ARC provided by HMH via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There we have it, folks. My first one-star rating of 2018. I am so sorry and hope I don't offend anyone with this post, but Grim Lovelies was the biggest disappointment of the year for me.

Grim Lovelies is an urban fantasy set in a Paris where there are different classes of people/supernaturals:

1) The Pretties: humans like us who live in the world, existing with their flashy technology and cars.
2) The Haute: The magical elite such as witches and goblins.
3) The Beasties: Animals who were enchanted and turned into humans with the purpose to serve the Haute.

Anouk is a Beastie who serves a powerful witch, Mada Vittora. Anouk also lives with other Beasties: Luc, Beau, Cricket, and Hunter Black. Mada Vittora also has a human son, Viggo. However, one day Mada Vittora is murdered, and the Beasties are now living on borrowed time. You see, once the witch who "made" a Beastie dies, her powers die with her. The Beasties only have three days to find a way to remain human or else they are turned back into their original animal forms.

Grim Lovelies failed at pulling me in from the first page. I was really hoping for more witchy story lines and a stronger magic system. The world building also fell completely flat. There were no explanations about how their magic system worked; it was just there. And even though Anouk is a subservient girl who isn't supposed to be able to do magic, she was able to all of a sudden cast powerful spells without any training at all. It was like she was "the chosen one" and there was no explanation on how she became to be powerful.

The other characters were also just... there. I didn't fall in love with anyone even though they all had so much potential for better character arcs. The gay rep for Hunter Black was so cast over and I really hated what happened to his character towards the end. Also I felt zero chemistry between Beau and Anouk. Their romance was such a failed attempt at friends-to-lovers. It really didn't even need to happen.

Then there's Luc who is our POC rep but he's basically stuck in a giant hand bag throughout the ENTIRE book, so we only meet him much later. Dare I say my only favorite characters were the "villains" or "morally ambiguous characters": Petra (I loved her; she is trans and was the one redeeming character in this entire book), Viggo (he's only funny when he's under a love spell), and Rennar, the main villain. But even then, Rennar was such a weak villain and I didn't even understand why he had to exist other than to just... be the bad guy. He has no back story or purpose other than "wanting power."

I don't know, y'all. I think I just had way higher expectations and I was really let down. I wanted a vast world of beasts and witches, a stronger magic system, and back stories on how this all came to be. The writing and progression felt juvenile, and I think this book would benefit more as a middle grade book. Better yet, I believe some of the scenes and characters could translate well if illustrated in a manga. But it all ends on a cliff hanger, and this just disappointed me even further. I wasn't expecting this to be a series, so that's my bad on my part.

I didn't hate this book and I'm not angry at it. But it just left me feeling so disappointed about so many things. And overall? I was so bored. I got really hopeful around the 50% mark when things finally picked up, but then it all went downhill again.

I hope you all like it more than I did!

I really loved this book!  But it's another one that is going to be tough to review without giving anything away.  I apologize now if this is a mess. 



I enjoyed the writing and it the pacing was great.  It was easy to like a lot of the characters, but there were some that I didn't like.  That was kind of the point though.  There were some very questionable characters in the book.  I also really loved the magic system.



Grim Lovelies takes place in Paris, but it's not the Paris we know.  This Paris has a lot of magic.  The Royals are at the top.  Then there are the witches that are powerful.  The Goblins are treated poorly.  There are also Beasties.  The 5 were created by a witch.  She took 5 animals and made them into humans.  These humans, Anouk, Luc, Beau, Cricket, and Hunter Black all serve the witch that created them.  This witch also has a son, Viggo, that gives her the blood she uses for her magic.  In a sense, they are all slaves to Mada Vittora (their witch).   The magic used is either done with blood or with other life, like herbs.  Witches use small amounts of blood, but they can't take a life.  If they do, that comes back to them. 



When Mada Vittora is killed, the Beasties must search for someone strong enough to recast the spell that made them human.  It is tied to the witch that created them.  They have three days before they become animals again.  Also, Luc went missing a couple weeks before, so they don't have their typical leader.  



The four of them, plus Viggo, go visit another witch that was banished.  During this time, they are tricked by different people, find allies in others, and find out more about themselves and why the Beasties were originally created.



