Scan barcode
wardenred's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
By accepting this marriage, we are accepting to do our duty. Do you oppose to do it with kindness?
A bunch of my romance reader communities have been hyping up this book for a while now, so I've been super excited to read it. On the surface, it looked like the story was made for me: arranged marriage, slow burn, and hurt/comfort? Give me more! However, I'm sorry to say I found myself really disappointed. I guess the hurt part was a bit too prominent for my tastes and the comfort part was barely there in truth, since the focus shifted so much to Raphael's past trauma that led him to treat Milan the way he did and the plot started feeling a lot like making excuses. "If you were in abusive relationship in the past, it's kinda okay to nearly kill your new partner if you then feel bad about it" is so not an outtake I can get behind.
That said, I certainly don't discount the effects of Raphael's past and this kind of thing would be really interesting to explore, if only he was more rational about it. It's very understandable to need time to recover from something like that, but while you're recovering, either don't agree to an arranged marriage (yeah, we're told this wasn't an option for either of the leads, but we're never really shown it, which was another big letdown for me tbh—I'd love to see this inevitability and where it stems from explored in fiction rather than just exist as an informed attribute) or communicate with your new husband. Because Milan certainly tried hard to open any avenue of communication, but it's not just that Raphael never bothered to open up until something drastic came of his silence. It's that he never listened and made himself impossible to talk to, and Milan was left to shoulder the entire emotional brunt of this relationship while being the one in the more vulnerable position because of how the bond functions, as well as due to being alone in a new country and having no support network that could exist independently of Raphael's influence. The way he forgave Raphael was just to easy, and if there's one statement from Raphael that I fully agree with, it's this: "How can goodness prevail if we don’t expect it of people?"
That said, I did like Milan to a point (that too easy forgiveness? Nope), and I really liked a lot of the side characters and all the details about running the estate. There were also things that I liked because they were promising, but they were underexplored. Like the whole political situation with the arranged marriages that I mentioned above. Or the cultural differences that left Raphael so (*cough* ridiculously *cough*) ignorant of how the bond worked on Milan's end—surely they run deeper than only that and should have more implications for both the relationship between the leads and Milan's position in the new country in general.
All in all, this is a story I could have enjoyed a lot, if it was told somewhat differently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Medical content
Neglectashlikes's review
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Medical content
Minor: War, Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
vicky3's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape
zabeishumanish's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
3.0
Reflections from a second reading: I stand by my initial 3-star rating, simply because nothing about the book or synopsis even attempted to prepare the reader for the sheer brutality of this book. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my second reading. This book is a pinnacle example of the hurt/comfort trope in romance books. The lovers are undergoing simultaneous trauma (one in the form of flashbacks) they are unwittingly enacting on each other and in the end, they come together to take comfort in their shared experience and bond. The book is beautifully written and the characters demonstrate a beautiful and patient level of healing over the second half of the book. I just wish I had been prepared for my first reading, I was genuinely crushed for days after the first read-through. As long as you know what you are going into though this is fantastic.
Review from first read-through: I was not prepared when I started this. The synopsis said that the alpha, Raphael, was a cold man, but damn. For nearly the entire first half of the book, Milan (the omega and narrator) believes that Raphael is actively trying to kill him. I genuinely sobbed at least twice trying to figure out how Milan could ever possibly forgive Raphael. Milan has a long-drawn-out sickness that culminates with him being less than a day or two from death. I was devasted reading about Raphael's perceived cruelty, and though it turns out none of it was intentional, the emotional damage was done.
Review from first read-through: I was not prepared when I started this. The synopsis said that the alpha, Raphael, was a cold man, but damn. For nearly the entire first half of the book, Milan (the omega and narrator) believes that Raphael is actively trying to kill him. I genuinely sobbed at least twice trying to figure out how Milan could ever possibly forgive Raphael. Milan has a long-drawn-out sickness that culminates with him being less than a day or two from death. I was devasted reading about Raphael's perceived cruelty, and though it turns out none of it was intentional, the emotional damage was done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
More...