I can see why Booktok has fallen hard for this series! It was so addictive, right from the first page and so easy to get into. It includes lots of tropes that are beloved, but Carissa Broadbent makes them feel new and fresh. I'm a sucker for the 'reluctantly having to work or train together but oops why am I falling in love' trope!

This is a fantasy romance, but I don't feel like we skimped on the plot or the world building in service of the romance. I think you really get both in this book, which for me is just *chefs kiss*. I'm greedy - I want it ALL. I want the world to feel complete, the plot to be engaging and the romance to feel real. This book gave me all that and more. 

At about half way, I wasn't really sure where we were heading next so BOY was I shocked when things took a turn in a direction that I did not expect! I'm so glad though, because I'm all in on this series now. 

I knocked .5 stars off just because it wasn't *quite* a 5 star for me. It did start to stall in the last 100 pages and it took me a bit more conscious effort to get through. I'm really excited to read the next book.