The Witchy Storyteller: The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering - Book Review

Publication Date: 17th Sep 2024

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/startofthestorysocial

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213583929-the-start-of-the-story

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

3.7 Stars

One Liner: Needs patience in the first quarter

Book Blurb:

Rowan Thorpe can be forgiven for living with one foot in the past.

Since having to say goodbye far too young to the future she had planned, moving on still feels like a daunting task. So, when historian Connor O’Keefe strides purposefully into her office and life, looking far too handsome for his own good and threatening to undermine the local legends she holds close to her heart, she is more than a little unsettled.

Connor has a past too, and his own reasons to keep his heart under wraps. But when a combination of fate and an unexpected snowstorm means that Rowan and Connor have all the time in the world to swap stories, it may finally be time for an end and a new beginning.

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My Thoughts:

The story comes in Rowan’s first-person POV with a few short chapters from the past.

Firstly, my thanks to a Goodreads author-cum-reviewer friend (Sally) whose review prepared me to give the FMC some leeway. It helped a lot since the book is from the heroine’s first-person POV, and she is annoying until we know why.

I wish the reason was revealed sooner at least to the readers. While there are some subtle hints, none of them lead to a concrete presumption.

I won’t call this romance though it does have some elements. This is more of women’s fiction with a focus on the characters learning to be something beyond their pasts. The past takes a long time to be revealed and then we wait more for them to start to move on, so the love story as much occurs only in the last quarter. (closed door/ fade out)

I enjoyed the little random snippets from different timelines (though these seem like they don’t impact the plot, there’s a reason for their presence). Halfway through, I noticed the pattern and realized that the truth is something else (this is revealed towards the end). As someone who likes folklore and understands the importance of preserving the oral stories from the past, I know why it matters.

Even when I disliked the FMC’s attitude, I empathized with her determination to not let the past be wiped out. We already lost so much (and much of it has been misappropriated by invaders who went on multiple conversion sprees). We cannot afford to lose more.

For a short book, the repeated arguments about the Fairy Stane got a bit boring. I can see both their points and agree to an extent with Rowan. But the way she handled it didn’t make it easy to side with her.

The MMC is easy to like almost throughout. I find his backstory quite interesting. Not something we often see in this genre, so it does feel refreshing. I also like how it’s tackled with sensitivity.

I was quite surprised by the repeated mention of the MMC’s Catholic upbringing. Somehow, many elements were woven with this piece of information, so it ended okay.

To summarize, The Start of the Story is a book about second chances, moving on, acceptance, and the importance of protecting our ancient stories. It’s not a heavy read but not super light either.

Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley

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About the Author – Jane Lovering

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.