This started off slow, but the storyline ended up being great. The magic was really well done. I liked Daisy, Wren, and Fox, and how the relationships worked in the love. This is beautiful, old-school kind of story.

I read and reviewed this one for my podcast and was miserable every second of it. This story is incredibly juvenile and SLOW. I don’t think I care to read this author again.

This was a nice, quick read. I was a little concerned with the whole fox to human aspect, and the cursed woods did feel very game of thrones like, but overall it was a good story with vivid descriptions.

I loved this one! It's just a fresh and clean Teen Fantasy pick that was perfect for the winter to spring transition

This had a great start but I felt like the finish was wrapped up too simply maybe? It was a good solid fairytale, which I suppose usually wraps up neatly, so perhaps I should have expected the ending to be tied up with a bow. However, it just seemed to rushed.

This was a wholly unique story.
Having read so many re-tellings recently, it was so refreshing to read a fairy tale (and I do think that at its root, that is what this was), that was so original. I loved the concept of the people fearing the woods and this crown being the only thing that protected them. I enjoyed the twist of how the king had gotten the crown and how only Vorys knew the truth about why the Lady wasn't helping them, or at least that she had been gone.
Cerys was such a strong character and she balanced Fox/Lore so much. I do think that he changed much more through the story. Not just from boy to fox to man, but his personality. His personality really was that of a fox for most the story. I did loooove when he went back for her though. He actually put her well-being above his own. I also loved that she didn't ask him to. She wasn't begging for his help or need him to be there for her to carry on. She just wanted to know that he would come back for her.
It was a brilliant move on her part at the end to break the crown and restore the woods to what they were. I think all the representation, like the wedding and the hint of romance at the end for the queen was great. Just a nice, well-rounded Happy Ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

I loved the author's other books, especially the Once Upon a Con series and the Heart of Iron series, so I was really excited to pick up this standalone.

Unfortunately, I think the author's prowess with series became a major drawback here--the pacing was erratic and the ending didn't really feel like an ending. It felt like the middle of the story, but without any loose ends to tie up. It just kind of....stopped. Pacing was the big deterrent to my enjoyment of this book, however, as the exciting and suspenseful beginnin petered out after the first several chapters and then dragged and dragged.

There's only so much "talking while walking through the woods" that one story really needs, you know? Cutting out the entire middle of the book would really not leave the reader out of anything important that they couldn't have seen coming from the last major plot point before the muddling middle began.

Overall, the idea was incredibly interesting and Poston's prose was as always gorgeous. There just wasn't the execution here to compare this standalone to her wonderful series.

Love that the animals play such a big role in her journey! Such a fun perspective and the dual narration was perfect.

Cerys was a great main character! She was relatable, she had her faults, and most importantly she had a big heart! Cerys barely escaped the woods alive when she was a kid, and she lost three people who were important to her... She must return to the terror filled woods in order to save her life and really her (best friend's) whole kingdom. This was a wild ride from start to finish and I loved the twist at the end!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

The cover and description for Among The Beasts & Briars are what first intrigued me and grabbed my attention. how grateful I am to have taken a chance on this book because it turned out to be a wonderful tale. This is most definitely a book I would’ve devoured when I was a younger reader.

The story begins in the kingdom of Aloriya, with a coronation about to take place for the new queen. An old curse that was once controlled emerges from the woods, along with a death. Now Cerys, joined with a fox and a bear, must embark on a journey into the woods to help resolve the problem.

Wonderful writing, great storytelling, perfect pacing, secrets, twists—there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book except for a small amount of predictability. I adore my fairy tales, and this definitely has a classic fairytale feel to it, which is probably what I enjoyed most about it. It’s such a unique story with wonderful character development. Cerys is a royal gardener like her father, and I liked the connection she had with all the plants and flowers of the land, which was brought out well in the writing.

"I stepped onto the side walkway to the castle, making my way up the stone path toward the royal garden. Lanterns lit the way, dandelions poking up between the smooth stones. The tall wisteria trees bent in toward me, their long lavender-flowering vines hanging like curtains to hide the side entrance to the royal garden. A breeze leafed through the vines like night spirits, bringing in the last bite of winter frost."

Cerys is tied to the curse in a unique way. Surprisingly, Fox turned out to be my personal favorite though, but I truly appreciated how all the characters grew throughout this story. The relationship Cerys has with fox is heartwarming.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read which took me back to some of my favorite magical fairy tales. This is one to revisit again and again. I highly recommend this one to all who appreciate fantasy and fairy tales.

4.5*****

I have loved Ashley Poston’s writing since the publication of Geekerella, and as such, I had high expectations for her YA fantasy debut. With the upmost confidence, I can proudly proclaim that Poston has crafted yet another great novel! Among the Beasts and Briars masquerades as a whimsical fairytale, but hidden beneath the story’s picturesque opening chapter is thorns. By the start of the second chapter, the thorns start appearing through the cracks of mundane life, waiting to prick unsuspecting readers with their darkness.

