The Goblins of Bellwater

I picked this one up expecting creepy goblins, dark woods, curses, and all kinds of strange fairy-tale weirdness—and I definitely got that, although there was a lot more romance mixed in than I was expecting.

Set in the small town of Bellwater, Washington, the story follows four people who become tangled up with the goblins living in the surrounding woods. Skye is cursed after an encounter with them, while Kit has his own connection to the goblins thanks to an old family agreement he never asked to be part of. From there, things get increasingly complicated, especially once Livy and Grady are pulled into the mess.

The atmosphere was easily my favorite part. I loved the dark Pacific Northwest setting with the mossy forests, mist, hidden paths, and that constant feeling that something was watching from between the trees. The goblins aren't cute or charming either. They're creepy, selfish, manipulative little creatures, which is exactly how I want my goblins to be.

I didn't realize going in that this was inspired by Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market, but once I knew that, so much of the story made sense—the temptation, forbidden fruit, enchantment, desire, and the dangerous pull of the woods.

My only complaint was the romance. There was quite a bit more of it than I expected, and sometimes I wanted to shove the couples aside and yell, "HELLO! THERE ARE GOBLINS IN THE WOODS!" 😂 I wanted more of the creepy folklore and a little less relationship drama.

Still, this was a strange, magical, slightly creepy read that felt different from a lot of fantasy I've read. I loved the darker fairy-tale vibe, and there were definitely moments when those woods felt like somewhere I absolutely would NOT want to wander around alone.

A fun read for anyone who likes dark fairy tales, goblins, curses, creepy forests, romance, and stories where you really should know better than to eat anything offered to you by the fae.

And seriously…never trust a goblin. 👹