Review: Dead & Lovely by J.M. Miller

Dead & Lovely by J.M. Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an  ARC of this book via the author and Netgalley.  

This was a unique YA Fantasy following Oleander, Olean for short, a talented Lovely who can connect to the Realm via the use of special stones.  The Realm is kind of an alternate dimension and those who can enter it via the use of the powerful stones are called Lovely.  Each Lovely can use one or multiple stones and each stone has a different use and they are all regulated by the Crown.  Olean can connect with multiple stones, making her a valuable asset to the kingdom.  She has recently relocated from the small village she was raised in to the castle to use her abilities to help the royal family help uncover some strange events that have recently occurred.  She makes a connection, another unique character, as he is deaf and the Lovely can't use the stones on him.  He is a trusted member of the royal family and Olean quickly comes to trust him as well.  Olean and Croft's connection isn't just romantic, it is also driven by the Realm and the stones.  Olean hesitates to come clean about their connection for fear that it may hurt Croft and their blossoming romance.  Through her connection with Croft and her ability to use all of hte stones, Olean becomes a powerful member of Lovely society and a key player into what becomes a murder investigation.  She quickly uncovers foul play and is able to uncover some major secrets within the castle and the Lovely society.

I really enjoyed this novel.  It has a nice mystery element mixed in with a unique magic element that I haven't seen before. It made for a really entertaining plot. I enjoyed Olean as a main character and thought she and Croft had good chemistry.  They have a bit of a slow burn but they figure things out despite starting out with a communication barrier and some secret keeping.  I thought the world building and pacing was great as well.  

The author also provided me an audible code on release day.  I listened to the audiobook after finished up the ebook, and the audible narration was excellent.   The narrator did a wonderful job voicing the different characters.  I was curious how she was going to voice the scenes between Olean and Croft, since they have an interesting way of communicating.  I thought the narrator did a great job with the communication and display of emotion in the audiobook.

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