This spin off series from the Serpent and Dove trilogy focuses on Celie and starts off approximately 6 months after G&M finishes.

I was hesitant at first because I wasn't a huge fan of Celie in the original books. But the mention of vampires and expanding the world to another new area had my scooping up the chance for an ARC. And I'm glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised but how much I liked this one. Celie had a rally good character arc and I liked watching her find her worth and inner strength. Her struggles were so relatable. Michal was the text book definition of a morally grey "villain". I really loved him as a match for Celie. They balanced each other out well with him pushing her outside her limits and her helping to bring out his humanity. Mahurin also provides with a great cast of new supporting characters. I don't want to give a lot of plot details and ruin the story. You'll have to pick it up for yourself to find out how good it is.

While this one can be read on its own, I highly suggest reading the previous books first. One of the biggest reasons being it will spoil the ending of G&M. As well there are lots of references to events from the other series.

The Scarlet Veil is Book 1 in a spinoff from Mahurin's Serpent and the Dove series. Our FMC Célie is now the first Huntswoman, who works alongside the church at hunting magical creatures. After her encounters with evil witches in the previous series she feels it is her calling. Célie is soft-hearted though and she is a divergent thinker, which keeps her from being accepted by the other Huntsmen. She is also engaged to Jean-Luc who is the head Huntsman who is keeping things from her and treating her as though she is fragile. Yes, she has some PTSD from things she endured in the Serpent & Dove series, but she's working through them. Nevertheless, things are not looking promising. All this sets the stage for an unfolding mystery and new adventure for Célie.

Someone or something is murdering magical creatures all around the town, and Célie is wanting to get in on the hunt. However, what she does end up doing is getting kidnapped by Michal the king of the vampires. This is where the story takes off and you find yourself in a dark world of vampires and mystery. The enemies-to-lovers story of Michal and Célie is wonderful, it's not instalove by any definition at all. It's what I would call a super duper slow burn, but oh so worth it slow burn. There is humor, heartbreak, and some horror. In all of it, we see Célie grow into herself and stand up for her way of doing things and not back down when overbearing men try to tell her what to do. That is the one aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most is Célie's growth. I can only imagine how much more growth we will see in the next book in the series. This YA novel was one of the best I have read in a long time and I look forward to more.

The Serpent & Dove trilogy had me enraptured and The Scarlet Veil was no different. The angst and slow-burn were everything and had me consuming pages at an ungodly rate trying to find out what happened next.

Shelby really outdid herself with this one and I cannot wait until book #2!!

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins for my copy, it was fantastic!

4.5/5

I came into this a little bit lost because I admittedly did not finish the original trilogy (I just could not with Lou anymore and I could not with her in this book either!) This was firmly ok for me, Celie was annoying and it's way too long for no reason but I will be back for the sequel because vampires.

Having loved the Serpent & Dove series, I couldn’t wait to pick up the first book in this series, set in the same universe!

It focuses on Cèlie, who is struggling to find her place as the first ever hunstwoman with the Chasseurs, despite her fiancé Jean Luc’s dogged persistence that it will all work out. But when bodies start turning up drained of blood, and all her friends seem to know more than they’re letting on, Cèlie decides to insert herself into the investigation to try and protect Belterra. But something much darker than she could’ve ever imagined is lurking, waiting just for her.

This was the perfect read for the beginning of the fall season - it’s atmospheric and gothic, full of lush black and red imagery. There are all kinds of paranormal beasties, too - vampires and ghosts and witches, oh my. It definitely features a slow burn romance, and I would’ve loved even more of that being explored, but I know it’s only the first book in the series and there’s plenty of time for that.

It’s a solid first book in a series and I can’t wait for book two!

It’s hard to put emotions into words….unless you’re Shelby Mahurin!

We all know there’s a main character in a story. We all know there is a plot. We all know there is a setting. That there is a conflict and side characters and a beginning and a middle and an end. We all know the basics.

