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alyssabookrecs's review
5.0
Absolutely delightful sapphic fantasy novel!
I had been dying to read this for months when I stumbled on a link to it via a writer’s discord by chance, and I was not disappointed. Lydia is a fun narrator—so very teenager in all the best ways—and Eden is her perfect balance. I was so fond of every character and the progression of the plot. The world-building felt like just enough and was never overkill. Jillian Maria is a must-read author!
I had been dying to read this for months when I stumbled on a link to it via a writer’s discord by chance, and I was not disappointed. Lydia is a fun narrator—so very teenager in all the best ways—and Eden is her perfect balance. I was so fond of every character and the progression of the plot. The world-building felt like just enough and was never overkill. Jillian Maria is a must-read author!
sleepybex's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
andreannechat's review
3.0
Cute sapphic love story wrapped up in fae magic. It takes a bit of time before we get to the magic. The story is cute, if a little predictable. This book didn't rock my world, but it was fun to read on a plane.
hsinjulit's review
5.0
God forbid anyone assumes I’m heterosexual.
Fiery pansexual disaster with too much energy! Magical woods! Faeries!
Lydia Barnes (16, pansexual) spends a week with her grandmother at Fairbrooke. Her mother hates the town and the townspeople hate her. But Lydia’s grandmother is nice and there is a forest nearby that everyone tells her to avoid. So what will Lydia find if she set foot in the woods when her grandmother naps? Eden Yu (16, Chinese American) and lots of secrets.
It’s been a while since I had so much fun with a new read, but I did up my rating a bit just because I would have loved it even more had I been ten years younger, which is in the range of the targeted audience. I love Lydia, this prickly teen who would probably bite all her enemies. She has unbounded energy and will be quick to scale a wall when she can. The love interest Eden is more of a mysterious character. Who is this girl in the woods? Why is she trying to find those wood pieces?
You know how when you mix too many colors together, it turns into a mushy brown? That’s what my emotions are doing.
In some ways, this book reminds me of One Last Stop sans the queer found family (but there are other queer characters including a genderfluid side character): disaster m-spec main character, mysterious Chinese American love interest, and the mother-daughter bond. Yes, we need more books with chaotic queer people and magic and cuteness!
There are some heavier elements here and there, such as trapped humans, and facing ones desire and fear honestly. Overall, though, Lydia’s week-long adventure was both sweet and exciting. Oh, and Lydia lives in Chicago, one of my favorite cities, so I am definitely biased.
Read this if you want a cute, chaotic queer YA fantasy with faeries. Note that there are no intimate scenes beyond kissing.
content warnings: teen pregnancy of side character (pedophilia???), bullying, kidnapping, arson
I received an e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
queerwword's review
4.0
Realy Interesting premise done well paired with sweet romance fun read overall .
Favorite quote:
"Good to know a lack of heterosexuality runs in the family.".
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Favorite quote:
"Good to know a lack of heterosexuality runs in the family.".
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
ar1na's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm not sure if I'd give it 5 stars if I read it right now - probably not. But when I did read it, it was exactly what I needed. A light-hearted and sweet book.
althea's review
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
I absolutely adore queer books about fae, so when I was given the opportunity for an ARC of There's Magic Between Us, of course I jumped! This is a sweet, nostalgic tale following Lydia who, while visiting her grandmother whom she hasn't seen for years, finds herself drawn into the forest that her mother has always told her is dark and dangerous. But when Lydia steps foot in the forest, she finds it to be anything but. However, when she stumbles and almost plummets several metres into a river, a hand helps her back up - a hand belonging to Eden, a girl who is hunting a mysterious fae treasure in the woods.
The premise of this was a lot of fun. There was a clear plot regarding the treasure hunt and I loved the sweet romance woven throughout. Though the book takes place over a week, I didn't feel like Lydia was rushing into anything - it reminded me of making friends at campsites on family holidays and the sweet yet inevitably short excitement of finding a new crush there. I also really enjoyed how Jillian Maria wrote the fae in her book - I love when fae are nasty, cruel and are determined to trick humans, and I think combined with their general grotesqueness, it all worked so well! And of course, the setting of the forest was so lush and detailed, I felt like I was hunting for the treasure alongside them!
