Asiri and the Amaru is a cozy, sweet novel that excels at being unique and paying homage to Peruvian culture. The constant references to cultural dishes along with the world building being based in the same cultural lore was a breath of fresh air. However, there was much left to be desired in terms of character chemistry,  plot development and pacing. 

Dario was the most precious male MC and while I enjoyed the moments he was on page, the book reads more like a YA and not an adult novel. The only thing that distinguishes it from not being YA are the MC’s ages and the detailed sex scenes, which are arguably the author’s best moments where you can see her strength as a writer. The miscommunication trope was the  main conflict and downright silly (and annoying) at times to watch happen throughout the story. Asiri and Dario’s chemistry seemed to be a challenge for the author to translate on page and more so lean towards beings insta-lovey. 

The plot development at times felt stilted as if the author wasn’t sure where to take things or rather the subplots were simply not as compelling as the main one needed to be in order to keep the reader engaged. The pacing feels imbalanced as the plot starts moving somewhere around the 80% mark which is deterrent to readers that may find themselves losing interest before then. 

Overall, Asira and the Amaru is a fluffy, lighthearted,  fantasy romance that if the right audience finds it, they will probably love it. However in my case I liked it just enough not to DNF. Perfect novel if you’re lookin for a palette cleanser in between heavy reads with some exceptionally written intimacy scenes.