Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by HarperCollins on September 3rd 2019
Genres: Adaptations, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, General, Romance, Wizards & Witches, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 528
Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
Once I started this book I was hooked. I ended up finishing this in a day and that’s saying something considering it’s a 500 plus page book!
I adore a good enemies to lovers story and this one is done so incredibly well.
Filled with action and intrigue, Serpent & Dove has created a world where you don’t exactly know which side to root for as you turn the pages.
Louise fled her coven of witches hiding among the streets of Cesarine. She doesn’t use her magic for fear of drawing attention, not only from the one searching for her, but also from the Chasseur’s. The Chasseur’s are basically the church’s military. Sworn to uphold the principles as well as protect the royal family from witches, they hunt them and burn those who are found to be guilty.
When Reid, Captain of the Chasseur’s, first meets Lou on the street while on duty, he doesn’t realize what she is… and chance throws them together again and again very quickly. This time with incredible consequences for both. Marriage. With Lou’s secret still hidden, but the city becoming more and more volatile, Reid is bound to his duties and to uphold the laws but also to protect his wife.
Reid finds himself becoming more and more enamored of Lou as she slowly reveals more about herself, but war with the witches is on the horizon and as their histories unravel and become known, the trust they found in each other will be the first thing to suffer.
I must tell you that I really loved these characters, which made it hard to determine which side I was cheering for. In the end it wasn’t really a side per se, but more of a set of ideals. Lou with her foul-mouthed teasing and Reid with his honor and loyalty are a motley crew already, but when you throw in some of the side characters, you can’t help but be enthralled.
In a 500-page book there are a lot of things happening… some I saw coming and others were surprising when they were revealed, that said, the story flowed seamlessly and was quite addictive. I honestly couldn’t put it down. I adored Coco and Ansel and am very much looking forward to getting to know them even better in book 2!
I also adore a good romance and honestly, this one has everything I hoped for and more. I know some people don’t like romance with their fantasy, but that is not me! I loved the evolution of the relationship between Reid and Lou and the slow burn chemistry between these two was so well done. The impossibility that exists between them is just everything I love in a story and seeing it evolve over the course of the story was lovely.
This book honestly has something for everyone. Addictive writing, a slow burn romance, complicated politics, forbidden love, easy friendships, intriguing characters and an amazing setting that you’ll find yourself getting lost in as you turn page after page.
This one is out on September 3rd make sure you order it asap!
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
About Shelby Mahurin
Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn't fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and obsesses over her Twitter feed. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband, semi-feral toddlers, two dogs, and one cat.
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Shelby's favorite books include A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and, of course, Harry Potter.
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Her debut novel, SERPENT & DOVE, will release from Harper Teen in Fall 2019, with a sequel to come the following year. She is represented by Sarah Landis of Sterling Lord Literistic.
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