A review by read_game_stitch
The Coven by Harper L. Woods

3.0

The Coven follows Willow, a young woman trained as her father's weapon against a powerful Coven that took his sister and birthright. To protect her brother, she enrols at Hollow’s Grove University, a secretive magical school in Crystal Hollow. Despite the freedom from human judgment, she faces hostility from the enigmatic Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, with whom she shares a deep mutual disdain. As dark secrets about a past massacre and the return of the mysterious Thirteen students surface, the dangers at the school grow, threatening everyone involved.

This was quite a short book, and a lot of the plot was essentially the relationship between Willow and Gray. Because the book wasn't long enough to build a proper relationship for me, and because there wasn't much else in the plot, I couldn't really connect to the characters or get invested in the story. When it comes to paranormal romances, I like a more balanced mix of plot and romance. Had it been longer and had more depth (such as more worldbuilding, the school setting actually contributing something to the story or more chance for Willow to form proper relationships with anyone at the school, not just Gray) I would have rated this higher. I just think there's only so much you can do within 284 pages when the focus is on the lust between the two main characters.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.