<i>Thank you to Entangled for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.</i>

<b>She's a monster. He's a monster hunter. It's the Roaring Twenties. I thought I would love this book so much more than I actually did.</b>

<b>See, this novel is fine. Just... fine. Excellent hook and concept but underwhelming in its execution. If you haven't read as many YA fantasies as I have then you might enjoy it way more.</b>

Eris is secretly a siren who works at a speakeasy. Colt is a junior FBI agent who hunts down mobsters <i>and</i> monsters. But as he's tasked to take her in, they learn that there are more than just two sides, and run away together to solve the mystery of Eris' past.

<b>WHAT I LIKED</b>
1. The worldbuilding. This is what initially drew me into the novel. <b>We've got gunfights, gangsters, and a star-crossed romance between a detective and his femme fatale.</b> Duga even uses extensive 20s slang for the full experience. Then add in the fantasy: gangsters hiring and smuggling magical creatures, secret experiments on human beings, the government chasing down the paranormal. <b>This universe is loads of fun.</b>

2. The vibes. See above. But I also liked how timeless the characters feel. Eris just wants to see the world and be free. Colt is torn between his heart and his duty. <b>You could easily age up the characters without realizing it. I liked the mature treatment.</b>

<b>WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE</b>
But you know, vibes and worldbuilding don't make a whole novel...

My main issue is that I didn't like the romance. Oh, I'm really sad about this one. <i>Enemies to lovers YA fantasy novel set in the 1920s</i> has my name on it. But <b>the pacing of their relationship was just so awkward. For an enemies to lovers romance that began with <i>betrayal</i>, there's a whole lot of rushing and instalove.</b>

Full disclosure: in order to apprehend Eris, Colt has to seduce her and pretend he's somebody he's not. Eris is instantly attracted and so is he. <b>It's a tough situation that makes space for some very intriguing internal character conflict and external "learning to trust one another again". But the author missed out on this opportunity.</b> Instead we've got half-hearted struggles like <i>oh he's my enemy but he saaved me!</i> or <i>she's a monster but she's DIFFERENT</i>. And then things go easy peasy between them. <b>That's what this novel lacks. Some more relationship build-up and conflict.</b>

<b>Since the relationship wasn't that interesting, I thought the fast-paced plot would draw me in, but that didn't work either.</b> The first two chapters were EXCELLENT. But I quickly lost interest afterwards. <b>In terms of the plot though I think that's just me. Not an objective statement.</b>

<b>TL;DR This novel is not bad. It is pretty fine. A solid 3 stars. But it's also underwhelming and I expected more, especially since the romance is such a big aspect of it.</b>

I'm in love with this book. Set in 1929, Roaring is a historical fantasy that is unique and wonderful. Eris, our female protagonist, works as a singer in a speakeasy. She's known for her beautiful singing, however, she never speaks. Colt, our male protagonist, is a monster hunter. When he shows up, Eris' life will never be the same. Her life changes when she discovers that she is a siren, and finds that Colt is immune to her siren song.

I enjoyed the concept of mob bosses in the 1920s that are altering human DNA to create human monster-hybrids. What a unique idea! The author did a fantastic job with developing well detailed characters along with a very interesting plot. I loved this book and recommend it to lovers of fantasy novels with a historical twist.

Thank you Lindsey Duga, Entangled Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was really hoping to get a copy of this ARC so thank you NetGalley! This book was creative and different from the genres I gravitate towards. I throughly enjoyed the historical setting and the characters, especially the development! Solid read.

Roaring by Lindsey Duga is a unique book. I haven't read a historical fantasy book. Set in the 20's it all starts with Eris, a singer at a speakeasy who literally has no idea she's a siren, until a bar fight ensues, leaving a monster hunter named Colt hot on her chase. As the two "hate" each other, they eventually fall in love, and while their romantic journey is somewhat predictable... The world building was intricate and very nicely done. I felt like I was with the character's themselves. I would've enjoyed having a bit more details about the historical aspect of it (given it took place in the 20's), and the plot at one point was predictable. For a standalone book, the plot was a little too rushed and I think a sequel would've been nice, so you don't overwhelm the reader. Despite the plot being somewhat predictable, it did feel rushed in some parts, but overall it was a good book that I enjoyed.

