What do you think?
Rate this book
The Witch's Kiss #1
The Witch’s Kiss
Can true love’s kiss save the day…?
Electrifying dark magic debut by authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.
Sixteeen-year-old Meredith is fed-up with her feuding family and feeling invisible at school – not to mention the witch magic that shoots out of her fingernails when she’s stressed. Then sweet, sensitive Jack comes into her life and she falls for him hard. The only problem is that he is periodically possessed by a destructive centuries-old curse.
Meredith has lost her heart, but will she also lose her life? Or in true fairytale tradition, can true love’s kiss save the day?
Electrifying dark magic debut by authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.
Sixteeen-year-old Meredith is fed-up with her feuding family and feeling invisible at school – not to mention the witch magic that shoots out of her fingernails when she’s stressed. Then sweet, sensitive Jack comes into her life and she falls for him hard. The only problem is that he is periodically possessed by a destructive centuries-old curse.
Meredith has lost her heart, but will she also lose her life? Or in true fairytale tradition, can true love’s kiss save the day?
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2016
98 people are currently reading
4587 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
July 20, 2016
MEH.
Seeing Witch in the title i had high hopes. Its a interesting concept. A sleeping beauty retelling in a way, but switched..
I liked Leo, part of me wishes he got a better part in the book. He was my favourite part of the whole novel. AND THE GRAN OMG SHE WAS LIFE!
Seeing Witch in the title i had high hopes. Its a interesting concept. A sleeping beauty retelling in a way, but switched..
I liked Leo, part of me wishes he got a better part in the book. He was my favourite part of the whole novel. AND THE GRAN OMG SHE WAS LIFE!
July 14, 2016
Four Reasons to Read The Witch’s Kiss
1. It’ll make you Google Anglo-Saxon swords.
Medieval, renaissance, Victorian, Elizabethan… all these periods that fill the fantasy landscape, but I can think of none that cover the Anglo-Saxon period! I don’t know a lot about English history, to be fair, but I spoke to other people at the launch party, and they agreed that few books (especially YA fantasies) talk about the period.
Yes, I Wikipedia’d that. What are you going to do about it?
I think bookworms are naturally curious people, and a book that entertains, educates and inspires readers to dive into the subject matter is a sure winner! I would go as far as to say that the incorporation of flashbacks, dreams and stories within stories set 1500 years ago was my favourite aspect of this book.
2. You’ll want a big brother like Leo.
Ok, when I went to the party, I had only just started the book. I know, I know – I was very ashamed. People asked me about what I thought of Leo, and I want to take back what I said then, which was that I didn’t like him. Yes, I was not a fan of his behaviour when he was first introduced, but he quickly redeemed himself!
For certain reasons that will make sense when you read the book, I did not crush on Leo, but that didn’t stop me from seriously appreciating him and wishing I had a big brother like him!
Just a few reasons why I loved Leo:
- He wanted to study medicine, and he worked on a farm to save up money! DEDICATION.
- He clearly cared for Merry and tried to help her throughout her ordeal.
- Even when something terrible happened to him, he had Merry’s back and did what needed to be done.
- He had cool older friends (except for one of them who can go eat rocks). What girl didn’t want an older brother with cute friends to crush on?
However, I do have an amazing younger brother who came to the party with me! Reading about all the ways that Leo and Merry took care of each other made me appreciate my brother even more, and the amazing relationship we have.
3. Merry sounded like a real 16-year-old British teenager.
She was naïve. She did stupid things. She was insecure at times. She drank tea. She was on school sports teams. She had crushes.
REGULAR. TEENAGE. GIRL.
Except for the whole magic thing. Merry did not want to deal with the whole magic thing. I really loved that
At first, I thought that Merry sounded and acted really young. BUT THEN I realised that, actually, a lot of YA fantasies have teenagers that don’t actually seem like teenagers. They’re often way more competent and together than I would have been at that age. Once I had that epiphany, I actually appreciated that Merry seemed like any other schoolgirl.
4. The end will knock you sideways.
Another admission. I was reading and thinking that it seemed way too cliché and easy for a while. SILLY ME. Those sneaky Corrs… I thought I had it all figured out until they threw in a final twist. I won’t say anything more, but you’ve been warned.
----------------
I can’t wait for the next book, The Witch’s Tears, to come out! I’ve been promised that the cover will be just as cool, and the way The Witch’s Kiss ended has left me very curious as to what might be next for Merry…
1. It’ll make you Google Anglo-Saxon swords.
Medieval, renaissance, Victorian, Elizabethan… all these periods that fill the fantasy landscape, but I can think of none that cover the Anglo-Saxon period! I don’t know a lot about English history, to be fair, but I spoke to other people at the launch party, and they agreed that few books (especially YA fantasies) talk about the period.
Quick history lesson: The Anglo-Saxon period ran from around 450 to 1066 AD in Great Britain. Continental Europeans (Germanic tribes) settled on the island and mixed with the locals. People spoke Old English, and Christianity made a comeback. Women were more equal then than 100 years ago.
Yes, I Wikipedia’d that. What are you going to do about it?
I think bookworms are naturally curious people, and a book that entertains, educates and inspires readers to dive into the subject matter is a sure winner! I would go as far as to say that the incorporation of flashbacks, dreams and stories within stories set 1500 years ago was my favourite aspect of this book.
