4.5 out of 5 stars

Let me start my review by saying, I am not a fan of mysteries generally. This book went above my expectations for fantasy, romance, AND mystery. LOOK AT THAT COVER!!! PERFECTION! The writing? Sublime and so intricate! REPRESENTATION OF A CHRONICALLY ILL PERSON?! AND A CAREGIVER?!?!!?? CHECK AND ACCEPTED! This book deserves hype and I want to see it everywhere.

It reminds me a bit of the Picture of Dorian Gray because of Myra's power of painting and changing people's physical appearance. Myra is wrapped up in the mystery of who killed the governor's son... The same son she is tasked with painting to resurrect. Myra may be the next victim because of her gift.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but my first impression was WOW…..looking at this one. And picking up A Forgery of Roses, that impression just grew and grew on me, coloring my world!

The premise of this book is something special and truly unique. We have all read fantasy books with characters and their magical abilities. Jessica Olson introduces us to Myra Whitlock, a prodigy who can alter a person’s body through painting. It’s a dangerous world where being identified as a prodigy can lead you to jail or worse. When the Governors wife learns of Myras gift, she offers her a choice, heal her son and earn a large sum of money (which Myra desperately needs to help her younger sister), or be turned in to the authorities.

This story is immersive, ominous and atmospheric. It will suck you in. Olson’s writing flows beautifully making this a quick and enjoyable read. It’s filled with mysterious characters, secrets and lies, on top of many twists and turns. Honestly, it was difficult to know who Myra could trust!

And even though Olson’s world has dark gothic undertones, her story is filled with love and sacrifice and hope. Myra and her sister have unwavering support for each other. Their life circumstances are bleak (parents missing, loss of employment, Illness and lack of money.) Yet, there’s a fierce loyalty, drive and determination to make each other’s life brighter. Olson teaches us through her youthful characters that anxiety and fear cannot stop us when we listen to our inner voices, taking one step forward towards our dreams.

This is a must read book for anyone who has ever felt they didn’t have a voice. Olson’s words leave you with hope and belief in yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and InkYard Press for this colorful and inspirational tale.

The synopsis looks marvellous! I am sure many readers will love to read this book!
The cover too, looks marvellous.

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson follows Myra Whitlock. She is a Prodigy, an artist whose portraits can alter people physically. She must keep this power a secret because powerful people deem it an abomination and will kill or punish her for it, or blackmail or use her as a means to control her power. Myra’s life is all about keeping herself and her younger sister safe since their parents mysteriously disappeared. One night, the governor’s wife discovers Myra’s secret and threatens her into painting a portrait that will bring her deceased son back to life. Myra and her sister desperately need the money the governor’s wife is offering, especially with her sister’s mystery illness worsening, so Myra agrees to do it. Soon she is brought to the governor’s mansion, where she will work on the portrait unbeknownst to the governor, who disapproves of Prodigies. It soon becomes clear to Myra that the death of the governor’s son was no accident. In order for her magic to work, she must know what really happened to him. She teams up with the governor’s eldest son August to discover the truth. They soon discover someone very dangerous is in the mansion. Someone using portrait magic in a very disturbing way.

I am blown away by how much I loved this book. It is a super twisty and gory gothic fantasy mystery. One aspect I especially adore about this book is the relationship between Myra and her sister Lucy. The sisters support each other so much throughout this book. It is clear how much they love each other. Lucy is a strong character, and I adore her pet frog George. I would absolutely love to see a sequel to this book!

This was such a creative world. The idea of a Prodigy being able to paint so well they can alter the human appearance or even provide healing was such a beautiful concept. I found Myra's story to be very relatable as an older sibling attempting to care for their younger sibling. When someone comes asking Myra to bring their dead son back to life; we know that there is more to this story than meets the eye.
The mystery behind the boy's death is keeps you guessing through the whole novel. It isn't until the big reveal that the little niggling voice in the back of your head goes AHA! I
I loved that Jessica S. Olson was able to weave this mystery together so elegantly. Little clues that led you toward the killer were subtle, and enough to throw blame on multiple suspects. This was a great murder mystery and I would love to return to this world Myra lives in, because I think there is a lot more story potential in both Myra, the politics, and magic that exists in these Prodigies. I'd be even more intrigued to see if this Prodigy magic exists outside of painting/art,.
Highly recommend; although i would have loved to meet Myra's sister more often than we did. She was such an interesting and vibrant character! I'll be visiting more Jessica S. Olson books in the future.

Myra is a Prodigy, she has magic that via her paintings can alter a person's appearance/can heal wounds or illness. She must keep this a secret as others like her have recently gone missing, including her mother. The Governor's wife approaches her with a deal that could change her life, but she must put her hidden talent to use.
Now she must master her magic while thrust into the middle of a mystery that keeps grows deeper by the day.

A Forgery of Rose's! I enjoyed the magic system and thought Myra's relationship with her sister was compelling and emotional. There was suspense and mystery, romance and fantasy -and hadn't figured out the twist which is always a huge plus!! . I just wish the ending was given a little more development. it seemed hurried and a little and I wanted there to be more to the reveal. Overall a very good book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #InkyardPress for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC thanks to NetGalley. Myra has a special power, she can change things with her paintings. When she is forced to paint and use her powers to help the powerful governors family who hates magic she is forced to solve the mystery surrounding the family, catch a killer, and figure out what happened to her parents. This book was a great and thrilling read, with a great twist at the end.

Book: A Forgery Of Roses
Author: Jessica S. Olson
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC.

I feel like I am one of the few people who did not enjoy this one. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was pretty well put together and it did have some of that spark that I look for in books. However, I just had a very difficult time building any kind of connection with the overall story and characters. This sense of disconnect started right from the get go and it did not improve the more I read. In order for me to fully enjoy a story, I need to be able to connect with it pretty early.

I feel like we have a great premise. We follow a character who has the ability to paint and fix things. No, maybe, fix isn’t the right word. She has the ability to heal things through her painting. When the governor’s son suddenly dies, Myra is called in to bring him back to life, which is something that she had never done before. In fact, she isn’t even sure that she is capable of doing so. However, she has to because her and her sister’s lives are at risk. As Myra starts her attempt to bring the boy back, she quickly uncovers that things are not what they seem. What seemed like an accident at first, becomes the quest to uncover a murderer.

Now, this sounds like a great set up, right? I mean, I really should have enjoyed this one and I should have eaten it up. However, I just felt like something was missing. There was just something missing from the whole premise that made it very difficult for me to build any kind of connection or bond with the characters or anything that was going. I was really disappointed that I did not develop any kind of bond with any of the characters.

I think the big thing was the writing really didn’t allow me to connect with anything. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that Jessica is a very talented writer. I could see that. I could see that she could is an amazing story teller. However, I just really had a difficult time with forming any kind of bond with it. I think I would have liked to have just a little bit more than what we got. The bones of a great story and great writing were there, but I just like we were missing something in order to drive that point home.

I think this was my whole issue with the book. I just wanted more than what we got. I just felt like I did not get a chance to form any kind of bond with anything that was going on. If I had been able to connect with the book and the characters, then this would have been a great read for me.

Like I said, I am one of the few people who had very mixed feelings about this one, so don’t let my review be your deciding factor if you want to pick this one up or not.

This book comes out on March, 29, 2022.

Combining a murder and thriller investigation into a fantasy story is quite a feat from Jessica S. Olson. This fiction follows Myra with her magical abilities to paint changes into her subjects, be it esthetic or medical. But she lives in times where being a Prodigy is forbidden so she must hide what she can do or disappear like her mother did. Being the sole person responsible for her ill sister Lucy, Elsie gets embroiled into the mysteries of a rich family, where her loyalty to her sister and her feelings toward the eldest son August are tested to the limit.

The author brings great qualities into Myra and her sister (loved that character, even though she was secondary in the story) and the mystery of who killed the the family’s heir gets very interesting until the conclusion turns into a hodgepodge of a surprise. I think the author could have quite simplified the way things happened, which made the ending kind of disappointing.

But a good book overall.

4.5 stars. This book had me hooked from chapter 5, I read it in a little more than a day. Myra and Lucy had me by the heartstrings. August had me a little wary and cautious and then fully invested. The plot of this book though is just so intriguing and interesting. I loved the descriptions of Myra's painting and magic. The Harris' were great villains. I had not figured out the twist until right before it was revealed which I always find exciting.

Review will be posted on www.instagram.com/bookendgetaway closer to the release date!

The magic system in this world was really interesting, and I enjoyed the way it was explained, the fact that the main character was still figuring out how it all worked. The main character and her sister were really compelling, and it gave Myra such a strong motivation to make the choices she made. Unfortunately, I don't think the other characters were quite as compelling. The mayor and his wife were fairly two-dimensional. The love interests were underwhelming. While Augusts anxiety was an interesting character trait for a love interest, I found his personality to be otherwise bland. Vincent, meanwhile, was more fun as a mystery.
I was surprised how much of the plot was a mystery. The use of the magic in the mystery was a lot of fun, and foreshadowed exceptionally well, in ways that the reader wouldn't pick up at first, but make a lot of sense when looking back.
This book also felt really well contained. While the book was set up for a sequel, I didn't feel it was necessary.

3.5/5 A Forgery of Roses was a book I was extremely excited to read. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the eArc.

Characters: Our main character Myra was enjoyable and I liked her interactions with August. Seeing August’s struggles with anxiety, and how Myra felt the weight of being the sole caregiver of her sister Lucy, whom was fighting a chronic illness, brought a believable component to how they were written. I enjoy seeing mentions of mental health and chronic illness in fantasy stories.

Atmosphere: The mood was dark and often times haunting, which contributed to the overall theme of the book.

Writing: This is where I struggled the most, not because the author is a poor writer, but rather from my own personal preference. First person books are often hard for me to enjoy, but paired with the story being in present tense - it was sometimes hard to stay motivated to read.

