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Sacrificed Hearts #5
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice
To assassinate her target, she must marry her enemy.
Azora has dedicated her life to exacting revenge on the phoenix shifters who murdered her parents. When Prince Tarquin of Pyren demands a bride as part of a peace treaty, the elite strike squad of assassins Azora belongs to agree—she’s the perfect candidate to eliminate the monstrous shifter.
The traces of Pyrenese blood flowing in her veins grant her immunity to fire and will allow her to slay Tarquin, for a phoenix can only be destroyed by one descended from Pyren. The safety of all Termarth is dependant on Azora to maintain her cover; her true identity must never be discovered.
With the tantalizing offer of peace on the altar, Azora weds Tarquin, knowing that as soon as the peace treaty is broken, either bride or groom will be the first casualty. But just as Azora begins to uncover the man behind the monster, skirmishes erupt throughout the land. When the time arrives to finally eliminate the threat to Termarth, Azora’s loyalties are torn.
She intended to gamble her life away, not her heart.
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is book 5 in the Sacrificed Hearts multi-author series, a collection of stand-alone fantasy romances inspired by monsters of legend and packed with strong heroines, swoony heroes, and sacrificial themes.
Azora has dedicated her life to exacting revenge on the phoenix shifters who murdered her parents. When Prince Tarquin of Pyren demands a bride as part of a peace treaty, the elite strike squad of assassins Azora belongs to agree—she’s the perfect candidate to eliminate the monstrous shifter.
The traces of Pyrenese blood flowing in her veins grant her immunity to fire and will allow her to slay Tarquin, for a phoenix can only be destroyed by one descended from Pyren. The safety of all Termarth is dependant on Azora to maintain her cover; her true identity must never be discovered.
With the tantalizing offer of peace on the altar, Azora weds Tarquin, knowing that as soon as the peace treaty is broken, either bride or groom will be the first casualty. But just as Azora begins to uncover the man behind the monster, skirmishes erupt throughout the land. When the time arrives to finally eliminate the threat to Termarth, Azora’s loyalties are torn.
She intended to gamble her life away, not her heart.
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is book 5 in the Sacrificed Hearts multi-author series, a collection of stand-alone fantasy romances inspired by monsters of legend and packed with strong heroines, swoony heroes, and sacrificial themes.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2024
112 people are currently reading
1777 people want to read
About the author
Mary Mecham
19 books782 followersMary Mecham writes high stakes, high swoon, no spice romantasy and fairy tale retellings packed full of adventure and romances. Her greatest joy is writing snarky banter and morally grey characters.
She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.
When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.
She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.
You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com
She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.
When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.
She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.
You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
April 20, 2025
Read as a buddy read with friends (who are also fellow BookTubers) Celestria, Kristi, & Tabitha 💕
(note: I'm a horrible buddy reader and often finish the book quickly because I value answers more than sleep 🤪)
easy-peasy 4 stars personally ✨ (Clean fantasy/romantasy with no language or questionable content besides the main girl being an assassin)
I’m actually quite shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. I typically avoid the marriage of convenience trope like the plague and thus so I also avoid the arranged marriages trope like someone sneezing in the grocery checkout line. But this one surprised me. No hints to fade-to-black scenes (the author has earned my respect for that alone!) and sure, Azora teases Bird Boy, but it was humorous and didn’t feel lust-y or like she was actually trying to seduce him like others told her to do.
I couldn’t read fast enough in all honesty and my brain wasn’t trying to figure out where the plot was going—I was just along for the ride—so I was actually stunned at the ending. If I had slowed down and read it, I might have picked up on some hints (truly kicking myself for not seeing it) but I only got things a bit before our slightly-dense-which-was-out-of-character-for-her main character did.
I found myself cracking up at some of the lines and banter throughout this book. I wasn’t expecting that at all! I truly gasped and giggled at some of the lines and I’ll share some of my favorites here:
“Quite frankly, Tarquin, I don’t care if you are interested in me or not. I’m here to fulfill an obligation, but not because I have any interest in marrying you. I’d just as soon marry your grandfather if it brought about the same result. More willingly too, as the marriage would be over sooner.””
“Oh no, I want to be just like you. If you dress up like a little black ash cloud, I want to as well. Besides, it matches your personality perfectly.”
“You mean I could have been fighting you in public?” I gave a huge, pretend gasp. “I’ve been cheated.” Tarquin’s mouth twitched. “Such a tragedy. Do you have a weapon of choice besides a razor-sharp tongue?”
He lifted his eyes from the rose to me. “It’s both beautiful and prickly. Just like you.” (WHAT 👏 A 👏 LINE! 👏 )
“Destroy hope and foster hatred, and you can destroy an entire nation.” (Dang. What a truth.)
Other parts I liked:
🔥 The button and the hair? This girl is devious.
🔥 “Bird boy” and “phoenix boy” >>> sassy nicknames are my favorite
🔥 The cultural elements the author created (like the tattoo element where some will show off their shoulder to tell others they’re not from a certain country and then also protector/guardian cuteness)
🔥 As someone who can’t handle spicy foods, I felt seen with the parts of Azora trying to eat their food. (Particularly when Azora is commenting on it being marinated in lava because I feel that.)
🔥 The eclipse part (I found it so cute and yet also so random but I liked it??)
🔥 The rapid-fire 20 questions after the reveal
🔥 I’m really glad that when Bird Boy shifts back into a human, he’s not naked. I feel like every other shifting fantasy book I’ve read (a grand total of four now) has the awkward moments because of lack of clothing. Appreciate it, author!
🔥 I like the windy prison. It’s a nice touch.
🔥 The twist STUNNED me (which does not happen often)
I actually will buy a copy of this book. I really did enjoy it. It may have been because I had absolutely no expectations of it and while I had it on my TBR, I only read it now because of a buddy read with some sweet BookTuber friends. Super glad I read it because it was an adventure with so many parts I enjoyed!
Age recommendation wise: I would say 16+ for sure because if some of the comments with Azora and Bird Boy being married. None of it made me uncomfortable (a feat if you know how picky I am) but because that’s there with all the assassin stuff, I would suggest at least 16+.
Main Content:
Azora is a “harden” assassin (her words) and is on a mission to kill the Prince Bird Boy, so yes, lots about assassinations, planning one, the ways to do it (poison, slitting a throat, etc.), & other missions she had of killing others for the good of her country; She does kill and fight on-page (kept no more than a handful of sentences and written bluntly on the killing parts); She also lies and feels guilt for keeping secrets; Also a lot about fires, flames, going through literal fire, murders/burned bodies, & hatred (including Azora’s hatred for the other country); Azora is told that her and her assassin guild are heroes because they’re not murdering people needlessly like the other country; Azora is afraid of heights and thunderstorms (the latter because of her parents being murdered in a thunderstorm and she recalls it, up to a few sentences).
No technical magic but some characters (including out male lead) can shift into phoenixes due to their royal bloodline and some people are able to withstand being in fire (looked as a genetic ability, not magic); We see him shift a few times; There’s the Eternal Flame that can heal those with those genetics (someone also swears by the Eternal Flame); A mention of a ledge being held up as if by magic.
Tarquin has to cut himself to get blood for the Eternal Flame; Two people say “thank the phoenixes”; Hoping that the universe gives someone’s words to another who has passed away; A couple mentions of making an offering to the phoenixes; A mention of someone praying (but not said towards who); A mention of being scorpion in another life; A mention of someone hovering between life and death.
*Major Spoilers* ; Many mentions of wars, battles, assassinations, & deaths/murders (blunt and to the point, very little details); Mentions of deaths & grief (for parents, up to a handful+ of sentences on the emotions and sobbing); Mentions of suicides (assassins who are caught by the enemy commit suicide before being questioned) & suicide missions; Mentions of fighting, attacks, being held at knife-point, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to a few sentences); Mentions of prisoners & hostages; Mentions of kidnapped children, some missing for years, & ransoms; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of tattoos.
No actually language stronger than ‘stupid’ and ‘shut up’, but made-up curses like ‘’serpents alive’, flames alive’, ‘give a flying phoenix’ and ‘phoenixes’ as a curse are said; Azora goes to call someone an “excellent swear word” but holds her tongue; Later, Azora does curse (but it’s not written on page); Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
A neck kiss, a kiss lasting a couple sentences, and a kiss lasting around six or so sentences with the build-up; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Noticing (up to a few sentences).
Azora is told to entice/seduce the prince so she can get close enough to kill enough (she thinks that if he gets any amorous idea, though, he would end up dead for sure; She does taunt and tease him but it never felt over-the-top to me, personally); Azora and Tarquin tease each other about not being able to keep their hands off the other, being alone together, & that if she wears nothing to a training yard all the single men will look at her (she’s being sassy); On their wedding night, Azora tells Tarquin that she’ll slice off any part of his body that touches her and makes him not sleep in the same bed (they do, but nothing happens besides an accidental cuddle/nearness); Tarquin notes Azora’s law-cut bodice and curves (which he makes a comment on there being no rule against looking) & she tells him that he can look all he wants because it will be the last thing he sees; Azora and Tarquin help the other button/undo clothing, but it’s not heavy nor suggestive (noticing nearness but only a few sentences); Tarquin comments that the maids could help her, but then it will be gossiped that he wasn’t the lucky one to help her on their wedding night; Later when changing behind the privacy screen, Azora tosses her nightgown over in hopes of it landing on Tarquin (to annoy him); Azora says that her a Tarquin are enemies with benefits, but it’s not sexual benefits like with the common meaning of that phrase; Azora is told she is part Pyrenese due to an ancestor’s affair (she feels the shame of that sin); A brother-like friend of Azora teases that he would look better in a dress than her and that everyone would swoon over a glimpse of his ankle if he seductively showed it (completely kidding); That brother-like friend also teases Azora about telling her the stories about the women who have tried to seduce him (she retorts back that she doesn’t need to hear about his dreams); The friend teases Azora when she’s talking about spicy food but he means about her saying that Tarquin has a tingling effect on her mouth; Azora is concerned about her dress burning and being actually exposed to a kingdom; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirting, blushes, & jealousy; A mention of pillow talk; A mention of hormones.
