this was well written and absorbing but not my favorite book ever. There were some tweeks needed but overall a good yarn. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Not my personal cup of tea, but I can see why people would enjoy it, and I'll recommend this to people looking for circus fiction, or good YA mysteries

I absolutely love circus books so when I read the premise of Circus of Shadows, I was immediately drawn in. Right from the beginning I was drawn in by Gracie’s tragic past and storyline and stayed engaged throughout the book. Kimberlee Turley does an amazing job with world-building and I was truly immersed in the concept of the circus.

I felt the pacing was done very well and the different mysteries woven in kept my attention. 
I did find myself having trouble relating to the characters at times. but overall, Gracie proved herself as a fierce heroine.

Circus of Shadows is a fun quick read and one I will continue to recommend to all who love historical fiction with fantastical elements!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for a honest review!

This was my first book to read by this author but won't be my last! The story and its characters will stick with you long after you finish the story. Highly recommend!

This is the kind of book that reaches out and grabs your attention. It's got kind of a dark vibe going on with Gracie but it is really spectacular.

This book started out so good! I was immediately drawn into the story of a young woman escaping the orphanage to join a circus. The writing was captivating and everything about the time period drew me in. This book lost me when it switched, without warning, into a fantasy. The gem stones and particle capturing soul journey didn’t quite hit the mark. I enjoy a good fantasy read but the book veered very quickly into this genre. I would read other books by this author as I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy!

tl;dr
Great atmospheric mystery that shifts into a sci-fi adventure, paired with a haters-to-lovers romance. Main character's development gets set back a few times, which may be frustrating to some readers.

About
Gracie Hart is on the run, and when she's caught stealing a ride on a circus train, she figures joining the circus is probably better than going to jail. But her job as a magician's assistant might be more deadly than she expects, especially with strange notes showing up out of nowhere, and a magician obviously keeping a supernatural secret.

Thoughts
Circus of Shadows, Or: The Gaslighting of Gracie Hart. Okay first off, I absolutely devoured this book. Just blazed straight through it. The writing is well-paced and exciting, with mysteries and tension building upon each other and pushing the reader to get in "just one more chapter." The atmosphere is delightfully spooky and tense, and the first few chapters in particular really roll out a troubling mystery. The genre shifts a bit once some soft sci-fi is introduced, but I feel like it was telegraphed well enough that it fits into the rest of the story. Unfortunately, this is where my biggest gripe comes into play. When I read that this was a gaslamp genre book, I didn't imagine that it would also be about love interests lying to the heroine repeatedly until she questioned her own sanity. But there it is. My least favorite plot device is miscommunication, and this book has willful discommunication in spades. Every time Gracie moved forward as a person, a lie would set back her character development, and we'd lose everything that we just gained in the previous chapter. It felt like an incredible disservice to her as a character to keep taking away her gains like that. It also really dragged the romance down, leaving us with a pair that kept taking steps backwards and retreading old arguments. That being said, if you like some haters-to-lovers romance with a dangerous man of mystery, and a touch of romance triangle, this will definitely scratch that itch. Recommended for anyone looking for an atmospheric read that turns into a sci-fi adventure.

I don´t know how I feel about this book. It was probably on of the weirdest reading experiences I have ever had. Not because the book was bad, because it wasn´t, but because I never knew what to expect, due to all the plot twists that kept happening. I liked jack, then I didn´t, then I did again, then that big thing happened and we discovered the truth and i didn´t know how the story would end. I was just as confused as Gracie while reading the entire thing. Apart from that, I really liked, due to the curiosity that led me to keep on reading. You can expect the unexpected with this book, and still be surprised. I recommend it to anyone feeling like reading something completely out of the box with a little hint of romance.

3.5 stars
I loved the story concept and the setting. The circus provided the perfect backdrop for the mysterious and perilous shenanigans that Jack and Gracie found themselves facing. The mystery of the vanishing cabinet added an extra layer to the story that I didn't expect, and I found myself on pins and needles as I waited for the full story to be revealed. The author did a wonderful job of creating a spooky yet completely believable atmosphere. I was drawn into the world and left constantly wondering what might happen next. My only issue was with Gracie. I found it impossible to connect with her character. She seemed to always go into full on accusatory and violent mode any time something didn't go her way, and it made those moments exhausting to read. Even at the end of the book, I could not see any growth in her character. With the exception of that, I adored the story and would happily read another of the author's books without hesitation.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The cover is so pretty first of all. I’m a big fan of books like the night circus and caraval so I thought I would love this one. It started out very good but I felt that some of the plot was just dragging by so slow. I would still recommend but it wasn’t my favorite. Interesting concept and world. The story did end up being sweet and a good circus setting.

*thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

i love circus books
like the night circus and caraval etc.
i thought that the characters were really unique
and honestly, this concept was really cool.
a super fun and enjoyable read!

Atmospheric. I loved how the writer makes you feel like you’re there with the characters in her descriptions. Very interesting story line unlike anything else I’ve read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I definitely recommend reading!

Thanks to Netgalley and the lovely Kimberlee Turley for giving me a chance to read and review this amazing title.

Imagine taking the fantastical of Caraval, and the grim grit of Anatomy, and there lies Circus of Shadows. A wonderful and twisty novel that I didn't expect to suddenly appear on my TBR.

Circus of Shadows by Kimberlee Turtley is a YA novel that follows a girl by the name of Gracie Hart, who sneaks onto a circus train. Expecting to be arrested, Gracie is instead offered a job to the be the assistant to the knife thrower. Only his aim isn't all that too good. And much like other YA significant others, there is whole other mysterious side to him. Throw in a simple dash of supernatural, and BOOM you have Circus of Shadows.

The beginning of this novel was really strong and inviting, but at times the plot became a little messy and way too short. Though I did indeed enjoy it. I look forward to reading more of Turtley's works.

When Gracie is forced to leave the orphanage in search of the only family she has left, she finds herself traveling with a Circus so she can make it to Chicago. Little does she know she's not the only one there, with secrets. Will her secrets bury her, or will someone else's?

What drew me to this story was the fantasy/steampunk vibe. I feel like it would benefit with some Steampunk PR. Also, I love a good circus setting, though, I wish there were more animal interaction.

Digital ARCs are so tricky because it's hard to keep track of how far into a story you are. I thought I was a lot farther along in the story than I really was. It felt like I was reading a 400 page story, even thought it's not even 300 pages. I don't know if it was long winded language, the story was dragging, or if it was my own lack of intense interest to push through and read it in just a couple days.

I did like the twist that Jack & Harris were the same person, though. I thought there was something funny about them from the beginning and I liked that I was correct.

3-3.5 stars
This story was very interesting and had a fun concept. Circus' are fun and I've always wondered how the tricks are performed. Also, the greatest showman is one of my favorite movies so i thought I'd love this story. I enjoyed the story overall but at times I felt the story dragged a bit and wanted the pace to be quicker but I understand that story building was happening. The love story ended up sweet but I'll be honest irritated me at times. The stubbornness of Gracie was too much in my opinion and I didn't connect to her and her love interest until the end. You couldn't really tell they were falling for each other until they voiced it to each other in the last quarter. I still think this was good and still recommend if you like a circus setting and historical fantasy!

This was an honest review in return for receiving an ARC copy from Netgalley and publisher or author.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc!! 🥰❤️

I love any books that involve circus’ so this book sounded absolutely amazing 🥰🥰

The story begins with orphaned Gracie attempting to get a train when a strange but attractive gentleman steals her train ticket. She ends up a stowaway on a train that’s transporting a circus and is invited to stay with them and is asked to be Jack’s (who’s a bit grumpy but strangely familiar) assistant.

The overall story is a fun one and I did enjoy reading it but I did find it a little stoppy-starty, like it didn’t really know what sort of book it wanted to be. There’s several brilliant idea woven into the plot line and I enjoyed every single one but when they were put all together it was too confusing for me. I feel like it was a bit much for just one book and would’ve perhaps been better as a duology, that way we could’ve learnt more about the characters and the whole world the story is set in.

I think it’s definitely worth a read and I particularly enjoyed the characters Jack and Harris, their storyline being one that would’ve liked to have learned more about 🥰🥰

I’m giving the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I really feel the potential in the book and would definitely read more books by Kimberlee Turley 🥰🥰

This book seemed to show up at the perfect time seeing as I was beginning my own circus/fantasy novel!

I really love the premise and the beginning came in with a bang, truly!

I did put this book on hold because I was really struggling to connect with the characters and I felt like the pacing was pretty fast. There were multiple times that I was pulled out of the story because I felt like something was said, thought, or done wayyyy too soon.

With that said though, I WILL be picking this back up because it is such a beautiful idea and I can't wait to watch this author grow on her writing journey!

I’m a huge advocate for all things with fantastical circus vibes, which Circus of Shadows has in droves. Admittedly, I was expecting a slightly different story than what the premise described but I nonetheless really enjoyed Kimberlee Turley’s debut.

The worldbuilding and backstories of the main characters was interesting and unique— I was especially intrigued by Gracie’s past with her recently committed murder. Jack was charismatic and mercurial, providing a dynamic counterpart to the other prominent characters. While I thought the main plot surrounding the circus was intriguing and attention-grabbing, I think it could have benefited from a touch more worldbuilding to help the reader truly get a feel for the atmosphere and setting. The transitions between places and scenery felt like it could have been bulked out a little more as it felt at times like I was trying to play catch-up with what the characters already knew.

The plot was fast paced (maybe to a fault), full of high stakes and containing well done plot twists. I love a good twisty plot and while Circus of Shadows definitely delivers in that regard, I found myself reaching the end with a lot of questions. Like the world building, I think the book as a whole could have done with a few paragraphs here and there to smooth certain plot points and character reaction— especially in Gracie’s dealings with Jack. The writing style was wonderful and fit the setting nicely, one of the strong points in my opinion. Overall, while I enjoyed Circus of Shadows in general and would recommend it if you like historical fantasy and magical circuses, It wasn’t my favourite read ever. 3.5/5 stars!

This book was really interesting. It mixes a classic historical circus traveling by train, science fiction and a dash of light romance.

Honestly this book wasn’t for me. The didn’t genres didn’t mix well and I didn’t connect to the characters. It was an interesting premise and I think if you enjoy circus books give this a try and expect the unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sweetwater Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Summary:
Recently having murdered a man, Gracie Hart is on the run trying to make her way to Chicago, in hopes of finding her aunt and uncle, the only remaining members of her family. However, she ends up on a circus train, now working as a magician's assistant. But when she starts finding mysterious notes in her costume she starts wondering if it's safe enough to stay with the circus until it gets to her destination...

Opinions:
I was allowed to read this book in exchange for an honest review. So that's what this review is going to be. Honest. Please also note that this is my own, personal opinion.

I hate to say it but I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The concept behind it is good, but it lacked in quite a few ways. The book is told through multiple third-person povs, however sometimes, especially in Jack's chapters, it's not clear who the sentences refer to. In scenes with both Jack and Harris the use of 'he' and 'his' repeatedly without clarification of which character it was, was very misleading.

So, onto the plot. The overall idea for the book was great and I actually really liked the world and its backstory however, especially towards the first half of the book, many facts and information were said without actually being explained until another couple of chapters. This, in addition to all the different sort of action that was happening simultaneously, made the book confusing and difficult to understand.

Overall, I think the book just lacked in several places and could have been pulled together a bit better. The writing style was good and I think that if the book had been a bit longer and the events which happened were each given a bit more time to develop separately from others, it would have been a definitively better book.

Quotes I liked:
"The only distinguishing difference between bravery and stupidity was a healthy dose of fear"

Final rating: 2.75 ⭐ rounded up