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mel_c_bell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
4.25
I was ready to give this 5⭐️ but I'll get to that in a moment.
First, I'd like to do something that I don't usually do: Address the angry reviews of this book. Frey is a brute, and Finnie is...kinda 'dumb.' Still, the entire premise of this book is about a very young woman from the here and now getting swapped into a fantasy pseudo-parallel universe (that has flippin' dragons) and getting hitched to a Viking essentially (this legit happens way too fast for her to get out of it). Therefore, I say YES; this book has a bunch of dubcon/noncon (not explicit), but OMG, just DNF and move on. Also, I would put money on the fact that if a contemporary 22-year-old woman were teleported to a realm with magic, elves, and dragons, the words 'cool' and 'awesome' would be used in abundance.
Okay, back to the actual story. I found it sweet, adventurous, spicy and has all the makings of a low fantasy. My issue comes more at the end. I would've liked a bit more out of the ending; it kind of just got wrapped up quickly and conveniently.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, in my opinion, did a fantastic and humorous job :)
First, I'd like to do something that I don't usually do: Address the angry reviews of this book. Frey is a brute, and Finnie is...kinda 'dumb.' Still, the entire premise of this book is about a very young woman from the here and now getting swapped into a fantasy pseudo-parallel universe (that has flippin' dragons) and getting hitched to a Viking essentially (this legit happens way too fast for her to get out of it). Therefore, I say YES; this book has a bunch of dubcon/noncon (not explicit), but OMG, just DNF and move on. Also, I would put money on the fact that if a contemporary 22-year-old woman were teleported to a realm with magic, elves, and dragons, the words 'cool' and 'awesome' would be used in abundance.
Okay, back to the actual story. I found it sweet, adventurous, spicy and has all the makings of a low fantasy. My issue comes more at the end. I would've liked a bit more out of the ending; it kind of just got wrapped up quickly and conveniently.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, in my opinion, did a fantastic and humorous job :)
cchloeannn's review against another edition
2.0
Nope. Absolutely not. The MMC in this story is absolutely foul. I was hoping some kind of redemption would come throughout the story, but he seemed to get worse and worse. He was extremely manipulative as well. I got about 80% through and couldn’t find it in me to finish once he swapped out the FMC’s birth control in order to get her pregnant. I’m all for some eyebrow raising stuff, but that honestly did it for me. The story is also long as f*ck. There were multiple scenes that I felt were just fillers and drug the story along more than it needed to be. This book had such potential, only to fall very short. I’m genuinely surprised at how many good reviews this book has.
literately's review against another edition
2.0
Very simple writing and plot. Basically the book just keeps telling you what you want to hear with no inventiveness. It’s written like a diary and skips around a lot and covers quite a long span of time in only 500 pages. I really hated how she kept calling him “honey” and “baby.” It really took you out of the “fantasyland.”
I had a hard time finishing this but forced myself to anyway just because I hate stopping in the middle of a book. I read fast so it shouldn’t have taken me so long to read but I kept stopping due to boredom.
Two stars because it still made me smile sometimes despite myself. It’s def a FEEL GOOD novel. It never makes you super worried or upset really. At least for me it didn’t.
I had a hard time finishing this but forced myself to anyway just because I hate stopping in the middle of a book. I read fast so it shouldn’t have taken me so long to read but I kept stopping due to boredom.
Two stars because it still made me smile sometimes despite myself. It’s def a FEEL GOOD novel. It never makes you super worried or upset really. At least for me it didn’t.
laurie26's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
devansbooklife's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. It has a unique and tantalizing plot. I'm new to the fantasy realm and since this was my first venture into any topic of this sort, I adored it. Kristen Ashley paints this world vividly with lush and abundant detail. So much that I felt the snow crunch beneath my feet as I delved through pages filled with magic. I enjoyed the heroine Finnie immensely. She faced all endeavors with love, passion, and joy. A reader cannot help but admire her spirit and zest for life. The way Frey falls for her and protects her, had my heart soaring through the clouds with the dragons. The love they share is beautiful and regal. A very fun adventurous read, especially for individuals looking for a fresh, enchanting realm of wonder.
parpacifica's review against another edition
1.0
SEXIST. HOMOPHOBIC. RAPEY VIBES.
