I might just be having high hopes after coming off of reading a great fantasy read, and this one just was not my jam.

I didn't really care about the main characters and the self harm was just not for me in this realm of a book. It was a confusing read and felt like two books in one, but not in a good way.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book. A quarter of the way through the book, I was still struggling to connect with any of the primary characters, so I chose to set the book aside.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. The plot in this story had me fully engrossed from beginning to end and I couldn't put it down. There was quite a lot happening in the story which gave us a blend of high society period drama, fantasy, feuding, curses, magic, romance, magical creatures, demons, warriors, necromancers, mystery and so much more.
The world building was amazing and really well written and played out like a movie in my mind.
We got a diverse cast of interesting characters who were all complex and layered and I felt the author did great job with character development most especially for Gemma. I will admit she annoyed me at the start of the story but her remarkable change from the spoilt, sad and lonely woman suffering with chronic pain, anxiety and panic attacks to the strong resilient woman at the end was quite interesting to watch. Gemma and her sisters were incredible. Each so different I enjoyed reading about them
The romance between Gemma and Talan was passionate and I loved how sweet he was and how he cared for her. These two were perfect together and they really balance each other out.
This is the first book in the Middlemist Trilogy and it really took us on an unexpected adventure. With unexpected twists and turns i enjoyed every moment and can wait for book two. I would highly recommend this novel to lovers of fantasy romance.
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel which was narrated by Evelyn Rose. She did a fantastic job with the characters giving each one their own voice and emotion. Her voice was clear and understandable and she really brought the story to life. It was a pleasure listening to her narrate this novel. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC.

Where do I start?

Crown of Ivy and Glass is about Lady Gemma Ashbourne, the youngest of 3 girls. Gemma, she is lives a charmed life on the surface, BUT, . Gemma is always in pain due to her body’s negative reaction to magic. And the world she lives in is full of magic. She meets Talan d'Astier whose family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon .Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. he and Gemma make a deal: she’ll help him navigate high society, and, in return, he’ll help her track down the demon that started the blood feud between her family and the Basks family.


Everywhere I read, this book was Bridgerton meets ACOTAR. I can see that, but i have to disagree.

Bridgerton and ACOTAR were great stories.

This, was not for me.

The book started off interesting, but by the middle...it was dragging for me. I felt like the pacing, and even the romance was...dull. I could not find it in me to care how it ended.

I saw a lot of DNF's when i went to read other reviews and I can understand how that happened.
The story had so much potential and I really wanted to like it. But in the end it just didn't click for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up (bc math unfortunately).

I've never been more excited to see the words "Book Completed" on my Kindle.

This was a strange novel to rate. The first half was a 2 star. It felt like the author was trying really hard to write to market (and trend). The second half was at least a 3 star because the story finally turned into the dark fantasy that I knew Claire Legrand was very capable of writing. Overall, it felt like two different novels slapped together. I'm honestly not sure what to make of it.

I'll start with what I liked. While I can't personally speak for the chronic pain rep, I felt that it was very well done. Gemma lives in a world steeped in magic, and she suffers from physical pain whenever she's near magic, which is most of the time. The descriptions of her chronic pain were so well written that I could really sympathize with her.

I think that's pretty much all I really liked about the novel tbh.

To start with my dislikes, this novel was unnecessarily long. It took me ~10 hours to read this. While I do love long, drawn out fantasy novels, this one felt like it needed several more passes through a developmental editor. It could've been pared down without hurting the storyline.

I also felt like it needed to be beta read by readers with a critical eye. It seriously felt like a first novel by a new author trying to break into the NA fantasy niche. I've read a couple of Claire Legrand's novels and I know that she's capable of something much better.

I hated the writing. It was *the* definition of purple prose. There are paragraphs upon paragraphs with detailed descriptions of clothes, down to the patterns, collar style, buttons, etc. Why was this necessary? Literally NONE of it was necessary.

There was also so much meaningless info dumping. Sometimes it was hard to sift through and tell which was important and which was frivolous info. It read like a teenager's first fanfic. Jfc.

A lot of the first 50% of the novel felt very long and drawn out. It seems that a lot of reviewers DNF in this section, which honestly, I don't blame them. The FMC wasn't relatable at all. Even with her chronic pain and panic attacks, it was still hard to sympathize with such a vapid and extremely vain character who loved talking about her appearance and how she was Lady Imogen Ashbourne, Queen of Frippery (the last 3 words are my moniker for her). It was exhausting.

The romance was both very insta love and extremely codependent, two things I absolutely despise. It was love at first sight, and Gemma was quite willing to give up family secrets to some guy she just met. It was honestly cringe. Then it turned out that he can use his powers to dull her chronic pain (and he's the only person who can do this). While she doesn't explicitly depend on him for pain relief, it sets up an unhealthy dependency.

There's one POC-coded side character, Illaria, who's supposedly Gemma's best friend. But all Gemma does is take advantage of her kindness. She doesn't listen to Illaria's warnings and was totally fine with Illaria cutting ties because she's so in love with Talan that she'd pick some guy she just met over her best friend.

