3,5 stars! Slightly less than The vine witch (4 stars). As happened with the the first book I really loved Luanne Smith‘s writing style, evoking and full of atmosphere without being too rambling. The story was very intriguing but I admit that I was more interested in Elena than Yvette (not that I found Yvette‘s storyline boring, I just preferred Elena as a main character), my rating would have been probably been different without Elena‘s presence so I was very happy to find her here too. I was really glad at how the world building was expanded! It took me a little bit more time to really get into it comparing to The vine witch, which is the reason why I didn't‘t give it 4 stars.

Little did I know of The Vine Witch, but what an exciting start with ‘The Glamourist”, which I think could even be read without the first book – it had so much in it to captivate me! What a fantastical trip through the streets of Paris with Elena Boureanu, the vine witch of Château Renard. Elena finds it very difficult to come to terms with her heritage, and her relationship with Yvette and Yvette’s own pathway to discovery unleash their true callings. Yvette’s history is a tragic one – orphaned and unaware of her magical heritage – and her escape from prison - adds another layer to the mystery through the book. Elena’s heritage of potion witches block her every move, and her husband (John-Paul) seems so obsessed for her to change her past for their future. One witch needs to make a decision about her life, and one witch needs to embrace the decision she has made to seek out her history. And that cat, oh that black cat is so intriguing, and with the magic, the dancing, the witchery – they all combine to create such a colourful tale.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An easy read historical fantasy set in an alternative Paris. I found this second one a little slower than the first Vine Witch novel, but with slightly better world building, and although I preferred having different view-point characters this slowed the pace even more. Refreshingly lighter on the romance aspect than I was expecting, and despite finding these books somewhat forgettable I would read more sequels or novels by Luanne G. Smith as they're decent comfort reads.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This is a very hard book to review because it is stuck in that spot where it neither bad nor good. It's an easy and fast read, nothing too complicated, neither overwhelming nor underwhelming and this is exactly how I felt about its predecessor The Vine Witch.

Elena is a “vine witch” at one of the finest vineyards in the Chanceaux Valley and this installment brings us right back into the action. As a story, it’s fairly interesting and kind of fun to read. The idea of witches who ensure that good wine is produced is kind of interesting. I found the execution a little flat. The prose was poetic, the pace was steady, and it had an interesting magical concept in that witches specialized in certain magics rather than having overall magic.

However, I was frustrated in that I was never emotionally invested in the characters even a second time and I found the whole romantic angle of the storyline completely misplaced. I would have rather there hadn't been one at all but that's just me being someone who doesn't really enjoy romance in my stories.

If you enjoyed The Vine Witch then be sure to check out The Glamourist. The story does open up and reveal the underside with some pleasant pacing.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Glamourist is the second part of The Vine Witch, a book that I thought is self-conclusive and now I am sure about that. Both books are very diferent in the same world and I think it´s not necesary a duology (if they don´t have a third part)
But in this second part I feel more happy and interesting about the story, we have the same characters from the first book and new characters which are supposed to be a contribution but in that part I am not very sure about some charaters, like the one (don´t remember de name, sorry) who is in love with Yvette.
Yvette was a very interesting character and OMG she grew up a lot! Maybe she is one of the characters that I more interesting about her history and her secrets.
I can´t say more because spoilers, but I am only want to say... I love fairies.

I read The Vine Witch in one sitting - it was absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t wait to be sucked back into Elena’s world.

I feel as though the magic hasn’t fully crossed over into The Glamourist, it feels a bit disjointed and I would say it would have been better off as a spin-off book as opposed to part of a series.

It’s slow to start, but then it rolls off really quickly leaving you spinning a bit. I feel like it could have been better if the action had started sooner, but moved a bit slower.

I was a bit frustrated when the characters had the perfect solution up their sleeves each time they were presented with a challenge or problem. This was probably just me comparing it with The Vine Witch too much.

