This book was really hard for me to finish and it was mostly because of its main character, Emmeline.

There is a beauty that captures you in the beginning, a magic that lures you in. What is strangeness that causes a forest the magically encroach Emmeline's surroundings, without touching anyone else's awareness, every time she sings? Why is she so adamant about refusing to return to Edgewood? Sadly it is as one good in search of these answers that the true depth of should I say shallowness of the character that is Emmeline is revealed.

She is a character that is really hard to like. I almost put the book down several times because of her character specifically (honestly if not for Hawthorne, I would not have finished the book). Whether it is because her character is young (19yo) or a musician who will do anything to reach her dreams, she is a selfish, egotistical brat.

When he grandfather, the person who took her in when everyone abandoned her, goes missing, she thinks about how his disappearance will affect her career. She blamed Hawthorne for lying to her about where her grandfather was, but he was just trying to protect her and keep her from looking for him out of guilt. She keeps saying she is going to save her grandfather, but doesn't listen to what he wants. Always blaming others because it's easier than looking at herself and seeing her own shortcomings. She is constantly harping about how she hates Hawthorne for being the tithe collector and lying to her, but it is just how job and Rook lied to her too. She never once stops to ask how it works, just assumes. She is so full of herself and dreams that she never once stops to see what is going on around her or that is is hurting the people she loves the most by forgetting them.

It painful how true it is with relationships. Hawthorne with his steadiness and mystery are why I finished this book. I mean, it's a silly premise, an entire plot that revolves around a fairy world that is dying because of a musical curse? It's not really that simple but it's a part of it. Along the way there was this anchor of a character that brought weight to the story; with his mysterious background and stoicism, he made this a go from a 2 star to a 3 star for me.

No matter why you read this book, I think you will agree that it doesn't quite follow the path you expect it to. That can be good or bad. I'm thoughtfully indifferent to it. This book overall has a good plot and storyline. Though I (if you can't tell) dislike Emmeline, which made me spend a lot of my time internally debating with myself over her actions instead of enjoying the story, it still wasn't enough of a hindrance to stop me from finishing it. It's a book that leaves you pondering endings. All books should leave you thinking of them long after you finish reading them

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book. The opinions are my own **

Pursuing your dreams for a future worth having may sometimes be interrupted by your past coming back to haunt you, but likely not in the extremes it does in Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli.

Emeline Lark has long dreamt of making a career for herself singing; after leaving her woodland bordered home of Edgewood to pursue that dream, the forest seems to find her whenever she performs, creeping ever closer. Upon learning that her grandfather has disappeared from the nursing home, Emeline rushes home to search for him, grasping at the stories of the woods she’s heard her entire life as a cause for his disappearance. Slowly starting to believe the tales she thought were foolish as real, Emeline ventures in to the forest she had been trying to escape. In the court of the Wood King, Emeline makes a deal, despite cautions not to, to secure her grandfather’s freedom. Emeline finds that her deal is but one small part of a far larger curse that threatens the livelihood of the woods, that very place she’d worked hard to forget.

An endearing and entertaining story that incorporated fantasy elements along with the young, albeit predictable and trope-filled, romance, the narrative moved swiftly once the basics were presented and was engrossing after becoming immersed in the woods. There are plenty of clues and foreshadowing provided to help piece the larger reveal(s) together and there are some realistic shifts in Emeline’s thinking and focus given the information she learns along the way that demonstrates character growth in an already dynamically portrayed character. As the story unfolds, there are plenty of questions that are raised, some around the world and some the characters and their motivations, and most get addressed in a decent turnaround time; however, there was a lot presented in this book and not all of it was given the attention it should have gotten to make the story as fleshed out as it could have been to satisfy the questions curious minds will have about some characters, events, and rules that govern the world.

Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

EDGEWOOD is a lyrical, insightful, and uniquely enchanting tale of memory, life, and humanity spun on the edge of our world and the one of magic tucked away in the woods beyond. Filled with a love that will make you sigh, a warmth that will make you homesick, a magic that will make you yearn, and a depth that will strike your soul and echo on and on with its resounding question: Ubi sunt. This fantastical story is not one to walk past!

