This was the first fae-centric fantasy novel I’ve read and I did enjoy it, particularly towards the end as I felt the story had come into itself and the pace and plot began to pick up. The base plot was definitely very interesting and I felt all the characters worked together in harmony to move the plot forward and create an engaging atmosphere. However, I felt that a lot of the plot points were very convenient and everything seemed to work out perfectly no matter how high the stakes were. I also didn’t love the writing style but I would say as the story continued it did get smoother and it became easier to read, and although I do think there were many points for improvement, I do see myself continuing with this series.

TW: murder, death of a loved one, graphic violence, kidnapping

Where to start...

Set in, maybe 1800s America, Verve is one of four daughters. Her father is off at war (which, not sure) and her mother runs what is at first glance a tight ship. Occasionally a governess, occasionally a writer, Verve leads a normal life, until her father turns up murdered and a strange neighbor moves in next door.

From there, the story turns into your typical fae plot line - she gets kidnapped to the fae world. Fae men fall in love with her at lightening speed. There's mystery and a prophecy and quite a lot of that reminded me of other popular fae books... So if you've read them, the ending will not take you by surprise.

However, Beth Overmyer writes well. Except that I never remembered what the characters were suppose to look like, and I wasn't a fan of how Verve's panic disorder just seems to be 'fixed' by the end and the intimacy between her and her partner at the end is just there. I wanted there to be more subtlety in their relationship, not just a tick box exercise.

Also, if you're trying to set your novel in Civil War America, please have some consideration for what was happening in Civil War America at the time more than just a little nod at the beginning. Like having some characters of colour could have made this a lot more interesting if handled well.

Brittle follows the story of Verne, the second oldest daughter and a writer of horror stories.
I knew this was a Fae fantasy book, and with the first few pages, I thought it would be a good book. Unfortunately, it did not deliver.

The pace of the story is off, we never know the timeline and the FMC is just as confused by it. Also, scenes jump from one to the next without much connection besides the point where the FMC is forced to fall asleep and the next chapter or scene starts with her waking up.

We are not told much about the world or how things work, just everything is said to be because of *magic* but the magic system is not explained. Pretty much I just assume the Fae here are all powerful and can do literally anything they want (at least that is what happens during the whole book).

The characters do not follow anything they say: one minute Verne is supposed to be getting ready because there are visitors at the house, then next, she is not supposed to leave the house, so the said visitors do not see her, as it is not safe. Then, she changes clothes again and they take her to this outside party - to leave the house and get some fresh air - but is not allowed to talk or interact with anyone. But guess what? They leave her alone, in this place full of people that cannot know about her, and are surprised when she is seen talking and dancing with someone.

Again and again this happens and just makes for a super inconsistent story. Don't even get me started with how this book ended.

Overall, I believe this book needs some editing and review, because it has the potential to be a good one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this e-ARC, all opinions are my own.

This book was insanely good! I loved it from start to finish. The story is interesting and you never quite know who to trust or who speaks the truth. I'm still not sure who is fully honest or trustworthy and I love it because it fits the story so well. And while the other characters are all interesting and different, Verve is truly amazing. She is strong and stubborn and not easily deceived. It has been a long time since I've read about such a strong willed and determined FMC. Verve loves stories and writing and doesn't easily get persuaded by beauty or charm or any men really and doesn't want to get married. This I think makes the books different from many other books involving fae, because while Verve might think them nice or pretty she still thinks and acts logically and with her goal in mind. The only thing that I somewhat disliked was the use of the word “she-fae”, to me it sounds odd and disturbed my reading flow, especially since the male fae are not called he-fae. So why use that term repeatedly ?

I truly enjoyed this book and think fans of fantasy books involving fae, deception and a smart and strong willed FMC will like this book!

This was a stunning fantasy adventure, I loved the various twists and turns. Brittle is set in such a vibrant, fascinating world of Fae and humans, Verve is such a wonderful main character and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Huge thanks to the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with this book for its characters and stayed for the amazing world-building! I loved our heroine, her sisters and her love interest (swoon). Though the fae magic system has been a bit over done in the past few years, this story has fresh takes and interesting layers with the sistershood.

Such a great read!! I need book two like yesterday!! The romance is a little quick and surprising but the characters are fun and keep you engaged in the story. The story is very fast paced and makes for a quick fantasy.

Verity is an unusual woman living a normal life, when her father appeared, back from a war, with secrets for her to keep. She was to meet up with him later for an explanation, but came upon his murder scene instead, which was mystically cleaned up.

The fae have mettled with the human world and she gets caught in the middle. Typical fae problems with physical attraction and lots of danger. I read about halfway through and literally growled with some of her obvious distasteful choice(s). My interest completely fizzled out and will not be picking it up again. In the DNR pile.

