The best part about the book is the worldbuilding regarding witches living and hiding in "our world." Mika creating a vlog as an outlet for her loneliness, the secret meetings, the way the witches felt they couldn't even tell their loved ones all made for the most compelling part of the read. I would've given it a 2.5 if I could just for this aspect.

The romance for me fell flat. The grumpy x sunshine set-up with lukewarm backstories and rushed attraction made me skim through a lot of the middle. Jaime's reason for not liking Mika immediately is more believable here than in other similar set-ups but the way he clung to it while his internal narrative told a different story was frustrating.

And listen. I'm no prude, okay? When I picked this book up I really was expecting cozy supernatural family story with a touch of romance. I did not anticipate the spicy scenes. Am I so out of the loop now? Is it my fault for misunderstanding that the mention of romance in the blurb meant there would be sex scenes? I don't mind on principal but I hadn't been anticipating them in this particular book. I also thought the early dirty talk was, er, vulgar. I started to relate to Primrose, which I don't think the author intended. I fear we've fallen into the trap of thinking that "having sex" is character development.

I don't have much better to say about the other characters. Primrose (my twin flame?) is a cardboard cutout of haughty, detached older caretaker, and the three children bounce around wildly in the "age-appropriate behavior" category. The subplot of Terracotta hating Mika was underused and it seems that the girls were only present enough to hang the romance on. For three adopted children with a missing parent and uncontrollable powers they are decided trauma-free. The interpersonal conflict was minor, and the children took the final twist too easily.

The story upticks considerably at about 75% but I wish the rest of the book had me reading with the same momentum.

No paranormal romantasy maven myself, I picked this book up for spooky season hoping to be swept away into the genre. What I actually found was myself more or less prodded along by a tidbit here and there.

The paranormal aspect ebbed and flowed, piquing enough of my interest to continue reading but not enough to engulf me in the world building. I have to agree with another reviewer that Cordelia's magic falls a bit flat in the face of her family's supposed infamous power. The idea of the werewolves relies on the reader's knowledge of the myth (which leans more "Twilight" and less 1985 "Teen Wolf") rather than attempting to forge anything new for the story. Again, no paranormal romantasy connoisseur here so I don't know if this is a common tactic used to keep the prose fast-paced.

As for the romance, the attraction was instant, the burn was anything but slow, and the enemies portion of enemies-to-lovers resolved pretty quickly. In fact, headstrong, stubborn (not my words) Cordelia didn't really need much convincing that Bishop was anything more than an innocent werepuppy. Any sort of hiccup in her opinion of him was sidelined by his perfect body and golden heart. Yes, reader, there's nothing to besmirch Bishop's good character in book one. While most of the other men are acting like dogs (heh) every time they see Cordelia (everyone finds her drop-dead gorgeous, naturally) and pack dynamics rest on casual, deeply-ingrained misogyny, Bishop is just Not Like Other Werewolves. He may as well be transforming into a golden retriever alongside his wolf brothers.

The spicy moments felt like skippable cutscenes and I lost all suspended disbelief when Bishop, who is described as having had many partners and worked to perfect many "acts," ejaculates in his drawers while dry humping Cordelia. Again, because she's just that attractive (to everyone!)

I suspect some readers may be okay with these qualities but I didn't find anything about the romance particularly engaging.

I hate to say that, having dipped my toe in paranormal romantasy, the water feels lukewarm at best.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my review.

I really need more time to sit on this in order to clearly convey how wonderful this book is. The short of it is that Dimopoulos has, in limited word count and age-appropriate language, described longing, loss, friendship, love, and kindness in an extraordinary and touching way.

What a magnificent series! This is the perfect spooky season read as someone who doesn't enjoy horror. Nix's worldbuilding makes for a rich and satisfyingly foreboding atmosphere but never feels bogged down by its own lore. It's impossible not to cheer for our young, resourceful heroes as they navigate the ever-looming uncertainty of discovering their "true selves," and boy is it great to see them really lean into their identities with confidence when the time comes. Lirael and the Disreputable Dog are the definitive best girls and are such a genuine team. The growth of their relationship is heartfelt and gladsome in every way.