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The Moorwitch

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In this sweeping romantic fantasy from bestselling author Jessica Khoury, a young witch caught in a twisted bargain with the fae must disguise herself as a governess and uncover the gateway to the realm of faerie in order to save her dying magic and escape the clutches of her controlling fae handler—even as she finds herself falling for her new employer, an enigmatic young Scottish laird and the owner of a crumbling estate brimming with secrets.

Rose Pryor has sacrificed everything for magic. As a Weaver skilled in the craft of spinning spells with thread and needle, she’s always chosen magic over love, and it was magic that brought her to Lachlan, the fae with whom Rose once struck a sinister deal in order to escape her abusive home. After years of running from her past, Rose has finally managed to build a new life for herself as a teacher in a school for young Weavers. But Rose has a secret: her magic is waning, and every spell she weaves to train her students is slowly killing her.

When Lachlan returns to collect the debt Rose owes him, she finds herself on a perilous journey to the Scottish moors where she must find him an ancient gateway to the realm of the fae, lest her precious magic be forfeit. But when her quest pits her against Conrad, a young laird with a soul as lonely as her own who hires Rose to work as a governess for his rebellious young sister, Rose finds herself torn between her promise to Lachlan and her budding feelings for her new employer as her search for the gateway puts both her magic and her heart at stake.

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2025

5475 people are currently reading
18380 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Khoury

25 books2,698 followers
Jessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.

When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.

Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.

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5 stars
3,218 (44%)
4 stars
2,785 (38%)
3 stars
1,108 (15%)
2 stars
129 (1%)
1 star
29 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews
Profile Image for LeesiCakes.
183 reviews
October 12, 2025
Damn, this book was a slog to get through, but still a book I am glad I had the opportunity to read.

Pros:
• The magic is definitely unique, even if I personally can’t imagine weaving a complicated cat’s cradle every time I wanted to summon magic.
• Rose and Conrad have great banter, and I love how flustered Conrad makes Rose.
• Sylvie was my favorite character. The chapters with her flew by and had my full attention.

Cons:
• The pacing, especially in the first half, is slower than molasses.
• The writing was overly descriptive, which plays a part in my earlier complaint that the pacing is slow. Scenes became long-winded and repetitive.
• Lachlan annoyed me.

Overall, this was not a bad read but not quite to my liking.
Profile Image for Liana Gold.
332 reviews89 followers
Want to read
October 2, 2025
This looks really good, amazon firsts reads are killing it lately
Profile Image for Mai ༊*·˚.
257 reviews173 followers
December 17, 2025
4.0 ★— I was deeply into this until it lost a bit of steam at the end. That said, if you’re an Emily Wilde by Heather Fawcett fan or enjoy Olivia Atwater’s work, this book absolutely belongs on your radar!

After escaping a harrowing childhood and finally living her modest dream of teaching simple magic to students at a charity school, Rose Pryor is suddenly confronted by the fae she made a deal with as a child. A deal she believed she’d never have to face again, but that he has unfortunately returned to collect.

This book started out perfectly, doing a wonderful job of setting the scene in its alternate, magical version of historical London. In this world, people with magical abilities are known as weavers, and Jessica Khoury introduces a genuinely fascinating magic system through them. Magic-users must tie specific knots, literally “weaving” spells into existence, to use their powers.
While this is a relatively simple idea, I thought the way the story handled it was incredibly clever and refreshing, completely hooking me with every bit of lore we got surrounding this magic.

In the protagonist, Rose Pryor, we’re given an intelligent and resourceful young woman who is trying to make the best of her life. As a teacher who loves her students and her work, she’s gentle and caring, but also brave and grounded, with a good head on her shoulders. Watching her navigate the obstacles she faced with thoughtfulness and clear judgment was genuinely pleasant!

The romance builds gradually and ended up surprising me in a few ways. I’ve read a lot within this genre and genuinely expected something quite different from how things ultimately played out, but I was actually happy with the direction it took. Lachlan, the faerie from Rose’s childhood, is very much of the classic, more folkloric fae variety: inhuman, condescending toward humans, and powerful enough to radiate menace.

The story also introduces Conrad, a Scottish laird whom Rose encounters during her journey to fulfill her bargain. He very much fits the rugged historical Scotsman mold, being a bit rude, slightly gruff, and, of course, quite attractive in the way only a hot Scottish historical man can be.

Where the book didn’t fully land for me was in its ending. I don’t think the author quite managed to build a strong climax to the story. Instead, there were multiple moments that felt like they should have been the story’s peak, which dulled the tension leading into the resolution. I also felt that the villain’s motivations and overall arc fell surprisingly flat after such strong buildup and character work earlier on. I’d say that, in theory, the ending works, but in execution it left me feeling oddly dissatisfied.

