cait_wms_reads 's review for:

The Sun & Her Burn by Giana Darling

4.5

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I swear. This woman. Yet again, she has made me fall in love with her characters, ripped my heart out and then have the audacity to make me upset with one of said characters because he’s hurting and making terrible choices. 

To say this was one of my most anticipated books of the year is understatement. From the moment I finished The Moon and His Tides, I have been missing these characters. The ten year jump at the beginning of this sequel I thought would throw me off but it actually adds even more depth to already complex characters. They’ve hurt and grown from the hurt but have also never stopped yearning. Again, I found SO MANY places where I just paused because of a phrase or utterance made by a character took my breath away. The love these characters have for one another is truly one that could move the sun and other stars. 

As for our numerous characters, Sebastian is everything just like in book one. His POVs are always my favorite and I loved that we got to see his family in this book and that he had them to lean on. Adam I always think of as a dark prince, with his brooding and self flagellation. I was very glad to see his POVs evolve so much in this book, coming from the shadows of loss and back into the light of hope. Finally, Linnea. She truly is the light and her own POVs show that. Even when she has a heavy burden, she is trying to find the bright spots. Watching as she pulled these men from their darkness and out into the sun was a journey I was glad to be a part of. 

Real talk, the cliffy is brutal. We’ve watched as our characters have finally come out from the shadows and embraced the light in their lives, only to have it ripped away by a monster. The sacrifice one makes for the other two is heartbreaking, and to see that same person apparently leave with a relic from their past is beyond frustrating. Needless to say, I’m counting the days till the conclusion of this story. I’m sure it’ll destroy me just the same as the first two did. I CANNOT WAIT!! 

Massive thank you to the author, Giana Darling, and the team at VPR for the opportunity to read this early as an eARC. It lived up to every expectation and then some!