All the makings were there, but this book fell short for me. The course the plot took made complete sense but the execution lacked. Stakes were not strung tight enough. Climaxes and resolutions were too quick and glossed over. The two main characters family members were “told” and not “shown” and thus had no emotional impact on the reader. Enva had little depth and was a mere plot device to push things along.

However, the other side characters were developed and dimensional. While no strong character development happened, Ross made you care deeply about Roman and Iris’s found family. Every character had a reason that made you cheer for them in the war.

The sequel focused much more on the war and political dynamics than romance this time - which is fine. But it almost felt Ross only gave 50% to each theme and tone. Thus, neither reached their full potential. I wish the war politics had been more of a focus and used to creat tension and the romance less. It would have suited the plot more.

Overall a solid finish. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed, just perhaps underwhelmed.