But what entrances a reader to a story—to the author—is the connection to SOME element in the story.

That element was Célie Tremblay for me.

There is always a main character in the story—there has to be. However, the way this character shined through everything else spoke volumes. The paths the reader goes on with Célie, the journey and exploration of SELF that happens was eye opening. Shelby does a spectacular job of making her readers FEEL what the character is going through—especially when there is something buried underneath all the layers—something vulnerable that ALL readers can connect to. As someone who has read Shelby’s Serpent & Dove series, I was able to appreciate the growth Célie went through-and have that stronger connection with her; she is extremely different then the other strong characters in Shelby’s other series. But do not worry if you haven’t read S&D yet—you can still appreciate Célie’s journey all the same! Now, I could go on and on about Célie and how much she matters to the story—how much she matters to ME, but everything else about The Scarlet Veil matters too!

The side characters—where do I even start with the side characters? The newer cast that is introduced to us in TSV is unique and very heartfelt. They each have their own personalities, their own pasts and secrets, and their own dramas that they have to overcome. They have HISTORY; which makes it all the more exciting to read and discover!

The setting was new and refreshing! We got to see a hidden part of the world we already know (if you don’t that’s okay too!) However, because this book is part of a series, and because of how it ended, I have an inkling that we will, MAYBE, be visiting other locations in the following book(s)! But this book for sure has more “vampire” vibe settings—Dracula feels.

The mystery and conflict of the story overall was very entertaining! I enjoyed the ride of watching “who done it” instead of actively finding clues and thinking ahead. Therefore, this side of the review is coming from someone who did not see the surprise coming! And I loved it! Sadly cannot say TOO much because of spoilers!

Overall, let me just say that all who read it will be activity and eagerly waiting for book two to come out as soon as they finish reading the last page of The Scarlet Veil!

Thank you SO much Shelby Mahurin for show a fang-gripping story! Not so patiently waiting for book two now! And thank you to @netgalley for allowing me this opportunity to read this SURPRISING piece of work before it officially comes out on September 26th 2023!

Amazing fantasy, great book, love Shelby writing. Totally enrapture with the whole story and characters . The development and progresión of the story, definitely will recommend.

I see Shelby Mahurin and vampire in the first sentence, I know I am going to need to read the book. The Scarlet Veil was a book I could not put down. As a lifelong vampire enthusiast, this book ticked all my boxes. I was a big fan of Serpent and Dove and she brought everything I loved about that book into this one. If you're on the lookout for a good vampire read, check this one out!

4-4.5/5 rounded up. I don't read romantasy often bc it doesn't satisfy me - something always suffers and most of the time the romance doesn't quite work for me. I'm very hard to please when it comes to romance. I also did DNF serpent and dove 30% in because I did not like it at all. I went into this mostly blind.
But wow this shocked and floored me because i was VERY satisfied by it!

This was a good balance btwn plot and romance where they both worked in perfect synergy to propel each other further! It didn't feel like one compromised the other, which is usually what often happens in romantasy, and felt as though both developed together perfectly in sync!

The tension, chemistry and banter worked SO WELL! I loved it! I also especially loved that for a vampire book, the vampire didn't try to humanize himself and stayed brutal ruthless, authentically-vampire-like until the very end. and she didn't try to romanticize his vampire brutality and held onto how horrible it was. soooo refreshing to read!

i had some minor issues with the book. the MC did some annoying things and her inner monologue became kind of slightly annoying personality wise but it hardly took away from my reading experience because I've learnt to expect it from typical romantasy books. I also got very annoyed with how the author tried to constantly remind us that the MC is "smart" by making everyone else dumb around her e.g. the chausseurs. That's not how outsmarting works - that could have been executed better. i think its quite a cop out, but again, very minor in the grand scheme of the story. the on the nose feminism was very eeeh but again very minor flaw. and also i don't like how we were reminded by how old Michal is. And Jean Luc's character felt very butchered/scapegoated at times against Celie which I didn't like. And some of the description in the prose very obviously was not edited because there was reused sentences of description. All very minor - did not take away too much from my reading experience.

