ŷ������

Very conflicting feeling here.

Here are some of my thoughts:
�� I’m just gonna outright say it. I don’t like the protagonist, which is such a disappointment because my friend recommended me this book for the exact reason that it has a strong protagonist. LOL. I just find her so frustrating. Yes, I totally feel for her for her past �� it is damn sad and terrifying. I think the narrative may have been not worked for me in this case because it comes off more detached than emotional (view spoiler)[especially in regards to sensitive topics, such as sexual abuse (hide spoiler)]. There is no doubt that the protagonist suffers from her trauma and lonely past, but again, it is hard for me to truly connect with her because of how the narration is. This rarely happens for me as I read a book, especially if it is 1st-person POV, but I guess I just don’t click well with the author’s style. As for the actual reasons why I don’t like the protagonist: she’s hot-blooded, contrary, and a cheater.
�� I see why she is conflicted with both guys. One is safe, nice, and leads you to the life you’ve always imagined. The other is risky and unpredictable. I get it and I think the author does do well characterizing both of these characters. I like them both.
�� I just did not like how Elena handled it. She is so wishy-washy and hypocritical, as she lies to everyone and herself, from beginning to end. I mean, sure, she is learning through this �� I respect that. It just got too much because it was ongoing and with her bad temper, it was even more irritating. She hates Clayton one second, having sex with him another second. Then, she hates him again, has sex with him again, accuses him of murder. Has sex with him again. It’s just all back-and-forth with her. And while cheating on her boyfriend. Geez. Then she says she’s going back to her “normal life with her normal boyfriend.�� And then blah blah blah. It’s a whole cycle of her refusing her feelings for Clayton and pushing him over. I mean�� Like, he already waited for 10 years for her to come back to him, so it’s a bitttt too much.
�� I like Jeremy. Father figure.
�� Nick is chill too. Hope he gets his own book.
�� The paranormal world created by Armstrong is darker than some other paranormal books I’ve read. It has a more “realistic�� edge to it. I have to say it didn’t love it, but I am curious still. If I continue this series, I can’t wait to explore the world some more and especially new main characters.
�� I think Armstrong is trying to cultivate a “strong female protagonist�� among the patriarchal paranormal world she has created. It is tough to swallow because of some of the blatantly patriarchal notions in this world. Hopefully, there would be a lot of developments on the female characters in the later books to counteract this.

Overall, 2 stars (maybe 1.5). I didn’t like the protagonist. The plot/world-building is somewhat interesting, but debatable.

Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending? (view spoiler)[Happy, but not the last book. (hide spoiler)]
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Other things to note? (view spoiler)[Yes, yes, medium. (hide spoiler)]
Tears-worthy? (view spoiler)[Sad stuff. Did not cry (perhaps because of the detached narration that I personally perceived) (hide spoiler)]
Humor? (view spoiler)[Not really. (hide spoiler)]
What age level would be appropriate? (view spoiler)[Mature audience. Sex scenes. Sensitive topics, such as sexual abuse, prostitution, etc. (hide spoiler)]
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My friend recommended this to me. Supposed to have a strong, awesome female protagonist, so I’m excited 🙌🏻🙌🏻