I read The Vine Witch a few months ago and liked it for its cozy magic and the various professions of the witches which determine their power and spells. Plus, I am a Francophile and the books are set in France. The Glamourist takes place in Paris and follows the story of Yvette Lenoir, who we briefly met in the first book. With the help of a stolen wish and the vine witch Elena Boureanu, Yvette searches for her particular brand and type of magic. The chase becomes frantic as Yvette's life is endangered by a relentless and unknown foe bent on stealing the only key to her past. I always felt like I didn't get to know Elena and her fiancé enough in The Vine Witch so the next installment definitely provided that for me, she is as much of a main character as Yvette. This book is an enjoyable and quick read; I will definitely look for the next in the series. Possibly it revolves around the jinni Sidra? I hope so!

I loved the first book, The Vine Witch. I was very happy seeing there would be a second book in the instalment.
I felt it took awhile for the story to pick up, but it did turn interesting at the end.
It was good to find Elena and Jean-Paul again and see more of Yvette and discovering her history. Being in the charming streets of old Paris was a real pleasure. There were multiple point of views, but it was clear in who’s we were in each chapter.
I was less into it as I was with The Vine Witch, for some reason. It was still really good, though, and I enjoyed reading The Glamourist.

I picked up the previous book in this series (The Vine Witch) when it was on offer on Amazon and enjoyed it, so thought I'd check this one out when it turned up on Netgalley. Like the previous book, this one is set in turn of the century France, but a France where magic is real and lives alongside everyday life - it's an immediate sequel too, so will make much more sense in terms of characters if you've already read The Vine Witch.

In The Glamourist, the focus shifts mostly from Elena our previous eponymous character, to one of the women with whom she was imprisoned briefly when accused of murder in the previous book. Elena has come to Paris with her now-fiancee to meet his mother and plan for their wedding, only to bump into Yvette - she's still on the run after escaping from prison and also trying to address the gaps in her past.

While Elena plays a significant part, this is very much Yvette's book and I guess I just don't find teenagers as interesting. The character of Jean-Paul gets significantly sidelined, whereas in The Vine Witch I really liked his gradual realisation that magic was real and what that meant for his relationship with Elena. That change of focus and the setting just didn't keep my interest as much as the previous book managed.

Elena herself is trying to address historical issues as well - her parents were executed for murder, so her family has a reputation for using poison and this is contradictory for a woman who wants to work with vines. She's given an ultimatum: help the authorities capture Yvette or lose the chance to work with vines again. However, since the focus was very much on Yvette, this ended up feeling like a minor plot point and didn't really get much action.

Once again we get the odd French word thrown in as the story goes along, which jolts a little at times. All in all, The Glamourist just didn't quite work as well for me as the previous book in the series, hence the 3-star rating.

After reading the first book I was happy to see the second listed for review. I am a tad disappointed in the second book, as I thought it would be similar to the first, which I enjoyed immensely. The second focuses more on Yvette, whom I didn’t really enjoy as much as I did Elena. Although it went in a different path than the first, it was still worth the read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

This book felt very different than the first one because it focuses a lot on finding the characters own identities.

The book shifts to focus more on Yvette than Elena since she doesn't know anything about her magic/family so they go running around the city to find out the truth. Elena helps Yvette despite having her own dilemmas and giving Yvette up would solve her problems but obviously she refuses.

I gotta say, I enjoyed this less than the first book because I'm not really a big fan of Yvette but she eased up on me during the whole book until in the end where she made one too many mistakes and got caught which frustrated me.

Moreover, I found the pacing to be all over the place and that the book felt too long and repetitive since the characters were running back and forth in the same places. Every problem they encountered were solved very conveniently besides the mystery of the book.

The ending and the whole reveal was definitely way better than the first book. The trick to how they caught the antagonist was clever and I didn't see it coming. I also enjoyed the introduction of the other witches and magical creatures in this book as well as the hidden laws and places of the witches.

