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A review by althea
There's Magic Between Us by Jillian Maria
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
I absolutely adore queer books about fae, so when I was given the opportunity for an ARC of There's Magic Between Us, of course I jumped! This is a sweet, nostalgic tale following Lydia who, while visiting her grandmother whom she hasn't seen for years, finds herself drawn into the forest that her mother has always told her is dark and dangerous. But when Lydia steps foot in the forest, she finds it to be anything but. However, when she stumbles and almost plummets several metres into a river, a hand helps her back up - a hand belonging to Eden, a girl who is hunting a mysterious fae treasure in the woods.
The premise of this was a lot of fun. There was a clear plot regarding the treasure hunt and I loved the sweet romance woven throughout. Though the book takes place over a week, I didn't feel like Lydia was rushing into anything - it reminded me of making friends at campsites on family holidays and the sweet yet inevitably short excitement of finding a new crush there. I also really enjoyed how Jillian Maria wrote the fae in her book - I love when fae are nasty, cruel and are determined to trick humans, and I think combined with their general grotesqueness, it all worked so well! And of course, the setting of the forest was so lush and detailed, I felt like I was hunting for the treasure alongside them!
The one thing I didn't love about the book was the main character Lydia. Most of the time I did really enjoy her feistiness and how her and Eden complimented each other personality-wise, but there were quite a few occasions in which I found it to be almost ridiculously over the top. From verbally harassing elderly strangers(okay, it was kinda warranted but still...) to the real brashness of her personality, it just threw me right out of the story because it felt just a bit silly!
But overall, I really loved the vibes of this book and the storytelling reminded me of the YA fantasy I grew up with in the best sense! And of course, the sapphic romance was just so sweet! I can't wait to read more by Jillian Maria in the future!!
Thanks to the author for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
I absolutely adore queer books about fae, so when I was given the opportunity for an ARC of There's Magic Between Us, of course I jumped! This is a sweet, nostalgic tale following Lydia who, while visiting her grandmother whom she hasn't seen for years, finds herself drawn into the forest that her mother has always told her is dark and dangerous. But when Lydia steps foot in the forest, she finds it to be anything but. However, when she stumbles and almost plummets several metres into a river, a hand helps her back up - a hand belonging to Eden, a girl who is hunting a mysterious fae treasure in the woods.
The premise of this was a lot of fun. There was a clear plot regarding the treasure hunt and I loved the sweet romance woven throughout. Though the book takes place over a week, I didn't feel like Lydia was rushing into anything - it reminded me of making friends at campsites on family holidays and the sweet yet inevitably short excitement of finding a new crush there. I also really enjoyed how Jillian Maria wrote the fae in her book - I love when fae are nasty, cruel and are determined to trick humans, and I think combined with their general grotesqueness, it all worked so well! And of course, the setting of the forest was so lush and detailed, I felt like I was hunting for the treasure alongside them!
The one thing I didn't love about the book was the main character Lydia. Most of the time I did really enjoy her feistiness and how her and Eden complimented each other personality-wise, but there were quite a few occasions in which I found it to be almost ridiculously over the top. From verbally harassing elderly strangers(okay, it was kinda warranted but still...) to the real brashness of her personality, it just threw me right out of the story because it felt just a bit silly!
But overall, I really loved the vibes of this book and the storytelling reminded me of the YA fantasy I grew up with in the best sense! And of course, the sapphic romance was just so sweet! I can't wait to read more by Jillian Maria in the future!!
Thanks to the author for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram