Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC for the release of this via NetGalley.

I love Entangled Publishing, LLC and what they publish. I have worked them before on releases and when I seen this one I knew I had to request. This sounded so intriguing to me. A dead girl falling from her grave??? What?? How can that happen?? But the she did, it was into a dark hole. She is fighting against time and the key may be her only answer.

I enjoyed this. It was dark at moments and found that I did not want to stop reading. I do want to own the hard copy of this book. And lets not forget to view the amazing book cover. Eye candy! Kudos to the designer.

Note: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review in any way. All opinions shared are my own.

I didn’t know what to expect going into Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton. The synopsis sounded interesting, and I assumed it would wind up with Smoke and Key together based upon the title. It truly turned out to be a page-turner. Sutton crafted a mysterious story that makes the reader wonder what happened before all the people died and ended up in Under. It’s fantasy with mystery and some romance thrown in. The story did get confusing at times, but I really loved it and had difficulty putting it down.

In Smoke and Key, Key wakes up in a coffin and winds up falling into Under. This place is literally under people’s graves and perhaps an in-between life and the afterlife. The problem is no one knows who they are or remembers their life before. No one knows why they’re in Under. All they have are items that they fall with. Key starts having flashbacks to her life, and people start turning up murdered. Somehow it’s all tied to their life before death.

The best part of this story for me was the mystery. I was completely engrossed in finding out who everyone was and what happened before. The story did get confusing at times when you’re trying to sort through the flashbacks versus what’s happening in real time. Overall though, I think I was able to follow the story fairly well. The biggest thing that confused me was the relationship between Key and Kathleen from her past. Things really came together for me, once I figured out their relationship.

Despite the title, the romance in the story isn’t the main focus. Yes, romance plays a big part in the mystery of everything. This story just isn’t really about two people falling in love. It’s about Key, Smoke, Journal, Ribbon, and everyone else in Under, and figuring out why they’re there.

I can understand how Smoke and Key may not be for everyone. It can be confusing at times. I’m hoping the story is cleaned up a bit between the copy I received as an eARC and the finished copy. However, I honestly hope that if you’re intrigued by the synopsis, you give Smoke and Key a chance. I truly found the mystery very intriguing. I figured out who was behind the murders pretty early on, but I was engrossed in understanding the history of the people. By the end of it all, I had a fondness for everyone in Under.

Smoke and Key is a really hard one to rate and review, the premise whilst not unusual, is executed in a pretty unique style and the final third of the book is fantastic with great reveals and a race against time feel. However, there was also I lot that I didn’t enjoy about it too which was a shame.

But starting with what I loved! Firstly, the cover is fantastic and the blue tones have an eerie quality really fitting with the story. I found it refreshing that the story actually started at the beginning. I know that sounds strange, but too often books start at a random point throwing the reader into the middle of everything straight away, but our journey starts as Key’s does and we are in the dark just as much as she is. The use of items the dead were buried with to name the residents of Under was a lovely touch and it actually made it easier to remember the characters, of which there are a lot. It’s a very character driven story and whilst there isn’t really scope in the Under for world building the vision elements that Key undergoes gives the story it’s depth and colour. Although the first vision felt strangely placed in the story I found their continuation was done really well with Key gliding between the two as she puts the pieces of her history and the Under together. At it’s heart Smoke and Key is a mystery which I don’t read a lot of and I have to say that I enjoyed this part of it very much, the closing stages are really exciting and I was really willing Key to figure it all out.

Smoke and Key as characters make for interesting protagonists, whilst I found their initial connection a bit creepy (because well, they’re dead) that dissipated as we learn more and whilst there were the beginnings of a triangle, the period setting of the piece stopped that from forming strongly. I don’t really want to say much more about the characters as it’s their mystery that needs to be solved! I just wished we learnt more about Brooch as her character seemed the most intriguing, yet she ended up pretty redundant in the story.

However…..Much of Under was put down to magic, which wasn’t for me really ever properly outlined or explained, so a lot of the time I found myself questioning what was happening which led me to become needlessly distracted – if there is no air how are the torches staying lit? is it magic? – which took away from the story. My biggest bug bear though was the use of working class “cockney” British English, I have to say that it was utterly cringey and I’m surprised it’s excessive use wasn’t picked up at editing stage. It’s like watching Dick Van Dyke during Mary Poppins; “parf” instead of “path” and “nawmal” instead of “normal” were some of the worst inflections. A working class accent can be easily attributed without feeling like a parody, and I was left wondering if the author has even spoken to a working class Brit? I can tell you I sound nothing like that!! I don’t like it when authors force readers into an accent because it makes me think to much about how i’m reading it rather than what i’m reading and I end up pulled from the story. It also felt for the first half at least that the story didn’t really know how to get to where it needed to get to and lacked real structure. I also have to say that after vividly describing people in various states of decomposition, the quick flip then to Key’s fluttery feelings about Smoke and his “generous” mouth were pretty mistimed in the story line and felt a little gross.

Ultimately, I feel like Smoke and Key was a real missed opportunity, the premise was great, the last third was outstanding but I can’t let that cloud my judgement that I very nearly DNF’d this halfway though. If you don’t mind ploughing through the start, the pay off is a rich reward in this book but I can’t let my love for the closing pages pretend that this is more than a 3* read.

What do you do when your memories have been taken from you, including your name. All you are left with is one single item that now identifies you, but you have no idea what it means to you.

Who do you trust in the place called Under? What do you do when your memories begin to seep back to you, but with those memories come murder?

Smoke and Key is a beautiful written tale about Key trying to find out why she is in Under, who she is, and what the key around her neck means to her.

The suspense of this story kept me reading and I was eager to solve the mystery surrounding Key with her! Although it was easy to predict parts, it didn't take from the story, but rather added to my suspense as I waited for Key to realize what I knew already.

I think the concept was fun and unique! I liked it a lot and thought the author was great at bringing this unique plot to life. It was interesting seeing her fall into the Under with the other characters. That concept was so cool and was executed well. My issue with this book was that it was slow paced. I didn’t mind in the beginning but I felt it should have picked up throughout the novel and it never felt like it did. I just wanted things to happen and it fel like the storyline dragged. It was also really predictable and I felt like the mystery of this novel feel flat because of that. Overall I enjoyed the premise and the plot along with the characters but again my enjoyment was lowered because it was really predictable. But I highly suggest checking this book out of your into paranormal mystery type novels.

I admit it was coverlove at first sight when I saw this title for the first time, but it was the blurb that convinced me that I had to read Smoke And Key no matter what. The promise of what basically can be called a Corpse Bride inspired fantasy story with both a paranormal and a thriller twist just sounded too good to pass up on... And I still believe the premise of and idea behind Smoke And Key is one of its strongest elements as a whole. Under is such a fantastic, magical and daunting world and I would love to have seen in even more developed, although I do understand that the lack of information only adds to the overall mystery and intrigue around the place. I loved the fact that the characters in Under are named after something they had with them when they arrived. Simple, but fascinating as you try to find out the stories behind those objects and names... The beginning of Smoke And Key made a huge impact on me, and a lot of this impact had to do with the worldbuilding and writing style. It was able to put me under a spell straight away, and for a little while I was sure I had found myself a new favorite. Where did it go wrong for me then? I can't put my finger exactly on the why, but part of it has to do with the fact this story has a very slow pace. I didn't mind in the beginning, but I started to notice it more and more as things continued. The plot itself could have been stronger, as for a story with such a fantastic premise the actual story didn't live up to expectations for me. The idea behind Key reliving those memories in such a real way is really interesting, and it is used to add a little suspense to the story as you try to guess who is behind the attacks and how the characters fit together. I did see the final reveals coming from a mile away, which was a bit of a disappointment for me. My main problem was with the appearance of the romance scenes and of course the dreaded love triangle though. Why does this story have to have one?! I absolutely loved the beginning of Smoke And Key and as I've stated before, I still love the premise of this story. Sadly, the executed was a bit underwhelming for me. Fans of romantic paranormal suspense will probably have a more positive experience though.

