The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

K.A. Linde is a new to me author, though I have seen her name around. The Wren in the Holly Library got my attention, mainly for the cover. But the blurb had me hooked. This story was everything I wanted and then some. Initially, I thought The Wren in the Holly Library was going to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is a little bit. But there’s also an element of Avengers and X-Men if you pay close attention. I honestly have no words for The Wren in the Holly Library. Or at least not the proper words. K.A. has laid out a truly engaging story of monsters and what it means to be a monster. She has written a heroine (Kierse McKenna) you can't help but cheer for and a morally grey hero (Graves) who steals your heart from his first word. When Kierse breaks into Graves’ brownstone to steal a diamond, she has no idea that he’s a monster. Meaning she just broke the Monster Treaty, which means Graves is well within his rights to kill her. Instead of making a mess of his library with Kierse’s untimely death, he hires her for a job he believes only she can do. While Graves educates and trains her for this job, he forces her to live with him in his house and orders her to stay away from her friends, which she considers family. There are twists and turns that will have you glued to the pages. I wasn't expecting there to be romance. And I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be so hot. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they come from, Kierse and Graves are perfect for each other. They are in fact the other half of each other. I love how K.A. has written a story providing breadcrumbs along the way. Every word of The Wren in the Holly Library is important. When all the words and breadcrumbs are put together it’s more than an aha moment. It’s a mind-blowing moment. I found the ending to be a little bittersweet. But there’s hope for the future. I’m just left wondering how all of this is going to play out. I am SO looking forward to the next book. ~ Favorite Quotes ~ “Appearances can be deceiving.” “No one could hurt you like family.” “It’s always difficult to speak of those who hurt us most.” **Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased two hardcover copies.**

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde 🪶📚 “And what is your worth, monster?” I think dystopian fantasy is my favorite genre and this book did not disappoint! It was an easy read, but filled with mystery and suspense..and monsters 😬 I loved the fast pace from the beginning and that one of our main characters is a thief. She sets out on a mission to steal a prized possession, but finds herself face to face with a monster. From there, she must decide her fate and who she is working for. There is found family, romance, and an ending that I didn’t truly expect. I’m excited to see where this series takes us and for more growth from our characters. I think this is a story where you also fall in love with the side characters and are intrigued by their own stories. This is a great read for my non-fantasy readers as the world building isn’t too intense, but the storyline is still exciting.

I had just finished the blood match series when I read this book. It was a delight. Very much enjoyed.

“The Wren in the Holly Library” has such a solid premise concerning the modern world after a war between men and monsters, where now both sides are learning to live together in the streets of New York City. There is a lot of lore about the monsters, a lot of interesting ideas about what these monsters do in the modern human world. The laws of magic were also super fascinating and inspiring! The main female lead had a really good start with her survival instincts and wits that have kept her alive in this dangerous place. The main male character was well-written and interesting, especially as he grew. I loved the touch of “Beauty and the Beast” that entered the story at one point; it made sense for the two main characters. The spice wasn’t over the top and I actually really enjoyed it. The sexual tension was well-done; it had me wanting more with these characters. But that’s where my praises kind of die. I really, really loved the beginning of the book and the plot it laid out for the readers. I was intrigued by the world and the characters. But I feel the story and its elements became too convoluted and tangled towards the end. Characters appear and then never show up again. There were basically two climaxes and both were anticlimactic. (SPOILERS) The big heist that was the WHOLE plot device that motivated the main characters fell completely flat. There was so much buildup only for the confrontation with the big bad mafia boss in the underworld to last a few pages. The focus suddenly shifts to the FMC and her newly discovered powers. The story really crumbled at that point for me. I was so involved, so ready for this big operation, and I was left so disappointed. Then everything felt a bit rushed and forced at the end, to the point I was rolling my eyes and wondering how the author was going to wrap it all up. I really wanted to love this book. The beginning had me hooked and I craved more. But the ending upended everything for me, personally. Overall, an interesting premise, intriguing characters, and a fascinating world. Just wish it had stayed focused all the way through!