I AM SO FUCKING PISSED OFF AND REPULSED BY THIS TRASH. I very rarely give 1 stars: I don’t just throw around 1 stars because it’s the lowest of the low, which is sort of degrading to the author’s hard work, BUT MY GOODNESS this is absolute garbage!!!!
Writing
1) EVERY FUCKING THING IS APPARENTLY “cool” to Finnie.
• every setting she sees
• every person she meets
•every piece of clothing
• the weird stray cat she finds. I MEAN DOES SHE EVEN KNOW ANY OTHER WORDS THAN “ cool or freaking awesome???
2) USE A FUCKING PERIOD. I kid you now, Ashley can write bloody paragraphs without introducing a period.
Example: “Unfortunately, this kind of thing would probably incense my mother, who already clearly did not like me and my father, who I didn’t think liked me a great deal more because he’d barely said a word to me, few of the ones he’d spoken were nice and earlier he had barely even looked at me.”
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A PERIOD IN THAT SENTENCE AND I KNOW IT. If you don’t care for basic grammar rules, Ashley, then can you atleast give some regard to the poor audio reader who’ll go into hypoxia reading this?
Characterization
I will not even write about idiotic Finnie who normalizes toxic behaviour (while admitting its toxic and laughing it off).
I won’t even go into the fact that she so so stupid that when assassins come to kill her (and her husband subsequently kills them), she asks her husband if they were “bad guys.”
Yeah, because killer assassins are usually the good guys . Ah shucks!
But Finnie has her good moments sometimes.
But Frey.
Goodness Motherfucking Gracious I have never wanted to stab-punch-throttle-kick a fictional character this bad.
Reasons:
1) Pervert: He assumes Finnie is a lesbian because that’s what she told him but he makes her grope his thigh, and contemplated taking/raping her, even though she is not into ANY men, let alone THAT RAGGEDY-ASS MAN.
2) R-A-P-I-S-T V-I-B-E-S: He tells Finnie he will sleep with her whether she likes it or not MULTIPLE TIMES. And then he tells her that he never forces himself. OH and then he subsequently forcing her to wrap her legs around him and sleep with her. Oh lol and all the hundred times he insinuates that it’s her duty to bed him and he cannot stop his urges.
Lmao it’s very obvious when the “I would never take a women by force” consent line is there just to placate readers, versus when the character truly believes it.
3) Arrogant piece of shit : “I am not only a nobleman, I am the nobleman, Finnie”
This is one of hundreds of arrogant lines that would probably sound so stupid being said in real life.
5) Cheater: Frey invites his ex-fling to serve at Finnie’s table. Girl isn’t comfortable and she gets upset at him for being so insensitive. He tells her to chill and that sleeping around is not a big deal.
Oh, and that he’ll prob continue cheating, even if they are married.
Oh, and then he has the GALL to get upset at Finnie after he reveals he will cheat after marriage:
“But what I do, Finnie and who I do it with is none of your concern, be she servant or duchess. I’m explaining this to you patiently so the next time you learn of something like this, you won’t show me the same disrespect you did at your table with your parents.”
WHAT. THE.FUCK.
4) Elitist/Classist Fucker :
“She is a servant, I am an aristocrat, she knows her place and I was born to mine” Frey tells Finnie, in reference to his ex-fling.
• he just degrades a women
• ...in the same sentence he gassed himself up
• he demeans her and sleeps with her and leaves.
• Predator vibes
5) Nothing He Does Is Wrong
I am so utterly disgusted that Finnie’s mom decides to give her a talk that husbands cheating is a norm and it’s just a burden every woman has to bear... but oh dw... if it makes you feel better your husband thinks you are “sweet”. Aw.
FUCKING BULLSHIT.
