Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton

A sound awakens her. There's darkness all around. And then she's falling...
She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she's dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.
She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn't utter a word. There's Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key's instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can't remember why.
Then the murders start; bodies that are burnt to a crisp. After being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was—and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden—before she becomes the next victim

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love Kelsey Sutton, not gonna lie. Every single one of her novels has made me gobble it up quickly. I read Some Quiet Place- every damn year.

This book was amazing, the concept is unique, the writing and descriptions are great and the characters are lovely.

The idea that everyone in the Under is named after what the were buried with? Makes them feel so much more, gives them extra bits of personality.

The ending is not quite HEA and a little sad, but oh so brilliant. This book feels like a gothic romance and now I am sad I finished it so quickly. Like all her other novels I will buy this one in paperback too so it can live on my shelves with the rest of her novels.

Key is a great female MC, really wanting to live her life to the fullest. There is magic in the book which leads into my two tiny complaints: 1) the magic didn't have any real rules and could be considered overly convenient. 2) the main plotline is caused because one woman is jealous of another- which is a little overdone and trope-y. I enjoyed the book anyway.

The twist at the end I had figured out, but it's still a good twist.

This book made me feel dark and dank, a little sad and very romantic. But these are all emotions it's trying to make you feel after all 90% of the novel takes place underground.

So enjoy :)