I absolutely loved Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher. This was one of those books where I kept telling myself, “Okay, one more chapter,” and we all know how that goes. Suddenly it’s much later, nothing else has gotten done, and I’m completely invested in fictional people and their supernatural problems.

The story had everything I wanted: witches, magic, mystery, family secrets, history, and just enough darkness to keep me wondering what the hell was really going on.

And then there was Thornfield.

Oh, Thornfield.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a fascination with old England and the Victorian age, so this book was already speaking my language. Add in the fact that Salt & Broom is inspired by Jane Eyre, and suddenly I’m wandering around Thornfield in my imagination like I belong there.

And believe me, I moved in.

I could picture myself wandering through the grounds and gardens, taking my time beneath those old trees and probably stopping to embrace a few of them and have a conversation. Yes, I talk to trees. No, we’re not discussing it.

I’d wander from garden to garden gathering herbs and flowers, bringing everything back to make my own potions, teas and little concoctions. I’d want to know what grew there, what had been planted generations ago, and what might still be growing wild around the edges of the property.

Then eventually I’d make my way back into the manor.

And you know exactly where I’d be headed.

The library.

Give me an old English manor library, a roaring fire, shelves of books, something luxurious and ridiculously English to eat, and a proper cup of tea, and you may never see me again. Someone can occasionally check to make sure I’m alive and bring more tea. Otherwise, I’m good.

That’s what I loved so much about Thornfield. I didn’t simply picture a house. I could imagine a whole life there.

There’s something about an old place with generations of history that makes my imagination go wild. Who planted those gardens? Who sat beneath those trees? Who read those books? What conversations happened beside that fireplace? What recipes, remedies and bits of knowledge were handed down through generations?

That kind of history feels enchanted to me even before you add actual magic.

Of course, Salt & Broom apparently decided I was getting a little too comfortable.

Because then there was the wife.

I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Finding out she had actually been raised from the dead was shocking enough. Then realizing she was possessed?

Oh, HELL NO.

That entire part had me racing through the pages with my heart pounding. There was absolutely no putting the book down at that point. Forget laundry. Forget responsibilities. We had a resurrected, possessed woman running around Thornfield, and apparently that had become my emergency too.

There’s just one tiny problem.

I’m scared to death of zombies.

Seriously. You can give me witches, ghosts, spirits, haunted houses, strange noises, magic, mysterious old forests and probably a few things lurking in the shadows.

But dead people getting back up?

NOPE.

So there I was, reading as fast as I possibly could because I desperately needed to know what happened. Heart pounding. Completely engrossed.

And then I finished the book.

I closed it.

And suddenly every innocent little sound in my perfectly normal house had become deeply suspicious.

Thanks a lot.

But that’s also one of the biggest compliments I can give Salt & Broom. It made me feel the story. I wasn’t casually reading about Thornfield. I was wandering its gardens, sitting beside its fire, exploring its history, gathering herbs and imagining myself living there.

Then I was scared as hell and apparently fleeing the place.

That’s a damn good reading experience.

I also loved that the story could give me that beautiful, enchanting old-world atmosphere while still surprising me. I didn’t figure everything out halfway through the book. There were breadcrumbs, mysteries and moments that made more sense once I knew what was actually happening.

That’s what I want from this kind of story.

Give me the magic. Give me the history. Give me the old manor and gardens. Give me witches, herbs, books, fireplaces, tea and secrets tucked into places that have existed longer than anyone currently living in them.

Apparently, Salt & Broom knew exactly how to get me.

So yes, this was absolutely my kind of book.

I’d happily move into Thornfield tomorrow.

I’d tend the gardens. Talk to the trees. Gather my herbs. Make my potions. Drink entirely too much tea. Eat wonderful English food and disappear into that library beside the fire.

There’s just one condition.

The dead need to stay dead.

I don’t think that’s asking too much.