2. You’ll want a big brother like Leo.
Ok, when I went to the party, I had only just started the book. I know, I know – I was very ashamed. People asked me about what I thought of Leo, and I want to take back what I said then, which was that I didn’t like him. Yes, I was not a fan of his behaviour when he was first introduced, but he quickly redeemed himself!
For certain reasons that will make sense when you read the book, I did not crush on Leo, but that didn’t stop me from seriously appreciating him and wishing I had a big brother like him!
Just a few reasons why I loved Leo:
- He wanted to study medicine, and he worked on a farm to save up money! DEDICATION.
- He clearly cared for Merry and tried to help her throughout her ordeal.
- Even when something terrible happened to him, he had Merry’s back and did what needed to be done.
- He had cool older friends (except for one of them who can go eat rocks). What girl didn’t want an older brother with cute friends to crush on?
However, I do have an amazing younger brother who came to the party with me! Reading about all the ways that Leo and Merry took care of each other made me appreciate my brother even more, and the amazing relationship we have.
3. Merry sounded like a real 16-year-old British teenager.
She was naïve. She did stupid things. She was insecure at times. She drank tea. She was on school sports teams. She had crushes.
REGULAR. TEENAGE. GIRL.
Except for the whole magic thing. Merry did not want to deal with the whole magic thing. I really loved that
At first, I thought that Merry sounded and acted really young. BUT THEN I realised that, actually, a lot of YA fantasies have teenagers that don’t actually seem like teenagers. They’re often way more competent and together than I would have been at that age. Once I had that epiphany, I actually appreciated that Merry seemed like any other schoolgirl.
Sidebar discussion: In the book, Merry admits to using memory charms to help her study for exams, and how she was a bad person because of this. I disagree! Why? Because we don’t tell people with photographic memory that they’re cheating. If magic is a natural thing for Merry, why shouldn’t she use it to her advantage? Should tall people not be allowed to compete in races because they have a natural height advantage?
I think we don’t like the idea of people using magic that naturally comes to them as a study aid because we’re jealous of them. If magic helps Merry remember something, why not use it? It’s just like using any other memorisation shortcuts, like mnemonics or doodles.
4. The end will knock you sideways.
Another admission. I was reading and thinking that it seemed way too cliché and easy for a while. SILLY ME. Those sneaky Corrs… I thought I had it all figured out until they threw in a final twist. I won’t say anything more, but you’ve been warned.
----------------
I can’t wait for the next book, The Witch’s Tears, to come out! I’ve been promised that the cover will be just as cool, and the way The Witch’s Kiss ended has left me very curious as to what might be next for Merry…
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
November 19, 2016
“The boy is the prince. His name is Jack. In many ways, he is the victim of the story. He is also the monster.”
This was a YA paranormal story about a curse that only one girl could break.
Merry was an okay character and it was brave of her to try and break the curse, even though she didn’t believe her witchcraft was strong enough to do it.
The storyline in this was about an old curse created by a wizard called Gwydion, which was causing people to turn up dead at the hands of an immortal prince. Merry and her brother Leo did their best to break the curse though, even when the odds were stacked against them. The pace in this was quite slow though, and the book did drag a bit because of it. There also wasn’t as much romance as I was expecting from the blurb.
The ending to this was okay, and tied things up pretty well.
6 out of 10
August 27, 2022
#2) The Witch's Tears ★☆☆☆☆
quikc thoughts:
• Unrealistic romance. It was not quite instalove but it was still rushed. Merry and Jack had no chemistry or connection. They barely knew each other before they started to make out, let alone before they were supposed to be in love. Jack barely knew himself.
• There was no real plot. I was underwhelmed by the witch lore. The fact that the story basically consisted of Merry waiting for something to happen did not excite me. It was boring.
• The brief dual timeline was a nice touch, though. It did not flow well between chapters but it kind of worked for me.
• Good villains have to be complex and nuanced so that you can empathise with their actions. This story’s antagonist was salty because he got friend-zoned and… kept terrorising witches for hundreds of years 🤦♀️ He was about as terrifying as a wet paper bag. He definitely could have been more fleshed out.
• Merry was irritating. I did not connect with her on any level. Leo should have narrated this story. I cared about him so much more. Jack was flat and lacked any sort of personality.
• The writing was not atmospheric enough. I was not pulled in by the world or its characters. I wanted more emotion, more immersion, just more.
▷ Representation: Jack (mc) is achillean.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
April 27, 2020
This book was OK - it was an interesting premise but I don’t feel it used all of its potential.
I did enjoy it and the story, I just had a few problems with the actual pacing of the book - it felt kind of choppy between scenes, like there wasn’t a flow between events it was more like oh we’re here doing this and then next minute they’re elsewhere doing something completely different.
I didn’t really fall into the emotions of the book either - the last stand wasn’t really epic, it could have been better, and I didn’t really feel sad when I think I probably was supposed to 😂
It was an entertaining read but nothing outstanding.
I did enjoy it and the story, I just had a few problems with the actual pacing of the book - it felt kind of choppy between scenes, like there wasn’t a flow between events it was more like oh we’re here doing this and then next minute they’re elsewhere doing something completely different.
I didn’t really fall into the emotions of the book either - the last stand wasn’t really epic, it could have been better, and I didn’t really feel sad when I think I probably was supposed to 😂
It was an entertaining read but nothing outstanding.
Read
October 14, 2019
January 19, 2021
Actual Rating 4.5
I loved this so much oh myyyy. I bought it simply for the cover and I'm not disappointed at all!