(note: I'm a horrible buddy reader and often finish the book quickly because I value answers more than sleep 🤪)
easy-peasy 4 stars personally ✨ (Clean fantasy/romantasy with no language or questionable content besides the main girl being an assassin)
I’m actually quite shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. I typically avoid the marriage of convenience trope like the plague and thus so I also avoid the arranged marriages trope like someone sneezing in the grocery checkout line. But this one surprised me. No hints to fade-to-black scenes (the author has earned my respect for that alone!) and sure, Azora teases Bird Boy, but it was humorous and didn’t feel lust-y or like she was actually trying to seduce him like others told her to do.
I couldn’t read fast enough in all honesty and my brain wasn’t trying to figure out where the plot was going—I was just along for the ride—so I was actually stunned at the ending. If I had slowed down and read it, I might have picked up on some hints (truly kicking myself for not seeing it) but I only got things a bit before our slightly-dense-which-was-out-of-character-for-her main character did.
I found myself cracking up at some of the lines and banter throughout this book. I wasn’t expecting that at all! I truly gasped and giggled at some of the lines and I’ll share some of my favorites here:
“Quite frankly, Tarquin, I don’t care if you are interested in me or not. I’m here to fulfill an obligation, but not because I have any interest in marrying you. I’d just as soon marry your grandfather if it brought about the same result. More willingly too, as the marriage would be over sooner.””
“Oh no, I want to be just like you. If you dress up like a little black ash cloud, I want to as well. Besides, it matches your personality perfectly.”
“You mean I could have been fighting you in public?” I gave a huge, pretend gasp. “I’ve been cheated.” Tarquin’s mouth twitched. “Such a tragedy. Do you have a weapon of choice besides a razor-sharp tongue?”
He lifted his eyes from the rose to me. “It’s both beautiful and prickly. Just like you.” (WHAT 👏 A 👏 LINE! 👏 )
“Destroy hope and foster hatred, and you can destroy an entire nation.” (Dang. What a truth.)
Other parts I liked:
🔥 The button and the hair? This girl is devious.
🔥 “Bird boy” and “phoenix boy” >>> sassy nicknames are my favorite
🔥 The cultural elements the author created (like the tattoo element where some will show off their shoulder to tell others they’re not from a certain country and then also protector/guardian cuteness)
🔥 As someone who can’t handle spicy foods, I felt seen with the parts of Azora trying to eat their food. (Particularly when Azora is commenting on it being marinated in lava because I feel that.)
🔥 The eclipse part (I found it so cute and yet also so random but I liked it??)
🔥 The rapid-fire 20 questions after the reveal
🔥 I’m really glad that when Bird Boy shifts back into a human, he’s not naked. I feel like every other shifting fantasy book I’ve read (a grand total of four now) has the awkward moments because of lack of clothing. Appreciate it, author!
🔥 I like the windy prison. It’s a nice touch.
🔥 The twist STUNNED me (which does not happen often)
I actually will buy a copy of this book. I really did enjoy it. It may have been because I had absolutely no expectations of it and while I had it on my TBR, I only read it now because of a buddy read with some sweet BookTuber friends. Super glad I read it because it was an adventure with so many parts I enjoyed!
Age recommendation wise: I would say 16+ for sure because if some of the comments with Azora and Bird Boy being married. None of it made me uncomfortable (a feat if you know how picky I am) but because that’s there with all the assassin stuff, I would suggest at least 16+.
Main Content:
Azora is a “harden” assassin (her words) and is on a mission to kill the Prince Bird Boy, so yes, lots about assassinations, planning one, the ways to do it (poison, slitting a throat, etc.), & other missions she had of killing others for the good of her country; She does kill and fight on-page (kept no more than a handful of sentences and written bluntly on the killing parts); She also lies and feels guilt for keeping secrets; Also a lot about fires, flames, going through literal fire, murders/burned bodies, & hatred (including Azora’s hatred for the other country); Azora is told that her and her assassin guild are heroes because they’re not murdering people needlessly like the other country; Azora is afraid of heights and thunderstorms (the latter because of her parents being murdered in a thunderstorm and she recalls it, up to a few sentences).
No technical magic but some characters (including out male lead) can shift into phoenixes due to their royal bloodline and some people are able to withstand being in fire (looked as a genetic ability, not magic); We see him shift a few times; There’s the Eternal Flame that can heal those with those genetics (someone also swears by the Eternal Flame); A mention of a ledge being held up as if by magic.
Tarquin has to cut himself to get blood for the Eternal Flame; Two people say “thank the phoenixes”; Hoping that the universe gives someone’s words to another who has passed away; A couple mentions of making an offering to the phoenixes; A mention of someone praying (but not said towards who); A mention of being scorpion in another life; A mention of someone hovering between life and death.
*Major Spoilers* ; Many mentions of wars, battles, assassinations, & deaths/murders (blunt and to the point, very little details); Mentions of deaths & grief (for parents, up to a handful+ of sentences on the emotions and sobbing); Mentions of suicides (assassins who are caught by the enemy commit suicide before being questioned) & suicide missions; Mentions of fighting, attacks, being held at knife-point, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to a few sentences); Mentions of prisoners & hostages; Mentions of kidnapped children, some missing for years, & ransoms; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of tattoos.
No actually language stronger than ‘stupid’ and ‘shut up’, but made-up curses like ‘’serpents alive’, flames alive’, ‘give a flying phoenix’ and ‘phoenixes’ as a curse are said; Azora goes to call someone an “excellent swear word” but holds her tongue; Later, Azora does curse (but it’s not written on page); Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
A neck kiss, a kiss lasting a couple sentences, and a kiss lasting around six or so sentences with the build-up; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Noticing (up to a few sentences).
Azora is told to entice/seduce the prince so she can get close enough to kill enough (she thinks that if he gets any amorous idea, though, he would end up dead for sure; She does taunt and tease him but it never felt over-the-top to me, personally); Azora and Tarquin tease each other about not being able to keep their hands off the other, being alone together, & that if she wears nothing to a training yard all the single men will look at her (she’s being sassy); On their wedding night, Azora tells Tarquin that she’ll slice off any part of his body that touches her and makes him not sleep in the same bed (they do, but nothing happens besides an accidental cuddle/nearness); Tarquin notes Azora’s law-cut bodice and curves (which he makes a comment on there being no rule against looking) & she tells him that he can look all he wants because it will be the last thing he sees; Azora and Tarquin help the other button/undo clothing, but it’s not heavy nor suggestive (noticing nearness but only a few sentences); Tarquin comments that the maids could help her, but then it will be gossiped that he wasn’t the lucky one to help her on their wedding night; Later when changing behind the privacy screen, Azora tosses her nightgown over in hopes of it landing on Tarquin (to annoy him); Azora says that her a Tarquin are enemies with benefits, but it’s not sexual benefits like with the common meaning of that phrase; Azora is told she is part Pyrenese due to an ancestor’s affair (she feels the shame of that sin); A brother-like friend of Azora teases that he would look better in a dress than her and that everyone would swoon over a glimpse of his ankle if he seductively showed it (completely kidding); That brother-like friend also teases Azora about telling her the stories about the women who have tried to seduce him (she retorts back that she doesn’t need to hear about his dreams); The friend teases Azora when she’s talking about spicy food but he means about her saying that Tarquin has a tingling effect on her mouth; Azora is concerned about her dress burning and being actually exposed to a kingdom; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of flirting, blushes, & jealousy; A mention of pillow talk; A mention of hormones.
June 30, 2024
I started a free trial of KU mainly so I could read this book! It did NOT disappoint!!!!!
Mary writes some of the funniest banter EVER!!!!!!! I love the scenes between the two main characters. I also love how their relationship grows and develops throughout the book!
I also loved all of the cool foreshadowing throughout the book. It made the ending SO SATISFYING!!!!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!
Overall, if you enjoy clean YA romance with lots of great character development and funny banter, you should definitely read this book!!!!!!!!
Mary writes some of the funniest banter EVER!!!!!!! I love the scenes between the two main characters. I also love how their relationship grows and develops throughout the book!
I also loved all of the cool foreshadowing throughout the book. It made the ending SO SATISFYING!!!!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!
Overall, if you enjoy clean YA romance with lots of great character development and funny banter, you should definitely read this book!!!!!!!!
December 29, 2025
amazed. shocked. definitely not blushing a little!
⋆༄⁺ ☀︎︎ ₊⋆
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Definitely a new favorite, and I only wish it was a series! It reminded me of Powerless by Lauren Roberts a lot (in the sense of the characters, not the plot), but I enjoyed this book a lot more and it was less violent and sensual than powerless. :)
“Every pawn had the ability to become a queen when played correctly, and I had every intention to play my game very well.”
