This book was amazing! It had everything I love in a scary story! Can't wait to read it again and recommend it to everyone

* I Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review *

WARNING-This book talks about self harm, but does not glorify it.

Since I am from Alabama, when I saw this story was set in my home state I knew I had to read it. Plus I love how creepy the cover looks. The story follows Grisham Caso, or Gris as he likes to be called, and Piper Devon. The book alternates chapters between their perspectives.
Gris is a watcher, he can shift into a gargoyle like creature that hunts fiends. Fiends are described as being a ghostlike version of Gris's watcher form, only they don't have wings. Gris is able to manipulate darkness as well.
Gris comes to the town of Hidden Creek when his uncle tells him they have a fiend problem. When he gets to town, he finds a large amount of fiends. And they seem to be focused on Piper Devon. After the murder of her dog, Gris becomes a protector for Piper. The two come together to solve the mystery and save their town.
One aspect of this book deals with Piper and her OCD. She has anxiety and cuts herself due to that and her OCD. The author did a great job of getting inside Piper's head and allowed you to understand why she did what she did. The author didn't glorify the cutting, she just helps you understand the perspective of someone in that situation.
Overall the story is great. It kept me guessing until the end as to who the culprit was. Everything was wrapped up nicely, but could also allow for more books if she decided to do a series. The characters were believable and felt really well developed.
I only had a few problems. I did get tired of the word "bedeviled," as it was used often. Sometimes I felt like she tried to make them sound too southern.
In the end, this is a quick read and would be perfect for fans of The Legion series by Kami Garcia.

Very hot protective gargoyle, Gris and Piper are a very interesting couple, they have secrets, they think a bit a like, a very sweet relationship with a lot of drama that will keep you reading. Piper is a strong heroine and Gris is trying to get rid of the demons as he is a gargoyle. This YA paranormal romance is amazing.  I will be looking forward to see if there is another book I need more.

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!!  Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!

The cover is what intrigued me to check out the book!

I’m not sure if this will be a series, but right now it is just a standalone book!  It is Young Adult, but it does have some sensitive topics like OCD and cutting.  There is some kissing and hand holding, but there is murder and attempted murder and more.  I’d say that it is okay for high school students who are okay with all of the above, but I don’t know that I’d go younger than that.

Gris and Piper are a matched set of many secrets.  They both think they are monsters when really neither are.  I love reading about Gargoyles who are guardians and protectors.  There is tons of drama in this sleepy little town.  You don’t know who is at the heart of what is going on, but I did have suspicions as I read.  I really enjoyed this book!

I have enjoyed each of the books I’ve read by Wendy though I stick to the paranormal ones which is my favorite kind of books.  Wendy does a fantastic job bringing the story to life and making it feel real.  I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

I recommend this book to fans of gargoyles and perfectly good teens that people judge unfairly!!

This is the type of paranormal novel I want to read more of.

Piper, our main heroine, is strong, and yet she doesn't see how awesome she is. Based on Wendy Sparrow's own experiences, Piper struggles with OCD, which manifests itself in the form of cutting. It was intriguing to be inside Piper's head as she fought these demons. She would keep tabs of mistakes she made during the day, and then punish herself for them that night. But she isn't just dealing with her own inner struggles, there are also actual demons that are plaguing her.

Enter Gris. He can turn into a gargoyle at will and is trying to rid the town of Hidden Creek from the demons that are plaguing it. As awesome as that sounds, he also struggles with feelings of inadequacy, and trying to live up to his legacy.

Gris and Piper both feel weak individually, but they rely on each other to discover their inner strength. This is the type of romance that takes time, work, and trust. Exactly how I like it. If you are looking for insta-love, this is not the book for you. It brings real and serious issues to light in the context of a stellar paranormal story line. The writing drew me in from the beginning, and I loved every minute of it.

I am giving Secrets of Skin and Stone 5 out of 5 Stars!

My first genre love was paranormal romance so I was tickled to get the chance to read this awesome story. I got to admit while the cutting made me a bit uncomfortable, I throughly loved the sassy OCD Piper. I've only read a few books that featured gargoyles so it was pretty neat getting to learn the rules of this new world. The mystery was pretty satisfying as I was never 100% sure who was behind the bedeviling of the townspeople. I love being able to accurately figure out this character but I don't want it to be too easy or from out of left field. There were just enough clues to keep it interesting and not give it away. I guess the only thing I didn't enjoy was knowing this was a standalone and I wouldn't get to visit Piper, Gris and the World of Watchers.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book took a while to grow on me. Up until around the 50% mark, I seriously considered DNF-ing. Most of that had to do with the instalove-esque relationship dynamics between the two protagonists. I mean, do heterosexuals really get distracted by a person’s attractiveness while said attractive person is a potential danger to them? Eventually it all fell into place and stopped annoying me, but it did result in me taking much longer to read this book than I’d originally planned.

This next point is *slightly* spoilery, but it happens early in the book so I don’t think it’s too bad. Warning for spoilers anyway.

The other issue I had was the handling of the animal death early in the book, which turned out to be a huge plot point. I hadn’t yet established an emotional connection to either Piper or her pet, before suddenly this apparently beloved animal had been killed and therefore it had absolutely no impact on me. I felt extremely detached from the animal’s owner for the longest time because of this. While her devastation was understandable, I simply hadn’t had the opportunity to connect before I was plunged into this. While some readers’ experiences may vary, especially those who are particularly sensitive to animal cruelty, I found my immersion was negatively impacted by the lack of establishment prior to this happening.

End spoilers.

I was fairly connected to Gris early on, primarily because his emotional arc didn’t hinge largely on a sudden tragedy that occurs before a reader connection was established. Piper grew on me over time as I got used to her, so I was fairly invested in the two of them by the time I passed the halfway mark. Gris needs to learn to shut his face sometimes, but I have mentally adopted both him and Piper anyway. I really loved both protagonists’ relationships with their parents. Gris’s dad, despite not being physically present, is bloody hilarious at times.

Once I got past the instalove issue, I really warmed to Gris and Piper’s relationship. Once they were established as a couple, I found the whole thing far less irritating. Do be aware that Gris does try to make Piper think she’s imagining things at one point, and therefore doubt her own perceptions, in an attempt to avoid her finding out his secrets, but she calls him on it immediately and they resolve the issue.

I can’t comment on the OCD or self-harm rep, but the author is writing from personal experience and also used sensitivity readers. She has also included a trigger warning for self-harm at the beginning of the book and discusses her experiences a little bit in an author’s note at the end.

I tend to be a little easier on mentally ill and neurodivergent/neuroatypical authors when they use ableist language in their works since it’s not my place to really judge what’s appropriate, but do be aware there’s a fair amount in there and not all of it is Piper, the character with OCD, referring to her own experiences with the condition.

There is also a passing mention of a teacher potentially having untoward relations with their teenage students, in case that’s a trigger for anyone.

Overall, I didn’t end up hating this book as much as I thought I would and found myself rather enjoying it around the 2/3 mark. Having followed Wendy on social media for a while, back when I was still a teen myself, that was an immense relief.

There aren't nearly enough gargoyle stories in the YA world, so when I heard about Secrets of Skin and Stone, I knew I had to read it and am so glad I did. Grisham (Gris) and Piper are now two of my favorite characters for this year, and the storytelling was fab.    

Told from the alternating POVs of Gris and Piper, Secrets of Skin and Stone is about Gris, who's a Watcher by birthright and transforms into a gargoyle to fight off monsters called fiends. Gris is called by family members to investigate the little town of Hidden Creek, where he meets more fiends than he ever has before as well as a firecracker of a girl named Piper. 

I can't tell you how much I love Piper because she's a real character with real flaws. She's her own person, strong and resilient, and I really enjoyed her fiery personality. Piper engages in self-harm with cutting and has a form of OCD that isn't as easily recognizable due to the symptoms. I identified with her so easily because I used to be a cutter, just not with OCD. 

For any readers out there who could be triggered by this type of self-harm, there is a warning from the author at the beginning of the book. The cutting scenes are pretty detailed. There's a lot of misinformation out there about cutting, and I felt the author did a great job with portraying it in a realistic and sensitive manner. Hopefully, this will open up discussion about a problem that's difficult and uncomfortable to talk about but which needs to be brought out into the open. 

Gris and Piper each have a lot of secrets they feel they can't tell the other, but the thing is, they can only work together on the problems in Hidden Creek if they shed their inhibitions and trust one another. I liked that Piper didn't immediately fall for Gris's charm, although I'm not convinced that Gris was trying to be charming anyway. Watching the two of them grapple with trusting each other was realistic and interesting. 

