I absolutely loved Kelly Andrew's first debut and Your Blood, My Bones was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024. This book has such a fantastic way of building creeping dread and fear, mixed with compelling characters, and twisty plots.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book and the characters were likeable. However I think it would have been even better if we heard more on Peter and his past lives. The book felt extremely slow while Wyatt was at her ancestral home and i was raging at how they just seemed to sit around waiting for the wards to fail. Peter says he'll treasure l teach her but then only tries 1 time. He just keeps secrets and she doesn't really dig trying to get to the bottom of anything. I was so frustrated for most of this book, why didn't Peter just come clean and tell her James was actually the beast? He just let the beast be in the house close to Wyatt. Finally the action starts happening at the end and it just felt so rushed and I think the ending would have been stronger with more indepth writing for the final scenes. I will say I did like that it wasn't a "happily ever after" ending though.

***Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the ARC!***

Andrew's sophomore novel improves upon her ability to craft a haunting, memorable novel that defies genre conventions. In YOUR BLOOD, MY BONES she cunningly weaves together elements of romance, horror, and fantasy to create a suspenseful world in which we never know where the story may take us from one page to the next. Each of the three main characters—Wyatt, Peter, and James—take on voices of their own that leave their own impressions. My only critique of this novel is the way in which Peter's character arc was handled. Without spoiling anything, I only want to say that his character had much more potential than was utilized and his ending subtracted from the impact and message of the overall story. Otherwise, this was a stellar novel that I enjoyed deeply and barely put down from the time I picked it up. This may even outshine Andrew's debut novel!

Kelly Andrew DOES NOT miss. Yet another 5 star read and I don’t think I can even begin to express how much he his particular book means to me.

Her writing style speaks to me in ways I would never expect and this story is a beautiful example of that. I’m still processing the story and will update this review later once I can get a better grasp on my emotions but I’m already adding this to my automatic book recs to all my friends.

I really enjoyed this book but the ending left me wanting. It felt frenetic and rushed. I would’ve liked to see it developed a little more, like the other parts of the book. I liked the character development and loved the arc of the story. An ending that spectacular should have a little more time dedicated to it instead of feeling like it was done in a hurry.

Kelly Andrew delivers another spooky, madness-tinged read that is sure to delight fans of her previous book. Although loaded with a lot of backstory and recollections, Wyatt and Pedyr's present-day conflict is original and worth the push. Wyatt's growth from oblivious child into a young adult who must grapple with the weight of the dark world the adults created is equal parts addicting and devastating to follow. The ending was a little grim for me personally, but I can see how other readers would appreciate the diversion from normal contemporary fantasy-horror expectations.

A solid story perfect for fans of juicy, descriptive writing that fearlessly delves into the occult.

Thanks netgalley and scholaatic for letting me review this book!

Wyatt Westlock sorrento get childhood tucked in the secret places of Willow Heath, her family home, with hee best friends- clever, cruel James, and quiet, mysterious Peter. When her father passes she returns after five years of estrangement to burn the house to the ground, but stumbles upon dark secrets and magic she never knew, and a beast she must destroy.

The premise of this book has all my favorite things- young love (triangle?), dark secrets, begrudging imortality, magic, begrudging imprtality!? Yes, please. But there were a lot of things about the community at Willow Heath that I wanted to know that were never explained, and much about Peter's predicament that I wanted much more from, without even mentioning James. If I don't think too hard about it, I still like it, but i wish a different person escaped in the end. For a young reader, this would be a winner though. 3.5/5.

A twisted and darkly suspenseful mystery, romance, and fantasy story that I really enjoyed reading! My only critic is that it was a bit jarring jumping back and forth between the present and past chapters. Just the timing of them didn't work to help keep the flow of the story.

I loved The Whispering Dark so obviously Your Blood, My Bones was a must read for me!

What I really enjoyed was the lush, creepy, and almost end of days vibe Your Blood, My Bones had. The setting was as much as a character as Wyatt, Pedyr, and James were. Crumbling old manor’s are definitely my thing, especially when the plants run rampant and men dissolve into birds on your doorstep—all good vibes. But, let’s not discuss granny from next door cuz you’ll have to read to find out about her!

Found family is one of my favourites tropes and YBMB executed this beautifully. I loved seeing the flashbacks from when they were young to their fractured relationships now and how, even with cracks, it’s possible to become whole again.

