Halloween “Mini” Review – Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (Spoiler-Free)

🍂 Hello again! 🍂

Guys, I’m so excited about this review because Serpent & Dove is literally my favourite book of the year and I just can’t ❤ ❤ ❤

I’m usually very hesitant when it comes to super hyped releases and always try to keep my expectations as low as possible, but I simply couldn’t hold it together with this one.

Turns out I didn’t have to worry because it was perfect! Well, almost. Let me tell you all about it:

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for kindly providing me with an ARC of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin.

This is a spoiler-free review and all opinions are my own.

Two years ago,
Lou 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 ene-mies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

🐍 I loved how unapologetic this book was: there was swearing, there was heresy, there was sex (plus healthy views on sexuality and all it entails), there were girls smashing the patriarchy… I was certainly expecting it to be a lot tamer but I definitely wasn’t complaining!

🕊️ Lou, the heroine, is such a breath of fresh air. She’s this beacon of hope for all the female characters out there who could learn a thing or two about being a true feminist. She was also badass, sassy, vulnerable, scared – in short, realistic.

🐍 I also adored the love interest. Again, he was so different from what we usually see in YA (or any romance, for that matter): innocent, shy, blushed easily, found the heroine scandalous and racy, and had a solid background to sustain his moral compass. He was just a very interesting character overall.

🕊️ The enemies-to-lovers slowburn was unbelievable. And so adorable! I was glued to this book because I just couldn’t get enough of those two. The sexual tension, the banter! It was a surprisingly mature yet fun relationship that ticked all the boxes for me, and made my heart race and ache in equal amounts.

🐍 I found the setting – 18th century France – to take up sufficient spotlight even if the main focus was, quite obviously, the romance. There were many luxurious descriptions and it was such a deliciously indulgent narrative that complimented the story and characters so incredibly well. Not to mention it had great humor!

🕊️ Lou and Coco were absolute friendship goals. They were so supportive of each other, and would basically die for one another if needed be. It was the kind of sisterly bond that transcends a blood relation or even a spiritual one, and I was completely here for it.

🐍 There was some predictability, especially in the beginning, yet I found everything so incredibly satisfying I didn’t even care. To be honest, I didn’t figure out most plot twists until it was too late.

🕊️ My only (minor) complaint is really towards the very end, when things take a turn. I’m not sure what it was but I felt a slight shift in pace that seemed to break the spell somewhat. It’s not like it impacted my reading experience all that much, but I wasn’t as (obsessively) invested as I’d previously been. Like maybe it had gone on for a bit too long?

roll in the Hallowmeter….

Serpent & Dove was an incredibly indulgent read that took up most of my waking hours. Yes, I was obsessed with it. It made me swoon and laugh and get teary-eyed in all the right places.

The two leads have such incredible chemistry, are so perfect in their imperfections, have this complete-opposites-attract dynamic that completely threw my stomach butterflies into a frenzy, that I felt personally responsible for their happiness. Two adorably broken cinnamon rolls surrounded by a fleshed-out supporting cast of equally broken cinnamon rolls!

An unapologetic romance novel that actually did a terrific job in the writing/plot/setting departments as well. 18th Century France is the place to create a religious conflict that fuels a passionate, forbidden love affair, and despite some predictability and change of pace down the road, no one can tell me this isn’t the YA book of 2019.

An amazing debut that every fan of enemies-to-lovers slowburn needs to read – but be careful, because what other romance will come close to Serpent & Dove at this point?

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📖 What is your favourite enemies to lovers pairing?

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Let me know in the comments below! 😊

Thank you so much for reading and see you next time!