Dark Designs

by Stefanie Spangler

Twins Ivy and Violet Grant are opposites. Ivy, a hot-tempered redhead, couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the world. Violet, a quiet brunette, was content to stay home and help their grandmother with the family business. The one thing they have in common is their magic. Charlie Logan’s sinister obsession with Ivy Grant has ruled his life. When he discovers a book of dark magic during a burglary, he decides to return to Oak Hill and use his newfound power to gain control over Ivy. Ivy and Violet, with help from their grandmother, need to practice their magic to overcome the evil seeping into their lives. A battle is coming, and Ivy’s life is not the only one at stake.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Magic

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Stefanie Spangler has always loved books and reading, and one day, she decided to write a book of her own.

Stefanie lives in central Illinois with her husband and daughters. When she's not reading or writing, she’s usually editing someone else’s book. But she also enjoys gardening, knitting, and forcing others to read her favorite books.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy and Violet Grant are twins who are complete opposites of one another. They have been raised on their grandparents farm with Ivy being the one who couldn't wait to leave and see the world whereas Violet is content to stay. The one thing the girls have in common is they come from a family line that has magical abilities.

One day when the girls were young Charlie Logan had trapped Ivy and luckily her grandfather saved her before things went too far. Charlie was fired from his job on the farm and told to leave. After the encounter Charlie plans a break in but when almost caught he grabs the first thing he can and finds he's stumbled upon a book of magic. With his obsession of Ivy still in play Charlie returns now with power of his own.

Dark Designs by Stefanie Spangler had some interesting things and some others I was left scratching my head about leaving me to rate this book at 3.5 stars. It's a fairly quick read that combines the fantasy world of magic with a suspense story line with Charlie's obsession with Ivy so I enjoyed the creativity there adding magic into a thriller.

What had me curious though is the foundation of the story is that the girls have magical ability and Charlie just happens to work for the family but doesn't seem to know of their powers since they didn't at that time either. But here after he leaves he just happens to stumble upon a spell book to learn to use and return? Seems all built on coincidence and I think for me I would have enjoyed a bit more world building in the beginning there to better connect the magical side to the thriller side of the story.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little unsure about this book. It had some good ideas. I liked the idea of a man so obsessed with someone that they are willing to call up dark entities (even if potentially accidentally) to helped kidnap her. However I thought the way it happened was a bit hokey. Charlie s originally worked on Ivy's grandfathers farm where he became obsessed with her as a young girl. When run off the farm he takes to robbery and finds a spell book which he then uses to track the now adult Ivy down and steal her for his evil whims. It's very convenient. 

The local police when they find out magic exists and can be used for more than helping the crops grow are remarkably accepting about the whole thing. Even when faced with potential magical death. 

It's a fairly quick read and does have a level of suspense about it. The characters for the main part are well rounded and easy to imagine. There is lots in the story about the twins mother being missing and father I believe died. I wonder if there are plans to follow this with Ivy tracking down her long lost mum as the abandonment runs throughout the book.

Not a bad story but left me feeling there was a bit missing

Free arc from netgalley

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a small town, secrets are hard to keep and twins Ivy and Violet have more than just their twinness to bond them, they have magic.

This is a story about magic, its users and misusers, as well as the obsession of one man for one a child and the monster it made him become. Magic used for goodness and light is more powerful than one knows when it is pitted against Magic of the darkest kind.
It all started with one very bad move, but it grew exponentially when black magic and voodoo fuel the flames of conflict and devour what little light one man possessed.

DARK DESIGNS by Stefanie Spangler has a touch of romance, magic, danger and that small town feel that is both easy and quick to read. There is no main character who is “the star.” It is a blend of several characters working together toward on goal, save the day, the town and the ones they love. Ms. Spangler did a wonderful job as she moves her story along, kicking in a few bumps along the way.

What I missed was one avenue of depth, a beacon that guided the story and characters while tying them together. Ms. Spangler’s characters were delightful, particularly the witchy grandma, but none had true depth, or a “star” quality that made them stand out in the crowd. Secrets were kept, secrets were told and the twisted evil that began within the first pages almost became lost and that attempt at disgusting should where jagged edges throughout. Ms. Spangler has talent, and I am sure it goes deeper than the surface this story touched on!

I received this copy from Red Adept Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (June 7, 2017)
Publication Date: June 7, 2017
Genre: Paranormal | Supernatural
Print Length: 185 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

*Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.