Almost a 5* but not quite as like 80% was build up (not that I didn't enjoy it!) and the other 20% was the ~battle~.
I loved Jack a lot though and the overall characters were so likeable, I cared so much about them! (I've been having issues with caring about characters at all lately :#)
After that ending I have no idea what's going to happen in book 2 but I own it so I can find out soon!
I loved this so much oh myyyy. I bought it simply for the cover and I'm not disappointed at all!
Almost a 5* but not quite as like 80% was build up (not that I didn't enjoy it!) and the other 20% was the ~battle~.
I loved Jack a lot though and the overall characters were so likeable, I cared so much about them! (I've been having issues with caring about characters at all lately :#)
After that ending I have no idea what's going to happen in book 2 but I own it so I can find out soon!
February 10, 2019
Fun and unique. It held my attention and didn't seem to slow down. I wonder what the second book is about.
September 1, 2017
Ah, I really wished I liked The Witch's Kiss more - it had a great premise and a lot of potential but I, unfortunately, couldn't connect with the main character at all and found myself wanting to slap her every now and then. The supporting characters were the best part of this book - Grandma and Leo were such phenomenal characters and I definitely think Leo deserves better. *cries* The writing itself was actually good but the pace of the story was a bit odd - at times it was really slow and at times it was extremely action-packed. I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this book and even though I have mixed feelings about The Witch's Kiss I think that the trilogy has a lot of potential and I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel.
November 26, 2017
I got an arc from the publisher in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own.
I like the villain/victim plot, it had traces of a fairy tale and felt original. It totally intrigued me and I loved the backstory of it though it was also revealed for a big part at the very beginning of the novel. But the current day chapters didn't interest me as much. It felt a bit repetitive after a while, things didn't really move forward.
Another thing that I thought moved in circles were the reactions of some of the characters surrounding our main character. They just kept saying the same thing even when there was so much evidence and talking and opportunity to change what they were saying.
And talking about characters... I thought that Merry could be really selfish. Her brother is obviously going through a rough time in this book, she knows it but never asks him how he is doing or if she could help him with anything. At the same time, her brother does everything for her and even more than that.
The rest of the book was filled with ya tropes and some stuff wasn't worked out well enough in my opinion. If you want to read a quick but basic ya book I would recommend this. If you are looking for an awesome YA book featuring witches I would recommend you to look somewhere else.
I like the villain/victim plot, it had traces of a fairy tale and felt original. It totally intrigued me and I loved the backstory of it though it was also revealed for a big part at the very beginning of the novel. But the current day chapters didn't interest me as much. It felt a bit repetitive after a while, things didn't really move forward.
Another thing that I thought moved in circles were the reactions of some of the characters surrounding our main character. They just kept saying the same thing even when there was so much evidence and talking and opportunity to change what they were saying.
And talking about characters... I thought that Merry could be really selfish. Her brother is obviously going through a rough time in this book, she knows it but never asks him how he is doing or if she could help him with anything. At the same time, her brother does everything for her and even more than that.
The rest of the book was filled with ya tropes and some stuff wasn't worked out well enough in my opinion. If you want to read a quick but basic ya book I would recommend this. If you are looking for an awesome YA book featuring witches I would recommend you to look somewhere else.
September 20, 2016
A great mix of classic fairy tale plot points, original mystery and heroism! Merry was a great main character with moral insecurities relating to her witch-y powers that made her feel so real. I really loved how the legend was woven in the contemporary world...now I can't wait for the sequel!
September 6, 2016
I’m a big fan of fairy-tale retellings. I was tentative about the notion to begin with, unsure whether I would be able to get into such things considering how I would know the endings beforehand, yet I have quickly found myself addicted to such books. Whenever I find out something is a fairy-tale retelling, I find myself a little bit more eager to read the story. Thus, when I found out The Witch’s Kiss was a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist I knew I needed to get in there.
I would have been reading the book anyway, as my sister brought it. I always take her views of books with a pinch of salt, but she said this was a good one. It wasn’t her favourite book, but she came to really enjoy it. In fact, I ended up listening to far too many exclamations of enjoyment as she worked her way through the book. I was told to read it as soon as she was done. I considered leaving it for a while, yet the whole fairy-tale thing convinced me to do as my sister asked.
It wasn’t all bad – it was an interesting story – and yet it wasn’t what I had hoped it would be.
There are a lot of the usual clichés to be seen in this story, but there is just enough variety to prevent it from being an exact replica of other young adult books in the genre. We have the usual special snowflake, we have a far from perfect family dynamic, we have the romance set out to fail, we have the historical aspect going way back when, and we have a couple of the other usual young adult checkbox necessities. Despite all of this, it did have some unique spins on these things.
The special snowflake knew about their magic, preventing the drama of ‘oh no, I’m a witch’. This time the character knows in advance and it is very refreshing. In all honesty, I don’t think I could deal with another situation where we have to deal with the shock of finding out they’re the one to save the world when they don’t even know about their powers. Yes, there was some aspects of the cliché, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been through the main character having prior knowledge.
The family dynamic had a massive saving grace: Leo. I would gladly read a book based entirely upon his character. Truthfully, he was my favourite character of the entire book. We all want a big brother just like him. He can be annoying, but he is always there for his sister. If I’m being honest, I feel as though he was the most fleshed out character in the book. There was more depth to him than any of the other characters. My only complaint is that he wasn’t in the book enough. He was deserving of so many more scenes. Honestly, he made the book more than worth it.
