This book was such a good one. The magical typewriters, the mysterious letters, and the slow-burning, innocent romance brewing between Iris and Roman (or should I say, Carver? lol) were all part of what made me really enjoy this. I’m definitely biased towards low-stakes or easygoing fantasies; especially when I actually like the main characters. And I really liked Iris. Her grief over her mother’s death and her brother’s absence added so much depth to her character; the regret, the “what could have been” moments. It made it so easy to follow her through the whole journey, even when things got a little heavy.

Then there’s Roman, who I loved, by the way. I remember thinking how brave it was when he decided to follow Iris to the front lines, leaving behind his safe, comfortable life. Sure, he was trying to escape an arranged marriage, but still. That moment was just so lovely. It showed how much he’d grown and how committed he was to not losing someone he cared about again; especially after what happened with his sister. And his bond with Iris? It felt so fragile but so so warm. And even though it all started through anonymous letters, you could tell how much he really liked her and how scared he was of losing her once she knew who he really was. I also loved that Iris didn’t just accept him right away. Her confusion, her mixed feelings about both guys; it felt so real, especially for a girl her age. That kind of inner conflict made her reactions feel very honest. I really liked that.

Now the twist at the end though… I’m still not too sure if I can say I really liked that lol. Roman’s fate being left hanging like that made me so anxious, and now I honestly don’t know if I want to read the second book. Even though I liked this one a lot. Like… why would they do that to me?