Chasing Cryptic Creatures

by Paige A. Cook

Lenora is stuck at her dead-end job and trapped by generational poverty in Appalachia. Her only escape? Sleep. Or more precisely, the man made of stardust who’s keeps her dreams safe for as long as she can remember.

But when her grandfather dies, she’s left with an unconventional magical secrets and an unwanted trip to another world.

Stolen away to the fae realm and left bleeding in the enchanted woods, Lenora is rescued by a beautiful stranger. He vows to keep her safe, but little does she know, he’s the one she should be running from.

The mysterious fae is her only chance at returning to her old life, where her sisters are waiting. But there’s more tying them together than either realizes… and the fae of her dreams may not be so willing to let her go now that he’s finally found his mate.

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2026

About the author

Paige A. Cook is equal parts woman and mist of the mountains. Her books blend dark fantasy romance with unexpected tropes, often pulling inspiration from her dreams and Appalachian upbringing. She is a sucker for kdramas, fated mates, slow burn, issekai, and fictional men who yearn.

A proud West Virginian woman, she enjoys possum wrangling and whispering secrets to the ravens in her backyard. She’s happiest digging her hands through the dirt, watching her flowers spring forth to welcome the bees and butterflies.

In the light of the sun, she blazes a fierce trail of marketing splendor in the legal industry. By moonshine, she weaves stories of strange worlds far away where the food is magic, the lore is rich, and the plus size women bang sexy mythical beings.

She once fell into a fae circle. Rumor has it she never truly returned.

You can find her on Instagram and Threads @flipthapaige

Reviews

[kaitlyn_reads]

Thank you to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.


This has a really interesting premise and I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately I just feel like the execution fell flat.

Though I liked the main characters enough as individuals, I didn’t really feel their connection to each other. Even though it was saying they have a deeper connection, it all felt very surface-level. The mystical realm was really cool with all the different creatures, but I would’ve loved to interact more within it. These are both things I’m assuming will get more attention as the series continues.

In my opinion, the biggest struggle was the pacing and flow of the story. The middle dragged quite a bit, and the scenes felt very choppy with little to no transitions.

[Sandra Aranda]

We have all been there in one way or another. That feeling of despair. Feeling as if no matter what you do the same s%$# keeps happening day in and day out. That no matter how responsible you try to be you never get out of debt. Knowing that all your dreams for a brighter future will NEVER happen no matter what you try to do. Perhaps it is where you were born, who your family is, even perhaps your own bad decisions. For some it is LITERALLY life and death. For others not so much. For Lenora it is soul shattering. Sucking away at her every day.

And that is how the book opens up!

The Main Female Character of this book is Lenora. She is stuck in the rarely ever ending cycle of generational poverty in Appalachia. Working a job that will never pay enough to live much less get out of poverty. Yet while she may have a love/hate relationship with her older sister Katarina, a younger sister Beth who she worries about daily, an abusive mother addicted to drugs and alcohol, and lives in the same worn out trashy trailer she grew up in she does not give up.

WHY? What keeps her going? He keeps her going. The Stardust man who invades her dreams keeps her going. Every night when she starts to have dreams he appears and chases her nightmares away. Over time she starts to have deep feelings for him. Yet he is not real, right? It's only dreams, yes? Everyone knows that dreams are not real! Yet these memories are enough to keep her going.

Then out of the blue her world is turned upside down! Lenora's Grandfather dies and she learns from Gran that he was more than what she knew. That she must carry on the tradition. Even when that tradition comes with being kidnapped into the fae realm. Now there it really is life and death situations!

In the fae realm Lenora meets Nereus who turns out to be more that he appears. Yet why does he remind her of someone? No matter, right? As long as he keeps her safe and helps her return to her family, right?

What follows is a rollercoaster ride with mystery after mystery unfolding in the fae realm. Will Lenora ever get home? Yes, but when she does her struggles continue in new and evermore complicated ways. Will Lenora figure out why she seems to know Nereus? Yes. But it shatters her trust in him and her feelings. NOW, add in Gods and creatures, and Fate Weavers and the story gets more involved. How so?

READ THE BOOK to find out! Read the book to enjoy Lenora's journey to He%% and back. Read the story to see if she ever gets a happier future than what she was born into.

