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energyrae's review
4.0
Cori has been waiting years for her powers to kick in like her mama. Her mother is a witch, and her powers make their food taste just a bit better. But Cori’s power kicks in right around the time she meets Hayden. Her mother wants Cori to stay away from that family. But love leads a young heart where it goes, whether you listen to your mama’s warnings or not.
So I’m going to get the things I didn’t love in this out of the way, and that’s the names. I’ve said it before, I understand it’s fun for an author to name their characters. But in this, we have Coralena, Waverly, Opaela, Bronte, Aspasia, and Alastor (not to be confused with *the* Alastair, who yes, he’s obsessed with), and that’s just too much for me. I like a book I don’t have to stumble over the names with, that’s a personal preference that I’ve been none too quiet about. I also think Cori is a bit of a petulant child who refuses to let people explain themselves. You know how you should never tell a woman to calm down? Her friends and loved ones should, especially considering she’s grown into her powers. I also don’t love Cori’s view of virginity, as it’s a social construct, but we can’t break one’s antiquated way of thinking overnight, so we’re going to move past that.
If we look past that, there’s a lot to like in this one. The element of their powers is really fun, and I think Soucy could go a really long way with this, especially considering there is much more to the story. The foods they serve had me in a perpetual state of hunger. They are incredibly descriptive, and they all sound amazing. I would eat at this cafe every single day. Soucy has created believable characters who play their roles well. Overall, this was a fun read, and it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.
So I’m going to get the things I didn’t love in this out of the way, and that’s the names. I’ve said it before, I understand it’s fun for an author to name their characters. But in this, we have Coralena, Waverly, Opaela, Bronte, Aspasia, and Alastor (not to be confused with *the* Alastair, who yes, he’s obsessed with), and that’s just too much for me. I like a book I don’t have to stumble over the names with, that’s a personal preference that I’ve been none too quiet about. I also think Cori is a bit of a petulant child who refuses to let people explain themselves. You know how you should never tell a woman to calm down? Her friends and loved ones should, especially considering she’s grown into her powers. I also don’t love Cori’s view of virginity, as it’s a social construct, but we can’t break one’s antiquated way of thinking overnight, so we’re going to move past that.
If we look past that, there’s a lot to like in this one. The element of their powers is really fun, and I think Soucy could go a really long way with this, especially considering there is much more to the story. The foods they serve had me in a perpetual state of hunger. They are incredibly descriptive, and they all sound amazing. I would eat at this cafe every single day. Soucy has created believable characters who play their roles well. Overall, this was a fun read, and it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.
findingmontauk1's review
4.0
The Night She Fell is the first book by Jennifer Soucy that I've read... and it's not going to be the last! There's actually already a sequel announced to this one which I will absolutely be checking out - come on 2021! In this story, we follow Cori with her ambition to be a strong witch like her mama as she navigates through a quick, passionate romance with a man whose family with a dark, sordid past could not be more different from her own. Cori and her mama are restaurant owners just making it work day to day. They are not wealthy or social elitists. And this new man, Hayden, is from one of the wealthiest families around. What secrets connect Cori and Hayden? Will the past repeat itself? And will Cori discover and unleash her powers before they are all doomed? All of these questions buzzed through my mind while trying to put all the pieces together on how his parents are connected with Cori's.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It has a great blend of so many elements: witchy, horror, romance, sexy (ooh la la!), mystery, etc. I tore through this book because I couldn't stand not knowing what would happen to Cori, her mama, Hayden, his family, etc. It seemed that once the 30% mark was hit that the story took an accelerated route down "What-is-happening?!"-land and there was no turning back.
Cori is extremely likable... and I enjoyed the fun friendship she has with Monica as it allows us another viewpoint into all that is going on in the story. Cori's rushed and explosive relationship with Hayden swings like a pendulum. Do we trust him? Does he have ulterior motives? Does he truly love her? We go back and forth - and that just adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story even more! Safety is priority number one here... and just how safe is everyone?!
I loved all the witchy goodness in this book... from spelling foods/drinks to Hekate herself. I am so eager for the next book because this is a world I could stay in for quite some time!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It has a great blend of so many elements: witchy, horror, romance, sexy (ooh la la!), mystery, etc. I tore through this book because I couldn't stand not knowing what would happen to Cori, her mama, Hayden, his family, etc. It seemed that once the 30% mark was hit that the story took an accelerated route down "What-is-happening?!"-land and there was no turning back.
Cori is extremely likable... and I enjoyed the fun friendship she has with Monica as it allows us another viewpoint into all that is going on in the story. Cori's rushed and explosive relationship with Hayden swings like a pendulum. Do we trust him? Does he have ulterior motives? Does he truly love her? We go back and forth - and that just adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story even more! Safety is priority number one here... and just how safe is everyone?!
I loved all the witchy goodness in this book... from spelling foods/drinks to Hekate herself. I am so eager for the next book because this is a world I could stay in for quite some time!
Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
booksonhermind's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
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