AND I LOVE HOW FINNIE CRIES AND GOES ALONG WITH THIS. Like they aren’t from the 21 st century, but FINNIE is from our time. How the fuck does she go along with this toxic mentality? And not even question it?
I can’t pinpoint the bigger idiot in this scenario
6) Manipulative Toxic Trash : Frey switches her birth control will fake powder so he can impregnate her.
I SWEAR TO GOD I DID NOT MAKE THIS UP.
Guys, do you know this is illegal? This is manipulative, toxic, criminal behaviour? In my eyes that is disgusting and unforgivable.
But to make it worse?
Frey binds Finnie to his land so she can never go home again and leave him, TWO WEEKS INTO PROPERLY MEETING HER. And he doesn’t tell her he does this till the end of the book.
The worse part I think... the part that truly kills me..: is everything I listed... all these toxic behaviours that Frey exhibits, Finnie actually wonders about. And she gets upset about some of them like the switching of the birth control, but then she forgives him FOR NO BLOODY REASON.
FREY EXHIBITS ALL THIS TRASHY CREEPY NASTINESS , and DOESN’T APOLOGIZE OR REGRET IT, but FINNIE decides that he is too hot not to forgive.
I literally can not.
Seriously, nots are not able to be can’d.
I’m so shook by Frey’s actions and repulsed by the author for thinking she can normalize them.
I FEEL RAGE IN MY BLOOD. I WANT TO RIP THIS FUCKING BOOK.
I AM SO FUCKING PISSED OFF AND REPULSED BY THIS TRASH. I very rarely give 1 stars: I don’t just throw around 1 stars because it’s the lowest of the low, which is sort of degrading to the author’s hard work, BUT MY GOODNESS this is absolute garbage!!!!
Writing
1) EVERY FUCKING THING IS APPARENTLY “cool” to Finnie.
• every setting she sees
• every person she meets
•every piece of clothing
• the weird stray cat she finds. I MEAN DOES SHE EVEN KNOW ANY OTHER WORDS THAN “ cool or freaking awesome???
2) USE A FUCKING PERIOD. I kid you now, Ashley can write bloody paragraphs without introducing a period.
Example: “Unfortunately, this kind of thing would probably incense my mother, who already clearly did not like me and my father, who I didn’t think liked me a great deal more because he’d barely said a word to me, few of the ones he’d spoken were nice and earlier he had barely even looked at me.”
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A PERIOD IN THAT SENTENCE AND I KNOW IT. If you don’t care for basic grammar rules, Ashley, then can you atleast give some regard to the poor audio reader who’ll go into hypoxia reading this?
Characterization
I will not even write about idiotic Finnie who normalizes toxic behaviour (while admitting its toxic and laughing it off).
I won’t even go into the fact that she so so stupid that when assassins come to kill her (and her husband subsequently kills them), she asks her husband if they were “bad guys.”
Yeah, because killer assassins are usually the good guys . Ah shucks!
But Finnie has her good moments sometimes.
But Frey.
Goodness Motherfucking Gracious I have never wanted to stab-punch-throttle-kick a fictional character this bad.
Reasons:
1) Pervert: He assumes Finnie is a lesbian because that’s what she told him but he makes her grope his thigh, and contemplated taking/raping her, even though she is not into ANY men, let alone THAT RAGGEDY-ASS MAN.
2) R-A-P-I-S-T V-I-B-E-S: He tells Finnie he will sleep with her whether she likes it or not MULTIPLE TIMES. And then he tells her that he never forces himself. OH and then he subsequently forcing her to wrap her legs around him and sleep with her. Oh lol and all the hundred times he insinuates that it’s her duty to bed him and he cannot stop his urges.
Lmao it’s very obvious when the “I would never take a women by force” consent line is there just to placate readers, versus when the character truly believes it.
3) Arrogant piece of shit : “I am not only a nobleman, I am the nobleman, Finnie”
This is one of hundreds of arrogant lines that would probably sound so stupid being said in real life.
5) Cheater: Frey invites his ex-fling to serve at Finnie’s table. Girl isn’t comfortable and she gets upset at him for being so insensitive. He tells her to chill and that sleeping around is not a big deal.
Oh, and that he’ll prob continue cheating, even if they are married.
Oh, and then he has the GALL to get upset at Finnie after he reveals he will cheat after marriage:
“But what I do, Finnie and who I do it with is none of your concern, be she servant or duchess. I’m explaining this to you patiently so the next time you learn of something like this, you won’t show me the same disrespect you did at your table with your parents.”
WHAT. THE.FUCK.
4) Elitist/Classist Fucker :
“She is a servant, I am an aristocrat, she knows her place and I was born to mine” Frey tells Finnie, in reference to his ex-fling.
• he just degrades a women
• ...in the same sentence he gassed himself up
• he demeans her and sleeps with her and leaves.
• Predator vibes
5) Nothing He Does Is Wrong
I am so utterly disgusted that Finnie’s mom decides to give her a talk that husbands cheating is a norm and it’s just a burden every woman has to bear... but oh dw... if it makes you feel better your husband thinks you are “sweet”. Aw.
FUCKING BULLSHIT.
AND I LOVE HOW FINNIE CRIES AND GOES ALONG WITH THIS. Like they aren’t from the 21 st century, but FINNIE is from our time. How the fuck does she go along with this toxic mentality? And not even question it?
I can’t pinpoint the bigger idiot in this scenario
6) Manipulative Toxic Trash : Frey switches her birth control will fake powder so he can impregnate her.
I SWEAR TO GOD I DID NOT MAKE THIS UP.
Guys, do you know this is illegal? This is manipulative, toxic, criminal behaviour? In my eyes that is disgusting and unforgivable.
But to make it worse?
Frey binds Finnie to his land so she can never go home again and leave him, TWO WEEKS INTO PROPERLY MEETING HER. And he doesn’t tell her he does this till the end of the book.
The worse part I think... the part that truly kills me..: is everything I listed... all these toxic behaviours that Frey exhibits, Finnie actually wonders about. And she gets upset about some of them like the switching of the birth control, but then she forgives him FOR NO BLOODY REASON.
FREY EXHIBITS ALL THIS TRASHY CREEPY NASTINESS , and DOESN’T APOLOGIZE OR REGRET IT, but FINNIE decides that he is too hot not to forgive.
I literally can not.
Seriously, nots are not able to be can’d.
I’m so shook by Frey’s actions and repulsed by the author for thinking she can normalize them.
I FEEL RAGE IN MY BLOOD. I WANT TO RIP THIS FUCKING BOOK.
gwynt's review against another edition
1.0
I can't do it. I DNF'd around 40%. I was SO interested in the plot, but I just couldn't get past the main character sounding and acting like a child. I don't need a conventionally smart heroine, but her voice was just so incredibly juvenile and grating.
nivis's review against another edition
1.0
The main character, Finnie, is supposed to be a badass. She's supposed to be quirky, adventurous, and brave. Nah. She's just a dumbass. There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and Finnie stepped clean over it a long time ago.
Her parents were adrenaline junkies--doing all kinds of crazy shit all over the world--and taught her to be like them and live in the moment and all that good stuff. Well, they died in a plane crash. And yet Finnie continues to think doing crazy shit is a good idea, claiming that at least her parents "died happy." So of course, when a really sus ass witch (who inserts random French words into her speech to make her sound exotic and mysterious) offers to transport her to a parallel dimension and switch her body with her doppelganger's, Finnie immediately agrees (for a million dollars
Her parents were adrenaline junkies--doing all kinds of crazy shit all over the world--and taught her to be like them and live in the moment and all that good stuff. Well, they died in a plane crash. And yet Finnie continues to think doing crazy shit is a good idea, claiming that at least her parents "died happy." So of course, when a really sus ass witch (who inserts random French words into her speech to make her sound exotic and mysterious) offers to transport her to a parallel dimension and switch her body with her doppelganger's, Finnie immediately agrees (for a million dollars