I thought this was brilliant, and I'm still so stunned by that DEVASTATING Count of Monte Cristo-esque cold opening. I audibly gasped at the end of the prologue. Honestly, that's when I knew this was going to be amazing and I had so much fun and THAT ENDING. To die for. Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s, and Lyssa Mia Smith for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If you’re vibe is ballgowns and vengeance this is the perfect novel for you. It’s full of magical heists, plotting, enchanted gowns, backstabbing both of the literal and metaphorical variety, drinking champagne in the river, found family, and betrayal. I wish the characters were a little older based on all the drinking, gambling, torture and light murder, but I understand that it is aimed at YA.

I really liked this book a lot! The characters were good I really enjoyed them and the story was very well done and interesting. I loved the time period fantasy vibe.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was great! It was very well down for a stand alone. The story was well written and filled with great plot twists.

A really satisfying revenge story overall! As a standalone, this works really well. I loved the magical society and world building in this book, the magic really added an extra layer to the sort of absurd Gilded Age extravagance. I do think there was a slight gap in the change in Emmy and Jack’s relationship, but overall it was really enjoyable, and I loved Caleb and Jimmy to round out the crew!

“Two girls attended a magical ball, but one was never seen again.”

In glittering New York City, two girls from a poor borough dream of joining the Society of the Charmed, an elite social club made up of individuals with magic. When Emmy and Grace were given the chance to show off their talents, Emmy ended up locked up in prison for two years.

An unlikely hero rescues her, offering her the chance for revenge. And this debonair man gives her more than she could ever ask for.

This story was gorgeous in every way and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it. I will be buying this to put on my shelves as soon as it’s released!! I will never get enough of Jack and Emmy. Never.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s, and Lyssa Mia Smith for the ARC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for accepting my request for an ACR of this book!
For the first time in a long time, Emmy felt like an asset. A weapon. And she rather liked it.
4.25/5
I had such a fun time with this book. From chapter one, it was very fast paced. I enjoyed the mix of fantasy and reality. The plot of the story was very entertaining and thrilling. The characters in the story were very fleshed out in my opinion, I was able to really have a connection with all of them. My only criticism with the story is that I felt the abilities were explained rather quickly, where it took me a while to really understand and remember what each person could do.

3.75⭐️s

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for allowing me to read this eARC.

Overall this book echoed a bit of the evajacks dynamic from OUABH with a hint of One Dark Window and Shatter Me all in one. I really enjoyed this book but I do have some grievances. This wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t by any means bad. I really liked Emmy’s character and the revenge plot was enthralling. I found Grace to be a really good villain and I felt as though she was well flushed out for my standards. Like as in she wasn’t just driven by a guy or something like that, she had her own evil ulterior motives and it was refreshing to not see a fmc (Emmy) overpowered and able to easily defeat Grace. I really admire that choice from the author.

Which leads me to my not-so favorite things. I would have liked to have seen more of a relationship development of Emmy and Jack, I liked that the romance wasn’t the entire plot, like yes it was there but the book could stand without it, which was refreshing. If the book had been a bit longer I would’ve loved to see more from them. Another thing is that Jack I didn’t connect with as much as Emmy and I wonder if some of that is because we didn’t have dual pov, which would’ve been fun to see. As in specifically Jack and his feelings towards Emmy felt rushed. Their relationship did also feel rushed towards the end.

I also wanted more from the side characters, like Jimmy and Caleb, I liked what we got but I wanted more about them. I didn’t feel like we got enough for me, like especially about Caleb and Rose. It was said they were close but the details are fuzzy. Back to Emmy and Jack, though their relationship was a bit fast and slow at the same time, I liked their moments of bonding, however, it felt a bit forced or stilted, maybe if there had been a bit more of a like quiet moment for the two it may have felt more natural.

Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers! <3

~3 stars!

I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I did Revelle! I loved the setting of a magical late-1800s New York, and the different types of magic/conjury were intriguing to read about. I also liked how the book did touch on issues such as classism, racism, and xenophobia, especially concerning the elitist Society and the Chinese Exclusion Act at the time, as one of the supporting characters (my fav character Jimmy!) was Chinese.
Honestly, I wasn't too attached to most of the characters, but the author did a good job of making me hate Emmy's former best friend and the other elites so I was rooting for the gang to orchestrate their downfall. I also didn't care for the romance at all, so I was just kind of gazing blandly at the screen during all the romantic moments. On a more positive note, the scheming and twists were probably my favorite aspect of the book since I was all for revenge! I definitely started getting more into the book around the halfway point(?) when things ramped up more. This book had so much potential, but the execution fell a little flat, unfortunately.

