincidences and last minute twists that ended up making hardly any sense.

I enjoyed (but not necessarily liked) the main characters in the story, especially the three siblings and FBI agent Reed Easton. While the reason behind the unusual talents of the Rowan children isn’t specified, I still appreciated how the story incorporated their unique abilities. (I would have loved to see a bit more of Philippa’s talent used. Her abilities got the least amount of limelight.) Their mother, Rachel Rowan, also seemed like an intriguing character. While she is a constant presence in the narrative through her children’s antagonistic feelings for her, she gets a spotlight only towards the end of the story. I would have loved to see her get a greater focus throughout the book, maybe through interim flashbacks that revealed a glimpse of her behaviour towards her children and her husband. I would have loved to know more about their father, who hardly gets any character detailing. Also, one of the main characters is written in a very stereotypical manner for supposedly autistic behaviour (without any medical rationale about how they came to this diagnosis.)

There are many things left unexplained in the story. While some things in a fantasy novel can be accepted without elaboration (such as the unique Rowan talents), some plot points needed more attention. I can’t reveal much without going into spoilers, but the rationale behind the townspeople’s attitude towards the Rowans and the criminal’s reason for the crime needed greater detailing. Even some character behaviour went without reasoning. Like, the reason for Reed’s ability to absorb others’ emotions despite not coming from a magical family was never revealed. There are so many doubts created about the role of the Rowan house in the plot but nothing ever reaches clarity.

Overall, this story definitely had great potential and I really wanted to like it, more so as it is by a debut author. But maybe my expectations were more of a fantasy, so the ordinary crime-thriller direction the book took disappointed me, even though there were some paranormal moments interspersed here and there. It felt like the book tried to straddle too many genres and ultimately, ended up doing justice to hardly any. The monotonous secondary character development and the half-baked analysis of many plot points further lowered my enjoyment.

5 stars for the initial 20-25%, 3-3.5 stars for the middle, 2 stars for the finale and the epilogue.

EDITING TO ADD WHAT I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER: Mine is an outlier review. Most of the feedback for this book has been extremely positive. So please read through other reviews before you make up your mind about this book.


My thanks to author Byrd Nash and BookSirens for the DRC of “A Spell of Rowans”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.

[Byrd Nash]

⭐ 𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄. This is a special Witchy Halloween special I'm running so if you've wanted this 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, now is the time to grab it!

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞:
https://books2read.com/ASpellOfRowans

𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞-𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫.

Fans of Alix E. Harrow, Alice Hoffman, Paula Brackston, Sarah Addison Allen, and Kate Morton will enjoy the Magical Realism and complex family dynamics in this small town mystery.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: spellbinding ⬥ emotional page-turner ⬥ completely immersed ⬥ read past my bedtime⬥ hooked from the first page ⬥ kept you on the edge of your seat⬥

“𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍-𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 – 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚, 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚’𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒖𝒎𝒂.” –
𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒚, 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚, 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈." –
🅰 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

💔 NOTE: Trigger warnings for discussion of child abuse and suicide, with one assault scene, and some cursing. I'd rate as a PG14.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Happy Publication Day**

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4.2 Stars

Trigger Warning: Nonsexual child abuse, suicide, attempted sexual assault.

Vic, aka, Victoria is called home to Grimsby by her elder sister Philippa. Their mother, the infamous narcissist, Rachel Rowan has died, and her three children have to settle the details. Vic agrees to her Philippa and their younger brother Liam in the town.

She’s been away for too long, trying to escape the suffocating life with their mother. However, she knows that nothing involving Rachel will ever be easy.

As an empath, Vic has spent her life trying to block’s emotions for messing with hers. Philippa was her opposite and charmed people around her. Liam could tell the history of whatever object he touched. And their dead mother, Rachel, had the knack of finding secrets and controlling others.

Things take a turn for worse the moment Vic enters Grimsby. Though she’s not surprised, Vic realizes that she didn’t know a lot of things because she kept it that way. Liam seems to have suffered the most, and Vic feels torn between wanting to help and wondering if she should.

The past, too, has been left dangling when Vic left, and it looks like Vic has no choice but to face her fears. With her siblings to support her, Vic finds alleys in two men with powerful positions. With one of them being close to her heart, can Vic survive the intensity of complicated emotions piling on top of one another?

