I had a lot of expectations for this one but it fell short. I think the premise was very interesting and so was the MC at first but the plot kinda veered offcourse at certain points and the romance was a bit weak too. I'm still interested in the sisters' stories though as they sound promising!

OMG beautifully written! Loved the main character, even though she was so different then what I've read in the lead role in fantasy books YA or NA, she was not your typical fem lead and I don't mean 'she's not like other girls' she very much just wanted to live her glamorous life and had no business getting involved with any of the high stakes situations that they found themselves in but she was more then capable. It was so fun to read the story of the one character that seemed the least interested and capable to take on the story and use her emotional intelligence, her knowledge of people and 'society' to sort the issues of the fantastical world.

- NA Fantasy / Romantasy
- Steamy / Spicy
- Epic world building
- Interesting magic system
- AMAZING writing (lyrical, just so pretty)
- Fast paced

I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. I didn’t really connect with Gemma as a character, so being in her head was a bit annoying at times. I did however enjoy the world building, so I might read the second book

Claire Legrand is my favorite author. Anything she writes, I buy. I loved this book!! Everyone should read her books! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review!

This felt way more like YA than an adult, the main character was pretty flat and rather juvenile. The plot also felt a little all over the place. Not sure who i'd recoomend this to

First of a trilogy, A Crown of Ivy and Glass started out slow, I almost wanted to stop reading after the first chapter. I will not read the rest of the trilogy. Promiscuous Lady Gemma has no magic powers and the powers of others give her pain. She selfishly thinks life is all about parties and sex.
The story consists of a feud and hate with the neighboring Bask family and demon possessed Talon d’Astier. As magic and demons abound Gemma tries to save the world with her rebirth of magic and tons of sex.

I was really excited for this read and I was slightly let down. The hype around it had so much promise but even though this story has great bones, I felt left wanting. I think I will give this book another go later down the road and reread it and hopefully feel that magic.

Review: DNF AT 15% This one just didn't work for me. I was excited about this and was a bit bored, which scared me because this is a long novel. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for allowing me to read this ARC. I will still try another Claire Legrand novel in the future.

An amazing fantasy book that I found myself lost in! I really enjoyed the world building and over all vibe of this one

This was a masterpiece, as is anything that comes from Claire Legrand. I was hoping for something just as addictive as her Empirium trilogy, and I was not disappointed. 10/10, 5 stars, 100% recommend!

I really tried to give this one a chance but I just couldn’t really get into it. Plus, it’s super long, and I couldn’t really connect with the main character that much.

While I am sure this book is someone's cup of tea, it was not mine. There was nothing wrong with the author's writing, the story just didn't grab me.

I enjoyed the book however, not as much as Furyborn. I liked the premise and setting but was expecting more. Still a very interesting and enjoyable first book in a new series!

Wasn't for me, I only got a few chapters in. I can see how some people would enjoy this book but for me there was not enough tot keep me interested.

I got about 50 pages into this book and I just couldn't get into the story. It felt very wordy and was very in my opinion information dumping I was also having a hard time with all the names and keeping the straight. But I want to revisit it at a later time with listening to the audio book because some fantasy works better for me in the audio setting rather then physical reading it.

I have been sitting on this review for awhile this was my first book by this author and I was excited for the premise. I mean who wouldn't get excited when a book is marketed as "Bridgerton meets ACOTAR". Although I appreciate the effort that went into this book, I did not find the FMC nor the MMC likable. They lacked development and had no redeeming qualities. The plot was messy. It was marketed as adult however felt more YA. And even though I love YA... it just needed to be marketed better. Overall this book just wasn't for me.



Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read A Crown Of Ivy and Glass in advance!

There are so many stunning things about this book. The world building, character development and magical system were all top notch. I never felt confused or like there was too much information. The pace kept me reading late into the night. I related to Gemma and her anxiety and felt Legrand handled it with great sensitivity. I am glad this is the start of a series.

ACrown of Ivy and Glass introduces a new fantasy romance series featuring dark magic, demons, fae, gods, and a mysterious magical boundary realm called the Middlemist. If all that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is.

Brimming with interesting concepts and ideas, A Crown of Ivy and Glass suffers the classic first book problem of doing too much. Lady Gemma Ashbourne is wealthy and beautiful, a member of a privileged Anointed family blessed by the gods with magical gifts. One small problem: instead of magic, Gemma has been “blessed” with debilitating pain every time magic is performed near her. Distracting herself with beautiful gowns and glittering balls, Gemma can only blind herself to the truth for so long. Something is wrong with her – and the magic surrounding her is becoming increasingly strange, too. Teaming up with a mysterious man named Talan, Gemma attempts to untangle the truth behind her family’s secrets, the changes in the Middlemist, and the cause of her own condition.

Unfortunately, there’s just too much going on in A Crown of Ivy and Glass for the characters to be well-developed. Gemma reads as juvenile and vapid, which is actually the point, as Legrand reveals more about her character as the story progresses. Although it’s a clear stylistic choice, it wasn’t successful. Despite knowing from the get-go that there was more to Gemma than her antics, her narrative voice frustrated me and made it difficult to become invested in her story. I’m bummed because as a fellow spoonie, I was very intrigued by and appreciated that chronic pain is such a significant part of Gemma’s life. I wanted to like her but I just couldn’t. And this coming from a reader who usually loves “unlikable” narrators!

Similarly, I thought Gemma’s love interest Talan was bland and forgettable. Fortunately, the secondary characters delivered – especially Gemma’s grim older sister, Farrin. I gather her story will be the focus of the second book and I assume that’ll be a welcome change for those who didn’t love Gemma and Talan. Fair warning: we’re dealing with a serious case of insta-love here. At their very first meeting, Gemma and Talan’s chemistry is obvious but their emotional connection felt very forced. This is a fantasy-romance novel so of course I expected that their love would be a focus, but I would’ve much preferred to actually experience its development rather than witness its instantaneous appearance. Two cagey, avoidant people start sharing personal and private things right away? The characterization just seems off.

I’m disappointed to report that the major issue with this book for me is how poorly it’s written. Gemma’s voice felt awkward and forced, and Legrand’s writing felt quite “young.” Multiple descriptive sections and philosophical moments that are clearly meant to be impactful just felt…awkward. I’m actually shocked because I loved Legrand’s thriller Sawkill Girls, which really is a YA novel but it was much more mature than this one. The pacing was terribly uneven, with a few chapters packed with information and action followed by multiple chapters that read like filler.

The ending was my favourite part of the story (sounds snarky but it’s true!) because it hinted at the next couple in the series – seems like it’ll be a juicy enemies-to-lovers situation. I don’t plan to continue reading with the series but I may reconsider if the reviews look promising.

Not recommended.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not finish this book at about 30% as I found the characters super annoying, and I did not look forward to reading more of this story.

This book was a rough read for me, mainly because it felt very disjointed. Full transparency, I really REALLY enjoyed the first half of this book. Although I didn't always love Gemma, I understood her. Her relationships with those around her fascinated me. Her strength in the face of her chronic pain and fatigue, just drew me in. I loved her for so many reasons, even if she didn't always make all the right decisions. When Talan came into the picture I was sold. Although I knew there were secrets he was hiding, the two of them had a fire that couldn't be ignored.

The problem came in the second half of the book where it really felt like everything just kind of fell apart. The second half felt much more YA to me, after the beginning of the story felt so much more aimed at adults. Gemma's quest to become herself started feeling inauthentic and just... awkward. So much was being thrown at the reader at once. Secret after secret being revealed without a lot of fanfare. I should have been thrilled that so much was happening and yet I was annoyed and confused. The pacing was just so off, and it made this book tough for me to finish.

I won't be moving on to the next book.