First book of the year, and what a time it was! This has been on my shelf for some time now, and I had tried to crack it open in the past but found the opener a bit too cumbersome to be able to fully launch myself into. That being said once I got over that initial hurdle, I was hooked.

As others have said, this story kicks off with a brutal depiction of an assault to the lead, and thereafter the narrative focuses on his trauma and halting recovery in the midst of a political tangle he’s stumbled into from a surprising betrothal to the brother of the woman he’s originally conscripted to.

I usually detest slow burns (especially ones by way of arranged marriage) but I quite enjoyed this one. Both of the leading fellas are charming and fun, and the progression of the romance felt natural. All I can say is that as long as you know what you’re getting into, you’ll probably have a good time.