I was surprised by some deaths that made me sad.  I really loved the ending and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.



Thank you to HMH Teen for sending me a physical copy which I read and also Netgalley for the digital arc that I got before the physical copy.  I gave this book 5 stars.  It was fun to read and exactly what I hoped when I first read the summary.

An overall good story, but falls on the younger side of YA. The characters were all great, though they were not entirely memorable, and the concept was really interesting. Even though I got through the book quickly, it still felt longer than it actually was. I would recommend this to newer readers of YA. I think they would enjoy this book.

So I finished Grim Lovelies and the more time I had to think about it, the less I liked it. As well as the more I read.

I thought it was a fascinating concept and ideal to give a book from the point of view of the beasties (the help). I was so excited to read this and I feel that the hype & idea was better than the follow through. It felt like it was never going to end. There were some juicy tidbits, twists & turns, some cringe worthy moments, and some creepy. It seems that it would have been better, in my opinion, to not have the love interest. It seems like it was thrown in there because it was a necessity. 

I enjoyed it enough to say that I intend to read the next book, I was told by a friend that she heard in an interview that it is a duology. I received an advance copy from Net Galley for a review.

This was a fun, light read, that I sped through in one evening! The premise - animals who are enchanted into humans, was super cool, and I enjoyed the world building that the author did, but found the characters, and romance to be a little lacking. Also I got fae vibes, which I just never really get along with. 

Grim Lovelies, is about Anouk, an enchanted human girl, whose life is controlled by the Diamond Witch. In this novel, Anouk's life of servitude is interrupted by her master dying, and her and her friends' fight to find a way to survive and not get turned back into animals. The fight is full of action, court politics, and magic. The "Beasties" soon learn more about themselves they never thought possible, and fight for their freedom, which comes at a cost.

This book, overall, was enjoyable. I liked the magic system and how intricate the spells were. I found the court politics to be intriguing as well, even if a little unoriginal. The fairy tale inspired ness of this was also great, the whole story just felt whimsical. The incorporation of different magical species was cool as well, witches, and goblins, and the "Royals" (fae basically). The whole concept of how witches are created was cool as well, and the author did a good job fitting in a lot of world building into this short book. It didn't feel info dumpy or bogged down by exposition which is always impressive for fantasy. 

The writing kept me hooked, and was easy to read. It didn't feel over done or overly descriptive. The atmosphere of the novel was really well done as well. It just felt magical, and hopeful, and full of wonder. 

Anouk was a good main character, and I enjoyed how she grew and got to know herself more throughout the story. She did feel a little naive but this was addressed, and I think by the end the character development she had was great. Her beastie friends were fun as well. They felt a little stereotypical, and not fully fleshed out ,but overall were well done. I didn't really like the romance though. It felt forced and kind of just came out of nowhere. It wasn't really necessary, and if they had just stayed friends, the plot wouldn't even really have differed at all.

Overall, this was a fun, fairytale inspired story, that had a really cool premise, but ultimately, didn't impress me.

Book Review Of Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Teen books with magic and romance make for a great Harry Potter-like fantasy series. Don’t get me wrong, nothing compares to HP in the bookish world, but I couldn’t help but think Megan Shepherd is onto something completely captivating with her newest magical witch series, Grim Lovelies. Although not as dark or grim as I was hoping for—no play on words intended—Grim Lovelies builds a thrilling magical world that tweens and younger teens will adore. Warning: tragic deaths and gruesome biting off of rats' heads occur.

Grim Lovelies focuses on good versus evil power, what it means to be human, and the innate power to love and grow within all of us. Reminiscent of a Cinderella story gone dark mixed with magical Harry Potter battles and a fantasy world with muggle-like Pretties, don't miss Grim Lovelies as a top 2018 YA read. 

Below, check out TUL's 5 reasons why you should read Grim Lovelies, including LGBT+ elements and misplaced love.

A Remixed Fairytale Of Rags to Fairy Godmother

A Bit Of Background First

Anouck is a beastie and servant girl in the heart of Paris. Years ago, her powerful witch mistress, Mada Vittora, turned five animals into humans, enslaving them with mundane tasks. Treated more like the doll and family pet, Anouck has had an easier life than her comrades who are routinely beaten and face the inevitable threat of death.

