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.

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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.

Welcome to a world of myth and mystery. Claire Legrand has woven an intricate tale of fantasy and magic. Following a wealthy, magical family, the Ashbournes, we are introduced to three sisters. This first installment is centered around Lady Imogene "Gemma" Ashbourne, the youngest, who unlike the rest of her family, has no magic. Her older, middle sister, Mara, has taken her place as a guard of the priory of Rosewarren. On one of the family's monthly visits, Gemma discovers that her sister is a shapeshifter that protects the human world from evil magic.

We are introduced to the family, their magic and struggles. They have been feuding with another family for a long time, and we see how this obsession can blind them. Of course, there is a romance element to the tale when Talan d'Astier is introduced to Gemma. He is on a mission to redeem his family, and Gemma is determined to help him. All the while, she is discovering something that has been hidden deep within herself.

What I loved about this novel, and look forward to more in the series, is the family saga and how they navigate high society while also dealing with magic, feuding, facing unimaginable evil, and discovering their true selves. Gemma is taken on a journey where she not only finds love but also realizes her self worth.

If you love an epic fantasy, then A Crown of Ivy and Glass is for you. Stay tuned for more in the Middlemist series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I truly wanted to get behind this book, but unfortunately it just did not keep my attention. I received an ARC of the audiobook and from the beginning I had a hard time getting behind the narrator. The main character, Gemma, is already pretty unlikeable and a wispy voice did not help. I found the characters around her, namely her sisters, much more exciting and wished I was following their story first instead of hers. Also, I was never really into the Talen relationship or the spice, he is off the whole time and if I were him I would really hate Gemma...shes incredibly annoying with him from the start.

With all the being said what I did like was the overall world building and if subsequent books follow her sisters that is a book I can get behind and would be much more interested in reading. I am not giving up on Claire Legrand books and I have high hopes for future installments.

Okay this is sad, I really wished I like this one, I have very high expectation, but unfortunately this is miss for me.

What I like: it has a very good premise, the main character's body rejected magic in a world of magic, it's really intriguing.

What I don't like:
- the fmc, I hate her from the first chapter, I can't stand her, she's so annoying, I temped to dnf because of her, I don't understand her at all, she's complaining all the time and kinda arrogant.
- the romance, usually I'm kinda okay with instalove but I'm not okay with this, they just met and then boom they're acting like a couple, I don't feel the spark, I don't get the romance.
- too much happening, dragging in the middle and then boom I got all the answers, it defintely rushed in the end.

recommended: well it's not for me, but if it's something that picked your interest go for it, maybe you will like it more than I do.

I really wanted to enjoy reading this but it fell a little flat for me... it didn't hook me in as I thought it might have. There was a lot that went on throughout the whole book and I felt confused about the events occurring and the development of the story. It was insta-love which I think was another reason I did not enjoy it as much.

However, if you love an insta-love story with magic and secrets then this one might be for you!

I would like to thank the author and publisher for the ARC of this book.

I had a hard time rating this book negatively because I wanted to like it and was looking forward to this book. The main character Gemma acts in a way as though she deserves every good thing that happens to her. It gives off Lucy from Peanuts Christmas.

We learn at the beginning that Gemma was intended to be given away at the beginning of the book however she is negotiated to be swapped for her sister. Gemma shows no sorrow for her sister being given away and acts as though she had nothing to do with the turn of events. Instead there were multiple comments about her lavish life which grow my dislike for the main character.

The discussion on her sex life throughout the book was cringe inducing. Overall disappointing start, but I am hoping for more redemption later in the series

I've been championing this book since the pandemic days, when Claire Legrand's newsletter teased that something big was in the works, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of A Crown of Ivy and Glass (especially with the recent publication delays pushing the release date back).

From the very first chapter, Legrand's writing style and worldbuilding pulled me in. In classic Legrand fashion, her writing is gorgeously evocative and haunting, and I love her return to a first-person POV....and I love having Gemma as a narrator. Legrand always writes complicated female characters so beautifully, and Lady Imogen (Gemma) Ashbourne is no exception. Gemma is a 20 year old daughter of an Anointed family, and is the only one of her family members not blessed with the magic of the gods. Instead, Gemma experiences excruciating pain in the presence of magic and debilitating panic attacks, but her pain doesn't make her some kind of saint. She's often unlikeable, selfish, juvenile, and self-loathing, all of which make her deeply human, and deeply relatable to me, a twentysomething woman with chronic pain. The chronic illness representation here is some of the best I've ever read, and I adore that Legrand never writes in some kind of magical cure-all, even when it seems it might go in that direction.

I also adore the turns that this story takes. Although the first half feels very much like Bridgerton, it very quickly goes off the rails in the best way and begins my favorite part of the book. I won't spoil anything, but if you've read Legrand, you know the dark and creative directions she goes in. All I'm going to say is when Gemma discovers her father's greenway (a magical passage between portions of their world), I literally could not put this book down, and when a twist involving her lover, Talan, happens about 70% of the way through, I audibly gasped.