Still, there’s a lot to love here. My fondness for historical fantasy paired with competent heroines was absolutely satisfied by this story!
Profile Image for Meghan Hitchcock.
1 review2 followers
August 10, 2025
I received this book as an ARC from the author and I’m so glad I did! What a great read!
The story starts off in London, England, and there are references to the New World (being America I assume) so we get the feeling the time frame is possibly early 19th century. But it’s not the world in the history books we know. There are weavers who are integrated into every aspect of society using their magic to improve the lives of those around them. By stitching with needle and thread and weaving with yarn or even hair, these weavers can warm a carriage, or their clothing; perform healing, join the army and battle enemies for the crown; or if their mislead down a dangerous path, draw from living creature to power their weaves and harm those around them.
Our heroine Rose Pryor starts life a little rough thanks to her vengeful Aunt, and is tricked into making a deal with a conniving Fae to help her leave a life of angst. Fast forward and Rose is grown, having claimed the magic her Aunt detested, and is teaching at a school for weavers, helping the next generation embrace their craft. She hoped that the Fae who she made her deal with had forgotten her, but as her birthday approaches, he returns to her life to ask a favour to finalize the bargain. She has little choice but to agree, and thus starts the adventure.
After reaching the Scottish moors, Rose is thrust into a series of twists and turns that seem to be fate. She meets the Norths, a handsome Scottish laird and his young sister, who live in a ramshackle manor that seems full of secrets. Much like Connor North himself. It seems as though Rose will never complete the task she needs to fulfill the bargain with her Fae, and falling in love with Conner isn’t helping. But once she learns the truth about both Conner and the Fae, her world changes.

I thought I knew how this story would go, but I was surprised more the once with a twist to the plot. The slow burn and sweetness between Conner and Rose was well written and kept you rooting for them to find a way through all the trials. Roses relationship with Conners sister Sylvie was quirky and exasperating, exactly what you’d expect between a teacher and young girl. The twists from villain to hero and back with more the one character keep you on your toes. The plot moves steadily and keeps you hooked to find out what Rose will have to deal with next.

My only disappointment with the book, and hence the 4 stars, is due to personal preference. It very much has a story book end. And as it’s a Jane Eyre styled story I suppose that’s to be expected. The author did a great job tying up the loose ends, answering any open questions, and leaving you with a very wholesome and complete feeling. Personally, I would have loved a bit more romance between the main characters. But as it stands, this book is appropriate for adults who don’t want a ton of erotic chapters, and also I would feel comfortable allowing by teen daughter to read this. A few kisses and some groping, some yearning and a few open ended musings from the main characters leave one feeling like there could be more, but are chaste enough to not be explicit.

An excellent start to a first foray into adult writing! Keep up the good work Jessica Khoury!

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maven_Reads.
1,476 reviews41 followers
December 17, 2025
The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury is a sweeping romantic fantasy about a young witch named Rose Pryor who must confront the consequences of a desperate bargain she made long ago with a fae, journeying to the misty Scottish moors to unearth an ancient gateway that may save her dying magic while balancing duty, danger, and a slow-burn connection with a guarded Scottish laird named Conrad. Rose, a skilled Weaver whose magic comes through stitching thread and needle, has spent years teaching others while running from her past, only to find that fulfilling her debt to the fae Lachlan threatens both her powers and her heart as she navigates tangled loyalties at Ravensgate Manor. Alongside her uneasy alliance with Conrad and the challenges of caring for his rebellious sister, Rose is pulled into an atmosphere of intrigue, fae lore, and emotional reckoning that weaves together personal sacrifice and budding affection.

From the moment I first read about Rose’s predicament, I felt drawn to how vividly the world and its magic are imagined, with the weaver magic feeling tactile and unique, and the moors themselves almost like another character in the story. What touched me most was Rose’s resilient spirit, her determination to protect others even as her own strength falters, and the way her growing connection with Conrad felt tender and earned through shared vulnerability rather than instant affection.