Ivy and Violet Grant are twins abandoned by their mother at a very young age. Their maternal grandparents raise them since no one knows who their father is. Well, maybe except their mom, but she never said. One day a farmhand named Charlie Logan makes an extremely inappropriate move on 8-yr-old Ivy and Grandpa Jack takes a pitchfork to him, telling him to leave or die. So Charlie leaves, but his obsession for Ivy never dies. When he finds a dark book of magic during a burglary, he decides to finally get his wish: Ivy as his. However, it isn’t until years later and Ivy and Violet have since been taught by their grandmother how to use the magic they were born with. But will it be enough to combat the evil that Charlie conjures?

It’s a rare book by Red Adept Publishing that disappoints me, but this is one of them. It has a decent premise with magic handed down through maternal bloodlines and an obsessive villain that gets his hands on a dark book of shadows. However, it isn’t until nearly the end it starts to deliver, but then it just as quickly deflates again like a premature ejaculation. The pacing is unbearably slow especially in the beginning, the tone is inconsistent, the characters are flat, Ivy is just plain TSTL, Charlie is a cardboard villain and frankly a village idiot, and there are inconsistencies galore. Plus, this is supposed to be a book about magic and the part it plays in the Grants’ lives and yet there’s basically bupkis about it. I like my fantasy books to have more than just some token magic. I think this book was trying to be a suspenseful fantasy, but fell far short in both areas. I could not stop rolling my eyes, so it was impossible to fall headlong into the story. I like Violet (most of the time), Kevin, and the sheriff. That’s about it. If there is going to be a book 2, I’m honestly not interested.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy for honest review.

Dark Designs is a decent start for a brand new author. As a standalone novel, it falls a bit short but it would make a cool start to a series. The character development could use a bit of work. The characters are a bit flat and need more background. I felt more involved with Violet story (the heroines twin) than Ivy. There is significant groundwork about their mother but no resolution to that part of the storyline. Also, there was a lot of buildup for the climax but the end felt rather rushed. I would have liked more resolution there as well.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story itself. I think the beginning needed more... More information on Charlie, More information about the time frame between Ivy being 8 and moving home from college. There are a lot of loose ends that need tying up. If this is planned to be a series I would say it was a good start and maybe the next book would provide more backstory.

I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.

[Sheila G]

I received this copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shari Sakurai · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy for free for an honest review*

After their mother abandons them, twins Ivy and Violet Grant are raised on a farm by their grandparents. When farmhand Charlie Logan makes inappropriate advances towards eight year old Ivy, luckily her grandfather is there to put a stop to it. Years later, Charlie returns and his fixation with Ivy causes him to turn to dark magic. The twins and their grandmother are gifted with their own light magic and must come together to not only protect Ivy but also their town from the monster that Charlie Logan has become.

I enjoyed reading Dark Designs. It was quite a suspenseful read with likeable protagonists and an interesting side cast. I liked the premise of magic being used in this way and how the twins learned to control their abilities and use it to protect Ivy and the town.

However I did feel that a bit more could have been explained, for example they never did find out what happened to their mother. I started the novel thinking that this was going to be a large part of it and then it just seemed to disappear. Also the ending could have been a little more drawn out. The author took a great deal of time to build her villain and then he was dealt with comparatively quickly.

Overall I did enjoy reading Dark Designs. It is a well-written paranormal/suspense novel with some great main characters and the added twist of magic too!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Designs by Stefanie Spangler

One of the reasons I chose this book to review is the beautiful cover design. I know better than to judge a book by its cover, but I’m an emotional reader and the artwork spoke to me. It’s sad the story didn’t deliver for me. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The book starts off with an incident that happened to Ivy when she was eight years old. Charlie Logan, a ranch hand, made advances towards Ivy in the barn. Grandpa Jack caught Charlie in the act, intervened, and threw him off the farm with a threat to never come back or Jack would kill him. This premise sets the theme of the story.

Then there is a time-warp that takes us to Ivy’s return from college to the farmhouse where she and her twin, Violet, were raised in by their grandparents. Grandpa Jack has passed away in the meantime, so, it’s Gram, Violet, and Ivy. Violet has taken over running the farm and Ivy wonders how she will fit in. She has an obsession with wanting to find her mother, Rachel, but nothing ever comes of that. I suppose Rachel will be addressed in book two? I had a hard time liking Ivy; I found her inconsistent, impulsive, and rather flaky. Gran has apparently taught her granddaughters some magic, but aside from reading the clouds and making protective spells, the reader is left clueless.

