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josephines_library's Reviews (101)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I picked up Serpent and Dove on a whim when I visited Barnes and Noble this past month. Well rather, my brother chose it after I gave him two options (I’m trying to limit my book buying, okay?), and I could not be happier with this choice. The back cover of the paperback doesn’t even have a proper synopsis but the words “A witch and a witch hunter thrust into holy matrimony,” hooked me immediately. Who doesn’t like a good enemies to lovers trope? Especially when they’re natural born enemies. Ugh, I’m a huge sucker for those.
S&D was amazingly written, the main characters were so well written that I associated with them in one way or another. Reid and Lou’s relationship is adorable and demonstrates the difficulties one encounters when building trust with another, as well as how quickly it can fall apart if it is built on a rocky foundation. Lou’s love of sweets and her use of her “womanly wiles” 😉. Reid’s steadfastness in accepting and upholding his wedding vows (their use of “my wife/husband” killed me!). Coco’s loyalty to her friends and her unapologetic acceptance of herself and Ansel’s transition to accepting people of different backgrounds regardless of his upbringing.
The theme of religion vs. witches, or actually women, really resonated with me. It shows how one’s unrelenting faith in something can hinder the ability to grow and learn from others. I really appreciated her use of actual scripture regarding the justification of hunting witches and why women are not to be trusted. It has always been that many religions value men and view women as property with only one purpose so of course they will view women with power as a threat to their reign.
Overall, I loved this world and Shelby Mahurin‘s writing and can’t wait until I get my hands on #bloodandhoney in the new year!
- Quick takes:
- Women as witches who need to be prosecuted/killed by the church in order for the world to be purified (utter bs)
- Magic as requiring sacrifice to be balanced
- Arranged(forced) marriage & enemies to lovers trope
- Cinnamon buns
- Christmas/Yule time
- French influences
- Amazing friends
- Really good explanation/reasoning of the character’s actions at the end\
- Shitty parental figures
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Proposal made me homesick to the way LA was pre-covid. From the first sentence describing the ambiance of the Dodger Stadium during a game, I was hooked. Add to that an amazingly diverse cast of a black journalist and Hispanic Angelino falling in love, a cupcake store owning plus-sized Korean woman, and a lesbian black actress, there is so much representation to feel connected to at least one character.
The thing I loved most about this novel was how Nik and Carlos' relationship developed, and how one can fall in love with your best friend without even realizing it. They complimented each other so well that I was aw-ing the whole time.
The thing I loved most about this novel was how Nik and Carlos' relationship developed, and how one can fall in love with your best friend without even realizing it. They complimented each other so well that I was aw-ing the whole time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse