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** spoiler alert ** The cover? Gorgeous.

The premise? Hell yeah! Who wouldn’t want to read about badass women poisoning men who had wronged them?

The characters? Bland, boring, sanitized.

Overall, this book was just ok. It was a fast, easy, superficial read, which is why I ultimately gave it three stars. If I was judging based on what I expected the book to be like and what it actually delivered that would make it a definite two star.

Ultimately I was let down by the characters. The present day character, Caroline, was one dimensional and almost juvenile at times. Not to mention totally unrealistic - who goes on vacation and has the time and means to complete and submit an entire graduate school application to a foreign university AND submit paperwork for a marital separation in a single evening?? And what kind of graduate program is only nine months long? And what kind of person throws an artifact that’s over 200 years old into a river? I’m not sure if that was supposed to be some kind of symbolic gesture, but to me it made absolutely no sense and did not fit in the story.

Also, when Eliza was in the book shoppe talking to Tom, he told her that using the magic would have consequences. One for one. In his own story, his mother used magic to save him and then she died soon after. Eliza saves both herself and Nella - and literally nothing happens. I don’t understand why that scene would even be in there if it wasn’t foreshadowing Eliza’s impending misfortunes.

Overall, I wish this book had more oomph behind it.