
Source: ARC Trade
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Pages: 320
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Format: ARC
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witchescomes an immersive, enemies-to-lovers contemporary fantasy standalone.
After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch. It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel--that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.
When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she's about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.
Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn't know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe.
I received this ARC as part of Miss Print’s ARC Exchange Program.”
Review:
Wild is the Witch is the first book I read by Rachel Griffin, a well-executed enemies-to-lovers romance with the curse of being a witch in secret laying between them. The backdrop for this story is the pacific northwest as a wildlife refugee. Iris’s family has a magical solid connection with the animals and the desire to keep endangered species from becoming nonexistent. While working at the refugee, Iris meets a young intern who reveals he hates witches. Of course, this creates automatic tension between Iris and Piper, but Piper has no idea that she is a witch for most of the story.
The mixture of the hunt to save an owl who unknowingly carries a curse, the slow burn romance of the enemies letting down their guards, and revealing secrets is the perfect story to be told in an old age forest. I think the author executed the story in a way that can touch many people who love animals, family, and watching enemies become at the least friends but sometimes more.