The heart of this story, however, is the characters. Through the characterization of Cerys and Fox, Poston explores what is means to have courage and find one’s inner strength when afraid. You can easily empathize with Cerys and Fox’s struggles (at one point, we have all felt trapped by our societal roles), and because of that, it was enjoyable to experience their character growth as the novel progressed. Fox was by far my favorite character, though. He provided the well-needed “human element” to story - his fear and his distress are all natural responses to the events that occur in the novel.

Many thanks to Balzer & Bray and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This is a lovely story and such a fun, original fairy tale. I know it is loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast, but it stands apart. There are fabulous characters here and I'd even say the hero/love interest is refreshing because he isn't perfect or over-protective. He's young and in new territory. I loved him.

I did have a hard time with the setting as I wasn't sure what technology was available to the characters and kept wondering if they were the only country or city even that had to deal with the forest and why would they put the castle right next to the forest? I'd say some of these questions were answered, so I'm somewhat satisfied, but still wonder about the others.

Following the characters was a lot of fun. The story went in directions I didn't always imagine. I also liked how not everything is explicitly stated or that pieces are given to the reader that maybe the characters don't or can't put together. Great storytelling.

I love Ashley Poston's geekerella series so I was excited to read her new fantasy book. I really appreciate that this is a standalone fantasy which can be hard to find.
Cerys lives in Aloriya where there is no hardship. They live in a time of perpetual peace as long as you don't go into the cursed woods. After her best friend's coronation goes terribly wrong, she must find a way to save her family and the kingdom.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and lore that went into this book. Cerys was a great main character who manages to be strong and vulnerable at the same time. The addition of Fox was a lot of fun and his antics kept the book from getting to dark.

This is a classic fairytale story; there’s magic, a kingdom, secrets, a quest, talking animal companions, and a happily ever after.

Overall, Among the Beasts and Briars was fine, I went in to it expecting more of a YA fantasy story and it definitely read on a younger level. I would say this is probably better suited for readers looking for a fluffy, light hearted tale.

I really liked the idea of this book but when we get right down to it the details all seem a little hand wavey. The important action tended to happen off screen. The important details were all implication and not text. And while sometimes that gives a dreamy fairy tale feel (like Katherine Arden does so well) in this book sometimes it just made it feel dull instead of dreamy. I enjoyed the story but I would have like it to bear more weight.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one I had some concern about being slow and it proved me totally wrong. I really was enjoying every step of the way getting so immersed that I was taking it everywhere with me. The only reason why it is getting four stars instead of five from me is because now that time has gone by, I am so far behind in actually reviewing everything, I can barely remember parts of the plot. It is slowly, slowly coming back to me but because it was so easy to forget I am going to give it four instead of five stars. That doesn't mean this book wasn't a fun romp that felt quite close to Uprooted, but still far enough away that it felt like a life of its own. One that I would happily read again on a dreary winter day when I need to remember what the outdoors are like.

Ashley Poston has done it again! I absolutely loved this novel! If you are a fan of YA fantasy you should definitely check this book out.

This book started out really strong and I really love the plot. It is very fairy tale-esque with some nice twists. However, there were some things I really didn't love about it as well.

I loved Fox and he was a really interesting character, but sometimes the whininess was too much, especially with Cerys constantly doubting herself and saying she is only a gardener's daughter. One constantly voicing their insecurity may have been fine, but it was a bit overwhelming with them both doing it so frequently. Besides that, Fox really was probably my favorite character though, especially when he wasn't lamenting so much, later in the book.

Another issue I had was that the book did a bit too much foreshadowing. The plot twists were pretty nonexistent because I was able to guess them from the beginning. While I enjoyed them, I would have enjoyed if it wasn't so easy to guess. So I liked the plot, but would have preferred it to not be quite so obvious to the reader. It made it seem like the characters were oblivious with how glaringly obvious it was to the reader.

I really disliked the crude language used at times. Seeing as how it is YA, it was unnecessary. Also, it really broke with the immersion of the book as it seemed out of place from the book setting. I find it discombobulating to read things that don't fit with a theme or the story that throws me out of the story and back into reality prematurely. It made it hard to get back into it and really did a disservice to this particular story especially.

It was an enjoyable read, and I enjoy Poston's prose, but these were a few of the issues that kept me from really loving it.

This book was really great. Among the Beasts and Briars does a wonderful job of world building and connecting the reader to the main character. I think this author has so much potential, looking forward to what is next. This book captured the magic of old fairytales which are enduring, while also combining a new pov.

(sorry for the late review, it slipped my to do list)