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A review by aprhodes
A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
3.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Main Character: Cat. She's a strong and funny character with an (almost over-the-top) tragic backstory. The trauma causes her to make some bad choices, but she's ultimately loveable, and you root for her and hope she's able to learn to open up to others.
Love Interest: Griffin. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I did not care for many of Griffin's actions. I can get behind a captor/captive narrative in a book, but I don't enjoy it when a MMC continues to deny the agency of the FMC after the "captor" portion of the book is over. Whatever Griffin wants, he gets, even if Cat gives a firm and clear no. He's loving and never "abusive", but he's still not a good partner to Cat.
Romance: I found the romance frustrating due largely to Griffin's character. They have a strong and instant lust-filled connection. Cat continues to resent Griffin for most of the book, justifiably, because he's kidnapped her and held her against her will. She expresses why she doesn't want to be romantic with him, but he ignores her and only pushes harder and harder.
Relationship Status at Book End:
Tropes:
• Greek Mythology
• Dragons, Giants & Monsters
• Prophecies
• Alpha Male / Touch and Die / Who Did This to You
• Found Family
What Worked for Me:
Main Character: Cat. She's a strong and funny character with an (almost over-the-top) tragic backstory. The trauma causes her to make some bad choices, but she's ultimately loveable, and you root for her and hope she's able to learn to open up to others.
Love Interest: Griffin. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I did not care for many of Griffin's actions. I can get behind a captor/captive narrative in a book, but I don't enjoy it when a MMC continues to deny the agency of the FMC after the "captor" portion of the book is over. Whatever Griffin wants, he gets, even if Cat gives a firm and clear no. He's loving and never "abusive", but he's still not a good partner to Cat.
Romance: I found the romance frustrating due largely to Griffin's character. They have a strong and instant lust-filled connection. Cat continues to resent Griffin for most of the book, justifiably, because he's kidnapped her and held her against her will. She expresses why she doesn't want to be romantic with him, but he ignores her and only pushes harder and harder.
Spoiler
Since we're in Cat's POV, we see that her resistance is a "lie" and that she "really wants" it, but I don't believe Griffin's character should be able to determine that she's "lying" when she is telling him to stop. It gets borderline on some of the consent in the book.Relationship Status at Book End:
Spoiler
Together, but still keeping secrets from each otherTropes:
• Greek Mythology
• Dragons, Giants & Monsters
• Prophecies
• Alpha Male / Touch and Die / Who Did This to You
• Found Family
What Worked for Me: