Oh. My. Stars. 🌙✨ This book swept me into its lush, magical world and did not let go! I was hooked by the murder mystery, the deadly marriage competition, and the incredible tension between Lovett and Eliot. The gothic vibes? Immaculate. The twists and turns? Deliciously shocking! I adored Lovett’s fierce spirit, her wit, and her power — and the chemistry between her and Eliot had me on edge the entire time.

This is the perfect blend of mystery, romance, magic, and suspense, with beautifully layered characters and a plot that had me gasping more than once. Lydia Gregovic has crafted a fantasy that’s impossible to put down — I’m OBSESSED! 💀🕯️✨

soooo this started out with an amazing premise and a world and magic system that seemed so unique. Still slightly confused by the end, but I’m also dumb so.

The romance was…unsatisfying? All that lead up for nothing? Plot can be a plot but if you’re going to introduce a romance only to steal it right out from under us, don’t come by my town🫠💔

This book is just as stunning as its beautiful cover! It delivers all the witchy, magical, suspenseful, and fantasy-thriller vibes you could hope for. I’ve never read a fantasy quite like this one—it truly stands out. The female main character is incredibly compelling, and the mystery woven throughout the story kept me hooked.

There's also a forbidden romance that adds another intriguing layer. The main character is a witch with rare magic, but her power can only be fully unlocked by finding a "weaver" husband—making her role in guiding a marriage competition all the more intense. How will it all unfold? The story takes some unexpected turns, and the ending is both surprising and satisfying.

The writing is beautiful, with a strong narrative voice and a clear focus. A lot happens in this book, but it all comes together seamlessly. It’s a unique and magical read that fits perfectly within the young adult genre.

✨“I have always lacked a certain gentleman’s restraint, especially in regard to those things I love. And I can no longer pretend that I do not love you.”
“If I took you as my wife, would you lie down beside me in peace, or slit my throat while I slept?”
“I feel my power over them like a sword in my hand, just as my fiancé promised, yet the satisfaction it brings me is shallow. I am full, too full, for anything but my rage.”✨

Listen when I tell you I have had the hardest time with romantic fantasy’s lately, I am not joking! This book is was literally everything I wanted and maybe some aspects I didn’t know I wanted. It was the perfect blend of romance, yearning, mystery, suspense, and magic. If you think the romance was barely there, then I fear we are becoming to used to blatant in your face romance in books, because you could feel the subtle tension and chemistry that the FMC had with one of the MMC’s from the beginning! This is such a unique premise that I have not seen attempted before and the author literally knocked it out of the ballpark! The magic seemed neat at first, if not a little surface level, but the bombshell she drops at the end makes it 10x more dynamic 🤭 and God I love a feminine rage revenge story….’

This story touches on how men will always try to diminish women, even when the women are the powerful ones and the timing of the story was so perfect! Giving me quite a bit of the twist but just enough where I was hooked and need the next book like yesterday 😩

This series is my new obsession and I will definitely be buying a copy of this for my shelves!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Lydia Gregovic, and Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for this ARC!

Um wow.....I was absolutely entranced by this book. It was everything I love, thriller-y, witchy, suspenseful. I loved it, it kept me on my toes, it was one of those book that I sacrificed sleep to finish.

I'm keeping this one short and sweet because I know this work will speak for itself. Just read it and thank me later.

Holly Collins

Part mystery, part fantasy, part romance and so so so good. This book built and built with twists and turns leading to a jaw dropping ending. The pacing was perfection. The female main character was actually likable. The romance took somewhat of a backseat to the mystery and fantasy aspects of the book (which is normally a downside for me) but I was completely ok with it because the story was that engrossing. Will be highly anticipating book two.

This book was like a more mellow and YA version of the heartless hunter duology, with romance as a more minor subplot with a story just as beautiful as the cover ! Lorett is definitely a very interesting FMC, and her mystery solving skills are top notch ! Ophelia and Sybil totally creeped me out throughout the book. Elliot is so amazing, helping Lorett with the coin, the candle and the doors but he's not morally grey, he's more...broody.
The book is about a young silkwitch Lorett, who is recruited by elliot to solve his sister's murder. However, she has to enter a set of trials to become the son of the Weaver King's bride in order to solve the murder. I do wish the romance had more of an effect in the book, but the ending blew my mind and overall this book was really good !