Overall, the book definitely went in a different path than the first book but I enjoyed the first one more. I still love the writing style especially the whole vibe it set in and how different it feels compared to the first book. I certainly didn't expect the book to take this direction so it felt more original plot-wise and less cliche.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

The Glamourist, appeared on my NetGalley feed, I grabbed a copy and started reading. This is ultimately a story of self-discovery, for Elena and Yvette, with a magical undertone. I read this book pretty quickly because I just didn't want to put it down. Loved it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel that I am being generous with this three star rating -- it honestly is closer to two stars. I liked the first book in this series. It was a nice cozy read, and one that I enjoyed. I wasn't sure what to expect when I was going into this book. I had assumed it was going to be similar to the first book, and in some ways it was, but in other ways it was very different.

I will admit that I zoned out part of the book. I got a little bored with it; it wasn't holding my attention the further I read. I really tried, but even as I read I never felt as if I were missing anything. The plot was overall lackluster to me, and the characters were too. I wasn't invested in them in the least. In fact, the only one I was somewhat interested in was Elena. I liked her in the first book, and I liked her in this one.

I thought the writing was nice, but the pacing left a lot to be desired. Overall, it was an okay book, but not one I loved. I think The Vine Witch would have done well as a standalone.

More witches, Paris, painters, séances, goblins, a brilliant cat, and Fée. Also... a previous character is back!

The whole story is set in Paris. Elena was to report to the Ministry of Lineages and Licenses because she wants to register herself as a venefica along with her current status as a vine witch. The problem is that the Minister doesn’t agree with her request, although he says he can make an exception. Elena could keep her vine witch status only if she reveals the whereabouts of Yvette.

I must confess I liked this one even more than the first one, because of the characters and the plot. There’s even more magick and mystery.

Thank you 47North and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wanted for murder, and on the run from the police, a maybe-witch tries to find out about her past, helped out by witches, mortals and a cat!

I loved the world building in this, it was believable and full of little details that I loved. There's an instance of what I like to call everyday-magic; instances where the sort of everyday-ness of magic is shown, and it becomes clear how these characters live and use magic, not in a flashy way, but just because it's there. It's one of my favourite things to read about, because it makes the world I'm reading about feel real, but also because I love puzzling these things out for myself.

In addition, there are some genuinely funny moments, that made me chuckle and I could clearly hear the different voices of the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it easy to root for the characters. I also like how the plot was resolved, it was both clever and obvious (when I found out).

At the end, it became a bit too fanciful for me, but I still really enjoyed the journey this book took me on.

This is the second book in the Vine Witch series. I hadn't read the first one, but I had no problem jumping right into this book. It can easily be read as a stand-alone, but the characters, the plot and the writing makes me want to seek out the first book now.

The book is out in June 2020!

I was given an uncorrected proof by the publisher via netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Having torn through The Vine Witch over the course of a rainy Saturday and been left with the itch for a bottle of nice red and a fat coil knit hygge blanket, I jumped at the chance to read Luanne G. Smith’s second foray into her world of witches. The Glamourist succeeds as a sequel on two fronts:

Firstly, The Glamourist hits all the same, satisfying notes as its predecessor; the women are strong, bold and interesting. The world is creatively re-tuned into an alternate turn-of-the-century France successfully navigating the space between the familiar (Montmartre! L’Opera Garnier! The Latin Quarter!) while pulling the curtain further back in the reveal that this is not our own Paris. The men support our leads with an endearing sense of bafflement at the magic they do not understand and for once we’ve have a potential mother-in-law with whom I, for one, would love to share a bottle of champagne.

Secondly, The Glamourist can be read as a stand-alone novel within the greater world of The Vine Witch. While the core cast each appear in The Vine Witch, Smith deftly handles backstory and recaptures the plot of The Vine WItch without a) boring her reader or b) making it feel as if reading The Vine Witch is necessary for one to fully understand her created world.

This is Yvette’s story, she merely deigns to share the pages with Elena and Jean-Paul as the gracious witchling she is.

A lovely, relaxing cozy book. Part mystery, romance and a lot of fantasy. The Glamourist follows The Vine Witch to make a satisfying follow-up novel!

Bringing back the beloved characters from the previous book and a lot more Yvette!

ARC from NetGalley

3.75


Yvette is a salty girl. She's seen some things, and they have shaped her. She was incarcerated for murder, escaped, and and is on the lam trying to track down her heart's wish and avoid the authorities through turn-of-the-century France.

I did not read the first book in this series. It took me a little while to get into this one, but not too long. This was a vivid read. The magic was interesting. The characters were unique and well-done. There wasn't anyone I hated. No spots where I cringed. There was just a titch of romance. As someone who quite likes romance, I didn't miss it. I felt like this story stood on its own legs without it. It was still interesting and captivating without that little bit of extra motivation to keep turning the pages, which is, after all, what written romance is, at least for me.

'I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is ultimately a story of self-discovery, for Elena and Yvette, with a magical undertone. I liked the setting of the book with small jibes to things I recognize, like the Eiffel Tower. The cat was a nice touch because I love animals. I enjoyed how Elena and Yvette's fates were intertwined and their separate journeys of self-discovery. The descriptions in this book were as beautiful and vivid as The Vine Witch. I felt like I was walking the streets, seeing and smelling the same things as each character.

One thing I didn't love was the voice of the novel. Something about the way the point of views were written was off-putting. I also would have liked a better explanation of Yvette's magic and the things revolving her magic (spoilers).

Overall, an enjoyable, light read.

In an alternate early twentieth century France, witches live and work, mostly unnoticed by the blind mortals. A young woman yearns to learn more of her witch heritage, yet is stymied by having to run and hide from the law. Another young woman is given an ultimatum. In order to keep her witch license, she must turn in her fellow witch to the authorities. When their fates intertwine, they're led on a magical journey of discovery.

I was afraid this would be like some other books I've read set in a historical French culture. Many tried too hard to imitate a classical, but romantic prose, and only succeeded in turning me off. This book stuck to modern and easy to read prose that was very compelling to read, combined with a great setting and plot. I enjoyed it way more than I'd anticipated.

This was more of a slice of life type of book. There's no saving the world from a grave danger or anything super dramatic like that. It simply presented an alternate France, where witches live quietly among the mortals, some of whom are more aware of them than others. The characters were mostly good people, trying to do the right thing, and blundering through life, as one tends to do.

I enjoyed the fusion of early twentieth century France, with all the artistic culture of the time, combined with sensible witches. The characters were great, and the book was really enjoyable to read. I haven't read The Vine Witch, the preceding companion book, but there's enough background info provided. After reading this book, though, I'm eager to read the first. I really like the style and humor the author writes in.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved <i> The Vine Witch</i> and was so excited to be able to get an advanced copy of <i> The Glamourist</i>. When I read <i> The Vine Witch</i> I sped through it in one afternoon and was happy for things to end there. While I did end up enjoying <i> The Glamourist</i>, it was by no means as interesting to me as <i> The Vine Witch</i>. It took me a good 25-30% to get pulled into the book and at that point I was in and out of interest. It took me longer than normal to read which caused to be very annoyed very easily in the flaws. Once you made it to the ending the story feels as if it hit max speed and rushed through with all these different pieces conveniently aiding. I find it difficult to describe without adding spoilers and I like spoiler free reviews.
It overall was a cute continuation of the story in <i> The Vine Witch</i> but I am on the fence about whether I will actually be picking this up later on.

This book didn't work for me. I hadn't read the first book, but I was still able to figure out the whens the whys and the hows. So reading as a standalone isn't the issue.

The characters are bland, the story wasn't compelling at all and I just didn't care. I had a look at reviews for the first book and this and many people seem to have the same view, so I figured its not going to get better.

DNF at 41%

This book is not holding my attention. There is no particular deficiency to uncover, I simply do not wish to continue the story. Perhaps I will try again in the future, but for now, I would rather immerse myself in other literary adventures.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for review.

I loved the premise of the book, the world we got to explore, and the character we got to follow was a nice surprise! Even though this is a sequel, I think it would be easy to follow and understand it without having to read the first one! And can I tell you how I absolutely love that cover ?!

I read "The Vine Witch" and it was a wonderful book. And "The Glamourist" is the second book of "The Vine Witch" series. Elna Boureanu is the vine witch of Chateau Renard and is to be married to the owner, John Paul. Yvette and jinni witch, Sidra were in prison with Elena in the Vine Witch and now Yvette longs to uncover where she came from and how to use her magical powers. Elena and John Paul are in the city to meet his mother and don't realize Yvette is in the city too.
Luanne G. Smith is a great author! I can't wait to read more of her books.

Thank you to Publisher and NetGalley for the eARC