"The Glamourist" by Luanne G. Smith is a captivating blend of fantasy and historical fiction, weaving together elements of magic, romance, and intrigue in a richly imagined world. Set against the backdrop of 18th-century France, Smith's novel introduces readers to the enchanting world of Glamourists—those gifted with the ability to manipulate light and create illusions.

In "The Glamourist," readers follow the journey of Annis, a young woman with a forbidden talent for Glamour who must navigate the dangers of courtly politics and dark magic to protect herself and those she loves. As Annis delves deeper into the mysteries of her own powers, she uncovers a web of secrets and betrayals that threaten to unravel the fragile peace of her world.

Smith's writing is atmospheric and evocative, with lush descriptions and vivid imagery that bring the opulent world of 18th-century France to life. From the glittering halls of Versailles to the shadowy streets of Paris, each setting is rendered in exquisite detail, immersing readers in a world of intrigue and glamour.

The characters in "The Glamourist" are vibrant and multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations, flaws, and secrets. Annis is a compelling protagonist, her courage and determination shining through as she grapples with the complexities of her own identity and the weight of her responsibilities. The supporting cast of characters, including the enigmatic Lord Kell, the charismatic Lady Isolde, and the villainous Monsieur Henri, add depth and complexity to the story, driving the plot forward with their conflicting desires and agendas.

At its core, "The Glamourist" is a story about power, ambition, and the choices we make in pursuit of our dreams. Smith explores themes of identity, loyalty, and sacrifice, weaving a spellbinding tale of love and betrayal that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

Overall, "The Glamourist" is a captivating and immersive read that will appeal to fans of historical fantasy and romantic intrigue. While the novel does an excellent job of creating a vivid and engaging world, some readers may find the pacing to be slow at times, resulting in a rating of 3.5 out of 5. However, for those who enjoy lush historical settings and complex characters, "The Glamourist" is sure to cast a spell of its own.

This is series is just a fun, easy read that I always know I can fly through! The vibes are immaculate. I love a Paris setting for a fantasy novel. I will say that this sequel was even better than the first book, and it left me so excited to read the next book!

I really tried, and it’s no fault of the authors, but I just… I can’t do stories set in France or french-inspired places anymore I can’t do it im done. I don’t know what it is about the setting that immediately takes me out of it. I don’t want to rate it too low, because in this case it really is a “it’s me; not you” deal.

A grimoire is the glue that binds this story of witch’s and the myths that holds them. Yvette , alone in Paris must fulfill a wish she made on another’s magic to learn about her past and it’s ties to magic. She has a grimoire that everyone wants and will stop at nothing to steal. She is helped by a character from another in this series and together they navigate the depth of this book magic. Discovering more of themselves than they ever imagined.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series 1# vine witch.
But this was not as fun as i had hoped, it was just...a little boring. It was a bit long, talking and not much interesting happening.

The Glamourist is the second book in The Vine Witch series; I was unaware that this book is part of a series but as I started reading I quickly became familiar with the different characters and found myself enchanted.

This is a light witchy read set in Paris; there are some creepy witchy reads that leave goosebumps on your arm but this book is perfect for readers who want to test the waters of witchy reads. The main focus of the story is Yvette Lenoir, imprisoned at a young age for murder, who tries to uncover her magical heritage. Elena Boureanu is a vine witch but her future thereof is closely connected with Yvette. With a history of poison witches in her bloodline, the urge to give in to poisons is a challenge. The story has a steady pace and the reader is caught in the danger, magic and discovery of Yvette and Elena. You might even say a spell is put on you while reading this book, the atmosphere of the story is light and there's something that pulls you in.

I've already added the first and last book to my TBR, this is a series I definitely want more of.

What to expect when reading this book:
- Witches
- Goblins
- Fée
- Wine
- Magic spells
- Cats
- Painters

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Glamourist
The Vine Witch 2
Luanne G Smith

Luanne’s The Glamourist, book 2 in her excellent Vine Witch saga is the continuing tale of the three magical cellmates, Elana, Yvette and Sidra and takes up where The Vine Witch ends. This story is Yvette’s but Elana plays a large part as well as Elana’s fiancé Jean-Paul and her feisty, adventurous future mother-in-law Marion who is a pleasant surprise. There are also some new supporting characters like Henri, Luanne’s childhood friend and Alexandre the curious owner of a curio shop and of course the breath of fresh air, Marion. Luanne’s blending of the worlds of mortals and magiks and multiple species including humans, witches, jinny’s and much more is a unique take on a genre that’s quickly becoming same old, same and her tale is full of energy and drama and will keep readers on their toes while turning pages. Her progressing storyline fills in more of the plot dots and lets readers in on more and more of her eclectic characters secrets, powers and vulnerabilities and of course will reveal the dastardly villain of the tale. Fans of historical fantasy and the works of Nora Roberts and Amanda Quick will not be able to put this book down. Reading in order is essential for this saga.
Yvette Lenoir was imprisoned at sixteen for murder, a murder she never denied but no one believed her when she said it was self-defense, but then who would believe a motherless gutter rat, raised in a brothel. She eventually escaped her prison with the help of her cellmates, Sidra a jinny and Elana a vine witch, but instead of running far away Yvette finds herself stuck in Paris because of a wish she made, a wish to learn about the mother she doesn’t remember, to find out what kind of witch she’s supposed to be. To do this she’ll need help and she knows exactly who she can turn to and trust.

