WhiteIsland

This book was difficult for me because it was a pleasant afternoon read but it just didn't grab me. It was extremely predictable and I didn't really connect to the characters. It dragged in some places and it would be difficult for me to stay engaged. I normally really like enemies to lovers but when you use that trope the characters have to have a lot of chemistry but to me they felt a little flat so it didn't quite click. Perhaps if the characters were a little more complex or unique it would have been more engaging. Perhaps I was just not in the right mindset to really enjoy this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had a love/not-love relationship with this book. Whitten's writing was beautiful and she created an amazing and atmospheric world that was an absolute pleasure to discover. Eammon and Red's relationship was a true delight and it is absolutely what kept me coming back for more. No insta love here and there was lots of individual growth as well as coming to know each other. I also really appreciate that actually help each other and become a strong team because they build trust and work together. While I enjoyed Red's story and her relationship with the Wolf and their character growth I found I did not like Neve's half of the story. It was always during her bits that I'd lose interest and get bored because I found her utterly predictable and thus a little boring. Yet at the end she was sort of redeemed in my eyes because she acknowledges that she was more aware of what was happening around her than she wanted to admit and made her decisions for selfish reasons. Making decisions and then dealing with the consequences of those decisions and how they impact others was definitely a theme I saw woven throughout this book. I am curious to see how things go in the next book, and though I'm not particularly fond of Neve, I do see potential in her.

4.5 stars This was an awesome book that I would highly recommend. I love good scary stories/movies (not gory but scary) and this book definitely had creepy vibes that sent a little thrill up my spine which impressed the heck out of me! A retailing of The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a haunting atmosphere and engaging characters solving a ghostly mystery, this was a book I devoured very quickly. Could not put it down.