I felt it took forever and I got bored with it...

A Breath of Frost is the first book in Alyxandra Harvey's The Lovegrove Legacy trilogy. Set in the early 1800's, it features three debutante cousins, Emma, Gretchen and Penelope, who discover their secret family legacy, and open the gates to the Underworld, after Emma accidentally breaks a keepsake given to her by her mother. As murderous witches and hellish beasts threaten the magical community, the girls must embrace their legacy to end the deadly chaos.

While each of the cousins is involved in this story, the focus of this first book is on Emma. It is she who stumbles across murdered classmates, she who the Order targets, and she who must solve her mother's riddles to banish the terrifying Greymalkin sisters. I liked Emma, who is not complex but not stereotypical either. Though all three girls seem to be rather casual in their acceptance of their new world order, I'm grateful not to have to endure lady like fainting and fluttering. There is romance for Emma as well with Cormac Fairfax, a young man without magic but who works for the Order and is determined to protect her.

I enjoyed the world building, Harvey establishes the novel well blending the historical with the supernatural. There is some contemporary interpretation of historical detail, like language and behaviour, which purists may be peevish about but didn't really bother me. Witches are amongst my favourite paranormal elements and I liked the variety of magics Harvey created including spells, charms and innate abilities.

I do think the novel was overwritten though and could have been pruned by at least 50 pages without detracting from the atmosphere, plot or characters. There was some scene repetition and the pace was a little uneven, but there was also some good action and a couple of twists.

I have to admit I wasn't really expecting much from A Breath of Frost, I didn't think much of a previous book I had read by the author, but I am glad I gave this a chance because despite its flaws it is overall an entertaining and engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I always enjoy Harvey's books and this one was no exception. Emma and her cousins were great characters and I loved their relates hip with each other. Being the first book of the series means that we will be able to see them grow. Looking forward to,what the next mystery will be!

3.5
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2015/06/the-lovegrove-legacy-t1-breath-of-frost.html

Full review on my blog: http://myfun-sizelife.blogspot.com/2014/02/magic-has-been-set-loose-in-regency.html

3.5 Stars

This book was so enjoyable and such a fast read. It had a few tropes sprinkled throughout, however the plot, characters and writing made it so fun! I could barely put the book down and I think I read it in four sittings.

The story follows Emma Day, a debutant in Regency London who during one season finds out that she’s part of the Lovegrove Legacy - something which has been hidden from her. With her new identity in the supernatural world, threats follow her and her cousins and they have to find a way to stop everything before it ruins their world.

Emma is such a great protagonist, she has the basic ‘girl finds new world’ stereotype, however the new world is also so deeply rooted in her family and the London world that it makes it so lovely to read. Family dynamics are explored and also the different classes from Keepers, Madcaps to Debutants. I love the relationship Emma has with her two cousins; Penelope and Gretchen; they are both so humorous. Emma is also the perfect mix of being aware of situations however also being so overwhelmed with all the new information that she is being exposed to. Information is given at a great pace, during the first 100 pages you are as confused as Emma is however throughout the novel small bits of information are either given to Emma or she finds them out herself. It wasn’t spoon fed and it also wasn’t overloading, which is rare to find in a fantasy world.

There was a character called Daphne and Emma’s cousin called Penelope… so set in Regency Era London I could see a little bit of similarity to the Duke and I by Julia Quinn. However their character arcs were completely different to that book, but it’s just a note.

Cormac like Emma had the male stereotype of ‘I get with so many girls, but you’re different’ trope, but honestly I can’t find a single bloody romance without this idea now. When he did pull out that line I did cringe and curl up my body shuddering with what the author put down. Aside from that his character arc is pretty interesting, we are introduced to him at the start of the book and he is one of the only constants in Emma’s life. The relationship develops well and I thought that Cormac’s backstory was super interesting and pivotal to the interactions between Cormac and Emma.

The plot developed well, enough for there to be substance but also gave space for Emma’s personal investigations into her Family line. Overall I think the book is more middle-grade but enjoyable as is! I would have never picked it up by myself but I found it so fun and heartwarming nonetheless.

3.5 stars
After stumbling across a dead debutante at a ball, Lady Emma Day and her cousins Gretchen and Penelope discover that they have magic powers, and are descended from a long line of powerful witches. But dead girls keep on appearing, Emma keeps on finding them, and the irritatingly handsome Cormac Fairfax keeps on popping up wherever Emma goes. A Breath of Frost is absolutely adorable, a fluffy and fun confection. Emma is a charming and spirited heroine who's able to recognize her own flaws and summon strength when she most needs it. Her cousins get less of the novel, but they're all distinctive and appealing, and the friendship between the three girls is absolutely wonderful--they're always supportive of each other, in good times and in bad. Even Cormac, the initially surly love interest, becomes witty and likable as the chemistry between him and Emma becomes more evident.

A Breath of Frost does an excellent job of capturing the Regency atmosphere, and of building a parallel magical world. It's filled with funny and cute moments, with lovely characters, and it's simply too long. I started off loving it, but my interest flagged after a few plot detours-- it feels like Harvey simply tried to cram too much in and like the book would have benefited greatly from having 150 or so pages chopped off. It definitely picks up near the end, but the middle is remarkably slow. Recommended for readers with a little patience and a great love for lighter fantasy.

3.5/5. Note à ceux qui veulent lire ce roman: le troisième tome n'a jamais été publié. C'est l'auteur qui a écrit une fin en 56 pages environ pour que les fans connaissent la fin de l'histoire.

I wanted to like this because, well, Regency debutante witchcraft. But it was sadly all froth and no real meat, and not even in a fun and frivolous way. The Regency is heavy on the Georgette Heyer (and therefore rife with nobility, swooning and nonsense, and light on the mannered restraint of Austen, or even Kowal), the debutanting gets hijacked by Hogwarts Finishing School (allowing in-depth exploration of neither setting) and the witchcraft was full of just-because and fights with magical creatures occasionally so random I wondered if the GM had rolled up an encounter because there was a quota to be met. The cousins were charming, but I found them often too cutesy, and the romance was pretty straightforward. My biggest issue, though, was that the story seemed to be going in all sorts of directions at once, with the result that I never really had a sense of inexorable pace and tension. (The only reason I'm at all curious about the rest of the series is the hope that Gretchen might get to make out with Colette. But one glance at the blurb for the second book puts paid to that idea. Oh well!)