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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
3.5
this was very fun to read BUT i hate frey. and i think finnie is dumb for letting him get away with lots of things. aint having none of that shit. also the ending felt half-assed? idk. but it's good overall i guess.
!! spoiler !!
[mock whispers] i laughed when they said frey died lolllll
this was very fun to read BUT i hate frey. and i think finnie is dumb for letting him get away with lots of things. aint having none of that shit. also the ending felt half-assed? idk. but it's good overall i guess.
!! spoiler !!
[mock whispers] i laughed when they said frey died lolllll
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I originally read this in January of 2015, but am re-reading the series to prepare for the last book in the series.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person heroine, third hero. Majority is the heroine’s perspective.
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person heroine, third hero. Majority is the heroine’s perspective.
Basic plot:
We have a parallel universe – and everyone has a twin. Sjofn and Seoafin are switching places for 1 million dollars. Seoafin has been searching for adventure and this seems like the one of a lifetime. As they switch and Seoafin is plopped into a wedding ceremony with a huge, angry fiance that hates her, she realizes that Sjofn has left out some things in their communication.
Give this a try if you want:
- Fantasy romance – like I said above parallel universe with many similarities but plenty of differences too. It feels ‘historical’ in that the transport is ships and horses, candles and fires instead of lights
- Great mix of romance, steam, and plot. It’s pretty dispersed throughout.
- Medium to higher steam – there’s a number of scenes, many were on the shorter side, or fade to black, but there’s still plenty of full scenes.
- You’re okay with some violence, gore, and grief
- Captured/arranged marriage/forced marriage feel – heroine is thrown into a wedding ceremony and has no opportunity to say no
- Royalty main characters – Finnie is a princess and Frey is the leader of his house
Ages:
- Hero is 36 but I couldn’t find how old the heroine is. I want to say early 20s?
My thoughts:
This book was exactly what I needed, I think. I usually read historical romance and this was just different enough from historical, but still similar with the lack of modern inventions.
The hero, Frey, can be a total jerk. When you think of the stereotypical alpha character, he fits that in the beginning of the book. He’s a huge warrior, he does what he wants and expects everyone to obey him. He isn’t sweet or tender with Finnie at first. At first. But I got to see the most wonderful melting towards each other as the book went on and I absolutely fell in love with Frey. He becomes so protective, tender, caring, and sweet. And while he crosses the line of relationship consent (not sexually) I forgave him – because I love him.
Finnie was a delight. I really loved her character. She was happy, spunky, and resourceful. She was the perfect mix of being able to get things done, but needing assistance in this new world too. I think I fell in love with her when she was dropped off at a cabin and abandoned and she took care of business. I really just loved this couple so, so much.
I do think the ending felt kind of wrapped up quickly and rushed. There were some major issues at play here, and yes when you’re faced with death and grief maybe it puts those issues in perspective to not matter – still I just felt it was kind of glanced over after being such a big problem in their relationship.
I loved that Frey didn’t shy away from his love. He expressed it regularly, even if he doesn’t say it right away.
The intimate scenes – I wish I had more full ones. The tension was so, so good. So good. I adored it. And then when we got full sex, I was just a touch disappointed. It felt like it was more rushed, or it was beginning well into the scene, or it would cut the black after the beginning. I just wanted pages and pages of details haha. Still, I was content with it. (I’m just greedy about good intimate scenes)
I had some minor complaints about the writing – but again this is probably because I’m coming from reading 99% historical romance. So reading things repeatedly, like “ohmygod” “that’s so cool” “you’re so hot” “ohmygodohmygodohmygod!” “he’s so hot! Look how hot he is!” “oh boy” was kind of frustrating for me. But that’s totally a personal preference and honestly it didn’t bother me that much, overall.
This book is written in first person perspective from the heroine’s point of view and third for the hero’s. Honestly, it flowed pretty well for me. (I am a third person only lover!)
Content Warnings:
Loss of parents remembered
Death on page
Violence
Talk of traditions resulting in rape (not on page, I believe it’s referencing book 2 customs)
Hunting scenes, use fur and pelts
Child abuse – alluded to
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes – I probably missed some because I was so into reading this! But I think I got all the ‘full’ scenes:
Pg 89 – kisses, touches, and light fingering that’s interrupted
Pg 119 – kisses
Pg 197 🔥 – kisses and missionary sex
Pg 204 🔥 - missionary but he goes very slow until she orgasms, refusing to go harder
Pg 224 – fade to black
Pg 290 🔥 - oral for her, oral for him (incomplete), then missionary sex while under the powers of an aphrodisiac tea
Pg 334 – her on top, then alluded to sex (It’s pretty short)
Pg 355 🔥 - missionary sex
This is such a good story.
Finnie changes places with her 'twin' in a parallel universe. Only when she arrives she is escorted by her parents who don't seem to be very pleased with her to her wedding. The reason she went on this adventure is to spend time with her 'twin's parents as her own died and she desperately misses them.
Frey is the brooding groom who is not impressed with his upcoming wedding, he has good reason, which is revealed.
Frey is by no means the perfect Hero, he makes some really huge mistakes.
But the Hero's in this series, all have a position of authority and have an arrogance that means at times they make decisions for others based on the good of their country and legacy without thinking how it will affect that person, esp Finnie.
