I started this book no more than 30 minutes after finishing the first, and then read a whole 40% before forcing myself to sleep (at 4am!) And this book is like 700 pages, so that's no small feat, and only goes to show how into this series I was. I then had to wake up bright and early the next day to try and focus on physics lessons (which, I'll be honest, I don't think I got that concept down well, my gaze kept straying to this book waiting for me on my nightstand). As soon as that class was over, I forced myself through 20% of my homework before giving up and just picking the book up. With only a small break for dinner, I didn't stop, and had this book done a little after midnight that day, a little over 24 hours after I had originally started. This book was just that good.

Armentrout is insanely good at keeping tension up in a romance while still feeding her readers with enough romance, cute interactions, etc. So many romance based books have issues keeping up the tension between two characters, and often rely on some really dumb tactics to force the characters apart so the tension lasts longer (think really dumb miscommunication, forced parting, etc. etc.), but honestly, Armentrout manages to both keep the tension high the entire book without making me get frustrated with it. It just means I'm super drawn in and on the edge of my seat the whole time without ever getting annoyed at the book or characters. It was honestly just the perfect balance.

I also just really love Poppy and Casteel a lot. They're probably my favorites of Armentrout's characters so far, and I can't wait to see the further growth they'll make. I love Poppy's fierce strength, how she stands up for herself, and how she can still be soft when she needs to be, a good friend to those who need it. I love Casteel's need to protect (both Poppy and his kingdom), his humor (even if sometimes it's just a cover), and how while he's broken, he still tries. I also just can't get over how fantastic their dynamic is, and while the joke about Casteel being weird for loving how violent Poppy is gets said a bit too many times, I do genuinely enjoy that Casteel loves all of Poppy, especially her violent side. I just get so happy when I think about them.

I also genuinely am enjoying the plot too, which romance based books aren't always good at balancing alongside a good romance. Armentrout excels here too honestly, and while it isn't always the most in-depth/well-written story, it fuses perfectly with the romance. It was a tad predictable at moments too, but again, the rest of the story was good enough to make this a non-issue for me. I'm really liking where this story seems to be going, and how the gods seem to coming more and more into play as the story goes on (if you know me, you know I love any story with gods). The dynamic between the kingdoms (and within them) also seems to be getting more complex and interesting as the story goes on, with twists that just keep on coming. It's a series that I could read just for the plot alone, and the fact that it's paired with such a fantastic romance only it makes it better.

It's been about a month since I've finished this now, and I still feel no less strongly about this series. I love it with my whole heart, for how strongly it captured me for those two days, and I'm actually dying waiting for the next two. (Also, I've had to physically stop myself from picking up and rereading these books multiple times since I've finished, and it's only been a month!) If you had any doubts about picking this up, I hope this has convinced you to dive in!