DNF around 25% - Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I really liked the premise of the book when I read the synopsis, but the FMC was very immature and lacked depth.

The writing could not hold my attention. There were so many unimportant details included in the book (ex. "She picked up her phone. She swiped open the lock screen. She opened her contacts. She found the right number and pressed the call button.") It could have been at least 15% shorter with better editing.

There's apparently spicy scenes in the book, otherwise I'd say it reads like it's for a YA audience.

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy/Fantasy Romance
RATING: 5/5
Tropes: Forced proximity, Dark secrets, Hidden powers, Love that transcends time, Strong FMC
Trigger / Content Warnings: Violence, animal death, descriptions of death, and torture are included in this book, but not in much graphic detail.

This was a fast-paced Urban Fantasy that focuses on our FMC, Allie Graves. I usually am weary of Urban Fantasy but I really enjoyed the way the world in this book was built! I thought it was easy to comprehend and was very imaginative.
Allie is given a second chance after she dies by the angels - however they give her the responsibility of being a demon hunter. Allie fulfills her duties for 6 years until she encounters a strange being in her apartment.

This story within a story will have you turning pages to uncover more details on Allie, her family, and everything that brought her to this moment in her life.

Secrets, so many secrets.


I definitely recommend this amazing book for anyone who loves fantasy romance with a dash of mystery sprinkled in it!

The idea of this story was so good, but in the end, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I really enjoyed Allie and Simon. I loved how fierce and badass Allie was, I loved Simon's love and devotion, and I loved the chemistry between the two. Their interactions and banter were so cute (insert heart eyes here). The pacing of this book was a struggle for me. I felt that it started out very slowly (it took me about 40 pages to become interested in the story) and while I WAS on the edge of my seat at some points there were also moments where details of Allie's life were described, and I found myself wondering why it was being discussed in such detail when it was so irrelevant to the plot.

The story itself was really interesting but it was laid out in a really convoluted way. I found myself backing up a number of times to see how what I was reading fit in to what I had already read. It was also very long. In print version, it is 548 pages and in e-book version it is 8249 locations. I think that is what made it so cumbersome to read. I think the story could have been told in a much shorter version. That said, I did finish the book because the story was interesting enough that I wanted to know how it ended.

Thank you to Cassandra Aston and her team for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley.

23-year-old Allie is a demon hunter who's been given second chance at life. Soon, she will complete her service to the angels as a "reash," and lose her memories from the past 6 years. After a demon attacks her in her apartment and leaves behind a family heirloom, she's forced to confront her family history and learn more about the mansion that was left to her by an uncle.

What I liked about Grave Secrets:
- Angels, demons, and demon hunters
- Haunted mansion vibes
- Family secrets & mystery
- Tall, dark, and mysterious MMC
- Urban setting

While I enjoyed parts of this story, the pacing was a little slow. I did end up skimming a lot of it. It was more YA than I expected, which was most noticeable in the MCs' interactions and inner dialogue. For this reason it was hard for me to relate to the FMC, and at a certain point, the FMC's personality completely changes, which made much of the character development irrelevant. The romance between the MCs fell a little short for me too. After the twists, turns, and revelations, I was only really invested in what happened to one character (Simon).

I really did appreciate the mystery and horror elements, and the magic system, which were its strongest plot points. Overall, this book had a solid foundation and with some paring down/editing, could be the start to a compelling series!

This book had a lot of promise and almost all of the things I want or need in a story. But it was all mostly ruined by the reincarnation aspect. The reincarnation, in general, is an annoying trope for me at best, but the way this book went about it made SURE I'd hate it. Allie and the other versions of her are not interesting at all and at some times insufferable. Then we add some memory wiping, and I'm out.

It was a long book, told slowly, with tropes I just can't get behind. I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley, and all thoughts are my own. I hope the series improves, but I won't be reading more.

Allies almost done with her obligation to the angels. Just one more month until she can go back to being a regular human, only she has no plans on what that looks like. In the midst of her dread, a peculiar demon enters her apartment and gives her the slip, but not before leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. When she begins investigating, she finds more than just her usual demon she’s tasked to hunt. She finds her own family’s deepest, darkest secrets.

I couldn’t put this down, the layers of mystery, magic, and mayhem were too good to resist. Plenty of twists, a slow burn romance, lovers that transcend time, a well thought out magic system, witches, demons, angels, all wrapped together with a load of family trauma. It’s hard not to get immersed and be on the edge of your seat eager to find out what is going on.

Reviewed on Amazon & Goodreads. Will be included in future posts on Instagram & TikTok @cursebreakerbooks

Thank you to NetGalley and Cassandra Aston for giving me an eARC of this book. This review is completely voluntary.

I absolutely loved this book. It had such depth and amazing character development throughout the entire story. It was constantly throwing twists and turns at me. It felt like I was watching an episode of Supernatural to be completely honest and I was living for it. I want so much more of Aston's writing. She wrote this book beautifully and she had me captivated the entire time. I don't think I have ever read a book like this before and I'm so glad I came upon this one.

This book is full of all the usual elements of fantasy that I love, Witches, Demons, Angels, Ghosts, a mystery to be solved. The use of supernatural tropes within the story is fun and I especially enjoyed the romantic element as well.

