Heart melting, toe curling perfection.  

 

No doubt you’ve seen a review or two about this new favorite.  Truth be told, I don’t read a lot of romantasy, and I certainly do not add new series reads to my TBR readily.  But when I saw @reading.rambo ’s review that this would be THE read of the summer, I took note.  

 

And BOY was she right. 

 

I want to tell you that I was obsessed with the kingdom and the monsters.  (I mean... they were both engaging and worthy of praise.  I have no doubt that true fantasy readers will appreciate the depth and creativity.)  

 

But ultimately, for me, this turned out to be a slow burn romance that I didn’t even know I was pining for. 

 

The feistiness of the redheaded FMC.  The heat that radiated off the broody MMC.  The questions.  The banter.  The training.  The poor excuse for spying.  The way she longed for him, and the way he hated to leave her...though neither was prepared to admit such.  

 

The tension was palpable.  And the way it slowly increased scene after scene had me hanging on EVERY single moment that they were together.  This could’ve made me impatient or exasperated.  Instead, it just made everything burn so much hotter.  And in the end...

 

It.  Was. Worth. The. Wait.    

 

I could not get enough of this book.  Of these characters.  Of their connection.  And now I sit in a book hangover haze wondering... just how long will I have to wait for the next installment?  

 

🎧 The growly narration by Jason Clarke and the bold fieriness that exuded from Samantha Brentmoor’s depiction were stellar when separate.  However, most of the audiobook is duet narration.  As such, the discrepancy between the volume of the two narrators interfered with my enjoyment.  I was constantly turning up or down the volume.  Oftentimes back-to-back-to-back.