Review by andiehales - Radiance

andiehales 's review for:

Radiance by Grace Draven

3.0

fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

This book had such a strong start, but somewhere along the way it started to fall apart. The slow building of Ildiko and Brishen's relationship was wonderful. However, the plot underneath the romance feels like an afterthought for most of the book, only to abruptly take the reins of the story in the last few pages. If this story was strictly a no plot, just vibes romance or a more plot-focused story it would have held up better. However, the ending just felt jarring compared to most of the chapters that had preceded it. The chemistry and direct interactions between the leading couple is great, I just wish the rest of the story was more cohesive.

TW: SA... I also want to point out several parts towards the end that just felt very odd and unnecessary? Namely Brishen's family members calling him attractive, as well as the implication of what would have happened to Ildiko had she not slept in her own room the one night. (Especially considering that they sleep together mere hours afterwards?) Truly cannot understand what point that served, and it felt like a very icky moment in an otherwise very consent and trust based relationship.

Content Warnings