It's 1976, and young Willamena Wester, a popular high school senior, has her future set. While her friends are considering marriage or college, Wills is determined to stay at her ancestral home with her grandmother and carry on the family tradition of being a know-all in a small North Carolina town. Some townspeople call the Wester women witches; others say they use information to their advantage. Either way, the women of Wester House are both revered and feared. All is going according to plan until Wills meets a charismatic musician who charms her and makes her see another possible future. Fate has a heavy hand on the Wester women, however, and Wills' future is unexpectedly sealed.
Fast forward to the present: Bailey Wester is returning to Wester House and to her grandmother, Willamena, under less than ideal circumstances. Bailey's troubled past is again coming to the forefront and threatening to overshadow Bailey and those around her. Trying to make peace with her grandmother while rectifying past wrongs consumes her.
I found the premise interesting and the characters intriguing. Wills and Bailey are at odds because of their similar natures, which makes the reader wish they would overcome their differences and be honest with each other. Wills withholds family secrets from Bailey that would help Bailey understand herself and erase some of the guilt she feels about her past. Theirs is a complicated relationship full of heartbreak and miscues. The writing is excellent and the story compelling.
4.5/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 1, 2026.
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