The main characters weren’t very interesting or compelling, and I didn’t feel like I really cared about any of them. The Prince (whose name I already forgot, because honestly, so much about this book was forgettable) was the only interesting character in this book. The main character (Anoush? Anouk?) was just so annoying. The story read as pretty childish, and I had a hard time getting into it.

I thought the representation in the book wasn’t very well done.

Some of the descriptions (especially physical descriptions) of characters of colour were .. um.. questionable (to be polite) - and it made me wonder if the author had ever ... met? A person of colour? Lol. There were running themes of slavery - and quite frankly, they weren’t handled super well.

The queer and trans representation felt super shallow - and felt like it was only included so the author could put a check mark beside ‘diversity’. They felt haphazard, and not very well fleshed out.

Honestly - this book wasn’t enjoyable (to me).

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd is the first book in the young adult fantasy Grim Lovelies series. While this is primarily fantasy readers will also come across a bit of romance and mystery mixed into the action.

Seventeen year old Anouk is a Beastie. She spends her days peering out and envying the human world from her place in the captivity of Mada Vittora. Mada Vittora is the evil witch who captured and spelled Anouk and the other Beastie’s in her command.

One day however Anouk comes across Mada Vittora’s body and realizes that her captor has been murdered. Fearing being accused of the crime Anouk and her fellow Beasties go on the run looking to find out who was behind the crime before the spell keeping them human wears off.

Grim Lovelies was another of those books that kind of contradicted itself as far as the pacing goes. It really didn’t take long at all for the action in the story to begin however a lot of it still felt slow paced even while things happened. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I found myself not overly invested in the characters along the way. The ideas were interesting and the way it left off I’m intrigued to know more but for now this was just a so-so start for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Grim Lovelies is a fun, witchy story filled with magic, great world-building, and fun twists on fairy tales woven in. It really is such a blast to read if you have grown up loving fairy tales and fantasy stories. There are exciting references throughout. Plus, there's a fast-paced plot that will keep you reading until the very last page. Be sure to pick this one up today!

Grim Lovelies is a wonderful look into magic and how families are created. Megan Shepard has created a fascinating world of witches and goblins and of course the beasties. Underneath the magic and the intrigue the focus of the novel is all about family - the families we create for ourselves - and how those ties of love are strong enough to challenge anything even magic and fate.

Can't link at the moment - it is on my Goodreads page. Sorry!

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

I almost gave up on this book, I thought it was good but it did take a while to get going for me. I also thought it was going to be a little darker, however I did like the magic/heist/royal quality there was. Anouk and her not so merry band of beasties have to keep themselves from turning back into animals when the witch that spelled them is murdered. The story is unique and I'm interested enough to know what happens.

There are a lot of things I loved about Grim Lovelies! The premise is great, the world and the magic system are fascinating, and I grew to love the cast of characters. The use of magic and enchantments within modern-day France and the use of living things to cast magic (with restrictions) were some of my favorite aspects. I found this really engaging, and read quite a bit of it in one sitting. I wasn’t expecting the cliffhanger ending, but I’m definitely interested in the sequel (and its promise of witches in Bavaria!).

Full review to come closer to publication date.

The cover is gorgeous, but a "too dumb to live" heroine AND love interest, along with what feels like a rehashed plot made this a less than enjoyable read for me. While it isn't a bad book, nothing about it felt fresh, I didn't care for the characters, and I wasn't terribly intrigued by the world either. While this may work for some, it just fell a bit flat for me. Grim Lovelies is a YA fantasy novel sent in Paris, premised on a world with a secret organization of witches and magical people who use humans for their own ends. Anouk is a "beastie": a teenage girl created by a witch as a servant out of an animal. When her mistress suddenly dies, she enters the city of Paris for the first time with her fellow beasties (one of whom is in love with her) in search of a way to keep their humanity.

