I was sent an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review.

An entertaining read that pulls you in right from the start!

I enjoyed reading this book and thought it started off really promising, as it immediately starts with something very dramatic. 

The main characters are likeable and interesting enough, but I’m not a huge fan of the side characters. I missed depth and background stories for many of the characters, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.

As I’m a fan of a slow burn romance and the enemies to lovers trope, I enjoyed the relationship between Selene and Elias (okay, they weren’t really enemies but their relationship did have a rocky start, so I’m counting this as an “enemies-to-lovers trope”). I kept forgetting that there was a 9 year age gap though, which is why I wasn’t creeped out all the time. The actual romance doesn’t start until Selene is somewhat of age. When I think about Selene being 14 when she starts interacting with her love interest (who was in his twenties), it does creep me out though. 

One thing that bothers me about the story is the villain. The villain’s reasons behind their evil plans don’t seem believable enough to me. Spoilers ahead!

I am not a fan of loved ones suddenly turning evil without good reason, and this case is no different. Selene’s mum leaves her daughter behind to poison the king and suffer the consequences on her own. When she comes back she  is suddenly 100% evil, to the point where she tries her best to have her daughter killed. It is later explained why she acted like this, but the given reason was not believable or realistic to me. I love a good villain, but especially when you can see parts of yourself in them; villains who aren’t actually all that bad in every aspect. Selene’s mother however has no redeeming qualities and is therefore an underdeveloped character in my eyes, who doesn’t interest me in the slightest.

As the story is set in a fictional world, I would have liked more world building. I feel like I only caught glimpses of this world and how things work there. 

The pace of this book is rather fast, which I enjoyed. 

If you are into slow burn romance, a touch of magic, and the intrigue that a royal court has to offer, then this book is for you!