Elena Boureanu the vine witch to her beloved Chateau Renard is in Paris to meet her future mother-in-law and to hopefully solve some issues with the Ministry of Lineages and Licenses about her bloodline. While there she runs into her former cellmate Yvette who asks for help and Elana willingly agrees.
Little did they both know what magical Pandora’s Box they’d be opening and just how much danger they would both be facing.

In The Glamourist, the adventures of Elena Boureanu, our vine witch from Château Renard, continue.
This time, she has to help her friend Yvette Lenoir, a young witch who was abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, discover the secret of her lineage and learn how to use her magic.
Once again, the story of the adventures of the three friends Elena, Yvette and Sidra will captivate the reader and transport him to a city of light, but also of darkness and intrigue, where a sinister character will try to seize the only memory that Yvette keeps. from his mother: a book written in a mysterious and secret language.
The Glamourist, a rare case where sequels are truly excellent.

I received this title in exchange for an honest review.

With second books in a series I am always worried it won’t live up to the hype of the first one but this one did not disappoint!

Would highly recommend for everyone that is a fan of the fantasy genre!

I'm excited to be a part of the THE GLAMOURIST blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from June 9th - June 15th, 2020!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

The Glamourist starts off not long after the finale in The Vine Witch While Elena remains prominent in the story, Yvette Lenoir takes center stage. Longing to discover her magical roots, Yvette returns "home" to look for clues. Living on the streets has gotten her in trouble, so Yvette must tread carefully. When her presence is discovered, she receives a memento that was previously her mother's, but it only causes more confusion. Unable to understand what the contents in the supposed grimoire, Yvette confides in the talented Elena--the Vine Witch at Château Renard.

A story of self-discovery, The Glamourist is a great continuation in this series.

As the second book in this series, I was a little worried that this one would take off with the new central characters and leave the old ones behind, as I was not really sure how Elena would fit into this story based on the end of The Vine Witch. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by how the characters I loved were drawn into this story, while new favorites appeared as well. I thought this book did a wonderful job of continuing some intrigue with Elena, while not overshadowing Yvette.

Being Yvette's story, this book pulled a more urban setting into play, and was able to give her much more room to shine. She benefitted greatly from having a city backdrop to play off of, highlighting her history, her vibrant personality, and her mystery to a much better effect than she appeared in the country setting of The Vine Witch.

In some ways, I would have liked a little more depth to the villain, but in other ways it was just fine. Everything was explained, and I was never confused. I think it was mostly that I just wanted more of the story to read. This was a well-paced story that was impossible to put down.

Overall, The Glamourist was a great addition to this series, and I can't wait to read the next book in this world!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really like this one, it was a nice surprise and I was really pleased by it.

I would absolutely recommend it for the fans of this genre.

I also want to give my compliments for the cover, it’s really amazing and I’m in love with it

The second book in the Vine Witch series is just as enchanting as the first. Elena Boureanu, the vine witch of Château Renard, has been cleared of the crimes she was accused of in book 1 of this series. Just when she thinks that she can now settle in to the vineyard, the truth of her own bloodlines comes back to haunt her. As does her friend, Yvette Lenoir.

If you read the first book in this series, you will love this one too. Fantasy fiction fans will not want to miss this, either. Highly recommended!

I didn’t like this book as much as I had hoped. I was drawn in by the cover, but the content was not as vivid and exciting. It’s not my usual genre, so if you usually like this kind of book I dare say that you’d enjoy it, but it wasn’t for me.

As with The Wine Witch, I felt that the writing is very accessible, easy to read with it's sprinkles of French here and there. In my opinion, the story is moderately athmospheric, that could've been the reason why I struggled to pick this up to read again and again. However, that just means it doesn't work for me as well as stories with stronger athmosphere and world-building - it can very well mean that this is perfect for introduction into fantasy stories.

This second book the series was great! I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised to see how this book turned out and where the author was taking Yvette's story. I find the perspective of concentrating on a different characters story interesting and intriguing. I do hope that this continues on to the third book in the series. I love watching the three main characters work their way through the problems before them.

I was actually expecting a lot from this sequel to The Vine Witch. I loved the first part so much because of its cozier and atmospheric writing. So undoubtedly i had a lot of expectations from part 2.
I feel somewhere this part could not bind my interest. I truly love Smith's writing and the way she describes the surroundings is just pure magic. But somewhere in the glamourist the plot could not keep my interest for a long time.
I kept reading only for the beautiful writing. Somehow my brain was not that much invested in the characters.
I still feel that the first book was alot more interesting and picturesque.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this series by Luanne G. Smith. This series is so cute, funny, and magical!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I loved this continuation of The Vine Witch series. This historical fantasy is rich in scene setting and the characters are interesting with great depth.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I usually do not like the 2nd in a series as much as the first and certainly not more, but this novel does not disappoint. I found myself staying up way past my bedtime huddled over my kindle blazing through it. The attention to detail is amazing and the story is more than just a pathway to book 3.