A Spell of Rowans is my first book by the author, and I'm impressed by her writing. The book really isn’t sci-fi or fantasy even. It’s more on the lines of a little paranormal here and there. Most of it is a family drama with some suspense and uncertain romance thrown in.

Since I pretty much forgot the genre, I could enjoy the book without wondering about the lack of fantasy elements (on a large scale). Also, I tend to like books with just a little touch of fantasy, so this fits my reading preferences rather well.

Another plus point is the writing flow. After ending up with a couple of slow books, this one relieved me. My pace got back to normal, and I added the extra 0.2 stars for the same.

The story intrigued me from the first page and kept me hooked throughout. Vic is our narrator, and we see things from her perspective. She’s the kind of character I like to read- a bit vulnerable, a little headstrong, a bit impulsive but sensible, determined, caring, and capable of carrying the story on her shoulders.

The other characters, Philippa, Liam, and Reed, were also well etched, though Hunter needed a little more. That said, I loved Liam’s character. He’s an endearing young man, who’s been through a lot, carries a lot of baggage, and yet is a compassionate man.

Though Rachel is dead, we feel her presence throughout the book, just the way the author intended it. Her character is defined from the first. Yet, it’s only later that we begin to see the full extent of it.

I wished some of it was shown earlier, kind of alternating with the present. That would have better sustained the momentum at the end. Also, this book isn’t high in atmosphere or descriptions. It has some and is easy to visualize, but those looking for the high atmospheric effect will be disappointed. I should’ve been too, but, guess I picked it up at the right time. This is what I needed now, and it worked for me.

To sum up, A Spell of Rowans is not an easy book to read (refer to the triggers), but a worthy one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Rook and Castle Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

#ASpellofRowans #NetGalley

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the blurb I was expecting something a little more paranormal, a little more fantasy, for want of a better word. It turned out to be a much more contemporary, a murder mystery with minor magical elements, and I was surprisingly very OK with that. I really liked the author's voice and could connect with the main characters, so that their feelings were my feelings.


We experience the entire story through the eyes of Victoria (Vic) Rowan, a headstrong and impulsive character with a complex history. There are many truths to be uncovered in the town of Grimsby and at times it felt as though each time we discovered the answer to one question two more mysteries were spawned. The author had many different threads to weave into the story and whilst I loved the richness this provided some elements did feel a little underdeveloped.


In the story, Vic is joined by her siblings, Pip and Liam, as well as a couple of ex-boyfriends and several suspicious, and unwelcoming, town folk. The romantic element is very minor, a second chance from the protagonists teenage years. However, I felt there was a missed opportunity to convince the reader of the depth of Vic and Reed's feelings, particularly given the huge time interval that had elapsed since they had last seen one another. Whilst I could find myself believing in the emotions Victoria was experiencing it was more difficult to imagine that those feelings had survived fifteen years apart.


I very much enjoyed the mystery element. There wasn't a huge amount of foreshadowing, certainly no obvious pointers as to the culprit even with hindsight. We are aware of all the main players within the story, though some feature more heavily than others. All in all the story readily held my attention and left me wanting to read more of the authors work.

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you be the centre of attention when you aren't even alive? A mother, normally the main function, the main artery of the family circle has proven to be the very opposite. She had petrified a number of people throughout the community, even towards her own children. She left a trail of disruption, swindled a fist full of people. One member of the family is being blamed for her death, so, we have murder, but who is it?
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I want to thank NetGalley and Rook and Castle Press for the ARC of A Spell Of Rowans. This book will be published on 26 October 2021.
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My Thoughts
We have two sub stories going on here. Byrd Nash takes us on a crime trial where we have the FBI involved with the dialogue being sometimes in police investigation dialogue, and then we have a family dealing with dysfunctional relationships within the family that has a taint of wiccan magick.

I was fascinated and intrigued by both of these stories that interlocked extremely well.

The story is beautifully written but Trigger warnings for discussion of child abuse and trauma, with one assault scene, and some cursing, but I didn't have any problems with it and I thought these scenes were approached in a thoughtful manner and not too aggressive.

I really enjoyed all the plotting, I found it tight and plausible and its left me now to congratulate Byrd Nash on her remarkable writing skills, phonenomal effort and I do hope this book does well for her.
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I'm rating this book 5 stars and comes highly recommended by me.
It's a stand alone book, the genre being a Contemporary Fiction, Women's Lit and Literary Fiction. Perfect for fans of Practical Magic, Garden Spells, and The Witches of New York.
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A Spell Of Rowans - Byrd Nash
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.https://paulinereidbookreviewer.wordp...