This book was unlike anything I have ever read before! All of the characters are dead and have fallen from their graves. They have no memories of who they were before they died, not even their names. So, they are called whatever they came from the grave with like Smoke, Key, and Ribbon. I adore any book that is a little dark and different, because of that I think that the part that I enjoyed the most about this book is the fact that the characters are dead and are all in different stages of decomposition. There is also a really fascinating mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. This was such a unique and interesting read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Netgalley and Entangled: Teen for giving me the chance to read and review this book early!

I rather enjoyed this unique fantasy. It was unlike anything I've ever read and it's a book I won't soon forget.

Key is under. Under Earth? In hell? In between hell? We're not sure. But she's just fallen from her grave into another world. She's dead and the only clue she has to her former life is a key that lies around her neck.

The "Under" world was an intriguing yet scary and beautiful place. This in-between world with dead people living and not breathing was one I found very thrilling. I adored these characters and their quirky back stories, and deathly outward appearances. The author does an amazing job of not only creating and describing the world of Under—but also describing the morbid and eery details of the characters looks—which if you'd imagine is something.

There is romance, of course—but it comes in the form of a sort-of-love-triangle. Don't fret. There will be no angst-y back and forth. But, it tugs at the heartstrings.

The book is well-written and bewitching. I was fully and wholly invested in these characters and their deserved happy endings.

A solid read in my honest opinion.

This was a really original and really detailed story, with an incredible cast of characters and a brilliantly contrived world. Sutton did a fantastic job creating Under, the world that a group of the Dead have found themselves in after a mysterious fall from their graves. The secrets are thick on the ground, and the way things unfold is masterful, with Key - the main protagonist and heroine - slowly unlocking her memories and figuring out what happened and, more importantly, why.

This is a dark and Gothic tale that unfolds beautifully. The revelations are teased out slowly, but there is enough mystery surrounding them to keep you wholly engaged and thoroughly engrossed in the tale. I was hooked from the opening lines, and will definitely be on the lookout for more from Sutton.

If I had been able to this would have been a one-sitting read. Fantastic murder mystery with the murdered person trying to solve it. The fact that a curse was involved was a plus. The characters were all likable and the story flowed well. I was worried about how it would end but it turned out to be satisfying. The flashbacks were done well and not confusing. Cover is beautiful. Looking forward to more by this author!

3.5 out of 5 Stars

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, thank you.***

Key at woken up in the Under with no memories of who she is only that she is dead. So is everyone else. I truly enjoyed the premise of this book, I liked the idea of the Under. Its a form of purgatory and the book covers why these characters are there. As the book continued I liked how more of the backstory of the characters is explained.

I really liked Key as a main character, in fact I really liked all the character. Even the main villain as you got to learn more about her story I felt for her. Yes, there is a bit of cliche when it comes to a spurned woman but I felt for her. She saw something possibly good in her dark life and her response, even if twisted, still felt real to me. The romance of the story never felt like it was overshadowing the mystery of the story. Its a main driving force behind everything but it never bogged down the rest of the story.

The atmosphere of the world felt dark and small, the fear of what happens if you die while already dead made me keep pressing forward with the book. Wanting to know what this world is and why these characters were down there. My biggest complaint is the ending felt a little more rushed than I wanted. I didn't mind the way the book ended, just the conflict didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have expected from the rest of the book. Still overall a good book.

Giving this one a 3.5/5 stars.

I really wanted to rate it higher but, there quite a bit of things that just bugged me.

1) The pacing. This book. Moves. So. Slow. There are scenes that last longer than they should, scenes that have no place in the book at all, and scenes that just don't have enough. It's really a mixed bag, There's no better way to explain it without spoiling some major clues of the mystery. I just found it quite slow and a bit jumbled.
2) The characters. The ONLY character I truly enjoyed was Smoke. That's not a good thing. Smoke is in and out of this book, especially being quite MIA in the beginning. Key was an MC that I could tolerate, but that's as far as that went. I couldn't get into her, and it desperately made me wish that this book was dual POV. Journal, Handkerchief, Ribbon, Doll, TinType...they were alright. Journal is the other one I enjoyed a bit too, but I wanted MORE from him. Really a shame, because there was a lot that could have improved the impression of these characters.
3) THE ENDING. Extremely rushed, There was even a large action sequence where I had to reread mutiple times in order to understand what was happening, This book was mostly an easy, straightforward read, so having the ending be so weird was just off. I found it just rushed, as if it didn't know what else it could've done. The buildup didn't feel like much of one, and the fighting was just a no. When we reach our final pages of dialogue between characters, I was just disappointed. I expected something else, and that ending was just not satisfying at all.