This book was clearly a mix of little women and acotar. The characters were not really changed from the characters of little women, to the point one of them even has the same name, just a very slightly different spelling. The only difference is the fae, which has a lot of simulators to acotar, to the point where the guy who is trying to help her is clearly supposed to be Tamlin, then you have Fenn who is obviously Rhysand. It wasn’t massively original, just concepts from 2 other stories mashed together. The story it’s self was bad, but just not original.

4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The worldbuilding and magic system: 4/5
I don’t have much to say about the worldbuilding; it was pretty decent but it wasn’t outstanding. However, I did particularly like the concept of different faerie’s magic having different scents. It isn’t a new concept, but I did enjoy seeing it implemented, and the way the scents were described, and how that actually posed a few problems for the characters,

The characters: 4/5
The characters were pretty good, but after rethinking it, I’ve decided to bump down my rating of them a bit, because while it’s only been a few days since I finished reading this, I can’t recall much of their personalities. They aren’t particularly memorable, but I did enjoy reading about them. I did, however, like how the trope of “faerie prince/noble kidnaps a human girl and they fall in love” was kind of turned on its head. Like, she DIDN’T immediately fall in love just because he’s hot and she DOES recall the fact that he literally injured and kidnapped her? Revolutionary. I’m not going to say too much more about it because obviously spoilers, but it didn’t turn out how I expected at all. In a good way, of course.

The plot: 4.5/5
The plot was very romance focused, and had some growing action towards the latter half. I’m assuming it will become more action focused over the course of the series. At this point, I’m not complaining - I do like the love interest though I’m not overly attached to him either. The plot was enjoyable to read, and it kept my attention nearly the entire time. There were a couple of interesting plot twists that I hadn’t predicted, and one, while not exactly predictable, was kind of a cliche of the genre. It wasn’t bad, though, but was slightly of a let-down because I would’ve preferred something a bit more subversive.
The only real complaint I have is the total fade to black…I mean I’m by no means a smut reader. In fact I was happy to see that this book wasn’t that spicy…but NO spice at all? Really? I just found that scene a little jarring to read, and like if you’re going to write a fast-paced romance, at least have a little spice to keep me interested.

In a post-SJM era it's extremely easy to compare anything fae related to her works, and this case isn't different. I could go into heavy details, and the want to do it crawls underneath my skin, but I'm going to resist that. I don't see any value in it other than negative light, but also I think it's harder to rate <i>Brittle</i> as its own work. And that's what my job.

<i>Brittle</i> has a very strong opening that left me in shivers. The tone was dark and mysterious, almost bloody – main character writing horror stories as a way to live? Gory murder of her father and mysterious letter? Disturbing neighbours? I was hooked. That was a fae story I would love to read.
But soon after Overmyer changes the way story goes, same with the atmosphere, and it left me confused. There are still those peculiar, dark moments, somewhere deep lies this twisted fantasy story that I looked for. But it's overwhelmed by a tale about courts and love. Which isn't strictly badly written, it's just completely different, with other priorities. Verity's life becomes about cursed lovers, dark magic and unwanted power.

Overall, I think I liked this book. It hadn't charmed me in ways I hoped, there are no shoes that fallen from my feet after the ending. If something bothered me a lot, it was the fact that <i>Brittle</i> has this amazing, original idea underneath, with great character sheets and marvellous world-buulding. But it chooses a path walked before, a one known pretty well already, and it pains me when right next to it is a whole undiscovered forest. I wish I could rate it anyhow, tell if there are more flaws or warm feelings, but in reality <i>Brittle</i> left me in a cluster of emotions and unsureness.

(for the sake of NetGalley's review system I have to give it any rating, so I chose one in the middle)

The prose is quite nice. This alone distinguishes it from most fae romance: it read like a fairy tale rather than a high school creative writing project. I absolutely love that.

I did find that the pacing of this was off. While I don't mind shorter novels, I felt as if I was reading the plots of multiple books rolled into one novel. The transformation scene felt like it should have been the climax of a novel, with the book's actual climax the climax of a second volume. I didn't feel any reason to get attached to either Dacre or Fenn, or the relationships they tried to thrust upon Verve. I hardly know anything about either of them. This could have used more attention to characterization and other characters' stories.

Honestly I had no idea where this book was going for a solid 60%. And when I ended it (there is a follow-up) I was a little less confused but not by much. Verve is an ok protagonist, but a lot could be done with her character. This fae world is incomplete (its confusing how the magic works exactly) and we are limited to the faeries we meet. You also don't get a lot of understanding between the motivations of the main male characters and in particular what this"war" is and what happens to her father in the beginning of the story (it's literally the first chapter and only one part of it has any callbacks later).

But not having everything spelled out doesn't necessarily mean it's not a good book. It just means that you're going to get very few answers and a lot more questions and practically nothing is explained and you have absolutely no idea who to root for. Which is an interesting way to start a series. But I have to say I did keep reading cuz I did want to find out more so I'm invested in the second book.

