A review by vivri
The Stolen Luck by Shawna Reppert

4.0

I usually avoid romances that involve slavery since many excuse or even romanticize slavery. But I'm glad I took a chance on what turned out to be a surprisingly light, sweet romance. Both James and Loren are likable characters (though James is such a nice person that the premise of him buying a slave almost doesn't work as a concept) who gradually develop feelings for one another despite both being unwilling to start a relationship while Loren is enslaved. Unlike a lot of superficially similar stories, the story isn't overly dark in tone, and it often feels like a fantasy enemies-to-lovers story—until something intentionally brings the awful reality crashing back in on the characters and the reader. Despite a few mostly minor missteps dealing with the subject matter, there's a good balance of romance and angst, and the slow burn necessitated by Loren being unable to consent until he's free was very well paced.