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bangiebangs's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really loved this one! It’s 5* from me for a story with great world building, a (somewhat) relatable heroine, and a very hot MMC. The story immediately grabbed me and I read this really quickly (after a bit of a slump tbh).
Emma Hamm’s style is lovely to read. The pacing is good, and I like the way she writes her characters and the POV chapters. I’ll forgive the inevitable miscommunication trope for the delightfully inventive physical contact scenes (not just the sex ones – I really loved the descriptions of deliberate touches.)
I did also like the ending though it was really quite sappy. But then, that’s what I ordered, so I’m noting, not complaining. She also tied in the MMC of the next book in the series, Greed, quite nicely, though I didn’t get as much of a sense of him as I’d liked.
The one thing I’d have loved to have is more information about Selene’s powers. It’s hinted throughout the book that she has more than one, but is it the “frozen lake/showing powers deep” one? And is that utterly unique? What happens to it, she has it at the end and decides not to use it, but it’s still there? , it’s just never really explained why that matters or what it is. Feels a bit like a loose thread, or maybe I missed the explanation (very late nights reading…)
Overall, hugely recommended if you like… lusty demons, a general twist on the deadly sins, some kinky spice, queer sex/desire being a normal thing (plus a twinkle of non-binary representation).
This book is on my list of possible re-reads, just because the process here was such a joy! There are scenes that I’ll remember for a while, and in the wild soup of (dark) romance books I’ve read this year that is quite a feat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Violence, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Abandonment
lfro2013's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was debating putting this on my reading log but then I thought, this is a judgment free zone, why not. I actually really enjoyed this one, I found myself surprisingly invested in the characters and I was genuinely having trouble putting it down. It was also less predictable than I might have expected, and I thought the world building was also pretty good. I will say that I don't really have a strong opinion on eroticism in books, whenever I see sex scenes and books or movies I'm kind of like right, okay, when can we get back to the plot? But if you're into that sort of thing I would say they're pretty suitably spicy. Though there were a few times when I laughed out loud, one that I distinctly remember is when I read the phrase "the globes of his ass". Overall, genuinely fun, enjoyable, and a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
bakergirlsbooks1999's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I am so thankful that I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love Emma Hamm’s writing and everything I have read by her so far including this has been fantastic.
My favourite of the main characters in the book is Lust. I loved the development of his character, his POV chapters and the interactions and banter between him and Selene.
Reading through the story I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to continue the exploration of this world and am so excited that the next book in this series is going to be Greed’s.
If you are looking for a fantasy romance with the enemies to lovers trope I highly recommend checking out this book.
My favourite of the main characters in the book is Lust. I loved the development of his character, his POV chapters and the interactions and banter between him and Selene.
Reading through the story I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to continue the exploration of this world and am so excited that the next book in this series is going to be Greed’s.
If you are looking for a fantasy romance with the enemies to lovers trope I highly recommend checking out this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Child death, and Death
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