Age rec: 13+
I hate the term swoony, so I’d rather call the romance blush-inducing with all the banter. It was also clean and really nice. I liked the falling in love after an arranged marriage trope so I will for sure try to find more books with that.
I’m also definitely reading more of Mary Mecham’s books!! ❤︎︎
⋆༄⁺ ☀︎︎ ₊⋆
{I might make a longer review I’m the future, idk}
⋆༄⁺ ☀︎︎ ₊⋆
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Definitely a new favorite, and I only wish it was a series! It reminded me of Powerless by Lauren Roberts a lot (in the sense of the characters, not the plot), but I enjoyed this book a lot more and it was less violent and sensual than powerless. :)
“Every pawn had the ability to become a queen when played correctly, and I had every intention to play my game very well.”
Age rec: 13+
I hate the term swoony, so I’d rather call the romance blush-inducing with all the banter. It was also clean and really nice. I liked the falling in love after an arranged marriage trope so I will for sure try to find more books with that.
I’m also definitely reading more of Mary Mecham’s books!! ❤︎︎
⋆༄⁺ ☀︎︎ ₊⋆
{I might make a longer review I’m the future, idk}
July 14, 2024
3.75 stars
I've been craving just romantasy, romantasy, romantasy. And this filled that craving.
But only for a day. No, I "totally" didn't finish this book in one day.
I totally did.
It wasn't amazing, but not too bad either. The pacing was fast, and the plot didn't bore me for a moment.
That's a big compliment coming from me. I get bored of books WAAAY too easily for being such a big reader.
Some things that I did like!!
Forced proximity ✔
SO MUCH CUTE BANTER!!! ✔
Perfect epilogue that leaves you with happy feelings!! ✔
Enemies to lovers ✔
The powers trope!!! ✔
The nicknames!!! Bird boy is so funny!!
I'd might as well share the one quote that I couldn't stop laughing from. It honestly gave me deja vu to that Aladdin scene where the maid pretends to be the princess...
“You brought a beautiful girl—tray! Tray. This tray that you brought is so…so very beautiful. I forgot to give it back before.”
Maybe it's just the awkwardness or the fact that for some strange reason it made me think of the Aladdin scene, but I couldn't stop laughing.
Just one thing—I don't get Azora being sensitive to spice because I can honestly take 100× more spice in food than the average person... So I was looking at the book weird, like what?? Spicy food is good. Unlike what Azora might say...
But aside from that, I did like Azoras character. She has the best dry humor, and that banter...
Oh my word I love it when fantasies have banter. What's his name and Azora are so cute together!!
---
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re incapable of protecting a wife?”
“I’m not incapable of anything,” he growled.
“Really? How fortunate for me to be marrying a perfect man then,” I drawled. “They showed a portrait of you to all the eligible nobility when they announced your desire to marry a woman from Termarth, you know. We were all in a dither, swooning over your good looks.”
“Did I look like this?” he asked, his lip slowly curling back to reveal his teeth.
I don't like them as much as Kai and Pae from powerless...
But I need to stop comparing books to powerless.
Just a minor complaint, Azor nearly annoyed me to death with the love at first sight.
“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
Really? He's in love before speaking a single word to her??
Just one more complaint, the fighting scenes were DONE WRONG!!
No, you don't strattle someone's chest to pin them down on mount. That gives you a terrible base and they can easily knock you over and turn the tables.
Authors need to learn more about HOW to fight before they include incorrect self defense scenes in their books.
Content to come. But there's no romance beyond a few no detail kisses, and the violence is kept at bare minimum descriptions.
I've been craving just romantasy, romantasy, romantasy. And this filled that craving.
But only for a day. No, I "totally" didn't finish this book in one day.
It wasn't amazing, but not too bad either. The pacing was fast, and the plot didn't bore me for a moment.
That's a big compliment coming from me. I get bored of books WAAAY too easily for being such a big reader.
Some things that I did like!!
Forced proximity ✔
SO MUCH CUTE BANTER!!! ✔
Perfect epilogue that leaves you with happy feelings!! ✔
Enemies to lovers ✔
The powers trope!!! ✔
The nicknames!!! Bird boy is so funny!!
I'd might as well share the one quote that I couldn't stop laughing from. It honestly gave me deja vu to that Aladdin scene where the maid pretends to be the princess...
“You brought a beautiful girl—tray! Tray. This tray that you brought is so…so very beautiful. I forgot to give it back before.”
Maybe it's just the awkwardness or the fact that for some strange reason it made me think of the Aladdin scene, but I couldn't stop laughing.
Just one thing—I don't get Azora being sensitive to spice because I can honestly take 100× more spice in food than the average person... So I was looking at the book weird, like what?? Spicy food is good. Unlike what Azora might say...
But aside from that, I did like Azoras character. She has the best dry humor, and that banter...
Oh my word I love it when fantasies have banter. What's his name and Azora are so cute together!!
---
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re incapable of protecting a wife?”
“I’m not incapable of anything,” he growled.
“Really? How fortunate for me to be marrying a perfect man then,” I drawled. “They showed a portrait of you to all the eligible nobility when they announced your desire to marry a woman from Termarth, you know. We were all in a dither, swooning over your good looks.”
“Did I look like this?” he asked, his lip slowly curling back to reveal his teeth.
I don't like them as much as Kai and Pae from powerless...
But I need to stop comparing books to powerless.
Just a minor complaint, Azor nearly annoyed me to death with the love at first sight.
“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
Really? He's in love before speaking a single word to her??
Just one more complaint, the fighting scenes were DONE WRONG!!
No, you don't strattle someone's chest to pin them down on mount. That gives you a terrible base and they can easily knock you over and turn the tables.
Authors need to learn more about HOW to fight before they include incorrect self defense scenes in their books.
Content to come. But there's no romance beyond a few no detail kisses, and the violence is kept at bare minimum descriptions.
July 24, 2024
I love this book so much!!!! I felt all the things all the time—seriously this is sad, cute, romantic, comedic, dangerous things are happening all at once!—and the banter between friends and lovers alike was top notch and made me snort and laugh more than once, which is actually pretty hard for a book to get me to do even those that are supposed to be “funny”.
Azora wasn’t a Strong Female Character who I wanted to bash into a wall but a well rounded, flawed yet extremely likable (if also petty towards her husband at times *snicker*) character I really loved! And Turquin is an absolute sweetheart and not what I was expecting at all! He loves kids (which for some reason I find so sweet and attractive in fictional men) and while not a warrior he has this inner strength and courage that shines brightest when needed most and I really liked how the author handled that aspect of his character with making him “weak” yet not if that makes any sense? He reminded me a lot of Marcus from Selina R. Gonzalez’s The Crownless Prince which is a HUGE compliment as I love his character a TON. And the romance and banter between these two was so beautiful and funny and I love them to death. 🥰🥰
I was super surprised by all the twists and turns that kept happening! While I guessed one part when I got to a certain percentage it was so well hidden I didn’t even see it coming until I was forced to do errands and had to just sit and think about it, so kudos to the author as I usually sniff stuff like this out from a mile away, lol! My only quibble is the last few lines of the last chapter before the epilogue (ya know what I mean, I’m too tired and lazy to check what number it is) I felt were a little flat and should have been a bit different personally speaking, but that’s literally all I can complain about so I guess I’ll just live with it, haha.
A really, really good book with lots of banter and heart! Now I can’t wait to try another one by this author as soon as The Mood allows!
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: child kidnapping; grooming
Violence: mentions of the burned corpses of a character’s parents (not detailed); people are assassinated (not shown or detailed); fighting with weapons, hand to hand, and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); a man is stabbed in the chest (not detailed); a woman is burned to death (not detailed)
Sexual: mild suggestive comments/hints; a married couple share a bed (not sexually); kissing (not detailed)
Other: assassins; magic; phoenix shifters; death and grief; a character is tied up; child kidnapping; grooming
Azora wasn’t a Strong Female Character who I wanted to bash into a wall but a well rounded, flawed yet extremely likable (if also petty towards her husband at times *snicker*) character I really loved! And Turquin is an absolute sweetheart and not what I was expecting at all! He loves kids (which for some reason I find so sweet and attractive in fictional men) and while not a warrior he has this inner strength and courage that shines brightest when needed most and I really liked how the author handled that aspect of his character with making him “weak” yet not if that makes any sense? He reminded me a lot of Marcus from Selina R. Gonzalez’s The Crownless Prince which is a HUGE compliment as I love his character a TON. And the romance and banter between these two was so beautiful and funny and I love them to death. 🥰🥰
I was super surprised by all the twists and turns that kept happening! While I guessed one part when I got to a certain percentage it was so well hidden I didn’t even see it coming until I was forced to do errands and had to just sit and think about it, so kudos to the author as I usually sniff stuff like this out from a mile away, lol! My only quibble is the last few lines of the last chapter before the epilogue (ya know what I mean, I’m too tired and lazy to check what number it is) I felt were a little flat and should have been a bit different personally speaking, but that’s literally all I can complain about so I guess I’ll just live with it, haha.
A really, really good book with lots of banter and heart! Now I can’t wait to try another one by this author as soon as The Mood allows!
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: child kidnapping; grooming
Violence: mentions of the burned corpses of a character’s parents (not detailed); people are assassinated (not shown or detailed); fighting with weapons, hand to hand, and magic (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); a man is stabbed in the chest (not detailed); a woman is burned to death (not detailed)
Sexual: mild suggestive comments/hints; a married couple share a bed (not sexually); kissing (not detailed)
Other: assassins; magic; phoenix shifters; death and grief; a character is tied up; child kidnapping; grooming
April 15, 2024
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is such a fantastic book, definitely Mary Mecham’s best yet, which is high praise since I've adored all of her books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. She is such a fantastic writer with the most engaging plots and beautiful love stories. I was thoroughly enthralled from beginning to end.