The romance set out to fail wasn’t forced on us as much as it could have been. I really appreciate it. I hate it when every other line is sickeningly sweet. The romance did exist in this one, but it wasn’t blinding. I’m really grateful for this. I never came to enjoy it, and there were the usual problems to be found in these kinds of books, yet the fact it was never made the centre point of the story saved it from being really annoying.
The historical aspect going way back when was really interesting, given more time than I expected it to. The characters in the past were given almost as much attention as those in the modern world. This allowed the two time frames to weave together wonderfully. I had expected there to be the odd reference to the past here and there, whereas we were given entire chapters where things played out. It made everything much easier to understand, creating a more fleshed out story.
As I said, despite the clichés there were many decent aspects of the story. Nevertheless, I couldn’t quite bring myself to give the story four stars. I felt as though the action was rather lacking, the story was too slow at times, characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, and I was left wanting more than I was given. Plus, it didn’t really feel like much of a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Not in the way I had expected, anyway.
It was an interesting tale, yet I wanted just a little bit more.
I would have been reading the book anyway, as my sister brought it. I always take her views of books with a pinch of salt, but she said this was a good one. It wasn’t her favourite book, but she came to really enjoy it. In fact, I ended up listening to far too many exclamations of enjoyment as she worked her way through the book. I was told to read it as soon as she was done. I considered leaving it for a while, yet the whole fairy-tale thing convinced me to do as my sister asked.
It wasn’t all bad – it was an interesting story – and yet it wasn’t what I had hoped it would be.
There are a lot of the usual clichés to be seen in this story, but there is just enough variety to prevent it from being an exact replica of other young adult books in the genre. We have the usual special snowflake, we have a far from perfect family dynamic, we have the romance set out to fail, we have the historical aspect going way back when, and we have a couple of the other usual young adult checkbox necessities. Despite all of this, it did have some unique spins on these things.
The special snowflake knew about their magic, preventing the drama of ‘oh no, I’m a witch’. This time the character knows in advance and it is very refreshing. In all honesty, I don’t think I could deal with another situation where we have to deal with the shock of finding out they’re the one to save the world when they don’t even know about their powers. Yes, there was some aspects of the cliché, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been through the main character having prior knowledge.
The family dynamic had a massive saving grace: Leo. I would gladly read a book based entirely upon his character. Truthfully, he was my favourite character of the entire book. We all want a big brother just like him. He can be annoying, but he is always there for his sister. If I’m being honest, I feel as though he was the most fleshed out character in the book. There was more depth to him than any of the other characters. My only complaint is that he wasn’t in the book enough. He was deserving of so many more scenes. Honestly, he made the book more than worth it.
The romance set out to fail wasn’t forced on us as much as it could have been. I really appreciate it. I hate it when every other line is sickeningly sweet. The romance did exist in this one, but it wasn’t blinding. I’m really grateful for this. I never came to enjoy it, and there were the usual problems to be found in these kinds of books, yet the fact it was never made the centre point of the story saved it from being really annoying.
The historical aspect going way back when was really interesting, given more time than I expected it to. The characters in the past were given almost as much attention as those in the modern world. This allowed the two time frames to weave together wonderfully. I had expected there to be the odd reference to the past here and there, whereas we were given entire chapters where things played out. It made everything much easier to understand, creating a more fleshed out story.
As I said, despite the clichés there were many decent aspects of the story. Nevertheless, I couldn’t quite bring myself to give the story four stars. I felt as though the action was rather lacking, the story was too slow at times, characters weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, and I was left wanting more than I was given. Plus, it didn’t really feel like much of a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Not in the way I had expected, anyway.
It was an interesting tale, yet I wanted just a little bit more.
March 18, 2017
**ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
*3 stars
So I didn't realize when I got this that it was only the first 5 chapters of the story. Damnit. Now that explains why I thought this story was lame in the fact the book ended like that.
Jokes on me.
Hah.
I'll review it better when I actually get the whole damn book. Though I will admit to liking the whole Anglo Saxons dealio going on. *shrugs*
November 3, 2016
ARC copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
It was really nice to read a distinctly British female protagonist in a YA fantasy/ paranormal novel. Merry reads like a real teenager too - making mistakes, doing the wrong thing, drinking tea! She was very relatable and a great reluctant hero. The story was just intricate enough and refreshingly drew on Anglo-Saxon history - which is often left alone or neglected, but which as a culture was light years ahead of a lot of the rest of Europe at the same time period. Nor is it merely a passing glance, actual Anglo-Saxon words are used - something which a nerd word who taught themselves to read Old English really appreciated. I can nearly always take or leave the romance aspect in a book but this was really sweet without being cloying. Thouroughly enjoyed this and will be on the look out for book two!
It was really nice to read a distinctly British female protagonist in a YA fantasy/ paranormal novel. Merry reads like a real teenager too - making mistakes, doing the wrong thing, drinking tea! She was very relatable and a great reluctant hero. The story was just intricate enough and refreshingly drew on Anglo-Saxon history - which is often left alone or neglected, but which as a culture was light years ahead of a lot of the rest of Europe at the same time period. Nor is it merely a passing glance, actual Anglo-Saxon words are used - something which a nerd word who taught themselves to read Old English really appreciated. I can nearly always take or leave the romance aspect in a book but this was really sweet without being cloying. Thouroughly enjoyed this and will be on the look out for book two!
