"People believe what they want to believe."

Lindsey Duga's intricate rendering between the Prohibition era and fantasy/mythology and the dual perspectives of Colt and Eris was fantastic and so much better executed than I thought it would be from the description. Duga takes a common trope and spins it into a work of art. Where we usually associate sirens with water and the ability to lure sailors towards their doom, she does the opposite: sirens who affect not only people but also time and objects.

The book follows the monster trade, where mobsters hold mythological creatures under their arsenal to fight other mobs, gain territory, and/or protect their property. Eris is such creature, but instead of being help captive by a mob, she works in a speakeasy in Boston. She's a long-lost siren whom the federal Bureau of Investigation (BOI) has been tracking down for years to no avail. That is until one night, she slips her status as a siren, and that is where rookie BOI agent--Colt-- comes into play. The story follows the two's adventures, their misgivings, and their sacrifices to be free from others' expectations and to make decisions-- for better or for worse-- for themselves for what could be the first time of their lives.

Few books exist without cons, and Roaring is no exception. Given it is a standalone book, the story progresses in a somewhat rushed fashion, as several key plot points develop out of the blue and don't tie in with the story as seamlessly as it could. The ending was also a tad predictable and cliché in the sense that the plot was formulaic, not to mention the brevity of the ending as well.

Nonetheless, it's rare to find a standalone fantasy/paranormal book with an intriguing premise and plot, and Roaring is among the forefront of that rarity.

Courtesy of Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Roaring was a really fun and captivating fantasy read! I love anything having to do with sirens so I was intrigued from the very beginning.
The plot had good pacing and I really enjoyed the writing style! I loved the mix of action and enemies-to-lovers romance. Set in the 1920's, Roaring gave an interesting twist on the era of speakeasies and mob bosses. I almost wish that the historical aspect had been referenced a bit more throughout the story as it was pretty lightly added here and there. The fantastical elements were done so well but I felt that the romance got a bit too cyclical sometimes; as if it kept following the same pattern over and over.
Overall this was a solid fantasy read, and with a few small tweaks could have been a 5-star read!
Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Teen and Lindsey Duga for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Not a bad book but one that might have benefitted from another draft to work out some of the kinks.

“Roaring” takes us to a speakeasy in 1929 where the champagne is flowing and monsters roam the streets eager to watch a young woman named Eris sing but once the lights go up she doesn’t say a word until a bar fight leaves her with more trouble than she can manage and a hunter named Colt hot on her tail but when things go sideways the two find that they might be a better pair than enemies.

I love historical pieces mixed with fantasy so when this started with a breakdown of the 20s lingo I was so excited to dive into this world only to find that the era offered very little other than a sprinkle here and there to remind you of the times but never managed to stick with it like other books of its kind have.

The characters were fine with me looking forward to reading Eris’s chapters more than Colt’s as her story was a lot stronger than his which was kept hidden for dramatic effect when he could reveal it all in one swoop whereas hers was more layered and folded in more organically. I never really bought their romance as there was a lot of rough bridge building to have them go from enemies to lovers and none of which was successful as they followed the same pattern making it feel a bit like Groundhog’s Day but I was able to move past it.

The plot itself reminded me of a softer ‘Not Even Bones’ as we have monsters running as monsters trying to use stolen parts to make more and an organization hunting in plain sight but where that one was bloody and vicious this one is sweeter and more lighthearted if that’s the proper word for it but out of the two I don’t think it’s strong enough to remember.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

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

Roaring is the exact level of unique I'm in love with. Set across america in 1929, Roaring Fantasy is an enemies to lovers historical fantasy. One of our dual protagonist's, Eris works as a singer in a speakeasy. Though she's known for her songs, she never speaks. Until Colt, a monster hunter, shows up and her life goes off the rails when she finds out she's a siren. And that he's immune to her siren song.

The premise of mob bosses in the 20s altering human DNA to create human monster-hybrids was incredible. My main issue with this book was that to help our leads get from enemies to lovers, the book does the whole 'someone's in danger and the other person has to save them' multiple times. Especially near the beginning of the characters interacting it almost felt like "oh no someone's been attacked! I need to save them! Phew that was close let me leave you alone for half a second. Oh no someone's been attacked!..." and then the cycle continues. Other than that, this was a really enjoyable read!