I adored the story’s premise of a romance between an assassin and her target, but the way it unfolded was thoroughly engaging, with such beautiful prose, incredible world-building, and fantastic twists. I could vividly imagine everything as it came to life on the page. I also loved the characters; while morally grey, both were incredibly likable.
Their romance was definitely the highlight of this fantastic story. Mary Mecham excels at writing such clean books with the perfect amount of heat and fantastic banter. I adored their dynamic sooo much. I was already thoroughly invested in their romance with the story’s setup, but the resulting waltz was outstanding; I was hooked from their first meeting and eagerly inhaled all of their scenes together. The romance unfolded perfectly at such an amazing pace, with every scene steadily progressing their relationship. I enjoyed every moment.
Overall, Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice was such an incredible book that took me on a thrilling and swoony adventure. I highly recommend it.
I adored the story’s premise of a romance between an assassin and her target, but the way it unfolded was thoroughly engaging, with such beautiful prose, incredible world-building, and fantastic twists. I could vividly imagine everything as it came to life on the page. I also loved the characters; while morally grey, both were incredibly likable.
Their romance was definitely the highlight of this fantastic story. Mary Mecham excels at writing such clean books with the perfect amount of heat and fantastic banter. I adored their dynamic sooo much. I was already thoroughly invested in their romance with the story’s setup, but the resulting waltz was outstanding; I was hooked from their first meeting and eagerly inhaled all of their scenes together. The romance unfolded perfectly at such an amazing pace, with every scene steadily progressing their relationship. I enjoyed every moment.
Overall, Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice was such an incredible book that took me on a thrilling and swoony adventure. I highly recommend it.
July 24, 2024
Overall this was a good book, and i enjoyed reading it! It’s definitely not a favorite from this author, but still well worth the read.
There aren’t many books with comedic aspects that I actually like, and that’s one of the main reasons I didn’t give this book a higher rating. It just was too light for me at times.
But her writing was great as always and I look forward to reading more books from her
There aren’t many books with comedic aspects that I actually like, and that’s one of the main reasons I didn’t give this book a higher rating. It just was too light for me at times.
But her writing was great as always and I look forward to reading more books from her
June 29, 2025
Listen, I understand I’ve given the multiple books five stars, but they all deserved them…including this. This is also my first five start for Mary Mecham!!! This is also an easy read to pick up and have a good time with.
I loved the snarky characters. The romance was *chefs kiss* and it included my favorite trope (well multiple of them). The plot?? Literally so many twists. The phoenix aspect was so interesting as well. Highly, highly recommend.
Content: phoenixes (that’s for once shift back into their clothes, thank you), violence (semidetailed), romance and kisses (up to semidetailed, this is marriage of convenience so married couples sleep in same bed, but no awkward moments and no fade to black)
I loved the snarky characters. The romance was *chefs kiss* and it included my favorite trope (well multiple of them). The plot?? Literally so many twists. The phoenix aspect was so interesting as well. Highly, highly recommend.
Content: phoenixes (that’s for once shift back into their clothes, thank you), violence (semidetailed), romance and kisses (up to semidetailed, this is marriage of convenience so married couples sleep in same bed, but no awkward moments and no fade to black)
May 4, 2024
I love Tara Grayce’s book in this series, but I Mary may have beat her out! The banter, the chemistry, the PLOT TWIST 🤯 and the ending all throughly enchanted me. I think I may need to read more by this author in the future!
June 3, 2024
I wish that I was capable of feeling anything other than annoyance or bewilderment towards the main character.
The trope this book follows, political marriage enemies-to-lovers, is not a new one by any means. Perhaps it was my own implicit bias leaking into my dislike of the book, but I have read other versions of this trope that were successful. And upon reflection, I think the thing that made the other books successful were that the FMC wasn't an immature brat.
Wildly inconsistent MMC and self-contradictory worldbuilding aside, I could not stand Azora. She was very obstinate, but less in a "obstinate, headstrong girl" way and more of a "I've never been told no in my life" way. I legitimately think the only chapter that I liked her was Chapter 1. In the first chapter, she is presented as a mature, hardened warrior who had to grow up too soon and is willing to sacrifice anything to bring peace and get revenge. However, as the story progresses, Azora's character devolves into a rebellious (not in a Katniss Everdeen way, more in a "I'm 14 and this is deep" way) and careless middle schooler. Even though Azora is supposedly one of the best assassins in the Guild (although I'm not sure how they quantify "best"...like she successfully killed the most people?), she makes a plethora of impulsive decisions that make her seem more like a kid playing spy than an adult completing an infiltration. I've ranted about this before, but I despise when the FMC rejects sound advice that would keep her safe just because she sees it as an insult to her intelligence. Like, queen bee girl boss, if you were really as good of an assassin as I'm supposed to believe, surely you'd realize how dumb these decisions you're making are? I think that Azora is supposed to be 18 or something, but I promise that Percy Jackson (in the first book when he is twelve) acted more maturely.
The first few scenes of Azora and Tarquin's interactions made me want to pepper spray my own eyes so I could stop reading. As we've established, supposedly smart and cunning assassin meets the biggest target she has ever been assigned and how does she act? Like a middle schooler talking to their crush for the first time. Besides the absolutely cringe, "threatening" banter, Azora's character at this moment makes no sense. Upon arriving in Pyren, she expresses very little emotions other than indignation. No fear, anger, sadness, or even bloodlust. Besides that, how she treats other people throughout the book is abysmal. I'm pretty sure that a Furby toy 2000s had more self-awareness than Azora. Like a child, she spends the majority of the book snapping at other people, "You can't tell me what to do" and then doing the exact opposite of what the person told her not to do. Karan (or whatever his name was) tells Azora not to show off her (strangely and inexplicably) consistent accuracy with ranged weaponry? You bet your booty that she goes and gets a bullseye. Tarquin asks her not to run away so they can talk through their miscommunication trope? Guess who runs into town and spends the night in an alley!? Perhaps most frustrating was when Azora absolutely loses her shit at Tarquin SCREAMING (yes that's word used in the text) things like, "How could you lie to me! I can't trust anything you've said to me, our whole relationship was a scam!" Like, miss girly pop, have you looked in the mirror? Who literally had documents created by the king to give you land to make your "heritage" credible so you could wed the prince and then murder him??? ALSO, why are you so butt hurt?!?!?!?! By this point, you and Tarquin have as much romance and chemistry as a wet paper towel and a match. I believe that Tarquin fell first and he fell harder, but at this point Azora has expressed little more than some attraction because he was nice to her ig?
And that's another thing about this whole book, is that the whole world felt extremely underdeveloped so it was hard to be invested in anything happening. A horrible war has been going on for 200 years, to the point where both governments are willing to create a political marriage to bring peace? Guess we'll never feel any sadness about it besides Azora's one flashback. Razo and Kiara fall madly in love and we should all be happy for them? We never saw anything happen between them between InstaLove Eye Contact (that's copyrighted by me btw). Oh, here's a good one: our main characters fall in love and have children? When was the romance? And no, them saying, "I love you" during the climax of the book doesn't count because I didn't buy their romance at any point beforehand. This book was the epitome of "tell, don't show" and as a result I just didn't buy in to anything happening. Like, The Selection has higher political stakes than this book does, even though they have similar situations.
I also have a bone to pick with the ending.
Also, this book made a few icky comments about topics like adoption and body hair which I wasn't a fan of. Poor Razo gets made fun of constantly for having more body hair than the average person (most often in the form of snide, off-handed comments from Azora). As for the other thing I mentioned, I absolutely DESPISE when characters go through an arc of "oh no! I was adopted so my adopted family isn't my real family so I have to go find my biological family!" hatehatehatehate. If anyone writes a character arc like that, I hope that both sides of your pillow are warm for all eternity.
This is the second book I've read by this author where I didn't like the FMC because I thought she was childish and immature, even though she is supposed to be this seasoned, intelligent warrior. Maybe this is my sign to break up with this author, sorry, it's not you, it's me.
The trope this book follows, political marriage enemies-to-lovers, is not a new one by any means. Perhaps it was my own implicit bias leaking into my dislike of the book, but I have read other versions of this trope that were successful. And upon reflection, I think the thing that made the other books successful were that the FMC wasn't an immature brat.
Wildly inconsistent MMC and self-contradictory worldbuilding aside, I could not stand Azora. She was very obstinate, but less in a "obstinate, headstrong girl" way and more of a "I've never been told no in my life" way. I legitimately think the only chapter that I liked her was Chapter 1. In the first chapter, she is presented as a mature, hardened warrior who had to grow up too soon and is willing to sacrifice anything to bring peace and get revenge. However, as the story progresses, Azora's character devolves into a rebellious (not in a Katniss Everdeen way, more in a "I'm 14 and this is deep" way) and careless middle schooler. Even though Azora is supposedly one of the best assassins in the Guild (although I'm not sure how they quantify "best"...like she successfully killed the most people?), she makes a plethora of impulsive decisions that make her seem more like a kid playing spy than an adult completing an infiltration. I've ranted about this before, but I despise when the FMC rejects sound advice that would keep her safe just because she sees it as an insult to her intelligence. Like, queen bee girl boss, if you were really as good of an assassin as I'm supposed to believe, surely you'd realize how dumb these decisions you're making are? I think that Azora is supposed to be 18 or something, but I promise that Percy Jackson (in the first book when he is twelve) acted more maturely.