The ex drama situation in particular comes back to bite him in a huge way but his devotion to his 'wee Finnie'is absolute.
The story is funny and very heartfelt.
There is ex drama of sorts, a woman from his past causes problems.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating, though it's complicated to explain but there is an accusation of cheating, though technically the accusation doesn't hold weight, due to the parallel universe issues but it causes problems for the couple.
Also after a huge argument he threatens to go and spend time with another woman but it is later revealed he doesn't, though at the time Finnie thinks he has cheated.
Also the scene is set for the other books which will follow and we meet or hear about some of the people that will be in them.
New world, culture customs developed, it is a bit too detailed, curtains, furniture, etc at the start but once you move on from that point the story really picks up.
HFN.
Though the series has a couple per book, there is a main enemy storyline thread that runs through the series and updates of previous characters appear in each book.
It's not essential to read all the books but you may have spoilers as there are hints of events that affect other couples in each book.
Finnie changes places with her 'twin' in a parallel universe. Only when she arrives she is escorted by her parents who don't seem to be very pleased with her to her wedding. The reason she went on this adventure is to spend time with her 'twin's parents as her own died and she desperately misses them.
Frey is the brooding groom who is not impressed with his upcoming wedding, he has good reason, which is revealed.
Frey is by no means the perfect Hero, he makes some really huge mistakes.
But the Hero's in this series, all have a position of authority and have an arrogance that means at times they make decisions for others based on the good of their country and legacy without thinking how it will affect that person, esp Finnie.
The ex drama situation in particular comes back to bite him in a huge way but his devotion to his 'wee Finnie'is absolute.
The story is funny and very heartfelt.
There is ex drama of sorts, a woman from his past causes problems.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating, though it's complicated to explain but there is an accusation of cheating, though technically the accusation doesn't hold weight, due to the parallel universe issues but it causes problems for the couple.
Also after a huge argument he threatens to go and spend time with another woman but it is later revealed he doesn't, though at the time Finnie thinks he has cheated.
Also the scene is set for the other books which will follow and we meet or hear about some of the people that will be in them.
New world, culture customs developed, it is a bit too detailed, curtains, furniture, etc at the start but once you move on from that point the story really picks up.
HFN.
Though the series has a couple per book, there is a main enemy storyline thread that runs through the series and updates of previous characters appear in each book.
It's not essential to read all the books but you may have spoilers as there are hints of events that affect other couples in each book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh Frey, Frey, Frey. You sure had some moments when I wanted to slap the piss out of you, but you really came through in the end. I was in tears at some points, then laughing at Frey and Finnie's banter, and so anxious towards the end of the story, I had to force myself to put the book aside to sleep at 1230am. I loved how loyal everyone grew to be to Finnie and was so sad she had to lose some of those people because of plotting a-holes in the book. I've already read book 2, but I'm gonna read it again before moving on to book 3 (because it's just that damn good).
It's been a while since I read this and I didn't get to reviewing it earlier, so this will be short.
We are introduced to a parallel universe that resembles medieval times, where every person from this world has a "twin" there. Finnie, the heroine, is a thrill seeker, and when she discovers the existence of that parallel world, she decides that visiting it for a while would be a great adventure.
She exchanges places with her twin, only to discover that she's been conned. She arrives shortly before her wedding to a powerful lord who is not happy with the match but agreed to it for political reasons. He does not like her twin and is prepared for an unhappy marriage, but soon discovers that Finnie is not the woman he knows.
Interesting world and engaging plot that made the story enjoyable, although not particularly memorable. Next in the series comes [b:The Golden Dynasty|12458287|The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland, #2)|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327913192s/12458287.jpg|17441876].
We are introduced to a parallel universe that resembles medieval times, where every person from this world has a "twin" there. Finnie, the heroine, is a thrill seeker, and when she discovers the existence of that parallel world, she decides that visiting it for a while would be a great adventure.
She exchanges places with her twin, only to discover that she's been conned. She arrives shortly before her wedding to a powerful lord who is not happy with the match but agreed to it for political reasons. He does not like her twin and is prepared for an unhappy marriage, but soon discovers that Finnie is not the woman he knows.
Interesting world and engaging plot that made the story enjoyable, although not particularly memorable. Next in the series comes [b:The Golden Dynasty|12458287|The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland, #2)|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327913192s/12458287.jpg|17441876].
Let me preface by saying I was recommended this book under the guise of it being a fantasy parallel universe romance, with the age old marriage trope. The cover also was pretty! So I thought I’d give it a try.
What I did not expect was the vulgar language juxtaposed by the immature speech and wording that I’ve honestly never read outside casual 2012 social media posts. “Welp, etc”. Not even to mention the casual homophobia and sexism (but the latter isn’t really surprising).
I’m honestly disappointed but also glad I didn’t dish out £17 for the paperback and instead bought the ebook for £3.
What I did not expect was the vulgar language juxtaposed by the immature speech and wording that I’ve honestly never read outside casual 2012 social media posts. “Welp, etc”. Not even to mention the casual homophobia and sexism (but the latter isn’t really surprising).
I’m honestly disappointed but also glad I didn’t dish out £17 for the paperback and instead bought the ebook for £3.