The Kiss of the Nightingale

Title: The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner

Release Date: October, 10th, 2024


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

In "The Kiss of the Nightingale," set in an alternative historical Paris in 1890, Talents are prized gems bestowing extraordinary abilities. Cleodora dreams of inheriting her father's Tailoring Talent but is left with a struggling dress shop and a sick sister when he dies. Lady Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent, but she must steal an Elite Talent from the Lenoir family in return. As Cleodora becomes the city's nightingale, she finds herself torn between Dahlia and the enigmatic Vicomte Lenoir, risking everything for freedom and love.

"The Kiss of the Nightingale" takes readers on a captivating journey filled with romance, magic, and intrigue.

Cleo, embarks on a compelling adventure as she navigates her newfound Talent while confronting her past and familial obligations.

With its fast-paced plot brimming with action, romance, and betrayal, this story kept me hooked until the very end. The vibrant setting, especially the enchanting opera house scenes, immerses readers in the world of the story, while the meticulously crafted magic system enhances the alternate historical backdrop of France.

Music and fashion elements add depth to the narrative, reflecting the author's passion and attention to detail.

"The Kiss of the Nightingale" offers an enchanting and immersive reading experience that will captivate fans of fantasy and romance.


Thank you to The Publisher Dialogue Books | Renegade Books ,The Author Adi Denner & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

The Kiss of the Nightingale at Ali Denner
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 10 October 2024

Set in a city where gems bestow unique talents upon their owners through generations of blood magic, "The Kiss of the Nightingale" follows Cleodora's journey. Destined to inherit her father's tailoring talent, tragedy strikes when he unexpectedly passes away, taking his talent gem with him. With a sick sister to care for, Cleo is desperate for a solution. When offered a singing talent gem by Dahlia, she eagerly accepts, unaware of the strings attached. Tasked with stealing a talent gem from Vicomte Lenoir, Cleo's mission becomes complicated as she grows closer to him, questioning her allegiance to Dahlia.

This captivating tale explores Cleo's adjustment to her newfound talent while navigating the complex dynamics of the Opera house. As she forms new alliances and grapples with her loyalty to her sister, Cleo discovers the true extent of Dahlia's influence and the risks involved in defying her.

With its blend of action, romance, and betrayal, "The Kiss of the Nightingale" is a quick, thrilling read that immerses readers in a world of magic and intrigue.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dialogue Books, and the author, Ali Denner, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Oh my goodness. Have I found the new book of my heart? This had everything I love, all combined in one beautifully written book. I found this absolutely captivating from start to finish and had such a hard time putting it down - one morning, I nearly missed my train stop because I was so engrossed in the story! The Kiss of the Nightingale has the most delicious drama, yearning, and scheming. And a bisexual love triangle? An unexpected and so very welcome treat to this bi reviewer. The Kiss of the Nightingale made me nostalgic for my days studying classical voice - it reminded me of the most fun parts of opera. Cannot recommend this book enough - a far more detailed review is in the works for my blog. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance!

This book is classy and gives such a Bridgerton vibe. I really liked the unique magic system and how easy it was to get into. The characters are likeable and their challenges drive the story. It has so many interesting twists to the story that it keeps you reading and I am hoping that it is the start of a series! There were a few formatting issues with the kindle download, sentences were shifted down to the next line in the middle of a sentence but those are hopefully easy fixes which didn't detract from the story. I would have prefered a spicer scene to round out the enemies to lovers trope, but I will be recommending this book! 4.5 stars.

Overall I really liked this book. You get into the fast paced story very quick and all the plot twists and drama basically force you to not put the book away because all we really need is answers haha. The romance was done quite well and enemies to lovers is one of my favourite plots out there so it was a win! I wish it was a bit spicier but that's really just personal preference.

A unique, electric, fantasy romance. I loved Cleo and the various twists and turns with the plot. It is very reminiscent of Dangerous Liaisons, with a magical heart. Dahlia was so captivating and interesting and Nuriel was so noble. I hope to read more from this universe, because I greatly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The book was quite interesting. I liked that I encountered enough elements that reminded me of the Phantom from the opera and all the suspense hidden behind society. The worldbuilding was exceptional and the author has a special style of conquering the readers. Another special aspect was the love triangle. I really didn't expect something like that and it made me even more curious. The ending was the cherry on top of the cake, that kept me breathless. Thank You Netgalley for the chance of reading this book.

Cleodora live in 1890, Lutèce, a City famed for its Talents. People have talents passed down to them, through family lines, giving them generations of knowledge through magical gems they wear. And if you don't have a Talent, well, what kind of life can you have? Cleo is one of those Talentless in the city, living in a city that ignores her as what can she turn out when she has no talent. And as she is trying to provide for herself and her sick sister, she looks to desperate measures.

So when someone offers her a Talent for singing, to become the most famous opera singer in the city, how can Cleo turn it down? But she never really thought about the strings that will come with such a position, and what will be wanted in return.

This was a wonderful story, and I hope there will be more to come in this world.

Oh my god, I ADORED this book.

It had me hooked from the first page; I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in it's entirety in a day.

For me, it read like a happy fusion of A Fragile Enchantment and The Crimson Moth (which I am NOT complaining about, as I loved both of those stories. So this one is like an even happier medium for me). I liked this alternative take on magic in a YA fantasy; I thought the concept of magic , or "Talents", being fused into stones was really creative and fun. I also thought it worked really well. Yes, the magic wasn't fully conceptualised, but I would forgive that as it's: a YA romantasy novel, and is also not an epic fantasy. Therefore, I think it can be excused for the magic system not being fully fleshed out. It didn't hold me back from enjoying the story; I understood enough for the story to sweep me along.

I also, to my utter surprise, enjoyed the love triangle aspect. I am usually not one for love triangles; my delicate heart can't take all of the split romantic focus, I need ONE person to root for - I can't take any more! But, I really enjoyed it in this book. I liked that she fell for both the mark and the marker (is that a word, in this sense?); I do like, sometimes, when the protagonist falls for the villain. It just makes it exciting.

Something that I very much enjoyed about this book is that there is a lot going on. That might sound silly, but the story doesn't just stick to one theme; there's romance book, a heist, regency/manners, action and adventure, magic, opera. There are a lot of different elements that work really well together to create a magical story.

This book also underlines for me the fact that I really enjoy heist books - who knew?!

I really, really hope that this develops into a series, I would truly love for the story to continue!

Set in a French city in the late 19th century, this magical world revolves around talents bound to a person through blood and a gem. We follow Cleodora, a talentless, orphaned girl who gets an offer too good to be true: medical help for her sister, a gem and a singing talent but in return she has to do anything asked. Even if it means she needs to betray, steal and lose the ones she loves with everything she values.

I really enjoyed this magical world. It’s easy to understand the rules and makes for great opportunities in the story. I loved the opera, singing and sewing details which shows research/genuine interest from the writer! The writing is fluid and fast paced, maybe a little too fast for my liking. The characters were likable but I would have like to see much more of them, thus felt shallow from time to time. It made it harder for me to bond with them.

The romance, in this case the love triangle, was hard for me to get into. Dahlia gave me the creeps with her manipulative ways. It was never a love triangle for me. The romance is lightly spiced and exactly right for a YA book!

Please take in consideration that this is a bi love triangle. It’s not really clear when reading the blurb. I don’t mind but there might be people that do mind.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I had no idea where we were going for a long time (I’m a ‘here for the ride’ reader) though there might have been some hints. When I hit the 80% mark the finale was there and everything fell into place. I love it when that happens! High stakes, betrayal, intrigue, fashion, balls, opera, all there!

Last but not least, I want to thank the author Adi Denner, the publisher Dialogue Books | Renegade Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

ARC review-

I enjoyed this book so much. It was a really beautiful blend of adapted history, romance, fantasy and so much drama. It was such a unique concept and not like anything I’ve read before. It was super fun to read and I recommend it to anyone that likes the romance of Paris and balls and the opera, and wants a fun fantasy book with drama and secret criminals and deception.

I really enjoyed this book it took a refreshing outlook on a criminal mastermind book. With the setting being placed in a historical contemporary Paris it was an original read which followed a well derived storyline.

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.

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.

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 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.

I was asked to review this interesting book by NetGalley.

Interesting with the connection with the Phatom of The Operas story I really enjoyed this and read in one sitting - I was captivated with Cleodora and the romance element.

Recommended read.