With the sudden murder of Mada Vittora and disappearance of pragmatic beastie, Luc, Anouck’s world falls apart. Having never left the confines of her magic-protected prison, she and the other beasties run for their lives. Facing murder charges is the least of their worries since they secretly possess stronger magic than any other witch, wizard, and goblin in the Haute and Royal witchcraft world.

Worst of all, the beasties require a witch to renew their spell before they transform back into wild animals. Loosing the ability to love and live like the Little Mermaid in the human world, all of the beasties are willing to fight to the death. With time running out, there is a goblin battle, stolen kisses, enchanted shrubbery, and so much bloodletting. 

Five Heart-Stopping Reasons To Read Grim Lovelies

Intrigued?  Why read Grim Lovelies and not sleep or eat the entire day until finished?  Here are 5 heart-stopping reasons:

1. LGBT+ elements, which YA fantasy books tend to lack
From fairytales to a Beauty and The Beast like male relationship, Grim Lovelies adds LGBT+ components in an accurate, non-contrived, and endearing fashion. Fantasy and old-school fairytales lack diversity and adequate portrayal of many communities. With Grim Lovelies, readers find unique love and characters from all parts of the LGBT+ spectrum. Petra, a transgender witch’s girl, defies all boundaries and stereotypes, and I commend Shepherd for her innate inclusion of not only the LGBT+ community but also a commentary on socio-economic classes and race.
2. Misplaced love all over the place 
Grim Lovelies questions what it means to love and receive love in return. Anouck looks at the cruel Mada Vittora and loves her as a mother, even though she is far from such. The woman chopped off her toes, for goodness sakes! Beau kisses a goblin girl in retaliation and jealousy. Scary Rennar wants a bride to rule his kingdom and loves power and the abuse of magic. Viggo gropes and obsessively crushes on Cricket in a way that makes you want to slug him. Anouck creates an obsession spell to manipulate Viggo into helping her. And lastly, Beau makes the ultimate sacrifice in the face of true love. The reconciliation and understanding of love leaves readers pondering the many faces of the emotion and how much we confuse love for something else.
3. Talk about a thriller with deceitful alliances: TRUST NO ONE
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised? Witches, wizards, and goblins do not have the trustworthiest reputations to begin with. Every character has their moments and lies.  EVERY CHARACTER. While love is off balance, the definition of truth is nonexistent. Is there ever a good lie?  Grim Lovelies keeps readers guessing with the threat of disaster on every corner.
4. The incessant threat of death. There is so much that could go wrong, even until the last page.
I was not a fan when everyone in HP started dying in battle. Grim Lovelies has a major war scene that obliterates characters and your soul. A freaking shrubbery bear goes down at one point, and I almost loose it. I hope certain characters aren’t really dead, although the ones turned to stone and smashed are TOAST without any fluff or jam.
Talk about a cliffhanger from chapter one, too. You just know that these beasties might not beat the clock and turn into critters. It took all of my will power not to peek at the last chapter. I am so proud of myself. I did not look ahead, and honestly, I would have DIED.
5. The Ending: Is book two out yet? Now?
Of course there is no conclusion. This is a series, and damn it, I need to know! I appreciate books that do not have tidy or happy endings. Clear-cut is not realistic. I promise you, Grim Lovelies will leave you on your toes and have you pretty upset. In a fantastically written kind of way, of course. Plus, if book one is this dramatic and strong, opening with deaths and suspense, I cannot even imagine the wildness in book two.


I would like to thank NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Book Information
Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd [HMH Books for Young Readers 2018)
Publishes October 2, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction; Witches & Folklore
You can learn more about the author Megan Shepherd here.

When I saw this was up for review by my Teen Staff Pick of the Month team at work, I was intrigued. I was expecting another run of the mill supernatural YA novel, but I found this rather refreshing. I loved it by the time I finished the first page. The setting was easily visualized and I caught myself thinking about it at work, dreaming about it while asleep. The characters, while not terribly complex, were endearing, and likeable. I loved how they all came about, it was something I definitely was not expecting! I believe that this will be marketed as YA, but it could easily be sold to the 9-12 tween group as well. It felt young, the characters seemed innocent but it was a whirlwind of a read. It definitely kept the fickle YA reader in me very interested! Would definitely recommend!!

