Category: Women’s Fiction

Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Book Publicity, Contemporary, Paranormal / Fantasy, Release Day Blitz, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Women's Fiction, Young AdultLeave a comment

Uncharmed (Rewitched, #2)Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: September 16, 2025

Andromeda “Annie” Wildwood adores being a witch and uses her power to make other people happy. She owns The Celestial Bakehouse, a bakeshop/café called the Celeste by her patrons, where she spreads happiness and calming to all, via magically infused treats. She is also very involved in Selcouth (her local coven) as well as a member of a secret group of witches known as the Sorciety. To put it simply, Annie is perfect or at least that is what the world thinks, thanks to a complicated bit of magic, and she wants to make everyone happy. But Annie’s perfect world is about to come crashing down when the sage witch of the Selcouth asks her to mentor Maeve, a troubled young witch just coming into her powers.

Thrown out of her comfort zone and into an abandoned, rundown cabin in the woods, Annie struggles to connect with Maeve. But with patience, understanding and a lot of mistakes, the two women begin to form a bond, and Annie helps Maeve learn to control her magic, while Maeve teaches her how to be her true self. They have just begun to get comfortable in their secluded home when they are thrown another curve – in the form of Hal Bancroft, the cabin’s owner, warlock, and Head of Selcouth’s Mythical Beasts Department. Hal allows the women to stay and even helps in Maeve’s lessons. The three quickly settle into a peaceful routine and it soon becomes obvious that Maeve’s powers are extraordinary, and Annie and Hal are not the only ones to notice. Annie will be swept up in a web of secrets, lies, betrayal and heartbreak, leaving her wondering who she is and where she belongs.

This book was nothing like I was expecting, and it is very different from the first book. This story has a bit of a darker feel, with a lot more emotion and personal growth. I definitely would not call this a Romantasy, it is more women’s fantasy fiction (if that was a real genre). The book centers around most people’s innate need to be accepted and the struggles we face to find a way to “fit in” without losing ourselves. The story is filled with true friends, fake friends, greed, glitter, lots of pink, baked goods, magic, self-reflection, healing, found family, and just a hint of budding romance. The story might not be what I was expecting, but it was a truly lovely, rich read that had me laughing and crying in equal measure and a book that I would happily recommend!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

On By TracyIn Historical Fiction, Standalone Title, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901), Women's FictionLeave a comment

The Secret Book SocietyThe Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: August 26, 2025

After surviving three abusive marriages and unbelievable heartbreak, Clara Chambers, the Countess of Duxbury is finally free. Widowed and wealthy, Clara is determined to save other women from suffering as she has, to that end, she selects four women from society and invites them to join her for tea, all save one accept. She then offers the women use of her extensive library, as well as her support and guidance facing the struggles of being a woman in Victorian England. Clara gently guides each lady, taking special notice of Eleanor Clarke, the wife of a self-made man who married her for her social status. She makes book suggestions to each woman but offers Eleanor a glimpse into her own life by encouraging her to read her personal journals. And so, begins the Secret Book Society…

The members of the Secret Book Society are Eleanor Clarke who is married to Cecil Clarke, a controlling, dominating man, who saved her family from financial ruin, a fact he doesn’t let her forget. He controls every aspect of her life and even limits the time she is allowed to spend with their son. Rose Wharton is an American heiress who married Theodore Wharton, the second son of an earl in a love match, but since learning Theodore’s elder brother the Earl is dying and Theodore is his heir, their marriage has suffered as the Earl doesn’t believe Rose is a proper lady, leaving Rose wondering if her marriage can survive. The final member is Lady Lavinia Cavendish, who accepted the invitation in her mother’s place, Lavinia’s father has banned her from reading, believing that it will encourage her capricious nature and lead to the same madness that her grandmother suffered. Together these women will forge a friendship so strong, that it will ultimately help them save one of their own.

With this book, Madeline Martin has crafted an emotional story of friendship, empowerment and healing. Until they met at Lady Duxbury’s home, each woman in this story is at a crossroads in her life and facing it alone, but thanks to the secret book society, they have each other to lift them up and support them through the challenges they face, and woven within their story is Clara’s tale of heartbreak and loss, which gives readers a powerful and insightful look into the life of a woman in the male dominated Victorian era. I loved this book, not only does it make me proud to see how far women have come but reminds me of the power women have to lift up and support each other through the inequalities we still face today. Before you start this book, I highly recommend grabbing a beverage, a box of tissues and comfy chair, because once you start reading, you aren’t going to want to stop until the last page!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *