Oh this was GREAT--Whitten has written this incredible blend of great worldbuilidng and compelling characters, which I think is a much harder balance to strike than folks know. There's so much incredible tension building that made me want to keep reading, and I think the motivations and conflicts between characters are so compelling without being like very frustrating, which--frustrating isn't bad in the storytelling, but here I think it makes the story all the more heart-rending, because there aren't really easy answers to solving the conflicts. 

Also can we just say: that SLOW BURN. The SEXUAL TENSION. We love that for us all. What a book, and ooo what a wait we now have for the sequel!