Serpent & Dove

This book took hold of you from the very beginning. It took you by the wrist, tightened its grip, and pulled you along on the journey curated.

We were brought into the town of Cesarine, where our main characters stayed. Lou is a witch in hiding, making a living off of thievery. She's in desperate hopes that she won't be found or found out, but all of that ends when she's captured by one of the town's chasseurs, or better known as witch hunters.

Thanks to the archbishop and a compromising position she put Reid in, the two enemies are forced into marriage. The troubles they faced in building trust and love for each other, while also implementing the drama and humor made this book.

Lou was the perfect combination of a fierce and strong woman, show more with a cocky side and hidden fears. I loved that these characters weren't super full of themselves, and I loved that they each explored the growth of love and trust in themselves and others.

Among the many amazing parts of this book, the last one hundred pages really took me by surprise. I was disgusted, I was sad, I was a lot of things. And that's what the author was trying to get across. She was trying to make us feel, and she succeeded.

For that, I rate Serpent & Dove 5 stars. I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out, and I'm very excited for whatever Shelby will release after. show less

I had heard about Serpent & Dove for years, but I'm stubborn and like finding these kinds of books naturally in the wild. Lucky me found this book not too long ago and I jumped right in!

This book is why I love reading. Well, books like these! A fast paced, super fun, splash of romance, lots of thrills, and fantastical ideas - all of these mixed together in one pot (ahem... book)? Killer. I absolutely adored this YA book and now I need the sequel STAT. Shelby Mahurin has made one of my new favourite YA series and I am absolutely hooked.

I adore Louise and Chass (Mr. Reid Diggory), I adore their enemies to lovers plotline and I adore the whole idea of witches being in this book. The various types of witches intrigues me and I can't wait to show more see more of them pop up in the next books in this series. This book honestly gave me the fun I used to have back in high school with these kinds of books, which makes me so darn happy. Sometimes you just need to find the right book to remember why you love reading so much, and this book was one of those.

I definitely recommend this book. I'm sure it has it's flaws but I don't see them. I just had the most fun time binging this book and was super sad to not have the sequel in my hands.

Five out of five stars. Give it a sixth while you're at it! show less

I listened to Serpent and Dove because it was part of audiobooksync, 2020. When I checked, it was listed as a duology. Finishing the novel, I checked the library to see about downloading audiobook 2 and saw that it doesn't release until September 1, 2020. Sigh. THEN, I saw that the author has decided that it will be a trilogy. Double sigh. Lou would have something more colorful to say.

Lou lives the life of a thief. She and her best friend Coco make a great team, disguising themselves to move more freely. Here's the deal. They are also in hiding. Why? Well, the Archbishop heads the church and the Chasseurs, who hunt and burn witches. Lou and Coco......witches. Living the life of a thief is also dangerous. People end up being angry with show more you and plan your demise. Therefore, Lou and Coco must stay on their toes. Lou desperately needs a ring and she has information that a man of means has it. They must steal it. With help, they attempt this thievery.

Reid lives the life of a Chasseur. Left as a orphan and raised by the Archbishop, Reid sees his life as serving God and the Archbishop by hunting witches. After receiving a tip that a witch will be at his former girlfriend's home, he and the Chasseurs arrive to thwart whatever nefarious deed is about to transpire. He only sees a thief but fails to capture her. Only when he attends a theatre performance does he see her again. This sighting is much more public and changes Lou and Reid's life forever. Lou's life is pretty dangerous and has escaped two men, but she has bad bruises showing that she's been beaten. When Reid sees the thief he's saw the other night, he pursues her only to be accused of beating her by the theatre-goers. The Archbishop finds a solution to keep Reid's reputation: marriage.

I laughed out loud so many times. Lou and Reid banter beautifully, as they display how opposite they truly are but also showing what they can teach each other. Reid's ideas may be a bit narrow and he may need to loosen up. Lou finds great pleasure in goading him. On the serious side, Lou is running from her past and realizes that if she is ever found, she will be killed.

Maybe it was perfect timing with all the craziness going on in the world with Covid and race protests, but this novel was such a welcome reprieve. I entered this fantasy world of witches and had a great time. It's a small world and all the relationships are, of course, unlikely. I don't care. It's fun. Suspenseful. Romantic. Furthermore, it ended with me laughing out loud. Can't wait for the next book! show less

3.5 Stars

There are some things that can't be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt."

