Reviews

There's Magic Between Us by Jillian Maria

marslott's review

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adventurous emotional lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

whit2ney's review

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 My overall praise is for the brilliant balance between the sapphic romance scenes and the world-building. Lydia truly steps into an interesting and well-described world. Whether you’re here for the romance or the fantasy world-building, you’ll be satisfied with what Maria offers here.

I also enjoyed Lydia’s character overall. Yes, she’s a bit rough around the edges but you can’t help but root for her. When she tells off someone for being rude to her mom, she says exactly what you wish you could say to your high school bully. I love a character that already starts off confident in their upbringing and sexuality to the point where they don’t need a book to reach some semblance of confidence. Lydia comes out the gate as a vibrant and (healthily) proud person. She still has a character arc here but it doesn’t fall in the “meek to mighty” trope. Personally, I love a character who’s already figured that stuff out and they’re ready for the next challenge.

If I had to summarize my review in a few words, it’d be “magically cute.” I’d highly recommend this book to anyone but especially teens who are looking for LGBTQTIA+ rep beyond a coming-out story. The author posts some trigger warnings on their website, so be sure to check that out. I would say the stuff they point out (avoiding spoilers here) was well handled and used responsibly. 

nikitaspoke's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.5

sapphoslibrary's review

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3.0

There’s Magic Between Us is a fun summery novel full of nostalgia, secrets and magic. Following two girls searching for faerie treasure only to discover so much more, this book deals with family relationships, hidden pasts and the power of love, as well as a sweet sapphic romance.

I adore books that feature just a hint of magic in a world just like our own and the setting of There’s Magic Between Us did not disappoint. The atmosphere of the woods and its little oddities was a joy to read and I loved seeing our main characters explore all of its hidden corners. There was a nostalgic, whimsical quality to the magic which I just adored. I also really enjoyed reading about the faeries – feral, curel faeries always make for an interesting adversary.

I had worried that with Lydia only being in town for a week there wouldn’t be enough time to properly develop the relationship with Eden, our love interest, and that it would feel a bit like insta love. However, this didn’t prove to be a problem and I really enjoyed reading about the development of their relationship. Their wee dates exploring different bits of the forest were really sweet and whimsical. They also faced some pretty unique complications and hurdles but I felt that they only made them stronger in the end.

There’s nothing I can really pinpoint as disliking about this book to make me give it three stars, the truth is that I just didn’t fully connect to it and found myself bored at times. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t very memorable. Additionally, although I enjoyed reading about our feisty, spunky main character, she was sometimes a bit over the top and ridiculous which made her difficult to connect with.

There’s Magic Between Us is a whimsical tale of first love and hidden pasts, of secrets and magic. With a fiery pansexual main character and sweet sapphic love interest, this book is perfect for fans of subtle magics, cruel faeries and summery romances.

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*Thank you Jillian Maria for a review copy. This has not affected my review.*

linhcinder's review

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

3.75

miloblue's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

4.0

alyshkalia's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

See review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4172080892

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polzhar's review

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

4.0

nolagal's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

lillianreads's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5