The Witch of Willow Hall is the second of Hester Fox’s novels I have read, the first being The Last Heir to Blackwood Library back in October of 2023. I can safely say that Hester’s debut is lush with detail and rife with tension, and a novel you need to read this very minute! If you’re a fan of historical fiction, historical romance, paranormal page-turners and the a good witchy read, keep on reading because there is much to discuss in The Witch of Willow Hall.

The Witch of Willow Hall is not what I expected, and I say that in the best way possible. The romance and supernatural elements don’t always come hand-in-hand, so the story has moments closely resembling a standard historical romance like Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books or Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River and others that akin to Erin A. Craig’s The House of Salt and Sorrows or Emily Lloyd Jones’s The Bone Houses in their vivid otherworldly detail. I found the plot felt well-balanced dealing with these two prominent genres and while they didn’t fuse together from start to finish, it was nice to have breaks from certain aspects of the story.

The characters are palpable, and their personalities and conflicts sing off the pages. Emeline is a gem of a child and I found myself empathising with her often, Lydia is a strong protagonist and a complex character in her own right, though blind in many regards and a little infuriating at times because of it. Catherine, oh, Catherine. I wanted nothing more than to whack her over the head and make her fear my very presence, but as an antagonist she is formidable and calculating, making interactions and conflicts rich with tension, emotion and carefully spun tricks. John is a sweetheart and I find myself once again asking for anyone resembling him to reach out to me. I can bake and cook and I read books. I don’t mind the idea of living on a farm, in fact, I quite like the idea of making vegetable patches and fruit orchards and herb gardens to keep us sustained. Please hit me up. Thank you.

Back to the plot, and what a well plotted plot it is. There are moments that may come across as mundane or flat, I will admit. I didn’t read them as such myself, but I believe a reread would have me skim reading some parts to get back to the interesting bits. These moments are few and far between, so don’t be scared off. There is plenty to keep you engaged and entertained with this ghostly read. Key events happen at the right moments, wading the book from one place to the next, and ensuring we get a taste of the supernatural, the paranormal and the historical wherever we go. Lydia’s blindness to others’ intentions can slow the pace and drop the tension at times, but the ire you get in its place is enough to keep the ball rolling. I guess its fair to say I would give Lydia a smack over the head and talk some sense into her if I had the chance, that way she wouldn’t be in her own way so often.

I highly encourage all you witchy readers out there to pick The Witch of Willow Hall up for your reading pleasure. Not only is it a great autumnal reading given its themes and setting, but it will have no trouble satisfying that need for witchy brilliance in your next read. Hester Fox is an incredible author to read any time of the year, but there is a little extra something in her books when reading them on a cold, autumn afternoon or nearing Halloween.