Good Things:

  • My first five star read of the year! It was everything I wanted. A perfect fit for my mood at the time.
  • Slowburn fantasy romance and a retelling/ novel inspired by a number of different fairy tales and myths.
  • It's the second book in the Married to Magic series but can be easily read as a standalone.
  • This story had more sinister tones than A Deal with the Elf King, which I really enjoyed. I loved the first book, but I liked the complexities in this one more.
  • Katria and Davien were a great couple. Their tension and frustrations and just general romance build up was great.
  • I really just want to gush over everything. I loved all the characters, the world, the magic system, everything.
  • It was a super easy read with excellent pacing. I would have binged it in a single sitting if it weren't for work.

 

Not So Good Things:

  • As much as I really enjoyed this as a standalone, I would have been even more obsessed if the story was spread over a duology or trilogy. The extra time to develop the characters, explore the world, and plot elements would have made me love it even more.
  • I did predict the main plot twist fairly early (I picked up on the little clues/ foreshadowing), but I'm not even mad about it because it was a twist I wanted to happen!

 

It's so hard to find the words to express exactly why I loved this book so much. It gave me everything I wanted and fit my mood perfectly. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. The story would have been even more amazing if we had more time to flesh out the characters and plot over two or three books.

Rating: 5 out of 5