I wanted to love this - having loved many of Legrand's other books but I completely agree with other reviews.

I liked the first chunk of the book - I thought the idea of a protagonist suffering from chronic pain - being drawn to a man who could ease that pain physically and emotionally was interesting.

The narration felt a lot more young YA rather than older YA or adult - not sure who the intended audience was.

I feel like she has tried to cover too much in just one novel without world building first. A simpler entry story to a trilogy is needed.

I liked the premise of a brigerton style fantasy...but I simply lost the effort to carry on reading and at 50% of the way through gave up.

A beautiful and rich Lady who wants nothing more than to heal herself makes a deal with a handsome man with a ruined reputation, in exchange for healing her she’ll help him fix his family reputation by working together. Gemma Ashbourne is a Lady, she is young, beautiful, and rich... the only problem? She is the only person in her family with no magic and she can’t use her magic because it poisons her body. Gemma feels like she’s lonely and wants to be loved, she feels like no one pays attention to her, instead giving it to her sister who traded places with her to take up a position. Gemma then meets Talan d’Astier, an absolutely handsome guy who’s family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and leaving Talon the only survivor and he wants to regain his family honor and navigate high society. Gemma’s family is also in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family. This was advertised as a mix of Bridgerton and ACOTAR, but what it honestly was... was boring. I found Gemma to be so insufferable and honestly was not feeling the romance or the story at all. I found myself constantly skimming and wanting to DNF the book but stuck through til the end, and despite this being the first book in the trilogy I will not be reading any of the following books. Gemma’s sister Farrin was a much more interesting character and I would have preferred a book about her rather than Gemma if I’m being honest. I liked that Talan, as a love interest, was very empathetic toward’s Gemma’s chronic pain and was there to soothe her, but otherwise I just didn’t care all that much for their romance. Overall, sadly this one was not for me, and despite how intrigued I was by the premise, it just fell flat. However, despite that, if you do like young adult fantasy romances with a bit of historical/bridgerton-esque tones, give this one a go, maybe it’ll work out better for you than it did for me.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Wanted to love this…. But I was confused half the time with what was going on.. and then a spicy scene would happen, I only really liked the ending.

Instant lovers
🖤 Enemy families
🖤 Hidden powers
🖤 Supernatural


Twenty year old Gemma or Imogen is her full name lives in a world with powerful magic. Where everyone around her has it but she does not. She is easily made sick by certain magics and truthfully hates her life because she’s not like the others.

Gemma has what they call “the panic”. Basically panic attacks where she gets frantic and cries and cannot remember anything for a brief time. Her friend Illaria is the only one who really helps her but she wants her to get professional help.

Gemma being 20 puts her at a stage where she should be acting like an adult but at the same time she can be extremely childish. I know this is due to her upbringing and the troubles that have happened.

Talan is a a guy from a foreign land coming to impress Gemma & her family to bring wine to the country. He immediately starts out charming at her at the party she is hosting. They are direct about why he is there & what he wants. Gemma starts to have some impure thoughts randomly while dancing…

“Trapped indeed. A thought arose unbidden: what it might feel like to be trapped between a wall and Talan’s body, tugging on his vest as his thigh wedged itself between my legs and I claimed his lips with my own.”

She immediately snaps out of her slight drunken state to focus on what she was talking about to not give too much information away. They plan to meet again the next day to talk while sober.

Gemma is almost taken over by something & creates a glammer on herself & her lady’s maid as well.

Gemma learns that Talan had powers and can temporarily heal her pain. I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll just leave it at that. There is some death in this book as well. There are so many twists & turns you would & wouldn’t expect in this book.

There is a lot of stuff that happens in the book. It can be lovely then dark the next page. Check any warnings you may need before reading this.

This book reads very YA/NA throughout parts but adult when things get spicy. Gemma is 20 but at times acts like she’s 16 with her attitude, thoughts & actions. This is getting 3 stars because i felt like this book was dragging on as well as so much going on at once. Things felt a little incomplete. It was a decent book & definitely was intriguing at times but it took me way longer to read than other books I read. I did get this as an arc from NetGalley & the author so thank you for allowing me to read this.

great book and I enjoyed the characters growth. Loved the friends and how this all worked out. I enjoyed the characters journey to finding oneself and others. I hope to read more by this author again.

I'm so sad and surprised that this is the review I'm giving, but this was a DNF close to the 30% mark. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start by saying, I almost never DNF a book because it truly pains me to do so, but alas, I had to finally admit defeat here. I really did try for over 2 months and just could not force myself through anymore. I'll list a few reasons below as to why this was a DNF.

Firstly, I was super confused. The plot was sort of everywhere and there seemed to be so much going on that I found myself struggling to completely wrap my mind around what was happening and envision it all clearly.

Secondly, I began to very much dislike the main female character Gemma. Because of this, I could not connect with her character at all and a book where you cannot connect with the characters is just not fun to read. I hoped that once our main male lead was introduced that I could at least connect with him in some way, but his character fell flat for me as well, leaving me rooting for no one really.

Lastly, I just couldn't get over the "insta-love" between Talan and Gemma. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of insta-love in general, but it just felt very unbelievable here and left me wanting something more. I'm definitely more into character-driven books and I just couldn't get on board with these particular characters which was the ultimate reason I decided it was time to set it aside.

This book had me invested from the first page! The characters are well written and they all have distinctive personalities and flaws. The world building was really well done and clearly developed and the setting and atmosphere were clearly defined from the get go. I've already ordered copies for the store I work at, as well as a copy of my own. An absolutely amazing read I'll definitely recommend to friends as well as customers.

But a very interesting book. There had a lot of different aspects to it and there's a lot of apology in it and it was interesting. How this girl r e n r o r had a lot of different powers and she didn't realize how they came about. She loved her sister FAR RIA. She was a very good musician on the piano. A lot of things happened to her but her sister always protected her. S*** the older sister got sucked into having fare with t a l a n. She really loved him but things turned out to be very different and you'll find out. She was also taken to the woods to learn different powers and these people kind of kidnapped her and she tried to get out of there but it was very hard. They had factions and wars going on between these two course and here's interesting how the character was described. KILR ATH was a very interesting character. You'll find out what he really was in the book. It was interesting how the women were very powerful in this book and how they could take on many different roles. They could go to court with the queen and look around and find out things going on. Your father was a very interesting character too. He played a very important role and then surprise the mother came back for some reason. As you read the book you'll find out how all this became clear and all tied together

I was very much looking forward to this book but it was a letdown in my opinion. I felt like the author was doing way too much and none of it stuck in a meaningful way. The plot was a mess and the pacing inconsistent.

I walked away from A Crown of Ivy and Glass with somewhat mixed feelings. On the one hand, the world of the book is lush and intriguing. The depictions of chronic pain/illness were also raw and honest, adding a layer of emotional weight to the story. But the plot itself was a bit of a mess, overstuffed with elements that didn't all cohere.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is ostensibly a fantasy romance, although in some ways, it didn't seem to know if it fully wanted to be a romance or just a fantasy. Talan and Gemma have solid chemistry, but there was a hint of insta-love to their attraction, and a lot of circular push-pull dynamics that got old. The book also lacks an HEA/HFN, making me a little skeptical about whether this really felt like romance.

The fantasy elements worked better for me. The magic and the worldbuilding both held my attention, and the world is complex, full of different strains of power, old gods, strange monsters, and more.

But my biggest issue was that there was just a lot of mess in the plot. There were so many different threads - Gemma's issues with magic, Talan, Gemma's sisters, everything happening with the Mists, the politics and rivalries, necromancers, demons, fae, old gods, etc. - that I had trouble focusing on any one thing, and couldn't figure out what I was supposed to pay the most attention to. I hope that some of these elements will become relevant in the sequels, but I did feel like a lot of plot threads were thrown at the wall to see what would stick.

Still, I'm intrigued enough that I look forward to the sequel, if only to see how so many disparate plots come together.

3.5/5

So anticipated... So hyped... So disappointed that it couldn't match up.
Giving those 3 stars because nothing can match up to the pillar we build when we are excited and imagining all the possibilities... I get that. I just can't help but feel slightly meh because I was truly looking forward to this one being the next best 5 star and it bordered on DNF for me.

It felt very much like a wonderful Romantasy in the making and then the author took a vacation and got sucked into reading a book and sort of decided to take their writing in that direction entirely. Which would be great! Don't get me wrong. You can make that work and drive people crazy in all the best ways. But it was just such an abrupt difference and weird transition that it felt like a screeching halt that we never got started back up after.

