Unfortunately this book was not for me. Overall, the book had an interesting premise but the plot felt flat for me. I found the FMC to be intolerable most of the time. I finished this book in one sitting and truly wanted it to get better; I wish I loved it more than I did.

** I have shared a more in-depth reviews on Goodreads already.

I did not see that twist at the end. This book was interesting and I will be picking up book 2 so that I can see where the story goes. It’s hard to explain this book but it has a strong FMC, some fairies, magic and a lot of twists and turns.

This book took me on a roller coaster and I enjoyed every minute of it (well almost). Disclaimer- there is a lot of violence/torture, so if that is not your cup of tea, I would not recommend.

Moving on, I knew from the authors note, that I would love this author. She has my kind of humor. This was my first true villain romantasy (at least it feels like it, because Mendax is freaking insane) and at times I had a little difficulty getting through that. But man oh man, at about 50/60%, that was no longer a problem. I hardcore ship Mendax and Cali. The dual POV helped, and I truly enjoyed how the author occasionally gave us the scene through both POVs. I am very excited about where the book ended and cannot wait to read the next book.

This book took awhile to get interesting, I almost put it down a few times. But I kept telling myself that any good fantasy book needs to build its base and to give it a chance. Holy crap, I'm glad I pushed through. Once I slugged through the "world-building" part of the book, I was hooked. I think I read the last 40% in one sitting.

*I will say I also tried to read this on KU awhile ago and found the grammar and writing style unforgivable. I didn't notice it this time around so I'm guessing a publisher fixed. If you DNF'd before, give it a try again!

Interesting idea but the execution did not deliver. The beginning seemed fine enough, but it was strange to me that we kept having the same type of scene between multiple characters where someone would yell and surprise the other. Lots of yelling and shouting for no logical reason. Just something I noticed but ultimately did not have a huge impact on my rating.

Ultimately the connection and tension between the MMC and FMC failed to draw me in. Over time the ignorance and evil actions of the Unseelie started to become cartoonish.

The twist/reveal at the end kind of sealed my opinion as it mostly served to reveal the story as poorly crafted. Good ones harken back to earlier points in the story, foreshadowing, red herrings, clues. Either I missed it entirely or it just wasn't really there.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. Best of luck to the author.

I was definitely excited to read this with all of the hype, and I did really enjoy it! I loved that the MC was a scientist in a small town and the author did a great job of creating intrigue around what happened in her past. I was obviously excited when the Fae came into the picture and of course the evil Unseelie Prince had me interested right away.

I admit I was shocked by the plot twist, but I think it was built up so much that I was kind of expecting more. That’s not really the author’s fault though. I do however think the book needed more editing and the enemies to lovers romance didn’t really hit like I wanted it to. I didn’t end up loving Mendax and his love for Callie wasn’t really believable. I was more intrigued by some of the other characters aka his brother Walter.

All in all the reveals were good and it kept my interest the whole time, so I would definitely read the sequel and recommend this for fellow romantasy lovers.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, truly. 😭 The beginning was a tiny bit slow but once it gets going it is a lot of fun!

If you're in the mood for a dark fantasy romance with sadistic fae How Does It Feel? should hit the spot perfectly.

The book has a decent combination of both tense spicy romance and story intrigue which is usually what I like in a fantasy romance.

I read a lot of books and it's rare that a plot actually surprises me, so bonus points to the author for that as well. I'm interested to see where this series goes from here.

Rating: ★★★

This book presented me with a bit of a quandary, and I must confess my feelings are quite missed. On one hand, it followed the familiar tropes of the romance and fantasy genres - the comparable title that initially comes to mind is ACOTAR (though, of course, I enjoyed this far more than I did that). The first half felt slow and somewhat predictable, lacking the excitement I had hoped for. It was a typical plotline - or so I thought.

Right as I was considering giving up, the story took an unexpected turn in the final quarter. The pace picked up, the characters started feeling fleshed out, and I found myself completely immersed in the unfolding events. While some readers might find the sudden shift in momentum jarring, I found it to be a refreshing and necessary changed that worked contextually and provides some much needed stimulation to the narrative. Callie did indeed end up surprising me, much the same way she did to Mendax. Speaking of the latter, the ending wasn't jarring enough that I felt particularly saddened by it, but it felt like a decent way to conclude the story.

Despite its flaws, I must admit that this book managed to exceed my initial expectations. As someone who typically avoids romantasy novels, I approached this one with cautious optimism. To my surprise, the conclusion - its saving grace - left a lasting impression, which truly does demonstrate the power of a well-executed plot twist to elevate an otherwise average read.

In summary, while this book may not have been a standout favorite for me, it certainly held my attention until the end and provided a welcome surprise in its final chapters. Thank you for the ARC!

This book….just wow.
This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read in long time. The way the author was able to write a protagonist that we sympathized for and invested in was brilliant. I will not give the plot away but please PLEASE read this book. When I tell you I was shocked, stunned, flabbergasted, aghast, astounded, all of the words at the conclusion, it is not an understatement. I even went out and bought TWO physical copies of the book because I needed proof I read this amazing story on my shelf.

All that to say- read this book.
Thank you Jeneane O'Riley and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. It is truly great.

How Does it feel • Jeneane O’Riley •

4.9 ⭐️

Y’all I am UPSET (hear me out)
I loved this book. Hands down. I couldn’t put it down. How does it feel is a dark fantasy based on a scientist that gets accidentally sucked into a portal to the fae world while hunting for mushrooms. The portal drops her (quite literally) straight into the fae princes lap. It’s an enemies to…enemies? Lovers? Mates? I’m literally unsure (and that’s not a bad thing) 99% of this book went smoothly then BAM. I was hit upside the head with a twist so twisty, I’m still unsure if I hallucinated or not. I was unprepared. I did not see it coming and I usually ALWAYS see it coming 😏 the scream I scrum. The gasp I gusped.