While the ending was neat and tidy, (actually a little too tidy, hence four stars instead of five), I'd love another trip back to Gris and Piper where they could once again investigate fiends together.

I decided to read this not only because I run out of time into posting a review for this but because I need something different from what I've read in the past weeks. Plus I haven't read much about gargoyles. I've read fantasy novels and it is actually my first time read a book with a gargoyle character.

Grisham or Gris Caso, a Watcher that hunts and kills Fiends. He is in Hidden Creek because his great-uncle Critch called his attention that the town is haunted and there are fiends. Gris is an okay character. He fights and fiend them. A typical teenage boy who had attraction with a special girl. What I like about him is that he cares about Piper and he stood for her even though he knows that Piper is extraordinary.

Piper is haunted. Town folks talks about her being abnormal. Her dog got killed and she wants to find the truth behind it. She knew that there is something different in Hidden Creek.

How Ms. Wendy Laine wrote Piper's character is commendable especially the parts wherein Piper is showing symptoms of her disorder. This book also fascinates me because I didn't expect to read a fantasy novel integrated with psychological disorder. I am stunned how Ms. Wendy did it. As a reader, I'm also confused if what I read is a symptoms of the disorder or maybe what's really happening in the town.

Moreover, there are twists in the story and I find them okay but not really surprising or shocking. As for the ending, it is another okay.

The story and how it was written is good but I think that it could be better. I could be drowned into this if I'm into the characters. I mean, if I can feel or relate them more. But I'm looking forward to read more gargoyle stories soon.

A thrilling and exciting story about a gargoyle and an extraordinary town girl.

Right off the bat, this book sets itself apart by creating a race of gargoyles called Watchers that are tasked with protecting humans from evil spirits or fiends that feed off negative thoughts and feelings. I can't say that I've read any other books based on gargoyles so I was interested for that reason alone. I think this is something readers can really get behind. They don't have a whole separate world or anything, but I think they work along the same lines as Hunters from Supernatural: they have jobs they do across the world for people, towns, government, etc (I gathered this from his father taking on a job protecting some foreign dignitaries). Did that get your attention?

The story is told in alternating points of view between the two main characters: Gris, a Watcher, and Piper, a resident of Hidden Creek.

The story starts out with Gris riding into town. Gris is doing his first job on his own. It's supposed to be a simple one but it doesn't exactly turn out that way. On his first day, Gris rides past an area overrun by fiends. He's exhausted but really wants to prove himself. Luckily, he thinks twice about it and decides that taking them all on in that moment wouldn't be very smart.

Piper's pov follows, setting up the stage for her and Gris to interact. She wakes up and steps outside to find her dog brutally murdered, which starts her on her investigation to find out who's responsible (and makes her be suspicious of Gris for a while). From here the story just progresses into them working together to find out what's going on with the town since it's had disappearances, animal killings, violence, and it's overrun with fiends.

One thing that I can really appreciate with this book is that it doesn't do info dumps! It builds up the world and terminology of Watchers little by little so that it's not overwhelming and so that it flows smoothly into the story.

I think Gris was likable as a character. He was really polite, charming, and disciplined--which I guess you have to be if you're going to be tasked with protecting other people. You can't very well be irresponsible with other people's lives, right? He was different in that I'm so used to reading about really sassy or sarcastic male characters so this was a nice change. The one thing that I might not have liked too much was the amount of times he had to repeat that he was into Piper. I mean, there was a moment when he said that even her counting (in her sleep) was turning him on. And that's a little weird. Just a bit.

Before we talk about Piper, I think it's only fair that I let you guys know that the book does talk about self-harm. Piper has a form of OCD that gives her an urge to cut herself. This was something that Laine decided to make a part of Piper because of her own personal experience with this condition. I think it's very brave of the author to share that and really great that she used this book to raise some awareness about these topics.  

Being a cutter makes Piper more vulnerable to fiends because of her "dark" thoughts. She's constantly telling herself that she's a bad person, and cutting herself to make up for things she perceives to be her fault. She also has some interesting little quirks like the fact that she counts in her sleep, sleepwalks, hates answering questions, and eats some really weird interesting things. 

What I liked about Piper was how she had her bad moments when she felt down or was hurting herself, but she could still be really funny and dream big. She wanted out of Hidden Creek and was really smart. Plus, she was a strong female character. She didn't let Gris hold her back in anything, tell her what to do, and she was really cautious about their romantic relationship of we're-dating-but-not-dating.

