This is so hard to rate because there is a lot that I LOVED - primarily, that Braden is leaning all-the-way-in on paranormal/fated mates in this series, and that these get progressively spicier and more absurdly over-the-top. That said, she chose some really dark sub-plots for this one, and I struggled with how these alter the overall tone of the book. I really don't appreciate on-page suicidal ideation without clear content warnings from the author, particularly when it feels gratuitous, and I felt like it was ultimately unnecessary here (we could have had a clear window into the female main character's desperation and trauma without those moments of clear intent on page), and the use of a traumatic scene in the epilogue really kicked me out of the story (the EPILOGUE!). Note on the epilogue in content warnings. If you feel comfortable with the darker content, then there is a lot to love in this story, but I found the reading experience to be a really strange mix of laugh-out-loud absurdity and genuinely stressful content. I love this series, but this is likely my least favorite of them so far.

All that said, I absolutely cannot wait for Rannoch's book.