Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5

First street team read ever and I’m so glad it was this one!! ily Gabi <3
 
I absolutely loved this book. The writing is incredible, it drags you in and makes you want to read more. The worldbuilding and plot are both explained very well, but they also have several layers that make this book enjoyable for both YA and adult readers. I had such a good time with this book and I’m so excited to see what Gabi Burton does next.

A great sequel to the first book. I love black female rage. A 10/10 for me. Can’t wait to read more books from this authors.

This cover was so beautiful! I bought a physical copy for my library. Anything with Black mermaids/sirens, sign me up!

The first book in this series had heaps of conflict which made it even more of a compulsive read, and this sequel is no different. Betrayal, secrets, lies, deception, and political machinations occur on nearly every page.

Accused of several murders, Saoirse is at the top of everyone’s hitlist, and Hayes sends her across the barrier. To her dismay, he sends Carrick, her former best friend turned traitor (personally I think she held a grudge too long), with her. Something she’s not happy about at all. Due to shocking revelations and the actions of a character I desperately hope karma visits, Saoirse finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She’s forced to make some tough decisions, and I’ll just say Hayes has an endless capacity for forgiveness. The guy’s truly a sweetheart.

I enjoyed the inclusion of other creatures and the exploration of their world beyond the barrier. Other than wanting to hunt down the author over the fate of one character, this novel captivated me just as much as the first, and it’s a series I’d highly recommend. The ending (other than the previously mentioned character) is what I’d hoped.

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

A Stunning Conclusion to a Thrilling Duology

Drown Me With Dreams by Gabi Burton is a spellbinding sequel that delivers on every promise made by its predecessor, Sing Me To Sleep. This dark and captivating YA fantasy novel picks up right where we left off, plunging readers back into a world where sirens are outlawed, magic has its price, and no one is safe from betrayal—not even a king.

Saoirse Sorkova, our fierce and morally complex heroine, is pushed to the brink as she faces accusations of murder and the exposure of her siren identity. With the kingdom on the verge of collapse, Saoirse is forced to leave the safety of familiar shores and venture beyond the magical barrier. Her journey is fraught with danger, made even more perilous by the presence of Carrick, a once-beloved friend turned betrayer. The tension between them is palpable, adding depth to the already gripping plot as past wounds and unresolved feelings collide.

Burton masterfully navigates themes of loyalty, power, and sacrifice as Saoirse is faced with an impossible choice: save her kingdom or stay true to the boy she loves. The stakes are high, and the twists keep coming, ensuring that readers will be on the edge of their seats until the very last page. The morally grey characters and the richly developed all Black and Brown cast continue to be a standout, making this story as diverse as it is enthralling.

With its intoxicating blend of forbidden romance, high-stakes intrigue, and jaw-dropping twists, Drown Me With Dreams is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and complex heroines. Gabi Burton concludes this duology with the perfect mix of heartache, hope, and hard-won triumph, leaving readers both satisfied and yearning for more. If you haven’t dived into this series yet, you’re truly missing out.

I enjoyed this conclusion to the Sing Me to Sleep duology! I thought it was very interesting, and the plot kept me hooked from beginning to end. I liked seeing more of Carrick, Saoirse, and Hayes (but especially Carrick, he was definitely one of my favourite characters in this)! I wish there had been more tension between Hayes and Saoirse (and overall just more of their relationship; it still felt a bit stiff and shallow), but I did enjoy the bits of their relationship that we got! I also loved seeing all of the other creatures, and the relationships with the side characters. Overall, this was a satisfying conclusion, and I'm excited to read whatever Gabi Burton writes next! :)

4.5 ☆
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Black female siren! Why not?! Drown Me with Dreams is book two in the Sing Me to Sleep series. I like how this book starts where it left off in book 1, so I highly recommend reading book 1 so you will understand what's going on and not be confused. I loved this storyline. At some point, I felt like the book dragged a little.
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Thank you, Netgellay, and Bloomsbury USA for the Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Gabi Burton, your mind is a force to be reckoned with. I don’t know how the author managed to write *another* book that feels so familiar as if I wrote the damn thing. I have too deep of a connection to these characters and to this world. If I woke up one day in Keirdre… get me out I’m not built for over exertion but it’ll be fun for a bit.

Thank You Gabi for the EArc!

I miss Saoirse and Hayes so much already! I enjoyed Drown Me with Dreams! The writing was a lot better in this book. I love that we got to see more of this world, new creatures/characters were introduced and the characters we met in book 1 were more fleshed out! I love that Saoirse and Hayes were still awkward around each other even though they would do anything to save each other.

Also Gabi I can’t believe you did THAT to Carrick!

I did find a small part of the book tedious but overall I thought Drown Me With Dreams was a great conclusion!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

First things first - can we talk about how absolutely stunning this cover is?!? So gorgeous!!!

Drown Me With Dreams was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and it 100% lived up to the hype! I did a quick reread of Sing Me to Sleep prior to picking up this sequel and I’m so happy to be back in this enchanting world! Drown Me With Dreams is thrilling, romantic, suspenseful and full of so many twists it had my head spinning! The world building is spellbinding, magical and truly immersive. The writing is so captivating and feels both fantastical and relatable. 10/10 recommend picking up this duology!

🌊 Family
✨ Magic
🌊 Female Rage
✨ Revenge
🌊 Enchanting
✨ Forbidden Romance
🌊 Twists & Turns
✨ Betrayal
🌊 Completed Duology
✨ Morally Grey
🌊 Politics
✨ Adventure

Thank you so much Colored Pages Book Tours for sending me an advanced copy of Drown Me With Dreams! I loved it so much and can’t wait to see what Gabi Burton comes up with next!

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this ARC
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

WOW! What a conclusion to an amazing story! I loved everything about Hayes and Saoirse. Their love story was incredible and I was captivated by them from their very first interaction. I loved how Saoirse is also always unapologetically herself. She loves her siren powers and doesn't feel guilt for the way she's used them if it meant protecting her sister. Carrick was also one of my favorite characters in this series and I was very sad to see him die. I don't think he deserved that, especially after everything. I kept hoping that Saoirse would forgive him and there were so many opportunities for her to do so but, again, she was her very stubborn self. I can't fault her for that though. I had hoped to see more of Jeune in this novel, as with the last one, but she was hardly in it (which makes sense since her and Saoirse weren't even in the same place anymore) but I missed her throughly. The revelations in this novel were, as with the last one, very good. I had 0 inklings of the plot twists. I thought maybe, for a moment there, that Hayes brother might actually be alive but... nope. Reyshka's death was also not what I expected (but again, it makes sense for the context of the story). Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone!!!

This was so entertaining and delicious. Although I felt it was not as good as the first it was still enjoyable. The only reason I felt that way is because in the first novel our siren was so unapologetically a murder who loved killing with no remorse. I feel like the fantasy took a backseat to the love story and made this more of a Romantasy. Which is fine but great ending to such a different novel series.

I wish I would have enjoyed this more after really liking the first book.

The book is told from Saoirse’s point-of-view and although I liked her in the first and thought she was fine in this one. I wouldn’t say I felt as connected to her in this one. We did get to see more of her powers and learn more about sirens and other creatures too which was cool!

I wish there would have been a point-of-view for Hayes because they are apart for a lot of the book and mainly converse through dreams. This was a cool aspect to the story, but it didn’t help their relationship. I wish there would have been more from them besides it feeling surface level because I loved where their story was going in the first book, but it felt like it really didn’t go anywhere.

When it came to the rest of the plot I thought it was decent. There is a lot of sleuthing going and it built up a lot of intrigue, but the ending felt very anti-climatic and it just seemed like it was all built up for no real payout.

Overall, this was a decent conclusion but I wish there would have been more when it came to the relationship between Saoirse and Hayes.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for this eArc!

There’s a lot to love about this duology, but also a fair amount that fell flat for me. Let’s get into it, starting with the good & GREAT:

This world is fantastic. It’s diverse and unique, full of danger and surprises. The characters are all quite distinct and lovable. I especially enjoyed the romance in this one, and I don’t remember feeling terribly attached to it in book 1. Hayes & Saoirse have stunning chemistry, and such an interesting dynamic. Hayes openly acknowledges that he’d do just about anything for her, that he always wants her and loves her, but also that he (rightfully) can never fully trust her. Saoirse is one heck of a complicated character, she’s constantly scheming and manipulating, and making decisions that affect the whole world without really anyone’s input. She’s also so incredibly easy to root for, morally grey and all. She has become the way she is through determination and a willingness to survive, as well as protect her loved ones at any cost. This was a different combo for a relationship for me, and I actually liked it quite a lot.

One of the downfalls of this for me definitely might be a personal preference thing, but I found Saoirse to be so… unfailing. All the time. So much so that quite literally nothing is hard for her until the very end. It made the stakes feel lower for me than I wanted. This isn’t to say she hasn’t experienced struggle, she ABSOLUTELY has and that aspect of her past and character is honestly immaculate. It’s more… task based almost. Every plot point, every goal she sets, passes by with very little if any difficulty. Beyond that, it also made some of the plot feel flat in general, although that also may be a rather matter-of-fact writing style Gabi Burton has.

I’m ultimately giving this 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this, and would absolutely recommend the duology. I think I just enjoyed book 1 better than book 2, even if there are world aspects that are revealed and explored that I really enjoyed in book 2.

5 stars all day long!!

I devoured this book and I wasn't disappointed! The imagery, the writing and the overall book is just phenomenal. It starts off beautifully where we were left in Sing Me To Sleep and it doesn't end there.

I'm praying we will get a book 3 but if we don't the ending is one of my favourite parts.

If you haven't read Gabi's books you need to asap! Thank you Gabi for sending me your gorgeous new masterpiece via netgalley it has been a pleasure arc reading for you and I'm very grateful.

4.5⭐️

It’s always so difficult to leave a review for a sequel without any spoilers! I absolutely adored Sing Me To Sleep, the first in this duology, and was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an early copy.

This finale jumped straight back in and kept me hooked throughout. It’s full of action & politics that all combine to give some pretty high stakes situations. I loved learning more about this world and its array of creatures & magic as well as seeing the characters grow.

This instalment hasn’t quite made 5⭐️ for me as I felt a bit let down with the romance aspect of the story- it left me wanting more & felt at times it was a bit repetitive.

However, this duology is a really strong debut for Gabi and I know her books are only going to get better and better. I can’t wait to read more from her and to be honest I wouldn’t be mad if there were some more stories from this world as I felt there was much more to explore

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait from more books from this author. Sorise is everything.

Drown Me with Dreams was a great follow up to Sing Me to Sleep. I loved how Burton shows the complexities of human emotions and the cycle of responses to emotions/actions/reactions. I also loved the political commentary and the resolution to the conflict. Saorsie had a tough journey as the sole Siren, and I hope as this universe develops we get to meet more mythical creatures, including other Sirens, so she can begin moving past her abjected identity.

I absolutely loved this second installment. The world-building is phenomenal, drawing you in from the very first page and not letting go until the very end. The stakes are higher, the tension is palpable, and the romance is heart-wrenching.

Saoirse is a fierce and complex protagonist, torn between her duty to her kingdom and her love for a man who may not have her best interests at heart. Her struggles and decisions kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for her every step of the way.

The supporting characters are equally well-developed and add depth to the story. The twists and turns had me guessing until the very end, and the final showdown was truly epic.

Overall, this book is a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the duology. I couldn't put it down and I highly recommend it to fans of dark and seductive fantasy.