This is one of those where I don't know what to rate it so I won't 🫠 I just don't know 🤦🏻‍♀️

Can I just stay in this book forever?😭🥹

I have longed for something to suck me in the way this book has😭 

Emotional damage✓
Morally black MMC✓
Incredible world, magic, plot and characters ✓
Gothic, moody atmosphere ✓

I have loved every one of Keri's books that I have picked up, and this one was no different. It might just be my favorite so far! I'm already into Infernium, and just KNOW I'll be left with a gaping hole in my life afterwards🥲

This was just what I needed to keep me out of a slump! I loved Aly and Josh. They were hilarious and adorable. I thought that the plot was a little shallow and would of loved a bit more from it. I was rolling most of this book and have discovered Dark RomComs are definitely my jam😂 

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒔."

I have nothing but love for this book🥹 Both MCs are put into impossible positions, but continue to strive for better. I don't want to go into too much detail on this review because it's one I feel should be read knowing the bare minimum. 

𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.

I was so emotional throughout this whole book. I laughed until my stomach hurt, and my heart felt SO full by the end! There are also some pretty spicy scenes while they figure out their feelings and definitely multiple afterwards 🤭

This was such an amazing read! I thought it'd be another cute Beauty and the Beast Retelling, and it was. Super cute, hilarious, full of ALL the sarcasm, but it was so much more too!🙂‍↕️

Isabel's dad is a POS. Straight up. He gets caught stealing from the magical castle and signs her life away to help Duke Felix get rid of his curse. The curse is the normal B&tB curse. Find love and fall in love to break it, right? Except Felix's true form is a fluffy, cute af, black cat🤭😂 I was dying laughing and giggling at Felix and Isa's back and forth. Sarcasm is a love language that they both have! 

While they were super adorable and I can't get enough of them (😭), the story was sooooo good too. The betrayals, secrets, only being able to tell the truth, the Truth magic. All of it held me in a chokehold. I want to say it's a fast read, but it was only fast because once I started I couldn't stop! I started and finished today, and I already miss them and want to do a reread🥹

First off, I learned that I have no self control😂 This was supposed to be read advent calendar style, reading one chapter a day from December 1st to the 25th. I was doing SO good until I hit December 9th this morning. 

Up until today, it's been suspenseful, kept me hooked, but each chapter has ended pretty chill and allowed me to wait until the next day. Not today! It left such a cliffhanger that I thought "I'll read the 10th and skip tomorrow so I don't get ahead". I was wrong🫠 It doesn't slow down one bit. I was on the edge of my seat and terrified! 

25 Days makes me never want to vacation to a snowy cabin ever in my life. Plus the end?! We need another one Per! I need closure😭

I was immediately drawn in by the Greek Mythology and academia aspects. It did not disappoint! I was instantly hooked and attached to Kiara. She is such a good character that went into this school knowing a skewed version of the truth and grew so much! 

𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑰 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆.

Prince Lucian is obsessed. Fall on his knees for her from the first moment🤭 Watching them grow on each other and get to know one another was everything. There was plenty of banter, but the sweet moments were my absolute favorite!

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓, 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅, 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍: 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒏. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑.

The plot was plotting and I cannot wait for the next book! The trials gave me chills, but also made me want to strangle Lucian😂 I was on the edge of my seat every chapter with the action and sleuthing. I have so many theories on things related to the last 25% of the book and NEED the sequel 😩

Thank you SO much to the author for the gifted copy!🖤

The immense dread and anxiousness I received from this book had me putting it down at night😅 I expected to be a little creeped out, but not to second guess every Shadow that went past a window.

“𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.”

Faye and Felix gave me a mix of emotions. I would be so angry at them then feel bad for them in the next couple of pages. They were realistic people by the end because how would I act if that was my husband and me? I can't say. They went through some shiiiiiit man. 

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒕’𝒂𝒏- 𝑨’𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒌𝒖𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕.

There were a few times when I thought I was reading the last page only to get another chapter and while I was so glad it wasn't over yet, the dread😭 The monster that stalks them is horrifying and thoroughly gave me the heebie-jeebies. I even cried a bit over some of the characters deaths-they didnt deserve that.

𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.

The ending was a little iffy for me. I understood why the monster stalked Faye, I understood the memory loss from trauma, but I guess I just wanted more than Faye saying "go away". And don't get me started on Faye's family. I could throat punch each and every one of them for what they pulled. Your living daughters life is in jeopardy and you keep that a secret?🫠

I normally love Darcy Coates books, so I'm not sure why this one fell a little flat for me😔 I expected her usual paranormal twist, but it's not that. Just a really twisted person. 

𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆’𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅.

I liked half of the characters, but the other half rubbed me the wrong way the entire time. I loved all the different POVs and how when someone expired, a new character took over their POV. It gave a look at what each person was going through and by the end, you want to know everyone's thoughts.

𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏.

The ending definitely shocked me! I would never have guessed who was behind everything. It was super satisfying though, especially after all the heartache and messed up things those kids went through. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting a "lost in the woods/mountains" thriller!