I really enjoy gothic novels, and this book is a wonderful choice for fans of young adult gothic fantasy, small-town mysteries, secrets, and curses.

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate:
🖤 Gothic vibes
🌕 Family histories with longstanding rivalries
🖤 An honest and relatable main character with a strong inner voice
🌕 Small-town charm/drama
🖤Multiple love interests (I'm a little over it, but it wasn't bad)
🌕 Multiple POV

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at first, but the beautiful UK cover caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did! Penny Emberly is a relatable heroine, and I appreciated how her anxiety was portrayed subtly. The magic system has a classic gothic feel, and while I would have loved even more world-building, what’s there fits the moody Midwest setting. Having lived in the Midwest, I could feel the atmosphere—there’s just something about small towns when something feels a little off, and Idlewood has that vibe. The history between the De Luca witches and the Barrion family IS the drama. The dynamic between Penny, Alonso, and Corey is fun, even if the love triangle is a perhaps overly familiar YA element.

A curse, two boys, coven of witches ...seems like the perfect book. It really drew me in right from the beginning. I felt that we were sucked in the story right away and I liked that but the writing style might be a bit too young for my taste, It bored me at times: after the story starts off, the central part of the book kind of goes in circle, overexplains things and there were chapters that were almost entirely about characters reminiscing the events or the plans we already knew about. I just wanted them to start doing things! Fortunately, I pushed through and it was rewarding. I really enjoyed the last third and will read the sequel.

Many thanks to the author, Alyssa Villaire, NetGalley, and the publishers, Penguin Random House UK Children’s, for a digital ARC of this book. I read three YA novels within a week and this is my favourite, and the one that kept me up reading way past my bedtime.
It begins, as so many American YA books do, at a high school party. Penny is just getting a drink and observing her host, golden boy Cory Barrion, when bad boy Alonso De Luca approaches her. This is a problem for Penny as (i) the Barrion and De Luca families have been at war for as long as anyone in the town can remember and (ii) Alonso really is a bad boy - when they were children, Penny saw him perform necromancy on a cat. No prizes for guessing what happens next.

No one in the town beyond the two families knows what’s really behind their enmity, but when Penny’s mother is struck down in a car accident, Cory tells her the truth. Alonso’s grandfather placed a curse on the Barrion family, and now, every time a member of the family falls in love, the person they love dies. Penny persuades Alonso and Corey to work together with her to lift the curse so that her mother can get better (and hopefully resolve the family feud in the process).

I loved this book. It’s well-written, gripping, and the characters are rounded human beings. Alonso, far from being a bad boy, is a quirky, bike-polo-playing sweetheart. Corey is more morally grey than you might expect, and dealing with a lot of problems within his family. The use of magic was original, and the plot didn’t really go where I expected (apart from the love triangle, which isn’t really a triangle as it’s pretty clearly only going to resolve in one direction). If you like sweet YA fantasy, I would recommend this.

A fun entertaining read whilst I would say it sits towards the younger end of YA the story and characters are more than enough to keep you engrossed.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and the changing dynamics between the three main characters. I really enjoyed the mystery and kept my guessing throughout.

My main reason to request a digital review copy of this book through Netgalley was the cover. It might be a little morbid, but I love it when the hearts on cover are less romantic and more anatomical. The second reason was the promise of a gothic dark romance with magic and a love triangle. I know some people are done with love triangles, but I love them. Luckily Penguin granted me a review copy and I could start reading.

This book has a lot of amazing qualities and I was constantly looking forward to reading more. The characters are for sure a highlight of this book. They're teens, so they have teenage issues and there is some teenage drama, but they're also easy to like. Their issues and problems might be supernatural, but they're in a way also very relatable. It's easy to understand why these characters feel what they feel and do what they do, even if it's not always the right thing.