Overall, I don't regret reading it. It was cute and did offer some resolution to my questions to some degree, but once you hit that switch over point it feels rushed but also overly tedious and long.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. I was so excited when I got approved for this book, and it didn't disappoint, I have read some mixed reviews for this book but for me I enjoyed it a lot, I liked the plot and the characters and I can't wait to read on with them. 4 stars

A Crown of Ivy & Glass by Claire Legrand is a fresh fantasy about Lady Gemma Ashbourne that seemingly lives in a world of opulence full of fancy events, but all that glitters is not gold. Their world is full of deadly family feuds, complex heartbreaking family history, danger lurking in the woods & a magic-less body that continues to fight itself as though it was made of poison. Then, a handsome stranger that is the sole survivor of his family’s tragic history appears in her life & neither of their lives will ever be the same.

I loved the fact that the main character had s chronic illness. It’s rare to see disability representation, but especially in fantasy books, so that was very exciting! I also thought it was handled in an interesting fashion & how it related to the magic system of their world. I thought the way her chronic pain, unstable energy levels, struggles of self-worth & more relating to her illness were portrayed so well & interwoven seamlessly into the story.

The connection between the main characters was immediate. I also enjoyed the fact that they were both on separate journeys but that their paths crossed in hopes of the betterment of them both.

There were lots of twists & turns, many I was not expecting, which I absolutely love. It did tie up enough I think to satisfy the reader but still left them wanting to come back to read more. The second half of the book tested my ADHD somewhat due to the length of the book. I think this could have been a great standalone book, but I do plan to try out the next in the series.

I am excited to see where this journey goes. & I am always so thankful for more chronic illness, chronic pain & disability representation in books! It means so much to me as a disabled person.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will post to social media on release week & add links once I do!

Pros: I BEAUTIFUL cover, an AMAZING premise. The writing was spectacular, and honestly what kept me going. I did find the story trailed off a few times, but I did enjoy it overall!
The work building was superb, I would read again, as I think it would help me understand it better the second time around (a lot of information)
Loved overall!

This was a tale of two story wound into one. It was pitched as a Bridgerton/ACOTAR mashup, which is fairly accurate. However, the first half of the story was mostly Bridgerton and dragggggged on, and I would have rated it about a 3. The second half really got going, pace wise, and leaned more into the fantasy side and I would have rated that a 5. Average them out and you get a 4 🤷🏼‍♀️ don’t get me wrong, there is magic, fantasy, all of the magical beasts and creatures through out the whole story, but the beginning is not my jam. The FMC comes off as valid, annoying, and pretentious but throughout the book you get to know her more and understand what’s going on with her (chronic illness and panic attacks show up often) the MMC never fully gained my trust, but this is the first of a series, we have time to work on that. I’m particularly interested in finding out more about the sisters’ background and some of the side characters that are giving off sparks, so I will definitely be checking out the next one!

Gemma is from an Anointed family, which means they have strong magic to protect the rest of the land. Well, except for her. Not that it bothers her. She is great at throwing parties and distracting herself though. But this party there is a stranger, a beautiful, dashing, interesting stranger that sweeps her off of her feet. They make a bargain to help each other with their particular problems, but neither are prepared for the quest ahead of them.

Lady Imogen “Gemma” Ashbourne seems to have it all. She's a young, rich and beautiful woman of a family, which was Anointed by the gods and blessed with incredible abilities. However, there is more to her than meets the eye. Years ago, Gemma's sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to be a guard of the priory and protect the human realm of Edyn against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and sister often forget that she exists And worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne who doesn't possess any magic. But that all changes when she meets Talan d'Astier. A charming, sarcastic and criminally handsome man, with a mysterious family history. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honour. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She'll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks by killing the demon. Whilst attacks on the Middlemist are increasing, the plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control, something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan in an all-consuming passion that could destroy her—or show her the true strength of her power at last.

I really liked the premise of this book but, in all honesty, the execution fell a bit flat for me. The characters felt one dimensional and underdeveloped. Gemma came off self absorbed and unlikable and her relationship with Talan felt very insta-love. I don't mind insta love sometimes, if there's enough passion involved for me to believe it but their romance just felt rushed. The pacing of the book in general was off. It was over 500 pages but while the romance felt rushed, the world building dragged. I just didn't feel connected to the mc or the story in the way that I wanted to.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC to read and review.

To be honest, I expected more from this book as it is by Claire Legrand however it does not really meet the expectations. The whole idea seems nice but the execution is a bit lengthy and messy. It has potential but it went to waste in a way.

