The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston

I added The Winter Witch to my library after seeing the beautiful cover. Witchcraft, a small Welsh town, and a mute young woman sounded like an interesting combination. I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Winter Witch.
Morgana hasn't spoken since she was a child. Her father left and her voice went with him. Morgana has lived happily with her mother until her mother marries her a man from another town. Morgana must move to a new town and live in a strange home with a stranger. Cai is a drover, he drive cattle from their Welsh town to London for sale. As a head drover, Cai must be married. Cai's first wife passed away and he must marry Morgana in order to do his job. This isn't a love match for either Cai or Morgana but both hope to find respect and companionship out of their match.
Brackston does a excellent job of slowly fleshing out Morgana and Cai. Morgana is a strange one and has been ridiculed for not only her muteness but for the magic that she weaves. Morgana has also been able to weave magic although it mostly happens as a defense mechanism. Cai is still wounded from the loss of his first wife. I loved how Cai and Morgana's relationship grew and evolved throughout the book. I really enjoyed the romance of the story.
I really enjoyed The Winter Witch. It had some mystery (another witch makes life difficult for Morgana) and plenty of romance. Others who shared their thoughts on The Winter Witch: Girl Lost In A Book, Charming Chelsey's, and The Big Nerd.
This was my fourth read for The 2013 Historical Reading Challenge.