A surprise invitation to an archaeological dig lures Hannah to Maine and the site of a long forgotten English colony, abandoned in 1608. The presence of Dr. Peter Wentworth, rich, charming, and a recent fling, is an intriguing complication. But the thrill is cut short as the dig is plagued by accidents and attacks while bizarre visions disturb Hannah’s days and strange dreams fill her nights. Questioning her sanity, she turns to a trio of local women, who claim descent from a sisterhood of natural healers and practitioners of earthly magic, the Midsummer Women.
Together they help Hannah connect with the past, to Anna, a young cunning woman forced into servitude by the powerful Wentworth family. Against her will, she sails to the new world with her hated master. When Anna breaks her healer’s vows by using the black magic of a local demon, she taints the blood and lives of her Heryonstan descendants.
To save the man she loves and restore her bloodline to the sisterhood, Hannah must resist the growing power of the demon, Tando, and learn to harness the dormant magic of the Midsummer Women or be doomed to follow in her ancestor’s fate.
I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.
HALL WAYS AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN:
“On either side of the road, sky-blocking hedges scratched
the side of her vehicle like supernatural fingernails.”
BAM! Right out of the box, author Jean Roberts pulls in and immerses readers in a contemporary England that
feels eerily like we've crossed into an ancient time. As we meet Hannah Heronstone, it's quickly apparent she's not your everyday ethnobotanist. I say this tongue-in-cheek because I didn't know what one was and clearly, now that I do, there's no such thing as an everyday ethnobotanist. One of the things I most enjoyed about THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN was I learned so much! Whether we're firmly in modern times or voyaging back to the 1600s, Roberts's thorough research shines and informs.
As Hannah is discovering more about herself, little hints are dropped that something mystical is happening within and around Hannah. (And you sense she's an old soul by some of the words and phrases she uses -- more little hints she's special.) Since one was featured on the cover, I paid attention to the herons and was fascinated by the part they play across time and space. Since I read the sequel first, I had good intel as to whether the events unfolding in THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN were due to otherworldly influences, Hannah's imagination, or human shenanigans; but happily, the knowledge I brought from book two didn't really detract from my enjoyment of book one in any way.
I mentioned shenanigans, and there are buckets full of them in THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN. Shady characters, spooky places, sinister occurrences, and chapters that shift between timelines and perspectives will keep readers brains on high alert, and oh yeah: all is not as it seems. Not even close!
Less talented authors would make a mess of it, but Jean Roberts handles Hannah's and Anna's alternating perspectives and observations of one another across centuries with panache. Her characters are richly drawn and fully fleshed out, but she keeps enough mystery around everyone that I never could quite trust my gut feelings or believe anyone's intentions. There's a lot of suspense and tension, but Roberts knows just the right moment to throw in some breathtaking scenery and ground the reader with nature's never-failing beauty.
ABOUT THE NARRATOR: The audiobook is performed by accomplished narrator Debi Tinsley, and she has good mastery and consistency with voicing various characters. Her pacing was pretty good, so I listened to the book at regular speed. She nails the creepy-dude vibe and the airy-chick vibe, and there are plenty of both. BUT, nitpicky me, she sounds midwestern not Texan, as main character Hannah should sound; her Anna voice often reminded me of the Ghost of Christmas past in the Muppet version of A Christmas Carol; and I didn't realize until well into the story that the character name she was saying was Hezekiah (she pronounced it HuhZEEkya). Even so, this is a well-executed and enjoyable listen, but I advise careful listening or you’ll miss finer details. I had to replay parts and reference the eBook a few times, but that's on me. There's A LOT going on.
I was pleased with the book's resolution, though romance lovers may be disappointed to miss out on what happened between the last two chapters. Not me! Romantic elements are sprinkled throughout, but happily, they aren't the focus of the book. But love does drive much of the plot, and I'm fine with that. Can't wait for book three, but I will, I will, I will. (How 'bout now?)
352 pages print
available in paperback & Kindle (KU)
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Settled into her new life in Devon, England, Hannah Heronstone seems to have it all. A beautiful child, a loving husband and a fledgling business. She’s come to terms with who she is, a witch, a healer and cunning woman and has surrounded herself with her sister Midsummer Women. But dark clouds are gathering over Wentworth Manor.
Trouble arises the day she hires a new gardener Raf. Handsome, manipulative and dangerous, his presence causes friction at work and in her personal life. By day, incessant rains threaten her herbal medicine business, flooding her fields. At night, strange visions plague her. Ælfwyn, a young Saxon Midsummer Woman, battles an ancient foe known only as Hrafen. The Raven.
When an ancient waterway springs to life, it leads Hannah to the shrine of the goddess Azenor, where she bargains for a cure for Peter, her husband, who despite her magic, she cannot seem to cure. To fulfill her part, Hannah must travel through time, risking her life to save not only her family but aid Ælfwyn, her old friend Mildritha, and the Wessex Kingdom of King Alfred the Great in their fight against the Raven.
I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: NOW COMES THE RAVEN: As I mentioned already, I read this series out of order and started with NOW COMES THE RAVEN. I have no regrets because, WOW! I was so impressed by author Jean M. Roberts's worldbuilding, characterization, and stellar storytelling. Such a delight!
NOW COMES THE RAVEN is a fully stand-alone novel and is easily one of my favorite books of 2025. It had me in its grip from the moment I started reading, through the edge-of-your-seat tension, and up to its perfect ending that provided sufficient resolutions and comeuppances for me to be satisfied. But I wanted more time with these characters, and I was very interested in the backstories referenced: about the intriguing origins of the Midsummer Women; about the demon Hannah destroyed before she came to Devon; about how Hannah ended up married to Peter and living in Devon. So, I jumped right into book one (audiobook) to fill the gaps and get the bigger picture.
Now that I've got the full story presented by reading both books, I'd recommend starting at the beginning and moving forward. Upon finishing THE MIDSUMMER WOMEN, my curiosity was satisfied about many of the pieces and connections missing from the second book. But, there is big time gap between books one and two, and that could be filled with a delightful bridge book! *HINT HINT*. And, there's a certain very young and precocious witch involved in NOW COMES THE RAVEN, and I think she will have stories and adventures to come. I certainly hope so.
While I patiently (not) wait for Roberts to write the next installment in The Midsummer Women series, I will be exploring some of the other books by this talented Texas author. I'm thinking I'll try her
Peggy Rector Mystery series, and yeah, I have had the first one downloaded since it published two+ years ago! 😂
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jean M. Roberts graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Houston with a BSN in nursing. She then joined the United States Air Force and proudly served for 8 years. She worked as a nurse administrator for a non-profit then, as a life long lover of history, Jean took the plunge and put pen to paper. She writes about powerful women who help each other, who band together for the greater good. Jean lives outside of Houston, Texas where she can be found either at her desk writing or out in the garden, growing flowers and veggies!
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