"People believe what they want to believe."

Lindsey Duga's intricate rendering between the Prohibition era and fantasy/mythology and the dual perspectives of Colt and Eris was fantastic and so much better executed than I thought it would be from the description. Duga takes a common trope and spins it into a work of art. Where we usually associate sirens with water and the ability to lure sailors towards their doom, she does the opposite: sirens who affect not only people but also time and objects.

The book follows the monster trade, where mobsters hold mythological creatures under their arsenal to fight other mobs, gain territory, and/or protect their property. Eris is such creature, but instead of being help captive by a mob, she works in a speakeasy in Boston. She's a long-lost siren whom the federal Bureau of Investigation (BOI) has been tracking down for years to no avail. That is until one night, she slips her status as a siren, and that is where rookie BOI agent--Colt-- comes into play. The story follows the two's adventures, their misgivings, and their sacrifices to be free from others' expectations and to make decisions-- for better or for worse-- for themselves for what could be the first time of their lives.

Few books exist without cons, and Roaring is no exception. Given it is a standalone book, the story progresses in a somewhat rushed fashion, as several key plot points develop out of the blue and don't tie in with the story as seamlessly as it could. The ending was also a tad predictable and cliché in the sense that the plot was formulaic, not to mention the brevity of the ending as well.

Nonetheless, it's rare to find a standalone fantasy/paranormal book with an intriguing premise and plot, and Roaring is among the forefront of that rarity.

Courtesy of Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Roaring was a really fun and captivating fantasy read! I love anything having to do with sirens so I was intrigued from the very beginning.
The plot had good pacing and I really enjoyed the writing style! I loved the mix of action and enemies-to-lovers romance. Set in the 1920's, Roaring gave an interesting twist on the era of speakeasies and mob bosses. I almost wish that the historical aspect had been referenced a bit more throughout the story as it was pretty lightly added here and there. The fantastical elements were done so well but I felt that the romance got a bit too cyclical sometimes; as if it kept following the same pattern over and over.
Overall this was a solid fantasy read, and with a few small tweaks could have been a 5-star read!
Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Teen and Lindsey Duga for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Not a bad book but one that might have benefitted from another draft to work out some of the kinks.

“Roaring” takes us to a speakeasy in 1929 where the champagne is flowing and monsters roam the streets eager to watch a young woman named Eris sing but once the lights go up she doesn’t say a word until a bar fight leaves her with more trouble than she can manage and a hunter named Colt hot on her tail but when things go sideways the two find that they might be a better pair than enemies.

I love historical pieces mixed with fantasy so when this started with a breakdown of the 20s lingo I was so excited to dive into this world only to find that the era offered very little other than a sprinkle here and there to remind you of the times but never managed to stick with it like other books of its kind have.

The characters were fine with me looking forward to reading Eris’s chapters more than Colt’s as her story was a lot stronger than his which was kept hidden for dramatic effect when he could reveal it all in one swoop whereas hers was more layered and folded in more organically. I never really bought their romance as there was a lot of rough bridge building to have them go from enemies to lovers and none of which was successful as they followed the same pattern making it feel a bit like Groundhog’s Day but I was able to move past it.

The plot itself reminded me of a softer ‘Not Even Bones’ as we have monsters running as monsters trying to use stolen parts to make more and an organization hunting in plain sight but where that one was bloody and vicious this one is sweeter and more lighthearted if that’s the proper word for it but out of the two I don’t think it’s strong enough to remember.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Roaring is the exact level of unique I'm in love with. Set across america in 1929, Roaring Fantasy is an enemies to lovers historical fantasy. One of our dual protagonist's, Eris works as a singer in a speakeasy. Though she's known for her songs, she never speaks. Until Colt, a monster hunter, shows up and her life goes off the rails when she finds out she's a siren. And that he's immune to her siren song.

The premise of mob bosses in the 20s altering human DNA to create human monster-hybrids was incredible. My main issue with this book was that to help our leads get from enemies to lovers, the book does the whole 'someone's in danger and the other person has to save them' multiple times. Especially near the beginning of the characters interacting it almost felt like "oh no someone's been attacked! I need to save them! Phew that was close let me leave you alone for half a second. Oh no someone's been attacked!..." and then the cycle continues. Other than that, this was a really enjoyable read!