ABSOLUTE STUNNER GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT!!!!! SHEER GENIUS.

One thing I will say tho. The title of this novel is very misleading cause it most certainly is NOT about an empress but rather two crown princes fighting for the throne. The "empress" seems more like a narrator to tell their story than anything else. I went into the book expecting more about Wei's quest to becoming empress but what it was was an anecdotal retelling of how her husband, the heir to the throne, became who he was. For a large part of the book, I kept waiting for the narrative to change, but it did not, carrying forward till the end.

I still had a blast reading it though and some of the plot twists weren't what I saw coming esp towards the end. So, that justifies the 5 stars, imo, but dont go into this expecting a romance or a woman being the main character of the story --- two things this book has heavily been marketed as. Also, please check trigger warnings!!

this was such a delightful read. so engaging and breezy i finished it in a day. the writer has a very compelling voice that keeps you hooked right from the start.

the chemistry between the main leads is off the charts and i was rooting for them so hard. the yearning really popped too. since the book is dual POV, you get to see what both of them are thinking and it cements the romance so well. they are just two sides of the same coin with similar insecurities and woes but think the other would dislike them for who they are. the things that they view as shortcomings are so engraved within them that neither of them can imagine someone liking them and it kinda broke me to see that.

BUT OMG THE BANTER!!!! so so so good. very witty and engaging. i found myself laughing very often. it was such a delight to see the leads actually becoming friends as their feelings for each other developed.

one thing i adored about the book was how alexander's mistress was not villainized. in fact, she was rooting for the leads from the start and was a good friend to both of them. similarly, harriet's sisters were extremely supportive and it was visible how much they loved harriet.

overall, this was a great read and i would definitely recommend!!

thanks to netgalley for the arc

10/10 danyin everything to me!

The first half is very slow but the second half MY GOD WHAT A RIDE!!!!!

Absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed this one so very much!!