Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Un patto con il Re degli Elfi

After hearing reviews if this I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's dramatic and a little confusing at times. But the slow burn romance was good, the world was fun, and it's a series I look forward to continuing.

See full rating breakdown below:

Characters: 8/10
I did really like both lead characters, and liked the side characters for the most part too. I would have loved to see stronger differences in character voices, as some did seem to blend together into a few archetypes. Higher score because of Hook, for sure.

Atmosphere: 9/10
Really enjoyed the setting of a grand castle, greenhouse, and the occasional atmospheric jaunts around the non human realm. Lovely mentions of plants too.

Writing style: 7/10
Very easy to read and not put down. But I found the pacing fluctuated, with some events being described in a sentence where it felt like it could have benefited from more.

Plot: 8/10
Strong "find a solution before the time runs out" combined with arranged marriage/close proximity trope. The addition of herbalism/gardening was a nice touch.

Intrigue: 8/10
I was definitely invested and needed to find out what happened, even if it was a little confusing and convoluted.

Logic: 6/10
Logic and continuity let this book down a little. Also the plot would lead us to a revelation, dangle a tid bit then not reach a conclusion. Revelations were delivered in a confusing way, making them feel anticlimactic.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Altogether I did really enjoy this. Would have rated it higher in enjoyment but the sex scenes were all in veiled language and cutaways, which aren't my preference.

Overall rating: 7.71/10

Content Warnings

kiwifay's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked this book a lot more then I thought I would. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a long time and finally decided to pick it up. The ending had no right to make me cry like that. I loved the premise and the elves and magic system. Overall a good read!

Content Warnings

januaryt123's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

ashleycmms's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Content Warnings

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