Forever Obsession: Review: Love Me, Love Me Not

Love Me, Love Me Not by Alyxandra Harvey

ASIN: B01B1NC13S
Pages: 200
Source: Entangled Publishing

Publication Date: February 22, 2016

Initial Reaction:

Dating isn’t easy when you’re in the middle of a blood feud.

Anastasia Vila’s family can turn into swans, but just once she’d like them to turn into responsible adults.

After hundreds of years, they still cling to the blood feud with the Renard family. No one remembers how it started in the first place—but foxes and swans just don’t get along.

Vilas can only transform into their swan shape after they have fallen in love for the first time, but between balancing schoolwork, family obligations, and the escalating blood feud, Ana’s got no time for love. The only thing keeping her sane is her best friend, Pierce Kent.
But when Pierce kisses Ana, everything changes.
Is what Pierce feels for her real, or a byproduct of her magic? Can she risk everything for her best friend? And when the family feud spirals out of control, Ana must stop the fight before it takes away everything she loves.
Including, maybe...Pierce.

Hello everyone! So I'm a bit late on my review for this book >.< I was supposed by post my review 48 hours after the book was released and I completely forgot that this book came out on the 22nd. Anyway, I speed through this book in a day and here I am with my review!

I read Red by Alyxandra Harvey last year and it reignited my interest in YA paranormal. This book went in a completely different direction and I absolutely adored it. The plot line is reminiscent of The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore with a family feud that revolves around magic. The Vilas have the ability to shift into swans and every full moon, the young girls who have not yet earned their wings dance in the moonlight to replenish their magic. In order to earn your wings, you must find your true love. The Renards are the family of fox shifters and there has been a long history of tension between the two families.

Words cannot express how utterly fascinated I was by the whole premise surrounding the families and their magical powers. The Vila girls who haven't earned their wings yet draw power on the length of their hair, so they don't cut their hair because the more hair they have, the more powerful their magic will be. They also "perform" their magic through song and I have to admit, that was one of my favorite elements. The Renards are trackers and they have a pendulum that they use. It's not as important as a swan cloak as if a cloak disappears, the Vila cannot shift and become mentally ill. I can go on and on about how fascinating the story is but I just might ruin something important.

Anastasia Vila believes that her true love is Edward and she has spent the past couple of years trying to form a relationship with him. Her best friend Pierce just stands on the sidelines and watches the girl he loves chase someone else. The relationship between Ana and Pierce is comfortable and he is always there for her. Needless to say, I was rooting for the two from the very beginning and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship grow closer and stronger. Also, I have to mention this: I loved the names of Ana's cousins. She mentions how her aunt had a thing for literature so she named her daughters Soliloquy, Story, and Sonnet. How incredibly cool is that? I feel a bit bad for my future kids because those names have made my list of favorite names.

The ending was shocking to say the list and delivered the same amount of jaw dropping moments as Red. I was not anticipating who the culprit was and what was happening to the swans and foxes and the revelation and aftermath was just...mindblowing. The ending left me feeling the same way that Red did - anticipating more but satisfied. I don't know if there are going to be other books but this story is just so interesting and fun so I definitely recommend it!

*I received a copy from Entangled Publishing for review. All opinions are 100% my own.*