This is the second book for The Vine Series and this installment the story has moved from Chanceaux Valley and the vineyards to Paris and follows Elena and Yvette while on a mission to uncover Yvette’s heritage.

Elena and John have travelled to Paris to the Ministry of Lineages and Licenses to change her witch status which doesn’t go as planned due her lineage. She is however she is given a choice. Help find a fugitive whom she spent time with in the past and turn her in and then she can change her status but this isn’t the type of person she. She is a person who helps not harm.

We first met Yvette while she was helping Elena. Yes, she is wanted for murder but there is more to the story of which we learn during this story. Abandoned as a child and raised by a mortal, she knows nothing about her lineage. And the book she is given by her adoptive mother just adds more questions. She doesn’t always make the best decisions and lands herself in some pretty dangerous predicaments but I adored her for her sheer determination. And Elena’s as well for following her heart when it came to Yvette.

This is a story that is filled with magic, thievery and mystery and introduces of to a few new characters including Elena’s future mother in-law (man I adored that woman!) and an eccentric shop owner and a bewitched cat who all help Yvette and Elena. The story moves quickly and with such strong female leads it was so easy to be drawn into their intriguing world. The world building was just as I hoped it would be filled with magic and suspense and a quest to learn truths hidden. There was a little twist for Yvette at the end that I did not expect but it was certainly such a good one!

This is filled magical realism and a little bit of romance and has been such a fantastic series so far and I can’t wait for the next installment!

**Review**
The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
(Book 2 in The Vine Witch series)
Yvette longs to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage, and decipher the hidden meaning of a keepsake from her past. All whilst on the run from the authorities. She entrusts Elena, well renowned vine witch, to help her in her quest. Elena cannot turn away a friend in need, even though she is struggling with her own troubles.
However others also want to discover the truth behind Yvette’s momento, making their journey a perilous one. With a little help from their friends, are they able to overcome their obstacles and become the witches they were destined to be?
After loving The Vine Witch, I was very keen to read this next instalment. And mostly, it didn’t disappoint. It is well written and an easy read. The story is well rounded and all questions are answered by the end of the book. I really love the characters; all with their own quirks and personalities. I especially enjoyed seeing Yvette develop and change over the course of the story. This was really well done and made for a page turning read.
It did take the story a little while to pick up momentum, but by the end the pages were action packed and exciting. I thought the conclusion felt perfect for the story. I did feel the atmospheric quality I loved so much in The Vine Witch was slightly lost in this second instalment, likely due to the different city setting.
Overall, I did really enjoy this book and am keen to read the next instalment, due next year. A great, light, bewitching read. Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read and review this.
Publication date: 09/06/2020

The Glamourist by Luanne G Smith is the second book in the VIne Witch series , and the action is moved from the vineyard to the city of Paris where Elena has travelled with John Paul to meet his family, and also to sort out some issues with her magic registration following the revelations about her bloodline made in the previous book. (On that note I would highly recommend reading that book first as there is very little recap of what happened in this one, which could be confusing at times.) When it is suggested that she should help the authorities capture Yvette Lenoir whom she met while imprisoned (again I recommend reading the first book) in order to smooth things over, Elena knows that something is wrong and is determined to help Yvette if she can.
Yvette is determined to find out more about the mother who abandoned her as an infant ,and the magical heritage that seems to have been deliberately suppressed but the only clue she has is a mysterious book filled with symbols written in golden ink. To complicate matters it seems like there are several people with an unhealthy interest in that book and the magical secrets it contains , and all of them are looking for Yvette.
I really enjoyed the first Vine Witch book, and I was keen to read this follow up. While I did enjoy it , I felt like it lacked some of the charm and intimacy of its predecessor, and I did not connect to Yvette as a character in the same way as I did with Elena. Once again the author does a wonderful job of evoking the senses, her talent for descriptive writing is immense and she brings the sights and sounds of Paris to life on the page. I also enjoyed the little glimpse into John Paul's background we get from meeting his mother, another wonderful character.
Overall I enjoyed the book, though not quite as much as I did the Vine WItch, and I look forward to the next instalment - and if that happens to involve more of Sidra's story I certainly won't be complaining,
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Book 2 in the Vine Witch series by Luanne G Smith.

This book is beautifully written and follows our previous heroine Elena on more adventures. I think you could probably read this without ever having read book 1, but you would be missing out on a wonderful story. There is a lot of soul/ purpose searching in this book, which makes it particularly timely given how many people are doing this exact thing in quarantine. Witchery, magic, soul searching, building relationships with other women; all make this another wonderful story.

I received this as an ARC in return for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this title.

It was so much fun going back to this world, as I've read the first book in this series, The Vine Witch. I love the writing style and the various characters, not to forget Mr. Whiskers. The characters, even the side-characters, where fleshed out. This book focused a bit more on Yvette, while the first one focused on Elena. Maybe book three will focus on Sidra? Anyway, it was an engaging plot with a good pace. Not too fast and not too slow.

Anyway, it's a really fun read and I would highly recommend it.

When I requested this ARC I did not realize that it was a part of a series. However, I am glad that I picked up the first book, The Vine Witch, because I have found an amazing historical world that I am enchanted by. In the first novel, we follow Elena, who after being cursed is returning home only to find that the vineyard where she served as vine witch isn’t how she left it. I went into the first novel only knowing snippets and it paid off. The Glamourist picks up the story a few weeks after the events of The Vine Witch and follows Yvette and Elena as they try to pick up the pieces and figure out their lineage and where they belong. I really feel as though, Luanne G Smith has created a magical historical fantasy world that I was charmed and intrigued by. I felt as though her world-building and storytelling expanded the world and my love of the characters even more in The Glamourist. I adored this book and very much enjoyed where Yvette’s story led. I cannot wait to read the 3rd book in the series, The Conjurer, to see where the world expands next. I highly recommend if you are in the market for a witchy read or if you enjoyed books like The Binding or Once Upon A River.

I read The Vine Witch and gave it 3 stars, then immediately jumped into The Glamourist. Luanne Smith's writing comes to life for me with rich colour, action and style. Her settings are rich and her characters are people I genuinely enjoy reading about. While I had a few issues with The Vine Witch, I had absolutely no issues with The Glamourist. I couldn't help but want to devour it as quickly as possible. The plot trotted along at a good pace without any slack but didn't feel rushed. If you enjoy a historical French novel with a twist of magic and mystery: grab this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley for an ARC of 'The Glamourist' in exchange for an honest review.

Set in turn of the century Paris, The Glamourist is the second book in the Vine Witch series (although it can work as a stand alone book; I haven't read Book 1) and features Yvette, a former street kid discovering her magical lineage, helped by Elena, a vine witch trying to shed the label of poisoner.

Yvette, a young woman who grew up in a cabaret/brothel, is searching for her mother while on the run for murder. Elena is a witch with a vineyard she can't return to unless she hands in Yvette, but Elena wants to help the young witch discover her potential. Aided by a cat who knows more than the average moggy, The story wends its way through the back alleys and boulevards of Paris at the height of the city's fascination with the supernatural, weaving charlatan seances and showmanship in with witchcraft.

It started slowly, and I was tempted to give up a few times, but it picked up significantly in the latter half. I did find the scattering of French words italicised throughout distracting, but that is a relatively minor stylistic preference.


**I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

2.75 Stars

This is the second book in the Vine Witch series by Luanne G. Smith.

I am not sure what my problem with this book was. Usually, I am all in when it comes to witchy stories, but this one was just too complex and complicated that I think it went over my head. My other problem was that I did not read book one first. Which, I believe I definitely should have. I will have to come back to this series at a later date and check it out again.

I think that this specific moment in my life wasn’t the best time to tackle this one. It is for sure going into the batter’s box for a re-read soon!

If you like witchy stories, definitely check this one out and judge for yourselves.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I did not real the previous book in this series however I found that this book does not require reading the first one. This one was an okay read for me, the progress of the story started off slow and then ended quickly. The pacing was a bit off. I could not really connect with any of the characters. I did enjoy the cat though. The writing style is fine and the magic world building in this is fine. Overall this was just fine. It’s a good fantasy story about discovering ones indentity but there were no real emotion connections for me sadly.
Thank you netgalley for sending me an arc!

3,5 stars! Slightly less than The vine witch (4 stars). As happened with the the first book I really loved Luanne Smith‘s writing style, evoking and full of atmosphere without being too rambling. The story was very intriguing but I admit that I was more interested in Elena than Yvette (not that I found Yvette‘s storyline boring, I just preferred Elena as a main character), my rating would have been probably been different without Elena‘s presence so I was very happy to find her here too. I was really glad at how the world building was expanded! It took me a little bit more time to really get into it comparing to The vine witch, which is the reason why I didn't‘t give it 4 stars.

Little did I know of The Vine Witch, but what an exciting start with ‘The Glamourist”, which I think could even be read without the first book – it had so much in it to captivate me! What a fantastical trip through the streets of Paris with Elena Boureanu, the vine witch of Château Renard. Elena finds it very difficult to come to terms with her heritage, and her relationship with Yvette and Yvette’s own pathway to discovery unleash their true callings. Yvette’s history is a tragic one – orphaned and unaware of her magical heritage – and her escape from prison - adds another layer to the mystery through the book. Elena’s heritage of potion witches block her every move, and her husband (John-Paul) seems so obsessed for her to change her past for their future. One witch needs to make a decision about her life, and one witch needs to embrace the decision she has made to seek out her history. And that cat, oh that black cat is so intriguing, and with the magic, the dancing, the witchery – they all combine to create such a colourful tale.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An easy read historical fantasy set in an alternative Paris. I found this second one a little slower than the first Vine Witch novel, but with slightly better world building, and although I preferred having different view-point characters this slowed the pace even more. Refreshingly lighter on the romance aspect than I was expecting, and despite finding these books somewhat forgettable I would read more sequels or novels by Luanne G. Smith as they're decent comfort reads.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This is a very hard book to review because it is stuck in that spot where it neither bad nor good. It's an easy and fast read, nothing too complicated, neither overwhelming nor underwhelming and this is exactly how I felt about its predecessor The Vine Witch.

