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A review by the_rabble
His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
He's the sweetest dude at the magic healing monastery, she's the affable tall sword girl contracted for the monasteries martial errands.
He's not allowed to talk to any women, especially not her (bc monk.) They mutually crush. She [10% in]buys his indentured servitude contract (which the monastery has for the orphans it adopts and ordains, apparently?) - they go on an adventure.
This book rocks. Road trips. Magical creatures. Fun tall, broad shouldered ladies. Magic being used for good. Religious deconstruction. Heists.
3rd person, single POV (Lucían), present tense, medieval-esque fantasy romance, modern vocab, spicy, light kink dynamic (gentledom), MCs are early 30s and late 20s.
100% walked away with a crush on both MCs.
**Sex Scenes**: These two are very cute together. Legit the best/most real [80% in]"it went well!" first timer scene I've read.
**Audiobook:** Sound design was excellent, there are little 5-10 sec ambience/background sound clips (bird chirps, wagons moving, book pages) at each chapter/during major scene changes that I really liked.
Martin Martinez does a great job. His pacing and tone on Lucían's prose and inner monologue makes the performance sing.
He's not allowed to talk to any women, especially not her (bc monk.) They mutually crush. She [10% in]
This book rocks. Road trips. Magical creatures. Fun tall, broad shouldered ladies. Magic being used for good. Religious deconstruction. Heists.
3rd person, single POV (Lucían), present tense, medieval-esque fantasy romance, modern vocab, spicy, light kink dynamic (gentledom), MCs are early 30s and late 20s.
100% walked away with a crush on both MCs.
**Sex Scenes**: These two are very cute together. Legit the best/most real [80% in]
**Audiobook:** Sound design was excellent, there are little 5-10 sec ambience/background sound clips (bird chirps, wagons moving, book pages) at each chapter/during major scene changes that I really liked.
Martin Martinez does a great job. His pacing and tone on Lucían's prose and inner monologue makes the performance sing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
You'll pick up on the emotional abuse from jump (not done by either MC)- [2% in] the abbot of the monastery has been terrorizing all the monks like their entire lives with outrageously rigid rules and it affects Lucían for the rest of the book.