Overall, I actually did like the PLOT, but a lot of the details surrounding it were just a bit messy. I'd love to rate it higher, but there's too much bugging me. I would actually recommend for people to check this out, as some may enjoy it far more.

Flash Book Review: A dark, atmospheric afterlife story with a dash of romance. Exactly my kind of weird.

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"We are ghosts, but we are the ones being haunted."

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Entangled Publishing, LLC. Trigger warnings: death, body horror, eye horror, violence, blood.

When Key falls into Under, a world of dirt and forgotten objects, she has no memory of who she is or why she's dead. All she has is the scar on her back and a key around her neck. All the residents of Under are named for the objects they brought with them: Ribbon, the kind girl who tries to make Under feel like home, Doll, the spooky child who never speaks, Smoke, the mysterious but protective boy with a scar across his neck, Journal, the reclusive bookworm, and enough others to fill the strange town. Key is desperate to remember who she was, but when bodies turn up burned almost beyond recognition, she realizes that even the dead can be killed and some secrets are meant to stay buried.

This book is exactly my kind of weird, with a side of gruesome. Sutton's world of Under calls up images of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005) without the slapstick humor or the singing. It's dark, grim, and imaginative, and it's a case of a fascinating premise given the execution it deserves (pun totally intended). Undead mysteries can keep my mind spinning for days, and the plot of Smoke & Key is interesting without ever being too over the top. Occasionally, the pace lags when Key is more wrapped up in her returning memories than what's happening in Under, but there were also times those captured more of my attention too. Sutton's old-world England is almost as interesting as Under. I guessed the overall villain but not some of the minor twists; I wasn't expecting a dose of witchcraft with my undead, but it works well.

The main cast is spooky and well-drawn. It's easy for a book with undead characters to drag readers down in the misery of being dead, but these feel very much alive. I admired Key's bravery and her willingness to bend the conventions of her time, Ribbon's sweetness and level head, Doll's spookiness, and Journal's obsession with books. There's a heavy dose of romance to balance out the horror, but Smoke is a mysterious and somewhat dashing love interest. I enjoyed their interactions perhaps most of all, which is unusual for me.

There's a love triangle element, but it's nowhere near the worst I've read. In fact, it forces some pretty interesting character development on either side. There's some angst while Key wallows in her guilt about not returning someone's feelings that started to wear on me; I've rarely seen a male character that feels bad about this, but it seems to be the default for females. However, Sutton ultimately takes it to a healthy place, which is nice to see in fiction. If you're looking for a mix of horror and romance or simply something that's off the beaten path, I highly recommend it.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Before I begin let’s just have a moment to appreciate the cover on this one, two thumbs up for the creator it’s probably one of my favorites so far this year. Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton is a young adult fantasy read that is one of those that has a bit of mystery and a bit of romance in the mix too.

The story begins with a girl falling into a mysterious dark cavern and not knowing where or even what she is. She meets a boy named Smoke who begins to explain that she is dead and has fallen out of her grave into the area inhabitants call the “Under”.

Those that fall into Under are then named by whatever item they carried under with themselves, so now we have “Key” for our lead character. Key is not like the others in under as she fights to hold onto her memories of the before and this lead her to look for more answers to what brought her there.

Smoke and Key is one of those books that I hesitated on while trying to decide what to rate this one. There are things I liked but then things I didn’t too so I’m going down the middle at three stars after much debate. The biggest positive is this is certainly creative and dare I say different. But the biggest downside was it was a bit confusing in parts the way it jumps from one thing to another and still had some slower moments in it too. Overall though I did like the ideas behind it and think others may too.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Smoke and Key is an amazing edge of your seat mystery book. The concept of this novel was so fantastic that I was hooked from the start. The setting of "under" was beautiful told to readers you'll feel like you are there. What a great story for all. I found myself a new favorite author and her name is Kelsey Sutton.