I also loved the magic and the plot. Everything seems quite simple in the beginning of the book, but quite soon we discover that maybe this is more complicated than we think and more might be going on. The finale was one big rollercoaster of exciting scenes, reveals, loads of danger and characters slowly showing their true self. And although it seemed for a while that this could be a standalone, I'm really excited that we're gonna get another book in the series!

And then there's the love triangle. Is everyone gonna love it? Most certainly not. Do I already have a preference for a certain guy to get the girl? Most certainly yes. Does the love triangle work for this story? Absolutely! I think the love triangle is even needed to make this plot work. It's the only reason why Penny would be able to get the two guys to work together. I'm mostly excited about the next book in the series because of this: There's some delicious drama on the horizon!

I loved it!!

At the start, I was a bit unsure if I was going to. It felt a bit slow, but once I got into it, I found it hard to put down!

I loved the magic, the cafe, the lgtbqia rep, the banter, the charm. It's definitely a YA book, but I've always enjoyed YA even though I'm an adult now!

I was rooting for these characters the whole way through and hoped that even though I wanted them to win that it wasn't going to be made too easy for them, and it wasn't. I liked the extra twists to help them achieve their goals.

I also feel like there are more secrets to unravel in this magical little town, and I am very much looking forward to reading Book 2!

A great debut YA novel, highly recommend.

A magical mystery story, with a historical crime to solve and lives to save. Alyssa Villaire has crafted a unique and intriguing story, centred on two feuding families - the De Lucas and the Barrions. When Penny gets caught in the crossfire, they have to work together to finally fix things once and for all but with a lot of obstacles in their way, and a truth to uncover, it's not an easy path.

I really liked Penny and loved to see her character development in this book, as she builds in confidence and fights for herself and what she wants. Their small town seems pretty toxic, so at times it's a wonder anyone wants to live there, but we also don't get to see too much of it so that is a shame. We do get a feel for how the rumour mill works and what it is to be an outcast in that kind of place. It was interesting to see the relationships between Alonso, Penny and Corey change throughout the book. These three learn a lot about themselves and each other across the story. They have a lot to overcome and the stakes are high!

Though at times the plot moved a little too slowly for me, and I expected more resolution from the ending, overall I enjoyed this dark and twisty novel and look forward to continuing the series.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

The glittering edge
Book 40 of 2025

This was a great YA book, it drew me in from the start with a story of curses and family rivals. It was easy to read, The characters were likeable and the plot was interesting.
I’m so glad it’s part of a duology as I do feel quite attached to the characters and want more!
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

When Penny’s mother, Anita, falls into a coma because of a curse, Penny ends up teaming up with Alonso&Corey, two boys from her high school. But Alonso De Luca and Corey Barrion are from rival families and the quest to end the curse will bring old family secrets to the surface.

This book is everything! I couldn’t stop reading it and enjoyed every page.

First of all this is a great YA fantasy story and I loved the magic, the small town vibes&of course the spells, witches, covens and dark family secrets.

The characters are so well written. They are complexe, relatable and I loved to see them evolve during the course of their summer adventures. I particularly loved how the author took time to explain how one of the character was feeling being a mixed kid (Black African mom and white American dad) in a, predominantly, white family and small town who is mostly white.

One of the main character struggles with anxiety and the way it was written about was great and very realistic.

I also absolutely adored the romance between two of the main characters. It was very sweet and I hope will see more of it in the next book 💌

I was so invested in the story, the characters and definitely need book 2 asap.

If you want a charming YA fantasy book then this one is definitely one I would recommend 🖤

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK Children's and Alyssa Villaire for providing me with an e-copy of this amazing book 🩶

The Glittering Edge
Okay this gives me Once Upon A Broken Heart vibes but with realism surroundings. It’s so good. I might be just as obsessed! There’s curses,feuding families, heart break, love triangle (mildly). Witches that have lost their powers. That all being said they had to work together to try and break the curse! Once i started reading this, I could not put it down. A cliffhanger that made me want to throw the book…except it was on my kindle 😂. When is book 2 out?! Because I need it nowww! *whines*.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

While this book had a predictable plot, I enjoyed the well-developed characters! The magic system is especially interesting, and I hope to see more covens in the second book.