And speaking of Talan, I've seen a lot of hate/indifference towards him here, and I can't say I completely disagree. If there is one very minor flaw I have with this book, it's that Talan and Gemma can feel insta-lovey at times. I don't think it's unrealistic -- when you get to the twist, you'll find out why he falls for her so fast, but I can also see her attraction to him. I mean, a sexy empath who takes your pain away if you ask? Sign me up, please. Still, I think part of the insta-lovey feel is due to the pacing. Apparently, their whirlwind romance takes place over two months, but nothing indicates the time skip, so I felt it was all happening in weeks. I'm certain other readers felt the same.

Still, that's a very minor flaw in the grand scheme of things (in my book) and didn't detract from my love of this book or my love of the series in the least. Based on Legrand's newsletter, it seems like the next book in the series will be from Farrin's point of view, and (I'm hoping) her romance with mortal enemy, Ryder Bask. I adored the hints of tension and backstory I got between Farrin and Ryder -- probably even more than I liked Gemma and Talan!

I cannot wait to pick up my physical copy of this book and I eagerly await the rest of the series. I never thought I'd love a Legrand series more than the Emperium trilogy, but so far, this is winning out over Furyborn.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, SourcebooksCasa, and Claire Legrand for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately this book didn't do it for me. I felt like the plot was very slow moving, the writing was juvenile, and it just didn't pull me in the way I had hoped. It just was not the book for me.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass – Claire Legrand



I was given an advanced copy of this story through Net Galley in order to provide an honest review.

Claire Legran is an American author who use to work as a public librarian. Her other works include the Empirium Trilogy and Thornlight – mainly children’s novels. A Crown of Ivy and Glass is her first adult story.



Lady Gemma Ashbourne is a young daughter of a wealthy household – yes, her mother is gone, seemingly fled when she was young but it’s not all bad. There are balls and parties to organise and attend. Nevermind the constant sickness and pain that racks her body from being surrounded by so much magic.

Her family was one of the few Annointed by the gods and blessed with magical power, well all of them except her. Her father is a Sentinel – strong and blessed with fighting abilities. Her sister Farrin is blessed with musical magic that can enrapture all those around. Her sister Mara was taken away when she was young to join the Roses, to help guard the Middlemist against any dangers that lurk there and treacherous magic.

Then one evening a mysterious young gentleman, Talan, happens to visit her home. Claiming to come from a formerly disgraced family, the young lad is seeking to do a business deal with her father and regain his family’s former good reputation.

Then Gemma fell in love with this Talan, but like most great loves, he was not who he said he was - he had secrets lurking beneath his pretty exterior. He had promised a solution to her affliction, a course that would get them both everything they had ever wanted.

Yet her decision to love and trust Talan, set them both down a very dangerous path that would either give them everything they want or kill them in the process.



“A Crown of Ivy and Glass” is a fantasy story that had a novel idea and an interesting world but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought it would. At times the story moved fast and there was lots on information to absorb and take in and yet at other times it was really slow paced and hard to push on through it. It’s a shame because it is such a great concept for a fantasy series - I feel for the next instalment in the series if the author works on their pacing of the story – the progression of events and how much information is given for the reader to absorb they could really have something on their hands.

DNF a few chapters in, will not be posting review publicly. did not like the MC at all, and did not find the story intriguing.

Good premise but the execution was lacking. Slow to get into and unnecessarily confusing and the world building needed more streamlining to making it clear. Didn’t hook me from the start unfortunately

I have not previously read anything by Claire Legrand but the Bridgeton meets ACOTAR vibes this book was pitched with was right up my alley. I sadly didn't really end up enjoying this book and felt myself often skipping pages and just trying to get through it.

my main struggles with this book were first, the MC. She is unlikeable in a way that sometimes I can deal with if there is some character arc but I felt like she didn't change at all by the end of it and didn't really end up with a lot of redeeming qualities either. She felt way too juvenile for an adult book. I did appreciate her Chronic pain rep though and really wish she had ended up being more likeable.

2nd, the love interest was way too much of an insta love for me. I wanted slow burn (especially when trying to compare it to Acotar) and I just didn't get the chemistry between the two. I also just felt like he was sketchy from the start and maybe that's why I felt no connection there.

I personally didn't mind the pacing but I did find that this book really didn't need to be as long as it was. It could have used some scene cutting and fluff removable as it did sometimes feel unnecessary. I also felt the writing style was good and I am still interested in reading other books by Claire, but I don't think I will be continuing this series.

Overall I felt there was really potential here, but somewhere a long the way that got lost and I wish this book hadn't left me really expecting more. It felt like the editor did not spend any time in shaping this book and just slapped an ok sticker on it without reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcesbooks Casablanca for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars
This was unfortunately disappointing for me. The narrative was juvenile for a supposedly adult book, and I honestly felt no connection to the characters or the story. I've heard great things about this author, and it's too bad that this seems to have missed the mark for most fans.


Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for access to this arc.