A witch and a witchhunter fall in love, are you hooked yet? because that was all I needed to hear before I added Seroent & Dove to my TBR. But this story is about more than a tragic love - it's about the burden of family, the loyalties of friends, and having conviction and faith in your beliefs.

Things I Liked
Lou & Reid made this story so enjoyable. Their banter, flirting, tension, and pull was addicting and perfect. I loved them together and I loved them finding out who they were - apart from the beliefs they were raised in.

So I'm not the biggest fan of reading about religion in books. But the sociology of religion, sign show more me up! I really loved seeing Lou address the church and their hypocrisy. How an entity that is supposed to reflect love and acceptance, dehumanizes a group of people. Seeing her (and Reid) face the message of a person's life reflecting their heart and how that aligns with the vitrol aimed at witches versus the righteousness presented at Mass, so good!

Things I Didn't Like
I wouldn't say that I disliked the writing, but after loving the beauty that was the first chapter, I was let down with the later parts of the book. Lack of tension in action scenes, delayed reveals that are obvious to the reader, new characters pushed to the front of the plot with little development around them (I still feel like I know nothing about Beau), and a general lack of worldbuilding all brought the story down from what I'd hoped for after the first chapter.

But I am optimistic for book 2 because Serpent & Dove left off on quite the cliffhanger and I for one, and very intrigued about what comes next in the story and hopefully getting to see more of this world and these characters too!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. show less

I liked this one more than I expected I would, especially after reading some unfavorable reviews before I started it. The whole thing is fun, cute, flippant but with a serious heart. It contains some great discussions about right versus wrong, evil for the greater good, and blinding loyalty to any cause. There are enough answers to make this a one-and-done story, so I was surprised to see that it is the first in a series. I am not certain how Ms. Mahurin is going to make it happen without the story becoming repetitive. Also, I do think we need more sexy times between the characters because they are done so well.

Give me the sequel and give it to me now! I haven't been this obsessed with a young adult fantasy/adventure for years and I'm ALL IN!

A witch is forced to marry a witch hunter... who doesn't know she's a witch. How can this possibly go wrong?! Delightful and full of characters that just reach out to you from the page and right into your heart. Funny, inventive, and endlessly witty. I won't say much more than that, other than I read this book in like one day. I couldn't put it down! As a final note, I will say I pictured the Archbishop (head of the witch hunters) as Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame. You're welcome.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Serpent & Dove

Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took residence in the one town she thought she'd be safe, Cesarine. Hiding in plain sight, Louise gave up her magic and became a street thief. But the atrocities of the Church will never let her forget she is a witch. The Chasseurs hunt any who would dare show magic in the city, and she is reminded time and again why she must never use her power. But when a public incident involving Louise and Chasseur Reid Diggory threatens to bring embarrassment to the Church, they will find their fates woven together. Bound by marriage, witch and Chasseur must find a balance, and Louise will have to be ever so careful.

Serpent & Dove is one of those show more books I picked up and put down time and time again at the bookstore. The cover lured me in, the premises sounded interesting, but I was worried it would fall into the repetitive young adult tropes. Then I received it as a secret Santa gift and decided to give it a try. And I am glad I did.

Do not expect a magic heavy story. If anything the magic accents the storyline instead of being the main focus. Yes, Louise is a witch, but using magic in Cesarine is a death sentence. In this world, magic evokes a smell that is impossible to miss. However, Louise is not defenseless without her magic. She has a sharp wit and survival instincts that save her in some of the most precarious situations.

Reid is set in his ways, as can be expected, and watching Louise unnerve him time again with her behavior is hilarious. While he tries to be in a constant state of control and seriousness, Louise breaks out into bawdy tavern songs and embarrasses him for the fun of it. With the two being complete opposites, it makes their story all the more entertaining. And Shelby Mahurin has a knack for putting her characters in compromising situations, ramping up the tension, and switching points of view in the next chapter, leaving you to wonder what happens next.

The romance in Serpent & Dove takes an extremely long time to develop, as it should. Most of the tension and conflict built into the story does not surround the relationship, but the outside forces opposing Louise. And by the time the plot starts to edge the two towards one another, there is enough history between them to make it work. I loved every moment of it, and I am not the type to root for romance in a novel.

Serpent & Dove is a well crafted story of enemies to lovers. There is a little bit of everything mixed into the storyline, daring heists, action, friendship, sisterhood, proof that love can be a powerful magic all it's own and so much more. show less