The Wren in the Holly Library pulled me in with its gritty urban fantasy vibes, monster-haunted New York setting, and a sharp, street-smart heroine. Kierse’s dynamic with Graves had just the right mix of danger and chemistry, and the heist setup gave the plot some solid momentum. It’s the kind of book that, if left to my own rhythm, I probably would’ve devoured in a few days.

But here’s where it fell flat, for me. I was trying to pace my reading around a schedule that I didn’t even make, (it was made by Entagled publishing for being able to discuss the book part by part) and it honestly drained some of the joy out of the experience. Every time I wanted to get swept up in the world, I had to pull myself back. It made the pacing feel off, even when it wasn’t the book’s fault. Lesson learned: I will never follow a reading schedule again.

That said, the book itself isn’t without flaws. The romance, while enjoyable, felt a bit rushed. The Celtic myth and magic system had intriguing threads but didn’t dig as deep as I wanted. And there were a few editing hiccups that took me out of the moment. Still, for fans of romantasy, with a touch of heist and a dangerous library, it’s a solid pick.

The start of this book had me slightly confused as it went on it started to make more sense. The world building was interesting with the use of Irish folklore. The twist at the end makes waiting for book 2 torture.

I loved this book so much. I can’t even explain how much I loved it. I got to participate in a read along with the publisher and received an arc copy. But all of the opinions below are my own. This book is a romantasy about a girl, Kierse who doesn’t know her background or much about who she is. She finds her way through life learning to steal from a guy who isn’t very kind. After escaping this guy she finds family in an unlikely bunch. They are her everything. She ends up getting caught doing what she does best, stealing and spying from the MMC. And then the adventure begins. This book has lots of ups and downs. Lots of different characters. The character development is fantastic. I fell in love with the female main character. She is strong and sarcastic and witty. She has a good moral compass, where she puts her friends first. Her friends are her family since she doesn’t have one of her own. And the whole book is about what she sacrifices and gives up and does to keep her friends safe. A lot more unfolds and I won’t go into spoilers, but I really, really, really enjoyed this book! And I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7575130977

This was a 5 star read for me. Absolutely loved the plot and world. Fell in love with Kierse and Graves. Also loved the relationship the FMC had with her friends. Can’t wait for book 2.

The art work for the book was stunning. Which is what interested me along with the title. Then everyone was talking about it and I dove in. I expected a lot from this book and it was just "Meh" for me. I definitely judged this book by it's cover.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this Official Entangled Readalong digital copy! I finished this book nearly a week ago, and I wanted to let it all sink in before writing my review. I was intrigued from the beginning when I got faint Throne of Glass type vibes. Kierse is the main female character. She is loyal to her friends, and she will do anything to protect them. We get to see her go on a journey of self discovery with the help of Mr. Mysterious aka Graves. The further I got in the book, the better it was. It was like having a story within a story. I have high hopes for book 2, and I cannot wait to read it!

I really enjoyed this book! I was on the edge of my seat for this fantasy. We had romance, secrets...lots of secrets, myth, heist planning, and a whole lot more. I am looking forward to the next book. The ending to this was like ...wait what happens next. I am looking forward to more sassiness from Wren 🤣

I may be a little late to the game on reading my first K.A. Linde book, but goodness, I really enjoyed this one. This book drew me in from page one and held my attention all the way until the end! I’ve already pre-ordered the second book in this series.

* Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for sharing the advanced digital edition of this book. This is my honest review.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy fiction featuring magic. It is in an alternate New York filled with monsters. This is a dark, spicy urban fantasy evolves, loosely drawing inspiration from the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.

At the heart of the narrative is a slow burn romance between two morally ambiguous protagonists.

The action is non-stop from the beginning, and the true nature of who the villain is unclear. Just as you think you've figured out the plot, the author throws in another curveball.

The sequel “The Robin in the Oak Throne” releases June 17th and I cannot wait!

This story was read as our read together in the Entangled Facebook group. I loved the opportunity to read and share along with others, although the pace went quicker than our family schedule allowed, I was able to go back and follow along with the discussion. It was such a neat experience, and I look forward to doing it again in the future! Thank you for the opportunity!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Entangled: Red Tower Books for the huge honor of reading this incredible book.

This is book two in the Oak & Holly Cycle series. It can be read alone, but it is best if read after reading book 1, The Wren in the Holly Library.

The story is fantastic. I love the world, K.A. Linde creates and how the story doesn't follow a predictable outcome. There are always amazing twists and turns. I love all the new characters and enjoy that we get back stories.

I enjoyed this book so much. I highly recommend this series and am so ready for book 3!

Wow Kierse is such a great character I absolutely love her. Graves is also an amazing character that is so troubled and it would be awesome to learn even more about his past. I loved this book and the slow burn between these two characters. The world building is also amazing in this and I love all the different types of monsters. The turmoil that is throughout this book is just so good, you get to see just how quick and smart Kierse really is. I highly recommend this book if you like monsters, magic, and a book filled with constant action.

