The novel follows Juliet, an American art student in Paris who does commissions on behalf of her teacher to aid her educational expenses, and Deborah, a British debutante who is constrained by the old-fashioned traditions of her upper class family. After Juliet is asked to paint Deborah's portrait, both begin a journey towards self-awareness and each other. 

The art within this novel is detailed to the extreme, covering the entire page to make the readers feel as though they really are in Paris in the fifties. Cityscapes and rooms seem to come particularly easily to the illustrator. Everything is exaggerated which is both a good thing, as it makes the novel distinct, and a bad thing, as it becomes a little difficult to take the story seriously.

It feels as though the story itself was underfleshed -- there is a lot of filler which doesn't fully add to the progression of the story. Graphic novels, without the advantage of narration, are already at a disadvantage in this regard, and the filler panels burden the novel further. This also leads to any twists feeling sudden, as though they didn't have any pre-laid groundwork which is never a good thing.

The characters all speak in very stereotypical ways. To be honest, the novel is generally full of stereotypes but this fact was especially evident in the dialogue. There were so many country-specific expressions that it makes you wonder how on earth the characters understand each other at all. 

The romance was also a little insta-lovey for my taste, it didn't feel as though the characters had connected over much. Although Juliet and Deborah experience some semblance of character growth, Paulette and every other side character was entirely one dimensional, which was unfortunate as they seemed very interesting. 

The ending was also very ambiguous, it very much felt as though the point A and B were not connected, like there were scenes missing. 

Overall, a decent novel with a standard plot and interesting artwork.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish! 

Folklore has always been of interest to me and the story of the Selkie Wife is one I recall of having heard when I was a child, albeit in a different language, which is why I wished for the book on sight. 

This book is a marvel! The historical world building in this book is impressive and submersive, making me feel as though I was there, day to day. The author's research clearly must've been immaculate if it allowed her to construct a world that really makes you feel as though the novel's world is the world you live in. 

The writing of course is also a large part of the immersion and I enjoyed the structure of the novel as well as the writing style of the author. There is a tense and yet subdued pace to the story, wherein there are many day-to-day, mundane events that all somehow build the overall tension the reader grows to feel throughout the book -- when it breaks, events happen in a breathtaking rush that makes the book un-put-downable. 

Mythologically, it is also well constructed, things making the right amount of sense in order to not break you out of the immersion. The superstitious nature of the town blended into the magical structure in a truly fascinating manner.

Of course, the main focus of the book were the relationships between Jean and everyone around her. The characters were well constructed: flawed, real and believable. Jean's development over the course of the book was heartwarming and I loved her interactions with everyone around her. Muirin was amazing -- I just loved everything about her. 

Overall, a must read of the retelling genre! Highly recommended.

This was such a warm and heartfelt story! Like eating a soup. Despite dealing with some quite heavy topics, it remained focused on the light and warmth that comes with a good thing coming into your life. The characters were well fleshed out, they had depth and felt real. Their decisions made sense. All the side characters served a purpose. I loved Jacob and Murry so much, their dynamic was wonderful. Nothing felt rush, we saw their relationship develop organically. The story centers on their relationship but all the subplots were also fleshed out. Artistically, this novel was a pleasure to look at. Like many, I've been aware of Cassandra Jean because of her work with Cassandra Clare, which is actually why I picked up the novel. I'm glad I did, because it was highly enjoyable!

Overall, a wonderful graphic novel which should definitely be on your radar!

Forced into an arranged marriage with a fortune hunter due to rumours of ruination, Catherine forges a new life for herself in a marriage that may not be as loveless as the husband and wife had hoped. 

When they say that it's inspired by Bridgerton, they do not lie! 

There are multiple plot lines, which unfold alongside the main plot, but because it's not the main focus of the novel and we do not have the advantage of the reaction shots that we would have in a film medium the side plots end up feeling sudden when major breakthroughs occur. Despite this, I highly enjoyed them and they did not feel unnecessary.

Then, of course, there is the main plot line. Very Bridgerton-y, in the rather explicit way everything unfolds and in the behaviour of the main characters. It was definitely entertaining! There was character development and their relationship felt like it progressed in a realistic manner. 

Overall, a very enjoyable regency romance graphic novel.

Gwen is the princess of England who leads a determinedly routine-centered life whenever she is not pining for England's only female-knight. She also happens to be betrothed to Arthur, who spends as much of his time as he can escaping from his responsibilities as he can. The two have been betrothed since birth and just so happen to hate each others guts. When they discover that they have more in common than they think, they band together in a fake relationship in order to avoid detection and perhaps find love with other people along the way.

The characters are the best part of this novel. There are many other good parts but the characters really are the best. The development they experience, the relationships they have with each other. Arthur and Gwen's slowly growing friendship, Gabriel and Gwen's sibling devotion, Arthur and Sidney's loyalty to each other -- it's all great. And Bridget? I adore Bridget. I think the dual perspective of the novel really added to why I loved the book so much. 

The world building is of great quality. The way in which Arthurian legend was incorporated into the world in which the characters lived and the impact it had on the plot was masterful and I really enjoyed it. I read the texts, translated, when I was around ten but haven't experienced any of the modern adaptations, but this book definitely made me want to. 

Despite the fact that there is so much going on, it never felt underdeveloped or hurried. Things took enough time and had proportional consequences. 

This book is also funny but not so much as to devalue it's message or make you take the plot less seriously? It's just great. And the romances are just so charming, I was cheering for them the entire time.  

In conclusion, please read it! It's a great book that makes you feel as though you're filled with light from the inside despite there being a generous amount of quite serious events.