This book is not at all what I expected and I think the description will inevitably put off readers because I think it is very misleading. It is absolutely not a sweeping fantasy or thrilling romance. It most definitely is not a romantasy and to call it a twisting mystery is also a stretch. I hate when the descriptions do not match the book as it will only alienate readers. You will pick this up and be disappointed and it won’t have the chance to be picked up by the readers who will enjoy it. I love books that fit all the descriptions above which is of course why I wanted to read this. The marriage competition had me thinking of The Trial of the Sun Queen and The Rose Bargain and wondering if marriage competition plots were becoming their own category but that very much would not be an accurate representation. The competition is a plot device to be sure but there is very little tension and competition here. I love mysteries and when an author dangles one it does a very good job of keeping me hooked but once again I am sorry to say that is not the case here. I wanted something like This Monster of Mine where the mystery and the pacing kept me invested but instead I really could not care less and even worse was the so called resolution of the matter.

Perhaps all of those criticisms could have been tempered if this had any romance or frankly anything else to recommend it but it really does not. The so called romance is frankly insulting. I absolutely love enemies to lovers or even a misunderstanding of each other but this is just ridiculous. There is anger and insults and perhaps the threat of violence but nothing remotely worthy of a love story. Our protagonist feels like a narrator leading us adequately through the story but with very little substance aside from rash or annoying decisions. This book is almost bizarrely even keeled with absolutely no change in tempo or anything to grab any reaction from either the character or the readers. Characters can profess their love or be in grave danger and nothing really affects anyone. That neutral description could have worked if it felt like anything was of interest but nothing much really seems to be happening.

I find it almost hard to describe what I mean by the tone but the author is just completely monotone with everything. The story is not boring, and actually has a unique if bizarre magical concept here, but it’s just almost dull. This is definitely a story for a certain kind of reader that wants almost an old fashioned take on a closed door mystery I think. Sadly the description of such a vivid and a sweeping plot is not at all accurate. I have no interest in seeing where this series is going and I found the ending abrupt and ridiculous. Definitely not for readers who despise cliffhangers.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✨Thoughts ✨
I felt very "meh" about this book. While I think the premise is interesting and it had potential for me, I ultimately did not find myself caring for the book and I predicted a lot of things. I will say that I really liked the writing style, for there were some really great quotes in here that were very swoony and thought provoking.

So while this did not become an absolute favorite of mine, I will definitely read other things that the author comes out with!

This was a book *full* of similes. Everything was like everything else and it made a kind of poetry throughout the book. The relationship between Lovett and Elliot was beautiful and heartbreaking and it was a fascinating world. Having silkwitches have magical hair that's used in magical devices was amazing. Having to be controlled by a husband, less so. It gave off dystopian vibes in the sense that women couldn't hold their own power, that it was held above them. Either get married or get sent to the cloisters where they're even more used. Lovett was a feisty-think on her feet sort of girl, as evident in her answers in the Vainglory trials. The book was beautifully done and set up exactly for a sequel-- you want to know more of what's going to happen to Lovett and Noe and Elliot. It read as very dark at times, but still a good read. Would recommend.

What a lovely read! I thoughly enjoyed and flew through the pages. the concept of Silkwitch was really creative and interesting.and the mystery was nice.

The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic delivers an irresistible blend of intrigue, romance, and magic, set in a world that feels as lush as it is treacherous. Lovett Tamerlane, a silkwitch surviving on wit and the gift of opening doors (both literal and metaphorical), makes for a compelling and fiercely likable protagonist. Her journey, from a streetwise thief to a reluctant competitor in a deadly marriage tournament, had me hooked from the first page.
The Vainglory competition is a brilliant narrative device, layered with high-stakes tension, subtle social commentary, and just enough danger to keep the pages turning. Gregovic skillfully weaves in mystery with the death of Eliot Lear’s sister, adding depth and purpose to what could have been just another romance-focused competition. The romance itself simmers slowly, with enough angst and betrayal to satisfy any romantasy lover without overwhelming the plot.
The worldbuilding is rich, and while I occasionally wanted more clarity around the rules of silkwitch magic and Weaver politics, the atmosphere was immersive and beautifully described. Some pacing hiccups in the middle slowed the momentum slightly, but the twists (especially in the final act) more than made up for it.
With its clever plot, morally gray characters, and haunting questions about trust and power, The Weaver Bride stands out as a smart, emotionally resonant addition to the romantasy genre. I’ll definitely be watching for whatever Lydia Gregovic writes next.

Title: THE WEAVER BRIDE
Author: Lydia Gregovic
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Re-readability: Yes, I will reread prior to reading the sequel.
Binge-Read Score: Read in 3 days!

Overall Thoughts:
Magic, betrayal, and mystery are all interwoven in THE WEAVER BRIDE (pun intended 😉)! Envision a murder mystery meets Rapunzel with magical abilities. The book in general was hard to put down and this was a really well written fantasy with elements of mystery and suspense. There were moments where I honestly could not predict the ending, who our murderer was, or other elements of the story which was refreshing. I also enjoyed the back and forth between the morally grey main characters. This book is a page turner and I recommend!

