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A review by path_through_pages
Demure by Hope E. Davis
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4⭐s!
As someone who doesn't read romance or spice I was pleasantly surprised! Like many I'm a sucker for the Fae and their shenanigans so I'm always happy when I'm able to read a book that throws in a sprinkle of humor with its magic.
A couple of the things I loved is that the romance felt organic, it made sense, and the first 1/3 of the book where things are progressing it feels like a cozy fantasy romcom!
I also really enjoyed how the FMC was in her mid 20s.vocally childfree, and how there was a character that gave us trans representation.
The magic world that was built was easy to picture and overall the entire writing style was clean, easy to follow, and just descriptive enough to give you the details you need.
The story itself was enjoyable and gave me somewhat similar vibes to Assistant to the Villain (except waaaaaay better in my opinion because although the comedy in this book was minimal it was actually well timed!)
A couple things that are preventing a higher rating.
Although I truly understand and appreciate how Sierra is living as the child of immigrants and as an expat and the generational and familial struggles she faces are very real, I found it hard to like much about her in the beginning. On paper she ticked all the boxes but her angst felt more like that of a teen and not that of a woman in her mid 20s. She does have character development as things progress and I have a feeling this will be addressed better in book 2 but just a heads up to hold out until you get further into the story!
Also as an academic I found her able to jump to the conclusion that her new love interest was something supernatural way too quickly. I needed at least some type of logical reasoning or some more background about her being a believer in such things to make that transition feel more natural.
In general I think I would have liked more information on the fae customs, traditions, practices, etc.
But I'm also just huge on world building!
Other than that it was a very enjoyable read!
As someone who doesn't read romance or spice I was pleasantly surprised! Like many I'm a sucker for the Fae and their shenanigans so I'm always happy when I'm able to read a book that throws in a sprinkle of humor with its magic.
A couple of the things I loved is that the romance felt organic, it made sense, and the first 1/3 of the book where things are progressing it feels like a cozy fantasy romcom!
I also really enjoyed how the FMC was in her mid 20s.vocally childfree, and how there was a character that gave us trans representation.
The magic world that was built was easy to picture and overall the entire writing style was clean, easy to follow, and just descriptive enough to give you the details you need.
The story itself was enjoyable and gave me somewhat similar vibes to Assistant to the Villain (except waaaaaay better in my opinion because although the comedy in this book was minimal it was actually well timed!)
A couple things that are preventing a higher rating.
Although I truly understand and appreciate how Sierra is living as the child of immigrants and as an expat and the generational and familial struggles she faces are very real, I found it hard to like much about her in the beginning. On paper she ticked all the boxes but her angst felt more like that of a teen and not that of a woman in her mid 20s. She does have character development as things progress and I have a feeling this will be addressed better in book 2 but just a heads up to hold out until you get further into the story!
Also as an academic I found her able to jump to the conclusion that her new love interest was something supernatural way too quickly. I needed at least some type of logical reasoning or some more background about her being a believer in such things to make that transition feel more natural.
In general I think I would have liked more information on the fae customs, traditions, practices, etc.
But I'm also just huge on world building!
Other than that it was a very enjoyable read!