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A review by speculativeshelves
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's such a joy to read a series in which every book is better than the last. I had mixed feelings when I read Belladonna, Foxglove surprised me with how much I enjoyed it, and I loved Wisteria from beginning to end. The writing was beautiful, the pacing was excellent, the ending made me emotional, and the romance between Blythe/Aris is top tier.
This story was less of a gothic mystery when compared to the first two installments and felt more like a romantic fairy tale. For the majority of the book it's less plot focused and more romance heavy - which isn't my usual preference but it worked here. There are a lot of standard romance tropes involved (hate to love, arranged marriage, reincarnation, forced proximity, only one bed, etc.) and in many cases this is not enough to make a romance compelling for me outside of fanfiction. However, with Blythe having a significant role in both Belladonna and Foxglove and Aris being the antagonist of Foxglove, their characters were well enough established to allow this book to focus on the slowburn romance and all of the tropes that come with it. Honestly, it was everything I want in a fantasy romance.
Are there some unanswered questions? Yes. Did they bother me? No. I actually think this series is better when plot elements/worldbuilding has mystery to it. Ultimately, I'm satisfied with the conclusion of both Blythe and Signa's stories but I appreciate that there are elements that are left open for the future. For the first time, I'm actually excited to see that a series has a holiday novella on the way (though it pains me that I will have to wait until next year).
This story was less of a gothic mystery when compared to the first two installments and felt more like a romantic fairy tale. For the majority of the book it's less plot focused and more romance heavy - which isn't my usual preference but it worked here. There are a lot of standard romance tropes involved (hate to love, arranged marriage, reincarnation, forced proximity, only one bed, etc.) and in many cases this is not enough to make a romance compelling for me outside of fanfiction. However, with Blythe having a significant role in both Belladonna and Foxglove and Aris being the antagonist of Foxglove, their characters were well enough established to allow this book to focus on the slowburn romance and all of the tropes that come with it. Honestly, it was everything I want in a fantasy romance.
Are there some unanswered questions? Yes. Did they bother me? No. I actually think this series is better when plot elements/worldbuilding has mystery to it. Ultimately, I'm satisfied with the conclusion of both Blythe and Signa's stories but I appreciate that there are elements that are left open for the future. For the first time, I'm actually excited to see that a series has a holiday novella on the way (though it pains me that I will have to wait until next year).