Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Black Candle Women

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the mystery was interesting and I wanted to find out how the family would solve their problems.

Unfortunately there isn't much of a plot and despite the characterisations being initially really strong, by the end I had to check the chapter title to remember which pov I was reading because they all started to blend together.

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creolelitbelle's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Books set in Louisiana or with Louisiana culture (done right) hook me every time. I was curious how this narrative could work with the majority of the story set in California, but Augusta's memories of life in New Orleans really make the story come alive. The events in the book are not plentiful but more of an everyday life sequence with the voodoo tied in, which might sound boring, but the POVs from 3 generations of Montrose women keeps everything exciting. Willow provides a good balance between her sister Victoria, her mom Madelyn, and her niece Nickie, and I felt the calming nature she brings to the family. Normally, I would wonder how a character who never speaks can propel her part of the plot forward, but Gallant by V E Schwab taught me everyone can communicate somehow with the other characters and their environment; Augusta is no different. I wish there was a little more magic voodoo in the book, but that is not necessary to give a full picture of the Montrose history or present. I have yet to read the book Practical Magic but still attest to the cursed love reminding me of its movie adaptation. The only aspect keeping me from rating this a little higher to 5 stars is the bit of predictability in some parts. I highly recommend the book as a good mix of history, a little magic, and New Orleans flavor with family as a core theme... plus a side of romance. Case in point - I read the whole book in 3 days. I could barely put it down with short chapters and sections divided by months.

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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calicat42's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

As a young woman who was raised by a single mom and her grandma, after being named in honor of three generations of grandmas, I felt like I was part of this family. The family unit the women have created is unbelievably relatable in terms of emotions, the strain of conflict, the village mentality in raising children, and the recognition of their strength and empowerment as women. What a beautiful story to be shared with, I hope, many generations of women to come.

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