town of shadows – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 451 pages
Author: Jessica Scarlett
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Release Date: February 24th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some illusions save us. Others want us dead.

Dorothy St. James has three missions: slip inside the Rook’s circle, recover the stolen enchanted bracelets, and rescue her kidnapped father. But when whispers of a hidden map inside Buckingham Palace surface, everything shifts. Enlisting Ashley Gardner—the brilliant, backstabbing puzzle-solver she can never quite outsmart—might be her only chance of destroying him.

To Dorothy’s annoyance, her dangerous pull toward Ashley only grows, even as fellow Lightfoot agent Nicholas Hart offers a far safer path. Nicholas is steady and dependable, while Ashley is all secrets, sharp edges, and heartbreak waiting to happen.

But Ashley is running out of time. His mutating magic grows more sentient every day, and the final bracelet is the only thing keeping it from consuming him. Desperate, he agrees to help Dorothy hunt the hidden map, even though being near her threatens both his sanity and his survival. And as riddles twist into traps, he begins to fear that their fire may not be real at all—just another illusion his magic wants her to believe.

London’s smoke-choked streets are thick with danger. Where is Dorothy’s father? Who is the Samaritan? Why is the Rook kidnapping innocents? And who can she trust, when she can’t even trust herself?

A thrilling blend of mystery, magic, and simmering romantic tension, Smoke in the Mirrors deepens Jessica Scarlett’s richly imagined Slanted London. With razor-edged stakes and a heroine torn between duty, desire, and danger, this installment delivers atmospheric intrigue and emotional punch in equal measure—proof that in Scarlett’s hands, even the darkest illusions shimmer with heart.

AWESOME SEQUEL.

This absolutely did not have book two syndrome. I was intrigued with this from top to bottom and I need the conclusion!!

I love that this is multiple POV. All of these rotating views only increased my enjoyment. I think the balance of them was just right and I loved even more so that there’s a second romance too. Both of them have different vibes in the best ways making each POV easy to fall into.

The plot was mysterious and atmospheric. I love a gas lamp historical fantasy. The magic is artfully woven into the world building without info dumping and the insight established in this installment was exactly what I was hoping for.

I enjoy all of these characters, the betrayals and twists are good, and it’s just a book you want to pick up.

Overall audience notes:

Historical fantasy
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: loss of loved ones, murder, torture, attempted murder

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 381 pages
Author: Jessica Scarlett
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Release Date: July 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In Victorian London, magic earns you a noose.

Eighteen-year-old Dorothy St. James can’t control her magic. To avoid arrest, she locks herself at home and buries her nose in her experiments. But a kidnapper called the Rook is on the loose, and his victims keep turning up insane. When Dorothy’s father is taken, she must exchange her beakers for bravery and find the Rook’s trail—the problem is, only one person ever has: a mysterious masked hero.

Ashley Gardner unabashedly casts illusions, using his charm to flit between the upper ton and the magical underbelly below. When Dorothy accuses him of knowing the masked hero’s identity, he flatly denies it. Until the clever beauty intercepts a communique he desperately needs.

They strike a bargain: she’ll give him the message in exchange for three clues to point her in the right direction. But Ashley won’t make them easy. In fact, he’ll make them impossible, because he has his own dangerous reasons for keeping Dorothy away—and Ashley always gets what he wants.

Through dazzling ballets, wild carnivals, and death-defying train rides, Dorothy must use her wits and magic to solve Ashley’s riddles and unravel her budding feelings for the illusionist mastermind behind them. The masked hero isn’t who she believes, and the Rook is closer than she suspects. While the game was always rigged against her, returning her father—mind intact—might just cheat her out of a heart too.

I LIKED IT.

I’ve read Scarlett’s regency books and was excited to hear she was trying out historical fantasy and I am here to say I am sat and ready for the next book. This was a lot of fun and an easy read to pick up.

I liked that it was multiple POV. While I’m still curious about a few of the additions besides the true MC’s, I think that will come in book two and look forward to getting to know all of them better. I really loved all of the sass and banter in the romance(s). It’s cheeky and swoony and a delight.

Some of the magic system components didn’t feel fully fleshed out and once again, I’m hopeful book two is a little more clear. There seemed to be a lack of boundaries overall.

Any who, solid historical fantasy. Definitely recommend!

Overall audience notes: