I really enjoyed this one - I was pulled in from the moment that I saw this being suggested to fans of Kiera Cass' 'Selection' series, and I was not disappointed!

4 Star Rating ****

Plot
The book opens with our protagonist on the hunt to kill a man that harmed her in the past (SA trigger warning), but when an unknown curse strikes down her best friend, she is forced to attend a royal selection ceremony at the palace to get close to him. Ensue love triangle between protagonist, prince, and prince’s guard.

Genre
Overall, I cannot say this is a work of literary genius, and if you are into advanced world building and character development this is probably not the book for you. But, if you are into cozy fantasy with cute characters, a fast-paced plot, and an overall cozy feeling, you would enjoy this book. The story to me was similar in feel to “A curse of true love” by Stephanie Garber, and “These Hollow Vows” by Lexi Ryan in the protagonist attends a ball with no interest in falling in love with the arrogant prince, she is just their for her own means, but ends up charmed regardless.

Likes
Firstly, when I picked up this book, I was told it was a love triangle, but I was NOT expecting who between. I was on board with an Ezra/Bash love triangle, but way to just eliminate Ezra and throw Riot in the mix! And then make him my favourite! Way to throw me off my game from the very beginning!
The thing I appreciated most in this book is the author is not afraid to make you really emotionally invested in a character or relationship, and then kill them off. For me this gives the book real stakes and an atmosphere. I feel the characters tension when things so wrong because it genuinely is life and death and I know the author is not afraid to pull that card.
I really liked the characters in this book, they felt fleshed out and unique, but were still realistic (with the exception of Bash in the last 50 pages who apparently put his charisma down somewhere for forgot to pick it back up). Riot and Khiara and super cute and defo my endgame.

Dislikes
A few negatives were that the story felt a little juvenile at times, with a slightly predictable premise. The romance between Khiara and Riot sort of came out of nowhere and it felt a little forced to begin with, like the author wanted a love triangle and Riot was just sort of the only other male around, but in the end, I really liked their chemistry and thought they were super cute together.
Another issue was the beginning of this book a long time to get going. The writing was very slow and nothing much happened for the first third of the book or so. I wasn’t sure based on the beginning if I was even going to like this book, as the whole mood was much more sombre and darker, with a focus on some very heavy topics. There is then a complete flip when the whole tone of the book becomes much lighter and enjoyable, and the main character stops being so introspective and becomes the sassy, fiery Khiara we know.

I have been slowly getting back into fantasy and I ATE THIS UP. SO GOOD I loved the storyline and it kept me enticed the whole time

I am a sucker for royal selection stories, assassins, and strong female leads - of which this book has each of these elements in spades! This book ended on a cliffhanger so I'm very excited to see where the second one goes, but I'm hoping the main character evolves a bit and is less contradictory and more clear with her motives & decisions as she progresses. It's written with a more modern feel than some of the other stories in this vein, and sometimes took me out of the magical setting. Overall, I enjoyed it and would like to see where this series goes.

This book was a bit slow to start, however when the action started it had me hooked! I love how Khiara is such a strong female lead, who doesn't take anything from anyone. Her story is powerful, and focused around her and the knowledge she is unaware that she is seeking. Riot is my favorite, though tough and bitter, I would love to learn more about all of the characters! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book!
Thank you to Bailey Black and NetGalley for this ARC!

*Arc received from Netgalley. All opinions are my own*

**Potential spoilers**
TLDR: I can’t recommend The Cerise at all. There are very few positives about the book and a whole host of issues and questions. You can find similar plots and tropes in different books but executed far better. Also has one of the worst sex scenes I’ve read so it’s not even worth reading for the romance.

My issues with The Cerise started in the opening chapters and found myself struggling through the entire story. It has been one of the worst reads of 2024 to date for me.

My issues with The Cerise started right from the beginning and unfortunately didn't improve. There is a massive emphasis on Khiara, our FMC, and her red hair which often signals someone as being a Cerise (a kind of elemental witch). Despite the importance of her hair colour being highlighted, her (disguised) red hair was uncovered very quickly with very few people actually being concerned by it and she is praised for her hair colour throughout the book. Even in the palace, despite the monarchy having gone on a genocidal spree to kill those with red hair to ensure all the Cerise were killed.

Our FMC has experienced SA and it was handled poorly and it often seems like the author has forgotten this bit of her character's history until it ties into the story somewhere. An example of how poorly this is handled, Khiara meets her abuser years later and he sends into what seems to be a sort of dissociative panic attack. The character with her (who out of the blue becomes a love interest) decides that the only way to “snap her out of it” is to kiss her and then says he would never lay hands on a lady. You just kissed her without her permission when she was clearly extremely vulnerable but okay??? There are a lot of inconsistencies with how Khiara acts in regards to her SA but it’s a common issue throughout.

You also have no reason to care about Khiara’s “mission” throughout this book, which is to save her best friend, as he drugged her so she would be with him. He pursues her despite her telling him no and that she doesn’t have those feelings for her and one of our first scenes with him is him leering at her in a way that makes her remember the man that assaulted her. So I really didn’t feel invested in having to go through all this effort for someone I really don’t find very redeemable and Kiara doesn’t give us many memories or reasons to like this friend either.

THE SEX SCENE. I have read some pretty poorly written sex scenes but this was by far the worst I’d ever read and made me visibly curl up and cringe while reading it. Also the plot just before and after wasn’t handled well and it was just terrible.

There’s a very weak love triangle, but again, I really didn’t fancy anyone in the triangle as a good love interest so, once more, there was just no incentive to keep reading or be invested in the story. Had this book not been for review, I would have DNF’d it multiple times. Definitely recommend looking for something else to read.

3.5 stars. This book was very hard for me to get into (this may just be a personal thing since life has been very busy), but once I was about 60% through it, things started progressing and I was more into it. I really like how there are multiple love interests at the beginning and it isn't clear who's - the one - and that keeps coming back. I was disappointed by how much of a cliffhanger the ending was. I feel like the next book and this one should probably just be one since this one wasn't too long or this should have ended more smoothly while still allowing for a cliffhanger. At the same time, this is smart to get the reader to read the next book... which I'm looking forward to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bailey Black for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book surprised me with its engaging pace and unique magic system. While it started slow, it quickly picked up, offering a well-executed love triangle and addressing dark themes, though potentially triggering. The cliffhanger ending left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. However, the story fell flat, with confusing character motivations and unresolved plotlines. Despite this, the unexpected love interest, political intrigue, and tension between characters added depth. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read with room for improvement in character development and world-building.

This book was confusing and intresting at the same time. I enjoyed the main character, I liked her empathy but I felt she lost it as she slowly seemed to forget why she was in the palace at all. The other characters were quite intresting but they really switched up their personalities at random points so it didn't feel very realistic.

The idea of her revenge plot really interested me and it was disappointing when this slowly tapered off and we were left with her mess of a plan. I don't understand her magic, though I suppose she doesn't either and the elements of history were intresting but SOOO info dumpy it made it hard to fully pay attention.

It was a great concept and I think it needed better plotting, and editing. (there were a lot of issues with speech marks that I found annoying) The Cerise is an intresting idea in need of a better execution and a more consistent storyline.

3.5/5

Overall I enjoyed the story and thought it was an interesting plot. It did seem very rushed though and I wish it had been longer with the storyline better developed. Some of the choices the main character main were confusing and I think the fast pace of the story contributed to that. I will be reading the next book but I hope it isn't as rushed and there's better character development.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

I loooooovee the prose in this book. It was like reading poetry chapter after chapter. The nickname “little bird” was so swoon worthy. The writing was very enjoyable and fantastical . I will say that it started extremely slow and took me a moment to get into but once the plot picks up I couldn’t put it down. My only other issue was the love triangle. I hate love triangles. But I will say the author did a great job of making both love interests likeable.

The fantasy novel receives a 3 star review for its imaginative world-building and intriguing premise, yet its execution falls short. The author crafts an immersive realm filled with mystical creatures and magical elements that spark the reader's curiosity. However, the convoluted plot overwhelms at times, with too many characters introduced too quickly without proper development. While the protagonist's quest to overcome a dark force threatening the land provides an epic backdrop, the stakes feel diminished by the confusing and slow-moving storytelling. The villain lacks nuance, coming across as generically evil. Still, the richly described setting and sprinkles of clever humor offer glimmers of enjoyment for fantasy fans willing to overlook the narrative shortcomings. With tighter plotting and characterization, this concept and setting could have transported readers; instead, the execution hampers its potential. The novel ends up a mixed bag with inspired world-crafting weighed down by haphazard storytelling. Overall, it shows promise but misses the mark for a truly engaging fantasy adventure to me.Personally the world building seemed to take more of a priority, in this first installment. I would definitely be interested to read another to see the development with the situation and characters.
Thank you Net Gallery for the opportunity to be an ARC reader and posting my honest opinions.

I didn't the like the first half of the book at all. The story didn't make any sense to me and there was almost no worldbuilding in the beginning, then you finally got a few explanations towards the end.
Reading the first words, you immediately got thrown into the story. I really thought at first that it's a sequel and I missed something, but no, suprisingly not.
Most of the book was sadly quite uninteresting and the FMC's emotions and feelings were barely described. The love interests were alright.