Let’s just start this review off by saying -- such a good book. The beginning was a bit of a slow start and I found myself lagging and potentially wanting to DNF it (I have way too many other ARC’s to read) but I’m super glad I stuck through it. Edgewood was a phenomenal read and definitely picked up about a quarter of a way through it. Hanging in there for the beginning made the end so much more worth it.

Emeline is a rising star, desperately seeking to make a name for herself as a famous singer and see herself on stage. However, the forest of her hometown keeps crawling back to pull her away (literally). The world Kristen establishes around Emeline is both gorgeous and somewhat heartbreaking. There is a great deal of character development around Emeline, Pa, and Joel that establishes some expectations pretty quickly and also hurts desperately if you have someone in your life with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

There was a great deal of self-discovery for Emeline throughout this novel, with lots of twists and turns to take the reader on a pretty epic journey. You are constantly trying to nail down what the “big plot point” will be, and as it shifts beneath your feet, you start to uncover some other details and plot points that you weren’t expecting. I’ll admit, there were some pretty large ones that were predictable and that I won’t spoil for anyone else but… I honestly didn’t expect the tree thing, that one took me by surprise (you’ll understand once you’ve read it).

The ending did hurt my heart a little, as it was a tad bit vague and left some things to be desired. In a way, it was acceptable and I didn’t feel disappointed, but I definitely wanted more. My only other big con speaks on something I already mentioned -- there was a lot in this book. This could have been spread out into a series and really fleshed out even more of the magic, the characters, the development, etc. We could have seen a bigger fight between protag and antag, more angst and slow-burn to the relationship, and a deeper dive into the magic of this world. Since the start was so slow, the rest of the book was a rush to get through, so the pacing was a little bit off.

Other than that, I honestly enjoyed Edgewood and would absolutely read it again. Kristen Ciccarelli did a lovely job exploring some poignant topics, developing her world and characters, and making you ache alongside Emeline at different points in the novel. Stick through the beginning and you’ll be rewarded with a charming story.

I was so eager to read this book! This premise sounds absolutely amazing and this world is magical and exceptionally written. Edgewood is an amazing fantasy must-read!

Thabk you for my copy of Edgewood. Wow what a ride this story was! So beautifully written and the setting was magical!

If you like magic, fae, curses, and little bit of mystery then this book is for you. I gobbled this book up. It was written beautifully and wonderfully executed. I loved this story from the beginning to the end. It hooked me in and didn't let go. There were points when I even had tears in my eyes. This is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Edgewood follows the story of Emeline Lark, a girl with a powerful voice. So powerful that the woods appear every time she’s on stage. When her grandfather goes missing, she returns to her hometown (of Edgewood) and tries to discover where he went. Emeline’s journey brings her into a cursed forest, and soon her quest to find her grandfather results in more answers than she was hoping for. Emeline has to work quickly in order to save the forest from itself. This is a story full of baragains and betrayal that you will not want to miss!

Pros:
-The main character had a bunch of fun, witty lines that kept me super absorbed in the book and made me fall in love with Emeline’s personality!

-Kirsten Ciccarelli certainly has a way with words because her writing style is so beautiful and very memorable

-the book includes some great friendships and an even better romance

-the chapters were the perfect length, not too short or too long, and time seemed to fly by while reading

Cons:
-I found a couple plot points to be somewhat predictable but for the most part I was quite surprised by the turn of events

~Stay tuned for Edgewood coming out January 18th, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I struggled with this a bit in the beginning but the pace picked me up and it moved right along. The issues I had with the beginning were resolved once I got swept into the story and things were explained. I enjoyed this and can't decide if I wish there was another to make this a series!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Edgewood started off kind of slowly for me but it eventually picked up. In it, you will meet Emeline and Hawthorne. Emeline has always wanted to be a famous singer. So when she's inches from her dream, something from her past comes crawling back. Well, I guess (in a way) you can claim the forest is her past but it only really shows up when she sings.

Which, yes, lead me to have so many freaking questions. Luckily, things were starting to get answered pretty quickly and I started to form the big reveals in my head. In some ways, I was sort of correct and in others - I was completely wrong. I'm not the best detective or guesser but it was a lot of fun to come up with all the crazy things while reading this.

I'd like to say that we get hints of a huge epic romance.. but we don't really. We do get some hints but it's mostly about Emeline finding out the truth and realizing who she actually is. It's also about how dreams change - quite often - and it made her journey pretty realistic to me.

Well.. somewhat.

Other than that, the twists, turns, and little action was kind of fun. The ending was very cute and I'm just going to assume that everyone is out there living their best life. I'm just happy that I got the chance to dive into this and I can't wait for the next book Kristen writes.

We need to talk about this one, because I have many feels about it.

I loved, loved this book... up unto a point. The first 80%, gave me the chills and the wonderful feels. My mind was going all over the place, trying to figure out the mysteries that were lingering inside these pages. At one point I thought I had it, but it just absolutely made no sense when I kept reading. For anyone who knows me well, you know that if I can't figure out the mystery, I'm obsessed until I do. This is a wonderful thing in Kristen Ciccarelli's writing. She kept me guessing the whole time.

The story was wonderfully written and the world building beautifully done. I could imagine the forest in all the glory it once held, but picture how dead it had become. And the characters were so colorful, I couldn't help but loving them all. I was about to put this book on my favorites list, but then...

A terribly unneeded oral sex scene between two teenaged characters broke my bliss and ruined my love for this story. I realize it was a flashback and Emily needed to remember her past, but was this the needed graphic memory the characters deserved? Hawthorne and Emily had the most amazing sexual tension that was ruined by this act that was so out of place in the story. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good sexy book, but nothing about the first 80% of the book screamed smut to me. The story was perfectly fine without it.

After nearly putting the book down, never to finish it, I pushed past that little miss step and loved the end. Really, in hind sight, this was a great book with amazing plot twists and characters to carry the story. I'm glad I read it.

My review will be live on my blog Book Confessions on 8-26-21

Will I ever stop loving Kristen Ciccarelli? Based on this book, probably not. I adored the Iskari series and this follow up did not disappoint. Her prose continues to draw me in as much as her multi dimensional characters. Emmeline and Hawthorne are one of my newest ships. I appreciated that they were enemies to lovers but it wasn't cheapened by disrespect like in a lot of books that tackle this trope. Epic conclusion that has me in a book hangover.

Emeline Lark is an up-and-coming singer who's just escaped her superstitious hometown. But when her grandfather disappears and she realizes that the tales of a twisted kingdom hidden in the woods were true, Emeline venture into the unknown to save her grandfather.

Edgewood is a fast-paced, cozy YA fantasy that's perfect to binge when you're in a reading slump. Ciccarelli's world is dark and moody in the best possible way, enchanting readers and making the book a page-turner. Though the plot twists are somewhat predictable, they are still satisfying as they have quite a bit of weight behind them.

I'll admit that when I first started reading Edgewood, I was slightly concerned that I was older than the book's intended audience because I found Emeline difficult to connect with. However, her character development is quite satisfying to watch, so I would caution slightly older readers not to hold that against the book overall.

There were some minor hiccups in terms of the book's writing, but to be fair, I received my copy of the novel over 6 months before publication date, so those may be gone by the time that Edgewood is out. Even while reading the advanced copy though, the hypnotizing world that Ciccarelli creates more than makes up for the occasional issue in diction. At the end of the day, Edgewood is the type of book that you would read under the covers at 15, breathless in anticipation as it transports you to its fantastical universe.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Edgewood in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book, in exchange for a honest review*

EDGEWOOD is about nineteen year old dreamer Emeline who leaves her small town, Edgewood, behind for big dreams in a bigger city. Emeline is a singer and has been slowly moving up the ranks. During one of her gigs she finds out she has a planned tour and may be signed up with a huge label if all goes well but when she finds out her grandfather has been taken from his nursing home, Emeline travels back to her small town of superstitions. Edgewood is an unusual town. The townsfolk offer tithes to the Wood King, who stays away as long as they pay their tithes. Emeline's grandfather is taken away by the tithe collector and Emeline has to go into the dark woods to save him.

First off, I want to say that EDGEWOOD was one of my most anticipated books and I've read all of Kristen Ciccarelli's books so far. This book did NOT disappoint! I've been waiting for Ciccarelli to put out a new book for a while especially after completing the Iskari trilogy. When I heard she had EDGEWOOD coming out, I knew it would be an instant pre-order for me.

