I received this as an ARC, cover is very eye catching and genuinely quiet a pretty book, now story line without giving to much away Twilight fans will love this book as its close the the plot of twilight in my opinion, gripping read you will not want to put down

3.5/5
I liked Red Magnolia. It wasn't exactly mind-blowing, but the easy reading made it enjoyable and left me curious as to what would happen next. Having read several vampire books before, I had some similarities with this one, but I didn't mind too much since I like reading these types of books. The characters are well-developed, and the plot was super engaging. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

<i>ARC provided by netgalley</i>

This book is more gothic horror than paranormal. It read like a horror movie. A secluded cursed mansion with demons trapped in underground.

Second half saved the book for me. I was worried from the jump. It felt too similar to other vampire movies. A few things that really made me uncomfortable and angry: the girl mc is 17 and the love interest is essentially an immortal vampire who has lived for centuries but he turned at the age of 23. So, he's physically 23. The six- year gap and Harper being a MINOR did not sit right with me at all. I get that reaching a wider demographic was the goal but it also plays a role in furthering harmful ideologies in young readers. Harper could've easily been 18 and in senior year of high school. Her being a minor is mentioned by herself many times, when she gets MARRIED. Usually, I'm a sucker for marriage of convenience but in this case, I was creeped out.

If a creepy dude who stalks me, comes up to me and tells me the mansion I'm living in is cursed and for my own safety, I should leave and that he would continue to harrass me, I would listen to him. Maybe I'm built different. Maybe I have some semblance of sense. Harper was dumb. Her reason to stay there and be stubborn was dumb.

Once we got all this over with and action started (due to her dumb actions), I started liking it. The romance actually got me for a second. But I couldn't let go the illegal aspect of it.

I read the excerpt from book 2. A new character gets introduced who is ALSO the same age as Antoine. What goes on.

This is a great intro fantasy book for YA readers. I love the elemental magic found throughout the book and how it doesn't just focus on one magic concept. I wish there was more a bit more exploration in the romance but overall it was a good read.

I really loved the atmospheric gothic feeling of the story and the Southern setting. Though there are many vampire stories out there, the combination of southern culture, native american mysticism and American history made this one stand out and feel fresh.

I really loved, too, how the author created a traumatic backstory for the main character, Harper, that provided both the fortitude she would need to face an unbelievable scenario, and the need to reinvent and rediscover herself without her identity as a twin. It was great to see her beginning to open up to new friends and to see how ferociously she defended her brother as he was the only family she had left.

I'm very interested to continue this series!

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. i really enjoyed this book, and because of the pacing and the length it was really quick and easy to get through. i now can’t wait to read the next book in the series! because of this i’m going to give the book 4/5 stars.

I need the second book...now!

Red Magnolia was so much better than I expected! It is a vampire/Twilight-esque story with an interesting plot and with less irritating characters.

The story follows a girl, Harper, who has been through some tragedies in her short life. To move past these tragedies and start fresh they move to a new town and to a new to them, run-down mansion. Little does she know there is a haunting backstory (or may I say curse) that comes with said house.
She meets new characters all awesome but not as interesting as Antoine. Antoine has a secret (well more than one really) and she's just dying to find out what they are.

Red Magnolia keeps you wanting more with the intrigue, the budding romance, and with a curse that could ruin everything if broken. Lucy Holden has done an amazing job, this book is altogether well-written and leaves me wanting more!

#NetGalley

If I was in my early teens and hadn't read a ton of paranormal books with hot, dangerous dudes in them, I probably would've loved this. Unfortunately, I'm not and I have, so I didn't.

This would work well for a younger YA who's looking to get into the fantasy genre.

Three and a half
Imagine a story with a new girl in school meeting a young man who is pale, slender and has floppy hair and I bet you are reminded of a very famous book with an apple on the cover . Yes I did initially get that kind of vibe but this almost gothic novel set in the South rapidly gets away from those aspects to include Vampires ( yes of course) and then go in a completely different direction with curses, voodoo and even some Native American magic ! This was interesting and I’d definitely like to read more as hopefully the author expands her ideas giving readers something wholly fresh and unique.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I did NOT think I would love this book as much as I did.
Honestly, I'm a sucker (no pun intended) for vampire books, but most of the time I end up comparing it to my fave ones and then always be let down a bit.
But this one I'll add right up there with my other fave vamp ones. A strong female main character, moody broody vampire, lots of history and family bonds. It read quick and easy and I need to have all the other parts of this series asap!