I found the plot to be relatively predictable, but those who are new to the genre might not find it to be that way. Anouk does a LOT of really stupid things and fails to pay attention to critical clues that affect her safety and that of the people around her. Her love interest also does a lot of stupid things and I fail to see why she is remotely interested in him given his selfish and sexist behavior toward her. I was also taken aback by the massive loss of life that suddenly takes place near the end of the book. It didn't flow with the rest of the story and felt like it wasn't taking all the death seriously enough. While some people will probably enjoy this book, I don't think I will be continuing with the series. I received an advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

We have been awaiting this title for such a long time because all of our young adult patrons are huge fans of Megan Shepherd series The Madman's Daughter and were patiently awaiting this release of Grimm Lovlies to see if they had any of the unique fantasy that Madman's Daughter has. I myself have read her book Cage and was a fan of her strange twist lifestyle she has signaturely created for all her works.

Grimm Lovlies focuses on a girl/animal that is classified as a Beastie known as Anouk. Anouk comes across the Human world and all the fancy cars, homes, fashion and the freedom to fall in love with whom ever they want. They are known as the Pretties. The world turns upside down for Anouk when there is a murder of her mistress the Evil Witch Mada and Anouk is accused of the crime. Anouk is forced to make the decision to save her life and change it forever. She has only three days to find the real killer or her life and the lives of the beasties are gone forever.

This book did not disappoint on the suspense and mystery. As you read throughout the book, you get to know Anouk and share her pain and her path to safety. Just like in Red Queen when we learned all about Mare and her undertakings from Red to Silver, here we learn about Anouk and her journey from Beastie to Pretty. I think our readers will love Anouk and will start to form a team highly anicipating the next installment of the series. Megan Shepherd once again has got another winner and we can't wait to see what happens next. This book will be very popular amongst our teen readers and that is why we are giving it 5 stars!

Grim Lovelies was an enjoyable reading, but it didn't intrigue me as much as I hoped. The story was likable, the characters were okay but they lacked depth, and I wasn't a fan of the romance (the friends-lovers trope... can't stand it). I would recommend this book more for younger YA readers.

I received this book as an ARC :)

A small group of beasties (animals turned human by a witch) are created by Mada Vittora (basically the head witch) to act as her servants in her mansion. The witch is found murdered, and once a witch is murdered her enchantments all come to an end 48 hours after her last breath, so the beasties must head off on a journey to find another witch who can help cast a spell to keep them in their human forms.

I loved the characters, the plot, everything. It was a breath of fresh air for me, and think this would be a great book for readers moving on from 9-12 to teen reads. Don't get me wrong, it's great for any age, but this is definitely a title I will keep on hand to recommend to my customers!

I really enjoyed this book and I read it very quickly! Animals turned human, witches, goblins, love, magic, betrayal, mystery, friendship and more magic?! This had all of the makings of a delightful story. I found myself drawn in from the beginning of the story and found the characters to be interesting. Anouk was not exactly who I expected her to be and I felt like she was developed nicely through the short span of time in which this story takes place. I really felt like the 2nd half of the book flew by and it left me waiting for another book. Great read and will definitely suggest to my students!

This has been my favorite, most magical read OF THE YAER!
I am so fortunate, so lucky to have been able to receive a galley for review before it’s official release date!! I couldn’t be happier!
I am so excited to tell you all this novel, is all MAGIC!
Captures amazing elements of magic, enchanting creature, and captivating twists on some well known fairy tales! (Which you’re sure to love if you’re into all those things)
Which I am so this novel was right up my alley.
It was beautifully set in Paris and the description of the location and all its glory made me fall in love with Paris through a whole new set of eyes.
Grim Lovelies is an overall enchanting read, and with so much to love, there’s something in it for every reader! I can’t wait for its release!

Posted to Goodreads: For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVtcHusMtVI

3.5 Rating: Anouck is the servant to a deathly witch in France however she is not an ordinary girl. Anouck and her friends Beau, Cricket, and Luc are beasties, people made of animals using magic. Anouck dreams of having a normal life but her witch will not allow it. However, when Annouck and her friends discover their mistress had been murdered they must embark on a journey to prove their innocence and to wind another witch to secure their future.

This book feels very much like a fairytale. The characters are all trying to learn life's lessons and find a way to break a curse. The story is fast paced and will probably appeal to younger teen readers.

Grim Lovelies was actually the most deliciously lovely thing. This is the kind of book where the gorgeous cover thoroughly promises what you’re going to find inside. It was so good. I completely fell in love with the characters, the vivid world building, thE PASTRY APPRECIATION, and all the characters’ snark (despite them being about to die). Quality content right here thank you I will take 7 more of these books.

The setting! The world! The exquisite descriptions! I freaking love Paris. I have I been? No. But that doesn’t stop me being a teeny bit obsessed with it. And the descriptions were gorgeous and vivid so it’s like the bookworm trip to Paris! Also Parisian pastries are keeping this world together, so 10/10 here for the appreciation they gave to them.

The descriptions are the kind that are very sensory and really pull you in with the taste of things and colours and the scruffy details of someone’s coat — excellent writing.

I loved that it’s from the perspective of the animals who are enchanted into humans. Like in the Disney Cinderella movie where the fairy godmother turns mice into men, etc. THAT is what a “grim lovely” is. (They also call them “Beasties”.) So we have this witch and her 5 enchanted servants (she treats them as slaves too) but when she’s murdered they have 3 days to get someone else to cast a new humanising spell on them or GOODBYE.

So obviously we have a huge ticking time bomb here, which I looooved. Makes the pace fast! And stressful! Of course bookworms love stress haha, our grey hair and bloodshot eyes mean nothing, carry on.

I totally fell in love with Anouk as the story went on. She’s so timid and demure to start with, and she doesn’t suddenly — ZAP — change into a saucy fighter or anything. She stays quiet and calm…but she gets confidence and she fights back and she believes in more than what she’s spoon fed. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. We need more soft™ protagonists! Her arc was perfectly done.

Also the secondary cast is BIG and amazing:
CRICKET: She’s like the badass older sister, made to be a thief, and she loves flowers and skulls and lipstick. Love her.
BEAU: So of course we must have a love interest (although it’s good that it’s the “we already knew each other” romance because otherwise a 3-day romance is always too hard to believe)…and I admit I didn't like him. He’s very overprotective of Anouk. Aka “no no Anouk you can’t do anything” and I wanted to slap him. I didn’t really see their chemistry? But he drives cars fast so I’ll give him that.
LUC: He’s actually missing when the book starts, but he’s the Big Bro figure and they all love him so bad.
HUNTER BLACK: he’s the trained assassin and actually starts off an enemy of the rest because he’s super close to the witch’s son. I feel many things for Hunter Black. Ugh the antiheroes get me every time I can’t even.
VIGGO: he’s NOT a beastie, but the “witch’s boy”. Basically a kid she stole to use as a blood bank (you need blood for magic) but also spoiled rotten and super rich thanks to the witch. He is AWFUL and we HATE him but by thE END….WHAT HAPPENED WE DON’T. GO VIGGO!!!
They have all the dysfunctional family vibes and I freaking LOVE IT.

I was unhappy with the Bury Your Gays trope appearing but hold out hope that the "Probably" thrown in there means the certain character isn't dead. Otherwise, people…it’s 2018 and you can’t have the ONLY death be a minority character. Enough of that. We deserve better.
I’m thoroughly in love with this one! It totally captured my imagination, from all the unique twists on old magic, and the fairy tales it wove in, to the gorgeous lush setting and the characters I wOULD DIE FOR. I’m chill as a person, for sure. I’ve wanted an intoxicating magical fantasy for a while.

What a brilliant premise... animals who have been enchanted into humans have 3 days to solve a murder!! what more do you want?

This was a brilliantly lovely book. I love the magical and mysterious feels to the book and the incredible world building.
I would say this would be suited to a younger reader or anyone who prefers a lighter read, rather than dark and murderous.
But that didn't detract from this being a great witchy tale and buckets of fun.
OHhhhh I hope this is a series!!

I enjoyed this one, but it's definitely got some tropes in it that were disturbing to read (mainly the bury your gays trope). I also think this would be more suited to a younger YA/upper MG audience. Overall, a promising start to a series.

Loved loved loved this book! Was such a new and fresh idea and had elements of magic, romance, evil, and just so much action! The characters were fabulous and the settings described really well. I can't wait to read the next in this series.

This was a pretty unforgettable book. I do think it was left very open ended in anticipation for more books. I think Grim Lovelies is more geared to a younger YA audience. I will say I did not like how the only gay character is killed off. I didn't like that at all. Especially because he was the only one to die. It was just a tired trope that I'm no longer a fan of. Thank you for the opportunity to read Grim Lovelies, I hope more people enjoy it.