Gemma is literally the worst kind of friend. Ugh.

The second half of the novel (and my review) contains spoilers.


***SPOILER ALERT***


The huge reveal with Talan was extremely predictable. It opened up a huge plothole where I kept wondering if the Big Bad, Kilraith (lol @ the name), would spy on our ~heroes through Talan, which Talan mentioned was a thing, but Gemma and co. just dragged him along on their adventures and revealed everyone's secrets. It made no sense. Everyone just went along with Gemma's ideas without any critical thinking. And this counts for ALL of her ideas, not just fully trusting Talan because he's ~The One~.

So, the whole fae revelation came out of nowhere. I searched on my Kindle and there was only one mention of fae in the first half, and it was from a throwaway description of Gemma's friend, Gareth's, specialty in arcana and lore. There was literally no lead up at all. Suddenly, we find out that Gemma and her sisters might be fae. It came way too late in the game.

I won't lie, the fae thing felt like a cop out. Like the author remembered that fae and anything related to fae is the trendy thing nowadays, so why not add it in?


***END SPOILER ALERT***


Other than that, I actually didn't mind the second half of the novel, which was a lot of dark fantasy with Gemma showing some actual character growth. If more elements of the second half were in the first half, then I might've actually liked the entire novel.

But it is what it is.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this arc.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the universe and the world-building. I also like that the main character struggles with anxiety. I was confused at times about where the plot was heading. I also disliked the back-and-forth parts of the romance at times. It felt like every time they stepped forward in their relationship, they took a million steps back for no reason. I would have liked a little more depth in their relationship, but I did enjoy the book. I am very curious as the what will happen in the next book.

3 ⭐️

I’ve never read anything by this author before but this book was marketed to fans of Bridgerton and ACOTAR which intrigued me.

The first half of the book was 2 stars and felt really drawn out to me. The setting and themes definitely reflect the Bridgerton and ACOTAR references however it felt like the plot kept going in a repetitive circle and there wasn’t much character growth. In the second half, the plot picked up speed tremendously and I was fully captivated until the end. One main character still didn’t seem to have any growth to me but despite this, the second half was 4.5 stars. It’s the first in a trilogy and I will definitely read the second book.. I just can’t omit from my review that you will likely have to push through half of a 560 page book to get to the greatness in this story.

Read if you like:
✨Fantasy genre
✨Romantasy
✨Magic and magical creatures
✨Long books and series
✨Slow burns

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC in exchange for a review!

Unfortunately, this book is a DNF for me. I’m 20% into A Crown of Ivy and Glass and I can not get into the story or the characters. I would continue if I felt a connection to Gemma, but she is self absorbed and immature. I want to feel badly for her as she does suffer from a chronic illness, I just haven’t liked her personality at all. The world is so intriguing and I love the high society details, where it’s almost as if Bridgerton had magic.

I might give this book another chance one day but at this moment it’s not for me.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the e arc of this book**

I was definitely excited and surprised to receive this copy and couldn’t wait to dive back into the author’s second series although i have yet to finish her last one XD.

With this book, i loved how we got to be introduced to a new world with new characters with each of them have their own way of doing things though there were times i did question their motives during the story. I always enjoyed her writing style which i still continue to enjoy.

Although there were times i felt this story was going a bit too slow at its own pace, it was a mix of action and romance that i didn’t mind. Did i think this could’ve cut down to less than 560 pages? At times yes which hence why it did take awhile to finish but I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen in book 2.

A love letter to chronic pain sufferers. The concept for this book is startlingly fresh and for that alone I have to give it a minimum of 4 stars. I found myself wanting more from Gemma's sisters and the rest of the cast which I feel is a testament to the character development and the world that Claire Legrand has built but I wish we'd gotten more. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Kind of a predictable twist but also one I never saw coming (so I guess it cancels out?) Interesting blend of explicit candor but actually not that much spice. I enjoyed it though. I cannot wait for the other sisters' stories!!! Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC.

A Crown of Ivy and Glass is an interesting high-fantasy novel. It was slow to catch my attention but I am glad I persevered. Blood feuds, mystery, magic and more! This novel has something for everyone.

Such a good read! I really couldn’t get enough of it! From the very start I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down!

This book was good; however, it felt so long. I loved the narration and such, but the book just dragged for me. I'm not sure why, which I know doesn't help as far as feedback goes. Maybe it was a pacing issue? But the narration was so beautifully written. I always fall in love with the way Claire writes. And the story was good, it just took me forever to finish it.

Sadly I dnf-ed at 23%.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and no one is sadder then I that this has happened.

First the good - the mc has an chronic illness, and the representation is good. I liked this aspect of the book.

Now what I didn't enjoy. Instalove may be my worst trope, and this just dives right in. I found the characters lacking in chemistry, and the instalove was so SUDDEN. I don't know, it just gave me the ick. Meanwhile, the plot drags on, I wish it had been reversed.

