Reviews with content warning for Murder - Winterwood

I’ll start with my negatives so I can end on a positive note lol. I really didn’t care for this writing style. There were so many incomplete sentences. All the time. Constantly. Like they’d never stop. 😅 I totally get that we don’t think in complete sentences all the time, but would it kill you to use a conjunction? It just took me out of the story and felt half-baked. Despite that, I did like the overall plot. I kind of saw the twist coming, but that doesn’t bother me so much. The vibes were immaculate, helping bring me back into the plot when the writing bugged me. Pro tip: when it’s 115 degrees out, read a book set in the dead of winter! I could really feel the chilly, witchy, forest energy throughout the text.

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aqulia's review against another edition

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dark inspiring mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This book is just like an old, spooky fairytale. I liked how the characters reacted to each other. Oliver and Nora's romance was pretty cute. The way the Ernshaw handled the wicker woods was amazing, especially in the latter half. I also loved the pages on the different people in the Walker family. Unlike a lot of other people, the twist did surprise me. However, this book could get a bit repetitive a points, with all of the Oliver mysteriously leaving, then Nora trying to find him that happened in the middle. The ending also felt like a cop-out. Other than that, this was a great book.

Who do I recommend this to? People who like dark fairytales, not knowing who to trust, and interesting MCs
Who should skip this one? People who are easily bored, especially by repetition, people who dislike not knowing whether a character is good or evil, and people who hate disconnected endings/endings that undo previous events.
Will I read more by Shea Ernshaw? Yes. I liked this book quite a bit, and I've heard lots of good things about her other book The Wicked Deep.

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aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Even though this book kept me entertained well enough, it just didn’t hit me the way Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep did (which had me crying big time and I would definitely recommend). Compared to her other novel, I felt there was less dept to the romance and certain parts were a lot more predictable. There was, however, one less predictable twist at the end which was pretty cool, and overall I do enjoy a good witch story. I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 out of 5) stars. A nice spooky October read! 🎃

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Updated to 5 stars in 2023 after third read.

If you're looking for the perfect spoopy book to enjoy during Halloween - or you just need a great low fantasy to enjoy this autumn/winter, this is the book for you!

I'm definitely not someone who enjoys being scared. I hate horror movies and I can't even read thrillers. So, I was a little weary going into this book because I just wasn't sure if it would be too spooky for me or not. It definitely wasn't! It felt like paranormal fantasy (nothing too creepy) mixed with a mystery!

My mind was so focused on "solving" everything that was going on that I barely even noticed the more "spooky" parts - and I wouldn't even consider them all that spooky. More just... slightly eerie? And only because they take place in a somewhat haunted forest.

It was beautifully written and made me want to take a trip to the mountains in the winter - but hopefully not to get snowed in with a strange boy! *wink wink*

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