+Arranged marriage trope
+Wholesome relationship
+Genuinely kind/good main characters
+Intriguing mystery-based plot

I had high hopes going into this because some trusted friends loved it, but I still didn't expect to love it this much.

While I usually like a bit more world-building in my sci-fi, the rest of this book more than made up for it. The setting was more background to the plot and character arcs, and we were only given information as we needed it, and only just enough to understand the plot. It ended up fitting the story well, since both Kiem themselves didn't know much of the world either, by choice or not. It meant we were on the same page as the characters for the story, and it ensured we saw things in a similar way they did. I am still very intrigued by the world though, as the small bits and pieces we got in this book were definitely interesting.

The strongest aspect of this story was by far the characters. I have so much love and appreciate for Kiem and Jainan, and I just loved how soft they both felt. There was miscommunication and frustration in their storyline, but these two characters are just such genuinely good people that I could never hold it against them. I loved seeing them grow as individuals and as a couple, and it was great to see such a wholesome relationship grow out of jagged remains of their backgrounds. I can definitely see myself rereading this book just to see their relationship grow again.

The plot was in perfect harmony with the character arcs. It was strong on its own yet didn't take too much away from the emotional journey the characters were both going through. It also brought in some sci-fi elements I always love, from the political intrigue across planets to weird experimental tech. The mystery itself also gripped me, yet I was a bit clueless to actually solving it (I didn't even have any theories! But honestly, I think I was distracted by Kiem and Jainan). I also really enjoyed that while this part of the book had a solid ending, it didn't take away from the romance ending well as well. There was space for both, and the balance of these two elements made the book a five-star read for me.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what the author writes next! I heard she's writing another story in the same universe, and to say I'm excited is definitely an understatement.