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jw2212's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
chrisg94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
nyiemah06's review against another edition
2.0
readercristina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I see the appeal of Mands' writing style and story-telling. For a debut novel, there is promise for the author. I did like the slow buildup of the romantic relationship and the spicy scenes are decent. I loved the courting that happened, but I wish both characters were written better *sigh.* I can tell the author has this world she wants to build, but it never really becomes solidified for me.
Lots of issues in this: SA used as a plot device got OLD really quick. I became exhausted reading all the "murmuring" characters were doing along with how they moved their lips. Scenes were fragmented (i.e. a character is mentioned in a scene and then they appear a page later) and time was a bit jumpy (i.e. in the middle of a chapter there is a time jump to the past).
I am sooooo over toxic monogamy in 2024. All this talk of she/he is "mine, mine, mine." I just have a hard time seeing these characters falling in love because I never knew them more than surface level. Because of this, I thought this would be geared more towards YA. However, this book portrays toxic relationships as ideal and SA trauma as fleeting. It was really odd to spend so much time on it the first half of the book and then BAM, she's good. No therapy needed!? The author tries to address it btw the main characters, but it could use a major edit.
There are two mentions early on in the book that give away one of the big reveals at the end. However if you don't have those hints, the toxicity of the MMC is...pretty bad.
How many times does the FMC need to be kidnapped??? How many scenes do we need showing how possessive the MMC is??? Too many plot holes on top of it. Not as much spice as I was hoping for either. 😬
Do I think Mands has the ability to write something great in the future? Yes, but this book doesn't have it for me. I would read something else with different characters by Mands after a few years after perfecting her style and craft.
1.75/5 stars. I would recommend if you want an easy romantasy to read and can gloss over what I mentioned. Note: The hardcover edition is beautiful. I had to get that one since I didn't like the cover of the paperback for obvious reasons. 🫣
myersliberty's review against another edition
3.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ - Spoiler indicates where spice is
Language: Mild swearing
Sexual Language: Mild, Spice scenes are typically short and only a couple are descriptive. There is one, not indicated above, that fades to black.
Characters: Likeable, I never got attached to them, but I have no objection to them
Plot: The worldbuilding and the plot were a lot of fun. I liked the immediate story conflict as well as the setup overarching series conflicts. I did feel that the story dragged at times but I believe that is because I was not attached to Declan and Evangeline (our main couple). It holds a lot of promise for this author's future works.
quelbell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy
jennythepirate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
vivivi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Before that though, I enjoyed it immensely. I like the character interactions. It's not a comedy, but there are light-hearted moments.
I knew how some things were going to turn out, but I couldn't figure out how they would explain it, so it was satisfying in the end when identities were revealed.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
peachylemon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5