I didn’t like as much as I would like to,… I will not be reading the 3 book. It was very good at the beginning but it was falling through the middle of the book. I would love to read ,ore books by Shelby but I had to for myself to finish this one.

An interesting continuation of the story and I look forward to the next book and the conclusion. Interesting magic and world building.

I had incredibly high hopes for this novel. I Inhaled the first book, going as far as receiving a signed and personalized copy from the author. However, this novel feels like the author has lost their stride.

Lou is known for being a somewhat quirky character, but she also always thinks things through. In this novel, it seemed like she was often confused and unsure of what she was doing. That uncertainty transferred over to the audience. I was lost reading her book. While there were certain scenes that I liked, I was also thoroughly lost at times. Ried went in the opposite direction, feeling even more stoic and controlling (which I didn't know was possible). I wanted them both to remember who they were. Then, between everything, the characters were constantly building up the romance. I love a good fantasy romance as much as everyone else, but this always felt like the case of the wrong place, wrong time. I wanted the characters to think through their decisions so badly.

The timeline itself also didn't seem to make sense. I needed an animated map to keep up with where the characters were going and when. They would split up for a trip one minute and be back together the next when I thought they were heading in different directions.

Overall, it was not a bad book. It was fun and light. While enjoyed might not be the right word for my experience, I'll still be reading the next books. I also want to make it clear that my issues were largely plot and character-based. Stylistically, I thought the writing was well done. Serpent and Dove was such a hit, I fear we all my have hyped this book up far too much in our heads for what is actually there.

Sadly this is a series I gave up on. I started this back when I got it, and figured I would go back to it and finish it, but alas, it lost me.

To say I’m bummed is definitely an understatement. I really wish that this just been published as a duology and not dragged into a trilogy because this had so much potential and lived up to none of it.

I loved the first book in this trilogy. However, it felt like a filler. There was not a solid conclusion and ended in a cliffhanger. Thus, it did not seem important to the trilogy as a whole.

when viewing this gorgeous cover I knew I would love this book, I couldn't stop reading it!!! every page that i flipped became more interesting and gripping to my heart.

I decided not to read this book due to problematic elements of the first. I am also just not interested in continuing with the series.

This is the follow up to Serpent & Dove so as to not spoil anything I’ll have to be careful of what I say. This one picks up where the previous left off. Leaves off on a cliffhanger for the final book of the trilogy.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was highly anticipating this follow-up to Serpent & Dove, loving the slow burn romance and the action of the first. While Blood & Honey certainly delivers on the action, I was missing the romance of the first. However, the ending brought my interest back and I'll definitely pick up the third!

Blood and Honey was a disappointment from Serpent & Dove. It fell into disappointing tropes and the main character's angst was annoying and distracting. The best part of the books may have been romance scenes between the two characters but their internal conflicts kept me from rooting for either of them. Shelby Mahurin should perhaps write a pure romance novel than create a trilogy.

Though this book seems to have middle book syndrome, it was written so beautifully and I devour fruit. I am in need of book number 3 ASAP. The world has been written in such a fantastical way you feel as if you are a part of it. I will recommend this series many more times then I already have. It’s content is a little too mature for 7th grade, it is definitely a book I wouldn’t mind recommending to higher grade levels in high school or above.

Although I loved the first book in this series, this second one didn't hold up for me. I think this series should have stayed a duology because much of this book felt like filler right up until the ending cliffhanger.

The ending improved, but definitely not as good as the first one in my opinion. The whole book was building and building, forever and ever... to another cliffhanger. Felt like the author was stretching the plot to get a trilogy.

The perfect "opposites attract" couple of Lou and Reid was lost in this book. It was just tension and arguments. I was so excited for this 2nd book and to see where their relationship grew, greatly disappointed.

Blood and Honey picks up where Serpent and Dove left off: after Lou's mother has tried to kill her and is saved by her husband, Reid, and their friends, the group escapes into the forest with the hope to eventually inform the King of Lou's mother's plan. Danger comes from both sides as magic is illegal under the King's law and now Lou's mother hunts them down before they can give away her secrets. Friends are made, secrets are shared, and trust is broken. While I enjoyed this book, I was aware of how much darker the tone shifts compared to the previous book in the series. The cliffhanger ending leaves one heartbroken at what has happened and what may happen as our band of characters race to meet their fate in the next book.

Decent sequel. Ran a little long, but really enjoy the characters. This series would have benefited from being a duology. Felt like most if this book was just treading water.

Sequels are notoriously dull. Blood and Honey does not feel this way at the start. Lou and Reed begin in each other’s arms where we left them at the end of Serpent and Dove. They are hiding out from tons of enemies, so the action is immediate and the tension is natural. The pacing and tone continues much like book one, which I loved. Unfortunately, so does the nagging and ambivalence between our main couple. Their fighting was my least favorite part of Serpens & Dove, and it is the same for Blood & Honey. Luckily, the world building is so engaging that even those two and their issues can’t ruin the magic Mahurin creates. I kind of wish they had their happily ever after already, but I’m excited to see what revelations there are in book three.

I definitely enjoyed Serpent & Dove more, but Blood & Honey is an acceptable installment to this trilogy. Though Mahurin expanded on character development and world-building, overall it did feel like a "bridge" book so-to-speak. Most of the story consisted of Lou & Co. traveling from place to place. I felt like this series could be told as a duology, but with such a cliffhanger, I'm curious to see how Mahurin will conclude this series. I enjoyed all the characters. I have a soft spot for Reid and Lou's relationship. Coco is my favorite character, but I didn't care for how the story treated her. I'm curious to see what the next installment holds though.

4/5

This sequel was even more enjoyable that the first book in the series! The characters were more deeply developed in this book and I think it will be a great series to recommend to fantasy readers.

This book is a disappointment after the first of the series. There is a complete lack of plot. It is so slow and took me forever to finish. The characters are unlikeable. The entire world is unbelievable. A certain amount of suspension of disbelief is often involved in fantasy, but the rules of magic still need to make sense. There is nothing to like about this book. Stick to enjoying the first book and let this one go.