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The Scarlet Veil (The Scarlet Veil #1) by Shelby Mahurin

“Celie, who is now a Chasseur and engaged to Jean Luc, the Captain, isn’t really a good huntswoman. When bodies of different creatures, Dames Blanche, Loup Garou and Mélusine begin appearing, drained of blood, well, Celie just has to investigate. Of course, Lou et al, haven’t been keeping her informed since they fear it will upset her. When she runs away she’s abducted by a tall, pale, beautiful stranger and whisked away to a magical island and the plot thickens. I had hopes but Celies constant questions, snooping, bickering and overall hysteria were so over the top and annoying that I almost DNFed it even though I was 80% done. I don’t know if I’ll be finishing this duology.” 

⭐⭐

Pros: It was moderately entertaining for the first few parts/Michal is the quintessential mysterious, beautiful, immortal stranger with a domineering presence but a heart that Celie is inexplicably drawn to, it was cliche but it had its moments, at the beginning. 

Cons: Celie is annoying to the extreme. Her constant badgering, snooping and complete inability to use her brain quickly became absolutely infuriating, so much so that this was very close to a DNF. 

Full Review:***Disclaimer - If you’ve not read the Serpent & Dove series by Mahurin, please go and do so and then come back and read this at your leisure, that way you’ll know what I’m talking about.***

It's been about a year since the climactic battle of Cesarine. Celie Tremblay, once the bashful, blushing fiancee to Reid Diggory is now the bashful, blushing fiancee to Jean Luc Toussaint, the new Captain of the Chasseurs. She's also the first female Chasseur to ever join the ranks. Though, honestly, she's really not that great at it. She insists that since the battle of Cesarine, many have become more open minded about the Supernatural unfortunately, there are those of her Brethren, like Frederic, who disagree. 

When she goes to visit her sister, Filippa's grave and discovers the body of Babette, a Dame Rouge and Coco's former lover, drained of blood, she immediately informs Jean Luc. The thing is, he already knows and what's worse, basically everyone, Lou, Reid, Coco and Beau know as well. There have been five bodies discovered already. Babette is just another victim. 

Furious that Jean Luc, the man who's supposed to love her, is keeping secrets from her, thinking she's too "delicate" to handle the truth, Celie runs off. And of course, she's abducted that very night. She comes to and finds herself on a boat. Her captors are two impossibly beautiful creatures with pale skin, bottomless eyes and fangs, Odessa and her cousin, Michal. 

They take her to mysterious island of Requiem and the plot quickly derails from there. 

I had such high hopes for this book but sadly, Celie's constant questioning, hypocrisy, snooping and just overall inability to use her brain became infuriating, so much so that I almost DNFed even though I was 80% of the way through. It had its entertaining moments but overall, I was very disappointed. 

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