I feel a bit confused as to WHEN the book is set. In The Vine Witch we are presented with a car - which seems to be quite a novelty, whereas in this book there are cars, underground trains, telephones, electrical wires, indoor toilets - it didn’t quite match the expectation and picture previously given.

Luanne is a fantastic writer and she has such an amazing imagination. I would love to read more about Elena’s world - maybe she could have another book focused on her, with the secondary characters having standalone or spin-off books telling their stories?

Pros-
▪ Fantasy
▪ Varied characters
▪ Female empowerment
▪ All character prespectives given
▪ Birth mystery, magic mystery

Cons-
▪ Confusing
▪ No good introduction to the world. Even though I had read the prequel, it felt confusing.
▪ Yvette's character got me puzzled.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as I loved the first book in the series, this was a great sequel to Vine Witch. I enjoyed reading the characters and world-building.

I don't like it when the premise of the book is given away in the title. Obviously, since I'm only at chapter 14, I can't be completely certain that's the case. But I'm fairly certain that--like Conversion--it is. [What's the mysterious disease affecting the girls in that book? Conversion disorder. The author literally spelled it out on the cover! (hide spoiler)] What's the point of writing a book if you're going to spell out the twist before a potential reader even gets to the first page?

[And binding Yvette's magic? With her parents (possibly) mysteriously dead? That's already been done--it's called A Discovery of Witches (and series). I'm not saying no one can write a book about a bound witch ever again; but people are going to think of Deborah Harkness's work whenever they read something like that, not yours. (hide spoiler)]

Pretty good otherwise. Better call it ⭐⭐⭐½.

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At the end: Okay, the main twist was sort of vaguely spoiled in the title, but not as much as I'd thought.

Decent book. I noticed it says "Vine Witch series", so I assume there's a third book coming in 2021 or so? If I had to guess, I'd say we'll see Sidra's story next. Should be interesting. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love this series. This is the second book of the Vine witch series and it was just as good as the first one. Instead of taking place in the vineyard, Elena and John-Paul must go to the city to answer a summons concerning Elena’s magic registration. Elena’s bloodline indicates she is a venefica, a potion witch specializing in poison. If that is case, she can no longer be a Vine witch because people would be afraid they might be poisoned. The ministry said they’d reinstate her as a vine witch if she’d find and turn in Yvette, the escaped witch with faulty magic who has accused of murder. Elena had been imprisoned with Yvette when she herself was falsely accused. The ministry was blackmailing her, pure and simple. Elena doesn’t know how to find her and doesn’t really want to turn her in anyway. Because she saved her life when they were in prison. Elena is in the city to meet her future mother-in-law. Elena runs into Yvette in the city and under the guise of having her portrait painted, she promises to teach Yvette how to use her magic. There is treachery, thievery and magic as they work together to unravel the secrets of Yvette’s life and try to fix her magic. They must decode a secret book in order to find the answers all the while the police and a band of thugs are at her heels. Everything about this story was good. The characters were realistic, the world building was believable and the magic was interesting and fun. I really enjoyed this story and am glad to have found this author. I will read any books she writes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Following the success of The Vine Witch book 1, Luanne Smith took readers once again to her world of supernaturals with "The Glamourist". After the events of the previous novel, we find ourselves once again at the Château Renard with it's rightful owner, Elena Boureanu. Introducing a new character, Yevette, we are taken on a journey of self-discovery and freindship. This is a wonderful tale that is difficult to put down once you've begun reading. Characters , evdnts, surroundings all come together in a story that fans and new readers alike will enjoy. We look forward to a third installment of the series.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC of the below in exchange for an honest review from the author.**

Title The Glamourist

Author Luanne G. Smith

Release Date June 9, 2020

Description from Amazon

Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.

Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?

Initial Thoughts

I absolutely adored The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith so when I found out there was a sequel in the works, I knew I needed to read it. Thank you again to the author, Luanne G. Smith, for generously sending me a copy (and beautiful matching bookmark).