This is the type of book that haunts you until you finish! Highly recommend for a fast paced novel that shows readers a magical side of a reality that we never knew.  It allows readers to create a deeper connection to the characters which are smart, cunning and growing in personality!

Anouk looks 17, but she's really much younger (in human years). In fact, she's only been human for about a year and has no idea what she was before then. She's one of five "beasties" enchanted by Mada Vittoria, kept inside away from the "pretties" (real humans) and other members of the witch world, only seeing people who enter the Mada's home. Then the Mada is killed, and suddenly Anouk and her friends have a mere three days to find someone else to keep the enchantment going. But who? Another Mada? A Royal? That search will lead them around Paris and France, entangling them with humans, Madas, Royals and goblins. 

As a start to a series this isn't bad, but the world building is at times rushed. There are several characters I hope to meet again.

eARC provided by publisher.

I think this one will be very appealing to those on the younger end of the YA spectrum. I'm not sure where my expectations came from, but I was certain this would be darker and more mature than it was, and the failing of those expectations were solely on my end. While the idea was superb, it seems that the story fell a bit short for me, mainly due to the fact that I found this entire book to be mostly a setting up for the following stories that may take place. I think, if this part had been condensed into a novella and utilized as an introduction to Anouk and co, that my attention would have been snagged more thoroughly. All in all, not a bad read, and my first from Megan Shepherd.

I was intrigued by this book the moment I read the summary because the premise sounded so cool, and I am so happy that it lived up to it. I love any kind of fairy tale retelling or related book, and I just think that the idea of a story about the animals who are turned into humans in those stories was such a great idea, and I love the society that Megan built around that.
Not only did I really love the that story idea, but I absolutely loved the characters. I just fell in love with the main character, Anouk. In a lot of fantasy books that I have read lately, the main female characters have tended to be these bad ass fighters who are a lot of the times very outspoken, but when you meet Anouk, she is the exact opposite. She serves her Mistress, the Witch who enchanted her and is not bitter about it and doesn't want to fight it like her siblings, she is quit, she is soft, and yes, she was naive, but I loved all of those things about her.
Back to the society, I loved how it was split into 4, The Witches, The Beasties, The Royals, and The Goblins, and honestly, while I wouldn't want a direct sequel to this book, I think that a companion novel would be amazing because there is so much more that could be explored. 
While for the most part I did enjoy this book, there was one thing that I wasn't' the biggest fan of, and that was the end of the book. I got to a point near 75% of the way through the book where I kept feeling like the book was going to end, but then it would continue and I there were a couple of times where I was thinking to myself that I just wanted it to end already. It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying it, I just felt like it kept dragging and that it should have been ending soon. Then there was the ending, which while I thought it was good, there was part of me that wasn't quite satisfied with it. Despite not loving the end, I do still really like the book, and like I said before, I would love more books set in this world.

When I started Grim Lovelies I got a very Harry Potter vibe from it. It takes place in modern Paris where witches, Goblins, gargoyles etc… exist in secret amongst humans. The premise of the story is that a cruel witch named Mada enchanted four animals into human beings known as beasties, who serve her every whim. Then she is found murderedand our MC Anouk is the prime suspect. She decides to find the culprit with the aid of her fellow beasties before their times as humans run out. Anouk was a very likeable character and quite endearing some of the situations she got in although dangerous some were quite hilarious as she has never interacted with anyone other than her fellow beasties. It was also great to see that the longer she spent amongst human and fellow supernatural beings she became more hardened and cold like she needed to adapt in order to protect her friends. I really enjoyed the magic system in this story it is hard to be original with magic books but this still came off as interesting. There is romance featured in the story but more like a condiment than an actual side dish and to be honest could have done without altogether. I have been told that this compares to some Grimm Brothers stories but I couldn’t really tell besides maybe Cinderella. So I am hoping to see more of that in the second book. Overall this is a nice addition to the somewhat fairy tale/magic genre. P.S. I was not expecting that ending so udo s to the author and is making me itch for book two even more.

I saw Grim Lovelies getting a lot of hype so when I saw it suggested on my NetGalley dashboard, I decided to request it. I got really excited when I was approved for it, but I was already a few books behind on my physical/digital TBR. So, I put off reading it for a couple weeks, knowing that I had the time available to do so without missing the archive date (while not stressing about being behind on my TBR). Even as I write this review, I’m not certain what rating it’ll get, though I have a vague idea. I don’t remember any specific TW/CWs and I didn’t note any in Goodreads while I was reading, so if you’ve read the novel and you know of some please let me know and I’ll update the post. 🙂

Grim Lovelies is told entirely from the perspective of Anouk, an animal who has been turned into a human being by her mistress, who is a witch. I really enjoyed her arc and how she adjusts her perception of things throughout the story to encompass any nw information she learns about her situation and the other people who are in it with her. The other characters were developed well enough, though I had a little trouble picturing some of them beyond a few basic visual descriptions. However, I’m not sure if that is because of me or the book itself so I can’t hold it against Megan Shepherd at all.

The entire story is set in what I imagine as modern day France, with a good portion of it being set in Paris. At the same time, the world Anouk inhabits is an alternate one, something just below the surface of what you or I as Pretties would be able to experience. It brought a bit of the old world with its lack of electricity and the behavior of maids while clinging to the modern world when it came to things like fashion. It was really unique and well built up and I enjoyed experiencing it quite a lot.

The story itself felt a bit strangely paced at times, but I almost feel like this was intentional in a way that throws the reader off and makes them wonder if what they expect to happen next will be what happens or if maybe a plot twist is coming? There were a couple plot twists during the story, though they were almost entirely the kind meant for the characters, not the reader. These were played out nicely, I thought. However, the ending. SIGH. It is a cliffhanger.

I really did enjoy this novel, though I was a bit surprised when I discovered that it isn’t Megan Shepherd’s debut novel. I feel like the writing was more on par with a debut author than one who has published a full series before writing this one, but maybe she’s just tackling a different genre? I don’t know. I do look forward to reading the next novel in the series, though I’m not sure how high it’ll rank on my TBR when it comes around. The one thing that will likely bring it up on the list is the “your faves are not safe” aspect because I am a sucker for emotional punishment at the hands of literary characters.

I decided to round up because even though the first half of the book was slow, it really picked up the second half and I really started to like Anouk. In a way, the story kind of felt like Cinderella because Anouk and her friends were racing to stay human before midnight, except that they were the animals instead. It was really confusing at first because I had no idea what was really going on, but the more the book went on the more I started to love it. I loved Anouk and her group of friends. They were a little naive at first, but as they worked together as a family they grew a lot, especially Anouk. Anouk was just awesome. She was quiet and shy but really became confident in herself that she could do anything possible. Aside from that, I enjoyed reading the complex side of how magic is used. That was definitely interesting to read and I hope to delve more into that in the next book.

Grim Lovelies bewitched me from the first page to the last. I love everything about this book –starting with the decadent black and red cover which perfectly embodies everything inside its pages:

Goblins partying in the catacombs
Witches who as get their powers from living things
Pretties
Beasties – animals transformed to humans 
Fighting topiaries
Hermes bags masquerading oubliettes
Fashion
Animal sacrifice (FYI)

And … Paris!

“The more she saw of Paris, the more dreamlike it was; she wasn’t sure where the streetlights ended and the stars began.”

Grim Lovelies married two of my reading loves: Paris and rich fantasy.  Shepherd’s worldbuilding – of a magical Paris alongside an unsuspecting human one – is intricate. I willingly fell under its spell.  Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop, eager to experience whatever strange and beautiful/repulsive surprise she had in store. Besides the storytelling, I loved the inclusion of gay and transgender fairy tale themes which made the narrative all the richer. 

I cannot wait for the sequel … The Gargoyle Witch???

“’You aren’t heroes.’

“’Then what are we?’

“’Monsters! Oh come, don’t look surprised. Nothing good is ever created from magic. You were made to be the most terrifying thing in the known world.’”

