Book Review and Giveaway : The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith



The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith
Series : The Vine Witch Series #2
Genre : Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher : Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: June 9th 2020

A spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.

Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.

Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?


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This was an amazing follow-up to The Vine Witch! I read The Vine Witch a few months back, when I came across the book on some Kindle Unlimited recommendations list and I was immediately captivated by Luanne G. Smith's beautiful writing! So, I was quite excited when I got a chance to read Yvette's story early!

Though this book can be easily read as a standalone, I'd definitely suggest reading The Vine Witch before, as it is much more enjoyable that way and you become familiar with the characters and the atmosphere!

The Glamourist follows the story of Yvette Lenoir, a young witch who doesn't know much about her heritage or magic as she was abandoned by her mother at a young age. This book picks up after the events of The Vine Witch and though Elena(the protagonist of the previous book) has cleared her name, her ex-inmates Yvette and Sidra are still fugitives.

Yvette has landed back in Paris, the same place where it all started, and she realises that she wishes to find out more about her mother and her magic. While she sets out on her quest to find some answers, Elena has some problems with her registration as a vine witch. As she's a poison witch according to her bloodline, the ministry refuses to let her practice as a vine witch. But if she's willing to find Yvette and turn her in, her license would be reinstated.
Caught between her desire to practice her calling and the reluctance to betray the woman she sees as a friend, Elena has some tough decisions to make!

To be honest, I didn't really like Yvette at first and found her too flighty, but as I kept reading she grew on me and I began to fall in love with her character! Her journey to find herself and her lost heritage was really beautiful! I loved how she never lost courage and faith in herself despite the things that she's been through!

I also loved Elena's path to self-discovery in this one! She's stuck in the middle of things and though she loves being a vine witch, the magic in her blood which makes her a poison with also calls to her. Her soon to-be-mother-in-law was a treat! I was kinda scared that Jean Paul's mother might not be likable, but it turned out to be the opposite! She was so sweet and fun!

While The Vine Witch was a bit slower in pace and steeped in magic, the action in this book picks up after the first quarter and the mystery is very compelling! And anyone who knows me would tell you that I'm a huge romance fan, but surprisingly I was quite happy with the author's decision to not pursue a romance in this book. It was mainly about Yvette and Elena's journeys and I was happy with that! Henri's infatuation with Yvette came across as puppy love to me and there wasn't any time to develop a meaningful relationship between them, unlike Elena and Jean Paul's story in The Vine Witch.

In the end, things were wrapped up neatly and I was satisfied that most of the things were resolved! I'm also really excited for Sidra's book next as she's such an interesting character (and a jinn!). Hope we get to read it soon!

*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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If you could have one magical ability what would you choose? ✨⠀ ✨⠀ I'd pick teleportation as that would be so much fun and it'd be super useful too! ⠀ ⠀ ✨ Book Tour and Giveaway ✨⠀ ⠀ The Glamourist by @luannegsmith just came out a few days back and I had so much fun reading this one! It is the follow-up to The Vine Witch and book one had all of my favorite things - Wine, Witches and Magic! The Glamourist was even more exciting and it follows the story of Yvette, a witch who wishes to discover more about her heritage and magic, as she was abandoned by her mother when she was a child. ⠀ ⠀ You can find my full review on the blog and if you haven't read Luanne's books yet, I'd definitely urge you to give them a try as her writing is captivating and magical! These books are set in turn-of-the-century Paris, where humans and witches co-exist(though the humans aren't that aware of the witches) with characters that are very realistic and well-developed!⠀ ⠀ ✨ Giveaway ✨⠀ ⠀ Tour wide Instagram exclusive giveaway hosted by @theffbc !⠀ ✨ Win a copy of THE VINE WITCH + THE GLAMOURIST⠀ ✨ Win two wine glasses - The Vine Witch Wine Glass with an etched frog on it that reads, "Never Hex a Witch." AND The Glamourist Wine Glass with a cat etched on it that reads, "Wishes are for Stealing.⠀ ⠀ Entries for the giveaway : ⠀ ✨ Follow @theffbc & @whatmakespatri⠀ ✨ Follow me - @tales_of_a_bookbug⠀ ✨ Comment below with your favorite emoji and make sure to tag @theffbc to let them know you're participating!⠀ ⠀ For details on extra entries check the comments section!⠀ ⠀ T&Cs & Disclaimers:⠀ ✨ Giveaway ends on June 23rd (00:00 GMT+1). 1 winner will be chosen on @theffbc.⠀ ✨ Open INTERNATIONALLY⠀ ✨ This sweepstakes is not sponsored by Instagram. ⠀ ⠀ The winner will be announced after June 25th 2020 on @theffbc 's Instagram stories. ONLY 1 WINNER and 1 BUNDLE is being given away throughout the tour. The winner will be contacted via Instagram.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #bookstagram #thevinewitch #luannegsmith #theglamourist #giveaway #bookstagramgiveaway #instagramgiveaway #bookgiveaway #booktour #romancestagram #romancebookstagram #fantasy #fantasybooks #47north #FFBCTours #witchesofinstagram

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Luanne G. Smith is the author of THE VINE WITCH, a fantasy novel about witches, wine, and revenge set in early 20th century France, and the forthcoming second book in the series, THE GLAMOURIST. She’s lucky enough to live in Colorado at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, a glass of wine at the end of the day, and finding the magic in everyday life.


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