Needless to say, Charlie has returned to Oak Hills, in possession of a stolen book of black magic, with the intention of making Ivy his. For some reason, he is able to do more magic than the witches seem to be able to do. This was hard for me to justify in my head. Charlie is a malevolent soul of the most grievous sort. With Ivy back in town, he executes his evil plan. Our witches feel the evil in the air but just sit and wait for him to strike, more or less. When a small child who looks like Ivy is kidnapped, Ivy seems to pull herself out of her pity party.

This book moved very slowly for me. I found the characters’ behavior to be frustrating when I felt there should have been more growth. This is the author’s first book, so perhaps that is the issue here. I think maybe that some structural editing could have tightened it up and caught the issues that left me feeling a bit disappointed.

I did like Violet, she was stable and sure of herself. I also liked Officer Kevin Banniere and his developing relationship with Violet. The Chief of Police along with Kevin added a touch of realism to the story. The ending was way out of left field and unexpected. However it was not enough to save the book.

FYI: Only one F-bomb. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** July 11, 2017
Format/Typo Issues: A small number of proofing errors including missing word, extra words, and repetition.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts with twin sisters as young girls living on their grandparent’s farm house, with a mother that has disappeared and left them there and not knowing who their father actually was. The girls are not identical, Ivy is a redhead and Violet is a brunette. A disturbing incident occurs to Ivy when she is a child, when a farm hand acts inappropriately towards her in a horse shed and her grandfather thankfully intercedes.

Years later, Ivy is returning to the farm after finishing at college, whilst Violet has stayed and helped run the farm shop with her grandmother. Charlie Logan, the farm hand from Ivy’s past, has been obsessed with her for years and has returned to the town. He has also gained a book of dark magic during a burglary and this has now changed him and made his obsession for Ivy come to a head.

Ivy and Violet have been taught about their own magic by their grandmother and will soon find they have need for it. Evil is coming for them and they will have to battle for their lives. This is a great story, not too long, but not too short either. The ramifications of a childhood incident are shown quite clearly and how to overcome such a memory. The magic is very earthy and realistic in use by the girls. Charlie has gone too far over to the dark side and doesn’t really realise what he has released on the dark side and what it may have done to him and others.

A good wee book with an interesting and enjoyable storyline that keeps you going to the end. I received an ARC copy of this book from Hidden Gems and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy from the author and was extremely excited to read this book based on the premise of the description. The writer delves into a heavy scene between Ivy, Logan and Grandpa Jack which sets the tone for the entire story. My attention was immediately captivated by the writer’s ability to draw me in so quickly. It took several moments to release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Without much segue, the timeline has Ivy returning home from college uniting with her twin sister Violet and Grandmother Aubrey. The twins were raised by their grandparents due to their mother’s appeared abandonment and unknown father. Violet is strong, self-assured, centered, while Ivy is like the wind, troubled and unsure of where she belongs in the world. Logan returns as well as Ivy’s curiosity concerning her mother’s whereabouts. Magic has been passed down from their grandmother’s side of the family therefore the women are thought to be witches.

In the end, there is no real correlation between the first scene and Logan’s continued interest in Ivy. The mysterious disappearing mother that is spoken of somewhat throughout the book is not solved and the explanation surrounding the twins being taught magic is not fully developed.

The story has great potential as a series more so than a stand alone book. I enjoyed reading this tale and was able to hone in on the tangible connection that the twins shared. I would love to know what happens between Violet and Kevin. The story ended with an “opening” of new worlds so maybe this isn’t the end.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy and Violet are twins who live with their grandparents. Their mother leaves without saying anything to her parents without her children. Grandma known as Audrey in the novel raises them with Grandpa. When Ivy was eight years old, a farmhand approaches her as she is visiting the kittens in the barn. His name is Charlie Logan. Charlie likes Ivy a little too much but is interrupted by Grandpa and Charlie is told to leave and never come back. Charlie does leave. He and his friend go to rob a home where Charlie discovers a book of magic. What type of magic is it? Ivy and Violet are not identical twins and have different personalities. When Ivy goes home after graduating from college, she doesn't tell har sister or Grandma about the nightmares that she has been having. Why is she having nightmares? Charlie comes back to the town where Ivy and Violet and Grandma lives. Why?

