I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

After a woman takes it upon herself to raise her younger brother after the tragic loss of their parents, a move into their family cottage home in upstate New York turns into a deadly trial as they realize an ancient curse threatens their new home in author Rebecca Henry’s “Conjuring Lake”, the latest book in the Ambrosia Hill series.

The Synopsis

When feelings are more than a warning, they become haunting.

Eighteen-year-old Serena is attending university on the west coast when her life is flipped upside down. After the untimely death of her parents, Serena returns to New York City to care for her seven-year-old brother, Jack. As financial pressures mount, Serena makes the difficult decision to move them to their family’s heritage lake house in upstate New York.

Jack hasn’t spoken to anyone but her since their parents’ death and Serena’s only focus is learning how to become a full-time mother to her little brother with the hope that she can save him from his sorrow. But when the siblings arrive in the tiny and isolated town of Corvin Grove, they realize their family’s name raises eyebrows from the townsfolk as the two settle into the abandoned lake home.

It doesn’t take long for the siblings to discover that things inside the gothic house are not what they appear to be. An ancient witch has cursed Conjure Lake and if they stay in Korwin Cottage, they may never make it out alive.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of horror, gore and child endangerment. There are references to past animal death.

Publisher’s Note: This book is related to the Ambrosia Hill series.

The Review

I absolutely loved this read! The author did an incredible job of crafting a unique story that could be read all on its own without missing a beat, and yet fits into the mythos and world that the author crafted in the first book in the Ambrosia Hill series, Amethyst. The way the author was able to build upon the magical background and history of this small town from the first book and highlight the more haunted and chilling atmosphere that the first book hinted at was great to read. The book fits perfectly into the YA genre, as the younger protagonists allowed younger readers to get a sense of connection while also paying homage to the most ancient process of magic itself.

The character growth was truly the heart of this novel once more. The author’s specialty in all of her works has to be creating beautiful characters that people will come to love, identify with, and feel for in their journey. The special bond between Serena and Jack was so relatable to me as an older brother. I loved the inclusion of LGBTQ storytelling and character development in this book, something the author touched upon in the first book. The connection the author made to characters from the first book and the way the town itself seemed to become its own character, as the hardships that befell the town for so long seemed to impact the townspeople themselves, very much reminding me of the townspeople in Stephen King’s It. 

The Verdict

Haunting, captivating, and entertaining, author Rebecca Henry’s “Conjuring Lake” is a must-read YA LGBTQ Paranormal and Fantasy Romance novel of 2022! The amazing amount of depth and emotion that the author pours into the narrative and the care for which these characters develop and evolve in their own right, from Jack’s desire to gain knowledge to Serena’s journey to gather her own power and strength to face life’s challenges, really mad me care as a reader for this world the author has crafted and made it feel truly magical in nature. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today! 

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Rebecca Henry is an American author living abroad in England. She is a devoted vegan who gardens, practices yoga, crafts, travels the world, and bakes. Rebecca’s favorite holiday is Halloween, and she is obsessed with anything and everything witchy! Besides writing fiction, Rebecca is also the author of her vegan holiday cookbook collection and green living lifestyle book. Her love for animals, baking with her family, having a plant-based diet, and cruelty-free, green lifestyle inspired her nonfiction novels. You can find all Rebecca’s books on Amazon.

https://www.rebeccahenryauthor.com/

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