⭐⭐⭐

Kill Your Darlings presents an intriguing premise with a unique blend of fantasy and introspection. Following an author who finds herself within her own story, the exploration of mental health and inner strength is poignant. While the writing is creative and the concept engaging, the execution sometimes felt uneven, with supporting characters lacking depth. The metafictional elements are interesting, but I wished for more balance in character development alongside the protagonist’s journey. Overall, it’s a compelling idea that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but still worth a read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. #KillYourDarlings #NetGalley

Although I was a bit bored at the start, because the fantasy had pretty common elements of what I usually read, when the story got deeper, it went all the way down to the really hard to read depth. It touches on heavy topics like depression, self worth assessment issues, suicide ideation. There were very hard to read parts, when I bawled my eyes out. What makes it even harder to read, is that you can really feel that the author based some of these feelings on her own.

I really liked the base idea of an author getting stuck in her own fantasy world and the conclusion of the story is with hope and positivity, so if you are at the place right now where you can read heavy topics like these, I'd recommend reading this book.

This book is definitely not for everyone, it was weird and very confusing at times but I had a good time with it if I didn't take the plot too seriously. The characters and side characters were interesting and well-rounded. The writing was sometimes difficult to get through, and that can turn some people off. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good bok.

I have never been more angry at an author ever when reading a book but after reading this, I was literally questioning what the hell was she thinking? I am so happy I am going to be harsh but honestly this book put me in a reading slump. The only reason I finished this book was because I received this book from #NetGalley for a an honest review but never have I waited for a book to end than this one. The story made absolutely no sense especially in the last 60%.
The female lead was trying to the typical not like other girls but she had to be cool, win everyone over as well as the love interest and have special powers even when she didn't have any. like dude!!! what?
just awful!

I really enjoyed this book. To be honest, I couldn't predict any of the events in the books. This book was so engaging and interesting. I love to read books about transmigration, and this book didn't disappoint me. There are numerous strong characters in this book, and it is one of the strong points of this book.

Thank you to L.E. Harper for the thoughtful and kind foreword.

I only read chapter 1 but I can tell this book will be extremely niche and will likely not appeal to a broad audience. We will not be purchasing for our libraries. However, the people who love this? I can see this book gaining a cult following.

5 stars - self publishing is hard.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shivnath Productions for the ARC.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this! It just wasn’t for me. I struggled to connect with the characters, although the plot was an interesting premise!! I really like when books cover mental health but something about this did not hit with me

"Kill Your Darlings" by L.E. Harper takes readers on a captivating journey into the intertwined worlds of reality and fantasy. As someone who battles with depression myself, I found Kyla's struggles to be deeply relatable. Harper's portrayal of mental illness is both honest and empathetic, making Kyla a compelling protagonist from the start.

The concept of being transported into one's own fictional world is intriguing, and Harper executes it masterfully. The realm of Solera comes alive with vivid descriptions and rich world-building, drawing readers into its magical depths alongside Kyla. I felt like I was right there with her, experiencing the wonder and danger of this fantastical land.

One of the most compelling aspects of the story is Kyla's internal conflict. As she grapples with her depression and doubts her ability to change the course of her story, readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster. Harper's exploration of self-doubt and the power of resilience resonates deeply, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, there is hope.

The supporting characters in "Kill Your Darlings" are equally well-developed, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations. From the fearless heroes to the cunning villains, every character feels three-dimensional and adds depth to the story. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between Kyla and Prince Charming, whose relationship unfolds in a refreshingly authentic way.

Ultimately, "Kill Your Darlings" is a poignant exploration of the power of hope, resilience, and the human spirit. It's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we have the strength to rewrite our own stories and find our own happy endings. L.E. Harper has crafted a truly unforgettable tale that will linger in readers' minds long after the final page.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of "Kill Your Darlings".
* This review is
voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Content Warnings: Depictions of mental illness including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. The suicide scene is pretty graphic;

Was very hard to get into the story due to writing that felt clunky and lack of character progression or development - the characters felt bland and while an interesting idea, I feel like it was missing good and realistic execution, and would've preferred seeing the world through the character than the author - I feel like the writing style didn't work with being from the author

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

The premise of this was great but ultimately fell flat for me. Between the writing and the characters I just couldn't connect with this one, unfortunately. However, the rep in this book was done well and nice to see.
All together, I think this one just was quite it not for me.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

What a wonderful, immersive story. I love stories within stories and this book had it all! I think it’s one of the most unique books I have ever read and the fact the author drew on her own personal experiences for this plot must have taken so much strength which I applaud.

Kyla was a great protagonist that was very relatable for me, I really connected with her throughout the entire novel. Her struggles were raw and real, but dealt with such care. It’s an emotional journey and do urge everyone who reads it to take notice to the trigger warnings.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, as I said in places it was a bit too dark and relatable to me and had to personally take a breather (I think this just shows how well written this story really is) - however the mix of mental health issues in a fantasy world was what really resonated with me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing my with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first I was not sure if I’d like the whole concept, but I really did for the most part. „Kill Your Darlings“ is a deeply moving story about mental illness, being loved and surviving. It felt very raw to me and a a lot of the struggles the protagonist goes through really resonated with me. Definitely mind the content warnings in the beginning though.

Really lovely and thought-provoking book ... definitely a book created with a heartfelt love and respect for both authors and readers. Harper handles the meta aspects of the story deftly and cleverly. The question of whether an author spins a world into being or is recording a world that truly exists somewhere else is such an intriguing one, and I also appreciated the frankness of the focus on mental health.

This story follows Kyla, an author of a fantasy series who wakes up in the fictional world she created in the body of one of her characters. Kyla must use her knowledge of the world to find a way to save it, but her dream turns nightmare as she works through her quest.
I really liked the character development of Kyla throughout the story and how she overcomes the darkness inside her.

Netgalley arc. This was a solid 3.75 rounded up (i don't like rounding up but this was too enjoyable not to)
So like? This book has dragons! Also realistic mental health struggles! And a final battle scene of sorts! All positives! Was a bit slow in the beginning but the pace picked up. One thing that put a bit of a damper on my enjoyment of this book was how the author did not really show but narrated and i guess it makes sense because author obviously but i would've loved to have felt as if it right infront of me I guess.

okay it took me so long to review this but i really enjoyed it! the mental health rep was so nice to see as well as the lgbt rep! it was a bit slow at the start and the writing wasn’t the best element in the book but i still had fun reading it!

An interesting story - unfortunately not my cup of tea. But that is on me and I'm sure that there will be readers who enjoy this one much than I did.

I DNF’d this at 16%.

I loved the premise of this book. There are so many different ways you can take the story of waking up inside of a novel.

But I just could not connect with this book and couldn’t get excited about finishing it. The characters felt flat and needlessly hostile in the bit of the book that I did read. The dialog was stiff and felt really forced.