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gennabean13's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I listed to the dramatized audiobook version, and it was a bit cringey on mulitple occasions. The writing itself wasn't great, could have been a lot more descriptive and fluid, it felt very stiff. But! The story itself was very fun and I enjoyed the ending and the last trial scene.
Was the book well written? No. Was the book fun and enjoyable? Yes!
Was the book well written? No. Was the book fun and enjoyable? Yes!
thedragonflysdream's review against another edition
4.0
PLOT
Ava is a Fae living in the human world, working as a bartender and supporting her boyfriend through college. He promised to help her open a bar named Chloe’s once he graduates, in memory of her adopted mother who passed away. However, her whole life is shattered and turned upside down when she gets off work early on her birthday to find him in bed with another woman.
Heartbroken and in shock, she decides to visit her best friend Shalini, who is also a bartender at the bar where Ava works. Ava gets sloppily drunk and ends up insulting the Fae king, Torin, who surprisingly stops in just as she is trash-talking the contest he is running, where Fae women compete for his hand in marriage to become his wife and Queen of Faerie.
When King Torin offers Ava $50 million to enter the contest and win, she can’t refuse—even if it means fighting for her life and reconnecting with her Fae side in the process.
They both hate each other, and it should be nothing more than a business arrangement in which they each get what they want. For Torin, that means restoring spring to the kingdom of Faerie. For Ava, it means financial freedom to fulfill her dreams and do whatever she wishes with her life. At least, that’s what they both think.
THOUGHTS
Pure entertainment.
Crawford knows how to weave drama, secrets, tension, and adventure into a truly addicting story.
At first, this book felt a little cringe to me, but it was definitely due to the voices of the characters as I was listening to it on audiobook via Hoopla and not the actual book. I mention this because if you plan on listening to this via audiobook like I did, you should be aware—I personally think you should read it instead of listening to it. It’s on Kindle Unlimited along with the second book in The Frost & Nectar Series, Ambrosia.
Once Ava actually entered Faerie, I was immediately hooked.
Since Ava was raised in the human world, she was very disconnected from her Fae nature and heritage. What I love most about her as an FMC is that even though the humans expected her to be a certain way and the Fae expected her to be another, she always remained unapologetically herself regardless of where she found herself. Ava was not only feisty but blunt, straightforward, and no-nonsense. While everyone else seemed to shrink in the King’s presence, she never once did. She was truly unimpressed with the things that others seemed to find so impressive and saw right through him. She was fierce yet compassionate and never compromised on what she believed was right.
Torin, the Seelie King, bore the responsibility for all who resided in Faerie, and with winter worsening, he had to put a Queen on the throne to bring spring back to the land. The last Queen to sit on the throne was his mother before she died. Torin and his sister have a secret, one that they are forbidden to share with anyone other than each other. As they navigate their way around this family secret, Torin will stop at nothing to protect the people of Faerie and restore his land to its prosperous state. Torin is such a great MMC—strong, vicious, when necessary, soft when called for, a natural caretaker, and a royal with a lot of depth despite his outward demeanor. He plays the role of king well, yet he has secret desires and fears that surface and demand acknowledgment.
The side characters had me just as invested as the main characters, Ava and Torin. Princess Orla, Torin’s sister, was such a sweet character and much more capable and clever than anyone gave her credit for. Shalini, Ava’s best friend, who is human yet still accompanies her as her “adviser” (but really to look after her), is the most loyal, observant, cunning, and intelligent friend a girl could ask for. Aeron, Torin’s friend since childhood and lead footman, was such a sweetie—charming, caring, and always looking out for everyone.
The one character I just downright didn’t like and couldn’t get on board with is Princess Moria; you’ll see why—she’s the perfect character to hate.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“No, Ava. We fuck each other hard up against the oak trees, rending the forest air with the sounds of our ecstasy. We fuck around bonfires, bathed in their flames.”
“When was the last time you lost yourself in a pleasure so intense, you forgot your name? The you forgot your own mortality? Because that is what it means to be fae.”
“I could make you ache with pleasure until you forget the name of every human who make you think there was something wrong with you.”
“And if you think I can’t see how much that excites you, if you think I couldn’t hear your heart racing, Ava, you are mistaken. Because if it were you and me, in the oak grove on Beltane, I would have you screaming my name. Calling me your king. I would have your body responding to my every command, shuddering with pleasure underneath me, until you forgot the human world existed at all.”