2 ☆ stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Khiara Hargrove has almost completed seeking revenge against the soldiers who killed her family. Using her powers as a magical, but highly treasonous, red haired Cerise (witch), she has tracked down Graves, the last soldier she has yet to kill.

“My hair makes me something unholy.
A daughter of legend.
A monster to be feared.
And killed.”

But when things don’t go according to plan and her childhood friend becomes cursed and subsequently taken to the castle dungeon, Khiara is forced to enter the Culling. This competition for the handsome prince’s proposal will get her into the castle to save her friend, but at what cost? Khiara must hide her identity as Cerise as she becomes entangled in unexpected love affairs and dangerous politics, all with her greatest enemy lurking in her midst.

“I’d rather see the teeth of my enemy than be stabbed in the back by their knife.”

This was a fun read! Very much a popcorn book, perfect for turning off your brain and just going along for the ride.

I do wish it was given another round of editing to smooth a couple things out. The story was set in a fantastical, fairy tale kingdom, yet there were several anachronisms that ruined the immersion- off hand references to photographs and refrigerators, as well as phrases like “mean-girl vibes” and “let’s be real.”

The pacing was also very strange, with the entire book taking place in about a week. Even worse, the first half of the book is just two days, which gives the story a sort of off balance feeling. While each scene is entertaining, things happen often because the plot says so, with many sequences overly convenient and heavily plot armored.

The romances- because at the end of the day, this is a romance- were actually baffling for me. This book is a love triangle (Love pyramid? Love asterisk?) between the three male leads and Khiara. I had no idea what to expect at any point between them. There is definitely fun banter and tension in this book! And I enjoyed it! But each relationship seemed to swing from enemies-to-lovers to friends to major-red-flags to soulmates, on repeat, at random. Again, this was dictated more because the plot demanded it than actual reason or change between the characters, but I digress.

“This is my chance.
My one shot to make people see me as more than a feared Cerise.”

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel, as this book ends with an intense cliffhanger and plenty of loose threads to keep readers guessing. I would recommend this for fans of the burgeoning romantasy genre, and for readers who enjoyed King of Battle and Blood and These Hollow Vows.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 stars
🌶️🌶️ spice

What an epic cliffhanger?!? I’m going to be in despair until I find out what happens, that was not how I expected the book to end!

I was very into the way these main characters were developed - they leaned away from stereotypes, there was room for grey area. You’re left not knowing who you can fully trust and where it’s going, which makes for an exciting reading experience. Not to mention having two love interests! This was seriously giving Dorian, Chaol and Celaena vibes.

Without giving any spoilers, I did see that identity reveal coming as soon as an alternate name was mentioned. One is a nickname for the other so I do wish it had been something completely different to make the reveal more impactful.

I do wish the book was slightly longer so there was space for some more world building. The plot focused on a few key moments and avoided big info dumps, which I appreciated in a first installment of a fantasy series. Not a whole lot happened, it wasn’t plot dense, but I feel as though it’s setting up for a larger story arc to come. I really enjoyed this book far more than I expected, a great start to a new series and will definitely be continuing this one.

Tropes:
🗡️Marriage Trials
🗡️Forbidden Romance
🗡️Secret Identities
🗡️Two MMCs (not really a love triangle though)
🗡️Enemies (ish) to Lovers

I liked the magic, romance, plot and characters! This was a good one! It was super fast paced for me. I really enjoyed it! Definately recommend!

Thank you for the ARC!

3.5

I really like the premise of the series thus far; witches and hunters and magic! I’m loving Khiara she’s very strong and opinionated and the lore of the world is very interesting and can’t wait to learn more. There does seem to be some type of potential love triangle and hm not really into that but I’m excited to see what happens with one love interest specifically. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

I received an ARC from Netgalley

To say this book confused me but had me gripped is an understatement. This book moved in such a fast pace for only taking place in a week. At times I felt it hard to keep up with what was happening and if anything I feel I am left with more questions than I started with.
However, will I be reading the second book? Definitely

This book originally started out slow so I was a bit skeptical, there also was not a lot of spice for my preference at the moment. Overall though, I believe it was well written and was a quick nice little read. I am looking forward to the next one!

I definitely did not think I would enjoy the book as much as I did. The romance was confusing, I could not decide who I wanted the female lead to end up with. The story in all had a lot of random things happening and random characters appearing, I hope the sequel will make it make more sense. The cliffhanger the book ended on made me want more as soon as possible.