"Smoke and Key" is an intriguing and macabre YA mystery. We follow Key into the world of Under as she wakes in her grave and then falls through to a world underneath the graveyard. She and the others of Under retain their memories of the world without any autobiographical memories. As such, they call themselves by the name of the object on their person when they fall into Under. Each person is in a different state of decay, depending on how long they were in their graves before falling into Under when their appearance freezes, giving some grisly descriptions.

Key, luckily, is pretty well preserved. She also feels that her memories lie just beneath the surface, and as though she can remember who she is. Drawn to Smoke (found with cigar and fancy cigar holder) and Journal (found with his journal), she feels that she can solve the mystery of Under which the others have been resigned to live.

The only way to die in Under is to be burnt to ashes. When bodies begin showing up burnt with their tongues cut out, Key will need to solve the mysteries not only of Under itself but also of the murderer, before it is too late.

This was a quickly moving and mysterious book with an element of horror (from the descriptions of people and the murders) that follows Key as she begins to dismantle the unknown through slowly arriving memories and searching. While the mystery is deliciously slow, the book reads very quickly as it is hard to leave Under without knowing the truth. The ending is left rather open, and we do not find the final end to the story- I would have liked more closure, but I understand why it was left as is.

Overall, this was a creepy and quick read that had me rapidly turning pages to learn more about Under and about its enigmatic residents. Readers of YA mysteries who like a touch of horror will enjoy this engaging fiction. Please note that I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC which I received from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was so intriguing!

"Smoke and Key" was about a girl that finds herself in the middle of a mystery that surrounds her death.

It had death. It had magic. It had mystery. It had romance.

In short, it was epic. In long, it was amazing. Kelsey Sutton created intrigue from the first line. "Smoke and Key" took place in an extraordinary world that seems entirely plausible. Which makes it all the better. Kelsey Sutton made this world that was magical and just amazing.

I have no words to describe this book because I would just be repeating myself.

In short, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't read this book.

I though the premise if this book was off the charts creative. I've never read a plot like this and loved the originality that came with it.

It was interesting getting to know a main character, or any for that matter, that didn't have any memories of who they were. The way they got their names was a nice added detail as well.

I liked the authors style of writing. It was easy to read and not bogged down with overly lengthy detail. Tho I did struggle with a few of the chapter transitions and felt like simple details were missing that made me wonder what happened (or when did Key have time to read those books) or how passage of time worked.

Over all I really enjoyed the book and how everything was woken together in the end. I would definitely read more of this authors work!

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t really know how to feel about this book.
I started it and had to stop because it wasn’t holding my interest.
I came back and gave it a second go and I finally finished it.

I’m just gonna say this book wasn’t for me.
The book was well written but poor executed.
The pacing was so slow.
I felt like parts of the book were kinda never ending.
I found the main character really boring and just couldn’t connect with her or any of the side characters at all
I give it 1 star

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.



I love Kelsey Sutton, not gonna lie. Every single one of her novels has made me gobble it up quickly. I read Some Quiet Place- every damn year.



This book was amazing, the concept is unique, the writing and descriptions are great and the characters are lovely.



The idea that everyone in the Under is named after what the were buried with? Makes them feel so much more, gives them extra bits of personality.



The ending is not quite HEA and a little sad, but oh so brilliant. This book feels like a gothic romance and now I am sad I finished it so quickly. Like all her other novels I will buy this one in paperback too so it can live on my shelves with the rest of her novels.



Key is a great female MC, really wanting to live her life to the fullest. There is magic in the book which leads into my two tiny complaints: 1) the magic didn't have any real rules and could be considered overly convenient. 2) the main plotline is caused because one woman is jealous of another- which is a little overdone and trope-y. I enjoyed the book anyway.



The twist at the end I had figured out, but it's still a good twist.



This book made me feel dark and dank, a little sad and very romantic. But these are all emotions it's trying to make you feel after all 90% of the novel takes place underground.



So enjoy :)