I’m pretty upset I hadn’t heard about this book until October. It only came out in September, but I do enjoy Kemmerer’s books, so I’m sad I couldn’t get started reading it SOONER!
I powered through this book in a good way. It was super interesting, especially since I saw so much of what happened with COVID in it. Kemmerer mentions that it wasn’t a book written about COVID, but the edits made were affected by COVID, and in that way, I think COVID did have an influence that helped make the book relatable.
Tessa is a sweet character and REALLY reminded me of the main character of “Snow White with the Red Hair” if you know that anime, please let me know if you agree. If you don’t know that anime, I highly recommend it! She’s a true healer, she’s funny and very relatable.
I did see a review that said that Tessa didn’t have any friends and that it, “wasn’t a good look,” for her. I completely agree. I wanted more moments of her having her own life with others. Tessa was most intriguing in her reactions with Corrick and Wes, and I think that’s a shame. I think that’s part of why Corrick stood out to me so much because he
Corrick is of course very compelling and would have been a huge book crush for me when I was younger. I thought Corrick was the star of this book because he was more fleshed out than Tessa. Corrick is constantly experiencing tension within and outside himself. His reasons also felt genuine. He’s ~tortured~ but in a believable way. I love his relationship with his friend Quint and his brother Harriston. He wasn’t this lonely guy whose only relationship was the female protagonist.
I read a review that said this book was predictable. I don’t know that I completely agree, but I also liked this book so I’m biased. I didn’t see everything coming and I felt like the characters were being human, not pawns in a story which is always nice. I will for sure keep a lookout for the next book, especially considering where this book ended. If you’re a fan of castle politics, action, and romance–this book is for you!
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