The MC Gemma, is the most unlikable character ever. I understand that she probably goes through a epic character growth throughout the book, but the fact that the love interest finds her charming in anyway as is, not believable imo. I see no redeeming qualities in her.

The writing was lovely, but the plot was a bit everywhere, I found it hard to follow at times. Huge info dumps, combined with multiple storyline and cringe romance. It wasn't it for me.

I have enjoyed Clare Legrands other books, but this wasn't it for me. I hope that these delays in release means the author has gone back and done some revisions.

Thanks to netgalley and the Publisher for the Arc.

I was not vibing with this book till about halfway in when the story picked up. Gemma's character could be very annoying at times. Her and Talan's relationship didn't have any substance and I really wasn't rooting for them. Once the adventure started, I was hooked. The supporting characters were very intriguing. I will likely continue the series for that reason alone. I did love the unique magic system and the setting of the book. I think it would have been more enjoyable if the first half of the book was half as long. 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4.

I really wanted to love this book, but I was disappointed.

Imogen "Gemma" Ashbourne, is the middle child of her three sisters. She is a young, rich and beautiful woman who comes from a powerful family. Her family were part of a group called the Anointed, people who were blessed by the gods to have special powers. At first we think, what more could she want? We soon find out though that while everyone around her has a special power Gemma not only doesn't have a power, magic hurts her. Every time Gemma is around magic, her body starts shutting down. It causes her severe pain and because of it she feels like an outcast. This part of the storyline I enjoyed, I thought it was going to be a slow novel about Gemma finding love and her powers while working with the main male love interest Talan, but I was wrong. I also felt as though Gemma was a very unlikeable character. There was just something about her that made me never feel bad for her even though she has had to face several hardships. What I did enjoy in this book was the relationship between her sisters. You can tell they all truly care for each other and we get to see their relationship evolve chapter by chapter.

This book has many twists and turns that happen suddenly. There are several important scenes in the book that occur with no build up. The sudden scene changes confused me and I felt as I reached the halfway mark that I was reading two different books. I wish this book had more structure. I really wanted to like this since I truly enjoy fantasy romance books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I was so disappointed in this book. A two star rating was generous because the writing was jumbled, the plot lacked direction, and the characters were insufferable. I was so looking forward to this one, and I'm so sad I didn't like it.

I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but two thumbs way down for this one.

Rating: 2⭐️

The story starts strong but loses momentum halfway through, with an uneven pace that rushes romance and drags out certain elements. Though the ending sparks curiosity, overall, the book fails to meet my expectations. Evelyn Rose's narration in the audiobook adaptation, however, is a delightful experience, showcasing impeccable pacing and skillful use of tones and inflections that breathe life into the characters and enhance the storytelling, resulting in an enjoyable listening experience.

A Crown Of Ivy And Glass is an engaging, action-packed fantasy romance and a wonderful adult debut by Claire Legrand,
I haven't ready any other novels by this author, so I had no expectations going in. What I got was a dark and twisty story full of magic, monsters, curses, but also love, friendship and family! I think it was pitched as Bridgerton meets ACOTAR, and I totally caught some vibes. But in my opinion it is much darker, especially with the mental health rep.
The heroine is a deeply unhappy woman who is suffering from a "magic allergy" so to speak, and in addition to that from panic attacks. She copes with her physical and mental issues by losing herself in parties and pleasures, and in her worst hours she harms herself and even dreams of ending her life. Until she meets a handsome stranger who gives her hope that she can be "fixed".
I don't know what that says about me. but I really liked Gemma :D Her struggles were dark, and she was definitely flawed, but I loved her character development. A lot of people on Goodreads said there was no development for her, but I don't know what they expected. For me, development doesn't mean that the character becomes perfect by the end. Some issues cannot be magically fixed, even in fantasy world. And the subtle mention of "therapy" was really nice :)
I enjoyed the plot a lot. Yes, in the first 50% there is a lot of things happen that don't really get an explanation until the big twist is revealed. That didn't bother me at all, as it did in ACOTAR, for example. The story is complex, and the world is vast and very rich. I did guess the twist, and I was happy that it was what I thought - it explained a lot and I was completely onboard with the rest of the story. The last chapters are so packed with action that they had me at the edge of my seat in the bus :D
The romance was a crucial part of the story, but not the most interesting for me. I yelled at Gemma many times for her bad decisions concerning the love interest, but in the end they turned out to be right decisions. If the book makes me scream at a character, that means I care :D
I loved all the side characters and can't wait to read the second book, because I think I know who will be its heroes. I squealed every time there was the slightest hint of something going on between them.
Ah, the writing! I loved it, it was so visual, I could imagine everything. And now I really want this to be a movie or a series!
Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy romance immensely, and I don't even read that much fantasy!

I love this completely awesome magic system. The atmosphere was spot on and these characters sucked me in yo this series immediately. I can’t wait for the next book so that I can get back to this world!