I am SO excited for the sequel - I'm dying for it. that epilogue made my jaw drop! so clever in the narrative style in it!

I went into this book blind, I haven't read the series serpent and dove that predates this and while there are a ton of references to it, I still enjoyed the book. I had no idea it was a series so that ending was shocking. This is a perfect vampire read for the season. It's a very dense read that has a lot of plot action and character growth. We are introduced to a lot of characters and at first it's a little confusing, this may be because it's an assumption you read S+D but you get the hang of all the names. Celie is a great heroine who is trying to come to terms with how much her life has changed and yet stayed the same after losing her sister. She is easy to like despite her current issues and is always trying to help others. This results in a lot of circumstances that she ends up in that she has to be rescued from. She eventually ends up on a mysterious isle that holds many creatures and secrets. I cannot wait to see how the rest of the series unfolds and specifically one relationship.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warning: This book includes on-page alcohol consumption, sexual content: (Visiting and working in a brothel (mildly descriptive), virginity, kissing, and lap-sitting. Lots of descriptions of blood, violence, and death. Deals with the loss of loved ones, trauma, and panic attacks.

I’m not even sure where to start with this review because whenever I think about this book, I immediately get a serotonin boost, and my brain kind of melts, but like… in the best way possible?! How can I love this series as much as the Serpent & Dove series? I was hesitant to pick this up because I knew it would be about Célie and I am a Lou & Ried stan for life. In the original series, I hadn’t found her character all that exciting, but she SERVED in this book. She was relatable and lovable. In fact, all the new characters we met were so much fun and added so much to the story. And Michal is everything we didn’t know we were missing in our lives.

Delving into the actual plot of the story, it is set after the original Serpent & Dove trilogy so readers would find this story more enjoyable and understandable if they read S&D first. The plot moved quickly; I never felt as if I was stuck at any point. I loved the new setting and magic systems that we got to explore and the mystery itself was very entertaining to watch unfold. Did not see the ending coming whatsoever, so be prepared for a WILD ride.

Honestly, the only thing I wanted differently with this book was more. More Célie and Michal, more time in this brand-new world, and more mystery. But we all know I’m just a greedy little book goblin, so don’t judge the book on that account. I would not change a single thing about this book. Shelby Mahurin knows exactly what she’s doing and needs no instruction from me.

My favorite part about The Scarlet Veil (besides the stunning atmosphere) is that we got to see a whole new side of Célie. I find it so important because I was even guilty of judging her for being so normal in the original trilogy. Personally, I do not think there are enough books with normal, sensitive, fearful yet brave heroines. We all know and love Lou and Coco because they would never hesitate to get in anyone’s face just to prove a point; we strive to be like them. And while there is nothing wrong with being like Lou and Coco, the fact is that most of us aren’t like them. We are Célie. We feel stuck because people tend to demonize being sensitive and kind. They turn fear into something that needs to be shamed and then we see these characters that are so much like us, and we hate them. If anything, I hope this book helps young adults see that it is okay to be different, it is okay to be sensitive, and afraid. It does not make us any less. This story is invaluable for young adults today and will be a great addition to any public or private library collection.

Overall, the S&D trilogy will forever be one of my favorites and this book is no different. I will rant and rave about these books and characters until my last breath. Shelby, thank you for creating such an entertaining and inspiring world for us to get found in. It will forever hold my heart.

I would recommend The Scarlet Veil series to anyone who loves the mystical and fantastical, especially hot vampires, and gothic atmosphere and intrigue. My best recommendation is to listen to gothic instrumentals while reading (The vibes will speak for themselves). Recommended reading would be Mahurin’s other series Serpent & Dove (same author), Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco (spicey vibes), Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (gothic mystery), and for a more mature audience King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair (Purely for the vampire aesthetic)

I was beyond excited to receive an arc of this one as I absolutely adored the serpent and dove trilogy, however this one for me was more of a three star read.