However, I found the story hard to read at times and I couldn't find a way to relate to the FMC which again made it harder to read.

I loved this book! It's the perfect read for spooky season. Creepy house, demons, dead people that aren't dead, mystery and a love story. The story is complex without being confusing and dramatic without being soul crushing. This is a GREAT read and I need the second book yesterday.

DNF 25% through. I wanted to love this but couldn’t get past the juvenile main character. The elements were all there for good makings but this was a slow start for me. The FMC had me cringing. It’s understandable she would be socially awkward but she lacked any kind of maturity. One scene depicts her running sticky donut fingers along her wall. At 23 years old!!

“Grave Secrets" by Cassandra Aston a world that intertwines the realms of demons, angels, and witches in a unique and unexpected way. Allie Graves, a demon hunter, finds herself at a crossroads when faced with death. Desperate for survival, she strikes a deal with Gabriel, an angel, promising to dedicate six years of her life to hunting demons. The caveat: her memories would be erased, allowing her to return to a normal life.

However, when what appears to be a "demon" inexplicably enters Allie's life, it ignites a relentless quest to unearth her family's hidden secrets, concealed within a mysterious house left to her. The story's allure lies not only in the demons, angels, and witches but also in the urgency of Allie's pursuit as time running out.

While the book has an engaging story with a fresh spin on supernatural lore, it does so at a slow pace. Some portions of the story may feel slow and occasionally tedious, marked by extended periods of downtime. Yet, the promise lies in its unpredictability. The unexpected twists and turns left me anticipating the sequel.

Overall, I would rate this book a solid 3 out of 5. It offers an interesting story with elements that capture the imagination, but it does suffer from occasional lulls in the narrative. Despite these moments, the central storyline and Allie's character make it a worthwhile read, leaving me hungry for more answers in the books that follow.

This book was such a hard read for me. The premise of the book was really interesting but I felt the book was too long and the story dragged out until 50%. I was going to DNF but I persevered and I was glad I did. I felt the characters took too long to build a rapport but once they did the chemistry was really good. I thought the twist at the end was great. Whilst reading this book, I was sure that I would not read the second however by the end of the book I want to know what happens to the characters so I will be awaiting the next book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Victory Editing and Cassandra Aston for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! I loved it and how it was an urban fantasy full of intrigue and demons and angels. I loved Allie so much she’s got so much spunk and character. A good easy read I can’t wait for book 2!

I absolutely devoured this! This is an urban fantasy full of angels and demons and spice. It was so perfectly wonderful. I cannot wait for the next book in this dark urban fantasy series. I have to say that Allie has become one character that I just can't seem to get out of my head. Loved this!!
I just reviewed Grave Secrets by Cassandra Aston. #GraveSecrets #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Grave Secrets is Book One in the Prophecies of Angels and Demons series by Cassandra Aston.
Can I have book two please?
I enjoyed this story so much. Because this is the type of fantasy/romance I love to devour.
The suspense and characters hooked me immediately and Aston’s writing was gripping.
Allie and Simon I couldn’t get enough of these two.
This book was well paced, solidly built and highly entertaining.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

While I did like the concept/general plot of this book, I unfortunately didn't love the story. Honestly, the writing just wasn't for me. I found there was a lot of info dumping, and I had a hard time keeping track of dialogue and information in general. It felt a little scattered and like pieces could have been condensed. I was spending a lot of time rereading and struggling to piece things together.

I do wish I had a better time with this one but it really just didn't work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

Grave Secrets is a fantasy mystery all wrapped in a delicious bow of suspense, intrigue, and romance. Allie was killed at 17 and given a second chance at life. The catch, she would come back as a reash and be in-service to the angels for six years killing demons. Then, one night she encounters a creature in her apartment she has never met before. This fateful meeting sparks the journey to the house left to her by her by a deceased relative where she learns that she really doesn't know who she is or who her parents were. Facing supernatural creatures, a faulty memory, and a looming deadline from the angels, Allie is determined to unravel the secrets of her past, but she will start events that will change the course of her life forever.


I loved this book and the double meaning of the title is not lost on me. At first, it was a little slow to start. But then it picked up and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the twists that kept being thrown at me and subtle clues foreshadowing important information. My only complaint (other than the slow start) is the lack of explanation of her life that lead to her becoming a reash. I wish the author had delved a little more into this as i wad left with pieces of the puzzle, guesses, and questions.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Grave Secrets follows Allie, a resurrected demon slayer, as she comes close to finishing out her demon slaying life debt and finds herself pulled into a decades deep mystery.

I started this book on the assumption that I was going to be reading about angels and demons action adventure excitement and instead the story became more of a deep dive into a resurrection/ vampires/ paranormal romance that jumped all over the place. I couldn’t get into the story and ultimately DNF’d the book. I really liked the premise of the demon slaying/ life debt and would have enjoyed if the book explored that more.

Thankful to NetGalley for this ARC.

DNF. I’m sorry I tried I really did. Unfortunately it felt like reading a creative writing piece from my high schooler. The sentence structure was disjointed and choppy. The story telling was so flat. It felt like I was watching a really bad dated episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I want to be able to get into this but could.