Review : A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : A Breath of Frost (The Lovegrove Legacy #1)
Author : Alyxandra Harvey
Publication Date : January 7th 2014
Publisher : Walker Children's Books
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In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld.

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away?


Personal Thoughts

Oh this book! What a pleasant surprise it turned out to be. I've read Alyxandra Harvey's vampire books before and they were fun books, but this one was a million times better than that series and I'm so glad I took a chance with it.

Emma, our main character, along with her lovely cousins have just found out about their witch powers and what ensues is a thrilling and exciting novel. I adored Emma as a main character. She might have been born in a historical setting where women were often timid and quiet, but not our dear Emma. She was outspoken, headstrong and a truly amazing protagonist. She definitely got herself in a lot of dangerous situations, but I never thought of her as foolish, but in fact, I admired her for wanting to solve her issues by herself without the help of a man. A Breath of Frost was rife with wonderful family relationships. Emma and her cousins shared such a strong bond. I loved how they were always there for each other and how they supported each other no matter what the situation. These girls were more than cousins. They were sisters. I had so much fun watching them interact together. They had some hilarious and sometimes inappropriate conversations together that made reading this book such a delight! We've also got a swoon-worthy hero in Cormac. He was introduced as a play-boy in the beginning by Emma, but as the story progresses we realize how different he is from what we initially perceived him to be. He's actually a true gentleman and a sweet-heart. You can't help but fall for him from the moment he steps into his first scene.

Along with the fabulous characters, A Breath of Frost also had an intricate and highly detailed plot. I enjoyed every moment of the plot despite the book being approximately 400 pages long. I was never bored because the characters were entertaining. There was so much going on in this book. Magic! So much magic! I loved that Alyxandra Harvey was creative with her use of witches and added in all kinds of creatures. This book made me fall in love once again with YA paranormal, a genre I've been avoiding for some time now. The world-building in A Breath of Frost was also rich and well-developed and I loved learning about Emma's world with the witches and the Order. Now onto the romance between Emma and Cormac! You guys! It was so wonderful. It was the sort of romance that made me wish I was Emma. I love romances like that that make me want to hug someone after reading. Emma and Cormac were beyond adorable together and their kissing scenes were simple but steamy because of how much chemistry they shared. I had butterflies in my stomach whenever they were in a scene together. That's how much I loved them. The thing about their romance that makes it so wonderful is how they don't need each other to be stronger, especially Emma. She knows she can count on him, but she doesn't depend on him. Alyxandra Harvey has a simple but lovely writing style that pulled a me in from the first page. I'm so looking forward to reading more in this series.

To sum up, people if you get the chance, please do read this book. It will make you want to hug the book and never let it go because of how adorable it was. A strong heroine who is easy to root for, great familial relationships, tons of magic and a swoon-worthy romance! A Breath of Frost has it all!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC of A Breath of Frost.