Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

September 28, 2019

5/5 Stars

Its pretty hard to describe how much i LOVED THIS BOOK. it has easily made its way into my top books of 2019 and i am already eagerly awaiting the sequel.

If this book sounds interesting to you YOU MUST READ IT because it won't disappoint!

Serpent & Dove follows Lou, a witch who has fled her coven and forsaken magic. She survives by hiding and stealing. In this world, witches are hunted and burned by the Chasseur's (witch-hunters). Enter Reid - one of the most devout Chasseur's. After a burglary goes wrong, Lou and Reid are forced into marriage.

So why did i like this book so much?

the plot

This book was so exciting! i flew through it because i just couldn't stop reading. At the end of every chapter something happened to make me want to read the next one. The plot was fast-paced which i loved and there was the perfect mix between action and romance.

The Characters

The characters in this book were so well developed. Lou and Reid were both complex and interesting characters with their own beliefs and motives and it was so interesting to read from their differing points of view.

It was also wonderful to read their interactions! At first it was really funny because they were always arguing and annoying each other and later on in the book i loved seeing their relationship grow. Their relationship felt natural and it was so exciting seeing them start to care for each other.

I also loved the side characters. They all felt real, fully developed and i am sooo invested in them all.

The Romance

THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! (view spoiler) If you love the enemies to lovers trope you will LOVE this.

The Magic System

One thing that stood out to me in this book was the magic system. It was really interesting and the rules were clear throughout the book which i loved. I don't like it magic just *happens* in books with no explanation so i was glad this wasn't a problem here.

The Writing

Its really difficult to believe this is Shelby Mahurin's debut! I loved the writing so much! The world building, the dialogue, the descriptions; it was all fantastic.

I also enjoyed the fact that we got to read both Reid and Lou's point of view. Usually i like to just stick to one p.o.v when a book is in first person but in this book it really worked. Both characters had a distinct voice which made the p.o.v switching very natural.

Overall, there are so many amazing things about this book. I'd definitely recomend it to anyone who loves fantasy, witches and enemies to lovers