This was my first book by K.A. Linde. I wasn't sure what to expect and went in blind. The plot was good but a little slow starting. Once I got into it, i couldn't put it down. Warlocks, vampires, werewolves and more in New York City. I loved the main characters but enjoyed the side characters and I am hoping to get more of their stories in the next book. Especially the history between Graves and Lorcan.

A very interesting take on a genre that can often feel and look very similar, The Wren in the Holly Library introduced a lot of different views on magic, class structure, and how the world would look if the things that go bump in the night emerged into the sun. The pacing was good, it never felt like it dragged and our view through the eyes of Kierce was exactly the right amount of information to keep me interested but also fill in the blanks of the world. World building was well done as well, without a lot of unnecessary exposition. I did this as a part of a read along with others and the prevailing opinion is that we are very satisfied and can’t wait to get our hands on the sequel!

Wow-this story absolutely floored me. It was such a unique idea, and I love all the unexpected twists and turns. The world and character building were both top tier. I always appreciate it when I can picture the landscape in my mind, but there isn't 40 pages of description that get too granular and hard to imagine. Wren in the Holly Library did an absolutely amazing job of giving ample details without being too much. The character descriptions were perfect too, but the character development was really where I was hooked. Watching the characters open up, and change was like growing with them. I found myself surprised by some of their realizations because it was written so well I didn't realize the characters missteps as they made sense to me at the time too.

It took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I hit the halfway mark it was almost impossible to stop turning the pages. I am officially a KA Linde fan!

I received a digital copy of the book from Entangled Publishing, with no requirement to review, but I loved this book so much I wanted to share a review (and I have already purchased a hard copy for myself plus pre-ordered Robin on the Oak Throne!)

This book has been on my TBR since the first pre-pub blurb I saw. I loved the urban fantasy setting and shades of morally gray. I can't wait to see what Linde has in store for us with The Robin on the Oak Throne and the new character dynamics it will bring.

It's been so easy to get absorbed into this wild little world where New York City is packed with monsters and secret magic folk just vibing alongside regular humans. You can't go wrong when a gifted thief falls for a dangerous monster. The whole gang underworld monster politics thing is is something l've never read before and I really enjoyed it. The characters were all really diverse, which is fun to read about but it did feel a bit overdone. The relationship between Kierse and Graves was the best part. Graves starts off all cryptic and broody, and the slow burn between him and Kierse was satisfying. The spicy scenes were a little cringe in parts, I won't lie, but still entertaining and didn't take away from how much I enjoyed the book overall. I already know I'm going to need The Robin on the Oak Throne the second it drops.

I got to read this book as a read along with all my favorite book friends with Entangled Insiders, it was the coolest book experience. It was like one big huge buddy read.

I loved how this book was written, it was detailed vividly like you were right there, and it made you love all of the characters, even the enemy, but at the same time it was not predictable.

This book is a great read for the book lovers who are looking to dip their toes into fantasy. Just the slightest touch of a magic system that is not too overwhelming and very intriguing, and will make any reader not want to put this book down. It was such a great read. I loved this book.

This book was full of monsters, a unique magical system, love, found family, thievery, and lots of mayhem.

The FMC really came into her power in this book, and decided nobody was going to save her so she was going to save herself. Such a powerful message.

The world building was so unique, it was so vivid like we were in the tunnels underneath New York City. I loved how the story was build around a library. It was perfect idea for this story.

You know the character building is so good, when you miss the characters when the story is over. I am not over Grave's and Kierse, and I will never be ready to let them go.

Review from first read in October 2024.

Kierse is a thief sent to steal something from Graves, seems simple enough. When Graves, the monster catches Kierse he is intrigued by her and makes her an offer to do a job for him. We are plunged into a world of monsters, humans, vampires, druids and werewolves. I enjoyed the development of this magical world that was filled with lore that helped build up the story. I thoroughly enjoy when a book has Easter eggs of things that show the future and give new understanding on a reread. I enjoyed the morally grey FMC who has a strong personal code and emphasis on found family. The growth of the bond between Graves and Kierse was fantastic and loved how they felt the most complete when they accepted the other completely. Cannot wait for a reread and for book two.

Read along review-

So many easter eggs and plot points I missed on the initial read. Loved the reread even more and cannot wait for book 2.

Why didn’t I read this amazing book sooner?!!!

To say I was hooked was understatement. Graves and Kierse were spectacular. Both stubborn, set in their ways but still there was something so special about them.
Two lonely souls united because of fate.

This book was written superbly and I loved the tiny tuny snippets of folklore and stories it told. Graves library…. GIMME PLEASE!
I loved the writing style, world building, secondary characters, pace and plot.
The climax had me on edge the whole time. It was fantastic!
I read this as a part of a read along (in FB) with entangle insider and let me tell you, it made the whole experience even better.
Can’t wait to do more of these and can’t wait to see all the trouble and shenanigans of Kierse and Graves.

-Heist, suspense, action and so much more.
-Gifted Human thief x Monster.
-Celtic mythology.
-Forced proximity.
-He’s her reluctant mentor.
-Safe, KU in some countries and highly recommended.
-TW.

I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.