The first few scenes of Azora and Tarquin's interactions made me want to pepper spray my own eyes so I could stop reading. As we've established, supposedly smart and cunning assassin meets the biggest target she has ever been assigned and how does she act? Like a middle schooler talking to their crush for the first time. Besides the absolutely cringe, "threatening" banter, Azora's character at this moment makes no sense. Upon arriving in Pyren, she expresses very little emotions other than indignation. No fear, anger, sadness, or even bloodlust. Besides that, how she treats other people throughout the book is abysmal. I'm pretty sure that a Furby toy 2000s had more self-awareness than Azora. Like a child, she spends the majority of the book snapping at other people, "You can't tell me what to do" and then doing the exact opposite of what the person told her not to do. Karan (or whatever his name was) tells Azora not to show off her (strangely and inexplicably) consistent accuracy with ranged weaponry? You bet your booty that she goes and gets a bullseye. Tarquin asks her not to run away so they can talk through their miscommunication trope? Guess who runs into town and spends the night in an alley!? Perhaps most frustrating was when Azora absolutely loses her shit at Tarquin SCREAMING (yes that's word used in the text) things like, "How could you lie to me! I can't trust anything you've said to me, our whole relationship was a scam!" Like, miss girly pop, have you looked in the mirror? Who literally had documents created by the king to give you land to make your "heritage" credible so you could wed the prince and then murder him??? ALSO, why are you so butt hurt?!?!?!?! By this point, you and Tarquin have as much romance and chemistry as a wet paper towel and a match. I believe that Tarquin fell first and he fell harder, but at this point Azora has expressed little more than some attraction because he was nice to her ig?
And that's another thing about this whole book, is that the whole world felt extremely underdeveloped so it was hard to be invested in anything happening. A horrible war has been going on for 200 years, to the point where both governments are willing to create a political marriage to bring peace? Guess we'll never feel any sadness about it besides Azora's one flashback. Razo and Kiara fall madly in love and we should all be happy for them? We never saw anything happen between them between InstaLove Eye Contact (that's copyrighted by me btw). Oh, here's a good one: our main characters fall in love and have children? When was the romance? And no, them saying, "I love you" during the climax of the book doesn't count because I didn't buy their romance at any point beforehand. This book was the epitome of "tell, don't show" and as a result I just didn't buy in to anything happening. Like, The Selection has higher political stakes than this book does, even though they have similar situations.
I also have a bone to pick with the ending.
Also, this book made a few icky comments about topics like adoption and body hair which I wasn't a fan of. Poor Razo gets made fun of constantly for having more body hair than the average person (most often in the form of snide, off-handed comments from Azora). As for the other thing I mentioned, I absolutely DESPISE when characters go through an arc of "oh no! I was adopted so my adopted family isn't my real family so I have to go find my biological family!" hatehatehatehate. If anyone writes a character arc like that, I hope that both sides of your pillow are warm for all eternity.
This is the second book I've read by this author where I didn't like the FMC because I thought she was childish and immature, even though she is supposed to be this seasoned, intelligent warrior. Maybe this is my sign to break up with this author, sorry, it's not you, it's me.
March 30, 2024
Wow! I have been sitting in shock, mouth agape, for the last half hour. The last 20% of this book was a trip and a half, truly! Wow. I need to process that.
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE every book I've read by Mary Mecham. She truly is a talented author who weaves intricate worlds and characters. It took me quite a while to get into this particular book so I didn't love it as much as I hoped. BUT I blame that on the reading slump I've been in since my concussion back in December.
However, I am so excited to reread this book in the future because that was a wild ride!
The first thing I loved was the conflict between the two countries. I'm a sucker for books with political unrest! I also loved the cultural differences between the two....I kind of want to be Pyrenese now?? I love fire 🤭🤭
The characters were great! It took me a little bit to appreciate Azora but I grew to love her! And Tarquin. Oh my gosh what a sweetheart. Also, one of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers so I was SO happy to see that in this book. And Razo....oh my GOSH he was just a mountainous cinnamon roll. I want a friend like that :D
The story was also very well done! Imagine being sent to marry someone, with orders to kill that person :O. So cool. But the twists....I was literally caught so off guard! I was absolutely hooked by the end! Ah it was great.
Overall, great book! I highly recommend! I just need to get my reading life back together to appreciate it more fully.
Disclaimer: I was given this ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE every book I've read by Mary Mecham. She truly is a talented author who weaves intricate worlds and characters. It took me quite a while to get into this particular book so I didn't love it as much as I hoped. BUT I blame that on the reading slump I've been in since my concussion back in December.
However, I am so excited to reread this book in the future because that was a wild ride!
The first thing I loved was the conflict between the two countries. I'm a sucker for books with political unrest! I also loved the cultural differences between the two....I kind of want to be Pyrenese now?? I love fire 🤭🤭
The characters were great! It took me a little bit to appreciate Azora but I grew to love her! And Tarquin. Oh my gosh what a sweetheart. Also, one of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers so I was SO happy to see that in this book. And Razo....oh my GOSH he was just a mountainous cinnamon roll. I want a friend like that :D
The story was also very well done! Imagine being sent to marry someone, with orders to kill that person :O. So cool. But the twists....I was literally caught so off guard! I was absolutely hooked by the end! Ah it was great.
Overall, great book! I highly recommend! I just need to get my reading life back together to appreciate it more fully.
Disclaimer: I was given this ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
November 27, 2025
Ooooh this one was really fun!! The banter was so cute! 😍 I really haven’t read anything like this! I really enjoy the marriage of convenience troupe so this book was perfect! My only complaint is that I wish it had been a little longer, and we got some more interaction with the villain in the story. I would have also loved to see more of the relationship between Azora and Prince Tarquin.
This was my first book by Mary Mecham and it will not be my last! I highly recommend this book!!
I would say probably 12 or 13+ it is very clean, there was some flirting.
🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥
This was my first book by Mary Mecham and it will not be my last! I highly recommend this book!!
I would say probably 12 or 13+ it is very clean, there was some flirting.
🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥🐦🔥🔥
June 29, 2025
NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR ALERT!!!!!
*Squeals* Oh my word, this book was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. The banter was golden, the mmc was a "looks like he can kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll" character who loves kids (Like, this guy needs protected at all costs, new fictional crush unlocked y'all); the plot twists were twisty, the found family was great (Razo is awesome), and I spent the entirety of the book giggling or anxiously hoping Tarquin wouldn't get hurt. EASY FAVORITE!!!!! I highly recommend this book if you love no spice romantasy.
Content to be aware of: Murder, death of family, incineration, romantic tension, romantic touch (up to kissing), some slight innuendo (nothing explicit), kidnapping, suicide, and injuries.
*Squeals* Oh my word, this book was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. The banter was golden, the mmc was a "looks like he can kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll" character who loves kids (Like, this guy needs protected at all costs, new fictional crush unlocked y'all); the plot twists were twisty, the found family was great (Razo is awesome), and I spent the entirety of the book giggling or anxiously hoping Tarquin wouldn't get hurt. EASY FAVORITE!!!!! I highly recommend this book if you love no spice romantasy.
Content to be aware of: Murder, death of family, incineration, romantic tension, romantic touch (up to kissing), some slight innuendo (nothing explicit), kidnapping, suicide, and injuries.
June 4, 2024
I am buddy reading this with Lindsey, Kristi, and Celestria. Everyone is not done yet, so I will refrain from saying too much. :)
For now, I'll just suffice it to say... I was very unsure what my thoughts would be during the first couple of chapters, but considering this is a 250 page fantasy book... It was fast paced and very well done imo. THE END GOT ME even though it was slightly predictable.
I would recommend it. I'll update with more thoughts after we're all finished with it. ❤️
For now, I'll just suffice it to say... I was very unsure what my thoughts would be during the first couple of chapters, but considering this is a 250 page fantasy book... It was fast paced and very well done imo. THE END GOT ME even though it was slightly predictable.
I would recommend it. I'll update with more thoughts after we're all finished with it. ❤️
April 7, 2024
Banter, Suspense, Sizzling sweet romance, it's Perfection
A Clean and kisses only Assassins romance!?! Ummm YESSS I need this book!
Wow wow wow
Azora is amazing. She's downright hilarious and I highlighted so much of her dialogue because she's just so funny. The banter in this book was fabulous. Like top notch banter that just means you can't put the book down.
The mystery in this story was perfection and kept me on the edge of my seat and man I could not predict anything and I LOVED it.
I loved the world building, the magic, and the lore. So so so cool. More stories set in this universe please and thank you!
Top notch fantasy book for sure. Like it gets ten stars.
💋Kisses only
⚠️Fantasy violence, death, she's and assassin so ya know, trauma from childhood
A Clean and kisses only Assassins romance!?! Ummm YESSS I need this book!
Wow wow wow
Azora is amazing. She's downright hilarious and I highlighted so much of her dialogue because she's just so funny. The banter in this book was fabulous. Like top notch banter that just means you can't put the book down.
The mystery in this story was perfection and kept me on the edge of my seat and man I could not predict anything and I LOVED it.
I loved the world building, the magic, and the lore. So so so cool. More stories set in this universe please and thank you!
Top notch fantasy book for sure. Like it gets ten stars.
💋Kisses only
⚠️Fantasy violence, death, she's and assassin so ya know, trauma from childhood
October 20, 2024
After several friends raved about this story, I knew it was going to be good. But it was BEYOND GOOD. When I tell you I was hooked. 😍 I mean, a marriage of convenience between an assassin and her mark (aka the Prince of an enemy country). Fire & phoenixes. THE BANTER! Not to mention the backstabbing betrayal. Serious perfection! I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my shelf so I can reread it soon and laugh over “bird boy” & his assassin bride. 😂
July 3, 2024
The banter was fantastic and had me grinning from ear to ear.
July 21, 2025
Enemies to lovers and arranged marriage are my favorite tropes!
18+ content: None (obviously)
Cussing: None
Gore: Very little to none (it’s not descriptive at all but obviously ppl die and get hurt).
Azora I really liked. There was that one reviewer that said she was unlikeable for the first half, but I disagree. I actually really enjoyed her! Watching her fall for Tarquin was so fun! They are so cute together honestly! You can NOT get enough of their banter.
Tarquin is probably my favorite character. Some said he wasn’t much of a hero… but he saved her from herself. I call that hero-worthy. He is so adorable! I love how even though on the front end when he doesn’t like her, he still checks on her. I would have loved to have his perspective though. Not only would it have made the book longer, it would have given us more depth of him. He was pretty transparent though, so you can still be happy without it.
Don’t even get me started on Razo! He is so funny and oh my gosh I loved how much he liked Kiara! So stinking sweet!!!
If you are expecting a long read, be prepared. It’s not a large book at all. Initially I wanted to buy the hardcover… however I didn’t think it was worth it because of how small the book is. I’m not saying you shouldn’t… just that 25$ for such a small book is far more than I can pay.
Edit: I bought the hardcover when I found it cheaper and I adore it!!! (Pictures)
I highly recommend you go buy and read this book though! Such a good read! I cried at the end. 😫
(Originally posted in my old account, reposting on my new one… I don’t steal reviews)
18+ content: None (obviously)
Cussing: None
Gore: Very little to none (it’s not descriptive at all but obviously ppl die and get hurt).
Azora I really liked. There was that one reviewer that said she was unlikeable for the first half, but I disagree. I actually really enjoyed her! Watching her fall for Tarquin was so fun! They are so cute together honestly! You can NOT get enough of their banter.
Tarquin is probably my favorite character. Some said he wasn’t much of a hero… but he saved her from herself. I call that hero-worthy. He is so adorable! I love how even though on the front end when he doesn’t like her, he still checks on her. I would have loved to have his perspective though. Not only would it have made the book longer, it would have given us more depth of him. He was pretty transparent though, so you can still be happy without it.
Don’t even get me started on Razo! He is so funny and oh my gosh I loved how much he liked Kiara! So stinking sweet!!!
If you are expecting a long read, be prepared. It’s not a large book at all. Initially I wanted to buy the hardcover… however I didn’t think it was worth it because of how small the book is. I’m not saying you shouldn’t… just that 25$ for such a small book is far more than I can pay.
Edit: I bought the hardcover when I found it cheaper and I adore it!!! (Pictures)
I highly recommend you go buy and read this book though! Such a good read! I cried at the end. 😫
(Originally posted in my old account, reposting on my new one… I don’t steal reviews)
January 15, 2026
I put off reading this because I feared it would be spicy, but I was wrong. Swoony, yes. Squeaky clean.
I don't usually go for female assassins but it made sense to send one as a bride for the enemy. Azora is tough and sarcastic. The banter makes this a worthwhile read. And Tarquin is a cinnamon roll.
I don't usually go for female assassins but it made sense to send one as a bride for the enemy. Azora is tough and sarcastic. The banter makes this a worthwhile read. And Tarquin is a cinnamon roll.
May 25, 2025
I’m not a big fantasy reader, but this was a very satisfactory read.
I will confess that Tarquin’s and Azura’ constant banter was just starting to annoy me when their relationship began changing, and from then on, I was reading every chance I could get until I finished.
It’s not a Christian book, but is squeaky clean.
The world building was completely amazing!
I think it’s great for the YA crowd, but also pleasing to an adult reader.
I will confess that Tarquin’s and Azura’ constant banter was just starting to annoy me when their relationship began changing, and from then on, I was reading every chance I could get until I finished.
It’s not a Christian book, but is squeaky clean.
The world building was completely amazing!
I think it’s great for the YA crowd, but also pleasing to an adult reader.
June 9, 2024
Plot- This is part of a series of standalone, clean fantasy romances. (This is the first one I read since it had high ratings.) The plot here was good, I just didn’t enjoy the execution as much as I would have liked.
2 stars = it was okay.
Writing-
- Sadly, the writing was rather cheesy, shallow, and juvenile. Probably better suited for an undiscerning young teen reader.
- The big bad villain “tells all” in an unlikely voluntary info dump during the climax. Cringe.
- I really enjoyed the unique and creative fantasy elements, with people who were phoenix shape shifters and could create/withstand fire.
Characters-
- The FMC’s behavior was OTT sometimes and her character bugged me occasionally.
- The male love interest was incredibly sweet and kindhearted, although incompetent and doormat-ish. (How was he immediately overpowered by a non-combat trained 50-year old female? Esp when he trains every morning? That’s just embarrassing.)
Romance-
I generally enjoyed their slow progression from distrust to trust, ie enemies to lovers.
This was a female wish fulfillment: the male love interest would never get mad at the FMC when she was horrible to him. He would bend over backwards for her, immediately forgive her when she was mean or hypocritical, and otherwise be vulnerable and open to her without expecting anything in return. Their dynamics bugged me, especially after they had established a relationship of trust.
There was tons of potential here for great chemistry (the hope kept me reading!) but it didn’t get capitalized on. I would say the chemistry was good.
Content-
Language- none
Substance abuse- none
Spice- one chaste kiss
Cover- I like it!
Format- KU
2 stars = it was okay.
Writing-
- Sadly, the writing was rather cheesy, shallow, and juvenile. Probably better suited for an undiscerning young teen reader.
- The big bad villain “tells all” in an unlikely voluntary info dump during the climax. Cringe.
- I really enjoyed the unique and creative fantasy elements, with people who were phoenix shape shifters and could create/withstand fire.
Characters-
- The FMC’s behavior was OTT sometimes and her character bugged me occasionally.
- The male love interest was incredibly sweet and kindhearted, although incompetent and doormat-ish. (How was he immediately overpowered by a non-combat trained 50-year old female? Esp when he trains every morning? That’s just embarrassing.)
Romance-
I generally enjoyed their slow progression from distrust to trust, ie enemies to lovers.
This was a female wish fulfillment: the male love interest would never get mad at the FMC when she was horrible to him. He would bend over backwards for her, immediately forgive her when she was mean or hypocritical, and otherwise be vulnerable and open to her without expecting anything in return. Their dynamics bugged me, especially after they had established a relationship of trust.
There was tons of potential here for great chemistry (the hope kept me reading!) but it didn’t get capitalized on. I would say the chemistry was good.
Content-
Language- none
Substance abuse- none
Spice- one chaste kiss
Cover- I like it!
Format- KU
March 14, 2024
5 stars
Well, this multi-author series is proving to be the best of the year so far!
Another amazing clean read on the theme of sacrifice, down! As usual, Mary Mecham didn’t disappoint when it came to witty banter and funny, quirky characters.
The only downside to this book in my opinion was that it wasn’t longer (I’d have loved more details on Quinn and Razo and Parliament, etc.) and also the fact that there wasn’t much description to give us any hot Asian country feels other than the cover. Nevertheless, it’s a book I thoroughly enjoyed and I hope Mary Mecham will be writing more in the same world!
Content was squeaky clean but geared more for adults as is deals with marriage and romance between spouses.
Well, this multi-author series is proving to be the best of the year so far!
Another amazing clean read on the theme of sacrifice, down! As usual, Mary Mecham didn’t disappoint when it came to witty banter and funny, quirky characters.
The only downside to this book in my opinion was that it wasn’t longer (I’d have loved more details on Quinn and Razo and Parliament, etc.) and also the fact that there wasn’t much description to give us any hot Asian country feels other than the cover. Nevertheless, it’s a book I thoroughly enjoyed and I hope Mary Mecham will be writing more in the same world!
Content was squeaky clean but geared more for adults as is deals with marriage and romance between spouses.
April 5, 2024
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
It has every trope I adore! Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, misunderstood MMC, and PHOENIXES!!
Seriously the best wedding scene I've ever read!
This book is squeaky clean romantically, but the action is not lacking!! Imagine black widow fighting in a volcano: that's the vibe of this book, but with romance! If you're thinking about picking up this book, stop thinking and just do it!!
It has every trope I adore! Arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, misunderstood MMC, and PHOENIXES!!
Seriously the best wedding scene I've ever read!
This book is squeaky clean romantically, but the action is not lacking!! Imagine black widow fighting in a volcano: that's the vibe of this book, but with romance! If you're thinking about picking up this book, stop thinking and just do it!!
March 2, 2025
Okay... I was close to finishing this book... Only 30-ish pages away from finishing. But man... I could not take it anymore. I just skipped to the end, read the last few sentences, and called it a day. 😭
I've never done that with a book, if that says anything.
This had so many glowing reviews, and I was expecting something really great!
But... This book was infuriating. From what I'd heard, the banter was supposed to be amazing! But I've read tons of books with FAR better banter than whatever this back-and-forth was in this book. 🫠
I'm sorry, I usually try not to be overly negative about books. But this book's characters, dialogue, and plot had me rolling my eyes in annoyance.
The worldbuilding is non-existent, the characters are flat, and any relationships in the book are empty and meaningless.
I'm very dissapointed with this book, because I was genuinely excited with the first chapter and all the wonderful reviews I'd read!
But it fell extremely short. :/
I've never done that with a book, if that says anything.
This had so many glowing reviews, and I was expecting something really great!
But... This book was infuriating. From what I'd heard, the banter was supposed to be amazing! But I've read tons of books with FAR better banter than whatever this back-and-forth was in this book. 🫠
I'm sorry, I usually try not to be overly negative about books. But this book's characters, dialogue, and plot had me rolling my eyes in annoyance.
The worldbuilding is non-existent, the characters are flat, and any relationships in the book are empty and meaningless.
I'm very dissapointed with this book, because I was genuinely excited with the first chapter and all the wonderful reviews I'd read!
But it fell extremely short. :/
March 11, 2025
4⭐️ My first book by Mary Mecham, and goodness me did I have such a good time. She has entertained me on bookstagram for forever and I finally got ahold of one of her most beloved novels by her followers. Like I said, such a good time.
Azora was hilarious. Especially when she was trying to eat spicy food. She was snarky and teased Tarquin relentlessly. Which made for such good banter. They were so fun together. People may think Azora is annoying, but I liked her. And Tarquin was even better. He was not the man everyone thought him to be. He was a cinnamon roll if I ever did see one!
It really was such an enjoyable cast of characters. I loved Razo and his relationship with Azora. And of course his background love story. Did anyone else picture him as the big Viking guy who loves little unicorns in the movie Tangled? Cause that is him. Such a big softie.
It’s super fast paced, a quick read that is entertaining till the end, and really, a plot that keeps you invested. Of course part of that plot is an arranged marriage and we all know how I feel about that. Yes please! It is an elite trope. There are also twists that I didn’t see coming, Tarquin is also a phoenix shifter, so you add those elements and you’ve got a very entertaining fantasy.
The one thing I wished for from this book was Tarquin’s POV. It needed it! I love being inside the MMC ‘s head cause if we were, you already know he would have been completely head over heels for Azora from their first moment together.
But other than that, I loved Mary’s writing and look forward to reading more of her works.
Read if you enjoy:
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Assassin FMC
- Phoenix MMC
- Single POV (Azora’s)
- Closed-door/clean romance
Content 💋:
- Kisses only
- No language
Azora was hilarious. Especially when she was trying to eat spicy food. She was snarky and teased Tarquin relentlessly. Which made for such good banter. They were so fun together. People may think Azora is annoying, but I liked her. And Tarquin was even better. He was not the man everyone thought him to be. He was a cinnamon roll if I ever did see one!
It really was such an enjoyable cast of characters. I loved Razo and his relationship with Azora. And of course his background love story. Did anyone else picture him as the big Viking guy who loves little unicorns in the movie Tangled? Cause that is him. Such a big softie.
It’s super fast paced, a quick read that is entertaining till the end, and really, a plot that keeps you invested. Of course part of that plot is an arranged marriage and we all know how I feel about that. Yes please! It is an elite trope. There are also twists that I didn’t see coming, Tarquin is also a phoenix shifter, so you add those elements and you’ve got a very entertaining fantasy.
The one thing I wished for from this book was Tarquin’s POV. It needed it! I love being inside the MMC ‘s head cause if we were, you already know he would have been completely head over heels for Azora from their first moment together.
But other than that, I loved Mary’s writing and look forward to reading more of her works.
Read if you enjoy:
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Assassin FMC
- Phoenix MMC
- Single POV (Azora’s)
- Closed-door/clean romance
Content 💋:
- Kisses only
- No language
May 18, 2024
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice by Mary Mecham is the second to last book in the Sacrificed Hearts series, which I have been binging for the past three weeks. This book is a little different from the others. It is the only one in which the main character voluntarily sacrifices her heart by responding to a marriage request from her worst enemy with the intent to kill him and liberate the people she was brought up with. As a result, the romance in this book is fraught with anger and mistrust, making it less of a "cozy" love story than the others. The "monster" in this book is the legendary phoenix, but he spends most of his time as a man, and a rather meek one at that. Though such a hard-hitting premise appealed less to my personal taste than some of the others in this series, I had very few qualms with the writing itself, which was full of twists and drama.
Azora is an orphaned soldier with an immunity to fire due to her ancestry. Similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender, the fire nation in this world is violent and feared. When an opportunity arises to marry a prince from the fire kingdom of Pyren, Azora sees a valuable opportunity to eliminate him and possibly others who have hurt or enslaved the citizens of Termarth. She volunteers to be his bride and brings two of her closest companions to Pyren to ensure the job is done properly. However, upon meeting Tarquin, she realizes he is nothing like she expected. Not only does he have very little political power, but he is so gentle he wouldn't even harm a fly, let alone murder her people. All he wants is to have a nice happy marriage that might bring peace to their lands, which becomes rather challenging after her constant reminders of how much she hates him and wants to do him in.
Some people would find this type of love story endearing, but I am not one of them. Though some "enemies-to-lovers" resonate with me, these two did not seem to be a great match for each other. Tarquin is clearly terrified of Azora from the very beginning and is too naive to see through any of her lies, leaving him feeling brutally betrayed when he finally learns the truth. On the other hand, Azora is so fierce and hateful that she is lucky Tarquin is willing to forgive her at all. Their tepid romance is surrounded by murder and political conspiracies that make it difficult for the two to have time to get to know each other at all, let alone fall in love. I understand that they were supposed to get closer by supporting each other through loss and hardship, but I didn't feel like Azora was very supportive of Tarquin for most of the book. He deserved better.
The biggest strength of this book is its worldbuilding. There was a lot of thought put into the cultures of both Termarth and Pyren, and the conspiracies around Azora's past that were revealed at the end were shocking yet believable. In fact, these conspiracies and revelations were far more interesting than Azora's relationship with Tarquin. As a result, this book stands out as an entry in the Sacrificed Hearts series, which consists mostly of powerful love stories. Most of the drama in the book revolves around deception and who to trust. Though the big traitor reveal at the end made sense without being too predictable, the one issue I had with it was that after the character's true nature was revealed, their personality devolved into a Saturday morning cartoon character complete with an evil monologue. The exact same thing happened in To Defy a Dream, another Mary Mecham book I reviewed, so this might be one of her writing staples.
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is a unique installment in the Sacrificed Hearts series, offering a complex and intense storyline that deviates from the typical "cozy" love story. While the worldbuilding and plot twists shine, the romance falls flat due to the mismatched characters and Azora's relentless anger and mistrust. Despite being well-written, this book didn't resonate with me as much as others in the series, but fans of "enemies-to-lovers" tropes and political intrigue may find it captivating. The reveal of Azora's past and the conspiracies surrounding it are expertly woven, making this book a compelling read, even if the romance doesn't quite hit the mark. Overall, it's a solid addition to the series, showcasing Mecham's skill in crafting intricate worlds and plots.
Azora is an orphaned soldier with an immunity to fire due to her ancestry. Similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender, the fire nation in this world is violent and feared. When an opportunity arises to marry a prince from the fire kingdom of Pyren, Azora sees a valuable opportunity to eliminate him and possibly others who have hurt or enslaved the citizens of Termarth. She volunteers to be his bride and brings two of her closest companions to Pyren to ensure the job is done properly. However, upon meeting Tarquin, she realizes he is nothing like she expected. Not only does he have very little political power, but he is so gentle he wouldn't even harm a fly, let alone murder her people. All he wants is to have a nice happy marriage that might bring peace to their lands, which becomes rather challenging after her constant reminders of how much she hates him and wants to do him in.
Some people would find this type of love story endearing, but I am not one of them. Though some "enemies-to-lovers" resonate with me, these two did not seem to be a great match for each other. Tarquin is clearly terrified of Azora from the very beginning and is too naive to see through any of her lies, leaving him feeling brutally betrayed when he finally learns the truth. On the other hand, Azora is so fierce and hateful that she is lucky Tarquin is willing to forgive her at all. Their tepid romance is surrounded by murder and political conspiracies that make it difficult for the two to have time to get to know each other at all, let alone fall in love. I understand that they were supposed to get closer by supporting each other through loss and hardship, but I didn't feel like Azora was very supportive of Tarquin for most of the book. He deserved better.
The biggest strength of this book is its worldbuilding. There was a lot of thought put into the cultures of both Termarth and Pyren, and the conspiracies around Azora's past that were revealed at the end were shocking yet believable. In fact, these conspiracies and revelations were far more interesting than Azora's relationship with Tarquin. As a result, this book stands out as an entry in the Sacrificed Hearts series, which consists mostly of powerful love stories. Most of the drama in the book revolves around deception and who to trust. Though the big traitor reveal at the end made sense without being too predictable, the one issue I had with it was that after the character's true nature was revealed, their personality devolved into a Saturday morning cartoon character complete with an evil monologue. The exact same thing happened in To Defy a Dream, another Mary Mecham book I reviewed, so this might be one of her writing staples.
Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is a unique installment in the Sacrificed Hearts series, offering a complex and intense storyline that deviates from the typical "cozy" love story. While the worldbuilding and plot twists shine, the romance falls flat due to the mismatched characters and Azora's relentless anger and mistrust. Despite being well-written, this book didn't resonate with me as much as others in the series, but fans of "enemies-to-lovers" tropes and political intrigue may find it captivating. The reveal of Azora's past and the conspiracies surrounding it are expertly woven, making this book a compelling read, even if the romance doesn't quite hit the mark. Overall, it's a solid addition to the series, showcasing Mecham's skill in crafting intricate worlds and plots.
Read
March 4, 2024I am not going to leave a review for this book because I am part of this multi-author set under my pen name, but I do want to add it to my books read for the year and tell everyone, "GO READ THIS BOOK NOW."
It's fantastic.
It's fantastic.
May 2, 2024
This book was amazing! I absolutely loved how it took 2 small chapters to thrust you into the world building, the FMC’s backstory and then BAM! The best sort of Enemies to lovers snark, sass, and literal threatening of lives! I was laughing so hard at the first interaction between MCs!
The romance was a little trope expected at times….but oh so swoony that my husband often asked me why i had such a crazed smile on my face while reading it!
This book is so much worth the read and will be bought in physical to go on my shelf ASAP
The romance was a little trope expected at times….but oh so swoony that my husband often asked me why i had such a crazed smile on my face while reading it!
This book is so much worth the read and will be bought in physical to go on my shelf ASAP
May 12, 2025
˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺⁺˚
🥀~Genres~🥀
Clean/Fantasy/Romance/Enemies to lovers
“Is there any glory in marrying a murderer?” I laughed out loud. “Do you mean no glory for him, or for me?”
🗡️~Characters~🗡️
(Azora) FMC SHE IS IMMUNE TO FIRE I loved her.
(Prince Tarquin) MMC PHOENIX SHIFTER I really liked him especially at the end.
(Razo) AZORA'S FOSTER BROTHER omg this guy was so annoying, I did not like him at all.
(QUINN) AZORA'S OTHER FOSTER BROTHER
He was boring and mean to everyone I didn't really like him.
(Kazan) LEADER OF THE ASSASSIN'S GUILD
I didn't like him there was just something off about him.
(Kiara) AZORA'S LADY IN WAITING
She was ok.
(Qasim) TARQUIN'S GODSON he was such a cute little baby. I liked him.
(Aldra) AZORA'S FOSTER MOM gosh I hated her
Now was the time to charm the enemy.
❤️🔥~Quotes~❤️🔥
Our last mission, to eliminate one of the noblemen from Pyren, had been executed flawlessly… as had the nobleman.
“I’d give a month’s wages to see you in a dress,” I whispered back, and several others nodded in agreement. “Which only confirms how beautiful I am to fetch such a high price. Once I lift the hem of my gown to show a little ankle, everyone would instantly swoon.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Do you mean instantly faint dead away and be mentally scarred forever? Watch out, Prince Tarquin.”
We need you to act like a dainty lady now.” I lightly kicked his shin. “I am dainty!” Razo grinned and stuck out his foot to try and trip me. “As dainty as a rhinoceros.”
“Guess I’m just the damsel locked away in a tower until my phoenix in flaming armor comes,”
“Here’s your torture contraption of choice back.” I caught it. “Oh, I thought it was being married to you.” Tarquin grinned. “That too.”
The instant I hear of you harming anyone from my kingdom, I’d gladly part your fat head from your shoulders.”
Tarquin’s eyes flicked down to where my low-cut bodice did little to conceal my curves, then snapped back up to meet my eyes. “Touch me and you die,” I reminded him.
Does this mean I’ll get that kiss I earned today?” “I said I would tolerate you, bird boy, not become amorous, so cool your feathers.
We were both nothing more than puppets in this grand charade. Expendable puppets that meant nothing to anyone… Except each other.
❤️~What I liked~❤️
The cover, The writing style, The banter, The epilogue so perfect.
He lifted his eyes from the rose to me. “It’s both beautiful and prickly. Just like you.”
🌹~What I disliked~🌹
Razo's entire being,
“I’ll slice off any part of your body that touches me tonight,”
🎯~Trigger/Content Warnings~🎯
Death of loved one's, murder, death, fire,
attempted murder, suicide.
🔥~Language~🔥
None.
🥀~Genres~🥀
Clean/Fantasy/Romance/Enemies to lovers
“Is there any glory in marrying a murderer?” I laughed out loud. “Do you mean no glory for him, or for me?”
🗡️~Characters~🗡️
(Azora) FMC SHE IS IMMUNE TO FIRE I loved her.
(Prince Tarquin) MMC PHOENIX SHIFTER I really liked him especially at the end.
(Razo) AZORA'S FOSTER BROTHER omg this guy was so annoying, I did not like him at all.
(QUINN) AZORA'S OTHER FOSTER BROTHER
He was boring and mean to everyone I didn't really like him.
(Kazan) LEADER OF THE ASSASSIN'S GUILD
I didn't like him there was just something off about him.
(Kiara) AZORA'S LADY IN WAITING
She was ok.
(Qasim) TARQUIN'S GODSON he was such a cute little baby. I liked him.
(Aldra) AZORA'S FOSTER MOM gosh I hated her
Now was the time to charm the enemy.
❤️🔥~Quotes~❤️🔥
Our last mission, to eliminate one of the noblemen from Pyren, had been executed flawlessly… as had the nobleman.
“I’d give a month’s wages to see you in a dress,” I whispered back, and several others nodded in agreement. “Which only confirms how beautiful I am to fetch such a high price. Once I lift the hem of my gown to show a little ankle, everyone would instantly swoon.” I quirked an eyebrow. “Do you mean instantly faint dead away and be mentally scarred forever? Watch out, Prince Tarquin.”
We need you to act like a dainty lady now.” I lightly kicked his shin. “I am dainty!” Razo grinned and stuck out his foot to try and trip me. “As dainty as a rhinoceros.”
“Guess I’m just the damsel locked away in a tower until my phoenix in flaming armor comes,”
“Here’s your torture contraption of choice back.” I caught it. “Oh, I thought it was being married to you.” Tarquin grinned. “That too.”
The instant I hear of you harming anyone from my kingdom, I’d gladly part your fat head from your shoulders.”
Tarquin’s eyes flicked down to where my low-cut bodice did little to conceal my curves, then snapped back up to meet my eyes. “Touch me and you die,” I reminded him.
Does this mean I’ll get that kiss I earned today?” “I said I would tolerate you, bird boy, not become amorous, so cool your feathers.
We were both nothing more than puppets in this grand charade. Expendable puppets that meant nothing to anyone… Except each other.
❤️~What I liked~❤️
The cover, The writing style, The banter, The epilogue so perfect.
He lifted his eyes from the rose to me. “It’s both beautiful and prickly. Just like you.”
🌹~What I disliked~🌹
Razo's entire being,
“I’ll slice off any part of your body that touches me tonight,”
🎯~Trigger/Content Warnings~🎯
Death of loved one's, murder, death, fire,
attempted murder, suicide.
🔥~Language~🔥
None.
April 9, 2024
As soon as I saw previews for this Enemies to Lovers Romantasy I knew it was going to be the first book I would read from Mary Mecham! And oh my goodness did she deliver!
It has everything I love about the enemies to lovers trope! Perfect banter, true reasons for being enemies and forced proximity! Not much is better than a marriage of convenience between two people that hate each other and possibly want to kill each other!
Azora was a fantastic FMC! An assassin no one should challenge with so much fire and sass! She knew exactly how to push Tarquin's buttons and I loved how she interacted with him. I also loved those moments where she let her walls down and was vulnerable. She truly was just so well written and a woman anyone would want to emulate.
Then you have Tarquin! Oh my goodness was he just the best! I loved that he didn't know at all what was about to happen to him and yet just chose to roll with the punches. I love that he had such a soft heart and yet so much power and fire inside him. I melted seeing him with his people and how he wanted to serve them in any way he could.
Finally the story, the mystery and the suspense was just so well done! Mary kept me guessing with every page turned! She truly makes you love all these characters and then tries to shatter your heart when she puts them in danger! Like prepare yourself for this book! You will swoon, laugh, cheer, cry, yell, and ask WHY MARY?!? Why would you do that to them?!?!
But truly. Read. This. Book!
It is amazing through and through!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2
Zero Swearing
Single 1st Person POV (Azora)
Mild Violence
It has everything I love about the enemies to lovers trope! Perfect banter, true reasons for being enemies and forced proximity! Not much is better than a marriage of convenience between two people that hate each other and possibly want to kill each other!
Azora was a fantastic FMC! An assassin no one should challenge with so much fire and sass! She knew exactly how to push Tarquin's buttons and I loved how she interacted with him. I also loved those moments where she let her walls down and was vulnerable. She truly was just so well written and a woman anyone would want to emulate.
Then you have Tarquin! Oh my goodness was he just the best! I loved that he didn't know at all what was about to happen to him and yet just chose to roll with the punches. I love that he had such a soft heart and yet so much power and fire inside him. I melted seeing him with his people and how he wanted to serve them in any way he could.
Finally the story, the mystery and the suspense was just so well done! Mary kept me guessing with every page turned! She truly makes you love all these characters and then tries to shatter your heart when she puts them in danger! Like prepare yourself for this book! You will swoon, laugh, cheer, cry, yell, and ask WHY MARY?!? Why would you do that to them?!?!
But truly. Read. This. Book!
It is amazing through and through!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2
Zero Swearing
Single 1st Person POV (Azora)
Mild Violence
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