This book just wasn't for me I think. There were a few specific issues I had that I couldn't overlook in addition to it just not really hooking me in. Two that I can remember (I'm doing this a fair bit of time after I put it down) was one specific scene where the MC said she hated women or something to that effect (gross) and also there was a scene with blatant fatphobia. The MC was also kind of insufferable and I didn't realise she was 300 or something until she specifically mentioned it. I thought she was a teenager, she was so immature. After 50 pages I realised I just didn't care about where it was going! 

I can see why Booktok has fallen hard for this series! It was so addictive, right from the first page and so easy to get into. It includes lots of tropes that are beloved, but Carissa Broadbent makes them feel new and fresh. I'm a sucker for the 'reluctantly having to work or train together but oops why am I falling in love' trope!

This is a fantasy romance, but I don't feel like we skimped on the plot or the world building in service of the romance. I think you really get both in this book, which for me is just *chefs kiss*. I'm greedy - I want it ALL. I want the world to feel complete, the plot to be engaging and the romance to feel real. This book gave me all that and more. 

At about half way, I wasn't really sure where we were heading next so BOY was I shocked when things took a turn in a direction that I did not expect! I'm so glad though, because I'm all in on this series now. 

I knocked .5 stars off just because it wasn't *quite* a 5 star for me. It did start to stall in the last 100 pages and it took me a bit more conscious effort to get through. I'm really excited to read the next book. 

I really enjoyed this! It was well paced for me, plenty of action and twists and turns to keep me engaged. I did feel that there were elements of the ending that felt a little anticlimactic, which I won’t go into detail about because spoilers!! But overall, this was a solid YA fantasy for me and I’m definitely going to pick up the sequel. 

I can see why some people will adore this book, and why some people will hate it. It’s very character driven, it’s slow and while a lot happens from a character perspective, there’s not a lot of twists and turns and adventure so if you’re very much a plot first kind of reader, you may not enjoy this. 

The writing is like nothing I’ve read before. It’s chaotic, yes, but I think that is super intentional and it really resonated with me as someone who also experiences a mental illness. It felt like I was reading a book that was written the same way my brain is. 

I really connected with the characters through the good and the bad and the ugly, and I felt so seen and understood through their experiences. I was rooting for them the whole time. 

I think Olivia Blake really a really stellar job with this. I was buzzing about this book while I was reading. The only thing I’ll say that was a bit “negative” for me is that it did feel heavy at times and I felt a bit impacted by some of the mental health themes and how close to home they hit so if you also might be affected in this way, take your time with this book. 

Finally, the authors acknowledgements page made me cry when she talked about her husband loving her brain enough so that one day she might love it too. That punched me right in the guts. Feels. 

I loved this! It was super cute, lots of witchy vibes, a diverse and loveable case of characters and a sweet second chance romance. 

 I really really liked this, but I did find myself struggling a bit through the middle. It took me longer than usual to finish this book and I think it’s for that reason. Overall a really solid 4 star YA  with a mystery that kept me guessing 

This was whimsical, imaginative and a fun read. 

I gave it 4 stars because at times it felt VERY young. I know it’s YA but think sometimes this felt a little younger than YA.

I have no notes. This was perfection for me. I was hooked from the first page to the last page. I devoured this. 

The writing was so easy to read but not in a way where the writing was “simple”. It was just truly a joy to read - lyrical, whimsical, dreamy. 

The pacing was on point, with enough plot points to keep me engaged but also the author really took the time to flesh out the relationships and I loved watching these grow. I especially loved that it’s not just the main characters we see in this way, it’s also relationships between and with side characters. 

Literally no notes. Rebecca Ross is a new auto read author for me and I am immediately buying her entire back catalogue.