A review by hookedbythatbook
A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher

3.0

A confounding obstacle course of spiritual and emotional ordeals will hopefully bring an end to a horrible curse. 

My very first feelings were sympathy for these witches and this curse that basically left them with two terrible choices as adults. The curse was explained in great detail and very cleverly when we met Doreen and Margot in the first chapter. They are two very likable characters and I was rooting for Doreen to find a solution. 

Ambrose got a raw deal and his selfish motives at the start made complete sense. For some reason, that I'm not entirely sure of, Ambrose made Doreen believe they were going to see someone who could help with breaking the curse. This led them to the trials in the underworld, which were fantastic and intricate and reshaped Doreen's view of her own world and abilities. The complicated plot surrounding Ambrose's curse and Ada's own history was confusing at times and it took a while to unravel all those parts. 

Doreen and Ambrose were clearly attracted to each other from the start, but I wasn't all that convinced about them as a couple. I wanted to be. Ambrose spent most of the story pining for Lenora and denying any connection to Doreen, and then it all suddenly changed (with a good explanation, I should add). But that made it more difficult to believe in Ambrose's feelings for Doreen. 

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read, but there were a lot of things happening that were difficult to piece together. If you like witches, curses, and spending time in alternate realms, then this might be for you. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.