I absolutely loved everything about this book: the pacing, the writing, the characters, and Edgewood as a town. Emeline's narration is perfect and felt real, especially when she was feeling the disbelief of how all the stories she heard from her grandfather were true. The writing is beautiful and the setting of the Wood King's city is magical and whimsical.

I definitely plan on purchasing this book as soon as it's available in January!

(this review will also be posted soon on my Instagram: rainbowbookdragon15)

Edit: I really hope there might be some extra content featuring Hawthorne's POV on some scenes. I would have loved to have learned more about his thought process. And Lament is my favorite :) best horse ever!

5 stars

What a wild ride this book was! I think I’d give this a 3.5/5 but am rounding up because I love the authors writing style so much.

I enjoyed this book a lot but I don’t know if it lived up to its fullest potential. I really love this author I fell in love with this series she published before this and I felt like this book was missing some thing that her other books had.

There were a lot of really good plot twists that I really enjoyed, I loved all of the characters and their relationships, I loved the growth of our MC. The romance worked for me although I was skeptical about it for a little bit there was a good reason behind it once I learned more haha I can’t say more without spoilers. I loved the setting & mix of the established world with world building.

My one criticism would possibly be the ending. I liked the conclusion of the major plot points and then we get to a couple of chapters that take place a few months after our final moments. I liked where this was going but it was the final chapter, really even the final pages, that I felt missed it’s mark. I was looking for the rest, as if it needed a few more pages to round things out.

Other than that, this was an enjoyable (stand alone?) that I couldn’t put down. It lost my focus at maybe the 30% mark but picked up again quickly. Thank you St Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books / Netgalley for this earc in exchange for an honest review!

This novel had me hook line and sinker from the the moment I cracked the book open until I read the final words on the last paper. I was held captive by the authors written words, much like Emeline’s audience when she sings. Each chapter drawing me into the fairytale a little further until I’m so entwined that I don’t want to return home again.

The author used Greek mythology and what felt like a little bit of an Alice in Wonderland vibe to bring a magical story of why the people of Edgewood give tithes to the Wood King and what happens if you don’t.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. There were a few twists that the author threw in that I saw coming and others that I for sure thought I knew where she was going and she curveballed on me! It’s great when an author can do that.

I had a bit of a hard time with this book. While the overall premise was enjoyable, I felt there were a lot of spots that could have been fleshed out much more than they were. There was a lot crammed into this novel, so perhaps even lengthening to a series might have been better to truly expand on all the ideas. I mostly was not a fan of how long the story took to get going - it took way too long to actually enter the woods and begin to get a sense of what the story might be. To this end, the spots I really enjoyed were way too rushed. I wanted to savor a few moments and just was not given that opportunity - instead we’re rushing along to the next speedy plot point. There was a lot of jumping around to cram a ton of ideas into one book and I just don’t think it worked well.

I also found I did not particularly like the character of Emeline. She was always brushing people off as if she knew better and in all cases she did not. I found I really was not rooting for her, at all. There were much more interesting characters that did not get enough page time. Also could have been solved by lengthening past one book.

Overall, I’d say I was disappointed in the execution of a number of good ideas that were not given as much time as they deserved.

Kristen Ciccareli gives us Edgewood. The story of Emeline who goes searching for her lost grandfather in the forest of Edgewood. Mixing contemporary YA with fantasy, Edgewood gives you a little slice of everything. I've never wanted to get lost in the woods more than I did while reading this beautiful book.

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. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli is about a young woman named Emeline who dreams of one day making it big as a musician. To pursue her dreams, she needed to leave her hometown of Edgewood, where the townies believe that beyond the woods lies a magical kingdom. One day, her grandfather goes missing, he has been tithed to the Woods. Emeline, with the help of long-lost friends from the Woods, goes on a journey to not only get her grandfather back but each twist and turn brings her closer to the truth.

Overall, a fantastic book! I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely recommend! And there's some spicy scenes, if you know what I mean. *Wink Wink*

I felt like this was pretty predictable for a fae story; If you love fae you should definitely pick this one up though!