What can I say about this book other than it’s like a cookie for the soul. Sweet and satisfying but not too filling. I actually read this in one sitting, as it doesn’t require much thought and it’s not that long. The plot was ok, the prose was good, and it definitely would be suitable for a younger audience.

I felt this novel was okay. It was a bit confusing at times to follow as with fantasy novels are however there is a way of making it less confusing by writing it simply to ease the reader into it. As with all great writers you shouldn’t get discouraged and get lazy towards the end of the novel by making it rushed. Another thing, usually you do your research if your writing about a particular era in time. The writer was calling Dora a spinster at 19. However from other novels I have read it is actually a good few years older than this so not researching the novel and plot you are writing is a major downfall to liking the novel as well. If the author isn’t bothered, why should the reader?

Absolutely loved this book. The regency faerie world is not something I thought I would like but I cannot wait to read the other books set in this world. Its just the right amount of seriousness but whimsical fantasy. I fell in love with all the characters and was throughly transported to the time period through the amazing writing. Highly recommend this book

A cursed girl , a handsome lord , war , love , faeries I was all in for this story

so Theodora goes out into the woods on her own when she was young meets a not so nice faerie who curses her she ends up with as the story tell you in the title only half a soul she has no sense of fear at all , then she comes across the handsome lord Sorcier she ends up head over heels for ,Sorcier find out what has happened to her ,Theodora end up being dragged into very bad fea affairs. and well as much as I want to give away there and don't want to spoil to much .


over all I really enjoyed this read was to long plenty of fantasy , love , and danger I would recommend this to people who love a young adult read , the polite was simple but I liked that didn't have your head spinning like what the hell going on like some fantasy books do ,


I really liked Olivia writing how she kept things very simple just what I needed .
over all a great fantasy read .

Tigger warnings . there is death , war , emotional abuse and kidnapping

Half a soul by oliva atwater

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, little brown book group and Olivia Atwaterfor the opportunity to read this book.

Before reading this I had been looking for a fantasy book that would fill both that box and my love of regency romances, this is that book. The author worked both genres together seamlessly.

Characterwise I don't think there was a single one I didn't like (except those you aren't meant to). I found the way the main character was written to be really interesting and something I hadn't really seen in any book I've read before. To have some have very little showing of emotion and yet I felt emotionally connected to her was brilliant. The love interest and the other side character were really well fleshed out and felt like good additions to the story.

The core romance was very cute and one that felt organic rather than forced which can be an issue in some regency books.

All in all I gave it 5 stars because I enjoyed it so much while on holiday that only a giant bug hitting me in the face could draw me away from it.

This is regency fantasy romance, which combines 2 genres I enjoy!

As a child, a fae tried to claim the soul of our main character, as he was apparently owed, but is prevented from completing it so she is left with half a soul. This has left her very oddly detached from everything, she doesn't react like normal people, she doesn't have the same extremes of emotion - all of which has not left her well loved by the Aunt that she lives with.


So when they have to travel to London to find her cousin a husband she is supposed to just do what she's told and not do anything weird. So of course she finds herself involved in trying to solve this strange sleeping sickness that is sweeping through the workhouses of London and working with the only sorcerer in London. The sorcerer who is grumpy and doesn't like people... and yet...

This was a fun, finish it in one sitting kind of book. Our main character is definitely different in how she reacts to situations, but uts really lovely the way that she does react in emotional situations. The way the author describes both the way that the cruel comments build up and those who feel like a 'warm lantern' to her.

This is the first in a series but can be read as a standalone as the storyline of the main couple is fully wrapped up.

4.25 stars, I look forward to reading other books from this author

So I wasn't sure at first that I was going to enjoy this book, as I've tried Regency era books before & found them rather dull (all the manners, characters all sounded the same because of the social ettiquette of the time, except that one girl who is different), however, this book really pleasantly surprised me!
Yes, it does have a girl who is different, Dora has half her soul stolen by a Faerie lord as a child, and so is never really able to understand emotions fully and doesn't always act the correct way in social situations. However, she is devoted to her cousin Vanessa, and does all she can to appear normal for her sake, though vanessa adores her as she is. However, she knows that Dora longs to be 'normal' as so she comes up with the idea to visit london, under the ruse of finding herself (and dora) a husband, but really she is hoping to have Dora introduced to the Lord Sorcier, a great magician of the court, in hope that he can find a cure for her.
there is the typical regency manners and speech, but slightly soften, so i found it much easier to read and a whole lot more enjoyable. I found each of the characters different and lively. With several growing quite wonderfully throughout the story.
there's a nice little mystery thrown in, as there are workhouse children falling into sleeps from which they never waken, and it ties beautifully into the main story.
though this is a romance, and it is very important to the story, it's never forced and it is an important part of the story, but not the entire story on it's own, which i found really enjoyable. Too often romances in books feel very convenient, but here they seem natural.
so overall, i really recommend this book. I found it very hard to put down and i'll certainly be picking up more books in this series!

Two regency books in the last few months! What's going on with that! But Half a Soul is regency with a difference. It's a faerie tale that just happens to be set in regency England!

