God I don’t know how this book was such an incredible train wreck. Like, the beginning? So good! Loved the scorned wife dynamic she had going. And then I really couldn’t understand the pace or the story of this book. Nothing made sense. The timeline was so horribly horribly off. There was a chunk in the middle that was just so bad that I stopped reading for like 4 months. The ending??? Pisses me off. But only because there’s a second book and honestly I would have liked it if that was the end honestly. Read those triggers because holy shit.

I can't rate this a 5 solely because it was unsatisfying in the way it left me wanting more. thankfully there is more but holy shit holy shit holy shit!!!

my heart was in my throat for the whole last chapter. my heart was pounding while reading the whole book.

most fantasy enemies to lovers books do one of two things: enemy does bad things with good intentions, or out of misunderstandings, or is in some way cursed or forced to be bad, or enemy falls in insta-love and suddenly regrets everything he's done as he develops empathy. 

this one does neither. Valroy does bad things because he has to but also because he wants to. there is a twinge of pity and empathy in the fact that he was created for the purpose of cruelty, that it's all he's ever known, but he revels in it and does not wish to stop and this is unacceptable to Abigail. He doesn't even seem to understand why she finds him so abhorrent which makes it even harder to untangle her feelings for him.

Abigail is a perfect character. From first meeting she is downtrodden but warm-hearted, not in a Pollyanna cheerful way but just someone with a deep sense of empathy and justice. She's scrappy and insightful but she doesn't have the power to actually win her battles. The war between her lust and loathing for Valroys is much more palpable and realistic than other fantasy e2l protags and I adored everything she did. 

The setting is lush and intricately woven, the side characters are vibrant and lovable, the writing style had me desperately flipping to the next chapter, and I'm writing this as fast as I can so I can get to the sequel. Fucking stellar.

If you love a toxic villain love interest à la the Darkling, look no further. Kathryn King's Valroy, Unseelie Prince, is the perfect wicked villain to sate your dark desires. Though there's less spice than I'd like in this book, there's plenty of mystery, intrigue, and constant teasing to drive you through to the very end (and I've read Julian Strande so I know King is going to deliver). Thankfully, the next installment comes out in December, which I will most definitely be reading.

Check TW/CWs cause these fae are NOT your friendly neighborhood Bat Boys from ACOTAR