This was an intriguing sneak peak, and I'm excited for the rest of the story! I love Olivia's writing as she always succeeds in pulling me in, and this story was no different. Looking forward to more.

A VERY GOOD story of two people who learn to trust each other while keeping one step ahead of the disaster heading their way. The story held my interest from page one. I'd not read any of this author's back library but I'm checking them out now!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I loved this book! I was expecting dark academia, and was pleasantly surprised that it was not that! While the characters are associated with the university, the challenges they face and the twists the book takes are unpredictable and keep you on the edge of your seat. The magic system is so unique, and I love the characters and their relationships. I was also excited for the romance aspects of the story, and that it wasn’t quite a love triangle but kept you guessing in the beginning still!

I have read many of miss Wildenstiens books, although this was not a hit for me. I was not very invested in the story and had a hard time keeping focus.

All and all an okay book.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This novel is what I would describe as a gothic twist on urban romantic fantasy.

I was able to envision quite clearly the town of Brume and the dark, gothic like descriptions certainly added to the overall setting. The plot was unique, interesting and kept me engaged in the character and story developments.

Now, the romance. Slate is the cliché damaged bad boy - how can you not be drawn to him?? I also enjoyed the blossoming intimacy between Slate and Cadence. They definitely seem to compliment one another. All in all, this was an enjoyable start to a new series. I will definitely be reading the next one!

Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. I found it full of twists and turns threw out and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way threw  I would defiantly recommend this book if you like a good book to keep you reading threw the night hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did

This is the my first book from this author and i loved it. There are so many fantasy books out there at the moment but i believe this is unique enjoyed the plot so much so that i downloaded book 2 before i had even finished. Highly recommended

This book has elements of urban fantasy which I love and its french setting (with some magic on the side) made me think of Serpent and Dove (though please be aware that besides the setting and sprinkles of language that's where the comparisons end).

Overall I'm a fan of competitions and trials so this book had a lot of elements that I really enjoyed. My only complaint is the fact that for whatever reason the writing felt equally fast (like yes things were happening) and yet gratingly slow (the actual writing style had me walking away from the book multiple times). For whatever reason I just didn't fall in love with this book.

However, that being said I do think that anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy with trial by fire themes should defiunitely give this a try.

Thank you to Netgalley, Olivia Wildenstein, and Katie Hayoz for the advanced read of Of Wicked Blood in Exchange for an honest review.

This was a good, fast paced fantasy with a slow building romance, action, and adventure. It’s definitely one worth reading.
Although, I do feel that Slate’s character curses way too often, I still loved him and the character building that went on with him and Cadence.

When I first started reading this book, I had to double check a few times that it was the right book because based on the cover and blurb I was expecting a YA. Slate is the first perspective we read from and I really didn't care for him. I found him to be crude and annoying, and soooooooo much swearing. It bothered me enough that I almost put the book down and moved on in the first chapter. It did get better....I found myself skimming his sections much less as the book went on, though there were definitely points where it came out again. I actually really loved the chapters from Cadance's perspective though. She was a lot more refined, with a much broader vocabulary. Overall though, I really actually enjoyed the plot. I thought it was intriguing, and besides excess language from Slate, well written. Given Slate's rough upbringing, I tried to give him a pass, but he made it really hard sometimes. The characters were pretty well developed and there were some nice surprises throughout the book as well.

Absolutely fantastic. Fast paced and well developed, this book is for all fantasy lovers. Just beautiful.

*I received an audio ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.*

Of Wicked Blood is a great start to a new series. It takes place in a small town in France, that has a history of magic. The book starts with Slate Ardoin receiving a letter that invites him to a prestigious college and a chance to learn more about his history. Having grown up in the foster care system, Slate reluctantly goes because he’s been promised a hefty inheritance. Once there he makes the mistake of stealing a ring that turns out to be a piece of ancient magic that curses him. Now with the help of Cadence de Morel and two other locals, they must race against time to bring magic back to the world or Slate will die.

This book alternates chapters between Slate and Cadence’s perspectives. While this book was slow to start, it soon picked up pace and moved fast. It read like a cinematic experience. There is plenty of action in this book as each member of the group has to complete a task to help break the curse.

I mostly listened to the audiobook while reading this and I enjoyed it. This audiobook is very well produced. Each perspective has a different narrator, and they do a great job of bringing the characters to life.

I would recommend this book in any format and I look forward to reading the sequel.

This is a well written, action packed fantasy that deserves all 5 stars. Can’t wait for the sequel. Special thanks to NetGalley and Twig Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I had been hearing great things about this book before I got a chance to read it. So when I got my hands on it I had to read it right way. It did have a bit of a slow start, but there was something that pulled me along wanting to know what happens to Candence and Slate and the curse. There is mystery, slow paced romance, magic and wonder that kept me reading. The characters are interesting and the world they live in is amazing. It makes me want to look into other books by this author.

DNF @ 20%

Despite the very enticing premise and plot line, this hurt to read. The characters were more like caricatures that had to explain every little thing, and the interactions just read really oddly to me.

This had everything I was looking for in a new series. Friendship, romance, creepy setting, mystery, and more. I loved the fantasy setting and slow burn romance. It really worked for this story and I just really love slow burn romances vs. insta love because it just makes it feel more real. The magic was wonderful and I was hooked at the first chapter and can not wait for the next book.

Curses and treasure and demons oh my!

I really enjoyed this story of a ragtag crew on a life-threatening magical scavenger hunt. They only have a limited time to find all the pieces of the puzzle in order to restore magic otherwise Slate will die and they will lose their chance forever. The danger and the urgency feel very real. A few times the characters missed things which seemed obvious to me, but I suppose they were a bit busy either trying not to die or flirting.

The romance is sweet, enemies to lovers with plenty of tension and I hope they kick it up a notch in the next book. I really enjoyed the verbal sparring between Slate and Cadence, though I did find the changing POVs a little confusing at times. Slate and Cadence both have very rich back stories and I enjoyed getting to know their characters.

I love the morally grey characters in this, it makes the plot so much more interesting. There is definitely something sinister going on and I can't wait for that reveal.

The French historic town setting is really cool too, very atmospheric, and it adds to the mystery and the danger.

If you're looking for a unique read with suspense, curses, and perfectly imperfect characters, then definitely give this one a try!

Any book that has a warning for cursing has already hooked my attention. The world in this book is unique on to itself. Cool magic systems set in dark academia setting with some great characters. I don't read a ton of urban fantasy but this book makes me want to read more, especially the next one in the series. The romance does follow the bad boy with a dark past cliché but I really like those (probably a lot of people do, that's why so many get written). Overall solid story, and I'm excited to see where these characters go.