given how this is a 240 pages book, i dismissed some of the rushed bits and how fast paced the romance is, how sometimes the descriptions and prose went a bit long and i lost track of what was supposed to be happening; and still gave Apprentice’s Luck five stars.

in recent years i don’t give five stars lightly— i’ve given whooping three stars to books i absolutely loved and am obsessed with to this day, because i couldn’t dismiss their flaws, and yet.

something about talis and jer, the ambiance of magic and the last days of winter, of rain and humidity and new love… this is a cozy book, a cozy reading, and some passages truly gripped me in a most delightful ways, for some reason.

this isn’t a ground breaking story or romance, except maybe it is. i’m still struggling to find queer books that comfortably fall somewhere in the middle between the innocence of young adult romances and more adult themes. i do enjoy sweet romance, but c’mon folks, i still want well-written and engaging sex scenes. i want adult characters and problems with gravitas! and this one did have a neat little murder plot, so it gets bonus cookie points.

Apprentice’s Luck is an uncomplicated book that reads the way you watch a soft slice of life anime— pretty colors, warmth, some gentle insight you didn’t expect to make about yourself.

because this book DID make me discover a whole new thing about myself, so i guess you can account my five star rating to that.

i recommend this reading to anyone who wants to sit down and smile and enjoy some beauty as a pick me up.