January 9, 2020
Really enjoyed this and it ended with the magic words. Look out for the sequel. Can def be read as a stand alone though.
May 15, 2022
DNF at p. 207. Some past version of myself would have loved this.
October 22, 2020
This book was fantastic! I went into this read knowing anything prior about the authors, having read none of their literary works before and reading no reviews; I went into this book completely blind and not knowing what to expect. I was in for a treat!
I enjoyed every page of this book and followed the story eagerly throughout. I quickly grew attached to the characters of Merry and Leo and really enjoyed reading about the back story of Jack and the history of the witches. I loved the plot and the writing and found myself excited to keep returning to the book to find out what was going to happen.
Also was so intrigued by the ending of the book and you get a sense that something else is about to happen so I’m quite frankly happy that there are more books to follow and more books to read! I can’t wait to continue on the story with Merry and her brother and was definitely so glad I picked this book up in the end!
I enjoyed every page of this book and followed the story eagerly throughout. I quickly grew attached to the characters of Merry and Leo and really enjoyed reading about the back story of Jack and the history of the witches. I loved the plot and the writing and found myself excited to keep returning to the book to find out what was going to happen.
Also was so intrigued by the ending of the book and you get a sense that something else is about to happen so I’m quite frankly happy that there are more books to follow and more books to read! I can’t wait to continue on the story with Merry and her brother and was definitely so glad I picked this book up in the end!
July 26, 2018
“Witches do not kneel. They do not grovel. They do not beg gavours from any creature, mortal or immortal. At most they bargain.”
Katharine and Elizabeth Corr's writing style has a wonderful flow, which makes it easy to follow the story. However, I wasn't feeling it. But it really is a great story.
Katharine and Elizabeth Corr's writing style has a wonderful flow, which makes it easy to follow the story. However, I wasn't feeling it. But it really is a great story.
February 13, 2018
2.5 Stars
July 27, 2017
3 stars. Liked but couldn't love.
Though this was a retelling of sleeping beauty, for some reason I couldn't tell the parallels. Perhaps, I'm not too familiar with the tale. Either way, what really made me pick up the book was the cover of the second book, after which I looked for the first novel. The cover of which I can say is not too shabby.
The whole premise to the novel felt like deja-vu, and I'm sure I've read a novel with the same plot, but I still liked it nonetheless. While I wasn't much of a fan of the main character, Leo and Gran were amazing. Loved their personas and presence in the novel.
I feel like what really hooked me into reading the novel was the whole story of the king of hearts. I found that whole section so intriguing that I ended up reading the rest.
Though as for the romance between Jack and Merry, well, I can't say I endorse it. I went through their first few encounters thinking, 'huh, it doesn't look like their going to fall in love', but then...
I turn the page and Merry's daydreaming about kissing him. And I realized what the intentions of the novel's name.
I'm not sure if I'll read the second book, as I feel like this novel wrapped up quite nicely. And given the summary of the second novel, I believe that it will try to wrap up Merry and Leo's love-lives nicely, and give readers the satisfaction that the characters are happy, (unlike some authors, cough, cough, Victoria Schwab, cough).
Though this was a retelling of sleeping beauty, for some reason I couldn't tell the parallels. Perhaps, I'm not too familiar with the tale. Either way, what really made me pick up the book was the cover of the second book, after which I looked for the first novel. The cover of which I can say is not too shabby.
The whole premise to the novel felt like deja-vu, and I'm sure I've read a novel with the same plot, but I still liked it nonetheless. While I wasn't much of a fan of the main character, Leo and Gran were amazing. Loved their personas and presence in the novel.
I feel like what really hooked me into reading the novel was the whole story of the king of hearts. I found that whole section so intriguing that I ended up reading the rest.
Though as for the romance between Jack and Merry, well, I can't say I endorse it. I went through their first few encounters thinking, 'huh, it doesn't look like their going to fall in love', but then...
I turn the page and Merry's daydreaming about kissing him. And I realized what the intentions of the novel's name.
I'm not sure if I'll read the second book, as I feel like this novel wrapped up quite nicely. And given the summary of the second novel, I believe that it will try to wrap up Merry and Leo's love-lives nicely, and give readers the satisfaction that the characters are happy, (unlike some authors, cough, cough, Victoria Schwab, cough).
November 12, 2016
I was given the first 100 or so pages of this ARC free from netgalley and really wish I'd have the full book as I finished it in just over an hour and absolutely loved it. A history of witches, a fairy tale 1500 year old curse - what's not to love. Will be going out and buying the book so I can find out the answers to all the questions these pages raised
September 5, 2021
WOW! Loved this book!
Full review on my blog: https://readingwitches.blogspot.com/2...
Full review on my blog: https://readingwitches.blogspot.com/2...
September 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this fairy tale-like story of a girl who is a witch, but set in the modern day. It was so page-turning and I loved all of the characters - Merry and Leo are the cutest siblings! I loved their relationship and how much Leo cared for his sister, one of the best bits about this book (well, all of it was the best bit).
There are flashbacks and stories passed on over Merry's ancestors that gave this book a real fairy tale feel, as we discover Merry has to defeat an ancient curse as the King of Hearts rises again. Jack was such a good character to read about and Gwydion made for a brilliantly evil antagonist - I loved the snippets of history with regards to how he ended up like he did.
This was just such a great book to read with magic, adventure, love and stories all wrapped up to make for an amazing reading experience. The ending was totally not what I was expecting and I'm intrigued for the next book! An awesome book if you're looking for something to lose yourself in with some fantastic characters.