This book had so much potential, but it was poorly executed. I was into it till about 30% then it got a bit repetitive and felt very childish.

The characters in this book didn’t feel like they were 18/20. They felt like they were preteens or very young teenagers. The book locked serious backbone for me.

I love a good revenge story and this one does not disappoint!

Monte Cristo vibes
revenge plot
Heist
Slow burn romance
Secret societies

This book truly has it all! Highly recommend.

eARC Review ✨ Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith (4/5 ⭐️)

Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith is a page-turning revenge story set in Gilded Age New York. The Society of the Charmed, a secret society of magical elite, has framed and imprisoned Emmy Vallillo as a fraud. Rotting in her cell, Emmy can think of nothing but exacting revenge until Jack Fontaine, another prisoner wronged by the Society, breaks through her cell wall and offers her the chance. Having escaped, Emmy and Jack use Emmy’s magic to take on new identities, determined to ingratiate themselves with the magical elite and ultimately take them down.

I enjoy YA historical fantasy, so of course I wanted to read this one. Also, what a gorgeous cover ✨ I’m happy to say I really liked it! I found it easy to root for both Emmy and Jack. I loved seeing their characters develop individually and romantically. The villains felt real for the most part. I’m a sucker for stories that have a slow burn romance, secret society, and masquerade ball, and Gilded in Vengeance has that and more. The plot’s fast pace kept me turning the page to see what happened next. An aspect of this story that I wasn’t expecting but greatly appreciated was the social commentary on immigrants and the working class. Gilded in Vengeance is set to be released on November 4th.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

GILDED IN VENGEANCE by Lyssa Mia Smith is an exciting standalone Young Adult Fantasy set in late-1800s New York City. This book has revenge at the center of the plot, and it was chef's kiss...perfection. It's The Count of Monte Cristo meets Gilded Age, the tv series. Just when I thought I'd figured out where the story would go, a huge plot twist slapped me in the face and I blinked several times before devouring more of this excellent read. Before I gush on more, let me tell you what this book is about.

After a Prologue that read like a poem, we meet Emmy Vallillo in current day, 1880s New York city. She's been in prison for two years, and things are bleak to say the least. She's still wearing the remnants of the ballgown she was wearing when she was arrested and thrown into Grimsbane, the prison that the magical club, The Society of the Charmed, use to house magical prisoners. Betrayed by her best friend, Emmy's miserable and trapped. To her great surprise, another prisoner breaks out and offers to take Emmy with him. He's Jack Fontaine, handsome, violent (against the guards), and from a privileged, charmed (they use the name charmed instead of magic to stay hidden) family. He offers to help Emmy escape in exchange for her help in exacting revenge on those who have wronged them. Emmy has the ability to permanently change the appearance and makeup of objects, but she's never had to transform someone's face before. Once she's agreed, they manage to escape, and the rest is a thrilling tale filled with mystery, intrigue, betrayals, and romance.

What I loved most about this book:
- The romance sizzled with tension, and I thought Emmy and Jack had amazing chemistry
- The magic system in this book was unique and leveraged to great effect to add depth to the story
- A good revenge is one of my favorite plot tropes, and this book delivers it in spades
- The tension from whether or not they'll get caught was real. Emmy disguises her and Jack (and her friend Jimmy) and they assume different identities
- The secondary characters: I'm looking at you, Jimmy, and you, Caleb
- The well-written villain(s) with clear motivations, and seeing them eventually get their comeuppance, but not necessarily how I expected
- The historical setting is vividly depicted, and I could envision the settings, the attire, and the ambiance. Since Ms. Smith also did such a great job with setting in her previous novel, REVELLE, I was pleased she decided to go with another historical setting for this book. Loved it!

What didn't work:
- There was one character who had too much power, magically speaking, and there didn't seem to be a way to undo or get around it, which I found extremely frustrating, and almost overly convenient for the plot. But maybe this belongs in the positive category because it made me relate to the characters who were facing off against her.

