I really enjoyed the authors writing. But I did struggle to get into this book. I’m glad was able to listen to this book, I think the narrator did an amazing job. I couldn’t stand the characters. iris was just the worst, very immature. If I had read the book, I probably would have been able to get through it.

Thank you NetGalley, Blair and Leblon Publishing for the E-ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️
#NetGalley #Crystalirisbook

Crystal Iris by Blair M. Shadows was a twisty, thrilling tale with some romance and a little bit of spice mixed in. Definitely a slow burn. I had trouble putting this story down - waiting to see what happened next for Iris and Hoyt. It ends on a major cliffhanger leaving you wanting more. Rachael Franco’s narration only added to the enjoyment.

I received the audiobook here and was sent the ebook with voracious readers so I listened and read them at the same time.
I had a hard time getting into it at first but after a few chapters I enjoyed it. I didn’t love it but it was a decent story.

I really wanted to like this one. But it was hard to get into. So much was happening at once and took me out of the story. I tried so so so hard. I didn’t like the characters very much. I don’t like the cheating trope so that really didn’t help.

I really enjoyed this book! It was like a romantic suspense with a touch of magic and paranormal elements, which is right up my alley!!

I loved that Iris was an older than typical FMC, and that she's accomplished with a solid career as a Harvard art history professor. I loved art history classes when I was in school so I really enjoyed the bits with Iris' lessons.

The slow burn romance lead to some great spice, loved the chemistry! And I loved the mystery elements, it left me wanting more! After that ending, I can't wait for the next book!!

Tropes:
•FMC - 30yo Harvard art history professor
•book boyfriend 1 - finance guy
•book boyfriend 2 - ranch owner and one hell of a good cook
•Academia - Harvard
•Impossible love
•Love triangle
•Spicy spice
•City & Country setting

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC of the crystal iris. This is going to be my honest opinions… and I think 2 stars is being generous.

I’m not sure where the whole infidelity story line came into everything. But all it did was serve to make me dislike the FMC, I also wasn’t exactly rooting for the two of them together. I really don’t like infidelity tropes at all.

And they love each other? Really?

The descriptions said ‘magical’ but the only thing that was remotely magical was this glowing necklace she had that stopped her from touching the MMC without being in pain. Other than when they’re both in water, which is the only time they get freaky with each other.

All leading to her getting kidnapped for the necklace, getting out, and breaking up with the MMC to ‘protect him’ as there are 7 necklaces & the people who kidnapped her are after them all.

It was honestly such a long story, for very little pay off. Not the magical, gripping, fantasy that the description promises.

I absolutely loved Crystal Iris! The romance was beautifully written, the magic added so much depth and wonder to the story, and the twist at the end completely blew me away. It kept me hooked right until the last page. Now I’m counting down the days until book 2—can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

Crystal Iris is marketed as new adult, romance, sci-fi and fantasy... I think sci-fi and fantasy are a stretch, I'd consider this more of a modern romance with a bit of mysticism/magic sprinkled in. I can imagine that the next book will be more sci-fi in nature based on the ending of this book.
I wanted to love it! Unfortunately this book fell flat for me, all the way up until the last 10-15% of the listen. The narrator did a great job, but the story itself bounced all over the place and lacked fluidity for me. There were scenes that drug on and on, and I found myself realizing I had no idea what had happened at several different points early on in the book. I had a hard time keeping motivated to listen except that last 10-15%. I feel like this book could have been condensed down to about 50% or less of what it is now and flowed much better and with quicker pacing. I liked some aspects of the main character, Iris but there were aspects of her character that I did not connect with or enjoy, like her poor communication skills and her wild clubbing even on work nights as a Harvard professor... Not that professionals can't let loose and have fun, but she seemed too wise for a lot of her actions. I did not care for her fiance/childhood sweetheart or his family, but I did love her best friend and eventual love interest Hoyt. There was a disconnect for me from Iris' life in Boston and the part of the book that took place in Montana. Like I said, I did want to love it, and based on the ending I would be interested in reading the next book with hopes that some of the pacing and flow issues are resolved because it is an interesting story overall! I'm rooting for you, Blair!!

Mystical, mysterious, and magical romance that was short and entertaining ! Love a good urban fantasy.

Iris is a Harvard art professor who is engaged to Aaron? Her long time best friend. She received a gift from her estranged father that’s an heirloom from her late mother. The necklace seems to be calling to her and pushing her towards a new mysterious man.

A love triangle ensues as Iris tries to understand what is going on and reveal the secrets of her family. Good balance of romance and plot !

Narration was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

📿 ARC REVIEW 📿

CRYSTAL IRIS by Blair M. Shadows
3/5 🌟
Pub date 🇺🇸 : Already out!

I'm not sure that this book was for me, but I can see how other people would like it. I wasn't sold on the main character's...well...character. However, I was curious how the story continues and the answers she's seeking around her crystal.

The book follows Iris, a Harvard art professor, as she prepares for her wedding with her best friend that she's not totally in love with. She puts on her mother's necklace, and that's when strange things start to occur. Please read if you like the following:

🌸 Mysterious relics with great power
🌸 Love finding characters, even when they dont want it to
🌸 Montana and horses

Thank you to Netgalley and Leblon Publishing for the review copy!

🔖#bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations #read #bookcommunity #bookphotography #bookshelf #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklovers #booklove #booktok #reader #instabooks #authorsofinstagram

I really struggled to get into this book. The writing was great but the main part of the book just wasn’t for me. As a romance book it was good but the magic in this book didn’t really get explained until the last two chapters. However saying that the last two chapters really changed my mind about it and I now really want to find out what happens next so I’ll definitely be reading book 2.

I listened to the audio book, and I enjoy every minute of it. The narrator, Rachael Franco, did such an amazing job! This was an intriguing romantic suspense filled with magic. The following elements are in this novel:
- slow burn romance
- Love triangle
- Magical Fantasy
- Spicy Scenes
- Betrayal
The magical parts of this book, as well as the romance, kept me listening. I had to know more because the author did such an excellent job with the mystery surrounding Iris and Hoyt. This was such a well plotted roller coaster ride filled with suspense and adventure! I will admit that I can’t wait for the next one to see what happens!

Thank you Net Galley, Leblon Publishing, and Blair M. Shadows

I really enjoyed Crystal Iris and can't wait to get into the upcoming sequel! It feels like there'll be even more fantasy plot in the next book with the prisms so I'm really excited to see where the story goes next.

Iris felt like a real, complex character. At the start of the book, everything about Iris and Aaron's relationship screams "settling" and I just wanted to shake her and shout "You are not happy!!" She immediately felt a connection with Hoyt while still with Aaron, but she set boundaries and didn't cheat. After her relationship with Aaron ended, she decided to focus on herself and not rush into another relationship with Hoyt. I liked her maturity, apart from refusing to read her mum's letter. It was convenient for the plot that she didn't read her mum's letter until the very end of the book but I would have preferred an actual reason for this, such as she never got it back from Aaron, Lara stole it maliciously, or it was misplaced by all the moving around.

I really enjoyed the audiobook format for Crystal Iris. The narrator was really good at highlighting all the aspects of Iris' personality and she had me really invested in the story.

It was a strong and original story, and I'm left with so many questions. I'll definitely be continuing the series and sticking with the audiobook format for it too.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Listener Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

CRYSTAL IRIS is the first book in the Crystal Iris series by Blair Shadows, audiobook narrated by Rachael Franco. This is a slow burn, magical romance series filled with mystery, modern conflicts, complex relationships, a love story, and a cliffhanger which will leave you craving more. This book/audiobook is for fans of elemental magic, paranormal mysteries, urban fantasy, magical realism, and thrilling twists. I had difficulty initially becoming engaged, however the further I delved into the story of Professor Iris De Loughery, the more hooked I became. She was a character who had been simply going through the motions in her personal life, engaged to a man who loved her, but for whom she felt only friendship in return. After receiving a necklace as a gift on her thirtieth birthday, strange things began to happen for which she had no explanation without reading a letter left by her long deceased mother. This was something she couldn’t bring herself to do. Her journey for answers took her to a number of places she hadn’t anticipated, some of them wonderful and some terrible. I truly did not anticipate the turns that the story would take and will be looking forward to the next installment in this series to find out what will happen next. The narration in the ALC was good, but it took me a little while to connect with the narrator. Ultimately I do believe that she did a very good job of narrating the story, with different voices and infections for the various characters that appeared within the book’s pages. This book includes mature themes, steamy romance, explicit content, and adult language. Recommended for new adult readers and above. I recommend this audiobook/book for readers and listeners who enjoy elemental magic, paranormal mysteries, and romance with contemporary themes and complex relationships.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Leblon Publishing for providing this ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It was interesting but it got boring around the 50% mark. I found the world and magic intresting but the characters fell flat and didn't entertain me.

The audio was well done for being a solo narration. And I think it made this book easier to get through.

The book itself flat for me. There was a lot of buildup with both Hoyt & Aaron that really just seemed unnecessary. It also felt like the magic was just thrown in there as a backup. I’m not sure if I am intrigued enough from that ending to read book 2.

Wow this is weird. I love the protagonist so much! I love how things fell apart with Aaron. It was a wonderful way to write that part.
I love the narrator too.
I was completely hooked. It was just hard to read a book with educated women making strange choices, and going to clubs.

This was a very engaging read! I really loved how we got to know all the main characters through their passions. I found the writing to grip me right from the beginning. I feel like the magic was very light, yet I did not mind because I enjoyed the characters and the romance so much. The main character's personal conflicts and character growth made the story amazing. I love art history and I loved all the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and how art history was also folded into the story.

I wish that I could tell you what this was about. The premise sounded really neat. The author shares my name (not spelling, but it's ok.) I got about 30% into this and I couldn't remember anything that had happened. So did anything happen? I couldn't tell you. The narrator was fine. But this book just wasn't leaving any kind of impression on me and I was just never looking forward to turning it on. Had to DNF. Sorry, NetGalley. I guess I've been choosing poorly lately.

This was such a fun listen! The pacing was spot on—I never felt like the story was rushing or dragging, which is a rare balance to strike. The Harvard setting and the professors were a highlight for me. They were nerdy, yes, but also genuinely fun characters, which you don’t see often in literature. Usually, it’s one or the other, but here, their personalities shined beyond just their job titles or social standing, which made them feel real.

The magic system was another win. It wasn’t overcomplicated or overly simplified, and it never felt like the author was hammering the rules into my head. Instead, it blended seamlessly into the story, giving just the right amount of detail to keep me intrigued without overwhelming me.

If you’re into fantasy, this is definitely a book I’d recommend. It’s got a great mix of adventure, well-developed characters, and just the right touch of magic. A solid, enjoyable read!