This second book concludes the story of Abriella, Prince Ronan (Sebastian), and Prince Finn. I felt cheated on that front a bit 💀 Also, what the heck did Finn's dad say to him when they almost drowned?! Overall! Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice 🌶️ (1.5) Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧 Not just the bare facts but her story once she disappeared. Also, I really wanted to know what happened to Brie's mom. I was kinda hoping for a more badass moment and it was all very foreshadowed so it didn't feel as high stakes as I had hoped it would. Tropes! ✅ One horse ✅ Shadow selves 😉 ✅ Jealousy moments ✅ One bed My biggest annoyance with this book was how the queen was dealt with. I really appreciated how both of the guys were trying to be the best version of themselves after the follies of book one. Her choices were not made easily and the author never gave either love interest some dastardly deed that made them end up being the bad guy. She really struggled especially at the beginning with her emotions and it did make the triangle feel more human-like.

The love triangle felt very reminiscent of A Court of Mist and Fury during some moments except that Brie is a much more forgiving person who genuinely loves deeply. Mind you, the main plots are still heavily influenced by the romance but there's a lot more going on than just that such as political intrigue, underworld shananagins, seers with prophecies and past ghostly rulers. This final installment really made the book feel much more high fantasy than the first book.

Misha was a hilarious new face and I really enjoyed his friendship with Brie throughout the book. The additional characters were great additions as well. I was pleased with the outcome of so much in this book, not only the love triangle but also the court intrigue and the whole 'whose gonna rule' question. This was a really satisfying ending to a great story.

The twisted bonds lexi ryan