Was this as advertised? Not exactly.
Did I enjoy this? Damned straight I did.
New Orleans, murder mysteries and vampires. I didn't know I needed it and I'm thrilled it is now in my possession. And that it delivered. The historical New Orleans setting was delightful. I've never been myself but I got a really great image of it from Ahdieh's descriptions. The murder mystery is what really drew me into this story. The narrative is told primarily from Celine's POV—with the odd Bastian chapter scattered throughout—but every so often we get a chapter of the murderer. And were those ever freaky. We don't know who—or apparently what—they are, but they are watching Celine. Obsessing over her. It was so well done and captured my attention immediately.
I admit, the vampire aspect was a bit weak. And I knew that going in, thanks to the many mixed reviews I'd seen floating around. To call it a vampire book is a bit of a stretch. A lot of the book had me wondering who was and wasn't a vampire as Celine is not one, and neither is Bastian. It's never really spoken out loud that they exist, but it's strongly implied. All that said, the second book is looking to be heavily laden with vampires and other paranormal goodies that I can't wait. The cover alone has me in eager anticipation, but the description has me crying I have to wait almost another year!
Look, I am a sucker for a female main character with a devil may care attitude. And Celine embodied that beautifully. She's bloody clever and had some quick quips that made me snicker. Her skill with dressmaking was a bit under-utilized in my opinion, but I liked the part it played in this story. She has a backstory that is unfortunate, but one that you can sympathize with. I thought Celine's regular self-assurances that she had a terrible darkness to her would become annoying, but it actually scratched the surface of her well. And I think it sets her up for what could potentially go down in book two.
There was a bit of a love triangle that—dare I say it?—I may have absolutely enjoyed. Nine times out of ten I despise it when the main character has two gents after her because it usually feels so forced and unrealistic. Like the author is trying to make them both happen so hard when it's like shoving a cube into a circular hole. This felt natural and believable, and either option I'd be delighted with. In fact, I really enjoyed how both relationships developed with Celine. They both felt like slow burns, even if she was obviously leaning the one way throughout. The synopsis is right when it says it's sultry and again, I'm looking forward to what comes next. Hearts. Are. Going. Shatter.
My rating is actually 4.5 out of 5, and I think what kept this from a perfect score was Ahdieh's writing style. This is my first book of hers so I can't say if it's a one-off or not. I just felt like it was at the same time perfect and way too over the top. Like, this is such great writing, but coming to that conclusion is a bit of a stretch. However poetic it is, you can't always compare pretty mundane things to being unmoored at sea. In the beginning, my mind drifted a few times and I got lost in making connections and following along. After about a hundred pages I was far more invested and not as bothered by it.
Did I enjoy this? Damned straight I did.
New Orleans, murder mysteries and vampires. I didn't know I needed it and I'm thrilled it is now in my possession. And that it delivered. The historical New Orleans setting was delightful. I've never been myself but I got a really great image of it from Ahdieh's descriptions. The murder mystery is what really drew me into this story. The narrative is told primarily from Celine's POV—with the odd Bastian chapter scattered throughout—but every so often we get a chapter of the murderer. And were those ever freaky. We don't know who—or apparently what—they are, but they are watching Celine. Obsessing over her. It was so well done and captured my attention immediately.
I admit, the vampire aspect was a bit weak. And I knew that going in, thanks to the many mixed reviews I'd seen floating around. To call it a vampire book is a bit of a stretch. A lot of the book had me wondering who was and wasn't a vampire as Celine is not one, and neither is Bastian. It's never really spoken out loud that they exist, but it's strongly implied. All that said, the second book is looking to be heavily laden with vampires and other paranormal goodies that I can't wait. The cover alone has me in eager anticipation, but the description has me crying I have to wait almost another year!
Look, I am a sucker for a female main character with a devil may care attitude. And Celine embodied that beautifully. She's bloody clever and had some quick quips that made me snicker. Her skill with dressmaking was a bit under-utilized in my opinion, but I liked the part it played in this story. She has a backstory that is unfortunate, but one that you can sympathize with. I thought Celine's regular self-assurances that she had a terrible darkness to her would become annoying, but it actually scratched the surface of her well. And I think it sets her up for what could potentially go down in book two.
There was a bit of a love triangle that—dare I say it?—I may have absolutely enjoyed. Nine times out of ten I despise it when the main character has two gents after her because it usually feels so forced and unrealistic. Like the author is trying to make them both happen so hard when it's like shoving a cube into a circular hole. This felt natural and believable, and either option I'd be delighted with. In fact, I really enjoyed how both relationships developed with Celine. They both felt like slow burns, even if she was obviously leaning the one way throughout. The synopsis is right when it says it's sultry and again, I'm looking forward to what comes next. Hearts. Are. Going. Shatter.
My rating is actually 4.5 out of 5, and I think what kept this from a perfect score was Ahdieh's writing style. This is my first book of hers so I can't say if it's a one-off or not. I just felt like it was at the same time perfect and way too over the top. Like, this is such great writing, but coming to that conclusion is a bit of a stretch. However poetic it is, you can't always compare pretty mundane things to being unmoored at sea. In the beginning, my mind drifted a few times and I got lost in making connections and following along. After about a hundred pages I was far more invested and not as bothered by it.