★★★★☆

As a newer Alice Hoffman fan, I really enjoy her storytelling and rich, magical atmospheres. The Witches of Cambridge delivers on that front, being transportive and deeply rooted in its 1950’s Radcliffe setting.

My favorite aspect was how Hoffman wove the historical Mather family into the narrative, cleverly suggesting a witch in their own bloodline to explain their fierce historical crusade. It added a wonderful layer of irony to the lore. The core of the story, the bond between Ave and Lauren, felt genuine. I truly appreciated that when conflicts and grievances arose, these two young women always worked through their issues rather than walking away from each other. The historical backdrop, highlight the societal restrictions placed on women in higher education and the weight of Puritanical expectations was fascinating to read, even when some historical elements were embellished or altered slightly to fit the story line.

That being said, the book did have some structural bumps for me. The perspective shifts between Ava and Lauren often felt disjointed, separated by no more than an extra line space and had me flipping back to figure out who I was reading about when something didn’t make sense. Additionally, the plot itself occasionally took a back seat to the world building. It read more like a history primer or series setup, rather than a self-contained story. I actually found myself more invested in the secondary romance involving Lauren’s brother.

At its core though, this feels like a look at two young women caught between the truth of who they are and the expectation that world put on them. While the pacing and formatting were a bit clumsy to me, Hoffman’s beautiful themes of identity and female solidarity still shone through.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing early access to this publication.

Book releases in September of 2026