Saturday, September 21, 2019

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin ~ Review

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove, #1)Source: Purchased.

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin


Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.





Serpent & Dove was first brought to my attention by one of my friends who has been basically forcing all of her friends to read this book. She was super convincing, though, listing all the tropes the book has and raving about it. So of course I bought it. And then I read the synopsis. The next few days of my life after that were taken over by Serpent & Dove--and now it's got a solid place on my all-time favorites list.

First and foremost I've got to talk about how well this book was written. It draws you in right away and enfolds you in this dark world. Then you learn about the characters, and BAM you care about them. And you're invested in their story, their secrets and where things are going. And this is all just in Part I, btw. It was at the end of Part I where I was like "THIS BOOK IS AMAZING." So by then it'd already drawn me in and won me over and I was all in for the ride it'd take me on.

The characters were complex. I especially loved the contrast between gray area Lou and straight arrow Reid. And the supporting characters! There's not a single one that wasn't necessary and well threaded into the story. I basically live for precious cinnamon roll Ansel.

The relationships! The friendships--Lou and Coco particularly. That ride or die friendship warmed my soul. And the cuteness that was Lou and Ansel. As I said, I live for him. And then there was the familial bonds that were so interesting and I'm looking forward to exploring more in the next book.

And of course I can't not mention the romance between Lou and Reid. Their romance was many things. Enemies to lovers. A marriage of convenience. A slow, beautiful burn. To put it simply, it was everything I want in a romance done exactly right. My heart is beating all fast and I'm smiling just thinking about it. I was head over heels for this couple and I already miss them and need the sequel and maybe I'll re-read soon...

Overall, Serpent & Dove is a debut that is not to be missed! Slow burn romance, witches, friendships, and so much more... y'all need to get your hands on this book. It's definitely one that's going to be added to my frequent re-read rotation--as I said in the beginning, this is a new all-time favorite for me. And, obviously, one of the best books I've read this year!


5 stars - Everything I want in a book & more, this is a debut not to be missed!


2 comments:

  1. Great review Jessica! I also loved Serpent & Dove and can't wait for book #2. Thank you

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  2. So agree with you! I absolutely loved this book and cannot stop thinking about it. Ansel is so so precious and I adore him. Great review!

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