ARC Review: Jeweler To The Blessed by Jillian Witt

 

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted eARC.

Started reading for the broody bodyguard, stuck around for the unique magic system. Emberline lives in a world where Blessed individuals use special gems to steal emotions that give them power and she's got a big secret - their magic doesn't work on her, her emotions not something they can steal. When she becomes the jeweler responsible for creating the jewelry the Blessed wear to use their powers, she's assigned a bodyguard - the broody and not quiet trustworthy Hart. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this. The magic system isn't something that I have read before, and I liked how mysterious it was and how little Emberline knew about it - I liked learning with her. I liked Hart a lot. He's everything I love about a bodyguard romance (check out my bodyguard rec list here) but I did end up almost annoyed by the back and forth with him - I know she was in a tough position, but Emberline goes back and forth on whether or not she trusts him SO many times. There is a plot twist near the end that I realized before Emberline did and out loud I said "girl, put the pieces together."

I will be keeping an eye out for book 2 as I liked where things ended and without giving anything away, I am looking forward to more of the dynamic between Emberline and Hart.

Synopsis:

In a kingdom where touch drains emotions for power, Emberline masks hers, but when she becomes the key to the Blessed’s magic, her broody bodyguard could make her feel too much.

His touch would be her undoing.

With a single touch, the ruling Blessed could realize Emberline Arkova is immune to their magic. She’s determined to leave the kingdom in search of answers, because every day she remains is a risk.

But her uncle’s sudden disappearance upends her plans. Thrust into his role as jeweler, she’s gone from avoiding the Blessed to becoming the center of their world. Uniquely able to identify the gems required for their magic, she’s now their most precious resource.

To protect their prize, Hart, a broad-shouldered guard with particular irreverence, is assigned to keep Emberline safe. His motives may be murky at best, but he’s not as loyal to the king as a Blessed should be, and now, putting her trust in him is her best bet to escape without discovery.

Hart may be one of them, but he awakens long-restrained feelings within Emberline. She can’t fall for a Blessed; his touch would expose her secret. But as she unearths the mysteries of magic and politics in the isolated and restless kingdom, Emberline is faced with a flee her fate and hide her feelings—or embrace it and unleash them.

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