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booksandmeforevermore13 's review for:
Bargains with Benefits
by Jillian Witt
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐️
Okay, I was absolutely hooked on this book once I started reading. It was a cute, cozy read with Regency vibes, mystery, and a whole lot of magic.
It starts with Luna Pierce, a half-fae being offered the chance to run the Cliff House Inn by her estranged fae father, provided she can fill the inn to its full capacity by Long Night. This task seems more difficult than it looks because the inn hasn't been able to bring in any guests for as long as she can remember.
This has been the opportunity she's been longing for for years, which is why when she comes across Vincent Andiveron, who writes a recommendation column for the Bayside Times, one that's widely popular, she reaches out to him in hopes of getting him to feature the inn as his next recommendation.
While the recommendation column is a hit among the people of Sandrin, that's not what Vincent wishes to do long term, and it so happens that his boss might have a tip for him to investigate that would help him gain more credibility to step into more serious journalism. He happens to find that Luna might be the source who can help him with his investigation.
The two strike a mutually beneficial bargain, with Luna getting the word out about her inn in the Bayside Times and Vincent getting Luna's help in determining the legitimacy of the tip.
Luna was someone I really admired because of how she was unapologetically herself. Even being a half-fae and having a strained relationship with her father, she prided herself on never changing who she was to fit a mold. Which is why it irked her when Vincent initially tried to get her to change her appearance to appeal to the old fae in order to gain popularity for her inn.
Vincent was such a cinnamon roll MMC whom I absolutely adored. Given how his family had forced their decisions on him and tried to influence his magic growing up, he wanted to distance himself from them, and now he was trying to figure out who he was and form his own beliefs. After only being approached by people who wanted to benefit from his family name or gain a favor through his popular column, Vincent found it easy to make assumptions about Luna when she too asked him for a favor to feature her inn.
The romance between Vincent and Luna progressed at a good pace. There was attraction, a spark right from their first meeting, even if things had gone really sideways. They both had misconceptions about each other due to their own bad experiences, which they initially projected on each other. But as they spent time together helping each other out with their respective bargains, their views shifted, and they started to see more than the initial image they'd formed. What I also loved is that even though they took time to get to know each other, Vincent's magic was clear about what it wanted and acted accordingly. There was an understanding between Luna and his magic even when they didn't know each other too well, which was honestly so adorable.
Vincent comes from an old family of fae but didn't agree entirely with their practices, and Luna is a half-fae, due to which she isn't accepted by everyone in society. They came from two completely different worlds but were similar in the sense that they were both still trying to find their place in society.
There was spice, yes, but it was minimal yet hot at the same time. It didn't take away from the plot or from their relationship, though, which I liked.
The friends group in this book was something I loved. Evelyn, Seraphina, and Luna were a tight-knit group, and I love how they accepted Luna for exactly who she was and supported her every step of the way in her new venture to unravel the mystery within Cliff House Inn.
I'm also very invested in the next book because THAT ending has left me with a lot of questions, and I need to know if the next couple is who I think it's going to be... or not.
Thank you to Jillian Witt for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I was absolutely hooked on this book once I started reading. It was a cute, cozy read with Regency vibes, mystery, and a whole lot of magic.
It starts with Luna Pierce, a half-fae being offered the chance to run the Cliff House Inn by her estranged fae father, provided she can fill the inn to its full capacity by Long Night. This task seems more difficult than it looks because the inn hasn't been able to bring in any guests for as long as she can remember.
This has been the opportunity she's been longing for for years, which is why when she comes across Vincent Andiveron, who writes a recommendation column for the Bayside Times, one that's widely popular, she reaches out to him in hopes of getting him to feature the inn as his next recommendation.
While the recommendation column is a hit among the people of Sandrin, that's not what Vincent wishes to do long term, and it so happens that his boss might have a tip for him to investigate that would help him gain more credibility to step into more serious journalism. He happens to find that Luna might be the source who can help him with his investigation.
The two strike a mutually beneficial bargain, with Luna getting the word out about her inn in the Bayside Times and Vincent getting Luna's help in determining the legitimacy of the tip.
Luna was someone I really admired because of how she was unapologetically herself. Even being a half-fae and having a strained relationship with her father, she prided herself on never changing who she was to fit a mold. Which is why it irked her when Vincent initially tried to get her to change her appearance to appeal to the old fae in order to gain popularity for her inn.
Vincent was such a cinnamon roll MMC whom I absolutely adored. Given how his family had forced their decisions on him and tried to influence his magic growing up, he wanted to distance himself from them, and now he was trying to figure out who he was and form his own beliefs. After only being approached by people who wanted to benefit from his family name or gain a favor through his popular column, Vincent found it easy to make assumptions about Luna when she too asked him for a favor to feature her inn.
The romance between Vincent and Luna progressed at a good pace. There was attraction, a spark right from their first meeting, even if things had gone really sideways. They both had misconceptions about each other due to their own bad experiences, which they initially projected on each other. But as they spent time together helping each other out with their respective bargains, their views shifted, and they started to see more than the initial image they'd formed. What I also loved is that even though they took time to get to know each other, Vincent's magic was clear about what it wanted and acted accordingly. There was an understanding between Luna and his magic even when they didn't know each other too well, which was honestly so adorable.
Vincent comes from an old family of fae but didn't agree entirely with their practices, and Luna is a half-fae, due to which she isn't accepted by everyone in society. They came from two completely different worlds but were similar in the sense that they were both still trying to find their place in society.
There was spice, yes, but it was minimal yet hot at the same time. It didn't take away from the plot or from their relationship, though, which I liked.
The friends group in this book was something I loved. Evelyn, Seraphina, and Luna were a tight-knit group, and I love how they accepted Luna for exactly who she was and supported her every step of the way in her new venture to unravel the mystery within Cliff House Inn.
I'm also very invested in the next book because THAT ending has left me with a lot of questions, and I need to know if the next couple is who I think it's going to be... or not.
Thank you to Jillian Witt for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.