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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
No
Such a fun and unique read!
I really loved these two together, the slow burn was amazing. The author did a great job in developing their relationship at a steady pace.
Their moments together, in the quiet of day, were the sweetest.
I really loved these two together, the slow burn was amazing. The author did a great job in developing their relationship at a steady pace.
Their moments together, in the quiet of day, were the sweetest.
I enjoyed parts of this. The main characters were kind, practical, and respectful. I especially liked the friends-to-lovers dynamic and how their relationship developed naturally, without an instant attraction.
However, the story felt quite slow sometimes, and I found myself losing interest now and then. The villain felt one-dimensional, and while the main characters were lovely, I thought they were too perfect. They needed a bit more edge or conflict to offset all the wholesomeness.
The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I don’t feel the need to pick up the next book in the series.
However, the story felt quite slow sometimes, and I found myself losing interest now and then. The villain felt one-dimensional, and while the main characters were lovely, I thought they were too perfect. They needed a bit more edge or conflict to offset all the wholesomeness.
The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I don’t feel the need to pick up the next book in the series.
A fantasy story of a politically-arranged marriage between two very different people.
Ildiko is a human. The beautiful, orphaned niece to the Gauri King. She is smart, brave, generous and lonely. She dutifully accepts her betrothal to the younger son of the King of a neighbouring country. Their marriage is to be a sign of goodwill to cement a recent trade agreement.
Brishen is a Kai. One of the Elder races, the Kai are fearsome warriors, strong and lithe, with dark grey skin, sharp teeth and nails, and luminescent eyes with no iris or pupil. They are nocturnal people who see well in the darkness but have difficulty in the sunshine.
To his people, Prince Brishen is handsome and very eligible. Despite his upbringing with terrible, manipulative and vicious parents, Brishen is a genuine, kind, good-natured person.
When the two meet, they honestly tell each other how repulsive they find the other. They are both similarly dutiful and down-to-earth people and are self-deprecating enough to find humour in their situation. Despite being put off by the unattractiveness of their respective appearances, they instantly form an understanding which grows into friendship, trust and admiration.
This was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story with great characters and interesting world-building. The differences between the Kai man and Gauri woman were as obvious as night and day, but the essence of their true natures was shown to be strongly compatible despite everything.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
Ildiko is a human. The beautiful, orphaned niece to the Gauri King. She is smart, brave, generous and lonely. She dutifully accepts her betrothal to the younger son of the King of a neighbouring country. Their marriage is to be a sign of goodwill to cement a recent trade agreement.
Brishen is a Kai. One of the Elder races, the Kai are fearsome warriors, strong and lithe, with dark grey skin, sharp teeth and nails, and luminescent eyes with no iris or pupil. They are nocturnal people who see well in the darkness but have difficulty in the sunshine.
To his people, Prince Brishen is handsome and very eligible. Despite his upbringing with terrible, manipulative and vicious parents, Brishen is a genuine, kind, good-natured person.
When the two meet, they honestly tell each other how repulsive they find the other. They are both similarly dutiful and down-to-earth people and are self-deprecating enough to find humour in their situation. Despite being put off by the unattractiveness of their respective appearances, they instantly form an understanding which grows into friendship, trust and admiration.
This was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story with great characters and interesting world-building. The differences between the Kai man and Gauri woman were as obvious as night and day, but the essence of their true natures was shown to be strongly compatible despite everything.
This book contains descriptive love scenes.
adventurous
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I adore this book and its sequel. Brishen and Ildiko are my standard to which I compare all other romance stories I read. That doesn't mean they have to have the same personality or tropes, but it's gotta be that level of enjoyment. Ildiko especially is everything I love in a female lead: kind, inquisitive, and practical. I first read this at the beginning of 2020 and am definitely due for a reread soon.
Maybe this book was cute? I'm not sure. I just know I was so bored and so damn sleepy that I'm pretty sure my eyes were half closed while reading this.
This book has a friends to lover romance with a bit of fantasy. Both of the MC's were really cute. They understood each other. Didn’t fall for each other cause "OMG YOU ARE SO PRETTY". They tried to get to know each other better before kissing. A realllllyyyy slow burn. Even the main character isn’t a virgin. She's funny, charming, loyal, endearing. The male MC is also perfect. He isn’t your typical dark rude boy. He is cute, sweet, loving, understanding, Perfect Hufflepuff. Everything is perfect. Too. Much. Perfect.
But...
Every time I started a chapter in my phone... after a couple of minutes I suddenly discovered myself scrolling through my instagram feed or goodreads feed or staring at my wall. I swear I have no idea how I ended up there. Felt like it's taking me forever to finish each chapters.
Maybe it's me. Or maybe it's the book. Or maybe it was a really bad idea to pick this book up while having a nasty fever. Or maybe it's my toxic blood and bone which loves toxic books with toxic MC and their toxic relationship.
This book has a friends to lover romance with a bit of fantasy. Both of the MC's were really cute. They understood each other. Didn’t fall for each other cause "OMG YOU ARE SO PRETTY". They tried to get to know each other better before kissing. A realllllyyyy slow burn. Even the main character isn’t a virgin. She's funny, charming, loyal, endearing. The male MC is also perfect. He isn’t your typical dark rude boy. He is cute, sweet, loving, understanding, Perfect Hufflepuff. Everything is perfect. Too. Much. Perfect.
But...
Every time I started a chapter in my phone... after a couple of minutes I suddenly discovered myself scrolling through my instagram feed or goodreads feed or staring at my wall. I swear I have no idea how I ended up there. Felt like it's taking me forever to finish each chapters.
Maybe it's me. Or maybe it's the book. Or maybe it was a really bad idea to pick this book up while having a nasty fever. Or maybe it's my toxic blood and bone which loves toxic books with toxic MC and their toxic relationship.
4.5 stars. Possibly a generous rating but I was in the perfect mood for this cozy romantasy
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
No
Removed a star just because I thought it was a touch boring. But to be fair, sometimes that’s more my mood than the book itself. This one managed to be engrossing without exaggeration or unnecessary drama or anguish. I’m not usually a fan of friends to lovers but at least with these two you can really see how much they mean to each other, and believe it. It was unencumbered by contrivance, and was refreshingly matter of fact. Not to mention the villain was seriously, awfully nasty. Not morally gray or sympathetic. Just awful, and that was refreshing too.
This was a surprise winner for me. Granted, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a dark read. But it’s actually super sweet and relatively low-angst. And normally, that’s not a combination that works for me. I like some grit in my fantasy. But I also appreciate a practical heroine, and Ildiko is a strong one. And Brishen is just so marvelously noble. Watching them become friends and supports to one another before lovers was nice.
There was also humor, interesting side characters (who are obviously the couple for a future book), an interesting world, and a slow-burn, low-spice romance. I enjoyed the heck out of it.
As much as I liked the above aspects of the book. I did feel a tad bored at times. There isn’t a lot of action, and most of what action there is is packed toward the end. And the villain is a little cliched. All in all, though, I look forward to reading book two.
There was also humor, interesting side characters (who are obviously the couple for a future book), an interesting world, and a slow-burn, low-spice romance. I enjoyed the heck out of it.
As much as I liked the above aspects of the book. I did feel a tad bored at times. There isn’t a lot of action, and most of what action there is is packed toward the end. And the villain is a little cliched. All in all, though, I look forward to reading book two.