There were moments when the pacing felt leisurely, especially early on, but I found that this slower build allowed me to settle into the characters’ emotional landscapes and the atmospheric setting in a way that enriched the narrative rather than detracting from it. Reading this made me think about how the cost of power and the weight of past choices stay with us, and how connection and respect can grow even in unlikely circumstances. For anyone who savors fantasy with deep world-building, emotional nuance, and a romance that grows organically, this book offers a richly engaging experience.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving it four stars because its imaginative magic, heartfelt character work, and evocative setting left a lasting impression on me, though the gentler pacing may not be for every reader, and I wished for even more moments of narrative urgency to balance the introspective beats. Overall, this felt like a warm, immersive journey that stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Profile Image for Jill.
274 reviews
November 21, 2025
Another reviewer said the book is a slog. That’s right, but I’m not entirely sure why. The fantasy parts were pretty interesting. The romance parts were not. In fact, the romance slowed things down. For Rose being on an urgent quest, the pace seemed slow. So it was easy to put down. So 3 stars.
Profile Image for Andrea.
45 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2025
Very surprised by the quality of this for a Amazon first reads book. Got a little annoyed by how obvious some of the twists were and the main character not putting two and two together but as a fiber artist absolutely loved the magic system
Profile Image for Randi.
1,609 reviews31 followers
August 10, 2025
Tender, heartfelt, and so enjoyable. I loved this read. The delicately rising stakes and twists kept me hooked, and the characters were delightful.
Profile Image for Heathers_readss.
868 reviews176 followers
November 14, 2025
This was a Real slow burn.. I find slowburns work better for me on audiobook format because the listening pacing can feel faster, but this did not work for me this time. Despite listening to the Audio the book felt like it took forever to get going and I didnt find myself invested in the plot or the characters 😪😪

Thank you for the gifted audiobook!
Profile Image for abi.
1,188 reviews138 followers
Want to read
October 3, 2025
This looks so good! The recent Amazon first reads for romance books have been excellent! (I actually chose 2 this time which is unheard of for me!!!)
Profile Image for Bailey Morris.
7 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2025
Went into this book completely blind and was so surprised it! Very Outlander but with magic? Absolutely wonderful fantasy.
Profile Image for Lilly.
33 reviews21 followers
October 3, 2025
Oh, Connie. Every page, every sentence, every word was an absolute delight. My favorite read of 2025.
Profile Image for Courtney Kahl.
83 reviews7 followers
October 26, 2025
Idk ratings look good, my book twin says it’s a 4, but I can’t get past 15%. Anything else in my life sounds more interesting than continuing, and I’ve tried twice, so again, take that as you will. Best wishes to you in your journey.
Profile Image for Christina Baehr.
Author 8 books711 followers
Read
November 1, 2025
The world-building, magic system, and gothic ambience drew me in very quickly. Unfortunately, the romance didn’t click for me.

Would suit readers who love the idea of a magical-Jane -Eyre-homage with a romance with a bloke in a kilt that’s on the steamy end of no-spice.

One thing I did appreciate was that this book was marketed to adults! I’m pleased that we are getting to the point where books that don’t have explicit stuff on page are not automatically classified as YA.
Profile Image for Alycya Leveille.
139 reviews
November 18, 2025
This was SO atmospheric. I loved the setting and the magic system was so unique.

Rose and Conrad had such a beautiful connection and I loved Sylvie’s feisty attitude.

I found it a tad slow in the middle but the ending picked up again with lots of twists and turns.

Loved it!
Profile Image for Kay.
159 reviews12 followers
December 1, 2025
One star for the uniqueness of the magic in this story. The rest of the worldbuilding, the story, and the characters left a lot to be desired. No one behaved or spoke in the way any person alive has ever behaved or spoken, and it felt incredibly half-baked to create such an interesting form of magic and then, for the rest of the universe this book is set in, just replace "God" with "the Fates." You cannot convince me that everything would be exactly the same as it is in our world across the board without Christianity having ever existed. Also, "Oh, my Fates!" is a ridiculous sentence to read once, let alone as many times as it and similar phrases were used in this book.
Profile Image for Pamela(AllHoney).
2,700 reviews376 followers
October 7, 2025
Rose Pryor, at eight years old, makes a bargain that must be met before she turns twenty-one. At twenty, she is approached and told it is time to fulfill her bargain. She is taken to Scotland where she is to acquire an item. There she meets Conrad, laird of Ravensgate, and his young sister.
This book started out good and kept my attention but it stalled after a bit. Then it got good again and I ended up liking it overall.
Profile Image for Jamey [Longhollow.Lore].
164 reviews15 followers
December 2, 2025
This is my first Jessica Khoury book - and now I want her entire backlist.

I was hooked within the first few pages, watching a young Rose Pryor make an impossible choice in a moment of fear, desperation, and sheer survival instinct. Even as a child, she’s quick-thinking and sharp, though she has no idea what her decision will cost her.

