A review by booksthrilljessica
Between Flames and Deceit by M.A. Frick

3.0

This is my second M.A. Frick book, and I was really looking forward to it because of the intriguing blurb and the stunning cover. I went into it knowing it was an age gap romance, but I personally wasn't a fan of Nienna's love interest being her betrothed's father. I understand that this is just a personal preference, and others might enjoy that dynamic, but it just wasn’t for me. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if the King had started off as her arranged marriage partner, with the relationship evolving into a lovers to enemies scenario, while the Prince played the villain. The storyline was a bit repetitive with the slow burn being too slow for my ADHD brain. However, I did enjoy the secrecy of their love affair and the forbidden love angle. As for the goats, while they added humor to the book, I would have preferred more dragons, as the cover suggested. And I did appreciate that Nienna wasn't a typical damsel in distress! Her character was strong willed and pursued what she wanted rather than just accepting what was accepted of her. That said, I do wish the book was shorter, there were parts that made it hard for me to stay invested in the story. All that said I did love the characters and the dynamics between them,  and the ending was absolutely heart stopping, leaving off on a fantastic cliffhanger.

*Thank you M.A. Frick for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.