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maryhungerford's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Murder, and Child death
folkofthebook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“I have known many human beings with a full soul to their name who do not have half so much compassion or practicality as you.”
oh this was a DELIGHT to read. the regency setting, a unique plot, the pacing, the banter, and the buildup of the romance... *chef's kiss* i'm really loving historical fantasy these days and this is easily one of my favorite reads this year so far, all genres included.
“Pleasant-mannered people are simply the worst sort of people. Decent people become properly angry when presented with miserable injustice, but pleasant-mannered people never do.”
“But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you.”
i loved elias. i will admit i was even put off a bit by his introduction bc of his attitude, but we learn about him quickly and it's impossible to not warm up to him. he is angry at the injustices of the world and wants to make it all better, but feels powerless to fix it all. dora is the perfect balance to him; she is calm and collected, but unintimidated to return his banter. watching this romance blossom had me kicking my feet and giggling in bed. très romantique!
side note, i did also adore albert. i'm happy he got his own happiness as well.
i will definitely be reading more of atwater's books, i can't wait to see what else is in store in this world!
“Was there anything else you were curious about, while we’re at it? Shall I take off my trousers and let you take my measure?”
“I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing.”
“I think I am happy. What a lovely feeling. I am dreaming, and I don’t want to wake up.”
“I don’t want to wake up either,” he whispered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, War, Gun violence, Violence, Child abuse, and Child death
macliffe's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Best book of this year so far! I’d heard many good things about it on BookTube, but it supremely exceeded my expectations. If you like Pride and Prejudice and Emily Wilde’ Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you will love this book. I will be reading the other two books in the series as soon as I can.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Child abuse, Murder, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Minor: War and Xenophobia
schadenfreudes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The bookis very entertaining because it combines two genres: historical and fantasy. I love how the regency era gave a flair of romanticism to the story. The characters have good developments. What great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Murder
risten's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Classism, and Trafficking
Moderate: Medical content, Child abuse, Sexism, Ableism, Bullying, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and War
seforana's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Grief, Child death, and Child abuse
blewballoon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had this book in my TBR for such a long time and kept putting it off, even though it sounded like something I would love. Maybe I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype I had created for it, but I think it did. I had a delightful time listening to this story on audiobook. The narrator has just the right tone for a character like Dora and a story that is a sort of hybrid of a regency romance and a fairy tale. I was surprised at how much was packed into such a short book, and how it didn't feel like things moved overly quickly. I tend to prefer more of a slow burn romance, but even with the shorter time frame, I felt like Dora and Elias managed to spend enough moments together with meaningful conversation and shared experiences that the romance was natural.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Pregnancy, War, and Murder
kartoffel_00's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
24th October 2023:
I would have liked to give this a 4 but the plot of this book towards the end was very, very lazy.
The strong points were how it didn't shy away from the real and cruel history even at the end. The epilogue for one, was what saved the book for me but not enough to excuse how the middle and last part were written.
Final Rating - 3.75/5
I would have liked to give this a 4 but the plot of this book towards the end was very, very lazy.
The strong points were how it didn't shy away from the real and cruel history even at the end. The epilogue for one, was what saved the book for me but not enough to excuse how the middle and last part were written.
Final Rating - 3.75/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Murder, War, Slavery, Medical trauma, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
All the warnings happen to an moderate extent. They're not graphic enough to be triggering but still present in the book based on the history and setting.matcha_pages's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle <3
I loved every moment of this book. I'm a huge fan of fake-dating trope and this did not disappoint. The whimsical magic really enhanced the romantic moments It was wholesome, cute, and made me feel all warm inside. The main characters were witty and didn't hesitate to call things as they see it. I adored seeing their feelings for each other grow as the book progressed.
The Faerie world is introduced at the end of the book and it left a lot of questions. Origin stories are hinted at but never explained in depth. I'm hoping the sequel will answer these questions, so I'm not too concerned right now.
Also bonus points for including non-gorgeous Fae
I loved every moment of this book. I'm a huge fan of fake-dating trope and this did not disappoint. The whimsical magic really enhanced the romantic moments It was wholesome, cute, and made me feel all warm inside. The main characters were witty and didn't hesitate to call things as they see it. I adored seeing their feelings for each other grow as the book progressed.
The Faerie world is introduced at the end of the book and it left a lot of questions. Origin stories are hinted at but never explained in depth. I'm hoping the sequel will answer these questions, so I'm not too concerned right now.
Also bonus points for including non-gorgeous Fae
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Child abuse
katievallin's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Classism, Murder, Trafficking, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, Sexism, War, and Body shaming
Minor: Blood and Death of parent