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

With their mother dead, will the Rowan siblings have to atone for their mother’s evil deeds? Fifteen years ago, Victoria Rowan left Grimsby and never regretted it, until her mother, Rachel, dies. Ding, dong, she’s finally dead. No remorse, just anger at all that took place eats away at Vic. Anger turns to fury when the police arrest her brother Liam, who’s on the spectrum, for a murder he didn’t commit. Three magical siblings must join forces in order to rid their souls of an abusive past to bridge the present and future as one family. Vic, Philippa, and Liam need to sort through the murders, suicide, blackmail, and revenge before it's too late.

A Spell of Rowans is a tragic story about one woman’s thirst for power at any cost, including her gifted children. There’s an old saying that a death in the family, particularly the head of the family, opens all the closets full of secrets. In the Rowan family, they’re not mourning their mother’s death but exhaling. The wicked witch is dead and can no longer control them. But the fallout, the abuse, the pain, still needs to be dealt with and Byrd Nash’s writing exemplifies all the emotions perfectly. A Spell of Rowans is so much more than a magical story, it’s a gripping tale of family dynamics, abuse, autism, murder, small-town life, and so much more. Yes, each Rowan sibling has a magical talent but that’s not the crux of the story. I connected with Vic right away and I identified with her personality best. The plot moves at a good pace with a full cast of characters to interact with. There’s plenty of mystery in this story and I felt a bit like I’d jumped into the middle of a play, not knowing what was going on. While some authors do this and I’m forever lost, Byrd Nash takes the reader and slowly builds the backstory. Piece by piece, the story begins to take shape until the reader becomes a part of the story. Brilliant writing, engrossing characters, a mystery to solve, and healing. A Spell of Rowans is a superb story from start to finish. I recommend this book to every reader.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it. My thoughts are all my own.

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Eve Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: childhood abuse, attempted sexual assault, drowning, murder, suicide. Not very graphic but read at your own discretion.

This is the weirdest, most wonderful mishmash of genres. It is adult general fiction with a little bit of fantasy and a whole lot of mystery that also tackles childhood trauma.

I've seen some users categorise this as romance and it is very much NOT a romance. If you go into this with that expectation you're going to be disappointed. Throughout the story there is a vague impression that couples will form, but there is no actual romance until 85%.

When the abusive Rachel Rowan dies, her (adult) children are caught up in a murder mystery and left to deal with the many enemies that their mother made with her blackmail scheme. All of this must be dealt with while battling bad memories. I definitely did not guess who the murderer was, but I don't think there was enough foreshadowing to.

A Spell of Rowans is absolutely fascinating. I was totally, totally immersed in the story. It certainly succeeds in provoking emotional responses. I felt deep sadness for what the children endured, pure rage for how horrible their mother was, and great uncertainty over where the danger is coming from. There were definitely some gasp-worthy moments!

I didn't like the writing style at all, it just wasn't for me. It seemed slightly amateurish with a dependence on telling rather than showing. However, the content is so good that I'm not even going to consider lowering my rating.

This book is definitely worth 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Laurie EponaPR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new genre for this Author, and she did not disappoint!


Anyone who has read Byrd Nash before, will not be surprised when I say she presents a book with a well thought out plot, great character development, and relationships; with a charming node to classic literary tales that are well known and adored.

For any reader who personally walks a magical path, they will likely come to greatly appreciate the accurate and truthful representation of magic being used in one's everyday life.
In the absence of the "Hollywood" styled treatment which typically depends on "special effects" to explain magical happenings to the audience; Byrd instead uses her unique voice and perspective to translate into words what are often indescribable feelings of inner wisdom and intuition.

If you are a reader who has never experienced magic first hand, you are in for a treat! Having a sixth sense is a blessing and a curse, which Byrd accurately portrays in this page turning multiple homicide mystery novel.

Think of this novel as having a magical twist on a great traditional noir styled plot!
- You may want to grab some popcorn!

[Linda Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

purely for shock value.

Rachel Rowan has always been a force to be reckoned with; but now she’s dead and somehow still manages to create havoc amongst her children and the townspeople of Grimsby. Her three grown children have finally had enough.