We jump forward twelve years to a Rose who feels… smaller than the potential simmering inside her. Whether it’s trauma, fear, or simply the comfort of staying put, she’s settled into a life that doesn’t quite fit, and you can feel it. But the past never stays buried, especially when it’s tied to a fae bargain. Her debt comes due, and everything unravels from there.

What follows is a story steeped in fae lore, Moorwitch history, and the eerie, addictive magic of her Weaver craft. Khoury threads destiny, consequence, and heartache through every stitch of Rose’s journey. She’s not a perfect heroine, but she is determined, introspective, and achingly human - and that’s what makes her so compelling.

If you love moody moors, secretive lairds, dangerous fae bargains, and magic that feels both beautiful and costly, The Moorwitch is absolutely worth the read. Rose’s path is epic, tangled, and full of promise.

A special thank you to 47North and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy; All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Marisa.
92 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️

The whole book could have been probably 50-100 pages shorter tbh. It wasn’t bad by any means, it just felt like the author wasn’t focused on furthering the plot but trying to overly-explain certain character relationships and/or fluff up parts of the story.

The FMC was on a timeline to accomplish her task… but there was zero sense of urgency about her. She’d rather clean someone else’s entire house than do what she was supposed to do (which had grave consequences???). It was almost like she was the world’s most apathetic woman.

The last few chapters picked up quite a bit and that was helpful. I enjoyed the twists, but I do wish there was a little more drama built up with the villian(s?).

Did I hate reading this book? Not at all.
Would I ever read it again, or be on the edge of my seat for this author? Probably not.

I enjoyed parts and was thoroughly bored by others. The writing was good as a whole, so 3.5 stars feels like a fair leaning kind assessment from me.
Profile Image for Margot.
14 reviews
November 17, 2025
ARC by NetGalley : FIVE STARS ✨ WOW !!!!

If you’re looking for a story that blends the gothic charm of Jane Eyre with the whimsical academia of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies, this book is absolutely for you.

The characters stirred so many emotions…each one burdened by secrets and obligations that made their relationships feel layered and compelling. The quiet yearning between Rose and North was genuinely touching.

I loved Rose as a heroine. She’s strong-willed, clever, and soft-hearted, and reading the story through her perspective made her courage and curiosity shine all the more.

The plot was addictive. I couldn’t stop turning the pages and the magic system felt refreshingly original.

A beautifully written, enchanting read. I can’t recommend it enough! 🫶🏻✨
Profile Image for TJ.
3,290 reviews282 followers
November 4, 2025
3.5/5.0

There are so many truly lovely and wonderful things about this story, the unique and interesting magic that comes from sewing threads together, the young girl who - to save her life made a deal with a fae and lived to desperately regret it when that deal came due, the slow-burn romance with a Scottish Laird who detests and forbids any kind of magic whatsoever…. The list could go on and on. SO many things that make this book completely unique and wonderful.

The only problem is that it is just so stinking SLOW! It begins with a bang, but within just a few chapters the pacing grinds almost to a halt, and continues that way until the very last 20% or so. Then, it picks up and ultimately ends wonderfully again. The kicker, though, is the writing itself is enchanting in-spite of the challenging pacing problem. I just was never inspired to pick it up whenever I set it down.
Profile Image for Sam.
600 reviews
January 10, 2026
3.5 rounded up for GR. I really enjoyed the storyline and the magic- the entire tale in general. But the writing was incredibly way too descriptive to the point it was almost grating.
Profile Image for Brandi Ruhlman.
19 reviews
December 4, 2025
I’d give this more of a 4.5 out of 5. It’s was great but didn’t really grip me until the end. Great new concept for a romantasy though!
Profile Image for khubble.
204 reviews
October 17, 2025
This was fantastic! I really enjoyed the unique magic system with the threads, and that the fae people were portrayed differently than most books. The ONLY reason this is getting four stars instead of five is because of the ending. I feel there were some plot points that were not addressed by the ending of the book, which leads me to think that maybe there is going to be another book? It wasn’t a cliffhanger by any means but there were unanswered questions.
77 reviews
October 31, 2025
Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with this book. It took me forever to get through and I fell asleep reading it multiple times. I also would not classify this as romance whatsoever. For me I was bored and thought many times I would DNF.
Profile Image for Kuu.
372 reviews4 followers
November 5, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

It's been a while sinceThank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

It's been a while since I finished a NOVEL in one sitting, but with The Moorwitch, I did. (and stayed up later than I should have)

In "The Moorwitch", Rose Pryor, a Weaver (witch) who made a fate-changing pact when she was 8 years old and scared, has her past catch up with her a few weeks before her 21st birthday - the deadline to fulill her end of the bargain. Sent to Scotland by Lachlan, the faerie who fulfilled her wish back then, she tries to finish her task before it is too late, and meets Conrad and Sylvie North, as well as the MacDougals, after her magic accidentally makes Conrad's horse throw him off and she has to carry an unconscious Conrad back to his home. Moving into the North house, as well, both the inhabitants of that house and her try to hide their secrets while fulfilling their respective dutiess, each of them pawns in a bigger game whose full extents they do not understand.