This is a story about dark magic vs. light magic. Which is strongest? Besides being about magic, the novel is a thriller with some romance thrown in. It's an entertaining read. I enjoyed it very much.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Net-galley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this in return for an honest review

Twin, but polar opposites, Ivy and Violet don’t just have blood to tie them together, they have magic.
This book is about dark and light magic, a big time creeper is obsessed with passionate Ivy and the twins get help from their grandmother to keep him away.

This was an interesting concept and had unique ideas. Some of which I found interesting and others not so much.

The author writes as if all the characters are important and no one character is labeled the “main character.” Which is a positive and a negative.

The sinister nature of Charlie Logan (the bad guy) turned this short read from simple magical fantasy into somewhat of a thriller.

I did find Charlie’s stumble upon the evil magic book too much of a coincidence, but was able to get past it because I am a sucker for stories about sisters who are friends and loyal to each other. The author did a great job of writing the sister’s relationship.

I found that the magic use didn’t have as many rules as I like in my fantasy novels and think the author should spend a bit more time on the world building.

All in all I enjoyed this novel, it was easy to read and I got into the characters and storyline quite quick and would recommend it to others.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy and Violet are twin with opposite views on life. Ivy couldn’t wait to get out of town and leaves to go to college. Violet is quiet and is happy to stay at home with their grandmother. But Charlie Logan has not forgotten about Ivy and has found a book of dark magic and is planning on using it against Ivy. Thankfully the girls have their own magic and their grandmother to help them fight back.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick read and very easy to get into. You are instantly drawn in as Ivy has a bad experience with Charlie who is s farm hand at the time. But years go by and things may fade, but his desire for Ivy has just gotten stronger. This is a going to be a battle of wills and power. Where there is light magic there will also be dark.

This is a great story with a little bit of everything. There is a thriller, a little romance, and some magic added in. I think this book would appeal to many and think it’s a good one to check out.

I received Dark Designs from the author and Red Adept Publishing for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So what makes this book so different? Well, it’s a hybrid of a traditional thriller/ mystery and the paranormal. Also, the “witches” are not all-powerful beings. They are ordinary, young women, who happen to have a history of elemental or Earth magic in their family tree. Basically, they use herbs and other natural sources to improve their crops etc… In a word, they are human. With all of the flaws that come with the territory.

So, when they are pursued by a man with very evil intentions, they need to rely on more than just magic.

I really liked the sisters. It was interesting to read about twins that couldn’t be more different from each other. Also, the spectre of their missing mother, adds an interesting element to the story. Seeing how it formed each girl’s personality and how it changes their grandparents’ perspective on raising children, adds more depth.

Dark Designs as a whole, is a good story. it’s well-written, suspenseful, and the author did her best to make her book stand apart from your average “witch” book.

I liked it and I think if you enjoy suspenseful mysteries in general, you will too.

Rating… B

[Keivida Rountree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent plot line!

I downloaded a copy of this book via KindleUnlimited.

The book was much shorter than I had hoped for but I suppose I maybe wanted more of it by the end!

I, honestly, love exploring new worlds within books—details about the machinations of magic/technology, lore/history, environment, and characters feeds my curiosity but never quenches it. So it was jarring, at first, to have so little detail attached to the goings-on in the story, but I grew used to it and adjusted to Spangle’s writing style easily. I started paying more attention than usual to any hints and subtleties about the world Ivy and Violet lived. I appreciated the not-so-subtle reference to magic at the very beginning too! It was casual, almost thrown-in, like it wasn’t anything at all to be talking about magic. It intrigued me and now, one day later, I’m finished with the book.

I fully and wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick adventure with women of a good variety of personalities and strengths!

[Marilyn Kinyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love it when I can give a book a good review. Unfortunately, that isn't often because I am quite a nit-pick.

"Dark Designs" was a delightful find for several reasons.

The storyline totally hangs together! No gaps or incongruities. I like my fantasy worlds to feel real and immersive, this story really met my needs!

The characters were very well done. It is hard to get psychosis details correct, particularly when woven into fantasy elements. Charlie's mental state and issues were right in sync with the situation, as well as the reactions of the people affected by him. It was all very believable and really drew me in.

I found it an intriguing book from beginning to end and an excellent representation of the genre! I will be looking forward to seeing more from Stephanie Spangler.