Elena is a “vine witch” at one of the finest vineyards in the Chanceaux Valley and this installment brings us right back into the action. As a story, it’s fairly interesting and kind of fun to read. The idea of witches who ensure that good wine is produced is kind of interesting. I found the execution a little flat. The prose was poetic, the pace was steady, and it had an interesting magical concept in that witches specialized in certain magics rather than having overall magic.

However, I was frustrated in that I was never emotionally invested in the characters even a second time and I found the whole romantic angle of the storyline completely misplaced. I would have rather there hadn't been one at all but that's just me being someone who doesn't really enjoy romance in my stories.

If you enjoyed The Vine Witch then be sure to check out The Glamourist. The story does open up and reveal the underside with some pleasant pacing.

I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Glamourist is the second part of The Vine Witch, a book that I thought is self-conclusive and now I am sure about that. Both books are very diferent in the same world and I think it´s not necesary a duology (if they don´t have a third part)
But in this second part I feel more happy and interesting about the story, we have the same characters from the first book and new characters which are supposed to be a contribution but in that part I am not very sure about some charaters, like the one (don´t remember de name, sorry) who is in love with Yvette.
Yvette was a very interesting character and OMG she grew up a lot! Maybe she is one of the characters that I more interesting about her history and her secrets.
I can´t say more because spoilers, but I am only want to say... I love fairies.

I read The Vine Witch in one sitting - it was absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t wait to be sucked back into Elena’s world.

I feel as though the magic hasn’t fully crossed over into The Glamourist, it feels a bit disjointed and I would say it would have been better off as a spin-off book as opposed to part of a series.

It’s slow to start, but then it rolls off really quickly leaving you spinning a bit. I feel like it could have been better if the action had started sooner, but moved a bit slower.

I was a bit frustrated when the characters had the perfect solution up their sleeves each time they were presented with a challenge or problem. This was probably just me comparing it with The Vine Witch too much.

I feel a bit confused as to WHEN the book is set. In The Vine Witch we are presented with a car - which seems to be quite a novelty, whereas in this book there are cars, underground trains, telephones, electrical wires, indoor toilets - it didn’t quite match the expectation and picture previously given.

Luanne is a fantastic writer and she has such an amazing imagination. I would love to read more about Elena’s world - maybe she could have another book focused on her, with the secondary characters having standalone or spin-off books telling their stories?

Pros-
▪ Fantasy
▪ Varied characters
▪ Female empowerment
▪ All character prespectives given
▪ Birth mystery, magic mystery

Cons-
▪ Confusing
▪ No good introduction to the world. Even though I had read the prequel, it felt confusing.
▪ Yvette's character got me puzzled.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this as I loved the first book in the series, this was a great sequel to Vine Witch. I enjoyed reading the characters and world-building.

I don't like it when the premise of the book is given away in the title. Obviously, since I'm only at chapter 14, I can't be completely certain that's the case. But I'm fairly certain that--like Conversion--it is. [What's the mysterious disease affecting the girls in that book? Conversion disorder. The author literally spelled it out on the cover! (hide spoiler)] What's the point of writing a book if you're going to spell out the twist before a potential reader even gets to the first page?

[And binding Yvette's magic? With her parents (possibly) mysteriously dead? That's already been done--it's called A Discovery of Witches (and series). I'm not saying no one can write a book about a bound witch ever again; but people are going to think of Deborah Harkness's work whenever they read something like that, not yours. (hide spoiler)]

Pretty good otherwise. Better call it ⭐⭐⭐½.

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At the end: Okay, the main twist was sort of vaguely spoiled in the title, but not as much as I'd thought.

Decent book. I noticed it says "Vine Witch series", so I assume there's a third book coming in 2021 or so? If I had to guess, I'd say we'll see Sidra's story next. Should be interesting. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love this series. This is the second book of the Vine witch series and it was just as good as the first one. Instead of taking place in the vineyard, Elena and John-Paul must go to the city to answer a summons concerning Elena’s magic registration. Elena’s bloodline indicates she is a venefica, a potion witch specializing in poison. If that is case, she can no longer be a Vine witch because people would be afraid they might be poisoned. The ministry said they’d reinstate her as a vine witch if she’d find and turn in Yvette, the escaped witch with faulty magic who has accused of murder. Elena had been imprisoned with Yvette when she herself was falsely accused. The ministry was blackmailing her, pure and simple. Elena doesn’t know how to find her and doesn’t really want to turn her in anyway. Because she saved her life when they were in prison. Elena is in the city to meet her future mother-in-law. Elena runs into Yvette in the city and under the guise of having her portrait painted, she promises to teach Yvette how to use her magic. There is treachery, thievery and magic as they work together to unravel the secrets of Yvette’s life and try to fix her magic. They must decode a secret book in order to find the answers all the while the police and a band of thugs are at her heels. Everything about this story was good. The characters were realistic, the world building was believable and the magic was interesting and fun. I really enjoyed this story and am glad to have found this author. I will read any books she writes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.