This book was extremely refreshing in my opinion. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I haven't read much about alchemists so that may be why! Let me begin with saying Cohoe is a good writer, a spectacular writer even, in the technical sense. There's a way about her writing that flows so easily and her descriptions completely immersed me in the world (and made me want to go visit France and go back to England). Secondly, Thea was a solid main character. She had the perfect amount of independence while still being a person with emotional and mental needs that made her feel like a well rounded person. It was easy to read from her point of view and I rooted for her from the beginning. I didn't like the other characters quite as much however, but I don't think it was a problem with their characterization but rather the amount of time spent with them. For example, I loved the idea of Dominic, he was kind, and thoughtful, and just the type of male character I like but I felt like Cohoe didn't quite utilize him as a character quite enough.

The story itself was well paced for the most part until the ending where I found it a bit rushed. I did, however, enjoy the plot and wasn't bored at all. I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages and didn't want to put it down.

Overall, while it didn't invoke the emotional impact I look for when I rate books 5/5 stars, I really enjoyed this debut novel and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by Cohoe.