I did not know the author before reading this novel so I had no expectation, but when an English book takes place in Paris and France, I'm always curious.

As a Parisian, I always have a pretty critical eye when a foreign author decides to put his story in my city. The Paris in this book loke like the is Paris of today, but with a great touch of magic. Indeed, witches exist and live among us, they secretly influence our society, but with technological advances their powers have diminished. It's a matriarchal world where magic is literally paid by blood. Sincerely, I found that the novel's universe worked well and plunging into the secret world of witches with their own rules was rather pleasant.

Anouk looks like a 17-year-old girl, but is actually only one year old. She was turned into a human a year earlier, and was before an animal. It is as you can imagine a very naive heroine, who has never known the outside world, and who will harden over the novel, her evolution is fairly classic for the genre. As for the secondary characters, none really marked me and the romance that was developed by the author make me feel nothing and did not seem at all necessary to me. Please auhtors, editors, stop putting romance in each book YA, because it is not always successful.

For the plot, I found that the plot was flat, there are certainly passages with action, but the book rather gives the impression of going back and forth between two places, we discover nothing else about the country or even the city. It's strange because I think that the book has good points but I come out of my reading with a mixed opinion, I think the author could have gone further on many things but she has never really taken risk in her plot or with her characters and it's a shame because it could have been so much more.

ARC provided by HMH via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There we have it, folks. My first one-star rating of 2018. I am so sorry and hope I don't offend anyone with this post, but Grim Lovelies was the biggest disappointment of the year for me.

Grim Lovelies is an urban fantasy set in a Paris where there are different classes of people/supernaturals:

1) The Pretties: humans like us who live in the world, existing with their flashy technology and cars.
2) The Haute: The magical elite such as witches and goblins.
3) The Beasties: Animals who were enchanted and turned into humans with the purpose to serve the Haute.

Anouk is a Beastie who serves a powerful witch, Mada Vittora. Anouk also lives with other Beasties: Luc, Beau, Cricket, and Hunter Black. Mada Vittora also has a human son, Viggo. However, one day Mada Vittora is murdered, and the Beasties are now living on borrowed time. You see, once the witch who "made" a Beastie dies, her powers die with her. The Beasties only have three days to find a way to remain human or else they are turned back into their original animal forms.

Grim Lovelies failed at pulling me in from the first page. I was really hoping for more witchy story lines and a stronger magic system. The world building also fell completely flat. There were no explanations about how their magic system worked; it was just there. And even though Anouk is a subservient girl who isn't supposed to be able to do magic, she was able to all of a sudden cast powerful spells without any training at all. It was like she was "the chosen one" and there was no explanation on how she became to be powerful.

The other characters were also just... there. I didn't fall in love with anyone even though they all had so much potential for better character arcs. The gay rep for Hunter Black was so cast over and I really hated what happened to his character towards the end. Also I felt zero chemistry between Beau and Anouk. Their romance was such a failed attempt at friends-to-lovers. It really didn't even need to happen.

Then there's Luc who is our POC rep but he's basically stuck in a giant hand bag throughout the ENTIRE book, so we only meet him much later. Dare I say my only favorite characters were the "villains" or "morally ambiguous characters": Petra (I loved her; she is trans and was the one redeeming character in this entire book), Viggo (he's only funny when he's under a love spell), and Rennar, the main villain. But even then, Rennar was such a weak villain and I didn't even understand why he had to exist other than to just... be the bad guy. He has no back story or purpose other than "wanting power."

I don't know, y'all. I think I just had way higher expectations and I was really let down. I wanted a vast world of beasts and witches, a stronger magic system, and back stories on how this all came to be. The writing and progression felt juvenile, and I think this book would benefit more as a middle grade book. Better yet, I believe some of the scenes and characters could translate well if illustrated in a manga. But it all ends on a cliff hanger, and this just disappointed me even further. I wasn't expecting this to be a series, so that's my bad on my part.

I didn't hate this book and I'm not angry at it. But it just left me feeling so disappointed about so many things. And overall? I was so bored. I got really hopeful around the 50% mark when things finally picked up, but then it all went downhill again.

I hope you all like it more than I did!