Sometimes the hype train takes you down some bumpy tracks, but oh boy how I surely enjoyed this one! Now, I am not on the TikTok so honestly didn’t really know much about this one heading in other than it being popular. I’m wary of BookTok recs and take them all with a grain of salt, but the speed at which I consumed this one (even though a goal of mine this year is to slow down!)…I haven’t been this taken with a series opener since Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy. 

This had the right amount of whimsy, comedy, tension (both mystery & sexual), and intrigue, as well as the right mix of modern & fantasy for my tastes. The setting is magical and the characters delightful. 

Evie is a fun lead that I found I just couldn’t not root for. Her sunshine to The Villain’s grump has a great balance and they’re well-matched leads. I look forward to seeing their relationship develop further as she keeps chipping away at his walls. 

There’s definitely a lot of plot tidbits that can be called upon in further books, so I can’t wait to see which direction the next one goes!