I remember trying to decide whether or not I could fit this in my ARC lineup during this summer. I am so glad that I decided to give this one a chance. I really enjoyed myself and felt like I sped read through this book.

Alessa is a Finestra, who is trying to find her fourth Fonte. She needs him to mesh their powers and kill off the evil that’s coming their way. Despite this, she’s killed three people and the town is starting to turn against her. The people inside her own home and most trusted advisors are also starting to turn. She takes it upon herself to find herself a bodyguard after several attempts on her life. She sneaks out and finds Dante, a criminal, who is street fighting. He decides to help her and then all kinds of chaos ensues.

The beginning of this story was a little slow and a bit overwhelming. The world is very unique and quite expansive. I was trying to get my bearings with the world-building but also attach to characters. I loved Alessa from the very beginning. She’s trying to fit this mold and quickly realizing that it’s not working. he desperately needs to find her own path. The new Fontes that she has to pick from were not people that I was a fan of, at first. I do understand where they are coming from but sheesh, it was rough. I felt so bad for Alessa and how isolated she was. Ultimately, I ended up falling in love with the Fonte squad. They all brought so much to the story with their different personalities. I can’t believe that I ended up loving even Kaleb, who is the biggest jerk, in the beginning. The relationships that Alessa forms with them is so lovely to see.

The absolutely best part of this book is Alessa and Dante’s relationship. The bodyguard falling for who he protects? I’m not usually the biggest fan of that trope but I was loving it here. It was so full of friendship, love, angsty moments, and I ate it up. Dante was so grumpy and I really enjoyed the banter between the two! Not to mention this is a forbidden love which really added to the intensity.

I devoured most of this book in one day. There were some pacing issues in the beginning and then during the end battle scenes. It got a bit muddled and confusing at times but that was okay. Overall, I loved this story and I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the themes about family, finding who you are, and relationships. The ending was satisfying but left me wanting for more with that little cliffhanger. I cannot wait to read book two!

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.