This was just as enjoyable as Assistant to the Villain. Although this installment leans much more romance-forward, I have to admit there were moments where Trystan and Evie’s dynamic started to feel a little tired. The constant push-and-pull drifted past “slow burn” and into “why are we still doing this?” territory.

I’m also starting to notice that Hannah Nicole Maehrer tends to rush her endings, stacking as many plot twists as possible into the final chapters instead of weaving them more evenly throughout the story. It makes the middle feel stretched, like the pacing’s trying to buy time before the chaos hits. Still, the book is light, fun, and overall enjoyable.

I really liked the multiple POVs, Evie’s gradual shift into a darker version of herself, and the growing friendship between her and Becky. There are so many twists packed into the end that it’s hard to discuss them without spoiling anything, but they definitely kept me on my toes.

All that said, I’ll still be picking up book three to see where the story goes from here.