I listened to the finished audiobook on release day from my local library. I really didn't like the main character at the start of this book. But now that I've finished I already need to know when the next one will be coming out. There was some really excellent character development, as well as, character relationships. I loved the sisters and their parts in the story plot-wise, but the romance was also very, very good. This book is an adult novel, so yes the sex scenes were also very, very good. I think so much happened in the second half of the book that just expanded the whole world that I already was to read it again to see what I might have missed. I definitely recommend this one.

Believe me, giving A Crown of Ivy and Glass three stars was not what I had planned this year. Don't get me wrong, Claire Legrand is an amazing author, but unfortunately, I believe she completely missed out on this book. First of all, classifying this series as Adult was seriously misleading. Not only did the book feel more YA to me, but at times, the writing seemed even more juvenile than typical YA books. Gemma's view and thoughts also felt very young to me, so young, in fact, that when I realized her age, I was surprised that she wasn't seventeen or sixteen. I think a more favorable audience could be acquired by classifying the book as YA instead of misleading readers who typically read more Adult books.

Now, the romance: perhaps I would have been more convinced of Gemma and Talan's relationship had it been drawn out more. Instead, it was quite rushed and had me wholly confused by the fact that they both fell in love so quickly. I was more interested in the dynamics between other characters—like Farrin and Ryder, who so quickly hooked my attention partly because the little bits and pieces really draw a reader in, but also because Gemma and Talan's dynamics did not have any effect on me whatsoever, so I was left craving any developed romance.

Speaking of which, did I think the plot was as well-developed as it could have been? Not at all. It felt predictable to me, and the random plot twists did not work in the book's favor. Given the fact that this is going to be a trilogy, I think some of the information should have been integrated slower, and other information should have been moved into the rest of the series. I just felt that the whole book was a dump of information, which I, personally, did not enjoy.

What I did like in this book was Gemma's chronic pain. It is not often you find a main character who is chronically in pain and does not have this disability magically resolved for the rest of their life. Gemma's battle with fighting to remain mentally optimistic was beautifully done, as well as her path toward healing. This path was full of curves and loops and slopes—in other words, it was evident that healing is never in a straight line. There are times when you feel the best you ever have in terms of your disability, but then you go through a spiral again. The panic attacks were also very well-written, so much so that I felt like this attack was happening in real life to someone nearby and not in the pages (well, digital pages) of a book.

Overall, this is a book I so very much wanted to love, but instead, I ended up feeling disappointed about it. Yes, there were some parts with which I disagreed and plot holes that stuck out to me, but in the end, I was just glad to have finished the book. Would I re-read it? Probably not. Would I read the rest of the trilogy? That depends on what the rest of the trilogy would be about. I definitely think the series could pick up off of the second book and become one that I enjoy, as I had, at first, loved this new and refreshing world-building Legrand had built. However, in the meantime, I am left feeling neutral (albeit sorely disappointed) in A Crown of Ivy and Glass.

_______________

I received an eARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, thank you for granting my wish and providing me with an ARC of this book. I was so excited to read this.

If you were like me, you would have missed the trigger warning and skipped the author's note. There are strong mental health themes (mainly depression and anxiety), suicidal ideation, and discussions and engagement in self-harm.

Themes/Notes:
* Undiscovered magic powers
* High Society
* Pairing out of convenience
* Bittersweet ending
* Barely any spice

This book was 50% High Society drama, then randomly split into complete fantasy. Sure, it was mentioned at the start that magic was divided into the main families, but suddenly, the lore was thrown at you about gods and demons. It was a lot to take in, and it felt like Claire Legrand struggled to merge the high society and fantasy elements nicely.

Enjoying Gemma as the MC was challenging, but that was the point. Gemma deals with chronic pain and poor mental health, everything was a struggle, and that comes with her stuck-up attitude. At the start, she has to build so much resolve to do the smallest of tasks, but as the book goes on, she becomes her own. As the MMC, Talon helps Gemma and makes her feel not alone and supported. He doesn't magically solve her pain which I was glad about not being a plot point.

The plot was all over the place. That was the driving force behind the story coming from three different angles, the middlemist, the feud between families and the underlying demon causing the issues. While they were not all tied together neatly, it was interesting to find how all of the problems came to be and how Talon came to be at Gemma's family estate.

The ending was bittersweet; I hope we see Gemma and Talon again in the next book.