The one thing I didn't love about the book was the main character Lydia. Most of the time I did really enjoy her feistiness and how her and Eden complimented each other personality-wise, but there were quite a few occasions in which I found it to be almost ridiculously over the top. From verbally harassing elderly strangers(okay, it was kinda warranted but still...) to the real brashness of her personality, it just threw me right out of the story because it felt just a bit silly!
But overall, I really loved the vibes of this book and the storytelling reminded me of the YA fantasy I grew up with in the best sense! And of course, the sapphic romance was just so sweet! I can't wait to read more by Jillian Maria in the future!!
Thanks to the author for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
I absolutely adore queer books about fae, so when I was given the opportunity for an ARC of There's Magic Between Us, of course I jumped! This is a sweet, nostalgic tale following Lydia who, while visiting her grandmother whom she hasn't seen for years, finds herself drawn into the forest that her mother has always told her is dark and dangerous. But when Lydia steps foot in the forest, she finds it to be anything but. However, when she stumbles and almost plummets several metres into a river, a hand helps her back up - a hand belonging to Eden, a girl who is hunting a mysterious fae treasure in the woods.
The premise of this was a lot of fun. There was a clear plot regarding the treasure hunt and I loved the sweet romance woven throughout. Though the book takes place over a week, I didn't feel like Lydia was rushing into anything - it reminded me of making friends at campsites on family holidays and the sweet yet inevitably short excitement of finding a new crush there. I also really enjoyed how Jillian Maria wrote the fae in her book - I love when fae are nasty, cruel and are determined to trick humans, and I think combined with their general grotesqueness, it all worked so well! And of course, the setting of the forest was so lush and detailed, I felt like I was hunting for the treasure alongside them!
The one thing I didn't love about the book was the main character Lydia. Most of the time I did really enjoy her feistiness and how her and Eden complimented each other personality-wise, but there were quite a few occasions in which I found it to be almost ridiculously over the top. From verbally harassing elderly strangers(okay, it was kinda warranted but still...) to the real brashness of her personality, it just threw me right out of the story because it felt just a bit silly!
But overall, I really loved the vibes of this book and the storytelling reminded me of the YA fantasy I grew up with in the best sense! And of course, the sapphic romance was just so sweet! I can't wait to read more by Jillian Maria in the future!!
Thanks to the author for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
amethyst_reads_books's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jamietherebelliousreader's review
4.0
4 stars. I couldn’t stand the main character, Lydia and she never did grow on me by the end. She was too much ‘edgy, angry teen’ for me and I couldn’t deal with it. She was annoying as hell.
However, it was everything else about this book that made this a four star read for me. The plot in this was so much fun and I really loved the side characters. Particularly, Lydia’s mom, grandmother, and Eden who is the love interest. They were all great. Eden was so likable and I think she really balanced out Lydia’s brash and abrasive attitude. Their romance was really cute and had such a sweet innocence to it. They were adorable together.
The plot kept me intrigued from the moment Lydia first encounters the magical forest and it just got better from there. The writing in this was really good and it’s paced really well. There was never a dull moment for me. There were some great action scenes, I loved the mystery and myths surrounding the forest, and the family aspect in this was so well done. Everything wrapped up well and I genuinely had such a good time reading this book. It was a very fun read and I’m interested in reading more by this author.
However, it was everything else about this book that made this a four star read for me. The plot in this was so much fun and I really loved the side characters. Particularly, Lydia’s mom, grandmother, and Eden who is the love interest. They were all great. Eden was so likable and I think she really balanced out Lydia’s brash and abrasive attitude. Their romance was really cute and had such a sweet innocence to it. They were adorable together.
The plot kept me intrigued from the moment Lydia first encounters the magical forest and it just got better from there. The writing in this was really good and it’s paced really well. There was never a dull moment for me. There were some great action scenes, I loved the mystery and myths surrounding the forest, and the family aspect in this was so well done. Everything wrapped up well and I genuinely had such a good time reading this book. It was a very fun read and I’m interested in reading more by this author.
anacereading's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75