Plot: I thought the pacing was good - and the overall plot was unique. As many have said, Stalking Jack the Ripper meets A Picture of Dorian Grey.

Intrigue: The story excelled in this - I often was questioning “who did it” when it came to the mysterious events surrounding Myra. The twist at the end was not what I was expecting.

Logic: some of the characters motivations were odd towards the ending. I felt like a bit more focus on the interactions of two specific characters would have helped sell the twist a bit more.

Enjoyment: This was a book I really tried to enjoy more than I did. While I found so much of it unique and extremely well done … it was simply hard for me to get past first person /present tense. I think if it was written in a different tense it would have easily been a 4/5 or possibly higher.

I will keep an eye out for more of the authors future books as the premise and the overall story were enjoyable.

This book was so good! I absolutely fell in love with the vibes throughout the whole story. A little bit of a gothic feel, all of the mystery, and just the incredible writing really pull this story together. One of my favorite concepts of this book is Myra's ability to alter a person through painting. I think it's so well thought up. Overall, this book such a good read, and I can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on it!

A young girl, orphaned and left to take care of her ill sister, is trying her best to keep them both alive. Even with life constantly pushing her down, Myra need only look to her sister, Lucy, for the determination to keep going. This sister also has a secret. She can alter a person just by painting them. Whether it’s fixing a blemish, changing a feature, or healing a wound, she has powers that others do not. She has powers that the church and those in charge fear. Myra’s secrecy keeps her safe, until the day someone finds out. Not just any someone, the Governor’s wife. This job she’s now been given can be her salvation or her doom. Can she trust the governor’s handsome son? What secrets lie in Rose Manor? Find out..



My favorite part of this book was the relationship between the two sisters. It gave the book a level of depth that it needed to draw you in. The whole time you’re reading there’s this sense of anxiety because you already care about the girls and their plight.

The mystery was intriguing enough that I keep making guesses throughout the book. I genuinely didn’t know who to trust. I did call a couple of things that turned out to be true around mid-book, but it was late in the book when I felt I had it all figured out.

This book made me happy, sad, grossed out, angry, and truly horrified at times.

Trigger warning: some of these scenes can be pretty graphic. I mean, she is trying to bring someone back from the dead, after all.

I enjoyed Forgery of Roses because the idea of magic painting is really interesting. The mystery behind the disappearances and the murder kept me reading to find out what happened. I loved reading about a character that suffered from anxiety, because it is not something you see very often in books.
There were a few things I was confused about.
It is alluded that August isn’t what he appears, but it was never really said how? I liked August quite a bit, but the chemistry wasn’t quite there to make it believable that he would suddenly change everything he felt for so many years to be erased. The ending felt extremely rushed as well.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It isn’t one that I would reread. I’m not sure if it is a series, but if it is I’ll read the next one. I wouldn’t read it the day it came out or anything, but I’d still read it. I’m curious how things would progress with prodigies in society and Lucy and August will deal with their disabilities.

This was an intriguing YA Fantasy/Mystery with an unusual premise. The protagonist's ability to use her magic through painting was one I haven't encountered before. The protagonist is a strong female character, with a lot of grit. The idea of being able to alter reality through painting was very interesting and at times spooky, as the ramifications were explored. This book has magic and romance and mystery and a touch of horror...something for everyone! Although not all of the characters were quite as well-rounded as I would have liked, I really enjoyed the plot and the magical aspects. The ending completely surprised me, which doesn't happen often. I would recommend this book to fans of Fantasy/Mystery and especially those who are interested in art. It would have been cool to have a paint key at the front of the book to show the colors to those unfamiliar with specific shades. Overall, a solid read that I will definitely recommend to readers who enjoy art, Fantasy, and/or Mystery books.

The descriptions and world of this book are insane! I felt like I was right there with the characters. I loved the mix of healing magic with the paint. I’ve never read a book like this one before.

This was a wonderful, fun and spooky young adult novel, full of beautiful descriptions of Myra's art, her power through it to then distort reality, and the quest to discover what truly happened to her parents.

Unreliable information from all directions, a seemingly kind mobster, and a quiet and anxious politician's son all feed into the readers doubt about what to believe, where Myra should go to for answers, and how she should go about solving the questions surrounding the death of the governor's son.

There are positive reinforcements of chronic illness and mental health, which were excellent representations from both Myra's sister, Lucy, and August, the politician's younger son. The exposition was a bit slow, but once Myra realizes she's solving a murder, the story was off to the races.

The setting was dark and gloomy (excellent!), the time period clearly Victorian adjacent and was really fun to explore, The ending left me rattled, and I loved it. I can't wait for all of you to read it, too!

New to me author but definitely won't be last. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for letting me read this advance copy.

This was such a unique and interesting concept. I knew it was something I needed to read immediately. I am grateful I did. Everything about this book had me hooked from the very beginning and kept me hooked all the way through the end. I sped through this, and I can not get over the way the fantasy and mystery aspects came together. I never knew what was coming next, and I think this is the kind of story that every one must go in with no knowledge of anything. It enhances it so much more.