All in all, I think this was a pretty solid read. The only thing that really knocked it down a star for me was the ending. It all picked up really suddenly and the big reveal of who was behind all the trouble in Hidden Creek was fairly obvious and (like I said) rushed. But really, this is a book worth checking out, and I'm really hoping we get to see a sequel for this soon.

Secrets of Skin and Stone is where rural America meets the supernatural.  Enjoyed the author's take on gargoyles.  Reminds me of the 'True Blood' TV show.

I loved this book. It will be one of my cozy night reads in my to read list. I will also be looking for a second book. Piper is one of my favorite characters I have had the pleasure of reading this year. The cutting issues spoke deeply to me on so many levels and the issues that sometimes go in hand with it. I liked that she wasn't this perfect person without secrets or a mind. She was stronger than most of the female characters I read and it gave me hope that I might end up finding more characters like her. I loved the mystery in this book that was extremely well written and thought out. The play with darkness was intriguing for multiple reasons. I enjoyed this thoroughly and will delighted to find a second book to this. Thank you for allowing me to read this.

I really enjoyed this story that dealt with real-life issues with a paranormal twist. There is a trigger warning given at the beginning of the story, to let readers know that the book portrays self-harm, which is something the author herself dealt with when she was younger. 

In Secrets of Skin and Stone, the issues that you would normally see in a contemporary novel are set within a paranormal framework. Gris is a Watcher, aka gargoyle, and he is tasked with ridding a small town of the huge number of fiends (kind of like demons) infesting it. There is a mystery to be solved and a little romance thrown in too. I adored Piper, the girl Gris meets in Hidden Creek, who is bedeviled by these fiends. She has OCD of a particular form, and for her self-harm is one of the ways she maintains control in her life. I saw aspects of myself in her - I've not been diagnosed but I know I have a very mild form of OCD, and Piper's preoccupation with even numbers spoke to my heart! I really, really appreciated the fact that the author did not try to say that Piper's self-harm was *caused by* the fiends and paranormal events around her. I think that is in large part because the author is herself a past user of self-harm to maintain control, so she avoided the "easy way out" of saying that once Piper is rid of the fiends she will be "cured." I think the author did a great job of portraying Piper's OCD, her tendency to self-harm, and her belief that she is "dark" inside, and combining that with a great story that included the paranormal, a mystery, and romance. 

I would absolutely recommend this story to fans of paranormal as well as contemporary, and to those who appreciate "quirky" characters like I do. Happy reading!

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the ARC! This review is voluntary on my part.

I sadly couldn't finish this one due to scenes containing self-harm (cutting). That just hits too close to home and made me feel uncomfortable and I just had to stop reading. 

If it wasn't for the self-harm I would have continued reading because it was a quite exciting story, and I want to know how it all ends.

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley and Entangled Publishing in exchange for a fair review.

I liked this one. It was definitely a different sort of creature used within the typical YA genres and I've never seen a gargoyle being used. So I appreciated the chance to read something new and the change it gave. I have to give the author props for trying something new and giving a twist on the kind of "mythology" that hasn't been used much in YA. The down vote is for the typical "insta love" type of trope but I was able to over look it in favor of the book and also props for the author giving the reader a heads up incase they decide they might be triggered by some elements that were written about.

First and foremost I want to warn any reader that this book has detailed writings of self-harm.  It is a mental illness and can be a trigger topic for anyone who suffers from self-harm diseases such as cutting.  There IS a warning before you start the book, so I give the author and the publisher props for that.  Gris is a Gargoyle and goes to a southern middle-of-nowhere town where he thinks his family has blown the Fiend population WAY out of proportion.  Piper is a small-town girl with a mental illness and I urge you, if you have a mental illness that causes self-harm and you think this book will cause a trigger, think twice.  That being said, I do think this book was written very well.  I think the author nailed it on the head.  This book gives an insider view into the mind of someone who struggle's day to day with mental illness, as well as a fresh new take on a Gargoyle novel.  I absolutely cannot wait for the 2nd book.

Admittedly I was a little concerned because before the story even starts there’s a “Trigger Warning”. There is no other phrase that elicits more eye-rolling yet perfectly encapsulates the kind of society we’ve become than this one but at least I give the author credit for trying to head off the trolling and inevitable tantrums after what happened when Netflix brought us 13 Reasons Why – oh wait that was actually based on a book that had already been around for 10 years without issue – never mind, let’s save that argument for another day.

Laine has provided a story with a character who is not perfect, fails so often you aren’t surprised her mental health rating would be in the toilet YET is strong enough to keep going.  It’s obvious, if you didn’t get it from the ‘Trigger Warning’ that the author has done lots of research and had personal experience with certain mental health issues because she did a damn good job of creating someone to showcase these both accurately and with respect t what a person goes through. This was not just some plot device thrown in to elicit publicity, ride the chaos Jay Asher has thrown American society into, or for shock value. Laine is telling a story and demanding people shut up and realize this happens off a Netflix screen to a person next to you so find some humanity and educate yourself.

Her character work is wonderful but what sealed it for me was the mystery she told through them which made me keep reading way past when my battery wanted a break so I went scrambling for my charger to plug it in and keep going.

You will become inquisitive by the fact there are gargoyles! Shouldn’t you want to read it just for that because gargoyles are not something we see often enough?

The biggest downside for me though was the insta-love. Why does it seem all YA books teach that every relationship must start by instantly falling deep in love? Damn Romeo & Juliet for teaching generations this is a must!

Aside from the overused device of insta-love I thought it was a great book and hope there will be a sequel.

I received a early copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  

I was excited to get my hands on a early of this book because well look at that cover.  I mean it is just gorgeous and unusual.  I found myself just staring at it a couple of times.  I read the blurb and knew it was something that I would be interesting in.  I found it to be rather addicting.  I loved the characters and the plot.  I really enjoyed the small town filled with secrets.  It added an extra layer to an unforgettable story.  The characters were unique and well developed.  It also touches on some issues that need to be heard.  It was at times uncomfortable but it gives you a new perspective of cutting and OCD.  It was so well done in fact that you could immerse yourself in the character and understand her.  I've never been able to understand it and I'm not saying that I'm an expert now but I have more empathy and awareness.  

My favorite character was Piper.  I loved her storyline and her struggles.  She has to be one of my favorite characters of all time.  She isn't your typical type of main character and it was rather refreshing to put yourself in the point of view of a sassy, stubborn, beautiful, hurting, and honest sort of girl.  I loved how even in a crisis she would yell "Don't profane".  It was sweet and made me fall in love with this girl.  My favorite Piper moment was when she was with Gris at the diner and ordered the Piper Special.  It was a moment of glee for me because she was so excited.  I just can't get over how much I love this girl. I also thought Gris has amazing but Piper outshines him in my opinion. 

My favorite moment was hard to choose because there were quite a few.  I loved the ending with the big fight but I don't want to give away spoilers so I'm not going to talk about that.  So I'm going to talk about my second favorite scene and it was when Piper was going over her list.  She gives such a neat observations about everyone that it is hard not to believe her.  She talks through each person and I just loved her reasoning why each person was on the list.  It was special for me.  

If there was one thing that I wanted that it didn't have was a town map.  I think that would be a cool addition. The shape of the town makes sense and brings everything full circle.

Overall, I'm going to be recommending this book to all of my paranormal loving friends.  I'm personally recommending it to my book soulmate as we speak.  She is going to love it as much as I did. Even though I received a free copy, I also purchased a copy for my collection because I just loved it that much.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Gris has come to the small town of Hidden Creek to hunt fiends. He is a watcher and he also shape shifts into a gargoyle. Piper's dog has been killed when she decides to investigate the new renters at the farm near them. When Gris hears about Piper's dog he decides to help her.


Gris is also trying to figure out why this town is so haunted by fiends, after facing nine of them at the old mill. The deeper he gets into the investigation the weirder things become. He is finding curse bags, and unearthed grave of a watcher. Plus the jealousy of his cousin, it seems like he will never get to the bottom of what is going on in Hidden Creek.


The closer he becomes to Piper, the more he starts to fall for her, but she is in danger. There are curse bags in her rooms, and the fiends are drawn to her. Will he be able to figure out what is going on? Will he be able to save Piper?


I haven't read that many books pertaining to gargoyles. This was a interesting twist and I enjoyed the mystery as well the paranormal aspect of it all. Piper was interesting and sort of dark with her OCD and self-harm, which also explains why the fiends were so drawn to her. I liked the fact that Gris wasn't necessarily trying to change her, but work with her and I love how she figured him out so quickly and could see the truth. 


This was quick, interesting read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.