Scan barcode
carbs666's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.75
Okay I want to kick this off by saying I really wanted to love this book so much, but I only liked it. That said, I respect a lot of what the book is doing here and I have a lot of admiration for what Herrera accomplishes with this book, and I am definitely going to read the upcoming books in the series!
My main issue with this book is that it does a lot of telling instead of showing. The first few chapters felt a bit like a lore dump, and there are lots of moments in the book where the narrative is like "btw this happened and here's how the characters felt about it." I understand why this choice was made on a logistical level, because this book covers a lot of ground geographically and in terms of plot, but it did take me out of the narrative and leave me wanting a bit.
That said, I really enjoyed all the characters, and it was clear that even the sidekicks of this book have hidden depths that I am looking forward to exploring in the upcoming additions to the series! The setting could have been a bit richer in general, but there are some moments where locations or dress are described that are beautifully evocative. The sex was excellent and I really enjoyed the way the marriage of convenience trope is handled here - I'm a sucker for all parties being in love with each other but afraid to say it. I also appreciated that when Evan needed to come clean to Luz he did, and instead of it devolving into a black moment he and Luz were able to join forces to confront the problem without sweeping the impact of Evan's previous lies under the rug.
Absolutely worth mentioning is the expert way that Herrera forces all her characters to confront the realities of a white supremacists, patriarchal society without making them dim their shine or compromise on their values. I loved how Herrera brought to life on the page the historical reality of a diverse and innovative European culture in the late 1800s.
My main issue with this book is that it does a lot of telling instead of showing. The first few chapters felt a bit like a lore dump, and there are lots of moments in the book where the narrative is like "btw this happened and here's how the characters felt about it." I understand why this choice was made on a logistical level, because this book covers a lot of ground geographically and in terms of plot, but it did take me out of the narrative and leave me wanting a bit.
That said, I really enjoyed all the characters, and it was clear that even the sidekicks of this book have hidden depths that I am looking forward to exploring in the upcoming additions to the series! The setting could have been a bit richer in general, but there are some moments where locations or dress are described that are beautifully evocative. The sex was excellent and I really enjoyed the way the marriage of convenience trope is handled here - I'm a sucker for all parties being in love with each other but afraid to say it. I also appreciated that when Evan needed to come clean to Luz he did, and instead of it devolving into a black moment he and Luz were able to join forces to confront the problem without sweeping the impact of Evan's previous lies under the rug.
Absolutely worth mentioning is the expert way that Herrera forces all her characters to confront the realities of a white supremacists, patriarchal society without making them dim their shine or compromise on their values. I loved how Herrera brought to life on the page the historical reality of a diverse and innovative European culture in the late 1800s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
I loved this! The characters, the romance, the spice, the Latina representation, the hot Scottish man, the badass feminine power, saucy comebacks. Everything was delicious and delightful and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Mental illness
More...