Tropes:
Academia
Love Triangle


While the premise of the story was interesting, the story itself ended up just being ok. There were so many unanswered questions and it was less of a mystery and more of a jumble of ideas to me. I enjoyed Hoyt and the ranch and Mona (what an adorable name). Some parts of the story were very chaotic and with it just being first person POV, I didn't connect enough with the story to consider continuing the series.

Crystal Iris is a dreamy mix of romance, magic, and mystery that pulls you into a world where nothing is quite what it seems. The story follows Iris, a Harvard professor whose life takes a sharp turn when she inherits a strange necklace tied to her mother’s past. Soon, she’s drawn into a surreal, snow-covered world full of secrets and power.

Blair M. Shadows builds a rich, atmospheric setting and introduces us to characters who feel real and layered—especially Iris and Hoyt, whose slow-burn chemistry is a highlight. It starts off a little slow, but the payoff is worth it, especially with an ending that leaves you eager for the next book.

It’s perfect for fans of romantasy and stories with a touch of magic, academia, and emotional depth.

First, thank you to NetGalley and Leblon Publishing for an ARC of this book.

This was my first introduction to the author and I really enjoyed it. I would love to continue reading this series. This isn’t really a high fantasy book. They have magic in this world, but that kind of is all the fantasy. This is a slow burn romance and I think it was done well. Our main characters Iris and Hoyt can’t touch because of this magic between them. This magic is also something that connects them. It’s through these prism necklaces that they both have. It gives them different “powers” which they are trying to figure out together. The prism makes it painful for the two to touch, but they are drawn to each other. It seems like an impossible situation to be in. I feel like this kept me engaged and I flew through this book and it left me wanting more!! Looking forward to the rest of the series.

DNF at 31%; I found the idea of this plotline cool, but it just felt like I was waiting for the good parts to start. It was really hard to connect with the main character, and it felt like the beginning was really dragged out.

Thank you NetGalley and Leblon Publishing for the opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a slow burn romance between two people who are connected by a magic they know nothing about. Iris is given a prism necklace that belonged to her mother and now she can’t take it off. Hoyt has one as well and they are immediately drawn to each other. His prism makes it hard to touch her without pain but they find a way around it. Iris’s life is completely turned upside down and by the end she’s running for her life. It kept my attention and left me wanting more. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Overall - this was a good read. Maybe no fantasy so much - was more like light fantasy. World building was pretty basic - since it's mostly just modern day with a magic pendant. Liked the idea of the older (30s) main character, although she seemed to completely forget about her own passions as soon as she met Hoyt. Changes from city girl to country farm hand and doesn't even reference art, books or research which were the mainstays of her life before. The main reason that held this back from a 4 star really was the frustration at the letter from her mother. We know about it in the first chapter and despite the number of questions that are unanswered she refuses to open it until after she'd kidnapped?? (That was a good twist though!) Anyway - the letter was too straight forward about do this and don't do that - feel like maybe it could have been more vague but she opens it at the beginning and then only understands the implications later would have been a bigger reveal? Just felt a bit rushed at the end. Still interested to follow the rest of the series to see what happens next!

Thank you Victory Editing/Leblon Publishing and Blair M. Shadows for allowing me to access an DRC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Iris is gifted a crystal from her dead mother and when she puts it on, it starts to glow at seemingly random times. It also attracts her to another man, but they cannot stand to touch each other because it magically hurts too much. Even though Iris is engaged, she finds herself inexplicably attracted to this stranger and needs to find out more about him. The premise sounded a bit silly, but I thought it could still be a fun read... it was not. It was a very frustrating read and I considered DNF-ing it the entire time. I hope the author never reads this because I'm not usually this mean, but I really did not like anything about this book.

Style (0.25): No... it was honestly pretty poorly written. There was even a long section (several pages!) of back and forth texting between the FMC and main love interest, but without the audio, I could not have been able to tell who wrote which texts since it broke to a new "scene" or batch of texts after every 5 or so texts. 0.25 because I understood most of it?

Plot (0): It was jumping way too quickly. The FMC was engaged but there was insta-love for another man anyway. (I'm not saying there can't be a well-executed story of a woman who was engaged but realized she didn't really love him and then fell for another man, but this was not it.) All of the conversations and plot points also went way too fast and without a drop of depth. The FMC is an art historian at Harvard. I don't personally know much about art history, so I cannot say whether what she taught actually made sense, but it sounded convincing enough to me. It got a little better once she got to Montana, but it felt like I was reading a first draft that hadn't expanded on ANY of the plot points yet. There was no feeling. Even the spice was so fast! I felt like there might have even been small plot holes, but maybe they just weren't explained enough. The book ended on a cliffhanger, but I don't feel the need to find out what happens next.

Atmosphere/Setting (0.25): I vaguely know what Harvard looks and feels like, but the author did not help me get there. There was barely any introduction of any of the settings. There was more focus on hot tubs, pools, lakes, and showers. I guess 0.25 because I always knew where the FMC was.

Characters (0): There was absolutely no depth to the characters.

Enjoyment (0.25): Somehow I finished the book, probably because the audiobook helped me get there. I was a little curious to know how the crystal worked, but not enough to keep reading the series.

Crystal Iris was such a refreshing read! I absolutely loved how it was grounded in the real world while still holding a subtle thread of magic throughout. The story never felt overly absorbed in fantasy—instead, the magical elements added just the right amount of intrigue without overshadowing the real-life setting.

One thing I really appreciated was the communication between the characters. There was none of that frustrating, drawn-out miscommunication you often find in books. The dialogue felt mature and clear, which made the relationships feel more authentic and enjoyable to follow.

The relationship between Iris and Hoyt did start off a bit fast and intense, but considering the influence of the amulets, it made sense within the story. It didn’t feel forced—just a little accelerated by the magical circumstances.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series when the next one is released!

A contemporary romantic suspense tale with a mystical/magical vibe after Harvard professor Iris received the gift of a crystal necklace and a letter from her long dead mother on her thirtieth birthday. Once she put the necklace on, she had a vision of a mystery man that only seemed to exacerbate the discontentment she felt with her life and her fiancé Aaron.

Crystal Iris was definitely a slowburn read and for me perhaps a bit too wordy especially as art historian Iris went into great depth explaining the meaning behind paintings to her students, and I’ll confess to skimming through these parts without feeling I missed anything important or relevant to the overall story. One of the main things that I didn’t like about this book though was the character of Iris and her treatment of Aaron. He’d been her best friend since childhood, standing up to his family for her but I got the impression she’d never really loved him and he was more of a convenience and familiar and, while technically she didn’t cheat on him physically, she did emotionally with her fellow crystal owner Hoyt. Throughout all the relationship angst and emotions was the underlying mystery of the crystal and it’s apparent powers. What exactly did it do? Where did her mother get it and why has she entrusted to her daughter? There are so many questions to be answered and mysteries to be solved. The pace did pick up towards the end as the crystal played a bigger part in the story before ending not on a cliffhanger but more of a to be continued.