3.5 stars

Sadly this isn’t the book for me and I couldn’t finish it past the 30% mark! I really struggled with the writing style and didn’t find the characters relatable. I am a big lover of YA, but this simply wasn’t the book for me.

A curse that starts and finishes everything! I absolutely loved the premise of this book and the atmosphere. Penny was a believable character, determined and head-strong.
I also really enjoyed how much Penny fought for saving her mother, their relationship was beautiful, no matter the very short on page interactions. The need to solve the curse brought up more family secrets and drama.

I think this book is perfect for the lower and middle YA ages and overall it is a fast paced, enjoyable fantasy that adds a little bit of freshness to the genre!

A magical feud has ensnared many locals in a small Indiana town, and Penny is determined to end it when it claims her mum.

The plot moves quickly and despite only getting a few short moments between Penny and her mum, their dynamic was beautifully written and full of depth. The remaining cast did not quite match up to our main heroine. The writing felt quite cliched at times and a few descriptive details undid some of the mystery and tension that had been built up.

I DNF'd this very early on as i couldnt get past the young tone of the writing style. This is a me problem and not the book so i would definitely still be inclined to recommend this to my teen students in future to those i know would like this genre of books. I may also try the audiobook when it is released.

This one was so mixed for me. I’m not YA but I love the genre so much. So at times I appreciate that these stories aren’t written with me in mind. I felt that the blurb had a lot of promise, but at times I tired of the writing and the boys in the love triangle were just annoying so I couldn’t root for either of them.

This book really surprised me.
Inhabitants of Idlewood all know of the tragic love story that sparked a blood feud between the DeLucas and the Barrions. In the fallout of this tragedy, the Barrions are cursed; anytime a Barrion falls in love, that person dies. The Barrions blame the DeLucas for this ill-fate as they are a coven of witches. The Barrions are cursed, and the DeLucas were stripped of their magic as punishment.
The story follows Penny as she tries to undo this curse when the next person to be loved by a DeLuca is her mother. Her mother is in a coma, and Penny must fight against the clock to unweave the magic that is holding onto her mother. The only way she can do this is with the help of Alonso DeLuca and Corey Barrion.
This book really surprised me, I found myself gripped by the mystery element of the story. The magical elements were interesting and unpredictable. The romance was very sweet, and the story had a gothic tone to it. It was very antmo yet cosy with the small town backdrop. Overall it was very enjoyable and I couldn’t put it down. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique, witchy young adult fantasy read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book! 🖤

This was a fun read! Took a little while to get in to, I would say it started to pick up more about 50/60% of the way through.

Although it predominantly revolves around high school teenagers, a huge majority of the book isn’t in the high school setting at all. Events take place in various other settings more (which I really liked).

This book has all the family drama and the twists and turns. Romance is not a massive element, it is very YA. A majority of the book is around the actual plot, rather than focusing on the romance.

A diverse array of characters and a great anxiety rep with the FMC.

An enjoyable and comforting book that’s easy to read and love. Left open for the story to continue and I will definitely read the next one!

Extremely atmospheric with touches of witchy magic and a light love triangle.

There was so much I enjoyed about this story. From the characters to the setting, it was an extremely enjoyable read.

It gave strong The Raven Boys vibes but with the added dash of witches. Very easy to read and follow but with great writing and pacing.

I will definitely be picking up more by this author in the future as I am hooked!

If you love your YA books full of magic, family drama and romance this is one to look out for. I really enjoyed the characters in this one, they were unique and to have the feuding families element of the story really kept me engaged.

Although their is a love triangle it's pretty tame, mainly because it is a YA novel so I wouldn't let that put you off at all. For me it was clear who she would pick early on.

The main driver of this story was the curse and following Penny trying to save her mother. It was very atmospheric and fast paced with teenage drama but with high stakes. Overall I've given it 4 stars! ⭐