{Book Review} Gift from the Tree by Willa Rae

Title: Gift from the Tree

Author: Willa Rae

Series: Source of Elementra #1

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Why Choose, Reverse Harem, Romantasy

Date: March 6, 2024

Pages: 469

ISBN: 979-8989896813

Source: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon

Waking up on my twenty-sixth birthday, I had hoped to be left alone for one day, just one.

What I didn’t expect was to receive a life-changing gift from a stranger.

Or for my body to be offered up as a rite of passage for my husband’s initiation into a sick and twisted cult.

When powers I never knew existed burst from within me, my husband’s study is left in ruin, with one man dead at my feet, and me passed out tied to a desk.

After the chaos, I’m whisked away to my new home.

Home to Elementra. To them.

The Vito Nexus.

When secrets are revealed and my memories start to unlock, what does it mean for us?

Only Elementra knows, and she only tells me when she sees fit.

Jump into the realm of Elementra, where you'll find magic, shifters, possessive/overly protective men, bonds, secrets, and so much more! Gift from the Tree is a full-length slow-mid burn reverse harem Romantasy novel and book 1 of the series, so expect a small cliffy. It may have triggers for some, as it has intense, dark scenes/flashbacks of abuse to our FMC (not from our MMCs), violence, delicious angst, steamy situations, and gritty language. Please read the content warnings in the book. Intended for ages 18+. 

Willa Rae’s Gift from the Tree hooked me from the opening scene, when Willow's twenty‑sixth birthday takes a shocking turn that shatters her life and awakens powers she never knew she had. That moment in her husband’s study—chaotic, violent, and transformative—sets the tone for a story that blends darkness with resilience.

Once she’s pulled into Elementra and introduced to the Vito Nexus ( Draken, Tillman, Caspian, and Corentin), the book really finds its rhythm. The Nexus men are a fascinating mix—protective, intense, and each carrying their own secrets. I especially enjoyed how Rae gives them distinct personalities rather than letting them blur together, which made their interactions with Willow feel layered and dynamic.

The world of Elementra itself is atmospheric and dangerous, full of shifters, bonds, and magic that feels both alluring and threatening.

Some of my favorite scenes were the quieter ones, where Willow begins to piece together her past and test the limits of her new abilities. Those moments of vulnerability and discovery balanced the darker flashbacks and the high‑stakes confrontations.

If I had one critique, it’s that the pacing sometimes wavered—lingering on certain emotional beats while rushing through others. 

But the emotional intensity, the slow‑burn tension with the Nexus, and the promise of deeper secrets to come kept me turning pages.

Overall, Gift from the Tree is a bold and immersive start to the Source of Elementra series. It’s dark, magical, and emotionally charged—a story about betrayal, survival, and the bonds that can either break us or make us stronger. I’m eager to see where Rae takes these characters next.

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