Serpent & Dove was as sweet as Lou's favorite cinnamon buns from Pan's Patisserie! Here I am in my stylish apron about to bake five delicious bright stars and serve them on the prettiest food platter you have ever seen and serve them to debut author Shelby Mahurin! It is always such a treat when I keep thinking about the characters and plot of a novel long after I close the book. Serpent & Dove took over my waking thoughts and even visited my dreams! When I had to put the book down I cursed the fact that life got in the way of such an appetizing and crave-worthy read! Bound as one to love, honor, or burn. It's been two years since Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, laying low and avoiding magic at all costs which turned her into a thief in East End living off whatever she could steal. In Cesarine witches like Lou are hunted, feared and burned by a group of holy men call Chasseurs who believe witches are evil. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into a sticky situation: an impossible union—holy matrimony. Serpent & Dove is a tale filled with enemies-to-lovers, confronting prejudice, and devoted friendship. Love comes at a price and I was left incredibly vulnerable while reading this book. Readers are introduced to a tough, foul-mouthed, thieving cinnamon-bun-loving Lou and her character arc had steam coming out of my ears, a blush creeping up my cheeks, tears pooling in my eyes, and I laughed so hard I thought I'd stop breathing and die. The love story was messy and beautiful and completely my "effed up" cup of tea. For 500 pages, Shelby Mahurin was really able to unpack all of the tension and shape it into a gorgeous piece of art that I will never be able to get out of my head! I love the beauty of opposites and the way they compliment each other. Serpent & Dove is filled with a lot of contradictions which is what makes the love story so pure: it's perfect because of it's imperfections. I also enjoyed all of the revelations that helped the story come full circle. I'm always devastated when books are left open-ended with big "what-ifs" but Serpent & Dove left me feeling incredibly satisfied and eager for Blood & Honey set to release on September 1st, 2020. Like I mention previously, this book is 500 pages but it is so incredibly easy and entertaining to read. It was almost like Shelby Mahurin didn't want her readers to have to thing very hard or unpack the story with long drawn out lyrical sentences. It was straight and to the point and just exciting and wickedly entertaining! Bon Appetite, book loves! Enjoy Serpent & Dove and then come tell me your thoughts after! :) About the AuthorSHELBY MAHURIN grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn't fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and obsesses over her Twitter feed. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband, semi-feral toddlers, two dogs, and one cat. Shelby's favorite books include A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and, of course, Harry Potter. Her second novel, BLOOD & HONEY, is expected to release from Harper Teen September 1st, 2020. Visit Shelby on Instagram (@shelbymahurin) and Twitter (@shelbymahurin) and say hello!
2 Comments
Taylor
2/16/2020 10:32:23 pm
Thanks so much, Hailey!! It was seriously amazing and I know you will love it since you love romance and enemies-to-lovers so much!! This is right up your alley, girlie.
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