I was pleasantly surprised. This was a book I didn't expect to like so much.
The story (albeit a bit slow at times) was very exciting. I had no idea where it was going and I liked the mystery of it.

At the end of the book you get a few more answers and it ends with a cliffhanger. I will definitely want to read the next book. I can highly recommend it.

This audiobook wasn’t for me, explanation follows. But I’m sure others will like it a lot. If this book had come across my radar as a spicy romance novel about a woman, her feelings and confusion about choosing between two guys then I probably wouldn’t have listened to it. If by some chance I had listened to it, I would have given some extra stars. The narrative is fine on those terms. However, I picked it up for the fantasy element. Unfortunately for most of the book this is side-lined or just plain ignored for long periods, and certainly not developed along side the characters lives. Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. I had a hard time really getting to this book and finding it enjoyable. While the synopsis sounded wonderful, the writing wasn’t well executed.
She’s in an engagement with someone she grew up with but doesn’t truly love, and she ends up with a necklace that feeds off the wearer’s blood and bonds to their soul and they cannot take it off. While trying to get answers about the prisms she meets another person who also is bound to a prism they start falling for each other but their necklaces keep them from touching and truly being with each other.
After sneaking off to go meet with her new friend to try to figure out their prisms her fiancé’s mother had her followed by a p.i. and he accused her of cheating and they break off the engagement. I feel like th writing could have been better plus the narrator made the story a little dull as well

Just wow! This book was so creative and unique. I was literally stuck in every moment with Iris and that ending… I need to know what happens next. The narrator was great and brought depth and dimension to the story through her voice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️ An urban fantasy with art and alchemy elements.
It was a little slow for me to get into but I thoroughly enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the art piece descriptions sprinkled out as part of our fmc’s job.

A magical prism necklace that allows Iris to essentially astral project to a man she’s never met before, but yet once she actually meets him, they can’t touch without feeling pain! Not to mention he also has a matching prism of his own. While there’s definitely some spicy scenes, the romance did not take away from the plot and there was lots of magical elements throughout. Even from the beginning I was thinking “forget the finance, go for the mans that lives out in the mountains with his horse”. Hoyt, was that man! We get all the tension of a love triangle but tbh that fiancé had me so bored, I forgot his name most the time. Loved the support bestie the whole way through. But then that twist ending with a cliffhanger?! Diabolical. I can’t wait for book two and this is our reminder to not mess with magical artifacts we know nothing about lol.

3.75 stars- My favorite part of this book was the banter. The author did an incredible job developing their relationship and investing me into it. I've never read anything with a similar plot. I thought the premise with the crystals was incredibly interesting and I'm disappointed I can't finish the story, as of now, the author doesn't have a date for the next book. I tend to dislike reading incomplete series, but, this was worth the exception. I really loved Hoyt, he is absolutely everything. He's a hard working man who genuinely cares about Iris and wants her. He was kind and patient with her and didn't force her into anything she wasn't ready for. This is my first book by this author, I can only imagine book two will be so much better and I can't wait!

I truly wanted to love Crystal Iris. The synopsis was incredibly intriguing, and I had high hopes for an engaging read. However, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters, which made it difficult to become fully immersed in the story. The romance, unfortunately, felt rather forced, lacking the natural chemistry that makes a relationship compelling. Instead of drawing me in, it seemed contrived, which diminished any emotional impact it might have had.

Additionally, the pacing was far too slow for my liking. While I appreciate a well-developed narrative, I found myself growing impatient, waiting for something meaningful to happen. Although the writing itself is easy to understand and accessible, I believe this book is better suited to a different type of reader—perhaps someone who enjoys a more leisurely storytelling style or is willing to invest in the characters despite their shortcomings.

For me, however, it simply didn’t deliver the gripping experience I had hoped for. Sadly, I was left feeling bored rather than engaged.