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thewordsdevourer's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this was a rly cute read! a rival most vial was my first cozy fantasy, and it was a fun, lighthearted read w/ a lot of heart and also grounded in relatable issues.
the characters are truly what make this book; not only ames and eli, but also the other characters particularly those on rosemont street, who all shine both individually and together. for the main couple, i enjoy the true enemies-to-lovers relationship and seeing them both develop and grow thruout the book; their internal issues and conflict are v much relatable and add depth to the story, and theyre a v cute couple who gives me butterflies. i also love the bond between everyone on rosemont st that truly envelops the found family trope; theyre super wholesome and heartwarming.
meanwhile, the writing flows nicely and is never an issue, fitting at all the right moments. as for the worldbuilding, for the immediate vicinity it's nice, giving the reader an atmosphere of the scar but it doesnt rly extend much beyond that to the other parts of the kingdom. perhaps ashwick will explore that more in the sequels. i do like the unique layout of the scar tho, and it's undeniable that the setting makes the book cozy as much as the characters.
i have one main issue w/ the book, however, w/ how it doesnt focus enough on the consequences of some characters' actions. thruout the novel, whenever sth happens the fault is often pinned on ames and he's called to apologize, w/ no mention of the party's part in the issue, namely dawn and - towards the end - eli. for the latter it ends too abruptly, w/ no mention of the hows and whys whatsoever ofhis shop blowing up and the immediate aftermath of that is skipped . dawn is the one that upsets me more tho, doing what she did despite being aware of ames' deeper issues, and instead it's only ames whos expected to plan a whole apology tour for trying to save her. she also doesnt seem to have changed at all from the incident, remaining an overachiever (or more like overcommitter) despite the consequences it could wreak on not only herself but those around her, and there's no discussion of her issues at all, which is disappointing.
in conclusion this novel does have its issues, but it's still an enjoyable, lighthearted read thats could make one feel both giddy and cozy. i look forward to the sequel!
the characters are truly what make this book; not only ames and eli, but also the other characters particularly those on rosemont street, who all shine both individually and together. for the main couple, i enjoy the true enemies-to-lovers relationship and seeing them both develop and grow thruout the book; their internal issues and conflict are v much relatable and add depth to the story, and theyre a v cute couple who gives me butterflies. i also love the bond between everyone on rosemont st that truly envelops the found family trope; theyre super wholesome and heartwarming.
meanwhile, the writing flows nicely and is never an issue, fitting at all the right moments. as for the worldbuilding, for the immediate vicinity it's nice, giving the reader an atmosphere of the scar but it doesnt rly extend much beyond that to the other parts of the kingdom. perhaps ashwick will explore that more in the sequels. i do like the unique layout of the scar tho, and it's undeniable that the setting makes the book cozy as much as the characters.
i have one main issue w/ the book, however, w/ how it doesnt focus enough on the consequences of some characters' actions. thruout the novel, whenever sth happens the fault is often pinned on ames and he's called to apologize, w/ no mention of the party's part in the issue, namely dawn and - towards the end - eli. for the latter it ends too abruptly, w/ no mention of the hows and whys whatsoever of
in conclusion this novel does have its issues, but it's still an enjoyable, lighthearted read thats could make one feel both giddy and cozy. i look forward to the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual content
clarabooksit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
denois's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC and am leaving an unbiased review.
I greatly enjoyed this book. For the first time in many years, I stayed up all night reading it because I didn't want to stop to sleep, I wanted to find out what was happening. Don't let that make you think it takes a long time, I didn't start reading until about midnight and finished around 7. It's a quick read.
If you like rivals to friends to lovers, if you like fantasy settings, if you have wondered what the lives of NPCs were like in your ttrpg campaign (most similar to D&D, but probably cross applicable to others), if you like gay main characters, if you like the grumpy one becoming soft for the sunshiny one, if you like a cast of characters that includes nonbinary characters, mspec characters, wlw characters, old women who kick ass and make armor, and aroace characters, then this book will probably be very enjoyable for you.
It's not all sunshine and roses. Both of the main characters have some very difficult things to work through and one is dealing with some pretty significant tragic backstory. This is probably the one thing that I wish had a bit more time devoted to it to develop and resolve on page. I understand the word count restrictions in play and the pacing constraints, and I think that how it was handled is probably the best option that was strictly available. I personally would have enjoyed a bit more insight into the emotional journey for the character there, but it would have changed the pacing too much.
In addition to the tragic backstory issues, there are also dangerous adventures and misadventures and the risk of injury and death is quite real, which worked to keep me engaged in the story and worrying about the characters.
The love story is the main plot, but the subplots generally feel significant and developed enough that they don't feel incidental. They are reasonable things that would occur in the lives of the characters even if the love story plot wasn't happening. At the same time, they are woven together in a way that allows the subplots to move the main plot as well.
I greatly enjoyed this book. For the first time in many years, I stayed up all night reading it because I didn't want to stop to sleep, I wanted to find out what was happening. Don't let that make you think it takes a long time, I didn't start reading until about midnight and finished around 7. It's a quick read.
If you like rivals to friends to lovers, if you like fantasy settings, if you have wondered what the lives of NPCs were like in your ttrpg campaign (most similar to D&D, but probably cross applicable to others), if you like gay main characters, if you like the grumpy one becoming soft for the sunshiny one, if you like a cast of characters that includes nonbinary characters, mspec characters, wlw characters, old women who kick ass and make armor, and aroace characters, then this book will probably be very enjoyable for you.
It's not all sunshine and roses. Both of the main characters have some very difficult things to work through and one is dealing with some pretty significant tragic backstory. This is probably the one thing that I wish had a bit more time devoted to it to develop and resolve on page. I understand the word count restrictions in play and the pacing constraints, and I think that how it was handled is probably the best option that was strictly available. I personally would have enjoyed a bit more insight into the emotional journey for the character there, but it would have changed the pacing too much.
In addition to the tragic backstory issues, there are also dangerous adventures and misadventures and the risk of injury and death is quite real, which worked to keep me engaged in the story and worrying about the characters.
The love story is the main plot, but the subplots generally feel significant and developed enough that they don't feel incidental. They are reasonable things that would occur in the lives of the characters even if the love story plot wasn't happening. At the same time, they are woven together in a way that allows the subplots to move the main plot as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Violence and Medical content
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