5/5 stars!

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll keep this brief!

This was everything I love in a YA book! The plot was tight with a sound story that had twists and turns; the characters were fully fleshed out, with a wide cast in terms of personality, race, and neurodiversity; character relationships were many and multifaceted... and best of all, the romance was both secondary to the plot AND well paced!

When I wasn't reading this book, I was constantly thinking about it and desperate to keep reading. There's setup for a sequel, which I'll be reading immediately the moment it comes out!

I recommend this for fans of shows like Sabrina and The Vampire Diaries, and aughts books like Wolves of Mercy Falls (Maggie Stiefvater) and Obsidian (Jennifer Armentrout)!

Overall, The Glittering Edge is just a really, really fun read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free digital ARC for my honest review!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

unfortunately, dnf @10%

sometimes you just know right away that you will not enjoy a book, and unfortunately i’ve read too many books to know right off the bat i would not enjoy the glittering edge despite the description intriguing me.
the writing was completely lackluster and did not grab my attention at all. not to mention i smelled the impending love triangle from the start.

i’m sure this book will find its audience, but it’s not me.

3/5 stars

Full Review to come!

A really fun YA paranormal fantasy! I think I would have absolutely eaten this up as a teenage. Now, not quite so much, I really am not the intended audience, but I still think this was a really nice read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for the eARC of this fantastically fun read. I stayed up late finishing this because I have no impulse control and wanted to know where the first part of the duology ended. I had such a fun time reading this story. As someone who grew up in a small Midwestern town, I could so clearly picture the small Indiana town -- including the biases and perceptions held by so many. Those details made me appreciate that while this book is dramatic (but very self aware), it has nuance, too. It also features mostly grey characters in both action and intention with the exception of the perfect human who leads drag queen night at the local coffee shop. I want to be his friend. Finally, Villaire's take on witches, curses, and the burden of power was a first for me and I loved the ride it took me on. Overall, I would read this again and I am excited to see how the story plays out in part two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books (a women led publisher, shout out to Sally Kim) for an Advanced Readers Copy.

I had a great time reading this! It’s a fun book with a lot of drama and mystery. If you love Riverdale or the Dallas reboot, especially tropes like adults who seem to be just as mature as teens, witchy magic and Southern gothic family messes, this is for you. I loved how the author included music in her scenes, it gave it a cinematic quality. I think this is a good match for younger teen readers. The romance is light but cute, and Romeo and Juliet comparisons are pretty thin. This is not a retelling. It’s dramatic and mysterious with a fast-paced plot and moments of humor.

DNF at 19%. Minor spoilers up to that point.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC, but unfortunately this book was not for me.

I found myself desperately searching for any semblance of PLOT? So two families are feuding and one is cursed by the other so their lovers die. The magical family doesn’t have magic bc this never-explained “Council” took their magic…. 🧐 And over the past 50 yrs, 11 people have died in their family yet they all easily keep having babies before they die bc they have a pendant that keeps them alive for a few years……. 😐 It is all so FLIMSY.

Meanwhile, the cursed boy has never cared about this FMC but immediately upon hearing her mom is in a coma due to his family, he just TELLS her about the curse??? What??? And the magical boy (who yes has magic even when his family doesn’t ….) is obsessed with the FMC even though they’ve legit never talked??? And the FMC is a “I want to be invisible” girl who also “has a backbone” according to the cursed boy because she, with no knowledge of magic, is like “why are you giving up so easily?” 😐😐😐

Guys. This is flimsy. It feels like there’s no point to the whole book? And this is a duology where the first book is over 400 pages? What’s the plot here??? They break the curse, cool? Like…. I tried to give it some time to give me anything but I can’t take the nothing anymore.

So I’m done.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

DNF at 30%
I was excited to pick this up but unfortunately it just was not my vibe. The writing style was awkward to read and jumped around a lot, making it very slow and arduous to read. Often I can overcome flawed writing if the story pulls me in enough and gets me invested and at first that was the case here, but unfortunately the looming love triangle was the final nail in this book's coffin for me. I think I am just past a point in my life where that kind of situation appeals to me. For the right person, I think this book would be a good read; I am just not that person!

This was a DNF sadly :/

I could not get into this book, no matter how hard I tried. It just wasn't working for me. The characters felt shallow and weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. The dialogue especially didn't feel natural and kept throwing me out of the story. The concept sounds really cool and I'm sure the plot is nice as well , however the writing just was not for me. I do think that a younger audience would still really appreciate this book!

I picked up The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire expecting a fun, witchy ride, and it mostly delivered. The story follows Penny Emberly, a small-town girl in Idlewood, Indiana, caught up in a magical feud between the witchy De Lucas and the cursed Barrion family. Curses, forbidden love, and a desperate mission to save her mom? Yes, please. I can practically smell the crisp Midwestern air and hear the whispers of gossip.

The book shines when it leans into its eerie, small-town vibe. There’s a scene where Penny sneaks through the woods that reminded me of the time I got lost on a hike and swore every rustle was a serial killer. Villaire nails that spooky tension. The characters, like Penny and the brooding Corey Barrion, are solid too. They’re layered enough to care about, even if they didn’t always surprise me.

But here’s the rub: it didn’t fully sweep me away. The pacing felt off, like when you’re waiting for a rollercoaster to drop but it just keeps climbing. The love triangle with Corey and Alonso had sparks, but it fizzled out too soon for my taste. I wanted more of that electric pull to keep me reading. Still, it’s a decent read: perfect for a cozy weekend with a cup of tea. Three stars from me: enjoyable, but not quite unforgettable.

Small town supernatural stories are so fun to me! This was just a nice, enjoyable read to me. I liked the characters, especially Corey, and Alonso did grow on me.

All you need to do to summon me is mention The Raven Boys

- feuding families
- light love triangle
- magic, witches and curses
- atmospheric small town
- anxiety rep

I read it in two sittings, it was so fun and fast. I definitely felt the Raven Boys vibes, I also really liked the layers to the mystery. The paranormal aspect was cool as well. Good thing there's a sequel after that cliffhanger!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this! I found the magic intriguing, and the pacing was perfect! My favorite part was the romance, of course, and I ADORE Alonso and Penny. And that ending!! Ahh! Can’t wait to read more!

P.S. This cover is absolutely stunning!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.


My, oh, my was this good.

This book is the literal definition of engaging, keeping you on your toes, and a page-turner. There were several nights when I just wanted to read this. The found family pulled on my heartstrings, and Alonso and Penny deserve everything.

It did take about 100 pages to truly get hooked in the book, but it was a very good book, with good pacing otherwise

Do not touch my baby boy, Alonso, please, I beg of you Alyssa, please.