Firstly, Celiè as a main character was ok. I didn’t love or hate her in the main trilogy so I was interested to see what she would bring to her own story, the answer is not much. I was often annoyed at her decisions and I felt like the romance with Michal was kinda forced at times. This book was also super slow! It took me almost a month to read because when I put it down I found myself not wanting to pick it back up. It was nice to see the characters from serpent and dove but they weren’t really present in the book all too much and my favourite character in this one happened to be a taking cat.

Overall, if you liked the serpent and dove trilogy, I’d give this one a go but it fell pretty flat for me and ended up being a meh read.

"I will not crack, and I will not shatter"

The absolute chokehold this book had on me. I don't even know how to begin describing how I feel right now. I know it follows the Serpent & Dove trilogy, which I have not read, and though its obvious something important happened before this book, it explains it pretty well in the book, so reading the trilogy is not necessary. The first three chapters drug for me, and I was a little scared it was going to be a DNF. But as soon as she met the MMC, I FLEW through it. It has everything you could possibly want for a perfect spooky time read; ghost, vampires, enemies to lovers, necromancy, witches, kidnapping, murder mystery, touch her and die, a veil between the living and dead, one bed (coffin actually). I absolutely loved the FMC. Though she was weak in body, she was strong in mind and heart. If I could give a book more then five stars, I would, because this one was 100% up to par. There was no spice, but that DID NOT in anyway negatively impact the story. The tension between the FMC and MCC was palatable, and their growing slow burn romance was beautifully written. This is going down as one of my top five reads of the year. The cliff hanger at the end nearly shattered my soul, and I would give my left pinky toe to read the next book now.

The Scarlet Veil
by Shelby Mahurin

I really enjoyed the Serpent & Dove series, so when I heard the author was writing another book in the same world, I decided I wanted to read it! What I some how didn't put together, was that the main character in this story was also a well known character in Serpent & Dove series! And we would get to see our favorite characters again!

I ended up having to do a quick refresher of the Serpent & Dove series as I was starting this book, which was very helpful!

I looooove this book - it had a very gothic feel with gruesome vampires, ghosts, and nightmares. And highly recommend it to the people who loved Serpent & Dove. I also read somewhere that you could read this book without having Serpent & Dove, but I highly recommend Serpent & Dove first so that you understand the world and the characters' stories before this one.

I would like to warn that this book ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, and there is no official release date for its sequel. So reader beware!

Thank you #NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.

#thescarletveil #shelbymahurin #fiction #fantasy #horror #romance #paranormal #paranormalromance #fantasyromance #youngadult #gothic #youngadultfantasy #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #idratherbereading #readingchallenge #book #bookrecommendations #bookreview #librarian #booklover #bookdragon #bookworm #reader #reading

Book Review
The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

This book follows one of the secondary characters introduced in the Serpent and Dove Series - Celie

I loved the Serpent and Dove series so I was quite happy to dive back in… add in a vampire romance and a necromancer and who could say no?

Lou, Coco, Reid , Beau and Jean Luc are all back along with some new characters of the blood drinking variety-
Dimitri, Odessa, and Michal

Is it any surprise I binged this book?
I dont want to give anything away but damn…. There is some significant slow burn sexual tension!

My only problem with this book was the ending- the epilogue was unsatisfying and you guessed it, this book is a start of another series…. Which means I have to wait for more….. I hate waiting….

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsca @frenzy for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

I received an e-Arc from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review!

I know this story is after the Serpent & Dove triology which I read the first two books but not the third one. You could get by without reading the triology if you wanted to and jump into this one into a whole new adventure. I could follow this story but to those who want the whole picture, you might want to read the others first.

I'm soooooo glad I read this! Vampires..as I said is my jam. I loved, loved Celie and her adventure in this story. This was damn good story to read, I consumed it. Night after night I kept reading until my eyeballs fell asleep.

Ghosts, vampires, and witches! Oh my! Other than the supernatural bit in this story, the story also focuses on Celie who discovers more about herself. It is almost a self discovery action adventure for Celie. I loved this because she figures things out and takes action in many different ways! I think Celie is a firecracker and what she does in the story takes guts. Oh and I will say her dress is awesome...you'll know what I'm talking about once you read the story.

The pace of this story was excellent with action, adventure, emotions, and the burn - the slow burn between Celie and Michal. Whooo wheee!

Michal...he's a mystery throughout the story a bit. A dark and yummy and dangerous one! Can I have him? Are there any more long distant cousins??

There are some dark elements regarding to the supernatural side. So heads up about that if you don't like that. I did not mind it because after all some supernatural elements are supposed to be dark.

Other characters that came into play for the story was so fun and perfect. They all had a role to play and had their own quirks. I liked how all of them interacted with Celie. I'm curious to see how they may come into play for the second book.

The ending..whyyyyyyyy....why did it end like that? Now I have to wait and wait...a thousand years I have to wait right? I need book two like now... to see what will happen next. Shelby did a great job with this book. I am definitely going to pick up a physical book. Go pick it up when it comes out in September!

I see vampires in a book description and I immediately want to read it. I am obsessed with the fact that vampire novels are coming back.

Short Synopsis:
Vampires, witches, witch hunters, oh my!

My Thoughts:
When I picked up this book I had no idea it was a spin-off series to Serpent and Dove. I thought it was it’s own new series. So I was thoroughly confused in the first 20 percent. And it took me way to long to grasp everything and get into it. But once Célie is with the Michel and the vampires, the book picked up for me and I immensely enjoyed it.

Read if You Like:
♥️ Vampires
♥️ Serpent and Dove
♥️ Romantasy
♥️ Group of friends
♥️ MMC with a side of murder


BRB. Off to read Seprent and Dove now so I can understand this friend group better. 🤣

Oh my, murders, ghosts, and spilled tea?! I can’t spill everything but if you loved Serpent and Dove, you will love this book. She has expanded this world “infinitesimally.” And I love it. It took me a minute to get into this world again with out reading but that’s because of me. I always love Shelby’s witty banter between the side characters it’s alway hilarious. The epilogue made me scream out loud because it’s unique and I had to read it twice. Maybe thrice for good measure. Thank you so much to Epic reads for this amazing book and the author for putting so much time in this beauty!

I was a little surprised at how slow this book started out with it being a continuation of the previous series by Mahurin. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing since it had been a while since I read the last book and I did need some reminding of what happened. What I struggled with a lot was that the main character, Celie, is supposed to be the smartest one out of her friends. She is supposed to be the one that does research and approaches any situation with as much knowledge as she can come across, but she kept doing things that were not the smart move or the one that would suggest she is the smart one. It was very frustrating as a reader. The story itself is interesting enough I will continue to read it but I was also disappointed in the reveal of who the necromancer is. It seemed predictable to me and I was hoping for something more surprising.

Why do you do this to me Shelby???????? Why????? That cliff hanger??????? I should have known this book was going to RIP MY HEART OUT.

I love love love the Serpent & Dove trilogy and when I saw that Celie was going to be getting her own story I was so excited because she is one of my favorite characters from the series. I was hooked from the very beginning with this one, and while I felt like it dragged in the middle, the last couple of parts of the book definitely made up for it (like SERIOUSLY THE ENDING WAS SO STRESSFUL BUT GOOD AND AGAIN THAT DAMN CLIFF HANGER 😭)

I simply ADORE MICHAL AND CELIE AND I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY. THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH. They deserve to be happy please let them be happy Shelby that’s all I’m asking 🫶🏻 I’m still recovering from what happened to Ansel…I can’t take anymore okay 😩

I’m so happy that we are going to get to see more of all of these characters. I can’t wait for the next one in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Shelby Mahurin for the e-ARC!