3rd read: september 2023.

2nd read: december 2020.

while everything about book two is clean and neat, I feel like the plot in this one doesn't live up to it: it's far from bad, but not as good. and I wanted more of Laurent's pov, although part of his charm is to get you wondering all the time wtf he's thinking. besides, the one thing in the trilogy that really made me uncomfortable — the fact that Laurent drugged Damen for the ring "fight" and tried to punish him with what he despises most — isn't addressed, not here nor in the epilogue published as a short story.

that said, the character/relationship development in this series is god tier and the public exchange of the gold cuffs still iconic (that was literally their marriage of convenience after a whole book of fake dating, you can't tell me otherwise).

"'I killed your brother'
'I know'
(...)
'it was one kingdom, once'
(...) the odd shyness of it, as though Laurent was asking instead of answering
'yes', said Damen"

1st read: february 2019