Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Alexis L Menard
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Release Date: October 19th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a city split into two opposing sides, power comes in many bloodlines, money, love, and-most importantly-secrets.
An heiress in the most notorious family in Lynchaven, Camilla Marchese is doing all she can to keep her family’s syndicate, the Iron Saint Railway, from slipping into bankruptcy. When the gorgeous and depraved Nicolai Attano, the leader of a rival family, offers to pay off the Inspector in exchange for her hand, she has no choice but to give up not only her throne-but her name.
Nico has his own motivations for their union beyond maintaining peace with her family. A serial kidnapper known as The Collector has been ravaging the streets of Remnant Row, stirring up mistrust between natives and descendants. If Milla can help restore safety to his streets, he’ll have no need for her or her family’s company. Find the Collector, prevent a war between their sides of the city, and pay off the family debt before she turns twenty-one. If Milla can fulfill her end of the bargain, she’ll walk away with more freedom than she’s ever had before.
But this deal plunges Milla into the city’s dark underbelly where remnant magic and arcane science compete in a deadly game of depravity. When forbidden feelings rise for her new husband and dark family secrets come to light, Milla must discover the truth about her past before it gets them both killed or worse-collected.
Set in a post-industrial age setting on a magical Isle, Peaky Blinders meets the magic system of the Grishaverse in this rivals-to-lovers adult fantasy romance.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE.

Why did I hesitate to pick this up? The world may never know and I regret not reading this sooner. One of my favorite aspects was the readability. This was written with such ease and flow I could not put it down. I was drawn in from the first few chapters and smitten with the whole plot.

The BANTER and snark and dynamic between Nico and Camilla was everything. I was obsessed with these two and how they interacted. Perfectly heated and torturous where you can clearly see the connection forming between them. I loved Nico. Protective without being a jerk and was absolutely swoony too. One of my favorite micro tropes is when the guy picks out a dress for the girl and this NAILED IT. Camilla was stunning too. She showed a lot of growth throughout as she tackled new information about herself and understanding her spot in the hierarchy of her family.

I loved the setting and vibes this book gave off. It’s dark and gritty, filled with a steam-punk, gilded age aura but add magic. And it WORKS. I am so enthralled by this book. I absolutely can’t wait for book two.

Overall audience notes:

• Fantasy Romance
• Language: low
• Romance: 1 open door; low innuendo
• Violence: high
• Trigger/Content Warnings: tobacco and alcohol use, kidnapping, death of loved ones, gaslighting family members, brief breath play, mentions of suicide (recounted)

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