Before this book's release, I had a chance to read a sneak preview of the first couple of chapters and it made me excited to get my hands on the rest of the story. I enjoy re-tellings/re-imaginings of Beauty and the Beast and with this story having some of that element, as well as an enemies-to-lovers trope, I had high hopes.
While it was an entertaining and satisfying read, it wasn’t necessarily the story I was anticipating. I love a dark, damaged, and brooding hero and Nathaniel (Thane) was definitely that. Yet, the back and forth of Thane’s willingness to accept the truth of Astrid’s affection for him was burdensome, as well as his consistent self-flagellation. It happened one to many times to be acceptable story conflict and simply became tiresome. I would have preferred more turn-around and self-awareness to develop sooner.
Other than that, I did enjoy the twists, turns, and satisfaction that came with Thane and Astrid's attempts to out-maneuver her greedy Aunt and Uncle and a vengeful suitor. Those were some of the best moments and made it worth the read. I am curious about the next book in the series which features Astrid's younger sister who was a well-developed secondary character in this book.
While it was an entertaining and satisfying read, it wasn’t necessarily the story I was anticipating. I love a dark, damaged, and brooding hero and Nathaniel (Thane) was definitely that. Yet, the back and forth of Thane’s willingness to accept the truth of Astrid’s affection for him was burdensome, as well as his consistent self-flagellation. It happened one to many times to be acceptable story conflict and simply became tiresome. I would have preferred more turn-around and self-awareness to develop sooner.
Other than that, I did enjoy the twists, turns, and satisfaction that came with Thane and Astrid's attempts to out-maneuver her greedy Aunt and Uncle and a vengeful suitor. Those were some of the best moments and made it worth the read. I am curious about the next book in the series which features Astrid's younger sister who was a well-developed secondary character in this book.