GILDED IN VENGEANCE is an enjoyable read with twists and hints, and tension with a well-crafted magic system and fantastic characters you can't help but cheer for. I highly recommend it. Run, don't walk, to pre-order this beguiling novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books - Storyside for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest feedback.

I enjoyed this one. It's refreshing to see a fantasy set somewhere else but in a medieval setting, although I would have enjoyed seeing more historical elements perhaps. The characters are pretty well drawn and the pacing is good.
It's a solid fantasy romance.

I enjoyed this one! I thought Emmy was a character to root for and I believed her chemistry with Jack but Jack was not as well rounded as I would have liked. As others have mentioned the pacing of this book is a bit off and maybe another look through is necessary before publication but all in all a magical read!

4.5 stars

This book takes place in the late 1800s in New York City. Emmy Vallillo is in prison and has been for two years, after being embarrassed and wrongly accused at a ball that was supposed to change her life.

Emmy was accused of fraud by the Society of the Charmed—an exclusive club for the magical elite of the city. What was supposed to be the night that determined her future was one that caused her imaginable grief and the loss of the life she knew.

One day while she is imprisoned, her cell wall comes tumbling down to reveal Jack Fontaine, a society darling who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. He makes her a deal—he will help her escape if she will help him take down those in the Society that had wronged them.

After they break out of prison, Emmy transforms them both to assume different identities, and they begin to infiltrate the Society down to the core. Unfortunately for Emmy, in order to accomplish this mission, she is forced to come to terms with parts of her past that she wished would stay buried.

This book was truly magical and I loved it. The setting is perfect and I enjoyed the alternate universe that exists in the story. The characters are well written and the magic infused in the book is really unique. There were a few twists and turns, some were a bit predictable which is why I took half a star off. Otherwise, a magical read that many will enjoy.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC!

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed the book, especially the later half of the book when the revenge and action of the plot really started to pick up. I do think this book suffered from pacing issues. The time they have to enact their revenge made the book tense and really drove the action of the plot, but at times weeks of time in the book would pass by where nothing would really happen or it was just preparation. Everything got resolved within a matter of days and all the planning they were doing for the majority of the book didn't really end up mattering. It

I did like the book and the ending was pretty satisfying, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I was going to. I thought the magic system was really creative, and coupled with the immersive world-building really brought the stories and characters to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a digital eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for an eARC of Gilded in Vengeance.

Lyssa Mia Smith wrote a masterpiece. A magical reimagining roughly based on The Count of Monte Cristo. This story takes us to 1800's New York. I am a sucker for historical high society- add drama, revenge, a magical system and a romance subplot and you’ve got a a very entertaining, very well written Gilded in Vengeance.

Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.

Gilded in Vengeance is a tale about acquiring justice in a world of injustices, slow-burn romance, secret societies, and a pinch of magic. Set in the 1800’s New York, the setting is one of opulence and magic.

We follow Emmy Vallillo, a Charmed person (someone with magical abilities), who has been wrongfully imprisoned for two years. She’s broken out of jail by Jack and offered a deal to help right the wrongs that have been done to both her and Jack.

The prose is an excellent mix of just-enough detail without being overused. While the pacing is well done throughout the book. It blends action with moments of quiet.

Tropes:
- strangers to lovers
- Slow-burn
- Revenge-Plot
- Secret Societies
- Magic hidden from Humans

This book is great for fans of “The Count of Monte Cristo” with a touch of magic and romance.

I had the chance to read an early copy of Gilded in Vengeance, and wow—what a ride. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. Emmy Vallillo is a bold, complex heroine with a sharp tongue and a fire for justice, and I loved following her through every twist and betrayal.

The world Lyssa Mia Smith has created is rich with magic, secrets, and dangerous glamour. I was completely drawn into the high-stakes world of the Society of the Charmed, where nothing is quite as it seems. Emmy’s quest for revenge felt deeply personal and emotionally charged, and her chemistry with Jack Fontaine was perfection—tense, electric, and just the right amount of dangerous.

There’s a brilliant balance of fast-paced plot, emotional vulnerability, and social intrigue here. As an ARC reader, I can already tell this is going to be a standout release. If you love morally grey characters, slow-burn tension, and stories where girls get even, this book needs to be on your list.

I’ll definitely be getting a finished copy when it’s out—and probably rereading it too.