The story takes place in a town where everyone knows everyone and their business. I know, because I grew up in such place. The story’s perspective is told through Vic, the middle Rowan, who left Grimsby 15 years ago under mysterious circumstances and never looked back. She is a loner, tends to be snarky and sharp like a knife. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Vic at first, but I was quickly won over in just a few chapters. Oh, there’s romance…more than one.

Nash portrays a dysfunctional family cloaked in a family secret. A secret so terrible that people have been hurt and murdered. Everyone in town, including the Chief of Police, knows who “dun it”. This is an open and shut case with time running out for one of the Rowans. The question is, which one?

Nash has created a story that will have you immersed from the beginning to the very last sentence. She is meticulous in the development of each character and the story flows with flair and humor in all of the right places. She’s aced all three elements that I look for in a book; character growth, world building, and story flow with an edge of your seat ending. The town of Grimsby will never be the same again. I’m sure all of them will have lots to talk about over a couple cups of coffee for quite some time. Trust me.

A Spell of Rowans does not have a fair young maiden in distress, no fairies, no wands, no knight in shining armor, nary a werewolf or vampire. Its just a great story with a bit of magic for those of us who refuse to grow up. And that would be me. I loved this story!

Parental Note:
I would recommend this book for teens 16 and above.

There are scenes that some may find troubling. I’m just putting it out there. I was not deterred by this as I thought and felt these scenes were well written and contributed to the story. I did not feel they were added purely for shock value.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book. Not for those who are triggered easily by narcissism or the abuse associated with it. It is more of a dark novel but full of magic realism. Looking forward to the next two books to come in this series. No spoilers but if you like books by Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen or even Barbara Michaels you will enjoy this book.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one.
three siblings. they had a narcissistic mother. when the mother dies all the chaos erupts.
but wait, all the three siblings have unique powers but is that enough to live in the chaotic world.

this novel is a detective story which blends the magic story as well.
so I absolutely loved the narration and the emotional backdrop.

recommend.

[Elizabeth Close · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this story line was amazing, I was lucky enough to be a BETA reader for this book and the first time I read it straight thru because I needed to know what was going to happen next and couldn't wait to do the job at hand.
The main characters were well written and I felt for them through out this suspense filled story. I would recommend this to everyone

[Rowan Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This title caught my eye at first because it had my name in it and I am so glad that it did! It was a fascinating book with wonderful characters and such a unique story. I really enjoyed it!

[Merricat · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ I was given an ARC Copy of this Book from the Author, but all thoughts in this review are my own ~

A few years ago, I was very fortunate to get my hands on one of Byrd's Books Never Date a Siren and from that moment on I have been hooked to her writing. When it comes to A Spell of Rowans I am even more hooked than before. Starting off, yes this is somewhat different than her other books, but that doesn't make it any less as good if not even better than the others.

From the first page of this book I instantly was hooked by Vic and as the pages turned and I kept reading, the more I was falling under the spell of the Rowans and the mystery surrounding the family. The way the sibling relationships were shown and portrayed, to me, was spot on, because no family is perfect, I also saw an absolute ton of my Step-Mother In Law surrounding the Rowan matriarch. I think some of the darker themes in the book were handled very well and I was hung on every word. Do yourself a favor and get your hand on this book ASAP. (Bonus is you can get your hands on a physical copy directly from Byrd Nash's website store, or in ebook format, and if your feeling lucky, and want a little magic, you can always try to enter my giveaway for a copy on my instagram, tiktok, or facebook page. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

Ah, with a title like that, how could I not be curious about this book? I pretty much requested it at Netgalley before even knowing what it was about. I didn't actually expect all that much, so I was surprised to find a well-written story that had me intrigued!

This book is about the Rowan family. We see the story unfold through the eyes of Victoria Rowan, one of the three children (besides Phillipa and Liam) of Rachel and Victor Rowan. Victoria comes back to the village she grew up in after she learns of her mother's death, only to find suspicions and accusations in every corner. She has to deal with resolving her mother's strange death, which might be murder, while dealing with childhood memories that have long stayed buried.

I loved the small town vibes in this book, with different characters who all have their own history within the town. I also very much enjoyed the magical touch to it, with the gifts each of the Rowan children possess. I thought that was woven into the story quite beautifully, without being overpowering. I would have loved to know more about the origins of this magic though. I liked Victoria as the main character, but I thought the other characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wouldn't say they were flat characters, because they weren't. But personally I would have loved to know more about Rachel's reasons for behaving as she did, for instance.

I enjoyed reading this book! If you're looking for a small town murder mystery with some slight magical touches, this book might just be for you!

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman with an impressive city job and big name connections goes back to the small town she grew up in after her mother's death and is confronted with a murder mystery and her old flame. The elements might sound familiar, but this is no Hallmark-esque story or cozy mystery. Byrd Nash has managed to build and incredibly deep, nuanced story of three siblings, their pained and tortured past, the current mess their mother left behind, and the future they choose to forge for themselves.

I loved the way the magical realism was woven into this story, enhancing it rather than just being a gimmick. So much care was out into the details of this story, everything has a reason, nothing is wasted. The pacing was excellent too - very immersive book. I loved the way the story unfolded as more was revealed and the use of language was just beautiful. A lyric book, but not a overly verbose one - and with a good amount of action too.

This is a standalone with a complete and very satisfying story line. If you are familiar with Byrd Nash's books, this one is a bit darker that her other books, but still contains the strength of character, deep loving connections, and hope found in her other books. There is some violence, but it does not get graphic or gory.

[Emily MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had everything I loved! Between the aspects of murder-mystery, magical talents, sibling healing, and even a bit of romance, this book was hard to put down. There were lots of likable characters and many surprises throughout the plot. I was invested in the story from beginning to end.

[Korinne Tande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder?...Arson?...Theft? Oh, my! Quite an interesting (and at times, very sad) family! I downloaded this book along with a couple other books. I plodded through the other two and then started reading this one. I so enjoyed this book that I scolded myself for not reading it sooner. Love this family of "mysterious" siblings, and the additional characters that add to the supernatural feel of the story. The beginning is great with quite a hook describing the nasty family dynamics. What a horrible mother! One (of many) interesting statements jumped out at me and stayed with me throughout my time reading the book: Did his (the son's) talent cause him to be this way or do people perceive he's different because of his talent? This thought made me think back to my years as an educator, and I thought of students I had taught and the labels many of them carried: disruptive, too much energy, etc. I wondered then, and now, if the labels given to the students encouraged more of the behavior. (I like books that make me rethink and ponder my life's experiences!) The book also looked at how family dynamics "mold" future behaviors and belief systems. This book includes mystery, romance, and acceptance - kind of an emotional roller coaster. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntary.

[Bronwyn Kotze · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly remarkeable book about love, family and forgiveness with a touch of magic.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

love this sort of book

magic and curses with a bit of murder and blackmail thrown in as well, whats not to like

the rowan children each have gifts

ding dong the witch is dead...that's what the rowans siblings said to each other

interesting read, getting to know rowan family and their gifts, hope this is the beginning of a series as i really enjoyed this book

a new author for me but one i will be keeping an eye out for

[Anna Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Spell of Rowans by Byrd Nash
5 Stars

I have read a few of Byrd Nash’s books and this has to be my all time favourite. It’s perfect! There is drama, murder, suspense and magic. The thing that I love best about the book is that the main character is not perfect. Victoria Rowan and her siblings are broken. Raised by a mother so horrendous, they were crushed. Each trying their best to survive her cruelty. Victoria returns home, a decade of being gone, after her mother’s death. Secrets are revealed and her mothers natural death turns into a murder. Although Vic is happy her mother is gone, she is put in harms way because of her. Rachel Rowan is still terrorizing her children from beyond the grave. The siblings need to uncover the truth if they finally want to put the past to rest.

This is an intriguing story with twists and turns that kept me riveted from the start. I loved the characters and all their flaws. I’m happy everything was resolved in the end but kind of sad because I would like to read more about these characters. Here’s hoping the author turns this book into a series!

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of three siblings who have unusual abilities and the dysfunctional home they came from with a mother who was truly evil and a father who wouldn’t protect his children.

As adults the siblings still can’t forget the abuse they suffered especially the younger two. Upon their mother’s death new revelations are revealed about her and the hold she had on some people in the town they grew up in. It seems their mother brought out the worst in a couple of townspeople for the middle sibling is assaulted and the mothers business is burned to the ground. Evidence points that their mother may have , in fact, been murdered. You will be shocked by who did that murder and who has put them all in danger!

This is a honest look at how abuse at home by those who should love and protect their children can leave a lasting impact on the lives of their children. Ones self worth or believing they aren’t worthy of love or the good things in life is very real in these cases.

I definitely recommend this book to readers old and young for the story is exciting and a page turner for sure! It delves into the memories the two youngest experienced and the reader feels the heartbreak and anger they felt as a result of what they suffered as well as in later years!

Byrd has written a story that anyone who has suffered abuse growing up will automatically relate to. Physical and emotional scars are long lasting and only unconditional love and respect can help the individual to overcome the damning self loathing one has of himself or herself as a result of growing up in that type of environment! It’s not easy believe you me but God bless those who can offer that love and respect to those of us who are damaged as a result of such abuse.

The story is one that everyone should read! Though fictional the stories of real abuse are everywhere. I
hope that as you read and enjoy this book that you will reach out to those you know who may have that self loathing and low self esteem and let them know that they are of worth regardless of the years of being told they aren’t. They need to hear that constantly to break down those walls they’ve erected as a result of what they’ve suffered.

I thank Byrd for writing a book that is both an exciting, interesting and riveting book as well as exploring the dark side of what so many people may have grown up under. Those who had a “normal” upbringing should thank God every day for it for you will never know how lucky you are!

[Cassie The Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley/BookSirens for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.

The premise of this story hooked me first: family secrets, witches, and blackmail. I started reading this story and had a hard time putting it down. It's both serious with some of the topics (check for trigger warnings)brought up, funny with snipe comments from characters as well as inner monologue. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's true there was "as much" magic as there was murder and mystery but honestly, I was perfectly fine with that. I love the author's writing style as well as how she shapes her characters. I ended up reading this in less than 24 hours because I couldn't seem to want to stop reading it.

This is probably one of my top 10 favorites this year!!!

My Rating: 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Alexis (Lexi.84.02) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning, and the description intrigued me; so of course I had to read it. This book follows The Rowan Family. All of them have magical powers and each have their own past. One thing they all have in common, however, is their controlling mother Racheal. Racheal owns a Rosemary Thyme store and is known in town as a scorned woman who you do not want to be intertwined with.
After Racheal's death, her 3 children Vic, Phillipa and Liam come together and use their powers to figure out why everyone hated their mom, and also Liam gets accused of killing her and they know he did not do it.
I really liked how the story took turns when you least expect it, and it was not predictable at all. Just when you think its all said and done, boom another turn it takes. I was impressed of the flow of the book and found myself reading past my bed night.
What I would have liked more of is the back story of their magic and how they learned to use their gifts. Also in the description it states that Racheal (the mom) was narcissistic, however I felt that part did fall flat. Having my own narcisstic mother, I felt that the mom could use more snark and passive aggressiveness. Was she controlling? Absolutely, however I would have liked a little more.
All in all, this book was solid and would recommend it to my friends and family if your looking for a thriller that touches on magic, murder and mayhem. Thank you net Galley for my ARC and honest review.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paranormal murder mystery

An excellent story about siblings with paranormal abilities coming together to settle the estate of their evil mother. There are several twists and turns and red herrings in solving mysteries and murders. I love the dynamics between the siblings; they were so in sync with each other. I loved Pip’s charm and big sister protectiveness, Vic’s emotional caring and sass, and Liam’s knowledge and truth telling. Triggers for abuse, rape, and suicide. Overall, sensitive subjects were handled well and the story was very well written.

I received an ARC copy from the author and am pleased to leave an honest review.

[Chante Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion ~

This is the first book I've read by this author and I wasn't disappointed. Although more contemporary than I anticipated I must say I really enjoyed it. Deals with a range of aspects - and I've come to find that I like magical realism and this book displayed that well; abuse, trauma, family - healing and no over the top romance. If you find yourself like me, enjoying this type of magical realism genre I totally recommend.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC through Book Sirens, this is my unbiased opinion.
Magic has always been a great read for me, along with stories about families and the secrets they keep. This book had everything that I love in stories. I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman and I could see this author being as prolific in her story telling about families as Hoffman. I also appreciated the manner in which the author addresses the issues of childhood trauma, something we have all dealt with. I will definitely read more from this author. I could really round up to 4.5.

[Sina Buchanan Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book thinking it was part of a series I've been reading. It wasn't long before I realized my error and devoured it for itself! The story is about a dysfunctional family who are determined to get beyond their childhood of a hateful mother and a disinterested father.
The three adult children work together to overcome the past and enter a better future. Oh, yes, there is also magic involved and it's believable.
I couldn't put this book down! Byrd Nash is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!