I really enjoyed it. Though I can't say it was an accurate reflection of the time period, or that regency fans would like it, I feel like fans of the fae and fairytales would really like it.

Though Dora has only half a soul and therefore doesn't feel emotions in the same way as everyone else, this book doesn't lack in emotion. She feels what she calls "long tailed emotions" like hurt and passion and slow burning anger.

What I loved most about her was her passionate anger when faced with the injustices of the workhouse and the world. I also felt that there are parallels between her and some neurodiversities! I don't know if it was intentional, but some of the bluntness in the way Dora spoke and the way she saw the world around her felt really familiar to me and I couldn't help comparing it to my autism. In many ways this felt like a disability story as well.
So read for: dark irredeemable faeries, swoon-worthy magicians and a sizable helping of magic!

Thank you so much to @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for giving me an ebook of Half a Soul by @oliviaatwaterauthor to review! This one is available tomorrow (30th June)!

Review: Half a Soul was the perfect blend of fantasy and historical romance. I felt like I was reading a fairytale, there was such an enrapturing combination of whimsy, romance, and magic (both good and sinister).

Dora was a beautifully written and relatable main character. Although she has half a soul, meaning that she feels things differently, Dora is still compassionate and strong in her own way.

As a big fan of enemies-to-lovers I really enjoyed Elias as the love interest. His initial disdain and anger comes from a place of grief and moral outrage and it was so interesting to see more of his true self as he opened up throughout the book.

Read for:
• A Regency romance with magic and a fairytale vibe ✨

• Enemies to lovers ❤️

• A whip-smart FMC

• A MMC who’s secretly a cinnamon roll

• Curse breaking 🪄

• Meddling society mammas 👀

• An adorable secondary romance plot 💜

Rating: 5/5🌟
Steam level: 0.5/5 🔥 however the tension level when Dora and Elias hold hands is way up there. We know how important hand touches are in historical romances 😂

#HalfASoul #NetGalley

*Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest review*

As a huge fan of Austen, other regency romance and fantasy, when I saw this book described as a 'regency faerie tale', I immediately knew I needed it.

Half a Soul was unique and had a plot that was more than just romance and I absolutely adored it. The characters were beautifully written and I loved the concept of Dora's lack of emotions (you'll see what I mean). And of course we had a grumpy, broody love interest (Can it get any better? I think not).

The ways in which the magical aspects of this new world were integrated were also fantastic and parts were absolutely hilarious.

If you like any kind of regency romance, there is no doubt you'll like this one and if you're a fan of fantasy romance, this is also the one for you.

I haven't read YA books for a while, this definitely had that YA feel too it. The romance was extremely clean, not something I usually go for. However, I actually really enjoyed this book.

I really enjoyed the historical element of it, whether this is because of the familiarity I felt with the concept, the workhouse, the rich vs poor etc, I'm not sure. You learn a lot about these things growing up in England, mixing that with the element of magic, fae, and a brooding man really surprised me. In a good way.
The concept really interested me too, the FMC Dora loses half her soul as a child, this happens at the beginning of the book and it was actually quite refreshing to know what her affliction was throughout the book, rather than guessing throughout the story.
The MMC, Elias gave the element of mystery and I found him a really enjoyable character. Dora meets him in London, where she travels to help her cousin find a husband, Elias is a complicated war hero, known for his abilities as a magician in court.
The two spark immediately, when he agrees to help her with her problem, but together they discover more sinister plots afoot within the poor of the city.

As expected the elements of society and the roles women used to play are shown throughout, but coupling that with the shock of the poor added a lot more substance to it all.
The twists in the second half of the book did surprise me, I actually wasn't sure how the story would end, it definitely left me guessing.
It's a really well written book: the single POV of Dora was done so well, she doesn't react like a 'normal' person would, but that didn't seem forced, the narrative stuck throughout and the explanations of emotions and the way people feel them was described so well.
I've seen a lot of people compare this to Bridgerton. I don't really agree, IMO it gave me Infernal Devices vibes, a series I really enjoyed when it came out. This is a standalone, unlike Infernal Devices but I will definitely be reading the other two to see what else the author comes up with.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book - such a fun and magical romp through Regency London, basically A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting but with added magic! Atwater also touches on issues of social responsibility and found family that were deftly done considering the short page count. And Dora may well be one of my favourite characters for a while. More Regency fairytales please!

I really liked half a soul and I never used to read anything like this but I honestly enjoyed it! Definitely worth picking up.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

Half a Soul

5 stars.

This book is such a whimsical tale that combines the historical regency era with fairies and magic. It’s a beautiful tale of a girl called Dora (Theodora) whose soul was partially stolen by a faerie and how she unintentionally finds love in a match most perfect for her. Dora is a strong female lead and I really loved her development throughout, there were times where I was rather annoyed with some of her actions but as the story goes on you realise that it’s just the way she is after all, she only has half a soul.

I also really loved both characters, the main male lead Elias Wilder also known as the Lord Scorcier is a really well written character and love interest. As I was reading I could feel myself falling in love with his character which was so surprising as I prefer rather villainous minded folk but what I quite liked about the Elias was that even though he was a morally grey character he very much had his reasons which unfold as you read.

