A review by _isabel_
In This Shadow, Longing by Marina Vivancos

challenging dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


God, what a treat.
This third book in the "Coven Ties" series was absolutely lovely: sweetly gut-wrenching, emotionally packed, steamy and absolutely, ridiculously romantic. I loved Cross and Alex's story so damn much!

I adore a fake "you're my client" relationship turned real love with my whole damn heart, and this one was even more special because of how vulnerable Cross was, of how intimate their proximity had to be, or how the D/s relationships works in Marina Vivancos' "Coven Ties" universe.
Both characters stole my heart, but I literally wanted to jump into the book and hug Cross to death.
In just over 200 pages, he managed to make me feel so damn much: his thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, the way he kept thinking he was manipulating the Meliora coven into caring for him, the fact that he couldn't seem to trust his brain anymore... God, it absolutely resonated with me so much, and I can only thank Marina for it: Cross made me feel seen, and he made me feel so damn much.

Alex too was such a great character! A great friend, a great person, and I loved how open he was to his new life in Meliora, despite his past and his own fears about love and belonging.

The whole cast of side characters, from our previous MCs (I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!) to Connie and Ursula, were absolutely unforgettable. The found family atmosphere between them all was so damn lovely.
However, I'm once again, begging Marina to gift us a book about Archie: that man is a damn mystery, and I'd seriously sell a kidney to see his defences crumble around a sub. Pretty please?

Anyway, I love this universe so much. Biological kink dynamics are such a fun thing to write (and read about!), and I can only hope Marina has many more books planned for it.

"In this Shadow, Longing" was a gorgeous, gorgeous book, an emotional, sweetly angsty ride of a romance, and I could not get enough. I wholly recommend this series to any lover of magic driven romances (and kink!), with so much heartwarming, aching healing. Marina Vivancos is one of a kind in the emotional angst department, and every single one of her books have absolutely destroyed me. In the best way possible.

TWs/CWs: suicidal thoughts, depression (implied), disordered eating, medical issues (including fainting, vomiting, weight loss), domestic abuse (past), violence and death (past), childhood abuse (past).

Thanks GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.
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