There are flashbacks and stories passed on over Merry's ancestors that gave this book a real fairy tale feel, as we discover Merry has to defeat an ancient curse as the King of Hearts rises again. Jack was such a good character to read about and Gwydion made for a brilliantly evil antagonist - I loved the snippets of history with regards to how he ended up like he did.
This was just such a great book to read with magic, adventure, love and stories all wrapped up to make for an amazing reading experience. The ending was totally not what I was expecting and I'm intrigued for the next book! An awesome book if you're looking for something to lose yourself in with some fantastic characters.
July 12, 2020
The conecpt seemed very intersting and promising, and i really liked the blurb. But idk, it was meh overall? i didn`t like Merry so much, she said some good things but that was about it. Her Gran and brother were very likable and nice! But i wasn`t too fan of this retelling, sadly.
December 27, 2016
EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK NOW!
Wow! What can I say other that WOW to describe this book?
So let me give you some background about this book. First of all there are witches in this book. Not scary-going to scary your children type of witches, but rather, I-wish-I-was-a-witch-this-is-so-cool type of witch. There is also a great love story in this book.
Meet Merry, short for Meredith, who just like the rest of us during high school, is trying to be normal and get through the day. Leo, is her beloved older brother who lives to protect his sister and Gran, the grandmother. Merry cursed since the day of her birth, learns after years of secrets that she must face a true evil. No one else can face this evil but her, no matter what she tries to do.
Faced with unexplainable evils that want to cause her and the rest of the world pain, Merry must decide what to do. With limited knowledge about the situation, limited magical ability and a mother who is more absent than good, Merry is on her own.
This book is filled with love but not a sappy kind of love, but a love that makes your heart melt. The writing in this book is great. With the potential of spoilers and unwarranted knowledge in the book that makes you think that will ruin the rest of the book for the reader, sisters Elizabeth and Katharine Corr do a splendid job in balancing a book to make sure that you get just enough information and not enough to make sure that readers continue to read the book.
If you like suspense, witch craft, an epic across the centuries love story and a sibling relationship that will make your heart bleed, than this is the book for you.
Go out and do yourself a favour and get a copy of this book and if you are anything like me, you will finish this book in 3 to 4 days. This is an epic book and I can’t wait for the next one.
Wow! What can I say other that WOW to describe this book?
So let me give you some background about this book. First of all there are witches in this book. Not scary-going to scary your children type of witches, but rather, I-wish-I-was-a-witch-this-is-so-cool type of witch. There is also a great love story in this book.
Meet Merry, short for Meredith, who just like the rest of us during high school, is trying to be normal and get through the day. Leo, is her beloved older brother who lives to protect his sister and Gran, the grandmother. Merry cursed since the day of her birth, learns after years of secrets that she must face a true evil. No one else can face this evil but her, no matter what she tries to do.
Faced with unexplainable evils that want to cause her and the rest of the world pain, Merry must decide what to do. With limited knowledge about the situation, limited magical ability and a mother who is more absent than good, Merry is on her own.
This book is filled with love but not a sappy kind of love, but a love that makes your heart melt. The writing in this book is great. With the potential of spoilers and unwarranted knowledge in the book that makes you think that will ruin the rest of the book for the reader, sisters Elizabeth and Katharine Corr do a splendid job in balancing a book to make sure that you get just enough information and not enough to make sure that readers continue to read the book.
If you like suspense, witch craft, an epic across the centuries love story and a sibling relationship that will make your heart bleed, than this is the book for you.
Go out and do yourself a favour and get a copy of this book and if you are anything like me, you will finish this book in 3 to 4 days. This is an epic book and I can’t wait for the next one.
November 18, 2017
“The boy is the prince. His name is Jack. In many ways, he is the victim of the story. He is also the monster.”
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Witch's Kiss took a while to grip me. And just when things were getting good, the story ended. Just like that.
It took me a solid thirty minutes to realize that I wasn't given the entire book. I sat here for what felt like ages wondering why someone would end a story in a spot like that. Then I read the reviews and realized I was missing out on, like, 90% of the book. Seriously. I guess I have to find myself a full-length copy now. Cool.
Find me (and my reviews) elsewhere:
My Blog ● Instagram ● Twitter
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Witch's Kiss took a while to grip me. And just when things were getting good, the story ended. Just like that.
It took me a solid thirty minutes to realize that I wasn't given the entire book. I sat here for what felt like ages wondering why someone would end a story in a spot like that. Then I read the reviews and realized I was missing out on, like, 90% of the book. Seriously. I guess I have to find myself a full-length copy now. Cool.
Find me (and my reviews) elsewhere:
My Blog ● Instagram ● Twitter
February 6, 2018
Title: The Witch’s Kiss (The Witch’s Kiss #1)
Author(s): Katharine Corr, Elizabeth Corr
Publisher: Harpercollins Children’s, 2017 (Sept 19)
Genre: YA Fantasy
**I received a copy of this book from the author and my review is in no way affected or influenced by receipt of this book**
(Apparently Amazon is removing all reviews with the words “in exchange for” so I have had to modify my disclosure statement so my reviews don’t all get pulled)
My Review:
Oh, how I wanted to love this book. It makes me very upset that I didn’t because it had all the potential in the world: a great cover, an awesomely nice Author, and a killer blurb. My heart aches for what this book could have been. I almost wish it remained unread with all the potential still there. Waiting.
The book gets major points for the cover. So at least there’s that. I love each one in the series and the one that comes out in a couple months is the best one of all.
So, in a nutshell, Merry is a Witch. We know she is one...we know that her family line has witches throughout. We know that Leo, her brother, is not a witch. We also know that something happened to Merry involving a boyfriend named Alex that upset her...but we don’t know what. Basically it’s mentioned that he was pulled out of the water and Merry doesn’t want to know about him or talk to him. This is all given to us at the beginning.
The thing with Alex, by the way, will drive you insane...you want to know what happened but you don’t get any hints. It drove me nuts.
Ok, anyway...I can’t really explain much about the plot because it was kind of thin. Essentially, one of Merry’s ancestors promised to fulfill an oath through her blood relative - that she would defeat an evil wizard that she was unable to defeat. She (the ancestor) put this evil wizard and his slave to sleep because she was unable to defeat him, but she left all the tools Merry would need if or when he woke up. She leaves this magic manuscript that has the answers to most of Merry and Leo’s questions, a sword hilt, and a braid. Weird, right? But they all have a purpose. And they are placed in a box that is accidentally opened....and Jack, the slave to the wizard, is controlled by dark magic to cut out the hearts of those in love and take them to the wizard.
The whole story is mainly Merry waiting to figure out how to defeat this evil wizard and save the poor boy Jack. And of course she falls for him. But we don’t really have any sense of danger. And there is no real chemistry or excitement in the meantime. I felt like I was supposed to be worried but I never was. Every time that Jack was possessed, Merry knew and was able to knock him out. And then they just talked about how horrible it was to be controlled by the evil wizard who was still asleep. Under the lake.
And all this time, Merry is fighting her witch powers but we don’t really know what they are - we get a sense that she’s not a good witch because she has no control over herself, but we also have no idea what she is capable of doing as a witch. And where do these powers come from? There’s a coven and a grandma, and a mother, but they are completely in the background too.
I don’t know how to explain it other than there was no real meat to the story. It was, Merry said this, Leo did that, Jack did this...and I felt nothing for the people in the book. I wasn’t nervous or excited or anything. I kept reading with high hopes it would turn around, but I think it was the writing tone that did it for me: it was very young. Yes, that’s it: it felt like a MG novel.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes. But there’s really no use to using it in the classroom. There’s nothing you could discuss except maybe the history of the curse...maybe it could be used in a fairy tale unit in middle school, and you could discuss the problems Merry has with being a witch. Why she fights it so much. There are some LGBT points for Leo as he is a gay character that has to hide his sexuality, but that also isn’t explored in-depth either.
I would give The Witch’s Kiss ★★☆☆☆ for Classroom Use...there's just no good educational value in it.
Age Range
There’s nothing in this book that warrants anything harsher than a PG rating. With that said, I would say a reader as young as 10 could read this, though the length of the book might be intimidating for a younger reader. I would feel completely comfortable letting any age really read this. 🤷♀️
End Result:
Such a letdown. I hate writing bad reviews because it’s so rare. After I finished the book, I looked at other ratings and I wasn’t alone in feeling the way I felt: the average rating seemed to be three stars on Goodreads. And it’s funny because that is exactly what I was thinking when I read it: it’s ok, but not great. It’s readable. It passed the time. But it’s also very forgettable and I probably cannot see myself continuing the series unless book two hooked me right from the start - there’s just too many good books out there to waste time on a mediocre one.
So I give The Witch’s Kiss ★★★☆☆.
I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re a fan of regular fantasy, but if you like younger novels with less complicated plots, then it wouldn’t hurt to read this. Some people did love it. Just wasn’t my cup o’ tea. I guess there are books out there that I don’t love. Who knew! 😬🤭
The countdown to ALAMW is real: T minus two days until liftoff! I'm excited! And nervous! Will y'all be here for moral support as I drive cross-country?😜🙏
Author(s): Katharine Corr, Elizabeth Corr
Publisher: Harpercollins Children’s, 2017 (Sept 19)
Genre: YA Fantasy
**I received a copy of this book from the author and my review is in no way affected or influenced by receipt of this book**
(Apparently Amazon is removing all reviews with the words “in exchange for” so I have had to modify my disclosure statement so my reviews don’t all get pulled)
My Review:
Oh, how I wanted to love this book. It makes me very upset that I didn’t because it had all the potential in the world: a great cover, an awesomely nice Author, and a killer blurb. My heart aches for what this book could have been. I almost wish it remained unread with all the potential still there. Waiting.
The book gets major points for the cover. So at least there’s that. I love each one in the series and the one that comes out in a couple months is the best one of all.
So, in a nutshell, Merry is a Witch. We know she is one...we know that her family line has witches throughout. We know that Leo, her brother, is not a witch. We also know that something happened to Merry involving a boyfriend named Alex that upset her...but we don’t know what. Basically it’s mentioned that he was pulled out of the water and Merry doesn’t want to know about him or talk to him. This is all given to us at the beginning.
The thing with Alex, by the way, will drive you insane...you want to know what happened but you don’t get any hints. It drove me nuts.
Ok, anyway...I can’t really explain much about the plot because it was kind of thin. Essentially, one of Merry’s ancestors promised to fulfill an oath through her blood relative - that she would defeat an evil wizard that she was unable to defeat. She (the ancestor) put this evil wizard and his slave to sleep because she was unable to defeat him, but she left all the tools Merry would need if or when he woke up. She leaves this magic manuscript that has the answers to most of Merry and Leo’s questions, a sword hilt, and a braid. Weird, right? But they all have a purpose. And they are placed in a box that is accidentally opened....and Jack, the slave to the wizard, is controlled by dark magic to cut out the hearts of those in love and take them to the wizard.
The whole story is mainly Merry waiting to figure out how to defeat this evil wizard and save the poor boy Jack. And of course she falls for him. But we don’t really have any sense of danger. And there is no real chemistry or excitement in the meantime. I felt like I was supposed to be worried but I never was. Every time that Jack was possessed, Merry knew and was able to knock him out. And then they just talked about how horrible it was to be controlled by the evil wizard who was still asleep. Under the lake.
And all this time, Merry is fighting her witch powers but we don’t really know what they are - we get a sense that she’s not a good witch because she has no control over herself, but we also have no idea what she is capable of doing as a witch. And where do these powers come from? There’s a coven and a grandma, and a mother, but they are completely in the background too.
I don’t know how to explain it other than there was no real meat to the story. It was, Merry said this, Leo did that, Jack did this...and I felt nothing for the people in the book. I wasn’t nervous or excited or anything. I kept reading with high hopes it would turn around, but I think it was the writing tone that did it for me: it was very young. Yes, that’s it: it felt like a MG novel.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Yes. But there’s really no use to using it in the classroom. There’s nothing you could discuss except maybe the history of the curse...maybe it could be used in a fairy tale unit in middle school, and you could discuss the problems Merry has with being a witch. Why she fights it so much. There are some LGBT points for Leo as he is a gay character that has to hide his sexuality, but that also isn’t explored in-depth either.
I would give The Witch’s Kiss ★★☆☆☆ for Classroom Use...there's just no good educational value in it.
Age Range
There’s nothing in this book that warrants anything harsher than a PG rating. With that said, I would say a reader as young as 10 could read this, though the length of the book might be intimidating for a younger reader. I would feel completely comfortable letting any age really read this. 🤷♀️
End Result:
Such a letdown. I hate writing bad reviews because it’s so rare. After I finished the book, I looked at other ratings and I wasn’t alone in feeling the way I felt: the average rating seemed to be three stars on Goodreads. And it’s funny because that is exactly what I was thinking when I read it: it’s ok, but not great. It’s readable. It passed the time. But it’s also very forgettable and I probably cannot see myself continuing the series unless book two hooked me right from the start - there’s just too many good books out there to waste time on a mediocre one.
So I give The Witch’s Kiss ★★★☆☆.
I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re a fan of regular fantasy, but if you like younger novels with less complicated plots, then it wouldn’t hurt to read this. Some people did love it. Just wasn’t my cup o’ tea. I guess there are books out there that I don’t love. Who knew! 😬🤭
The countdown to ALAMW is real: T minus two days until liftoff! I'm excited! And nervous! Will y'all be here for moral support as I drive cross-country?😜🙏
August 6, 2016
It was a great read but I just wanna know if Merry broke the curse or not.
October 23, 2017
It had so much potential but let itself down by not going into enough depth. The author gave some information but missed out others and there could have been more of a back story.
Read
April 5, 2020So I loved this.
I'm kind of annoyed at myself because I have followed Katharine and Elizabeth for the longest time on Twitter and have wanted to read this book for the same amount of time and of course I loved it.
Also side-note, I started playing the audiobook this morning and only after a couple of breaks and my phone dying I finally finished this in one day! I was not expecting that! (Also I really liked the narrator too!)
I loved everything about this book. I loved Merry who was a realistic portrayal of a sixteen-year-old girl and I loved Leo with all of my heart too. I also loved the relationship between the two of them as I don't think sibling relationships are explored that much at all in YA so this was a nice change. Also, I liked Jack and Merry together and apparently, I have to read the third book to find out what happens so...
I was just really captivated from the first page and didn't know when to stop so I didn't. I think there were some nice storytelling and I wasn't sure where the story was going to go to but I enjoyed where it did. I also think that the story was grounded, it still kept Merry's problems relating to school at the centre and a lot of the setting was grounding relying on the family dynamics which again I liked.
It also feels like a nice contained story although you do get glimpses of a sequel so I will be on that soon. I just hope that it is not four years later this time because I will be really sad if that is the case.
I'm kind of annoyed at myself because I have followed Katharine and Elizabeth for the longest time on Twitter and have wanted to read this book for the same amount of time and of course I loved it.
Also side-note, I started playing the audiobook this morning and only after a couple of breaks and my phone dying I finally finished this in one day! I was not expecting that! (Also I really liked the narrator too!)
I loved everything about this book. I loved Merry who was a realistic portrayal of a sixteen-year-old girl and I loved Leo with all of my heart too. I also loved the relationship between the two of them as I don't think sibling relationships are explored that much at all in YA so this was a nice change. Also, I liked Jack and Merry together and apparently, I have to read the third book to find out what happens so...
I was just really captivated from the first page and didn't know when to stop so I didn't. I think there were some nice storytelling and I wasn't sure where the story was going to go to but I enjoyed where it did. I also think that the story was grounded, it still kept Merry's problems relating to school at the centre and a lot of the setting was grounding relying on the family dynamics which again I liked.
It also feels like a nice contained story although you do get glimpses of a sequel so I will be on that soon. I just hope that it is not four years later this time because I will be really sad if that is the case.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews