Scan barcode
A review by lastblossom
The Charmed by Kylie Fennell
tl;dr
Dedicates most of it's time to the historical romance and the fantasy adventure. Mystery gets a bit lost along the way.
Thoughts
According to the description, this book is a blend of three genres: historical romance, mystery, and fantasy/fae stuff. I came away feeling like it mostly only hit two of those genres, with the mystery being more of a set piece rather than the core focus. The front of the book read mostly like a Victorian romance, complete with an intelligent lady trapped by societal expectations, and strong historical setting with some well-researched flourishes. The back half read mostly like a fantasy/fae adventure with magic, plot twists, and some interesting time travel(ish) lore. Yes, there is a murder. Yes, occasionally clues are found or suspects interviewed. But through it all, the mystery took a back seat to the developing romance and the much bigger fae plot that comes into focus, so anyone looking for your usual mystery plot might find themselves a bit deflated on that point. Anyone looking for a very romance-forward romp will probably find plenty to enjoy, however. Alice and Cyan's attraction isn't instant, but it is fast-paced and very passionate, with some medium steam and plenty of drama. Writing style is very straightforward, with copious narrative detail, and some compelling supporting cast (the informant in particular is a lot of fun). This is the first in a series, and I hope that future installments lean further into the fae lore set up here, because it feels like there's a lot to mine in there.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lorikeet Ink for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Dedicates most of it's time to the historical romance and the fantasy adventure. Mystery gets a bit lost along the way.
Thoughts
According to the description, this book is a blend of three genres: historical romance, mystery, and fantasy/fae stuff. I came away feeling like it mostly only hit two of those genres, with the mystery being more of a set piece rather than the core focus. The front of the book read mostly like a Victorian romance, complete with an intelligent lady trapped by societal expectations, and strong historical setting with some well-researched flourishes. The back half read mostly like a fantasy/fae adventure with magic, plot twists, and some interesting time travel(ish) lore. Yes, there is a murder. Yes, occasionally clues are found or suspects interviewed. But through it all, the mystery took a back seat to the developing romance and the much bigger fae plot that comes into focus, so anyone looking for your usual mystery plot might find themselves a bit deflated on that point. Anyone looking for a very romance-forward romp will probably find plenty to enjoy, however. Alice and Cyan's attraction isn't instant, but it is fast-paced and very passionate, with some medium steam and plenty of drama. Writing style is very straightforward, with copious narrative detail, and some compelling supporting cast (the informant in particular is a lot of fun). This is the first in a series, and I hope that future installments lean further into the fae lore set up here, because it feels like there's a lot to mine in there.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lorikeet Ink for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Blood, and Death