Review: Grave Secrets by Cassandra Aston (Prophecies of Angels and Demons #1)

Allie Graves, a young woman who made a deal with angels six years ago to save her life in exchange for service, is now facing the end of her contract. She realizes that returning to a normal life comes with serious consequences. As her time runs out, a mysterious man enters her life, but the angels disapprove of his magic and are determined to eliminate him. With less than a month to go, Allie must uncover a family secret, save this man, and figure out her post-angel life.

I had this ARC lying around for a while – you know, life happened.

I enjoyed reading it but I had hoped for more. It felt more like a retelling of events and so much of “let me tell you a story”. I mean, I understand why but it felt like too much of it. The pacing was kind of odd but I must say, I liked the whole angel/demon thing – I hoped more of that. And there were some plotholes that never got answered.

I don’t want to be too critical. I enjoyed reading it, but as the story progressed, I couldn’t get over some of the plotholes. And I called most of the plottwists. I will probably still read the second book.

This story was really good. It's a fantasy romance novel. A house is left in a will. finding out its full of secrets, and you're not alone.

I really enjoyed this book- which had urban fantasy vibes, with angels, demons, magic, and more.
Allie Graves has been hunting demons for the angels, as part of an agreement they made nearly 6 years ago to spare her life. As her demon hunting days are coming to an end, she begins preparing to return to her mortal life. She takes up residence in an old family estate, where she learns that her family may have been hiding life-altering secrets.
While there, she meets the mysterious Simon- and ends up getting tangled not only in his affairs, but with mysteries and revelations regarding her own life. She needs to unravel these mysteries before her time runs out with the angels, and she’s sent back to her mortal life.
This book was fun, fast paced, action packed, and filled with exciting twists and turns. I loved the dynamic between Allie & Simon, and the sweet slow burn romance that developed between them.
I definitely recommend this to lovers of urban fantasy, and I look forward to the second installment. Mind the cliffhanger!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Amazing book!
I was thoroughly engaged throughout this book and I didn't want to put it down! The author captured my attention from the get go! Five stars from me :)

Thank you for gifting me this arc. This was very different to my usual reads as I tend to read fantasy but I was hooked to this story. I read this within 1 day as I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend it on to others

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately ended up having to DNF as it was just too slow for my personal tastes and I wasn't able to get into it properly

Overall this book was good, at some points I felt it was quiet slow paced and others too fast paced.

Overall I thought the world building was great and thought the overall story of the book was good.

I liked the FMC and thought she did grow and developed in the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely loved this book!

The story has you gripped from the start and the characters are just glorious- Allie especially.

Lots of magic, darkness, mystery and action that just flows so well with Cassandra’s writing. Angels and demons are always a bit samey usually but I feel like there’s such a good twist within this book on the take of them.


Cannot CANNOT wait for the next book in this series!

This book was so fun. It got me into fantasy/ vampire mood right away. I loved the writing and the story itself. i loved Allies story and her life. I wanted to see what she was going to do next and what secrets she uncovered. I loved how the main character had flaws made her so much more realistic and real. Totally loved to hear more about her past and wanted to see what she will figure out. Really wanted to know more about the angels and why they are so secretive and i knew something was going on. I was surprised how Simon was added to the story and i wanted them together so bad! They seem so cute together! I loved the back and forth thing that they did. It was so sweet. I really wanted to see what will happen next. I cant wait for the next book.

Wow. This story fully gripped me in with all of the mystery and fantasy elements. It was such a journey to see everything unravelling. The main characters were strong and super likeable. Allie has been serving the angels for the past six years by hunting demons. Unexpected events lead her back to an abandoned family mansion that she inherited after her uncle passed away. She then meets Simon, a patient and caring man who has been tangled in her families history. He shares a collection of tales from his life, so that Allie can learn the secrets about her family.

There were many twists and turns in this story, which made it really enjoyable to read. I did not want to put it down. The ending was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions, and made me super excited for whatever comes next.

CAWPILE score 8.00/4.5 stars

While I enjoyed the story itself, at some points the story felt dragged since we got so much information via dialog about Simon's past, however I liked the fact that Allie could stop him to ask questions or tell him that he's giving way too many unimportant details.
I'm happy to see an older FMC and even if she acts a bit juvenile for her age, I think it can make a lot of sense considering everything, especially since she spent many years in foster homes where she wasn't really getting much attention, so it's no surprise she didn't think about some obvious things considering her inheritance or how she could make her life better. On the other hand, the other female who appears in the second half was quite annoying at first and I would have expected her to be a bit more mature.
I like how all the details fit into place at some point, but I just hoped we would get there sooner, or at least using more flashbacks instead of dialogue, but it was very satisfying when we finally discovered the truth. The second part of the story, after the past is uncovered was a bit messy and rushed instead, but the ending itself was really nice and I can't wait to see what's gonna happen when Allie is gonna use the spoon in the next volume

This was a great romantasy I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down I was so proud happy and I can’t wait for the next one

"Grave Secrets" by Cassandra Aston is a riveting urban fantasy with a gripping plot. Allie, a former demon slayer bound to angels, faces a deadline to uncover family secrets and save a mysterious man. While the story's pacing had moments of imbalance, the twists and imaginative narrative compensated. The writing style, occasionally discordant in dialogue, smoothed out as the tale progressed. A unique take on angels and demons with unpredictable twists. Aston keeps you breathless till the end. The slow-burn romance and mild spice enhance the mystery and fantasy elements. Despite initial reservations, the book builds complexity, making it an enchanting fantasy experience. With bombshells dropping consistently, the plot weaves past and present seamlessly, leaving readers hooked. The author's talent shines through, offering a compelling read, captivating even beyond some initial hiccups. A recommended 18+ fantasy romance with a stunning ending that leaves you eager for the next installment.

I really really wanted to root for this book. But sadly I was so bored with the way the author did the flashbacks of reiterating their backstory, i mean they could have done it better. The premise of the story had so much potential and that is what made me pick this book for the ARC (thanks netgalley and publisher),but so much potential wasted. I crawled thru the book dragging myself reading it, only thing keeping me from DNFing it was the tension between Simon and Allie but the author lost me when she suddenly changed into Rebecca, I wasn't shocked in all honesty it just took it too long to get that message happen. I am so sad that when they finally did the Did, it was Rebecca and not Allie. That epilogue of Simon being with Allie again is so anti-climactic like a last resort to end this book on a better note cause wtf was those inbetweens of unnecessarry backstories and even Elizabeth and cybil's, I swear it would honestly be better without that and also Gabriel seemed so much like an afterthought even banishing completely in the end when she needed him and Zoph coming in from nowhere in the bus and appearing again just to the end of the book? like, potential wasted. I think the author was trying to squeeze so much fiction into this about angels, demons, necromancers, witches that in the end, they just had to tell the backstory of what Simon was by Zoph, and I skimmed it, it feels so out of it, like an afterthought. I wished the author focused more on some things, for example:
did you want it for romance only? then should have focused on Simon and Allie. mythical? Should have focused on being a demon slayer and the thing about Simon, Reincarnation? Should have left it at a better story telling weaved into the plot, it wasn't shocking moreso. Magic/Witches? Could have done better if it focused with the Demonslaying and angels and magic. it feels so scattered. honestly even tho in the first half Allie was bitchin, i found Rebecca more intolerable. I was so disappointed. So much potential to dive into what Allie and Simon had better.

DNF at 43%. I wanted to like this book. I really, really, did. I think there were a lot of interesting ideas in the plot, but I found that they just took too long to come together enough to grab my interest. It just took SO LONG for Simon to share his story and I think that it would have been better received if it were framed as in flashbacks instead of him verbally telling the story with Allie’s commentary jumping in. It might be better as an audiobook or film though.

I liked this book, the depiction of angels, demons and witches was quite unique. Allie was a great character, she was , headstrong and empathetic. However, Simon stole the show for me! Simon was so selfless and kind I loved how much heart & warmth he bought to the book.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, it felt very bitter sweet after everything the FMC endured. Also found it annoying how unhelpful the angels were, they really made Allie’s life difficult and their decisions had dire consequences at points for her.

All in all it was a good book & definitely had some good romance in this which was a nice surprise. It was a love that transcended time and probability.

let me start off with, I CAN’T WAIT FOR BOOK 2, GRAVE PROPHECIES!

this book was wonderful! I was invested in Allie’s story from the minute we meet our sassy, independent, demon slaying FMC. we find her nearing the end of a deal made with Angels, her life in exchange for years of service ridding the human world of those pesky aforementioned demons. it’s such a fun concept and I almost wish we got see a bit more of her life in those years, but her new adventures more than make up for it. with no idea what she’ll do after, she sets out in search of answer about her past, which leads her to the abandoned mansion left to her by a deceased relative, one that’s been in the family for generations. what she finds when she gets there isn’t what she was excepting — a handsome, charming, and undeniably SUPERNATURAL man named Simon. she’s immediately torn between her instincts to slay and her pull to him. I live for it. the slow burn. the back and forth. the should I, no I shouldn’t. it’s delicious and we get plenty of it.

but Simon has his own secrets and agenda. as Allie starts to delve into the mystery of her family, it’s apparent Simon is entangled in that history, but to what end? I loved watching these two along the journey. the touches of Simon’s gentlemanly manners were adorable and endearing, but I also loved how fierce Allie was throughout this. she truly is a badass & isn’t one to swoon normally, though swoon she might eventually.

seriously I was sucked into this mystery, and I can’t wait for the next book. the ending of this had me shook and I neeeeed more. the suspense, the crumbs of romance, the slightly creepy but still homey setting. all of worked together to build such a fun story & world. Cassandra Aston’s storytelling deserves so much praise for this!

Cassandra Aston does a great job in writing this book, it was a great updated version of this novel. It had what I enjoyed from the previous version and the modifications worked well. The characters felt like they belonged in this universe.

This book had an amazing premise. I loved the idea of the storyline: a girl is working to fight demons after she is brought back to life. The beginning brought me enough intrigue to keep going; however, as I kept reading, the writing wasn't compelling me, and I struggled to continue. I think the pace of the story was a little too slow for me. I really wish I loved it!

As the book wasn't for me, I still say check it out. It has promising reviews, and it probably just wasn't meant for me, but it could definitely be meant for you if you're interested!