The Grim Lovelies is a beautifully dark enchanted fantasy where an evil witch has turned animals into humans, but the story is definitely plot driven. While I do love stories that are written this way, I feel like we lost out on the potential to get to really feel and know the characters like I hoped we would. I did love Anouk's character a lot, she's naive, but she's not stupid, so it's a refreshing trait. I think it's a line that authors are often challenged with, and Shepherd tackled it well. I loved the fact that it was set in France, because there's already this air of enchantment around the place in real life, and settings were described so well. I really did feel like I was sucked into the world. This was a story that reminded me somewhat of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and I loved that feeling. I can't wait to see this book out in the world in October!

As always I want to say thank you to the publishers as well as the website Netgalley for allowing me this chance to read this ARC. I thought this book was rather unique since many of the QA books are all publishing their own version of the retelling of classic fairy tales. I thought this book was interesting and unique by giving nameless characters in the original tale a voice through this brave new perspective of a classic adventure.

If you know me well, you know I love Parisian culture. I love the beautiful, ornately decorated townhouses. I love the fountains and how amour always seems to be hanging in the air. I love the underground punk subculture of the catacombs. When it comes to what I love about the culture of Paris, Megan Shepherd’s new YA fantasy novel Grim Lovelies has it all.

Anouk used to be an animal until the powerful witch Mada Vittora enchanted her into a human servant in her swanky Parisian townhouse. She is a beastie. Obedient and trusting, Anouk follows the Mada’s every order and stays within the boundaries of the townhouse, never stepping out into the world. But when Mada Vittora is murdered, Anouk and the Mada’s other beasties only have three days until their spell ends and they return to their original animal forms. They embark on an adventure involving magical hedges, goblins and dark magic in a last ditch effort to save their humanity. 

I was sucked into the world of the Haute and witchy magic in this book. As far as my normal reading comfort zone, this book pushed the boundaries of what I normally enjoy. It took me a while to get into the world, but once I did, I was hooked. My favorite part about the magic system was the vitae echo, in which any harm a witch does ricochets against her own body, making witches fallible and accountable for their moral misdeeds. That aspect of the plot is what took this book to the next level for me and made it feel like a richer and more complex fantasy.

I loved the cast of characters in this book, but there was so much action and worldbuilding that it felt like character development sometimes took a backseat and I wanted to know more about these wonderful magical beings. Luckily, Grim Lovelies is the first in a series, so I hope that I will get to know Anouk and the rest of the characters more as the larger overarching story develops. Anouk starts off as a diminutive servant and there is character development. I just wish it was more complex and developed along the way, especially next to the vivid worldbuilding and twisty plot.

I’m so excited for the next book in this decadent, fun, magical series. If you like books about Paris like me or books about badass magical girls or witches, I definitely recommend giving this book a chance!

This book was a fantastic read. I loved this new fantasy world. I believe that it shows great promise as a new series. It was original and very magical.

 I Love the groups that Megan Sherperd created. Royals, Witches, Goblins and Beasties. It has a Hogwarts fell to it and I don't mind it. 

I loved that it was based in Paris, I think it felt more magical because of it.

The beginning confused me a little because it felt that it started from the a few chapters in, but as I read on I got fully immersed in this magical world and it's characters, specially with the Beasties.

As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I needed to read it. And I was not disappointed! From very early in the book, I enjoyed Anouk's reactions to things from the Pretty world she had never encountered (and thought it was well-balanced with what she would have learned from the other beasties). It's a deeply character-driven story and I loved the characters and their development very much (Viggo and Hunter Black's growth in particular).  The writing took a little longer than I like to grab me, but once it did I stayed up too late to read "just one more chapter" two nights in a row until I finished the book. I struggled a little with the ending (namely, I wanted an epilogue or a sequel or something MORE from these beautiful characters, but I also just wanted slightly more closure than we got - although that was almost certainly deliberate), but I loved the complexity of the characters and the acknowledgement that it's possible to love someone who hasn't treated you well. I'll definitely be passing this one on to my kiddos who love twisted fairy tales, real-world magic, and complex character-building!