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A review by margaretadelle
There's Magic Between Us by Jillian Maria
4.0
I loved the last Jillian Maria book I read, so when she offered me a review copy of this one, I was happy to accept!
Overall, this is a fairly typical YA fantasy. Girl from the big city goes to visit a relative in a small town, and suddenly some magic stuff starts popping up. But in this case, the adorable romantic interest she meets in the woods is a girl she's immediately attracted to. This book does not beat around the bush when it comes to its wlw content. It is RIGHT THERE...and the plot is better for it.
The protagonist's personality is a great display of alternative without the "I'm not like other girls" aspect. Lydia is balls-to-the-wall reckless and a bit angry, but without the over the top angst. It makes her a refreshing protagonist. Eden is also a much more nuanced take on the careful planner A-type personality. They have clear personality differences without being cartoonish.
The worldbuilding was fairly small and utilitarian. The story showed what it needed to for the sake of the plot, with little built beyond. It's up to taste whether or not you like that kind of thing. If you're a deep lore fantasy series type, you'll likely feel it's too thin. But if you're looking for a simpler, easy writing style, this will probably be right up your alley.
The one reason I had to take away a star was the plot. Beyond one or two little surprises, it was a fairly predictable YA. Of course there's the argument to be made that diverse characters deserve their go at the standard tropes. But it removed a lot of the mystery when I knew right away who that hooded figure would turn out to be.
In general, it's feels like an updated version of a YA fantasy standard. A great pick for fans of the genre.
Overall, this is a fairly typical YA fantasy. Girl from the big city goes to visit a relative in a small town, and suddenly some magic stuff starts popping up. But in this case, the adorable romantic interest she meets in the woods is a girl she's immediately attracted to. This book does not beat around the bush when it comes to its wlw content. It is RIGHT THERE...and the plot is better for it.
The protagonist's personality is a great display of alternative without the "I'm not like other girls" aspect. Lydia is balls-to-the-wall reckless and a bit angry, but without the over the top angst. It makes her a refreshing protagonist. Eden is also a much more nuanced take on the careful planner A-type personality. They have clear personality differences without being cartoonish.
The worldbuilding was fairly small and utilitarian. The story showed what it needed to for the sake of the plot, with little built beyond. It's up to taste whether or not you like that kind of thing. If you're a deep lore fantasy series type, you'll likely feel it's too thin. But if you're looking for a simpler, easy writing style, this will probably be right up your alley.
The one reason I had to take away a star was the plot. Beyond one or two little surprises, it was a fairly predictable YA. Of course there's the argument to be made that diverse characters deserve their go at the standard tropes. But it removed a lot of the mystery when I knew right away who that hooded figure would turn out to be.
In general, it's feels like an updated version of a YA fantasy standard. A great pick for fans of the genre.