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sticky_icky's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Minor: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia
yaoipaddle's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book dragged on so much. I thought the romance and plot would take place in Ibarania, but it takes over 150 pages for them to even leave Makeda's hometown. Then the rest of the book is spent on some boring ass ship.
Makeda is a boring and immature romantic lead. She felt very one note. Beznaria was interesting and a far better character. I quite liked her.
The pacing was far too slow and felt like so much was just repeating the same plot point because the author wanted to drag the book out without them actually writing almost anything in Ibarania.
Boring and many times childish.
Makeda is a boring and immature romantic lead. She felt very one note. Beznaria was interesting and a far better character. I quite liked her.
The pacing was far too slow and felt like so much was just repeating the same plot point because the author wanted to drag the book out without them actually writing almost anything in Ibarania.
Boring and many times childish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
emzhay's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was so wacky and heartfelt I loved it! The pacing is a bit weird. I wish the time at the B&B was shorter and the time on the island was longer. The resolution was rather abrupt too. I felt the end of the book didn’t clearly show Makeda and Bez being on the same page about how they felt about each other. All the same, I loved the journey and these characters and can’t wait to read about more of Alyssa Cole’s royals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
martamae77's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying and Alcoholism
netflixismyroommate's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
morebedsidebooks's review
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Sexual content
Minor: War, Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, and Infidelity
Makeda has a rather toxic parent in her mother.toffishay's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
This was a pretty fun adventurous rom com romp. I really liked Bez and Makeda and their slow-burn romance. There is a ship journey, that honestly took up a little too much of the book for me. Their third act conflict was also frustrating, and the twist at the end fell a little flat to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying
booksdogsandcoffee's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
A long lost princess, a body guard and one adventure that brings them closer then they thought they would have to be.
Makeda’s mom grew up telling her stories of how she was a long lost princess. She thought it was all fairytales. But one day Bez, an investigator from the small country of Ibarania comes to tell Makeda that it might be true.
This was a great love story with banter, forced proximity, fake dating and the bodyguard trope. Plus the slow burn leading up to the spice was 🥵
There was also wonderful rep in this book! Bipoc mc’s, and side characters. A bad ass neurodivergent pansexual investigator, and lesbian rep.
Cw/tw
Toxic parent
Toxic relationship
Ptsd
Bullying
Sexual content
Alcohol
Makeda’s mom grew up telling her stories of how she was a long lost princess. She thought it was all fairytales. But one day Bez, an investigator from the small country of Ibarania comes to tell Makeda that it might be true.
This was a great love story with banter, forced proximity, fake dating and the bodyguard trope. Plus the slow burn leading up to the spice was 🥵
There was also wonderful rep in this book! Bipoc mc’s, and side characters. A bad ass neurodivergent pansexual investigator, and lesbian rep.
Cw/tw
Toxic parent
Toxic relationship
Ptsd
Bullying
Sexual content
Alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
lola_milk's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
kharlan3's review against another edition
(f/f, contemporary, romance). Fake marriage! Royals of fictional nations! Only one bed! A “demon” cat! A sea voyage! Hilarious grandmothers! What a fun romp this is, and delightfully narrated by Karen Chilton.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content