I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and author through Netgalley in exchange for feedback and my honest review. These are my opinions, uninfluenced.

Awakened by Ciara Duggan is a young adult, fantasy romance releasing on September 7th 2021. After the death of her parents, Hannah is determined to have a fresh start. At her new college, things turns dire when she accidentally, wakes up a witch who’s been sleeping for a long (decades? centuries?) time. With the witch awakening, so have other creatures, creatures that want Hannah dead. To add to the mix, the witch claims to know her.

I was super excited for this. The blurb sounded fun and the cover is stunning. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped.

One of my biggest issues was the romance. The entire book takes place over two days, and by the end Hannah and Callan (the witch) are confessing their undying for each other. It felt very rushed and it was hard to believe.

Initially, Hannah is set up as a closed off and stoic character. But as the plot requires, her personality does a 180 turn and she’s so trusting and forthcoming. Hannah’s motivations for helping Callan and risking as much as she did, didn’t make sense to me.

The most believable part of the book was Hannah’s griefs. That was handled well and it did make me feel for her.

The magic system was interesting. I would’ve loved to get to know it more or even to see Hannah learn how to use and harness it. However, the book settles for a more convenient option.

The book is really fast paced and certain aspects felt rushed. But if you’re one for an insta-lovey romance and a fast paced novel about witches, this one is for you.