The concept of this book was an intriguing one and initially I thought this was going to be a great book. However, throughout the book I just wanted more. I think the author has a tremendous talent (no pun intended) on storytelling, however, the plot was so similar to that of Phantom of the Opera, I was a little confused as to why it wasn't described as a Phantom of the Opera retelling? I love a good retelling of an existing story so I think that would've made all the difference for me. However, it kind of felt like it was ripping it off without giving the proper acknowledgments? I did like the magic system but I think it needed more detail and history to really round out the world-building. All that being said, I did enjoy this novel and I think lots of other people will too. Denner does an incredible job of creating a wonderful atmosphere and the story is immersive, I was just left with a feeling of wanting more. I would say give this book a chance to see what you think of it.

The kiss Of The Knightingale is a YA Fantasy Romance written by Adi Denner

Synopsis: This book follows Cleo a nineteen-year-old who was believed to inherit her father’s tailoring talent, however when he passed the magic went with him. Set in a world where talents are detrimental and are gifted from generation to generation through blood magic. Magic, love and betrayal hold more than one knows.

Firstly the cover is very captivating, and certainly made me curious. The storyline has similarities to Phantom Of The Opera and Powerless. I really enjoyed the operatic side of this book, I have never read a book like this and it made the whole storyline even more compelling. The description of the characters costumes and outfits is incredibly deserving of all the praise, in my eyes Denner beautifully detailed the outfits within this book with elegance.

Main Characters:
Cleo - Strong willed and willing to do what is best for her sister.
Nuriel - Arrogant yet charming in his own way
Dahlia - Seductive temptress of darkness

One thing I will say is that I would have liked to have seen more interactions between Nuriel and Cleo and deepen their connection and seen their feelings develop further. There are elements of a love triangle which adds tension between characters.

I feel as though with the ending, there could be potential of another book. It leaves you feeling captivated and in awe of what could be, yearning for the story to continue.

Heavily influenced by opera and music, A Kiss Of A Nightingale takes you on a journey of passion, desperation, deceit and betrayal.

Thank you to the Publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this as my first ARC for an honest review.

Dnf at 36%. I tried twice with this book and the world building left me struggling on both occasions. Unfortunately it isn’t for me but can see the appeal it holds for others. Has a good idea just not the right execution for me to enjoy.

I really tried getting into it, but I guess it wasn't for me. Strange because I really do like the themes of this book. Maybe when it's published, I'll give it another try.

This book was interesting, not entirely my vibe when I got started as I wasn’t the biggest fan of our MC, overall I enjoyed the setting of this book and the fantastical elements

Thank you net gallery and Dialogue Books for the arc it was 3.5 stars read for I don’t love it or hate it was good it was interesting it’s about 19 century Paris had phantom of the opera vibes some suspense and mystery and bit of magic I just wish they was more character development

I really enjoyed the premise of the book, set in an alternative Paris rich in art, music and fashion.

While I found the MC, Cleo, a little brash and even bratty at times, the strength of her relationships with the other characters, both romantic and familial, were one of the strongest themes of the book.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys romance and fantasy.

1890 Lutèce Talents are precious gems that give their owners skills beyond belief. The most elite talents however are claimed by the
aristocracy, passed down through generations by blood magic. Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father's talent of tailoring but when he died, his magic died with him leaving her with a gem less ring and empty promises. The dress shop is going under and her younger sister, despite inheriting their mother’s talent, is ill and bedridden.

One day she meets Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a singing talent and with it a chance to save her sister and rewrite their lives. Cleodora is sucked in but there's catch she needs to steal a talent from the Lenoir family. Cleodora however is entranced and annoyed by the handsome Vicomte Lenoir who is nothing like she expected. His teasing and smiles win Cleodora over but is she willing to give up everything that Dahlia gave her for freedom with Vicomte? Or is magic the only gift that counts?

This book from the off was enchanting, so beautifully written and has intriguing characters. There has been some people saying it has Bridgerton vibes but with underworld and magic thrown in but having never seen that show I cannot comment on that but what I can say is I have really enjoyed reading this book. It has sapphic romance, opera, fashion houses and magic. 4.5 star read and I look forward to reading more by the author.

1890 Lutece were Talents rule and give unparalleled skills to their owners. Cleo and her sister have been left orphaned - her sister received her talent as a designer from her mother but her father died in mysterious circumstances before passing on his talent as a tailor to Cleo. She is given the opportunity to receive a singing talent by Lady Dahlia Sibile in return for becoming one of her talent thieves.

Cleo is bewitched by Dahlia and her new life as a member of the elite even coping without contact with her sister. She becomes the Lutece Nightingale and is given her first task - to steal the mathematical talent from the Lenoir family.

Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected and their growing attraction makes her task impossible to accomplish. Caught between Dahlia’s hold on her and him, Cleo is forced to decide what she believes in and how to honour the memory of her parents.

I found the book hard to get into. However I raced through the last third. Interesting characters and I liked the concept off ‘Talents’ but I was not riveted.

In a world where you worth is determined by your Talent, Cleo gets a chance to have one and save her sister at the same time. The opportunity is too good to pass up but is it worth it? She faces a world full of deceit and lies but her sister's health comes first and she quite likes the fame and fortune it brings her.

Cleo is an extremely likeable main character, one who is flawed but her heart seems to always be in the right place. She is fierce and strong and I couldn't help but root for her throughout the novel.

Adi Denner's writing style is wonderful; it flows amazingly and this fast-paced novel is packed with love, heartbreak, lies, hope and found family. I found myself completely enthralled in the story and I'm so glad I requested this novel to read.

The Kiss of the Nightingale is a fantasy period heist story revolving around Cleo, daughter of a tailor and inheritor of an ailing sister and a failing buisness. Her father died without leaving her his "Talent" - a magical cheat book to mastery in a particular subject. Out of desperation, Cleo attempts to steal from the wealthy to save her sister. Caught by the mysterious "Daliha", Cleo now has one chance to save her sister - take part in Daliha's scheme to steal a precious Talent.

I thought the writing style was detailed and thorough and really gave me a clear idea of what was happening. The characters are well-developed and the mysteries intriguing. Loved the romances presented! My main gripe was with the pacing in the story, it's a bit all over the place.

In a world where your Talent, a gem passed down from generations, shapes your future.

We follow a young woman, Cleodora who was supposed to inherit her father’s tailoring Talent, but due to a drunken mistake, he died, taking his talent with him. Now Cleodora must take care of her sick sister and keep her father’s business afloat, all without a talent.
That is when she meets an intriguing woman who calls herself Dahlia. She promises everything to dear Cleo, a singing talent of her own, a nurse to help her sister, a mansion bigger than anything she ever dreamed of and shows interest in her. All that for a price; she has to steal a talent of a very wealthy man, Viscount Lenoir.
But what happens when the Viscount shows an interest in Cleodora and she does not want to steal his gem anymore? Dahlia promised her sister would only be safe if Cleodora did everything she demanded.

This was such an intriguing and unique concept, one of a kind if I’m being honest. While the beginning was a little slow and I was not expecting a love triangle, it held my attention until the end. The last few pages of the book kept me enthralled and I just needed to know what happened next. I am really happy I got to read this and discover another fantastical world.

Thank you to Netgalley, Adi Denner and Dialogue publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

It's 1890 in Lutèce, and Talents - precious gems that gift skills to their owners - are scarce; the mines are empty so they have to be passed down the generations. Unfortunately Cleodora's father died before he could pass on his Tailoring Talent to her. With the family business at the brink of ruin, and her sister bed-ridden, Cleo is desperate. However things change when she meets the mysterious, seductive, and possibly dangerous Lady Sibille, who gives Cleo a Singing Talent but only if she steals an Elite Talent from the ennobled Lenoir family, and the charming Vicomte Lenoir. Cleo seizes her chance, but torn by her feelings between Lady Sibille and the vicomte, can she go through with it, and what will the cost be if she doesn't?

This is a romantasy novel set in an alternative Paris and the world of music, fashion and art. It has some wonderful imagery and some great details, especially in the descriptions of the women's clothing. I felt like the author had a real knowledge of music, and a love of fashion, like Cleo. There's danger, lust, and love - romantic, platonic, and between siblings. There are also some steamy moments, but not so much as to make the book off-putting. Cleodora can be unlikeable at times, but I thought that her inner turmoil was compelling and found myself rooting for her nevertheless.

Overall I felt that the story was enjoyable and I would recommend this, especially if you like romance or fantasy. But even if you don't, it's still a great read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it left me wanting to read more in the universe. It definitely gave me a feel of phantom of the opera. It was a wonderful unique, electric, fantasy romance. It is filled with plenty of twists and turns within the plot. I hope to read more from this universe, because I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the stunning cover and the intriguing premise.... Unfortunately this was extremely slow paced for me. I'm a huge romance reader trying to get back into fantasy and I didn't resonate with it. I am not a huge fan of love triangles.

But the magical system and atmosphere was beautiful.

Initially, this gave me themes of Phantom of the Opera, but I felt it didn't quite live up to its potential. I was excited to see a F/F but it seemed to just use tropes rather than actual character development. Overall I loved the Talent system and was excited to find new ones!

I fell hook, line and sinker for the premise of The Kiss of the Nightingale, it sounded completely unique and right up my alley. However whilst it did have an entirely unique magic system that was thoroughly inspired, sadly it just didn’t vibe with me. As a bi woman I always love when there’s bi characters but I hate to say, it felt like the F/F romance wasn’t at all as fleshed out as the M/F romance. It rather felt like the F/F relied on old tropes whilst the M/F was more thoughtful and nuanced. Having said that, I didn’t feel either love interest had true chemistry that I fully vibed with.

I also struggled some with the pacing of the story. It almost felt like I’d missed chapters and I’d have to re-read chapters to see if I’d accidentally skimmed over information. I hadn’t, but the pacing did pull me out of the story at regular intervals which wasn’t to my personal reading tastes.

Overall I think the story shows real promise, the idea is brilliant and I’m sure there’s readers that will fully vibe with the style and pacing of the story. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dialogue Books and Adi Denner for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read this book.

This book reminds me of phantom of the opera and while I enjoyed it there were things that could have been worked on. The pacing of the book was all over the place and the romance was pretty bland. The idea of this book was great it just needed to be executed better.

In late 19th century Lutėce, Cleodora is down on her luck. Her father has died, and her sister is unwell. This is a city where everyone’s success is measured by their Talent, jewel which binds with their blood to make them exceptional. Cleodora can’t keep her family dressmaking business going without one.
Cleodora is offered a way out of her situation by the mysterious Lady Sibille, aka Dahlia, who turns Cleodora into an opera singer known as Lady Adkey, with a stolen Talent. The drawback is that to keep this new, comfortable lifestyle and save her sister, Cleodora must help Dahlia to steal other Talents, including that of handsome Vicomte Lenoir.
I enjoyed this book - a sort of Bridgerton meets Oceans 11 mash-up. It’s a lot of fun, with romance, intrigue and skulduggery. The characters are well drawn and it’s an engaging read.

The concept of a loosely based phantom of the opera retelling really intrigued me with this book. I did enjoy the story but it fell flat in some places and wasn’t very well executed. I would still recommend this book as it was a fun read