In addition, I have to add that the technical aspects of the writing were also very good. Even though I am not an expert in such things bad grammar and editing can sometimes be off-putting. I am truely delighted to say that this manuscript was very well crafted!

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, danger, magic, and small town charm are all found within Dark Designs by Stefanie Spangler. The book is a quick and easy read that I could not put down. The magic in the book was there in every scene yet it was more of a feeling, a small reaction than a wham bam here is my magic scene. I felt that this made the book seem more realistic, more true to life, and more enjoyable for me.

Ivy and Violet’s grandmother was my favorite character. Even with her magic she was sweet, lovable, protective, and perfect. She was portrayed exactly as a grandmother should be. She worked the farm alongside her husband, raised her granddaughters when her daughter wouldn’t, and protected them with all that she had. I do wish there was more explanation of her magic, how did she get it, was it inherited, what was her skill with it.

If you like fun, quick, and magical books I recommend checking out Dark Designs by Stefanie Spangler.

[Deanna Hopping · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy and Violet Grant are just your normal twins, they live with their grandparents on the family farm in a small town, and they are witches. Well almost normal, after having something terrifying about happen to her once all grown up Ivy left for college while Violet stayed and help out on the farm. Now with college over Ivy has moved back to the farm and is trying to get back to her small town life. But when at the farmers market helping her sister Ivy is brought face to face with the monster her grandpa ran outta town all those years ago. Did he come back just for her? How does he have the entire town fooled. This mystery, thriller story is suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has he come back to finish what he starte

Terrific although slightly more dark than I normally go for. The writing is fast paced, engrossing and had me hooked. Two sisters brought up by their grandparents are forced to suddenly fight a force of evil. Could the force have anything to do with the attempted rape of one of the girls when she was a child? Do her dark dreams stem from this? How could a normal man suddenly use an ancient evil to cause havoc and death in his wake? Will she be strong enough to fight back when all she wants to do is curl up in a corner and hide. Great imagery is employed not only in the plot but also the characters. Letting you live and feel through their eyes and emotions. A wonderful read even though it made me go "yuck" a few times.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to get into. It was a slow starter. The characters were interesting and the story was well written. I was looking for a book that was about witches that had mysrey and romance and got a mystery and romance with a bit of magic. This is an easy read and enjoyable.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5*

http://www.freshcoffeeblog.com/2017/0...

[Terri Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

a hard to put down book. full of mystery and suspense with witches. i loved it.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was an amazingly scary story! I could not put it down until I had finished it and found out what happened! Excellent writing!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ebook from Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy and Violet are twins, abandoned by their mother and raised by their grandparents on their farm. One afternoon, sweet little Ivy is all alone in the barn, playing with newborn kittens. Enter Charlie Logan, a young farmhand who works for Grandpa Jack. Charlie clearly has evil intentions for Ivy, backing her into a corner and touching her hair. The creep vibes must have been strong, because Grandpa Jack swoops in just in time to stop Charlie from touching Ivy. With a pitchfork pressed to Charlie’s back, Grandpa Jack tells him to disappear or be killed. Grandpa Jack isn’t messing around. Charlie takes off, leaving angry Grandma Audrey clenching her fists in a cloud of dust. Audrey decides this is as good a time as any to introduce the girls to the family secret: they come from a long line of magical women.

Fast forward a decade or so later and the twins are recent college grads, back on the farm. Ivy is obsessed with finding out what happened to her mom when things start getting weird on the farm. It turns out that Charlie Logan is back in town and he didn’t come empty handed. During a burglary, Charlie found a book of shadows and dove head first into dark magic with the intention of getting his hands on Ivy once again. Clearly still a creep, Charlie has the whole town under a spell and no one except Audrey and the twins can see him for what he really is. As Charlie grows stronger, things on the farm get more dangerous. When his plans to take Ivy are foiled, he instead kidnaps a little girl. Violet, Ivy, and Audrey must race against the clock to defeat Charlie and save the girl.

I had a lot of hope for this book. The cover was gorgeous, the premise was interesting, and who doesn’t love a little magical thriller? Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. There are so many intriguing plot lines that just weren’t hammered out. There is a HUGE gap between Charlie being a creep the first time and Charlie coming back and being a magical creep the second time. What has been happening? How did the girls develop their magic?

We get very little history or explanation of the family’s magical abilities, either. At one point, Grandma Aubrey just pulls out her own book of shadows and briefly mentions it was passed down through her magical family for generations. I need more! There also isn’t much of a backstory about Ivy and Violet’s mom. We’re told she disappeared when the twins were very young. That’s it. Ivy was obsessed with finding her for all of about half a chapter and then...nothing. That was all we know about mom other than a few brief mentions. That could have been such a big part of the plot!

I also have an issue with the fact that once the police get involved, they’re told “oh, hey guys, by the way, we have these magical abilities” and the police are like “okay, cool!” There’s no pushback, no resistance, no nothing. It’s just accepted within a few paragraphs. Where’s the fun in that? This family has almost zero barriers other than Creepy Charlie. And he isn’t really much of one. Charlie is such a flat character. He’s very predictable and makes for a boring antagonist. Why why why did our heroines not have much trouble at all with just about anything?! I did like the other characters, but even Ivy is kind of dull. She’s whiny and flaky and doesn’t really seem to grow any throughout the story. Violet, however, is strong, independent, and sure of herself. She’s much more developed, which is interesting since she’s the protagonist’s sister.

The ending is another big issue. It was rushed and packed into one single chapter. It was too simple and everything was, as usual, too easy for the characters. I don’t like when things are wrapped up all neat and tidy with a cute little bow. There was some suspense, but it occurred long before the main event and then fizzled out as we came closer to the protagonist vs antagonist battle.

All in all, I did enjoy it for the most part. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like it from my above rant. It just didn’t blow my mind and didn’t feel very original. I was so disappointed because there were so many questions and loose ends that could have been followed to make for a great story. This author definitely has potential and did well for a debut, but as a stand-alone novel, this didn’t really cut it. I sincerely hope it’s book one of a series, because we could get some awesome Charmed on the farm type of stories.

[Ally · Rating 1 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy from Hidden Gems.

The beginning of this book was so confusing for me. I felt like it jumped too much from event to event in the first few chapters and that there wasn't really a good "flow" between them. There were also inconsistencies throughout the book that left me confused and with questions.

The action scenes were okay, but I never really felt any kind of connection to the characters to worry for them much. There also wasn't much information on the past between Ivy and Charlie other than the scene in the beginning of the book. Maybe I just missed some minuscule details, but if he were obsessed with her to the point he would go to the trouble he did in this book, wouldn't he have done something all those years she was in college as well instead of just randomly coming back?

Overall, this book was slow paced and just not my cup of tea. I wish there was more character development and world building.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stefanie Spangler is great at setting up a suspenseful story. There was hardly a moment where I wasn't on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. The descriptions of Charlie and the things he did were perfectly creepy and unsettling, down to the very last page. However, I was disappointed with the magical element. It somehow felt like both a major component of the story as well as constantly glossed over. I don't think the magic system was developed enough to be able to be as big of an element as it was and so it left me feeling like all of the conversations about it were superficial. I also feel like the book would have had a stronger ending without the epilogue. I didn't feel like the epilogue really hinted at conflict for a sequel but it also didn't really add anything to the story. Despite this, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a suspense.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book after receiving a free copy.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dark Designs is a story about twin sisters, their magical legacy, and a fight against evil. The story opens up with a pretty disturbing scene that introduces the villain and his sick obsession with one of the girls. I found parts of the book misleading. For example, this is the first time magic/voodoo has been introduced in this town and this doesn't seem to have a profound impact on the other townsfolk. There was emphasis on the girls' mother disappearing without a trace, which would lead a reader to believe this would be resolved somehow. I found the pace pretty slow.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Priscilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has been a while since I honestly could not finish a book. This was one of the times. The story was a great promise, but it fell flat. The characters were flat and could not even be related too. The plot was too confusing especially with not back stories. Magic in the story felt like it was just through in to make the story paranormal. Finally, the point of view constantly changing made it hard to know who was speaking or understand what is happening in the story. I spent 50% of the story confused about what was happening and who was telling the story. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

I received an ARC for my honest review by Hidden Gems.

[Kristin Scearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this book, and I liked the course it took to explain everything about the family, their use of magic, and so on. The ending was especially great, and I didn't see the final events coming at all. My only critique is that some elements brought up earlier on in the story don't really get answered or even really talked about again by the end, so I was left wondering a bit about that, but all in all, it's a good read and very entertaining.

4 stars

*Given a free copy by Hidden Gems, which I voluntarily chose to review*