Synopsis:
The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back.

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review:
I wasn’t certain how I was going to feel about this book as I started it, realizing that Winifred is very different to what one expects from a governess. Her unlikely background made me absolutely fall in love with her. I absolutely love the world of Half a Soul so getting to continue on and read more in that universe is always a treat. I loved how well this book blended the fantasy with the realistic societal expectations of the time for women. I adore how the villain is both not what you’d expect, and yet those wrapped up with them is entirely who you would expect. This book is perfect. It has relatable characters, slowly developed relationships, realism mixed with the perfect amount of fantastical.

I highly recommend this book to any who love fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, magic, fantasy, mystery, adventure and a bit of romance sprinkled on top.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