Monsters have come out of hiding, and the world is ever altered. When a desperate thief takes a job to steal a diamond from the library of one of NYC's wealthiest, she gets more than she bargains for. Turns out, the owner of said diamond is actually an ancient and powerful "monster." Instead of taking his vengeance on her, he makes a counter-offer that's too good to refuse. This was an interesting collaboration of a dystopian world with magic, monsters and elements of celtic folklore. Our heroine has had a rough life as an orphan, struggling to survive, along with her two best friends. The writing had a few issues from plot holes, unbelievable situations of seemingly miraculous recovery post-injury, and weakly written side characters. Likeable, sure - but felt more of an afterthought to the main story. Graves promises training as a bargaining chip to ensure her safety, but he deals in riddles, deception and an air of distrust - making it hard to truly LIKE him...nevertheless, While the beginning of the story was extremely entertaining, I began to get frustrated in the second half of the book. While there was diversity in monsters, we didn't really get much more than species-name-dropping with the exception of Vampires, Werewolves and a couple magic user types. I really would've loved more intensity in the danger, instead it fell flat. I was dismayed that any complications that our characters faced were too easily resolved, and the use of "Interludes" throughout the book felt a bit jarring from the story at hand, rather than to simply have multiple POV's written into the main story to fill in all the gaps I was eager for. Furthermore, the true significance of "the wren" in symbol and name isn't clearly explained, other than that there's an ancient history that references the title. I DID appreciate that this wasn't a Romantasy of just 🌶️S🌶️M🌶️U🌶️T🌶️ but that it actually had a story to it. That being said, there could've been a bit more built up & depth (no pun intended) to the relationship between MFC & MMC. By the end of the story, we end up with a LOT of unanswered questions....which our main heroine sets off to seek answers for - away from the manipulations of the quasi-love interest, the semi-triangle love interest(???), and different paths for characters who were set up to be more important to the MFC. The finale of a mysterious phone call to Graves by an unknown entity that teases readers to set up for the next book was a lazy way to rev up the next book. (Which of course, I had already pre-ordered when I bought this copy - so, because I'm not a quitter, I'll be reading it too.) I am a bit confused by the number of poor reviews I've perused. While the story did utilize familiar tropes, had a few plot holes, and ultimately could've been much longer with more details added - it felt more like a set up for the next book (another common thing in the Romantasy genre where the 1st book isn't as good as the next one(s) in the series. Was it THE BEST book I've ever read? Certainly not, but I'm happy with my purchase and will be glad to have this story (and the next) remain in my personal library.

I loved this book. Fantasy, dystopian setting, interesting magic, magical creatures, and a magical theif doing a heist. What's not to love? And in addition you get enemies-to-lovers, yearning and lots of lovable side characters. I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It keeps a fast pace and has lots of amazing action and fun heist scenes.

This is a very good read. Wren is a thief in the Post_Monster_ War world. She is caught by a monster, Graves, when she tries to steal a jewel from his house. He tells her that he wants to make a deal with her so that she steals something for him. There is an interesting dynamic as they try to work together while each hiding things from the other. This will grab you at the start and not let you go. T It is a truly fascinating tale.

Overall I loved the book, it maintained my interest continuously but I felt the ending was rushed. I can never get over when there’s “broken trust” but it’s something that doesn’t really seem like a big deal. Oh well, the books good though!

✨️💚✨️Audio Book Review✨️💚✨️ Book: The Wren In The Holly Library Author: K.A. Linde Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Wow! This book was absolutely amazing. All I knew about this one going in was that it was a fantasy and it turned out to be one of my fav reads of 2025 so far. You get morally grey characters, all around, a really cool monster/magic system, and an amazing found family trope. You get: • Dark Fantasy Romance • Monsters Vs Humans • Theif FMC • Warlock MMC • Spicy • Mythical Creatures • Magic I'm so excited to read the next one! Available on ebook, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook.

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