The plot was very fast paced though I must say that the beginning portion of the book is quite slow but it does pick up the pace as I did feel like stopping in the first quarter but I definitely highly recommend persevering as you will not be disappointed.

Overall I would recommend this book especially for fans who like historical romances with a little magical twist.

Will I reread in the future? Yes.
Will I read anything else by the author? Yes, I believe the author is releasing the sequel in the near future

Thanks netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lighthearted regency romance with a twist - combining magicians and Faerie with Regency England, Half a Soul is a charming, whimsical read. The heroine is Miss Dora Ettings. An encounter with an evil fairy when she was a child has unfortunately left Dora with only half a soul, which shows itself through her mismatched eyes and lack of expression. With only half a soul, Miss Ettings finds it difficult to feel strong emotions or to react to people in what would be considered a ‘normal’ way. Her Aunt quite despairs of her as an unmarriageable burden and is only focused on her marrying off her own daughter Vanessa. But Vanessa loves her cousin and is determined to find a way to cure her, which brings both girls into the orbit of the Lord Sorcier, magician to the Prince Regent. Lord Sorcier is known to be handsome but unbearable, but he might just have met his match with the imperturbable Miss Ettings.

Heartily recommended for fans of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, as the premise is very similar in respect of magicians and fairies in regency England, but an overall lighter and shorter read, and more of a romantic air.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Little, Brown Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic read, one that filled me with hope and optimism even as it entertained.

Prickly characters who don't appreciate the appearance of correctness over the existence of genuine, active kindness will always win my heart, and this did a great job. Both Elias and Dora get shunned for the ways that they stand out and refuse to fit into the polite society, but their inherent goodness shines through and makes them both very compelling and sympathetic characters.

I enjoyed the use of faerie to lightly but pointedly critique and criticise the real world. The criticisms were never overbearing but were clear and fitted inwwll to the over-riding story.

I was absolutely involved and enthused to read this book and I have put the rest of the series high up on my tbr list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Headlines:
If historical romance met The Cruel Prince...
Light and fun

I knew almost immediately on starting this book that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. It was engaging, light and fun but with depth to the characterisation and story. The characters felt fresh and three dimensional and I loved the MCs.

Dora had half a soul and as such, I saw parallels between how her character was written and some people's experience of neurodiversity. She was was loveable just as she was and although some of the people around didn't appreciate her lack of emotionality, she leapt off the page to me. The Lord Sorcier was such a grump sliced with oddity and integrity...I loved him too.

This story had every regency London feel even though there was an alter-location in Faerie. The ton, the sensibilities and proprieties brought that essential vibe of those times. It was interesting for sure to see this intersect with an acceptance of magic and fae existence.

The plot was totally engaging and the development of Elias and Dora's friendship was just lovely. I was here for every moment. I'm so glad this is a series and I can't wait to read more.

Thank you Orbit Books for the early review copy.

Ever since half her soul was stolen by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has been lacking the ability to feel or express strong emotions. As a result, she has no sense of fear or embarrassment, which makes her quite prone to accidental scandal. During the London Season, Dora is determined to be as normal as possible so as not to hinder her cousin in finding a suitable husband. But then she meets the Lord Sorcier, Elias Wilder, and is drawn into a perilous investigation into a strange sleeping curse affecting children in the local workhouses.

If you’ve ever thought Bridgerton could do with a bit more fantasy, then look no further. Your search is most definitely over. When I started reading Half a Soul, I wasn’t convinced that it would work, but it really grew on me as I read on. The characters are good – especially Albert and Elias – and the magical elements are woven into the regency setting very well.

The pot is quite simple but enjoyable, and fast-paced enough to make this a very quick and easy read, but it does still manage to deal with some societal issues and include a very sweet and organic romance.

The thing that did get on my nerves were the constant unnecessary reminders of Dora’s inability to react to things in a ‘normal’ way. The way this was persistently reiterated and re-explained throughout the book felt quite patronising as the reader. Overall, a very strong entry into what is probably quite a niche market, but could have benefitted from slightly more ruthless editing.

Bridgerton but with magic! Yes please ❤️

A fun and fanciful regency romp - perfect for summer reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book for the ARC.

I was immediately intrigued by the mixture of magic and Regency and I have to say that Atwater delivers on both of these brilliantly. The journey that we are taken on as a reader along with Dora's character is superb - whilst she struggles to express her emotions due to having only half a soul (stolen by a Faerie), she is well known for being blunt but this also makes her astute, and her position on the outskirts of the society circle allows her to observe and see what others might miss. The growth to her understanding of her own worth - and the proving of this to others around her - is a wonderful one.

The addition of complex characters such as Elias, the Lord Sorcier again highlights Atwater's ability to turn the reader's feelings towards a character on their head and at the end, you are rooting for him fully! I also thought the inclusion of the workhouses and the slow turning of upper class understanding of the plight of the poor at this time was well written.

All in all, this was a gripping read and a world that I would definitely want to read more about!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **