All in all, this is a good book, but I had a few problems with it.

I did not like Reid. I do not like muscled man who are possessive, dumb and only know how to wield a sword. I hoped we left that in the past. Maybe Rhysand has forever ruined me (probably), but that's the measure male characters have to live up to now. And Reed did not. He is not smart, he has a narrow world view and he was basically ridiculed throughout the whole book. Unless you are a die-hard christian or believer in god yourself. The 21st empowered female laughed about his ideas of women as property, of a women behaving as a man asks her to. And the biggest joke of all, he did not even follow his teachings himself. Why exactly did he never lay a hand on Lou, if he believed everything he was taught in the bible? Reid is the kind of character I can't stand. Muscle packed man, with a duty to their cause and the sole protector to the female lead.

Worst of all, this Insta love even though the book hid it well. The story was told in a few weeks. Basically it was taking place within a month I believe. They fell eternally in love within. A. Month. They were able to discard all their strong nurtured beliefs society instilled in them within within basically two weeks. Reid managed to get over his past childhood love in two weeks. Although his character is so loyal. It's his main trait!
Why did she not build that up the right way. I do not understand this. Suddenly they could not stop touching each other. Although they hated each other a home before. Every time I waited for the big conflict, the argument, the confrontation of their thoughts, to see the change it did not happen. But all booktube needs is a swoon worthy guy and you are sold. Which makes me very sad. It seems that the world still can't move on from this.

I also listened to the audio book and the male narrator was so bad, that it made everything worse. I have never trouble with narrators, so this must have been extra bad.

I did not find much new things in this book. A ememies to lovers trope and the fake marriage turns real trope.
I have mixed feelings about the French world building setting. I think that since I am European and I read a lot of French historical books, I combined it in my head with all the thing I new. The book basically was a mash up of Paris in the time of the three musketeers to the 18th century. But that was based upon the things I made up and added. Not because the author filled in the gaps. I filled the gaps. But it got really bad, when they moved out of the city and suddenly witches walked freely around in a forest and came from everywhere, that's when the world just fell apart.
The side characters where fleshed out and nice.
The writing was perfect. The story well plotted and detailed. For an new author this was incredible. If every new fantasy book would have at least this level of writing the world would be a better place.

What really hooked me on the story was Lou though. Bitchy, badass female characters are awesome. She did not even need the guy. I have no clue why she suddenly fell for him. She was so relatable. I loved her.


This one would have been a much better standalone, but well. I hope the second book will not be bad.