3 stars.

4.5/5 ⭐
Brittle is a NA Fantasy romance with a fast paced plot and amazing characters. The World building is very unique with a witty and smart FMC named Verity or Verve. Dragged into the world of Fae she faces many challenges and handsome fae men. There were some holes here and there in the plot that I think could be patched over easily, but the main points are there! Personally the romance was quite quick, although, its a preference. I like a more slow burn romance when it comes to a fantasy romance. A wonderful and unique read!

so… first of all: the book cover!

it‘s amazing! and i can‘t imagine what‘s inside of its beauty…

But what i just read was fantastic!

just don‘t judge the book by its cover and READ IT

I know fae romance/adventure stories have been fairly common lately, but it’s not something I have really gotten into so far. That may have helped in this case because I see many other reviews talking about the use of tropes in this that some readers may be sick of seeing. It’s true those tropes are there, but the book is well written and an enjoyable read. It served as a nice change of pace for me and I am excited to see what’s to come in the sequel!

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Wow! What a fantastic start to this series! Beth Overmeyer teases readers with gorgeous and crafty storytelling and realistic characters. Verve was so interesting as a main character, and I hold her in high regard for having such strong moral compass. Fenn was intriguing as well, and I wish we had learned more of him and his motives.
The plot moved along at a good pace, and kept me interested. I do wish that the amount of energy given to certain portions was redirected elsewhere (my suggestion is some work on the romance scenes!). For example, Verve wandering through various rooms, while being interesting, did not seem relevant to the plot but did take up a decent amount of words. I personally am not a fan of "fade to black" in the New Adult genre, BUT I recognize that other people exist who might be, and I imagine those folks would be pleased with the romance. I will say, outside of lacking some more detail, the romance felt a little forced to me.

Overall, a wonderful read filled with action and lots of great character dialogue!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This book was a rather difficult read for me. I found it boring and not that engaging. The synopsis led me to believe that there would be an adventure or voyage of sorts in order to hunt down an elusive fae relic, but the majority of the book takes place in one single setting. I felt as though there was a lack of worldbuilding because of this. The pacing was quite slow up until the end and the writing, specifically the dialogue, came across as overly wordy most of the time. Like instead of allowing the setting or description to indicate what was going on, characters went into overly wordy explanation of things that felt unnatural in normal conversation settings.

Verve (really not a fan of the name, Verity is so much prettier), has two personality traits: stubborn and quick-tempered. She faints a lot. She doesn't really manifest any sort of character growth. Fenn also fell flat- I really wish his origins were explored more. This book also has crazy instalove which takes place in less than 100 pages.

Overall, I wish this book spent more time fleshing out the magic system of the faerie world as well as the character origins. The romance is just *barely* there.

4/5 stars

This book was very unexpected! It definitely went a different direction than reader are led to believe it will, but I think it does so naturally, and all of the hints are there. This book does start off somewhat slow, but I enjoyed the moments with Verve and her family at the beginning, they truly set the stage for who Verve is and what happens later on. But once you get into it, the action is fast-paced, intense, and enjoyable! I think the wait is well-worth it.

I thought the characterization of the heroes and the villains alike was very good (especially Fenn) and I really enjoyed the magic system, especially in terms of the residual bursts! It adds a sensory element to fae magic that we don't often get! I enjoyed the use of nature and the natural world in this story, and the idea of Faerie in general, but I think a lot of the world building is very fast and at times a bit confusing. However, the world is very interesting, and I think that if there are more books, we will learn more about the world and that makes sense!

I recommend this for fans of cottagecore or low-stakes fantasy stories, fae, and anyone who enjoys Sarah J. Maas's books, especially ACOTAR. Overall, I really enjoyed it, I loved Verve as a main character, she is very unique, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Brittle by Beth Overmyer is a thrilling and captivating novel that is sure to draw in fans of fantasy and folklore. The story follows Verve, a young woman who is trying to hold her family together after the murder of her father, which no one else believes happened. However, her plans are disrupted when a fae lord kidnaps her, believing she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon.

The plot is fast-paced and full of action, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Overmyer weaves a complex and intriguing world of magic and mystery, with unique and interesting characters that bring the story to life. Verve is a strong and determined protagonist who faces many challenges and obstacles throughout the book, but never gives up on her quest to save herself and her family.

The author's writing is engaging and immersive, making it easy for readers to become fully invested in the story. The descriptions of Letorheas, the realm of the fairies, are vivid and imaginative, transporting readers to a magical and dangerous world.

Overall, Brittle is an excellent addition to the fantasy genre and a must-read for fans of folklore and adventure. With its well-crafted plot, strong characters, and captivating world-building, this book is sure to leave readers wanting more.