This was a fantastic beginning to a new series! I loved the combination of the "voodoo" magic, with Native American beliefs, and of course, vampires. I would've loved more Antoine and Harper! Especially since they had great chemistry. And that cliffhanger at the end left me shaking my fist!

Harper moves to a small Mississippi town with her stepbrother, Connor, to renovate an old mansion. It doesn't take long for Harper to figure out that something isn't right, especially when Antoine Marigny insists that she sells the house back to his family. Read this if you love young adult books with vampires and mystery.

I need more Antoine Marigny! This was a fun paranormal romance book that wasn't hard to get into. I'm from Louisiana so I liked the references to Baton Rouge and places that I'm familiar with. Will definitely be looking for the next books in the series.

I really enjoyed Red Magnolia the only problem is the series is going to be 7 books and the rest are not out yet. Personally I thought Harper was a really great main character and I liked how mysterious Antoine was. The cover of this book and the whole series are really pretty too. I just really enjoy paranormal - the vampire diaries/twilight type stories and this embodied it perfectly.

Oh, my god. Is a book allowed to be this fun to read? The prologue was gripping on its own, that I couldn’t wait to read the rest of the book.

Red Magnolia is a perfect addition to the urban fantasy genre. It’s got curses, magic, dead twin and a lot gothic atmosphere. The Marigny mansion kind of reminds me of the mansion from Casper.

I love Harper and Antoine and Conner. I’ve read many stories where I don’t like the protagonist and it’s a relief to see that Harper is a likeable character. She doesn’t make stupid decisions just for the plot to have something else to do for a change. It’s frustrating when authors force the protagonist to make the worst decisions, even when the characters are screaming against it.

You can already sense the tension throughout the book. But you don’t know why. And I really like that. There is this feeling of uneasiness, like something is going to happen or go wrong. That feeling made me want to read more. I wanted to dissolve that feeling. That driving force was so strong, that I was at the end of the book in no time.

I think anyone who likes urban fantasy like me will love this book. Fans of Beautiful Creatures and Vampire Diaries will find this appealing. I’d definitely recommend this book. It’s so good.

I really can’t wait for the next instalment. I’m aware that it’s the first of seven books and I have rushed to the website to sign up for more.

⭑⭑⭑ 3 stars

- southern gothic theme
- twilight-esque with added cursed mansion
- vampire diaries-esque with lost family members
- good romance

"I sit back in the seat and turn to look out the window, uncertain why it is that someone so inherently powerful could in the same breath strike me as so extraordinarily vulnerable."


Harper Ellory and her stepbrother Connor have just purchased a mansion in a small town where every house has a history. Unfortunately for the Ellory's, their house happens to have a deeper, more gruesome history than most, and Harper fears that they have inadvertently triggered a curse intent on destroying them. Fortunately for the curse, the Ellory's have experienced a large magnitude of death and rather than feeling vulnerable to ghost stories and bad luck, they think to themselves, how much worse can it really get? With the help of Jeremiah and Antoine Marigny, they are about to find out.

This felt like Twilight 2.0 but with more likeable characters. The curse in the story was the best part, unfortunately the curse of the story is that it felt shadowed by the fact that it's been done before. There were scenarios such as Antoine saving Harper from a group of unruly guys as Harper plays the damsel in distress, and Harper realising how strong Antoine is by an indentation in her car, that felt too close to Twilight for me to really be able to lose myself in the story.

Still, it's hard to ignore that the story is immersive, dark, decadent, and delicious. Thankfully for the Nightgarden Saga, I could read a thousand Twilights. I enjoyed the southern gothic theme and the romance that blossomed between Harper and Antoine. I also enjoyed the ending and although usually I prefer neatly-wrapped, it was exciting to think where Holden could take this series.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Red Magnolia is a great read for those who are looking for a crossover between Twilight and Beautiful Creatures. Who wouldn’t love a southern gothic novel about vampires? The plot itself is one of the most original I have read in a minute. The only downside to this book and why I gave it a 3/5 stars is that it felt a bit rushed. It’s a fast paced short novel that could have taken its time. I found that while I loved the characters there was no time to really get to know them or to see any character development. I am hoping that any future books in the series are longer and a bit slower!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I read this in a snap. There are definite Twilight vibes, but I didn't mind that because it's far better written and engaging. It's one of those books that once you start it, you can't put it down, and it's a very fast read. I loved the fusion of Native American and old-world magics. The curse element is strong, and as this is a series of 7 books, I am very interested to see how that is explored.

Teen Harper tragically loses her twin sister, and the family moves to a new home and town to start over and get away from the memories. The first day of her new school, Harper meets Antoine, who has a darkness inside that intrigues her, and she becomes seriously attracted to him. Secrets, curses, tragedies and the supernatural all blend to make this story fun, well written and emotional. I loved The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, etc. and this book is right up there with them. My only complaint is now I have to wait for book 2!!!

Thankyou to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an unpaid, honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Red Magnolia is a paranormal book that features Harper, the newbie in town that has moved into a house that is seemingly cursed. This book definitely gives me Twilight/The Vampire Diaries vibes but I didn't find this an issue as it was a quick read and I really do not mind that it gave off those vibes! This is the first of a series and it gave me enough lore and world-building to get me interested enough to want to read the rest of the series as I am sure there will be more character development for some of the side characters who I found a little lacking.

Rating: 3⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes and I want to read the rest
Would I Recommend it? Yes

*Review will be posted on my blog and all other media sites on August 15, 2021

Introduction

Looking for a fresh start, Harper and her brother Connor move into an old, run down mansion that seems to harbor history of curses, not to mention that something weird seems to be going on in the old cemented-up cellar. Nobody seems willing to let this history go, especially not Antoine, a mysterious man who seems hellbent on getting Harper and her brother out of that mansion, no matter what the cost.

Pace

This book, in epub. format, at least, is less than 200 pages, making this a very quick and fast-paced story.

Characters & Relationships

Generally, I liked all of the characters, but I have a few small gripes about Harper's friend, Avery, her interest in Harper's brother, Connor, and Harper's, in my opinion, weird acceptance of it. It seemed like the only reason Avery ever came around was to ogle at Connor, and she hardly actually seemed interested in being Harper's friend just for friendship's sake. Given that Harper just moved to town, it's fair to assume that she would take friendship with anybody, but it's hard to believe that she would just let Avery come around so often when she's obviously just interested in Connor, and I can see that becoming a conflict in later books (which I'm excited to see play out, if that happens.)

Vampire Element

The vampire history and origin story of the vampires in this book is pretty on par with other YA vampire books that I've read. I like that the vampires here have to drink human blood as opposed to going the "vegetarian" route with animal blood or other substitutes. I've grown used to reading about vampires that don't drink human blood because They're Good Vampires and Hate The Curse and Would Never Harm Anybody because that's Not Who They Are so I liked this more classic route.

Twilight Vibes (Slight Spoilers)

There are STRONG Twilight vibes in this novel. The party scene where Antione swoops in to save Harper from a bunch of scary men is stunningly similar to the the scene in Twilight where Edward does the same for Bella.

Even more similar was the way that Antoine made Harper say that he was a vampire instead of saying the words himself, just like Edward.

I'm definitely not saying that these similarities are a bad thing, I just think it's worth mentioning that they are there, so if you love Twilight, this book might be for you.

Conclusion

I liked this book. It was a very quick read and good for scratching a vampire story itch. I think depending on if you enjoyed Twilight might gauge how you feel about this book because as I mentioned, there are a lot of similarities. I shamelessly enjoyed Twilight, so this was a good book for me, and the similarities were welcome. I would like to continue with this saga and will be looking out for more from this author.