A review by onthesamepage
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

dark emotional 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? No

5.0

Tropes:
arranged marriage, hurt/comfort

Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶

“You know,” she’d said, the last time he’d turned down such an offer, a good seven months back, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were saving yourself.”
“I am,” he’d replied, somewhat testily. “From them.”
“From, yeah, that’s good, that makes sense. Saving from is sensible.” Her warm gaze was both teasing and sincere. “But are you sure there’s not a bit of saving for there, too?”

I was hopeful that I would like this when I heard about it last year. This ended up being a smashing success, and I'm so happy I read it. It combines romance, politics, and a mystery plot in a really fantastic way. I enjoyed all the different dimensions to the story, and never felt that one was taking a backseat to another.

Hurt/comfort is one of my favourite things to read in a romance when done right, and it definitely was here. I thought the depiction of trauma and what it means to slowly recover from that was handled well. There's no quick fix, and Vel takes his time coming to terms with everything. As we see him dealing with the aftermath of what he suffered, we learn so much about him as a character, but also about who Cae is through how he reacts to Vel. Their relationship evolves in a very natural way, and I was completely invested in seeing them both happy and together. The pacing of the romance was good too.

And it's not just the romance that was fantastic. There were so many platonic relationships that made me feel something. Markel's bond with Vel, the quiet, teasing friendship between Cae and his commander, the sibling relationships, they were all top notch.

“We’ll catch up again soon,” she said. And then, with just a touch of smirk, “Go be with your husband.”
Cae’s neck flushed hot. “I will,” he said, loudly. “He’s very good company!”
“I’m sure he is,” said Nairi, waggling her eyebrows.
Cae turned away, heading to where he’d left Alik. “Fine, goodbye, I hate you!”
“Hate you too!” she called cheerfully after him.

Last but not least, this book has one of the most fun wedding rituals I've ever encountered. It put a huge smile on my face when I read it.

If you've read and enjoyed Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell, I would recommend giving this a try. 
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