Overall, I did enjoy reading this story.

It did start off with a little more exposition than I thought was necessary. I think the exposition in the beginning could have been spread out a bit more in between certain moments and scenes in the book but I do appreciate Legrand trying to ground us in this world.

There were also times I had a hard time empathizing with the main character, Gemma, as I felt there were a lot of “woe is me” moments that just carried on for too long. However, I do think the way mental health issues like anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm were addressed in a way that was genuinely empathetic.

All in all, the book did pick up towards the end I’m terms of pace I was fascinated by this world and the setting. I would like to see where these characters go next and maybe see if we get to know the other characters a little more.

I disliked the main character right from the beginning, which I couldn't get over. She was too selfish and came across as spoiled, even though she suffered ailments and alienation. I could not empathize with her to give her the benefit of the doubt because she was too horrible of a character. I'm assuming she changes for the better at some point, but I couldn't get there and had to DNF at about 20%. There was also too many sexual references without emotion tied to them and too much ogling of the male lead where she had to restrain herself. Too immature for my taste. At first I thought this was a YA book, and thought there was way too much sexual talk for that. Then I realized it was an adult fantasy, but it read too much like YA and didn't feel right. I'm sure others will enjoy this book, it was just not for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This fantasy has an interesting magic system and convincing world building. The main character was confusing and erratic, but by the end she seemed to have herself sorted out a bit better. I found it difficult at times to empathize with her - she would talk about how difficult and distant her family was, and then she’d make completely selfish and irresponsible choices that hurt or endangered the people she loved. And each time they would patch her back up, That said, I’m invested enough that I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next in the series.

I tried; I reallly tried to like this novel. It seemed to have everything I love about fantasy novels. But I just couldn't keep getting over what a whiny b*thcy character Gemma was and what a stick-up-the-butt Talon was (borrowed that name from another author, did we???).

This book reads more like a young teenager novel, but then sex gets involved.

I could NOT finish this book and keep my sanity.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

Intoxicating! Claire Legrand weaves such a spell of a story with its twists and turns, fiery romance, and other-worldly wonders; it’s so difficult to put down. Ready for a sequel!

Truly unique characters that had such depth and emotion. I would have enjoyed seeing more of an unreliable narrater or more points of view. Still a very fun story and plot that touch on serious issues that affect many people in the real world.

In this magical world, we have Lady Gemma who is pretty much abandoned by her family; she goes through society thinking that she wants it all. However, she does not possess magic and is limited by her abilities. However, she meets Talan, a mysterious, handsome young man who brings with him issues that she needs desperately to fix, for herself and her family.

Having read previous books by Claire Legrand, I was expecting more or less the same. However there were too many incongruities in the storyline to make sense and it distracted me in a way that I could not feel the characters and their dilemmas. So many twists and turns, it seems we go forth one way with Talan, and then, two steps back. Many times I wondered how the characters could think and do what the author described. I am still interested in reading the sequel with the feuding families. Will it be a fantasy Romeo and Juliet?

For fans of Sarah J Maas, Jennifer L Armentrout, and Robin LaFevers, this adult fantasy will take you on a steamy romp into the darker side of passion, trauma, and magic.
Imogen, known as Gemma, is the only non-magical member of her gods-gifted family. Her father and middle sister granted incredible strength and fighting skills, her eldest sister gifted with the ability to stop anyone in their tracks with her enchanting voice - and Gemma, whose is debilitated being in the mere presence of magic. She has been handled like a fragile, and uselessly decorative, object her whole life. But when the appearance of a mysterious stranger arrives at her family's manor seeking aid, even while a long-running feud between her family and northern wilding family, the Basks, reaches a fever pitch of cruelty and violence, Gemma is yanked into intrigue and danger. Demons, monsters, curses, necromancers, and more await!
I just reviewed A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand. #NetGalley

This was a nice update on the series and I’m so so so so very glad I got into this series because it was AMAZING. I can’t wait for the sequel !

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

This book was not what I expected. I was hoping for more Bridgerton vibes but it fell flat.

The main character was off putting. I understand she was supposed to be a morally gray character but it just fell flat. Gemma complained a lot and she even knew she did. The things that were meant to endear her to us instead made me more exasperated. She ignored a lot of red flags and as the reader it was frustrating. Also magic making her ill just didn’t flow well? Sometimes she would be in pain and other times it was like she didn’t notice.

Talan is the typically dreamy male counterpart. He has no personality until about 60-70% in the book. It was easy to tell something didn’t fit with him as Gemma was instantly in love with him. He kind of came and went. Which didn’t make much sense.

Overall I enjoyed the world and magic in this book. I think there were some major turn offs (her allergic to magic, the father situation, the revenants, her sisters). I don’t really know what to expect for book 2 as I don’t really know what the over arching plot will be. There were too many sub plots in my opinion. So the reader felt like they were pulled in too many directions.

I was prepared to really like this book. the premise was intriguing - a young woman from a magical family who becomes ill around magic. But I had trouble getting into it, It did not engage me and the story did not flow. I also found the main character to be unlikable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have not read anything previously by this author, but with this book alone, I’d be likely to not read anything else which is a huge bummer because the blurb and synopsis of this book really sounded so exciting. I noticed that other reviewers have felt similarly, but have said that the author’s other books are worth the time so I won’t write them off entirely.

This is supposed to be an adult debut, but it truly felt juvenile. You wouldn’t be able to tell it isn’t YA until you read the mature scenes and that isn’t a good indicator for me. The FMC was wholly unlikable and not in a fun way. I didn’t relate to her and the romance didn’t have a good spark for me.

I was given this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really do not enjoy writing bad reviews, but... here I go.

The idea for the plot was really neat, so I was initially excited to get my hands on it. A book about a girl who gets physically ill around magic while the rest of her family can wield their own power with ease? A hot mystery guy who needs help regaining honor to his family’s name? A deadly feud between two powerful families? Sounds interesting! Unfortunately, this book, in my opinion, was poorly executed. The writing style felt extremely juvenile despite its target audience being 18+.

The protagonist, Gemma, was incredibly obnoxious. I do not think I have ever been so disappointed in/annoyed with a main character in my life. There was too much back and forth between “I am so stunning everyone loves me *wink*” to “oh my gosh look how ugly I am let me make sure everyone knows how sad I feel.” As someone who has battled with self-harm, I was irked with how her struggle was portrayed. It made me cringe, it made me angry, and it felt entirely too forced. I appreciate the desire to portray this very real side of mental illness, but I think it could have been done more naturally and without romanticizing pain.

In addition, the dialog, particularly between Gemma and Talan, was cringeworthy. Two seconds after these two meet, they are tenderly kissing cheeks and foreheads and calling each other “darling” and “love.” Nope. I am not a fan of insta-love, but I can usually move past my preferences if the story and the connection is illustrated well. I could not swallow the pill so easily in this story.

There is nothing left to say, other than I think this book needs to be revised before publishing.

Umm… I enjoyed it… but I am still not really sure what was going on…. There was not a very clear outline and I am not sure if I just didn’t pick up on it or what…

I found myself skin reading to stay engaged… I am not exactly sure that I will continue with this series.

Couldn’t get into the book despite being very interested. Main character was very selfish and whiny which made it difficult to engage with the novel.

First, there was A Court of Thorns and Roses. Then, there was From Blood and Ash. Now, there is A Crown of Ivy and Glass.

Synopsis (no spoilers)
Gemma Ashbourne appears to have it all; stunning good looks, riches beyond measure and a social life unrivaled in all of Edyn. But all that glitters is not gold, and behind the shiny visage, Gemma hides secrets; some she knows, some she doesn't. A handsome stranger, a painful magic and a demonic influence threaten to bury Gemma beneath everything she's ever run from and leave her wondering if that wouldn't be the worst thing.

As a huge fan of fantasy stories, A Crown of Ivy and Glass ticked every single box for me. From spectacular, fast paced action, a tender love story, strong, brave female characters, fun side kicks (Gareth!), this book was a feast for the mind from the first page to the last.

I almost felt that this story could be an allegory for any young woman of this day and age. Like so many of us, Gemma struggles with violent anxiety and deals with it in a number of unhealthy ways I am sure many reads can empathize or even connect with. Her confrontation of "demons" both literal and figurative felt very real to someone like me, who also has a generalized anxiety disorder and struggles with panic. To watch Gemma grow and use her strengths, weak as they may seem in the beginning, and find herself and her power, was so invigorating and validating for anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety.
Claire Legrand's debut adult novel is a triumph. The first of a trilogy, it is tremendously exciting, full of exquisite beauty and pain in equal measure, characters you fall in love with and villains in every form (wink wink).

I, unfortunately, had to DNF around 30%. I couldn’t force myself to keep going. The concept and magic system are amazing. But the storyline started to stagnate after a fairly intense beginning. The friendships and relationships weren’t fleshed out well. I appreciated the chronic pain rep as someone with chronic pain, but the plot wasn’t strong enough to keep me interested. Thank you for the galley.

First off, thanks so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an ARC of this book! I was so excited when I received it in the mail, as it’s been sitting pretty high on my wishlist of books to read in 2023. I wasn’t Legrand’s most ardent fan with her YA trilogy (I found that it began to fall into a few too many YA fantasy tropes for my preference), but there was never any question regarding her overall skill as an author. Her writing always came across as supremely confident and competent. That made me all the more excited to check out her first foray into adult fantasy, especially adult fantasy romance! Let’s dive in!

