This book completely surprised me in the best way. I picked up the second book before I even finished this one because I already knew I wasn’t ready to leave this world. The tension? Insane. The banter? So good. And the amount of anxiety this book gave me while reading was actually unreal in the best possible way. It had me constantly needing just one more chapter because I had to know what happened next. This book somehow made me feel stressed, emotional, frustrated, obsessed, and attached to the characters all at once. The relationship dynamics were messy and complicated, but that’s what made them feel real. And maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I actually liked Theon. Did he handle everything perfectly, absolutely not. But I think the author did a great job showing that beneath all the bad decisions and walls he puts up, he genuinely cares about Tessa. Honestly, I think he loves her, even if he doesn’t fully know how to show it yet.If you like fantasy books filled with tension, emotional damage, addictive pacing, morally gray characters, and relationships that keep you constantly questioning everything, this book will consume you. I didn’t want it to end… but I also couldn’t stop reading it!!