Thank you to the author, Lydia Gregovic, and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC.

I'm torn on this one. The Weaver Bride started out fantastic. I loved the concept, magic system, and mystery, but the romance fell flat for me.

While the concept seems neat and the cover is GORGEOUS I struggled to get through this one. The pacing is slow, there didn’t seem to be much chemistry between the love interests, and the ending was unsatisfying.

Many times in fantasy if there is a misogynistic system or any other repressive system there is some sort of rebellion or commentary on the system. In Weaver Bride, in order to keep your magic women need to be married. Why hasn’t anyone rebelled or found a loop hole?

I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I had so much fun reading The Weaver Bride and honestly felt like I flew through it, especially the last 40%!

While this is a YA fantasy focused on a marriage competition, I was really drawn to the gothic vibes and murder mystery subplot. I was so captivated by all the characters and enjoyed each of their personalities. I do wish there could have been just a touch more interaction and dialogue between the 10 girls since I felt like the FMC was alone most of the time but I completely understand how that fits into the story and why it’s needed.

I haven’t even touched on all the yearning that goes on within these pages and I'm here for it alllll!! My favorite part was reading that exact moment when things switched for the two MCs and would love to see more soft moments between the two as we continue on with the series.

Lastly, I just need to say OMG to that ending! I wasn’t expecting that final plot twist and I am so excited for the next book! Also, I paired up my reading with a gothic ambiance and it was 😙🤌🏽

Tropes:
🕯️ Marriage competition with tricky trials
🕯️ Reluctant allies to friends
🕯️ Hidden tunnels, magic candles, & lots of secrets.
🕯️ Witches & sorcerers
🕯️ Whodunit subplot

Overall, this was a really enjoyable YA fantasy with a lot of interesting plot twists and the best gothic vibes! 🕯️

Thank you to Netgally, Delacorte, and Lydia Gregovic for the eARC. This is my voluntary review!

This was just amazing all the way through. It started strong and ended stronger. I will absolutely be reading book two. This was like if you took The Bachelor and added a murder mystery, magic, and an extra love triangle on the side into the mix. Every character was a suspect to me at one point. I absolutely did not see that ending coming and I love a plot twist. I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I need the next book immediately!

I was so eager to get to the last page because I wanted all the answers but when I did, I felt frustrated. I did get my answers but the way it ended was so unexpected that it kind of left me in a daze!

The way the author wove everything together was so PERFECT that it will leave you wanting more once you finish reading the epilogue. This book has some unforgettable characters, a well-crafted plot, a dash of romance, a suspenseful mystery and a brilliant magic system!

It’s definitely a must-read book!

It was so, so good!
Murder investigation and sleuthing, lots and LOTS of tensions and yearnings, I'm SOLD.
I love the magic system and the worldbuilding! The lore! All the perfectly placed twists! And ofc all the (morally grey) characters. I adore Lovett's strong will (she is stubborn but I would say in a good way lol) and Lear is such a dear to me (I mean people would question his loyalties but I'm team Lear from the start!). Noe is cool and I'm excited to see how his character will grow in the next installment (I hope we get one!)

I really enjoyed reading this book aaaa I NEED MORE

I am the biggest fan of unique magic systems in the books I read and The Weaver Bride started out so strong. The concepts were there but the follow through, making everything work, and making everything make fool-proof sense was just not there. The longer I spend thinking about this book after having finished it the more confused I get by why things played out in certain ways or why things couldn't be resolved or made easier with the use of that magic.
My biggest gripe is the romance because I don't think I could even call what exists between Lovett and Eliot a romance subplot. It's not just that they are putting on a facade and pretending to not like one another - these characters genuinely don't like each other. Think of the romance here like if Tamlin took Feyre Under the Mountain BEFORE getting to know her and then stood by Amarantha's side while she was tested. No chemistry. No understandable feelings for one another until you turn the page and they're kissing for a paragraph and a half before going back to icing one another out fully.
The main character is also very unlikable. While she doesn't get sucked into subplots of trying to save side characters from themselves, nor does she attempt to forge friendships or bonds, she is the epitome of selfish. She's self-aware enough to call herself as much in the book but the problem is that selfishness is her whole character. There's never a moment when you think she's about to do something other than for herself. She's very one dimensional but at least she gets the job done.
I do like the writing style, the descriptions of the world, and what's going on around the main character but not much else. The cover of the book is absolutely gorgeous. Ultimately I'm grateful for Random House Children's Books, Delacorte Press, and Lydia Gregovic for the chance to read this as an ARC.