In Drown Me with Dreams we pick up right where we left off in Sing Me to Sleep. Saoirse is on her journey to find space for her family as well as change the society that she lives in to make it more acceptable for sirens and other creatures that are trying to live peacefully.

I loved that we immediately picked up where the last book left off. Some may not like that but I really enjoyed being immersed into the story as soon as I picked up the book. I will say this book is slower paced in terms of action than the previous installment however, I do think that it worked for this book. I missed Hayes and Saoirse so much and it was so nice seeing their relationship again. The ending was bittersweet but it really worked here and wrapped up the series nicely.

More creatures, betrayal, love, and black sirens... What more could you want?

It is hard not to picture Gabi when reading this, her voice is so evident on the pages. I love it when you can tell how much care and almost motherly love was poured into a book and that is clear in this one! Anyone who enjoyed Sing Me to Sleep will be so glad to be back with our favorite killer siren and watch her grow!

Absolutely incredible. I have no words! I loved this as much as I loved Sing Me to Sleep! Gabi Burton- you are a goddess! This duology is must have on your bookshelf. It will live in your brain forever.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6049885461

Very cute debut novel! I enjoyed being inside Ember's brain - it felt like I was reading from the POV of a friend! Def recommend for anyone looking for a sweet romcom that involves a FMC who's trying to balance work, life and family.

We meet Saoirse again, but this time she is considered a fugitive of the kingdom. Former Prince, now King, Hayes is trying to protect Saoirse until they can get her to the other side of the barrier. Plans have changed and now they have to find out what is on the other side of the barrier earlier than expected. Saoirse doesn’t know what will happen once she is on the other side but her main focus is Rain and her parents.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Gabi Burton for this ARC! I loved that the moment the book was opened we were transported straight back into Keirdre. I enjoyed watching Saoirse develop as a character throughout this book. It felt like we had a true completion of her arc as a character in the conclusion to this duology. We get to see her with the help of Hayes truly accept who she is.

The stakes in this book were so high. But it never felt like I was forcing myself to read a part to get to the action. Every time I turned a page there was a new problem to solve. And even though I've read a ton of fantasy books I was unable to predict where this story was going.

Also, I'm a sucker for a character that knows how to be cunning and manipulative effectively. Saoirse has become one of my favorite fmc because she's so smart and knows how to use it to her advantage. You can remove her from her siren powers and she's still a strong character.

I'm not a huge romance fan normally. But Gabi could write 20 stories about Saoirse and Hayes and I would love them just as much as I loved this duology.

Finally, I loved the fact that this book takes place in a world where everyone is Black and Brown. It's the kind of fantasy book I wish I had been able to read when I was younger. And I am so glad it exists now for everyone to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Drown Me with Dreams was a good conclusion to this duology, but I do not think it outdid Sing Me to Sleep. In Drown Me With Dreams, we know Hayes plans on sending Saoirse across the barrier in hopes of learning about the creatures on the other side and whether it is safe to bring it down. At the beginning of the story, Hayes is hiding Saoirse from the world after everyone learned she is a siren. When Saoirse attempts to find proof that the Queen has motives that do not align with Hayes, she finds herself caught and thrown in prison. This leads her to actually being sent across the barrier...with Carrik.

Oh, Carrik. Yes, he screwed up royally at the end of Sing Me to Sleep, but he works so hard to prove himself to Saoirse in this book and I couldn't help but love him as a character. He truly did care for Saoirse and was willing to do anything to help her.

I don't really love books where the love interests are separated for a good part of the book. It's particularly challenging when the story is not in multiple povs. While I still didn't love that for a majority of the story, Hayes and Saoirse are on opposite sides of the barrier, I enjoyed that Burton made the single pov work with Saoirse being able to dreamweave with Hayes. Every night, she uses her lairic beads to dream weave to see Hayes so that she can fill him in on what she is learning. On the other side of the barrier, Saoirse and Carrik are learning more about the rebellion that's been building to stop Hayes' father because they don't know he's dead and trying to infiltrate Reyshka's army to learn what the king was doing with her.

I felt like the book struggled a little bit in the middle. Most of it felt mundane and anti-climatic until Saoirse put everything together and realized what was going on. When she returned to Hayes with a plan for how to bring down the barrier and keep all parties and promises, that's when things heated up. I loved the last fourth of the book. I also really love Jeune. I wish we'd seen more of her. Once Saoirse and Hayes are back on the same side of the barrier and working together to bring it down, I couldn't put the book down. It all came together so well.

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this ahead of time. While I liked Sing Me to Sleep more, the duology is beautiful and one with fantastic characters and a great storyline!

What an ending to this duology! I've never read any books about sirens before, but this duology has me frothing at the mouth for me. Anybody got any other siren recs for me?!

I will say, the ending of this book did feel a little rushed for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the ending! But I wanted a little bit more detail and I wanted it to last a little bit longer.

I really enjoyed the relationships that evolved in this book. Especially the rebuilding of the friendship between Saoirse and Carrik. At first, I was like HECK NO, because how could he?! But watching Saoirse herself grow was beautiful to watch unfold on the page and it felt very natural.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a badass female main character because Saoirse is the epitome of that trope! Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved the first book Sing Me To Sleep, it was enchanting, suspenseful, and beautifully written. Unfortunately I didn’t feel the same way about its sequel DROWN ME WITH DREAMS. The story and plot was okay and I enjoyed the world building but I was expecting more from this book. It felt like nothing really happened in this book, it just dragged. The ending of this book honestly felt completely rushed and incomplete to me. Everything wrapped up so quickly it felt underwhelming. I wish there was more deeper development with the characters I felt they weren’t fleshed out properly., I also felt disconnected to them compared to the first book. I love the romance between the two character especially I the first book but it still get surfaced levelled, I was hoping there will be more vulnerability and intensity between them but they didn’t have the same chemistry or passion I felt between like they had in the first book. I don’t know what happened, their scenes felt forced and robotic in this book. I do wish there were POV chapters of Hayes, I think it would have helped make the story more interesting especially with the dynamic of his and Saoirse’s relationship, just to see a glimpse of his side of things.

Unfortunately this sequel feel flat for me, disappointing I absolutely loved the first book

Overall, this was a great read. I didn't totally buy the romance plotline, that felt a bit clunky to me, but I think it's passable considering this is intended for younger readers.

I think one of the places where this book just takes off is in it's connection between the sisters. It's phenomenally well done!

Folks who love Gabi Burton are going to be swept away with this stunning read!

There are very few books that leave me completely shattered, and this was one of them. 😭 I absolutely loved Sing Me To Sleep and after reading Drown Me With Dreams, I can't decide which one I love most.

Following the story of Saoirse and almost feeling her rage, witnessing her come into herself and understand herself and her powers more was so invigorating. This was such a well-written, captivating story that I couldn't put down. 5 stars!

. I enjoyed this next chapter in this saga - will it be the end? Maybe - or maybe we will get to see what happens next to our favorite siren and her prince/king. Well developed characters and plot that kept me on my toes trying to figure out how everything would work out. Highly recommend!

Thank you Gabi burton & NetGalley for this arc

Sing me to sleep was my favorite book of 2023 and the sequel did not disappoint!!

This fantasy duology has everything i love!
Morally grey characters, love, betrayal, friendship, family, politics, unique magic and amazing world building.
Saoirse is such an interesting character and i loved her development throughout these books.
She is scared of love but she loves so fiercely and loved seeing that portrayed in different setting such as familial,romantic and platonic.
I usually struggle to sit and read for long periods of time but Gabi Burton’s writing is so captivating i blink and have suddenly read for hours.
Let me tell you the plot was plotting🙂‍↕️ I can’t say much without spoiling both books but it went in so many directions i wasn’t expecting and i love when a book can shock me AND OMG THE ENDING!? Gabi broke my heart and then picked up the pieces like she didn’t just make me sob.

🩶 Morally Grey FMC
🗡️ Revenge & Betrayal (and some forgiveness)
🫶🏾 Found Family

Are we surprised???

Sing me to sleep was one of my Top 5 books of 2023! I still think it is one of the best showcases of what a morally grey character is (IMO), and Drown me with Dreams just wrapped up the story with a perfect bow!

Finishing Drown me With Dreams was bittersweet, and filed with emotional pain! We finally get across the magical barrier that separates Keirdre from its “enemies”, and let me tell y’all how I couldn’t predict anything! The betrayals, and the new found powers kept me on my toes the whole time.

I honestly wished this was a trilogy because I still have questions 😭 and would have love to see more of Saoirse and Rain.

I’m trying to not spoil anything!! Which is super hard since SMTS ended on sort of cliffhanger, and DMWD was a strong sequel!

I have definitely added the SMTS and DMWD dreams to the list of series I will be rereading in the future!

VARIED THOUGHTS.

I went up and down with this book y’all. I will put at the top of this review though that I would love to try another series by this author. I think there’s potential for some great reads, even if I was mixed on this conclusion.

I loved a lot about Saoirse. Her dedication to her sister and how much she LOVED her. I loved the protective nature and the strength and will to survive in a land that doesn’t want her. I wish Saoirse had shown a little more growth in being able to trust others and not to lean so heavily (for the entire book) on scheming and manipulation. At least with those close to her.

The romance lacked chemistry and aspects felt forced. I wanted to love the forbidden and heated interactions, yet, the sporadic nature of their proximity didn’t build up the fragile connection they started with. I was way more invested in Saoirse’s story line with Carrick.

I liked the side characters. They added complexity and turmoil, politicking and good betrayals throughout. I feel like that whole group held up the book for me. The book lacked some direction and pacing became an issue too.

Like this review entails, I was back and forth on things I loved/struggled with. It’s still a book I would recommend and now that it’s a completed duology an even better time to try this out!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: heated make-outs with light touching
Violence: high

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Okay, I think I loved Drown Me with Dreams even BETTER than Sing Me to Sleep!!! I was hooked from the first line, and BLEW through it. I feel like the characters were better fleshed out, and the plot really started to come together better too. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I really enjoyed reading Drown Me With Dreams by Gabi Burton, which is book 2 in a YA fantasy duology - the sequel to Sing Me To Sleep, which I also really enjoyed!

Synopsis: Saoirse Sorkova is on the run and even the newly crowned King Hayes can't protect her as her murderous siren identity is now compromised. The only way to save her life is to send her on a dangerous mission beyond the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom - but the crack in the barrier currently only opens one way. Forced to travel with Carrick - once her best friend, now her greatest betrayer - she begins to unravel multiple plots that threaten the safety of her family, the entire kingdom and her future with Hayes. And the more time she spends with Carrick, the harder it is to keep hating him. Saoirse finds herself forced to question if Hayes is the right ruler for the kingdom after all and if she is willing to betray both her king and her heart..

"You are my favourite part of every day"

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sequel and really appreciated both Saoirse and Carrick's character growth and their complicated and twisting relationship. I particularly loved how Saoirse learned to face her fears and to use the power of the water rather than allowing it control her which was a marked difference from the first book.

I enjoyed the writing and there were lots of twists and turns to the plot - I liked how the army they were worried about across the border turned out to be not quite what they expected. There was more political intrigue which I loved and also more planning as opposed to Saoirse jumping in head first like she so often did in the first book. However, whilst she did learn to harness the power of the water instead of falling under it's spell, she still tried to do everything mostly by herself for a good portion of the novel and I would have loved her to be a little more open with both Hayes and Carrick - indeed, lack of clear communication with Hayes was once again an issue in their relationship, although I did really love their dream interactions. Hayes and Jeune were also great characters once again, although in the hurry to wrap up everything neatly at the end, Jeune's fate was unclear which I felt was a real shame. More of Jeune as well as J'Sirri would have been a great addition to the ending of the story. I really appreciated how Hayes story came to a close however and found the ending satisfying, if a little rushed.

In all this is a solid great 4 star read that I would definitely recommend to everyone who has read and enjoyed Sing Me To Sleep and I will definitely read whatever Gabi Burton brings out next!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for access to this e arc for review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I LOVED getting to read more of Gabi Burton's beautiful writing and finding out the conclusion to this compelling story! Sing Me To Sleep was one of my absolute favourite reads of 2023, so it was very exciting to get to read the sequel a couple of months early. I was both eager to find out how Saoirse's adventure would end and sad to have to leave this world behind!

After the events of the first book, siren Saoirse is a wanted criminal and the newly-crowned King Hayes is forced to send her to the other side of the magical barrier surrounding their kingdom... both to keep her safe, and to look into what is really happening over there. Saoirse is flanked by her once-best-friend, now-betrayer Carrick, who is doing all he can to get back on her good side and proves fundamental to her mission. What she finds leads to a lot of confusion and doubts over what to do, what is right for her Kingdom and even whether Hayes is the right person to lead it. How can Saoirse help her kingdom and keep her beloved sister safe, without breaking her own heart?

The plot was engaging for the entirety of the book and kept me guessing about characters' intentions and ideas. There were lots of unexpected plot twists that kept things interesting and tense, all the way until the final resolution. I wish more time was spent on the actualisation of the final plan, which was much anticipated and then... somewhat already over? But otherwise I loved the way it was all wrapped up, which was creative and definitely not what I expected! Drown Me With Dreams was less heavy on the action than Sing Me To Sleep, as it focused more on planning, political intrigue, subterfuge and development of relationships. I enjoyed the intricacies this brought to the plot, especially when it came to the government that Saorise gets to encounter on the other side of the barrier!

The main characters were explored in even more depth, with new layers being uncovered. I feel like I got a deeper understanding of Saoirse and Carrick throughout the book, and partially of Hayes too, although he was less central. The romance was a smaller subplot compared to everything else happening, but gosh did I love the scenes between Saoirse and Hayes! The (platonic!) relationship between Saoirse and Carrick was a great one to read about, too - their shared history, the difficult-to-overcome resentment and their unbreakable bond despite everything bringing a delightful warmth to a rather dark story. While the side characters weren't particularly developed, they served their purpose well and supported the story where needed (I definitely would have loved to know more about J'siiri, though!).

Sooo, I'd definitely recommend this duology to lovers of dark YA fantasy! I was absolutely enraptured by both books and could barely put this sequel down. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review!

This is such an AMAZING sequel. The book brings you right back to the world and drama from book you. Shows you a whole new world, with new stakes and new characters. The emotional rollercoaster I felt while reading this! I am sooo sad this series has ended but the book was everything I wanted and more!

Sing Me To Sleep was one of the best books I read last year and definitely the most memorable debut I've ever read. I was thrilled to get the eARC of its sequel!

The worldbuilding, the writing style and characters' depth are as good - if nog better - as in the first book. Saoirse is such a great FMC: strong-willed, loyal and unshaken in her convictions and love for her family. The romance between her and Hayes was an absolute highlight. Some of the best lines in the book were Hayes' and I just melted on several scenes.

I sobbed at the end. But everything wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly, I wanted more tension - hence one star off. Overall though it was a fantastic sequel. Gabi Burton joins the ranks of my fav authors and I can't wait to read her next series!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.