Introduction

I enjoyed this book, but it's genuinely so complicated for me to review because of several different reasons, I'll try to take a more different approach to my reviews this time.

Let's just get straight into this.

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Quality

I have to say, writing wise, this book definitely is not a masterpiece, nor the best. In fact, I quite despised the writing at the start. It's not exactly bad, but I caught a few grammatical errors (past tense when it should be present tense, weird use of certain words, etc). But I think as I went on with the book, I kind of got used to it? Even started to adjust and like it a little.

I think the biggest factor for me eventually enjoying this is my reading slump. Sometimes I just need a shitty written book to get by, and this worked for me. 🤷‍♀️

Another thing I have to include, is the fact that the author clearly didn't do her research on programming and hacking, if you're in the tech field like me. There's the "stealing of codes," as if it were a piece of paper, which gave me the ick ngl. I completely ignored that aspect, although it affect the quality score for me

Pros:

• Easily digestible writing - perfect as a palette cleanser.

Cons:

• Grammatical errors - I spotted quite a few of them, so if you're someone who prioritizes good writing—this may not be for you.
• Badly researched about programming - this gave me the ick as a programmer, so if this is something that majorly turns you off in books, you might not like this.

Middle-road: (basically which I don't think is a pro or con, but it may differ to other people)

• Repetition - there is a whole lot of "blue eyes" and "whiskey and sin." I found it a little bit annoying but I think I'm used to it by now, as it's just the author's style. If you're fine about repetition, you won't have a problem with this.

Score: 2.5/5

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Characters

The characters are definitely what made me continue the book, and even the series. I also have to clarify that characters are my top priority when reading books, so if the characters are excellent but another aspect in the book (like the plot, for example), I may excuse it.

Morana Vitalio is the definition of a reckless, stubborn fmc, who happens to be a (inaccurate) programmer. I began disliked her because of recklessness, and she sort of gave off "not like other girls" vibes. Until I realized she was literally me. I also admit to being quite stubborn and reckless, it's not something I really take pride in. I do things before thinking them over, sometimes it's even based on my emotions over logic. Morana does that exactly. She likes taking risks, because it gives her a sense of control that she doesn't have, and that, I relate so much with her.

The "not like other girls" vibe you get from her from the start, in my opinion, isn't without reason. Since Morana grew up pretty much isolated from everyone by her father. Even when she went to university, her father's eyes were always on her. She never got the chance to form friendships or connections with other people, os it makes sense why she would turn out that way. She's even a bit naïve because of it, in my opinion. Yeah, everyone says how she isn't as smart as she claimed but she was isolated all her life, so I don't think she'd know what's considered the smartest, if that makes sense.

Then there's the mmc, Tristan Caine. I admit I began a little bit infuriated by him, but that infuriation turned to infatuation, I'm afraid. He's basically the typical broody, closed-off mmc who doesn't talk much, but the author made it work. I love how the author wrote his character, he's complex and layered and we even got to see a more different side than his grumpy exterior. I'll refrain from speaking more about him, as it'll mostly give spoilers. But the conclusion is that I ended up enjoying his character in the end.

Another point is that there is a LOT of staring and a lot less dialogue in this. They do talk to each other, but not as much as the staring. If you really like dialogue, I think you might be disappointed, especially as Tristan keeps it to himself for most of the book. He doesn't speak much.

Pros:

• Relatable FMC - this is completely subjective to me, might not be the case for other people, but it did make me enjoy this so much more.
• Complex characters - I don't think any of the (main) characters are plain evil or good, but they are rather complicated.

Cons:

• Not much dialogue between main characters - I know the reasoning behind this, but still, would've loved a little bit more dialogue. It's not the biggest con, and dialogue isn't the most important factor for me, though.

Middle Road:

• Broody MMC - I love me a broody MMC every once in a while, so this was definitely enjoyable. If you dislike closed off or broody MMCs, this isn't the book for you.
• Programmer FMC - I've never really read about an fmc who's a programmer, so I got really excited for that. The inaccurate representation, however, did bum me out a little.

Score: 4.5/10

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Plot

Now, this is a bit complicated for me to rate. I actually think the plot of this book was quite well done, but the pacing? Not so much.

What I loved is how the spice didn't overshadow the plot. I'm all in for a romance book, as long as there's actual emotional connection and plot, not just spice, and I think it's perfect in this aspect. There were a few scenes, but not as much as I was expecting tbh, so take that as you will.

I also didn't expect the mystery aspect of this, which is definitely there, but I really enjoyed it, and it's kept me on my toes a few times!

The pacing was a bit confusing. Sometimes it was perfectly paced, others dragged out, and some rushed. I think if the pacing was just a little bit better and more evened out, it would've been so much more engaging.

The tension, however? Absolutely lovely. I can't count the amount of times I giggled at the proximity and tension between them. I think this is one of the author's stronger suits.

Pros:

• Good plot - I didn't expect to like the plot as much as I did, but I'm so glad it did turn out to be good!
• Excellent tension - one of the things I LOVED about it most! I was begging for them to kiss or do something more than once.

Cons:

• Inconsistent pacing - the pacing was a bit all over the place, as I stated above. If it was consistent, the score for plot would've been much higher.

Middle Road:

• Mystery plot - this is not just dark romance, but it has a mystery plot as well! I'm not sure if this is common in dark romances or not (please let me know), but I enjoyed it.
• Spice doesn't overpower plot - this is definitely subjective, so I'm keeping it in the middle road. However, it's something I really liked!

Score: 3.5/5

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Final Verdict

I surprisingly enjoyed this read, as someone who doesn't read dark romance. Will I pick up more dark romance because of this book? Probably.

Would I recommend? Yes, if you don't mind less-than-decent writing. Will I continue the series? Yes, I already finished book 2 at the time of writing this review, and reading book 3.

Final Score: 4/5

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Additional Notes

This is my first dark romance novel, so I haven't explored much of the genre yet.

If you're worried about this containing non-con between the main characters, especially if it's something you're not comfortable with, there's none here! There is however spiking, but not between main characters.

I think might be the longest review I've done yet lol. I hope you enjoy my mini essay! 😁