Some Things I Liked

Side characters that fleshed out a larger magical world. The Vine Witch introduced us to a magic setting with the every day norms of witchcraft in Elena’s life. We met some lovely side characters who had some different magical abilities but they were not fully explored in the first book. I loved that this book expanded on their backstories and created an even richer cast of magical beings.
Elena’s identity conflict that paralleled Yvette’s. I really enjoyed watching both characters discover new aspects of their parentage and magical abilities. Elena struggled to know if she was truly a Vine Witch, the vocation of her adopted family, or if she was a Poisons Witch, after her mother. Similarly, Yvette wasn’t sure what kind of affinity she had and I really loved reading how both women’s journeys unfolded.
Elena’s MIL. Marion might be my new favorite. She was surprisingly eccentric and fun and I loved the scenes where Elena had to play the good future-daughter-in-law. Similarly, I loved the introduction of Alexandre Olmas. I hope we get to see more of him and Jean-Paul’s mother in future books.

Series Value

There is at least one more character that we haven’t heard much from in this series and I’d like to see her story play out. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love several more books about Elena and friends but I need at least a third book to feel like the characters from the first story all had their stories told.

I can’t wait for the announcement that a third book is coming. As of now, it’s not confirmed anywhere that I could find (but hopefully, that will change soon)!

Lastly, I believe this series has high re-read value. I can easily see myself re-reading both The Vine Witch and The Glamourist around September-October. These books feel very fall / Halloween-y without being spooky. Basically, they make me want to curl up with apple cider and read in a cozy sweater.

Final Thoughts

I loved this story just as much as I loved The Vine Witch. It’s rare for me to love a sequel as much as I did the first in a series but that totally happened here. I really enjoyed the way the world was expanded upon and I loved the introduction of new characters as well as appearances from characters in the first book. I can’t wait to keep reading this series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – ok, this is one of my favorite books of all time. I can easily say, if you liked The Vine Witch, you will enjoy The Night Circus. Both stories have such rich world building and are perfect fall stories.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – if you liked the supernatural elements in this story, witches, demons, etc., give the All Souls trilogy a try.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin – once again, if you liked the witches element, do yourself a favor and read this series by Shelby Mahurin. It’s seasonal, perfect, and has multiple POVs.

I absolutely loved The Vine Witch and I am equally impressed with the second installment The Glamourist. The author's writing style transports you right into Paris amidst the chaos, romance, and drama that is The Glamourist. After first meeting Yvette in The Vine Witch novel, she returns to discover who she truly is aided by the incredible Elena, who also happens to be sorting through her own struggles with identity. The mix of magic and mortals left me constantly on my toes.

I liked this a lot, though I felt something was holding it back from greatness. Don't read that as negativity because I genuinely enjoyed it. Lots to keep you interested.

As much as enjoyed the first book, this one was disappointing.

Instead of just following Elena, vine witch who is going through an identity crisis after finding out that her parents were poisoners, we also follow Yvette. She stole a wish to find out about her mother. This unfortunately, takes her to Paris where she is a wanted murderer.

Yvette's not really bright. Considering that she has an identifying scar on her face and she just escaped from prison, she doesn't do a good job hiding. At one point she decides to get cigarettes and just pulls her hair back, She had too much of a fairy godmother on her side.

I preferred Elena.

Review based on a ARC from Netgalley I received to make an honest review

With all its differences and similarities, the Glamourist is a perfect twin to the Vine Witch. Luanne makes you fall in love with her characters and magic. Go witches!

It was nice to return to Elena’s story and see a little of her character development as well as with Yvette.

I don't usually read this type of book but it looked interesting so I thought I would try it. I did enjoy the book not really my thing but I recommend for sci fi lovers

This was a lovely escape into the world of magic and witches. It felt much different than the Vine Witch, but showed character development and was interesting to delve into different aspects of this world. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Sci-fi isn't my normal genre but I read the first book in this series and loved it so was interested to read this second story and I was pleased it was about a character I found interesting in the first one but this one just didn't hold my interest as much this time around. I wanted more action. Plus I didn't really want anymore follow up from the couple of the 1st book besides the basic info to know they're doing well. Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.