What I appreciated was that Rose wasn't ~special~ because of some innate, given power that just sets her apart, but because of her hard work, her determination and her choices. Often, it feels a little lazy to make the main character special because they just are, they just so HAPPEN to have special powers that no one else has, so it was nice to see that this isn't the case here, but rather, Rose's skills are informed by her past - even the Moorwitch spell that sets it all in motion, she is able to do out of desperation, because 8-year-old, abused Rose is fearing for her life.

Similarly, I appreciated that Conrad wasn't an ass, and the few times where he was (for example when it comes to Sylvie), he is rightfully called out for it. I'm TIRED of "hot male main character is an ass but it's okay because he doesn't MEAN it (he still never apologises though)".

I'm also a huge fan of the worldbuilding, which gives the old magic story a new twist, as well as the characyers, each of them with their own motives and fears and goals, so that none of the characters felt lazy or one-dimensional. The plot itself also wasn't fully predictable, adding twists whenever it felt like you had kind of more or less figured out what's happening here. On the other hand, it also wasn't COMPLETELY unpredictable, in the way that the ending still felt reasonable, built upon everything that happened before, rather than throwing you in for bender that barely connects to previous plot points for the sole sake of being ~shocking~.

I really enjoyed this novel, and definitely recommend it! I finished a NOVEL in one sitting, but with The Moorwitch, I did.
Profile Image for ☾arina⭐︎.
125 reviews4 followers
November 28, 2025
Rose is a weaver who, when she was 8 years old, made a bargain with a fae to escape a difficult situation. Now at 20, the faerie Lachlan has come to collect. He needs her to find an entrance that will allow him to return home to Elfhame.

The story didn’t truly begin for me until she crossed paths with Conrad. I loved the whimsical atmosphere. The Scottish setting made it even more beautiful and magical. I could vividly visualize Ravensgate Manor and the places Rose and Conrad explored. Wielding weaving as the magical source was something I hadn't read about before. It seemed intricate and fascinating how this type of magic worked. Conrad’s wariness makes sense once we learn his backstory. He’s trying to avoid repeating past mistakes and protect his sister, Sylvie.

Speaking of Sylvie, I found it hard to warm up to her. She was misbehaving and made those around her worry a lot about her safety. Having been isolated her whole life, I understand why she dreams of moving freely, but I dislike that she made her loved ones worry unnecessarily. She redeemed herself at the end when her aid was needed.

The last few pages are when the action ramped up, and everything began to unravel. So much was happening, and I was eager to find out what would happen to the characters.

Watching Rose and Conrad’s relationship develop was fun. They were hostile to each other at first because of Conrad’s strictness and paranoia. Rose didn’t understand why he was so cautious. Once they warmed up to each other, they finally came to understand one another.

I loved Rose. She was clever, resilient, and kind-hearted. It pained her to know her actions were hurting those she loved, forcing her to make difficult decisions. Watching her discover her inner strength was wonderful.

If you’re looking for an enchanting story with intriguing magic, I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you Netgalley and 47North for the ARC.
Profile Image for Silvia  RoMa.
1,044 reviews7 followers
November 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I think it's an interesting read even if it's a bit slow and longer than it needs to be. To be honest one of my problems is that the writing was too descriptive. That could work well for some people who love that many details but it didn't work for me. This made the first half of the book feel slower that it probably is.

The magic system is really interesting, I always love that in books. It felt unique, maybe too complicated but really unique. The plot wasn't that intricate but it was overall very interesting. Even if the plot twists felt obvious to me. We have several points of view and I specially loved Sylvie's. She is hands down my favorite character from the novel. Tho I loved the banter between the other characters and their arcs.

The romance is what I liked less in the book, as in my opinion it wasn't really necessary for the plot to move but overall it was alright. This novel reminded me a little bit of Jane Eyre in the setting at the beginning of the book and that got me hooked.

I had a nice time reading this book and if you like witchy book, I think you'll love this one. I read the audiobook for this one and the narration was great, I highly recommend the format.

Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for an ALC of this novel, all opinions are my own.
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