It’s so awesome when a book lives up to the hype! This was SO good and had all my favorite things: Enemies to allies, marriage of convenience, he falls first, political intrigue/spying, and slow burn 🔥 The romantic tension is on point. The world building is also amazing. I love Alaric and his broodiness. Talasyn a fierce and snarky. She definitely starts off a little naive, but her growth with her magic and standing up for herself is very well written. These two really toe the line of the miscommunication trope, but we forgive them because they’re basically at war with each other, and still adorable overall. I have to admit, I was expecting a much worse cliffhanger, but the end was nice and mild. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m still super intrigued with what happened in the final chapter, and I REALLY need Monsoon Rising ASAP.