Gemma has grown up with a very priveleged existence: rich, beautiful, and a member of one of the most powerful families in the land. But, at the same time, Gemma has always felt herself to be on the outside looking in. Not only does she not possess any of the magical talent that her family is known for, and that both of her older sisters excel at in their own ways, but magic actively hurts Gemma, causing her to move through life in a very magical world experiencing constant levels of pain. When Gemma meets Talan, a young man who also feels that he exists outside the strictures of society, she finally begins to see a way forward, teaming up with him to hunt a powerful demon who may be the answer to her struggles with magic. But along the way, she begins to suspect that there is much more going on with Talan and the larger world as a whole.

So, I’ll be honest, I’ve had this post started for a few weeks now and every time I pull it up to actually write my review, I become super intimidated and find excuses to do other things. Mostly this is because I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this book! I have some extremely opposing feelings about almost every part of it. But one thing I think I can confidently start with is one of the things I referred to in my introduction: this author knows how to write. I immediately felt drawn into this world and these characters. As the story progressed, the magic and world itself felt as if it was unrolling before me, presenting more and more insights into the world-building that was on a much more grandiose scale than I had originally thought. Regardless of anything else in this review, the appeal of Legrand’s prose is enough to keep me reading this trilogy going forward.

But where my opinions become more divided is with the characters and the pacing of this story. Let’s start with the pacing and plotting. This book was blurbed as “Bridgerton meets ACOTAR.” Maybe I should have know right from there that I would be conflicted about this book! I mean, I really enjoy Bridgerton and I absolutely loathe ACOTAR. And I can confirm that both of those references feel very on point and accurate to what you’ll get if you pick up this book. I’ll even go as far as to say that the ACOTAR aspects were by no means as frustrating to me as ACOTAR itself. Indeed, I very much liked these parts of the story! No, the problem came in a very unique way. The book almost literally feels as if it has been split down the middle by these two comparisons. The first half is Bridgerton, with fantastical balls, social hierarchies, fancy gowns, and romance. And then, boom! The second half hits and we’re full on ACOTAR with magical barriers and fantasy creatures and magical systems. And, again, I enjoyed this half too! The problem is that, overall, it left the book feeling very disjointed and created a jarring reading experience. I was all down for the regency fantasy, and then it was like a bait and switch to suddenly be dropped down into a much more “traditional” fantasy setting. And due to the fact that much of the plot really takes place in the second half, I was left feeling as if the book could have been edited down quite a bit from the Bridgerton stuff of the beginning, as much as I liked it on its own.

Now, to the characters. First, I think that Legrand did an excellent job of portraying the experiences and life of someone who lives with chronic pain. Gemma is very straight-forward with her struggles while also never becoming self-pitying. She is frustrated with her limitations, while also not belittling herself. I also really like the way this aspect of her character plays out over the entire arc of the book. Unfortunately, that was about all I liked about Gemma. I get that the author was very intentionally writing this character as rather frivolous and selfish; indeed, Gemma herself comments on these aspects of her personality. And I think the book used these traits to also do a great job of diving into self-loathing and self-harm. But over the course of the book, while Gemma does experience growth, I still struggled to really like her or feel invested in her story.

But, here comes the other side of the character issue: I REALLY liked both of her sisters. Honestly, fairly quickly into the book I realized that I was mostly reading on for the glimpses we get of these two and trying to piece together the stories we’ll get from them. I was even more invested into the glimpses of what I can only guess will be the central romance for one of the sisters than I was in Gemma’s own romance. There, too, I struggled with Gemma’s story. Talan felt very one-note when he was first introduced. And then as he went on, he had a few scenes that made him incredibly unlikable. The story does go on to make this a fairly central part of the plot, but it’s hard to recover from on the romance front when the author sets the reader on a path of questioning and disliking the romantic hero from the very start.

So, overall, this was a very mixed bag for me. I think, in the end, I didn’t end up loving this book. But, BUT!, on the other hand, I’m supremely invested in the next book in this series and can’t wait to get my hands on it! Given the nature of my complaints with this book, they all feel of the very specific sort that won’t be a problem in the books going forward. Both sisters seem like much more interesting characters than Gemma. The romantic interest/plot for one of them is already laid out and is incredibly appealing. And I think the world-building is now established enough that we won’t have the same plotting/pacing issue going forward where the tone is unclear between Bridgerton or ACOTAR. So, all of this to say, while I did struggle with this book, I do recommend it for fantasy romance readers based on my faith that the trilogy will turn out to be well worth it as a whole.

Rating 7: A very mixed bag for this book specifically, but I was definitely sold on the concept and anxiously await the next entry in the trilogy!

Link will go live in May

I enjoyed this story! I haven't read the other popular series by this author so I went into this with no expectations. I have heard from other readers that they were let down, but that was not my experience. I really enjoyed this story. My only complaint would be the pacing. It felt slow at some points and then all of a sudden really picked up. If that's not your style, you may need to skip.

It was a great book and very enjoyable. Good start for a series. I thought it flowed well with an interesting characters. The storyline was unique.