I really need to pay better attention to when a book is not the first in a series. no fault of the author, the book was enjoyable, but I hate entering in the middle of a story like this.

I appreciate the opportunity to review. Sorry for the long delay in feedback. I'm working on clearing out my Netgalley backlog. Trying to find the joy in reading again by going through the hundreds of abandoned books here.

The second installment in The Lost Clans series, Rowan Wood Legends
continues the tale of Cat, a young woman who is half faerie, half hunter. The faeries hate her for her hunter side, and the hunters desipse her for her faerie side, and she just wants be treated like a regular person. After loosing her mom, a best friend and a good chunk of her freedom, she is seesawed between a hunter that is obsessed with her because she looks like his dead wife, and a cocky jerk of a faerie that sees her as less-than because of her hunter side but still overwhelmingly wants her anyway. She wishes her two sides could just learn to live in piece, but with both kinds determined to exterminate each other, it doesn't look very promising.
Just like the first book in the series, Rowan Wood Legends was okay. The love triangles in the two books are not fantastic, and I struggle to want anyone to succeed. Both also have plots, but they feel like sometimes dull ones. I really feel that these books could have done with some more immediate stakes, something with a time limit that would make the readers be more invested. A lot of the stakes in this book felt pretty nebulous, like they were there, but they might or might not actually end up mattering and there were no clear objectives to get Cat's butt into gear. Like she had MANY scenes of just shopping, eating at dinners and taking trips for fun. Any stakes in the book die in moments like that. It can't be that important if Cat has time to go chill and go clothing shopping during it. Anyway, the writing voice is competent and the universe has a lot of potential, so I give Rowan Wood Legends the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!

There was nothing unique or special to this fantasy novel. It felt like most YA books and I just didn't enjoy it very much. There could have been a lot more character development and just a lot more plot in general. Wasn't the worst book I've read but there was a lot of potential that just fell short.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Even better than the first in the series! Absolutely loved it! Now that the players are presented, the stakes rise spectacularly and Catori is in the thick of the drama unfurling. Love, loss and century old grudges mix together to create a perilous crisis that kept me awake well into the night. Devoured this novel in less than two days! Simply couldn't put it down

*I received a free copy by Netgalley*

*Diclaimer* might include gibberish.
That said, It was a great read!!! I enjoyed it much more than the other ones! I couldn't put it down! I was so rooting for that couple! And I'm dying to see what happens with "The Wytchen Tree" book.
Ughh I'm ready for the next one but I know it's not coming out any time soon!

In the last review I said I wanted to be entranced by all the morbid details of this novel and for it to breathe more life and to show more then it told. In some aspects this book was decidedly less morbid although the living in a funeral home was still a thing, but I think in other ways I enjoyed the direction this book went in. (The little descriptions of the Fae world were very much appreciated and I want to see the next book take place there I hope.. it sounds gorgeous!)

I appreciated that there was much more character development in this book then the last and even though we don't learn much more about Cruz who was one of the love interests in the last book, I think I like the direction it took with my favorite character in this book Ace! Ace has the biggest personalities and I love that he still shines in this book. For me he was the most memorable character in book one and he still is the most memorable character in book two and he just makes me so happy! There were a few twists with him that I did not see coming, but I'm just so glad he was so prominent in this book.

I still think that Catori is as brash as ever and doesn't know how to make up her mind, but I see her more now as someone is still trying to find herself in the mess that is life and I think that is ok. Although I liked that she came out of her shell a bit in this book and that slowly but surely she is figuring out who she really is.

One of the characters I didn't expect to start to dislike in this book was Kajika. In the last book I started to have a bit of crush on him, but even though we learn a lot more about his character in this book a lot of his actions and ways of thinking made me turn sour towards him.

In the end what I enjoy most about this story is that it feels more like a story of race and bringing individuals together then just a simple fantasy. Rowan Wood Legends is a fun and enjoyable read about trying to find who you are and how to coexist in a world of diverse people's. That's what I love most about this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book.
Rowan Wood Legends picks right up where the first one ended. We are back with Catori as her world has been blown apart. Her choice of being a hunter or fae is sitting heavily on her. Her losses are piling up in the human world. The Fae are trying to warn her of the dangers of rising more hunters while Gwen is pushing Holly to revel secrets of the Fae. Catori just wants to protect those she loves and herself from having to choose, but as secrets unfold Catori will be pushed to seek revenge. Olivia Wildenstein gives the reader just enough secrets to keep them coming back for more. I love her quick paced writing style and detailed description of Rowan. Before you know it the book is over and it's only been two hours. I would personally recommend this series to anyone 15 and over. Especially, if you love fae or fantasy.

Catori’s adventures with the faeries and hunters continue. People are still dying, shit is still going down. (Yep, that’s my summary.)

The world was still interesting and well built, we actually got more details about it, but the plot was so very boring. I started being entertained at like 70%, that’s when the story actually picked up…
I have really mixed feelings about most of the main characters… Like I can’t decide whether I like them or not…

All in all, the ending made up for the rest of the story but only partly; for most of the book, I simply didn’t care. About any of it.

Rowan Wood Legends by Olivia Wildenstein, the sequel to Rose Petal Graves, opens with Cat mourning Holly. Holly has passed away and Cat wonders if there was foul play. She discovers what happened to Holly and the reasoning behind her death. Cat seems to be going through a maze while blindfolded when it comes to figuring out who her friends are and who she can truly trust. Kajika, Ace and others are not what they immediately seem to be. The struggles with her identity and where she belongs continue to taunt Cat and she's still keeping these questions and part of her life from her father. The romantic relationship she finally concedes too is cute and I want to read more! 4 stars for a fantasy with unanswered questions in a supernatural world.

Rowan Wood Legends was just as good as the first book, if not better. If you liked the first one, you definitely need to get your hands on this one as soon as possible.

Caught in the middle of a war between Fairies and Hunters, Catori has chosen not to trust anyone. Alone and confused, Catori must discover the true reason behind Holly's sudden death, and whom she can truly trust.

Once I started this book, it was really hard to put down. I read it in two days, but I probably could have done it in one if work didn't get in the way. This book picks up right after the first one. I was changing my opinion on characters that were already introduced in the first book, and I was truly intrigued with new characters that the author introduced in this novel.

I loved Catori in the first book, but I definitely love her even more now. She has an amazing personality. She is so determined and strong, but she never forgets the people that really matter to her and have been there for her. I admire her character so much, and her character development in this book has definitely left me impressed.

The world-building was also fantastic. We get to see more of the world that Olivia created in the first book, and while I would have loved to see even more of it, I'm very happy with the setting descriptions, the creativity of the worlds and the history/backstory that we are given.

This book was so close to being perfect for me. Similarly as the first book, I found the plot line of the story quite strange. It kind of felt like a rollercoaster for kids, where it goes over little tiny bumps, rather than the adult rollercoaster that does a huge rise and drop right before the end and leaves you wanting to go on the ride again. I hope you guys can understand my analogy here, I just really felt like there was not enough wow to the action in the story.

I really liked the ending of this book, and I absolutely can't wait for the next one. If you liked the first book then you definitely should read this one as well, and if you haven't read the first one, then definitely do so if you love fantasy stories with strong female characters.

❝ "Okay, we're all done. I'm all out of lollipops, though."

Even though my throbbing arm felt as though it were on fire, I smiled. "I was always a sticker girl." ❞

This book definitely went beyond my original expectations. It tackled on a lot of the issues I'd had with the first book. My favorite change had to be the addition of the glossary because it did get pretty confusing in the first book to remember all the words in the fae and hunter language. It was really helpful to be able to look back at it. Plus, it helped a lot with keeping all the people and their relationships straight.

Romance is a really big part of this series, so I feel it's only fair to talk about the guys who seemed to have a thing for Cat.

While Kajika was more willing to take things slow in this book with Cat, I still think he didn't change much. If anything, I think he got worse. He was more controlling and was constantly showing Cat that if she didn't choose his side he'd consider her an enemy. It got really tiring to see him throw his tantrums when things didn't go his way. He was really uncompromising. 

Cruz remained pretty much the same. He was still attracted to Cat, but ... it felt more like a passing crush. I don't think even he could really explain why he was. Also, I think Lily's solution to her issue with Cat was pretty good. I could see why she did it and I think it was even kind of her to think of a good alternative rather than just dump her problem on some random person that might have meant Cat harm. 

❝ He stayed silent for a beat. And then he mumbled, "Yeah. Sorry. It's tough to contain all that magnetism. I'll try my best".❞

And then there was my personal favorite: Ace. Then again, he could've had a thing for anyone because he's just got that flirty personality, haha. I just love how honest he could be (at least more than anyone else) and how he was always thoughtful and kind. Honestly, he was probably the only guy in the book that I liked besides Borgo. But Borgo I liked more just because I felt sorry for him and what he went through. 

Plus, that story developed quite a bit on this one. There were some reveals that I didn't expect at all and were interesting twists. I think one thing that was frustrating was how set in their ways both sides were (fae and hunter). They constantly kept trying to work together but then also snapped at the littlest thing and overreacted. I'm curious to see how things end and really wish we could get an inside look at the fae island! We hear so much about it from other characters but I think it'd be great to have Cat visit. 

I'm dying to see what Cat's final choice is---both in terms of romance and other stuff (won't spoil it). I have to admit that sometimes I was a little frustrated with Cat not making up her mind, but this was a really fun, easy read. I'm looking forward to reading the last book. 

This lovely book comes out on August 14th so you should check it out if you're into paranormal romance. It's advertised as "The Vampire Diaries with faeries" but I felt some Twilight-ish vibes from it. So, if you liked either of those then you might like this!

This book was 10 times better than the first book. I was so completely enthralled by the story that I honestly didn’t want to stop. I know I probably say that a lot about books, but I’m not even exaggerating this time.

I was reading and it was getting so good, I turned the page and it was at the Epilogue and I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I’m a bit over the love triangle in the first book. I also think the main character is over it too. Neither men in the love triangle are really that great and it seems like Cat has lost all interest in both of them.

What I did like was her crowning friendship with Ace. In the first book Ace was not my favorite character, i honestly didn’t like him all that much, but he has completely grown on me, as he has on Cat. I kind of want something to happen there, they do seem to care a lot for one another and he does appear at times of struggle to help her even though I’m pretty sure he has nothing to gain from it. I love Ace and I would love him with Catori.

We learn a lot more about Cat in this book, a lot of them good, but still some bad. Like the fact that she likes to eat her spaghetti with butter and ketchup. Who does that? Okay maybe a lot of people but it still seems gross to me. I felt a bit closer to her in this book despite her interesting choice in food.

I really don’t like Kajika. I know he’s all broody and some stuff went down with his wife and Borgo, but he acted like a complete prick to Cat even when none of it was her fault. He’s trying to fill this void that his wife caused, but he’s doing it at Catori’s expense. He’s my least favorite character in this series right now.

Overall, if you are at all interested in any book that’s paranormal or fantastical, this is definitely a book/series that you need to read. I highly recommend this.

The whole concept for this book was great. I really enjoyed how the world came to life around me and the fantasy elements that were intertwined. The characters seemed to interact well with each other, and made me feel attached. The one thing that seemed to wear on me was how all over the place I felt the story was. There wasn't one story line I could follow. They all seemed to run together and became boring to me in parts. Even though I was having trouble following the story, I still really enjoyed the book.

<b>Rating:</b> 5 stars

This second installment trumps the first one without any doubt!

<i>Rose Petal Graves</i> was great - no it was pretty damn awesome. The world building was amazing, the characters were likable and the writing just impeccable. The romance however, was a little ridiculous if I may say so. In <i>Rowan Legend Woods</i>, all of these aspects returned <b>except for the stupid romance.</b>

HELL. YES.

So do I have any complaints? No, no I don't. Only that I need the sequel asap.

Olivia Wildenstein has done it again, people.

I had read the first one and found it a little slow, but hoped that was just because it was a new series and needed a lot of world building, which can cause a lot of first in a series to be extra wordy.  So when this one was offered to me, I hoped it would have improved on these issues but unfortunately while I love the writing and charters the plot and pace are still very slow.

This was more exciting than the first book. I still had my little doubts about the unlikely actions and reactions played out by the characters, and a few times I lost track of Catori's mind and feelings with certain people but I wasn't disappointed. I'm obsessed with this series and I'm pretty sure of it because I literally will read every word in this weird attempt to keep the reading experience. I didn't want it to end. Catori's a young girl who had her mature moments and weird ones. I loved following her around, seeing her do all these exciting and mundane things. There was a certain tone that really got me. It might have been the writing style that flowed well for me, or the tone of it, but I was seriously reading this and turning it into a little series to watch in my head. I love those kind of books.

Everything was interesting and engaged me with the characters. A few I had personal issues with but I like when I'm challenged with a difficult character. The ending was pretty satisfying, and I can't wait for the third installment.