I don't think I have ever been this let down by a book in my life.

I love retellings. And I understand that retellings change some of the story - that is, after all, the point of a retelling. But I have no idea how one goes from Count of Monte Cristo, an epic revenge fantasy, to this book about a foolish girl who has no idea what's going on 90% of the time and immediately falls in love with the son of her enemy.

I just... how did Sim shoehorn a crappy romance into a COMC retelling??? I am in physical pain?? I was so excited about this book for almost a year. It's a decent book -- it's just not a COMC retelling. I definitely wouldn't enjoy it had it not been marketed as a retelling but I might have liked it a tad more. (Probably not though.)

SPEAKING OF REVENGE FANTASY

There is something so thrilling about a person who was wronged showing up with a ton of money and the ability to mess up people's lives. Yet, in this book, Amaya is after ONE (1) person almost the entire time. And she isn't pulling the strings - she's beholden to Boon, who is her Abbé Faria, except he's alive and a jerk and SHE IS NOT IN CHARGE OF HER OWN REVENGE????? There could have been so much empowerment in a traumatized girl getting revenge and then learning to care about other people again (perhaps by befriending Soria or even Cayo). But the way it played out sucked.

I really expected Soria to act as a Valentine stand-in, especially because she got sick, and for her fiance to somehow be on Amaya's side so that she felt bad for Soria and spared her a la Valentine and Maxamilian. There was no Morrel stand in either, though I can understand getting rid of Caderousse or other characters for sake of length. But I just... this is not a retelling. Please don't brand it as one.