“You are more than I ever thought I deserved, more than I ever dared want. I cannot fathom spending any emotion or energy on anyone else that I could spend on you.”
”But I’m-”
“The most gorgeous woman I ever seen? Perfect for me?”
“Broken…”
This book broke me and then put me together in the most delicious way. Plus size heorin that is recovering from trauma. Rake, who is falling in love so hard that it makes you pity him. Their story of falling for each other more and more every day. Add a sprinkle of monster romance where he is a shifter who can change however he wants, and she is a shifter who can use her singing to bewitch people. Put everything in a fantasy world where people struggle under oppressive races, and you have an amazing meal prepared.
When Selkie Elspeth escapes captivity, her only goal is to rescue her brother—until an orca-shifter’s bite binds her to him for life. Aegir, a cunning shapeshifter with a taste for danger and pleasure, never expected to be tethered to the one who slipped away. As they join forces to save Elspeth’s brother, they must face their pasts, their unwanted bond, and a growing desire neither can ignore. But can Elspeth trust a man who changes his face as quickly as the tide?
Review
Overall Review: 5/5 🦭
Characters:
Atmosphere:
Plot:
Logic/Relationships:
Enjoyment:
Spice:
🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭
🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭
🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭
🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭
🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I am unsure if I can fully capture the soft spot that Elspeth found in my heart. I don’t know how Kass made it, but I quickly fell in love with Ellie. She is a strong, fierce character that has been through some tough shit and still came out as feminine and soft but not weak. Just healing. Her struggle made me feel so much compassion for her. She was such a real character. Her feelings and thinking just resonated with me and made me feel seen even though I don’t share her trauma.
Her witty answers made my day; her banter with Aegir was pure perfection.
I also love that she can overcome her own insecurities and make rational, non-impulsive decisions.
Ellie became one of my favorite heroins I read.
“She always thought better when she doodled.”
“I don’t think she was trying for ‘subtle.’ In fact, I think she was endeavoring for ‘I’ve sampled his
wares and wouldn’t mind going back for seconds if only this little mouse would get lost.”
“Yes,” she squeaked. Squeaked? Pull it together, Elspeth. Clearing her throat, she began again.
Aegir…” she said. “Are you jealous?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him. Aegir scoffed. “Don’t be
ridiculous, I’ve never been jealous a day in my life. Or at least never been jealous over a romantic
interest.” She was not going to get excited about the fact that he called her a romantic interest.
She refused.
Jokith had often joked that Aegir’s type was “breathing.,” which Aegir felt was unfair and
reductionary. In truth, his type was consenting, available, and breathing. A very clear distinction.
“Swimming,” Aegir said with a shrug. “Swimming?”
“Yeah, it’s this thing that people do. I would tell you that you should try it sometime, but it seems
you’ve gotten the hang of it. Fancy meeting you here though!”
“Does it feel good? Most of the time, I mean?” “I suppose, but—“ “Then does it matter why it’s
happening?
He smiled down at her, and when she looked up at him with those eyes that seemed to hold a
million colors–brown and gold and green and orange, gray and black–so complex and deep he
could drown in them, he felt the truth of it in his soul.
I never had such a problem choosing a quote for the character as I do for Aegir, so here are some samples of why it is in my top 10 fictional boyfriend list.
His smartass humor is just top.
But when he talks about Ellie, it is just… Accch… Which woman would not want her love interest to think things like that about her?
He is so much in love with her from the first moment he met her. It is pathetic, sweet and oh-so-hot 🥵
Kass wrote about an intelligent man who can fully put you under his spell.
I also loved how he described her personas for every situation. Many people, myself included, can probably see themselves in it.
When it comes to the plot of this book, I have no complaints. The pacing is fast enough, and the descriptions are lovely. I never had a problem imagining what the author was describing on the pages. Part of the plot that was not focused on romance was not heavy enough to pull you out or distract you, but it nicely complimented the whole story. Also, the side characters in the book felt real and meaningful, so much so that I would pull out all the books from Kass to my library and read them one by one.
Torsten raised his cup in a salute. “Welcome to the pathetic sods club. We might be pathetic, but
we’re happy as hell.”
This one quote will tell you everything about spice in this book that you need to know. But I understand that monster romances and spice are not for everybody.
For me especially, Kass wrote some hot scenes, and I had absolutely no problem with anatomical descriptions in the book. For me, it even did not feel like a monster romance until it came to an end 🥵
“Oh you’d like to attend the penis market?”