This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for so long looking pretty and I finally had the excuse to read it when Entangled Publishing hosted a read a long. It was so much fun!

I’ll be honest I initially purchased this book due to the cool cover, name, and sprayed edges so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in.

I absolutely loved it! The unique world with magic and monsters set in a modern New York was fascinating. I loved slowly learning about the different types of monstrous and magical beings and slowly chipping away at the mystery that is our FMC Kierse.

The MMC Graves is also mysterious and alluring! I could not get enough of the chemistry between these two and the way they fought their growing attraction and fear to trust one another.

Thank you so much @entangledpublishing for the opportunity to do the read along for this book. It was such a fun experience and I look forward to book 2!!

3.5⭐️
Thank you to Entangled for the fun read-along.
This was a good read, but kind of slow and predictable for me, though I’m interested in where the next book takes us.

📚 Entangled Insiders readalong

I’ve wanted to read this book for a while and participating in this readalong finally pushed me into reading it. I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to the expectations. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

The idea of the book sounded great, the aftermath of a monster war, monsters revealing themselves to humans and living in New York City, and a possibly unstable treaty between monsters and humans. The beginning of this book was great, but unfortunately things went downhill after that.

The FMC, Kierse, was an interesting character, she was a thief trying to steal from a monster, but got caught by the MMC, Graves. For me, Graves was quite boring and I wasn’t a huge fan of Graves and Kierse’s abrupt relationship development that felt like it came out of nowhere.

At times the plot felt quite sluggish and slow, but towards the end everything happened so fast and felt rushed, especially the big battle and reveal at the end. Also the plot kept jumping at times, one paragraph characters would be doing something and the next paragraph they’d be in a different place doing something completely different.

I’m kind of interested to see where the story goes next, but the next book is not high on my tbr.

So good! I read this as a read along with the publisher, so I already directly provided feedback. Loved the world building! Such a fun read. Can’t wait for the next one!

A whimsical adventure with monsters and a thief. I believe i enjoy a good story with a heist and a slow romance that sneaks up on them. It was slow but entertaining and i love the progress of not trusting each other to "i trust you"...."Good. Then kiss me again" swooning. I can't wait dive into the next book.

this was my second time reading this book! it was my favorite book of 2024! I absolutely loved this book. this story is so unique with a beauty and the beast undertone. It does not take over the entire story, but enhances it. Tension and Angst filled. This is a slow burn dark romantasy that you will fall in love with! I'm so excited for the next book! 10/10 Recommend

This book was just extremely easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

*Enemies to Lovers
*Stolen/Hidden Identity
*Library/Forbidden Knowledge
*Morally Gray Love Interest
*Grumpy x Sunshine (with a twist)
*Forced Proximity
*He Falls First
*Magical Bargains/Deals with Consequences
*Rebellion/Revolution

This book is rich with romantic and fantasy tropes, perfect for fans of stories like Fourth Wing or ACOTAR. I devoured Wren in the Holly Library. It gave me all the dark fae, secret identity, slow-burn romance vibes I wanted. Wren is fierce, smart, and constantly walking a tightrope between survival and rebellion—and the love interest? Morally gray perfection. I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. I enjoyed the fae politics, and the tension and reveals were so worth it. If you love enemies to lovers, magical libraries, and fae bargains, this one’s for you. Definitely scratched my ACOTAR itch

When I tell you this read encapsulated me, I mean it. I read this with a "read-a-long", and it was so hard to put it down when the benchmark came. The story opens up after the monster war has led to a treaty. Kierse has abandonment trauma, has been surviving with her friends, and is a honed/talented pick-pocket. You follow Kierse as she takes on a new job (hiest), meets Graves (who is now her boss), and finds out who she truly is. Nothing or noone is as they seem. The cliff hanger, and questions left will have you begging for book 2. This romantasy/steam will have you swooning!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. From the very first page, K.A. Linde drew me into a richly imagined world that was dark, dangerous, and utterly enchanting. But what truly kept me turning the pages was the dynamic between Graves and Kierse. Their relationship was such a fun, slow-burn ride, full of tension, wit, and genuine emotion.

There were some twists I didn’t see coming, and I loved how the story balanced intrigue and magic with character development. It felt like the perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, and romance. The world itself was so unique, and I found myself wishing I could explore every corner of it. Especially the Holly Library, which felt like a character in its own right.
I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while and I’m glad I finally did! It’s an urban romantasy with a strong female lead, interesting magic, and plenty of lore which I ate right up. There was pretty much every type of monster or magical being I know (and then some). The surprises unveiled at the end just kept on coming, the perfect balance of satisfying answers and new questions making me excited for The Robin on the Oak Throne, coming out next month. Perfect timing.

I received a digital copy from Entangled Publishing, plus listened to the audiobook while reading. The narrator really added to the story, voicing each character distinctly. I highly recommend the audio! 💖

Definitely bingeable: it's Beauty and the Beast meets Batman meets the Avengers. Once you make it through the first section/volume, it’s hard to put down!!! It is creatively engaging and has some great topics to discuss.

Right in the beginning, we are thrown into the action. Our FMC, Kierse (like Pierce) is a believable and likable thief! We learn of her journey slowly, as she learns it/reveals it to us, and how she's survived through this post-apocalyptic world of monsters.

Our MMC Graves ends up being this mysterious benefactor, and poses as a sort of parallel to Kierse. He and Kierse have broad emotional spectrums in this book, in my opinion.

The beginning and end were a bit slower paced for me. Once I finished the first section, and encountered the first interlude, I was seriously hooked. That interlude shows you almost like a second camera/storyline - I looked forward to each one! Some word choices seemed out of place and took me out of the story. Other than that, if you love NYC, you probably would really enjoy that this gritty, dystopian fantasy of monsters vs humans takes place right in the Big Apple.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Riki Cleveland for gifting me an eARC that I won through a contest, with no requirement to post a review. I also had my own physical copy of this book.

The twists and turns had me wanting to not stop reading. I throughly enjoyed this twist on this beauty and the beast. We meet Kierse, a fierce thief who is loyal to a fault and only wants to protect her family. Graves was dark and broody and had his reasons to not entirely trust. But when Kierse comes into the picture it was fun to watch his walls (and Kierse’s) fall. It was such an adventure and I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next. If you enjoy morally gray MMC/FMC, slow burn, dystopian, enemies to lovers, heist plot, found family, interesting magic/ Celtic ties then this one is for you!

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this with you!

This was an amazing read! The world building was easy to understand and as the world opened up more, it did not overcomplicate things. There was so much hidden messages, Easter eggs and meaning that made me devour this! I loved Kierse and Graves dynamic and how their relationship developed.

Thank you so much to Red Tower/Entanglement publishing for sending me this Ebook. I am so excited for the next one in this series!

4.5 ⭐️
1.5 🌶

What to expect:
✨ forced proximity
✨ hidden powers
✨ found family
✨ morally grey MMC
✨ she’s a thief
✨ unique magical world
✨ enemies-to-lovers-to?
✨ magical heists
🚨 Check TWs 🚨

The first chapter had me HOOKED. Kierse is a master thief, and when she encounters Graves for the first time, I just knew I was really going to enjoy their dynamic.

There is a lot of complexity/layering when it comes to the plot of the story, and Graves is a master of mystery and sharing just enough information to keep you interested. Every interaction Kierse has with Graves feels like a chess match and he’s at least three moves ahead at all times.

How many secrets does Grave have and is he the hero or the villain of Kierse’s story? Hmmm…

The tension between Graves and his Wren is intense, the slow burn building with every encounter, and when it combusts… 🔥🔥🔥

With this, why do I also find myself rooting for Lorcan and Kierse? There is a bond there, nothing solid in any way, abut a yearning, and I love a man who yearns!

The world-building is interesting, giving a dystopian fantasy feel almost like Crescent City. There were some parts of the book that were a little hard to follow due to the amount of information that was being given, but overall it was enjoyable. My only regret is that I had to stop and start reading multiple times due to family commitments.

Overall, I cannot wait for book 2 to come out!

Who knows, maybe Lorcan isn’t the bad guy we all think he is…?

This is a great read for new adult to adult readers. I really loved the enemies to lovers vibe that went through the whole book. I loved the how the fictional world mixed fantasy and real world perspectives together. I also like how the main character found herself throughout the trials and tribulations she faced in this story.

A slow burn romance in this magically induced whimsical adventure of gods and lore. Such an intriguing and original storyline to capture the interest of the reader. I love all the twists and turns within the plot.

Why read this book?
✔️ Beauty and the Beast retelling
✔️ Dark romantasy
✔️ Celtic mythology
✔️ Monsters vs. humans
✔️ Dangerous heist
✔️ Morally gray MMC
✔️ Tortured hero
✔️ Stabby FMC
✔️ Magical creatures
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Spice 🌶️
✔️ Touch her and 💀
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Found family

This story! Wow. K.A. Linde's writing absolutely shines in this electrifying, fast-paced, action-packed story with an addicting romantasy world that I couldn't help but be enraptured with. The characters, the plot, the romance were all so well written and developed. This is already a top read for me for the year and I cannot wait for book 2! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read this book with the Entangled Insiders Read Along and I loved it to much I finished before I was supposed to! The Wren in the Holly Library is a quick read, with TONS of exciting unique lore, lovable characters, lots of diversity, loyal friendships, and even a cat named Anne Boleyn. It all takes place in an Alternate NYC where monsters have taken over, and a monster treaty has been put in place to keep monsters from killing humans, and vice versa. The main character, Kierse, is a thief with an attitude and unparalleled thieving skills. She’s assigned to steal a gem from Graves, a super hot mysterious monster, who enlists her into a heist of his own. Graves definitely gives shadow daddy (no shadow powers- but he’s got the personality of a shadow daddy), with a soft spot for his new associate. And Kierse has a lot to learn about working with monsters AND even her true identity. This book was a BLASTTTTT. So quick to read, kept my attention the whole time, and it even had 2 spicy scenes (easily skipped if that’s not your jam). Thank you to entangled insiders and Riki for the gifted ebook to read!!! Loved loved loved!

i thoroughly enjoyed this book! i like that there was spice, but it didn’t take away from the plot. i like that it was more so a sub plot romance kinda thing. the ending was a little cheesy, but it was pretty good. i would def read more if there’s a second book coming out.