I give this book 4 stars only because midway through a chapter threw me. The writing style was more abrupt and I noticed errors I had not noticed before. As a Speech-Language Pathologist and Editor, errors throw me out of a good book. I almost stopped as I was frustrated, yet am so glad I did not as the very next chapter the pace picked up again. The author does a wonderful job with creating the realistic Appalachian world as well as the magical fae world. The humor, especially in the last parts make you laugh out loud. I for one am anxiously awaiting book 2!! Do Not let one slow chapter ruin the fantastical journey you will take to the fae realm and more.

I received a free copy of this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

AMAZON AVAILABLE 9/21/2026!!  https://a.co/d/0ejfvtgi

Need an editor for your book? Visit sarandaliteraryservices.com!
https://sandrabooksbooksbooks.com/

[Gloria Her]

Thank you for an ARC copy of this book! It was a treasure!

To start, it’s definitely a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.

I loveeeeeee our two main characters, especially Lenora. The very beginning had me already on the edge of my seat with the reveal of her family’s responsibilities. I also love her relationships with her siblings. All sibling relationships are different, and it was just nice to see her relationship with her older sister where it’s not all love or all hate, but with history and understanding, and how it was such an important part of them growing up and the after-effects it has on them as adults.

I am in love, desperately in love, with characters like Nereus. Please, always sign me up with a longtime yearner who doesn’t feel too bad with his choices for her, and bonus points for his charms. I also absolutely love that he’s kind of a boy failure sometimes (no? just me?). Not to mention his habit of cowardice at the start (super understandable because of his past). But it’s also like so realistic because I’m a flight person too, won’t deny it here. And sometimes the best next step is to run instead of like…fighting and fighting and causing even more fights, like what’s the point?

And Lenora’s whole backstory too is a nice refresher for me. I grew up differently than her, so seeing this not just like a cookie cutter of a backstory, but something so real and in-depth is always a win in my opinion.

Then…we kind of get into the negatives. I do agree with a few others about the pacing, a little bit or before halfway, it kind of loses me. And something that I noticed is the speech pattern of Lenora kind of turns into Nereus, kind of all wordy and somewhat fancy like. (Although, it can be argued that since she was in the Fae world and with Nereus, she can start talking like him.) It was very back and forth of her talking patterns at the start of the book to talking like Nereus.

And although this Fae world, I would say is much more grounded and realistic, I really do enjoy it a lot because the setting reminds me of the movie Epic (2013) setting and that was just a great movie in general.

I couldn’t care less if people found this cringe or too tropey. Sometimes a bigger girl just needs a magical fae mate and she’ll be okay for the week.

A great and loud thanks to the author for the ARC copy. I will quite literally treasure it in my heart for like forever (and probably reread and reanalyze it over and over again).

[The Fabled Librarian🖤]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chasing Cryptic Creatures is the kind of dark fantasy that takes familiar portal-fantasy elements and gives them a distinctly Appalachian soul. Lenora is living a hard, ordinary life in rural West Virginia, struggling to make ends meet while watching her community slowly disappear around her. Then her grandfather dies, and with his death comes an inheritance she never could have anticipated: the ability to cross into hidden realms—and the responsibility of helping the supernatural beings who have found their way into our world. Naturally, things go from complicated to completely unhinged when Lenora is kidnapped by a dangerous fae and dragged into the fae realm. And just when she has every reason to believe things couldn’t possibly get stranger, she meets the fae who rescues her…and the attraction between them is impossible to ignore. I loved the atmosphere of this book. The fae realm feels genuinely otherworldly, but there’s also a darkness underneath all that beauty. The fae aren’t simply whimsical or charming—they’re unpredictable, dangerous, and sometimes downright terrifying, which made their world feel so much more immersive.
But one of my favorite aspects was the Appalachian setting. The descriptions of West Virginia carry so much affection and sadness at the same time. The beauty of the mountains is there, but so is the devastation left behind by the decline of the coal industry and the struggles facing the communities caught in its wake. It gave Lenora’s story an emotional grounding that made the fantasy elements hit even harder. Lenora is also such an interesting heroine. She’s complicated, resilient, and very much shaped by the circumstances she’s had to survive. Watching her step from the life she knows into a world of magic, monsters, fae, and impossible choices was such a fun journey.If you’re looking for dark fae, portal fantasy, Appalachian folklore vibes, dangerous magical realms, complicated characters, and a spicy fated-mates romance, definitely put this one on your radar.
Thank you so much to Paige A. Cook for the opportunity to read Chasing Cryptic Creatures: An Appalachian Fae Dark Fantasy Romance as an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! 🖤

This was such a fun and atmospheric read, and I can’t wait to see where this world goes next.

[Emily Crabtree]

I received an advanced copy of this book, and want to say thank you and I really appreciate the author letting me read it!


I'll start off by saying what I liked about the book.
I really liked the characters! I don't think I've read a book with a cowardly MMC before and it was refreshing and enjoyable! Also seeing some southern sayings in a book was nice and a bit surreal cuz you never see those, but if for sure felt nice to be represented 😂 . I also liked how whimsical it felt...it was definitely giving fairy tale vibes 😌


That being said, I'll get to some things I didn't like so much.
First of all, some of the scenes were a bit hard to visualize and some of the explanations of the characters getting from one place to another didn't really make sense and just felt a bit choppy. (Not all of them but a few)
Also I think I know what size they were supposed to be in relation to their environment but that also felt a little difficult to picture sometimes (might just be a me problem though!)
Sometimes the dynamic between the MMC and the FMC fell a little flat for me. And I think the author could've done a bit better job expressing the MMC's yearning. Because from his pov he says he's like foaming at the mouth for her almost but I'd really like more scenes where we see that instead of him saying it...especially near the beginning of the book.
Also the pacing of the book was a bit off, the beginning felt kind of rushed but the middle kinda dragged on.


Other than that it was ok overall. I really super wanted to love this book because it is right up my alley, unfortunately it just overall fell a little flat for me.

[Maggie]

3.5 stars
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC. This review is all my own, honest thoughts.
Lenora wants to escape her life in the hills of Appalachia, yearing for a more wonderous life like what she sees in her dreams. Or, more specifically, who she sees in her dreams. She has dreamed of a man made of stardust for years and she wants nothing more than to be whisked away to a better world with him. But she's about to learn the classic lesson of "be careful what you wish for".
Lenora was pretty grounded and easy to relate to and root for. That poor girl was so trauma laden. I really liked the fat southern girl rep, I don't get to see myself too often in books. I will always love to see a fat girl get fucked.
While I think there were some good bones, there were definitely some rough edges. I'm a incredibly visual reader but, while the fae world was wonderous, I struggled to orient myself often.
And I never thought I'd say this...I wanted more yearning. We saw how feral Nereus was for Lenora. But it just started with feral and then there was nowhere to go with it. Burn for her. Stare at her longingly.
The pacing was very squirrely and parts felt like they may have worked better had they been switched. Some parts of the middle felt more like "end of book" stuff but then there's still half a book to go.
I'm interested to see where this story heads, though.

[Sierra Burrous]

I really enjoyed Chasing Cryptic Creatures! The world building is great and the world is so rich and vibrant! Lenora is a colorful main female character, who is funny, sassy, and traumatized but very relatable and fun to read. The voice of the novel is fun, and this book certainly had me laughing and having a great time with it. I hope this is perhaps going to be a series at some point as I feel like there’s a lot to explore in this world, and I definitely would like to see how the reuniting Godric with his daughter and the fae who originally kidnapped Lenora worked out. Because of some things like that the ending for me felt a little rushed though, and I feel like some of the beats at the end could have drawn on a little longer to wrap up some of the questions I had but otherwise it was a really fun read. That’s really the only critique I have of the book is that the ending feels to me a little rushed through but it was honestly such a fun read. I enjoyed it and certainly hope that there is more coming in the future, as some of these things may play out in a different book etc. but I definitely recommend this if you are a fan with romantasy that tends to be a little more on the morally gray side, with some darker elements. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

[Bookwyrm_in_KC]

Chasing Cryptic Creatures is a refreshing take on portal fantasy and fated mates. Lenora is a plus sized woman living in the hollars of West Virginia, barely scraping by. She lives the life of too many Americans, trapped in systemic poverty, surrounded by dying businesses and people drowning in addiction trying to escape their circumstances.

So imagine her shock when she learns that with the passing of her grandfather, she's inheriting the family ability to travel hidden realms and she'll be in charge of helping any cryptic creatures that have fallen into earth from other realms. Even more shocking is her near immediate kidnapping and transport to the fae realm by a deranged fae. And the most shocking bit is when she is rescued by an absolutely stunning fae who she feels an irresistible draw to.

I love how the fae realm is described. It's so fantastical and dangerous. The fae are tricksy and sometimes terrifying.

The scenes in West Virginia are written in a lovingly heartbroken way. It highlights the natural beauty without shying away from the terrible toll the coal mining industry (and it's inevitable collapse) did to the state and it's people.

Chasing Cryptic Creatures is a great read for lovers of more traditionally tricky/terrifying fae, portal fantasy, complicated MCs and fated mates spiciness. Thank you Paige A. Cook for the opportunity to advance read!

[Kathleen Lacoursiere]

The first in the Heiresses of the Holler series, Chasing Cryptic Creatures was everything I hoped it would be.

It shouldn't be, but its always refreshing to see FMCs with body types similar to my own that get to be real, flawed, but also badass and funny and desirable. Lenora delivers all of that and more, and I ended up adoring her. After revelations are made, she doesnt make it easy for MMC Nereus to get in her good graces, and we do love a yearning fae prince with a willingness to grovel. The sexual chemistry is off the charts, and the spice...*chefs kiss*

The world building and characters are built with obvious love and care, with darker subject matter handled by a deft hand. I so look forward to how the next installments expand and elaborate upon the world, and on the MANY questions I'm dying to have answers for after finishing.

if you're here for plus size baddies getting railed by the fae and getting to be the big damn hero? This one is *definitely* worth a read.

Thank you to @flipthapaige for letting me have ARC access to the enthralling world you've built, I can't wait for the next installment of Heiresses of the Holler.

[Tet]

i was an arc reader, and im leaving this review on my own volition :)

3.5 stars from me!

i loved how the author was able to put us in the shoes of the main characters and was able to give so much detail on their lives. my only complaints are that i wish some things were a little more detailed in the fae aspects, as sometimes i wasnt sure how to imagine different things in my head until after the scene unfurled, and THEN a key detail about somethings appearance was mentioned. otherwise it was fine in that regard!
my last complaint would be that, it felt like the “she should be afraid of him” notion advertised fell a little flat. besides the MMC sometimes thinking he wanted to keep her to himself, there wasnt any other real threat he posed. it just didnt feel as dark as it was promised to be? but im not exactly complaining! i couldnt put this book down and was reading it every moment my life allowed it!

[Hannah Jacobs]

Thank you Paige A. Cook for an arc of this book. Holy smokes, what a ride! Lenora has it rough. The author did a great job showing how hard it is to make it in the Appalachian mountains. I really felt for Lenora and the other characters that work themselves to death and barley able to pay bills. And the drugs-the drugs. I shed some tears. I was not expecting the blend of Appalachian culture and a fae realm to mesh so well together! The way you can read the different accents and see the difference in dialect is outstanding! I also love the little touches of everyday life and superstitions. I about died when Lenora and Nereus met. Nereus is such a deviant, possessive sweetheart! Oh my gosh, my heart breaks for him. He is not what I was expecting, but he is everything Lenora needed. And I am so happy
I got to come along for the ride! 5/5, no notes!

[Barbara Mann]

3.5/5...This was such a dreamy, atmospheric read with a really interesting blend of Appalachian gothic vibes, fae fantasy, and romance. I especially loved the contrast between Lenora’s harsh, grounded reality and the ethereal, dangerous world surrounding her. There’s a melancholy quality woven throughout the story that gave it a distinct charm. Lenora was easy to root for, especially because her struggles felt more grounded than what I typically expect from a fantasy heroine. Her relationship with her sisters also added an emotional layer that I appreciated. And the fae romance definitely brought the tension—the mysterious, morally questionable love interest had that dark, possessive energy that will absolutely work for readers who enjoy their fantasy romance with some teeth.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Macy Richardson]

I got this book as an ARC. Thank you for that! I really appreciated it.

The reason why I gave the book a 4/5 stars is because I did really enjoy the characters by themselves and the world building with the creatures was a great twist that not a lot of romantasy/fantasy don’t have. The scenes within the world once the FMC get there, were hard to grasp as the story progressed, but I did think it was interesting in how the story takes place in Appalachia and not some place like Seattle or LA. I did enjoy the MMC was connected to the stardust, very interesting take! I was desperately trying to find the deeper meaning or connection that the author promised between that two main characters, though, so I’m assuming that it will have more impact in the next book, which now makes me pumped to read!

I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave this here and vague. Happy reading!

[Lisa Ann D.]

🍃There’s nothing and no one in this realm or the next that can keep me from her. Even if I must crawl on hands and knees, torn apart by the fates themselves. When I die. This is the moment that will replay over and over in my memory as the life leaves my eyes. 🍃
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𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 MINI BOOK REVIEW
CHASING CRYPTIC CREATURES
BY PAIGE A. COOK
RELEASES SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
448 PAGES
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★
(4.5 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀)

▬▬▬▬▬▬🍃▬▬▬▬▬▬▬


🍃𝖲𝖨𝖬𝖯𝖫𝖸 𝖠𝖭 𝖤𝖭𝖦𝖱𝖮𝖲𝖲𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖣 𝖥𝖱𝖮𝖬
𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖱𝖳 𝖳𝖮 𝖥𝖨𝖭𝖨𝖲𝖧. There were so many interesting parts to this book. The characters definitely stand out- and I was a sucker for them. The plot was so tightly written with great pacing. I think there’s great potential for a nice series to come along after this one.


🍃Of note: the setting (s)—- could not have asked for more. Completely fell into the world created. And, APPALACHIA … just so perfect. Grounded while being other worldly.
🍃
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𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦:
🍃PLUS SIZE FMC
🍃APPALACHIA LIFE
🍃DARKER FANTASY
🍃FAIRIES CAN’T LIE
🍃FATED MATES
🍃FAE MMC
🍃HE FALLS FIRST
🍃HE STALKS HER DREAMS
🍃SLOW BURN TO PAYOFF
🍃𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗢 𝗠𝗨𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘
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Thank you so much @flipthapaige - this was fab and it was truly my pleasure to read & review this ARC!
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“YOU’RE SUCH A PSYCHO.” I LAUGH IN DISBELIEF. HE IS DEFINITELY AS F✅𝖢𝖪𝖤𝖣 UP IN THE HEAD AS ME, AND I CAN’T DECIDE IF I HATE OR LOVE IT.
🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃



𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗙𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
✨🌈✨

[AmaLu]

I received an ARC copy of this book to read, and I am very happy that I did - I really enjoyed it. From the charismatic yet arguably cowardly mmc to the take no shit, curvy fmc, it was a good time. The writing was strong enough that I could clearly see the characters & situations in my mind, but not so wordy that it's easy to get lost. I'll be looking out for book 2 to be sure. And no, this book is not a cliffhanger.
I do have to add that the ending felt rushed to me. I expected more, from all the parts of the story, it could have been better. However, that being said, the way it ended did showcase the humanity of the main character(s).

[Dayna]

This was not the book I was expecting and I soft dnf'd at 30%. I came in expecting a new take on Appalachian cryptids and the tropes in here. That would have been okay, but the first 30% are also very jarring. I can see what the author would like to do, but it was so much so fast. There is intense torture scenes with one kind of creature in one chapter and in the next a graphic spice scene with a completely different kind on her escape route. It felt disjointed and I struggled to follow the storyline with the constant flipping. I may try this author again in the future as I can see where they were trying to go. But this book wasn't for me

[WickedReadsOnAWintersNight]

I received a copy of this book from the author as part of her ARC team. She hooked me from the first page. I loved that the FMC & MMC don't fit in societies box or in the typical tropes. They feel real and have growth throughout the story. There is yearning, spice and dual POV. I enjoyed the mix of Appalachia and fairy lore! Will be waiting impatiently for book two! If enjoyed Holly Black's books, I think you will like this!

[Maya Rosaline]

This was such a fun read! Coming from WV myself this book hit home in so many ways. I loved the mix between Appalachian and Fantasy, if my gram knew I read this I’d be on the prayer list haha. Lenora and Nereus’s relationship was so profound, it was beautiful watching it come to life. The world building was great but not too complex. If you’d love a good laugh, to shed some tears, great twists and a couple naughty fae I’d recommend you give this a try!

[Lauren Penner]

This was such a fun mix of small town, spooky Appalachia and a fae realm with Alice in Wonderland vibes. I especially loved the fae world and creatures.

“If you hear whistling in these woods… no you didn’t.”

I absolutely loved the dialogue in this book. I laughed out loud so many times that I think I annoyed my dogs 😂.

“Who’s this sparkly little man?”

Lenora was such a strong and resilient FMC. Life knocked her down and down but she kept getting back up. And I liked Nereus as the MMC. Super sweet but also a little stalker-y. And Ramiel… we definitely need a Ramiel book 😏

“Were you spying on them, you freaky little mermaid?"

I am obsessed with this cover. Deer are one of my favorite animals. I will pick up any book with one on the cover but this one is especially gorgeous and such an enjoyable read.

Thank you so much for the eARC!!

[Michelle Leask]

I got this book as a ARC read from the author in exchange for a honest review. This book was soooo much fun! I loved Nereus such a cinnamon roll golden retriever energy. Nori was a lot of sass and fun. They both had been through very hard times but learn to lean on one another. I loved how the author put it in half fairy land and half Appalachian Mountains. Ohh the adventures these two will get up-to! I can’t wait for the second book.

[Chloe]

My most anticipated read of the year. I have been looking forward to this Appalachian fantasy-romance. Paige did a wonderful job weaving a fae romance with a worn down West Virginian woman, as well as depicting the beauty and the pain of Appalachian communities and the effects they have on everyone there. I am so excited to continue this story and follow such an important series for me.

[Leigh Brooker]

Firstly I'd like to thank the author for the ARC read, especially since I had problems downloading it in the beginning.

This was an interesting premise which hooked me from the description given. I have to say I loved the world building as it was different and engaging. The Fae realm was something I really enjoyed along with the creatures that dwell within it, and some of the descriptions were fantastic. I also loved the two main characters both who have flaws that can be related to and I loved them for that alone. Lenora who is mortal, thrust into a world she has no comprehension of until her grandfather died, shows a strength and resilience I utterly admire. Nereus, a fae who has been in hiding and by his own definition a coward. This I adored because how many characters describe themselves that way, and to that extent. This is what defined this book to me and what I loved about it.

However, I will say at times I did struggle with pacing issues, and although it didn't take me out of the story it was a bit blunt but the overall story captured my attention 😁

[Kadie]

Thank you to the author giving me the opportunity to read this Arc!

Chasing Criptic Creatures was such a fun read. I found the FMC Lenora to be super relatable, lot of her inner dialog had me laughing and I love the plus size representation. I really enjoyed the setting and world building having both the fae realm and Appalachia mountains was a really new and cool idea. Im definitely excited to see where to story goes in book two.

[Megan | StationaryTravel]

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to ARC Read this book! 🧚‍♂️

I LOVED the premise of this book! The characters were loveable and the setting was dreamy.

I will say, the pacing felt a little off and the end was a bit anti climatic. Though, with that being said, I am excited to see where the series goes next.

[Deb]

I was lucky enough to receive this as an arc and as a fellow WV girly I could not wait to dive into this story! The way the characters are easy to love and relate to really connected with me and I loved the magic system and the world building, cannot wait for more! Def 10/10

[Chiki Fischer]

Rating: 4.5
The premise of this book is wonderful. The characters are developed and lovable. Both settings: the unique land of the faerie and the West Virginia hills feel immersive. I do wish the action was not as rushed. I feel like the stakes were always a little too low because things were wrapped up so quickly. Which is great if you want a cozy read. I want to be a little more stressed out for our protagonists. That being said, I can’t wait for book 2. I am dying to know what happens with our heroes.

ARC reader.