A witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

The move from London to Winter is not exactly smooth sailing for Anna and her father, the house is old and falling apart, and the towns people are not particularly friendly either.  Trying to make the best of the situation, Anna makes some friends and tries to settle into a routine waiting for the day she can escape away to university.  But when she mucks about with a book of spells that her dad found in the house, Anna finds herself with a new boyfriend - the local heart throb Seth.  Anna doesn't know what to do, it was an innocent mistake, she had no idea that she was a witch.

Forget the stories and the rumours, witches are real and so is magic, and Anna is about to discover that there are sides to every story and she is going to have to choose a side.  Coping with the sudden appearance of magical talent is bad enough, but she also has to deal with what has happened to Seth, and her growing feelings towards him - but how can she know if anything he feels is real when he is under an enchantment?  Friendship, family, love - if you had to choose which choice would you make?

A witch in Winter was a gripping read that threaded together so many different elements into a seamless whole.  There is magic, adventure, mystery, and love - all in the right doses to make you fall in love with Anna and her world without making you feel like you are stuck in a soap opera.  Anna is so normal she could be any girl, except for her secret heritage of being a witch.  There is action and danger, and there is also some well thought out magic and mythology.  This is not a heavy read, but it is engrossing, and I resented every time I had to put it down to do something else (like go to work) which is kind of rare for me these days. 

The first in a trilogy, I am eagerly waiting for book two so I can see what happens next with Anna and Seth as the ending was satisfying in its conclusion, but it also left me wanting to find out what happens next because something else is definitely coming - something big.  A witch in Winter is a great read that deserves a quiet afternoon so you can enjoy the book in one sitting as it deserves, Warburton is a great author who has a way with words - making it seem almost as if the story reads itself.

If you like this book then try:

• A witch in love by Ruth Warburton
• The iron witch by Karen Mahoney
• Raised by wolves by Jennifer Lynne Barnes
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake
• The selection by Kiera Cass
• Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
• Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Brilla