A review by faerieboo
To the Flame by A.E. Ross

relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

To the Flame is a quick, relaxing read for a day when you don't want to invest yourself on 300+ pages and instead just want to pass some time while walking or snuggling under your duvet. Unfortunately, the only positives I could take away from this novella is the length and the eerie vibes.

The characterisation was somewhat annoying and, frankly, I went into this novel expecting something different. In my status updates, you can see how I felt about the writing style, which was dull and unnecessarily droning. The scenarios that Emerson and Morrie found themselves in felt as if they'd be pulled from a Hallmark romance movie, and the chemistry between them fell flat.

I did adore the concept though, just not the execution. I wanted to love it so bad. I'd certainly recommend it to people who enjoy cringey romances (nothing wrong with that!) with a paranormal twist. I suppose I prefer cliché romances that are a little less... emo? I'm not sure how to put it nicely, since this isn't a criticism, it's simply not my preference.