“The corner of his lip curled. “It seems I have you exactly where I want you, my favorite changeling.”
Ava is a Fae living in the human world, working as a bartender and supporting her boyfriend through college. He promised to help her open a bar named Chloe’s once he graduates, in memory of her adopted mother who passed away. However, her whole life is shattered and turned upside down when she gets off work early on her birthday to find him in bed with another woman.
Heartbroken and in shock, she decides to visit her best friend Shalini, who is also a bartender at the bar where Ava works. Ava gets sloppily drunk and ends up insulting the Fae king, Torin, who surprisingly stops in just as she is trash-talking the contest he is running, where Fae women compete for his hand in marriage to become his wife and Queen of Faerie.
When King Torin offers Ava $50 million to enter the contest and win, she can’t refuse—even if it means fighting for her life and reconnecting with her Fae side in the process.
They both hate each other, and it should be nothing more than a business arrangement in which they each get what they want. For Torin, that means restoring spring to the kingdom of Faerie. For Ava, it means financial freedom to fulfill her dreams and do whatever she wishes with her life. At least, that’s what they both think.
THOUGHTS
Pure entertainment.
Crawford knows how to weave drama, secrets, tension, and adventure into a truly addicting story.
At first, this book felt a little cringe to me, but it was definitely due to the voices of the characters as I was listening to it on audiobook via Hoopla and not the actual book. I mention this because if you plan on listening to this via audiobook like I did, you should be aware—I personally think you should read it instead of listening to it. It’s on Kindle Unlimited along with the second book in The Frost & Nectar Series, Ambrosia.
Once Ava actually entered Faerie, I was immediately hooked.
Since Ava was raised in the human world, she was very disconnected from her Fae nature and heritage. What I love most about her as an FMC is that even though the humans expected her to be a certain way and the Fae expected her to be another, she always remained unapologetically herself regardless of where she found herself. Ava was not only feisty but blunt, straightforward, and no-nonsense. While everyone else seemed to shrink in the King’s presence, she never once did. She was truly unimpressed with the things that others seemed to find so impressive and saw right through him. She was fierce yet compassionate and never compromised on what she believed was right.
Torin, the Seelie King, bore the responsibility for all who resided in Faerie, and with winter worsening, he had to put a Queen on the throne to bring spring back to the land. The last Queen to sit on the throne was his mother before she died. Torin and his sister have a secret, one that they are forbidden to share with anyone other than each other. As they navigate their way around this family secret, Torin will stop at nothing to protect the people of Faerie and restore his land to its prosperous state. Torin is such a great MMC—strong, vicious, when necessary, soft when called for, a natural caretaker, and a royal with a lot of depth despite his outward demeanor. He plays the role of king well, yet he has secret desires and fears that surface and demand acknowledgment.
The side characters had me just as invested as the main characters, Ava and Torin. Princess Orla, Torin’s sister, was such a sweet character and much more capable and clever than anyone gave her credit for. Shalini, Ava’s best friend, who is human yet still accompanies her as her “adviser” (but really to look after her), is the most loyal, observant, cunning, and intelligent friend a girl could ask for. Aeron, Torin’s friend since childhood and lead footman, was such a sweetie—charming, caring, and always looking out for everyone.
The one character I just downright didn’t like and couldn’t get on board with is Princess Moria; you’ll see why—she’s the perfect character to hate.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“No, Ava. We fuck each other hard up against the oak trees, rending the forest air with the sounds of our ecstasy. We fuck around bonfires, bathed in their flames.”
“When was the last time you lost yourself in a pleasure so intense, you forgot your name? The you forgot your own mortality? Because that is what it means to be fae.”
“I could make you ache with pleasure until you forget the name of every human who make you think there was something wrong with you.”
“And if you think I can’t see how much that excites you, if you think I couldn’t hear your heart racing, Ava, you are mistaken. Because if it were you and me, in the oak grove on Beltane, I would have you screaming my name. Calling me your king. I would have your body responding to my every command, shuddering with pleasure underneath me, until you forgot the human world existed at all.”
“The corner of his lip curled. “It seems I have you exactly where I want you, my favorite changeling.”
dejectedpeach's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book to be quite boring and unoriginal. So many similar descriptions found in other fantasy series I’ve read and the romance left way too much to be desired. Giving two stars only because I’m tempted to keep going with the second book just to see if it gets better.
cbair's review against another edition
4.0
Really wish it had been a little longer and more fleshed out. I think there were some discrepancies that editors should have caught, and some of the timeline was a little confusing. Good overall tho and worth the read
shelfyre's review against another edition
3.0
fast-paced and enjoyable read. The book flowed well and I liked the main characters, but I found myself wanting to know more about several side characters. Excited to start the sequel!
destinyreadsbookss's review against another edition
4.0
THIS BOOK IS NOT YA. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THIS ISNT YA.
I saw like 5/6 different videos of people saying that this book had no spice (which it doesn't) but in my small brain, that meant it was ya. don't ask me why i thought that because i don't know lmao but THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY NOT YA. ITS NA. ok now that i got that out of my system lets move on to what i actually thought of the book.
this book had so much TENSIONNNNNN, it was delicous. its like a bachelor meets fae meets hunger games of sorts. the entire book i was living for the tension between the fmc and the mmc. due to reasons, he can't fall in love and he needed a sure thing of not falling in love so he went with the chich who trash talked him to his face and went viral for it. the build up of the two, goddddd. also i am a huge fan of murder in books. so this has bonus points for all of the foul play. this book was great. i literally can't wait for book 2.
I saw like 5/6 different videos of people saying that this book had no spice (which it doesn't) but in my small brain, that meant it was ya. don't ask me why i thought that because i don't know lmao but THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY NOT YA. ITS NA. ok now that i got that out of my system lets move on to what i actually thought of the book.
this book had so much TENSIONNNNNN, it was delicous. its like a bachelor meets fae meets hunger games of sorts. the entire book i was living for the tension between the fmc and the mmc. due to reasons, he can't fall in love and he needed a sure thing of not falling in love so he went with the chich who trash talked him to his face and went viral for it. the build up of the two, goddddd. also i am a huge fan of murder in books. so this has bonus points for all of the foul play. this book was great. i literally can't wait for book 2.
kreela's review against another edition
3.0
“His shoes were held together with duct tape. Mind blowing sex in the yurt, and that’s how I know there is no God. Who was yours?”
The funniest, funnest scenes are in the beginning. Ava is a half-fae living in the human world as a server in a bar when the famous seelie king, Torin, stops his caravan of SUVs to have a drink. Having just broken up with her two-timing boyfriend, she gives him a whiplash of a speech, and he immediately swoons for her. Okay, not. However, Torin does propose to her. For $50k be my wife and win a doozy of a competition.
Broke, Ava sees this as her golden ticket.
“There’s a lot of shit to be afraid of in this world. In both worlds, probably, but at least this one is new and distracting.” Soon after visiting, the fae realm starts to seem like home. The more she competes, the more she wants to stay. Both for the realm and for Torin.
“Andrew had made me feel safe. But Torin? He made me feel like I was standing on a precipice, about to fall off.”
—Yes, it is predictable.
—I liked it anyway.
—Gore, no holds barred competition
—Single POV
—I knew the twist from the beginning, but you might get a nice surprise at the end
—More plot than steam
—Clean romance
—The bar scene is my favorite
The funniest, funnest scenes are in the beginning. Ava is a half-fae living in the human world as a server in a bar when the famous seelie king, Torin, stops his caravan of SUVs to have a drink. Having just broken up with her two-timing boyfriend, she gives him a whiplash of a speech, and he immediately swoons for her. Okay, not. However, Torin does propose to her. For $50k be my wife and win a doozy of a competition.
Broke, Ava sees this as her golden ticket.
“There’s a lot of shit to be afraid of in this world. In both worlds, probably, but at least this one is new and distracting.” Soon after visiting, the fae realm starts to seem like home. The more she competes, the more she wants to stay. Both for the realm and for Torin.
“Andrew had made me feel safe. But Torin? He made me feel like I was standing on a precipice, about to fall off.”
—Yes, it is predictable.
—I liked it anyway.
—Gore, no holds barred competition
—Single POV
—I knew the twist from the beginning, but you might get a nice surprise at the end
—More plot than steam
—Clean romance
—The bar scene is my favorite
nancysweitzer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
meganlarsson's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0