Kelly has a way of drawing you in with her immersive storytelling, everything feels visceral. The horror mixed with heartache and romance and mystery—it was bittersweet magic. Also, for those who loved the Whispering Dark there are definitely some scenes in here for you!

Your Blood, My Bones is a book that will suck you in, and at the heart of it, you’ll find friendship and family and what we will sacrifice for those we love.

But, also, that goat 🥺

Thank you Scholastic for the arc and the chance to read early!

Right from the first page, Kelly’s descriptive prose had me tumbling head over heels. This was a fantastic read, with all of my favorites: creepy houses that are characters in and of themselves, supernatural horror that left me wanting to keep the lights on at night, a tension-filled slow burn romance, and a hauntingly poignant ending that left me aching for more. An absolute must-read!

Your Blood, My Bones 
4 Stars 

The first chapter drew me in; I couldn't put the book down. I tripped and fell down a strange rabbit hole. The characters were intriguing, and the secrets are centuries old, but the creepy house and surrounding area won the spook contest, IMO. So, I was way out of my comfort zone, but I forged forward because this book is very well written. This book takes the reader on an emotional journey. Some things were slightly predictable. Though this book's ending was not, it was a shocker (or room for book 2). Definitely worth a read.

All in all, Your Blood, My Bones blurb drew me in. I took a chance to read a new author and genre with no regrets. I'm not a horror fan, and I worried about this book crossing that line. I'd categorize this book as weird, with spooky elements.

Thank you, NetGalley and Scholastic Press, for an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I felt that this book was very well written. There were a couple things I could predict, then that went out the window in the end. It surprised me which doesn't happen very often.
The first chapter is a great hook. Pulled me into this book and I couldn't put it down. It's always great to find a book like that!
The world is great. Descriptive enough for me to get the picture. The concept is great! The characters are good.

With the death of her father, her world will change forever. How far would you go to hide the darkest parts of your self. A twisted romance that keeps you wanting more. I couldn’t put it down!

Unfortunately this book is a DNF for me and it pains me to say that.

Aside from the basic grammatical errors and formatting that seems to be a reoccurrence in Netgalley Arcs, there is a few things that are preventing me from keeping going.

Firstly, the constant back and forth between past and present within chapters was jarring. It was never quite clear which era we were in until you are a good paragraph into the switch and it pulls you out of the story. Some of the transitions happen right in the middle of “action” moments which I feel is a bad decision. I found myself getting flustered because I wanted to get back to the present and the plot, ignoring the background “filler”. I feel like there should be clear past/present chapters instead of the transitions within.

Secondly, while I did get , in my opinion, a decent ways into the book, I found myself unable to connect to the characters. The development and intrigue of wanting to get to know these people and the story just wasn’t there for me. I just kept getting distracted and would rather scroll through TikTok than read.

Thirdly, the vocabulary used in the book is a bit off. She uses words that have a meaning and then uses the actual meaning right after. A notable use is within the first few chapters “letting his heart ossify into bone”. Ossify literally means “to turn into bone” so the sentence really is “letting his heart turn to bone into bone” and just feels like editing is needed.

I truly did want to like this book but as it is, it’s just not for me.

Holy Smokes! I cannot recommend this enough. Its Dark and not a HEA type of book. But it is the kind of story that leaves a mark on you and has you thinking about it at random times.

I have to go read her other work The Whispering Dark asap.

Thank you to Scholastic, Scholastic Press, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

Your Blood, My Bones was one of those reads that sticks with you for awhile after it’s over. In the best way possible, of course, as it’s been on my mind ever since! It had my attention immediately and had me flying through the book (and crying).

The plot of this book really engrossed me; the dual points of view and never ending surprises constantly had me second guessing what was real and what was a horror. Along with that, I absolutely loved the writing style and how it flowed through the story.

The slight horror element to the story sold it to me as well; especially while reading it at night 😅 the Beast felt like he could really have been out there watching me!

Peter and Wyatt were so interesting as characters and I loved getting to have the story through both their perspectives. Peters internal struggle over having to kill Wyatt and her consistent ability to challenge him really made them both stand out to me. I loved how even through the worst moments, you could see the affection that ran between them.

The magic in the story was really interesting to read about as well! The blood, the bones, the occult - it all worked together so well!

The ending of this book gutted me. The entire time I found myself wanting to believe Wyatt that it would work out and they would all survive. It was a perfect ending for the book and made sense, but it was still incredibly emotional and had me wishing for a happily ever after.

The feelings of having to deal with loss, trauma, and your past really shine through. The story truly compliments these complex topics in a way that has you feeling for every character.

Truthfully, I could go on about this book for awhile. I’m definitely going to be purchasing once it releases; I can’t wait to have a physical copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the Arc!

This book had me gripped from the description! One of the things I loved most about the story is that the book summary is spot on and the first chapter takes you right where the description left off. It delivered in all the beautiful, monstrous ways.

Aside from the typos and poor formatting errors of the digital ARC, my main frustration with the story is that Wyatt experiences a regression throughout the narrative. Overall 18 still seems tragically young for our heroine. This is something I detest in most novels, but I digress, at least she wasn't 16! Wyatt presents with a subtle maturity in the beginning, driven mostly through her anger and world weary approach to the farm. However, as she is reunited with the original duo from her teenage years, it feels as though her naivety becomes her core presence in the story. It's a terrifying juxtaposition given her growing, necrotic power.

Following Wyatt's degeneration, I was also fascinated by the Beast's transformation throughout the story. I LOVE that we weren't waiting 200 pages for him to come on the page. However, it begs the question if his consistent presence doesn't humanize him almost too much? His relationship with Peter reeks of familial love (and taunting) which is only reinforced with his protective treatment of Wyatt (albeit for dubious reasons).

Overall, this book delivered on it's exciting and violent premise in the best way, despite questionable character development. It was a fascinating read and one that I enjoyed immensely.

Wyatt, upon inheriting her family's farmhouse, is determined to burn it to the ground. However, her plans take a dramatic turn when she discovers Peter, bound and fated to die repeatedly due to his cursed immortality. The property has become a site for sacrificial killings, with Peter suffering at the hands of those seeking to gain from his immortality. To break free from this cycle, Peter must end Wyatt's family line.

“Your Blood, My Bones” by Kelly Andrew is one of my favorite books this year. I absolutely loved the dynamics between Wyatt, Peter, and James. I liked the beautiful magic and the ugly decay imagery. I loved how seamlessly it shifted from the present and memories without any confusion. I loved the multiple POV’s which isn’t usually something I like, but in the book, it was so good. 5 out of 5, absolutely perfect in every aspect.

Kelly is my soul author. She just writes the books I need to read and I love Peter, Wyatt, and Jamie just as much as I loved Lane and Colton.

This book is phenomenal. While much darker than The Whispering Dark, a lot of the same themes are involved. Death, resurrections, demons, - and we even have cameos by Lane and Colton (which are fabulous). This book is dark and vicious and unhinged but also hilarious with lots of great one liners from all of the characters.

Some of my annotation totals:
Times I wrote “screaming” : 8
Times I wrote “Iconic”: 3
Times I addressed Kelly: 3
New words I looked up: 6
Animal characters I loved: 2
Times I thought of Taylor Swift songs: Many
Tabs used: 92

Some of my favorite things about the book include: making fun of old, white men, girls with axes, Mama the goat, Slightly the cat.

If you've always wanted to read a cottagecore horror romance this book is for you.

I’d been eagerly awaiting this book and was so thrilled NetGalley gave me access to this one early! Andrew’s writing is beautiful and so very colorful. I could picture everything so vividly! I love the history and dynamic between Wyatt, Peter and James and the perspectives that the story is told from. Their friendship. The turmoils. The strains. The romance is so unbearably sweet in all the best ways. However, the goal to prevent either character’s inevitable demise is put on the back burner and the plot gets muddled into Peter avoiding questions and the truth and Wyatt just being stuck there and denying her abilities. Even James’s arrival doesn’t quite push the plot into the developmental stages. This takes up a large portion of the book and seems to almost go in circles. I would have loved more lore and an in depth understanding of some more of the creatures we meet and why exactly Wyatt is so special or what exactly Peter is besides an immortal anomaly. There were a lot of questions and a few plot holes that were left hanging in the wind (a lot were James based in my opinion). The side characters that come in finally bring some life to this tale. I haven’t read The Whispering Dark, but I knew that some characters were from that other work by Andrew, and it’s now on a ‘must read’ list. Maybe there will be an official crossover that will answer the lingering questions, I would definitely read one! I don’t think the ending did justice to the characters after all they went through. More, I just wanted more of everything.