alireads 's review for:

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
3.0
mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While this wasn't badly written it just didn't work for me. 

I think there are the bones of a good story there, I just found it all a bit of a slog and I suspect if it hadn't been a Fairyloot subscription book I would have DNF'd it pretty early on. 

Main character Vasalie didn't come across as a particularly likeable or relatable character. I absolutely get that she's "morally grey" and in a difficult position etc but she was just so woolly. I also didn't really like her attitude to others, the way she described them how she reacted to them. 

There was also a serious lack of emotion for me. I never really felt much of anything other than to read faster so I could get it all over with. The romance elements of the story are particularly lacklustre. There was zero spark or chemistry to the extent I was starting to think the romance would be a minor sub plot. Then suddenly things kicked off and it was v much dying for each other with zero run up. 

It turns out this is the first in a series rather than the standalone I thought it was. I won't be reading any further.