The vibes of this book are amazing, and perfect for reading late at night during spooky season. There’s seriously something about Jessica’s writing that just really invokes such an eerie atmosphere, and makes you feel like you’re there with the characters. Stefanie Kay did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. This was just what I was looking for in a Poe-inspired book!

I would highly recommend this audio!

I had the audio ARC for this book and I was hooked into the beginning right away. The dark, gothic vibes were great and I appreciated feeling like this story was unique but also had recognizable elements of gothic fantasy.

Towards the middle of this book it got really hard for me to stay invested. I do agree that the ending picked up, but I was already a little less attached so it just didn't get back to that strong start for me.

I think I had a hard time with the main character (who I actually did like a lot) and how her biggest motivation was doing all of this for her siblings. Her siblings are the worst and are unlikable. So this may have been more engaging or palatable if she were to be focusing on revenge for her mom or on saving the rest of the citizens rather than focusing so intensely on her siblings.

All in all, if you're looking for something short and stand along to read in between, it's not bad!

I wanted to like this book but unfortunately the magic formula didn't work on me. I think this book might appeal to fans of gothic romance and shadow daddies who want a efficient standalone.

The plot features an unhappy heroine whose family is toxic, all set in a dying kingdom where a deadly blood plague is rampant while Prince "I don't care" is having a fiesta. When she loses her mom, Odessa finds herself forced to work in the palace to support her awful brothers.

I liked the basic pitch and expected a morally grey story, but I soon realized I wasn't a fan of the writing or the many repetitions.
I didn't DNF this book because I still wanted to get to the bottom of the story, and an audiobook is always entertaining !

I was disappointed by the romance and the characters: the male lead gives the heroine a nickname as soon as they meet, even though he doesn't know her, they don't talk that much, and their cliché lines made me laugh even though it's not a comedy.

As for Odyssa, she annoyed me a bit, and I know we tend to be harder on female characters. But in this case she was picking on the wrong people (I suppose that's realistic too) and it was giving me a headache in the long run. She does lead a difficult life but she makes the worst possible decisions even when those around her tell her to watch out *face palm*.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC !

This was an interesting story - I really enjoyed the gothic vibes and as a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, I was here for all the elements borrowed from his writing! Odyssa's brothers were totally cruel, frankly I would've left them in the dirt but alas, then we would have no story lol! This is a bit of a slow burn in that Odyssa gets close to the king's advisor but we are slowly revealed his motivations. That being said, the tension between the two main characters is palpable. I also found the origins of the plague interesting and unique.

I listened to the audiobook and found the narration enjoyable!

Rating: 3.5 stars/5, rounded to 4.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Dreamscape for the ALC, all opinions are my own.

After Odyssa's mother dies from the blood plague she decides to become a servant in the palace attempting to find a cure for the plague. She encounters a mysterious man there, Talon, who is very obsessed with her. I felt like this story was very compartmentalized, the world details slim, and my interest was low. If I hear "my wolf" again it will be too soon.

I did enjoy the narrator, she did a good job of bringing the story to life and creating individual voices.

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.

If you’re a romantasy girlie who loves a broody MMC who swoops in to save the day any time the FMC finds herself in danger, this book is for you! It’s full of adventure and drama. The world building is nice and it’s an easy story to follow. Great book!

Big thanks to Jessica S Taylor and Netgalley for the AudioARC in exchange for a review.

This story was good, but pushed on the 'vengeful daughter who was kicked when she was down, her family hates her even though they are the only surviving because she gives everything she has' trope a little too strongly. She gets a job at the castle to support her brothers who all but kick her out of the family home, telling her she needs to financially support them. Let's let women be strong and independent without forcing them to support the patriarchy that holds them down already.

The story built well, showing that within the castle walls, there were as many friends as there were foes, and that the gentry were not necessarily who she thought they would be, and of course steam, betrayal and magic, make this a good romantacy!

4.5 stars

3.25!

Beyond those gilded walls was my second book by this author and my first (also her first) adult book by her and honestly I enjoyed it but there were times where I just wasn't as invested. I had the audio arc so I think that helped a lot. The starting was definitely stronger and I think the middle is where I was lost and the ending though picked up it's pace, couldn't match the strength of the start. The writing was enjoyable but I felt like something was missing.

Our main character Odyssa was such a weird character tbh. I did understand her at times and her monologue was enjoyable but the doormatness and desperation and the need for approval just made me want to slap her. Especially if you want approval from your little siblings, specifically one who slapped you like you have a lot of patience for that. She got on my nerves. The mmc was better but I still felt disconnected by him, tbh I didn't feel anything towards him.

The romance was alright but since the characters weren't that' strong for me....the romance automatically fell and I think that was it 😭but the story and the concept was enjoyable and I liked how it was executed. I know I had problems with it but in the end I enjoyed it.

Overall, it was okay!

3 stars rounded up. I really loved this in the beginning and was impressed by the writing. But as time went on I just became less interested in the story. There are many repetitive moments. The FMC is always close to getting in trouble/getting hurt and somehow the MMC is always there to save her. I still have many questions about the world in which the MMC is from, and you never find out any real detail about the magic involved. I also felt so bad for the FMC, she was responsible for things she never should've been burdened with. And her brothers??? They're the absolute worst! This has all the cliche elements of a romantasy but I think it lacked in execution. This might be really good to someone who's never read a romantasy before, but as someone who's read hundreds, it just missed the mark. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

ehhhh, this was fine? Def had a promising premise, but I felt like the whole storyline and the characters lacked development. I believe this story was an ode to Edgar Allen Poe, but I just didn't feel that come through as much as I wanted to. Odyssa's family was awful - I have no idea why she felt so loyal to them, even until the end, and I had a really hard time connecting with her. I just really wanted more out of this.

Beyond Those Gilded Walls
by Jessica S. Taylor
Narrated by Stefanie Kay

Audiobook rating : 4 stars
Book rating : 2 stars
Overall rating : 3 stars

Now this is the second book where my experience with Audiobook was much much better than the content of the book.

Now this one had promising premise, it gave me Edgar Allan Poe's mask of the red death vibes coz that was the damn plot and it really felt like I was gonna love this book. But there's hardly exciting that happens in the book. Talon calling Odyssa little wolf from the very first meeting made no sense at all. Then Odyssa was having so many accidents that it was just repetitive and annoying. Lot of things made no sense in the book. Till about 60 % of the book nothing happened but her accidents.

Odyssa wasn't powerful nor did she did anything extravagant. Her cribbing over her mother's death and horrible brothers was overly done. If she was in the castle and that was coz of her brothers, how was she responsible for looking after them. I mean come one use the brain sometimes.

She infuriated me, there was hardly any chemistry between her and Talon. Overall this book disappointed me big time. Coz this could have been such a hit book.

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape media for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Buckle up because this one is going to knock you off your seat!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Dreamscape Media for the AudioARC! I was thoroughly entertained!

This was such an interesting story filled with mystery, magic, enemies to lovers, repugnant bad guy who you just can't help rooting for the moment that he gets what's coming to him. And so much more. There are so many aspects of mystery in this novel, I liked that the MFC held her own from start to finish, but yet there was this aspect of her that was vulnerable when it came to the people she loved. It had the feeling of twisting a few tales (my guess was Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast) and fracturing them until the edges were rough and sharp. I liked it, whatever it was! Lol!
The story does not move in a direction you anticipate at the beginning, and it has a fantastic twist at the end that I think readers will love.

Can't wait for the next!
No regrets!!!!
4.3 out of 5 stars

I received an ARC of Beyond These Gilded Walls by Jessica S Taylor from NetGalley.

It tells the story of Odyssa, a girl desperately trying to earn the love of her family and save them from a plague overtaking their town. The prince has locked himself and his favored people behind the castle gates instead of attempting to save his people. Odyssa journeys behind the very walls she despises to seek a cure. While in the castle, she learns that things may not be as they seem.

Written in the first person from Odyssa’s point of view, we get to hear all her mistrust, self-doubt, and general nihilism. Her narration is somewhat repetitive, but improves as the story progresses.

I had a hard time getting into the book, but the premise was interesting enough that I wanted to know the outcome. The main characters are generally unlikable initially, but I appreciated the character development arc. The characters have similarities to those in Throne of Glass and ACOTAR.

I rated this book 2/5 because the narration was not my cup of tea and I appreciate a little more depth in character development. Overall, it was an interesting, gothic feeling romantasy with some twists and turns.

⭐️ 3/5 🎧 3/5

This book has the potential to be so much more, but feel away due to a lack of substance.

It felt like I was meant to be excited, but wasn't 🤔 There was stuff going on, but nothing happened - does that make sense? It's one of those books that has tropes, not a plot. This is a gothic fantasy romance with mild dark vibes and some romance.

The FMC kind of irritated me, and I feel like her arc was small and uneventful.

The audiobook quality was good. The narrator did an ok job. This book would have been improved with 2 narrators.

I feel like my review is the vibe.... meh 🤷‍♀️

I do like Jessica's other work though. So this isn't enough for me to stop reading her.

I loved this book!!!
The main characters are complex and intricate, and they move the story forward. This perfectly combines with the magic and the castle, which are incredibly vivid through their descriptions. The details of the atmosphere easily bring the gothic atmosphere full of mystery to the reader.
The main characters gradually get to know each other, and their slow romance stretches across the pages and through the adventures they find themselves in. After all, they are gray characters, who are willing to do anything for what they want. And I love that.
The writing in the book is wonderful and manages to build a whole world in contrasts of opulence and sorrow.
For those who don't know Edgar Allan Poe, the book involves a bit of a mix of Cinderella and Beauty and the Monster.

The narrator was incredible. It was very easy to get involved in her reading and connect with the story. I loved her voice and the expression and emotion she brought to each part of the book. The audiobook is truly phenomenal. Totally recommended and approved.

DNF at 66%. 2 stars.

Starting with the good, the narrator did the absolute best they could to make this book interesting. They had unique voices and personalities for all the characters, tried to keep a good pace, and had an enjoyable voice.

Now for the not so good. This book tried to be a dark gothic, slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with a shadow daddy. This could have been a good book, but the plot, writing, execution, and characters were all severely lacking. There was no real plot, or at least nothing besides "I have to find a cure and save my ungrateful, spoiled, emotionally and mentally abusive younger brothers" but then no actual progress of any kind towards that plot. The character personalities were static, cliche, and completely flat, including main characters that should have been showing some sort of character development by over halfway into this book that is more a incessant stream of internal, self-flagellating thoughts. This book also has one of the most annoying FMCs I've ever read that is truly TSTL. The "plot" is literally chapters and chapters of fancy party, FMC gets herself into trouble and nearly dies, MMC magically shows up to save her. The MMC's nickname for the FMC makes no sense considering the FMC is helpless and annoying. No idea why he is obsessed with her unless he likes women with the maturity and intelligence of a 13yo teenager. This book is 90% the FMC's incessant, annoying, idiotic, self-defeating internal ruminations that don't really progress or add to the plot or character development and 10% describing lavish balls. The characters are all flatter than a pancake, The book also repeats phrases, sentences, and occurrences with no real deviations. I actually couldn't listen any longer even at 2x speed to try and just power through. I feel the author failed to deliver on what could have been a great concept.

My main thought and take-away from this book: The absolute audacity and entitlement of her brothers! I don't think loath is a strong enough word for my feelings towards them. Odyssa's mother absolutely failed to raise them right and failed Odyssa in the process.

This book started off strong with a girl caring for her rapidly declining mother. I think the biggest issue for me is when a character , right off the bat, clearly states that their life is less important than other people around them. I think Odyssa could be such a likeable character I want to cheer on, but at every turn, she is placing herself underneath someone else. She has almost no sense of self preservation other than "she has to survive to take care of her brothers", who, in fact, see her more like a maid and servant rather than a sister. However, I'll get off my soapbox about the way she is depicted and into the story itself.

I thought the story was intriguing and well done and like the premise of a kingdom plagued by an illness while the royalty sit in their towers and pretend it doesn't exist. Odyssa survived the illness while others, like her own mother, didn't. With the scars of the illness marking her body, she finds work in the castle to try and support her brothers. While in the confines of the castle, Odyssa discovers far more going on than she expected.

There's some romance woven with fantasy, and mystery mixed with a bit of magic. It's worth the read if you can get over the self-deprecating nature of the main character. I liked the story, I just hope she can figure things out if we dive into a second book.

“Beyond Those Gilded Walls,” by Jessica S. Taylor

I loved this book from beginning to end. I loved how the FMC is being taken advantage of by almost every single person in her life in her past and currently. I was glued to the pages hoping she would man up and find her inner strength to put every single stupid person she knows in their place. I was really attached to her and how realistic it was to feel helpless and just wanting to be loved, it kind of was a healing type of journey while reading to see a character go through this during the book. I loved the plot with the plague and shadow magic, which made a perfect combo. I loved the enemies to lover’s slow burn type of romance. When I got to the end of the story all I wanted was more, I could not wait to read more books by Jessica S. Taylor. And a bonus to the amazing story was that I loved the cover, would look perfect on my shelf with it dark and spooky vibe. I listened to the audio book, and it was amazing, the narration was absolutely solid, and it was definitely a book I ordered a physical copy of right away. 5 out of 5 stars, perfect.

-Magic
-Enemies To Lovers
-Shadow Magic
-Slow Burn

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Wow this book really threw me off, I was reluctant to go into this new series because I thought it would be like a lot of the Romantasy's that have came out. I was ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster where you don't know if you are rooting for the dark side or the light side. I can't wait for the next book!