Okay. Description places MMC at 6’7”, the story has him at 6’9. Very beginning it is described that the man FACE-planted. That’s falling forward onto your chest, so how is one pointing at his chest and HOW are they watching his CHEST rise and fall? They had not turned him over. They should be looking at his back and bum. Another example, FMC gave him a long sleeve compression shirt to wear, which he is, and she is taking photos of him in it, so why is it written that he was “reaching for a book high on a shelf, inked arms stretched overhead”? He’s in long sleeves, would not see his inked arms.
Anyway, Team Edward! Not a fan of the sparkling vampire aspect, but reading the books, def Team Edward, though I am partial to shifters because, not undead or blood dependent, other negative aspects usually associated with being a vampire.
The king is snatched mid battle, why is he not at all concerned about what’s happening in his kingdom? I get he’s found his mate, but no concern for the state of things he left behind? At all? Not even a mention for multiple days. He’s just contentedly hanging around, conveniently understands, speaks and reads English and acclimated extremely well.
The girls and their interactions with one another is hilarious. They exude best friends/sisterhood/will help bury the body, ride or die friendship. They are all very accepting of what occurred despite not believing in such things actually existed. Chalk it up to the type of books they read, them being of the supernatural in content. Likely would be on the same page with them. Don’t have to suspend disbelief. However, Wen doesn’t have any wonder as to why she was able to do magic and no questioning where a grimoire came from, why would grandparents have it. None. Not even from the friends.
Time is going by, Mal, as Wen has shortened his name to, is besotted, trying to convince Mel to complete their mating. Wen comes up with way to use him to increase traffic to her failing bookstore and succeeds with it, then gets super jealous when it works, ‘cause women fawning ha!
Bit more time goes by, the cliche occurs, bond completion interrupted. Here is where Mal finally has info he needs to return due to unexpected visitor. I had an issue with the reason, all saw Mal sucked into a light in middle of the challenge he was fighting. Why is it that people are listening to the challenger about Mal abandoning the throne rather than face him in the challenge? Sorry, but people more likely to think the challenger did something in cheating in the challenge. It’s stupid for people to think otherwise. The challenger should have been having to prove otherwise, to find Mal to get him back for the challenge. And why is Mal just having thoughts of the situation being in peril for his kingdom when he was taken in the middle of a challenge? Zero sense. Mal pulls a boneheaded move, Wen has every right to be mad, and viola, they’re back in his world. Couldn’t help a bit of thought, well, Wen, you did the same to him, though wasn’t intended (product of casting that spell you played around with). She was annoying with the repeated expression of her being kidnapped. Could she not have gone with abducted? At least it changed to dragged to against her will for a moment before she returned to the ridiculous kidnapped use. Anyway….
Guards were missing outside Mal’s mother’s rooms, why? That was never addressed after a big deal was made of it.
Other dumb cliches, other woman coming in with declaration of how she feared she’d have to cancel their wedding, Mal never mentioning a pending marriage, Wen running out instead of demanding answers. Then when TOLD there’s no fiancée, no pending wedding, the woman is someone kept being pushed on him, but that he has never agreed, she’s still insistent on how he might have a fiancée waiting in the wings?! So tired of women being portrayed in this manner. Adding Wen was asked by Mal to stay in his chambers while he meets with the council, she promises she would and soon as he leaves she whines about staying and immediately wants to leave to find the library. Because she was going stir crazy from having to stay in his chambers so much. What?! It’s written how she was in and out as she acted the servant, was often in the dining hall, learned her way around the castle halls, she was in the training gym as well. Ridiculous. At this point I don’t care something bad happening to her, she’s placed on the TSTL list. Two guards who are apparently wholly incompetent die because she just had to leave from where she promised she’d stay. Again, why is it such a thing to write such unimaginative drivel. She is also written to have no proper regard for her unborn child, does the TSTL again.
Mal has his mate, he should have put the delusions of grandeur woman in her place. Period. Not be complacent for any reason. If he didn’t want her and was not entertaining being with her before he got portal taken, he should be not entertaining anything involving this woman. It makes zero sense he cannot because of Andreas. That was just ridiculous. Andreas, the challenger, LOST. He WOULD NOT STILL BE AROUND TO STIR DISSENT. He. Lost. His. Challenge. Lost challenge would be immediate removal from the castle and escort out the kingdom. And the role Wen was placed in? Yep, it’d be done, relationship over. Why was she being treated in such manner? There was nothing indicated that humans were treated in such manner. Mal is the king, REMOVE TRAITOROUS COUNCIL MEMBERS. Clean house. And the council portrayed having more power than the king? Demanding meeting immediately over said woman whining? Council is just that, they DO NOT RULE. THE KING RULES! And council members support a usurper THAT LOST is treasonous. Andreas would no longer have any standing. Period. It looks stupid that Wen was portrayed a servant instead of her coming through the portal by accident, that she saw to his care when he was dragged through the portal so was a guest of honor until they were ready to reveal true relationship. And from earlier written story, this whole storyline does not match things that Mal previously said, nor his brother’s or his mother’s reaction to her being human and his mate. Having her play the servant shows him to be weak, that he’d do his fated mate that way.
And she is not unmated as was referred to her, she is not fully mated, Mal mated her, she had to complete the mating bite.
Rejecting out of safety for her foolishness. No, HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS! Eliminate the threat, COMMUNICATE THE CONCERN AND MAKE PLANS FOR SAFETY WITH YOUR MATE/LOVE and then handle the threaten. The same trope over and over, book after book. She had to pretend to be a servant but can’t be part of fake temporary rejection and return to her realm while he handles business? Sigh. Yes I read the book description, still a tired plot. And the things written for him to say was ridiculous and overdone. And he did not need to bring that other woman into it. That is something that cannot be forgiven. A simple his marrying will be when he finds a suitable woman, NOT being Amaia back and parade her in front of Wen.
While the things Mal said were vile, his brother did immediately after tell Wen Mal was lying. Wen should have had that thought in her head, going back and forth on whether or not she believed it. Months pass and it doesn’t. Not realistic.
Little research regarding pregnancy would help with proper details. Wen is not “heavily” pregnant at five months where she only has a small baby bump. Second trimester is the reprieve, so exhaustion all the time at five months isn’t norm, that’s a last trimester situation. Is the baby being half werewolf causing bigger growth, because again, at five months it isn’t a very obvious belly like what’s written.
Epilogue is 4 months later, they’re getting married! Her wedding vows she says she’s still mad at him?! Like they’re marrying a few days after she returns to his realm when he’s in middle of cleaning castle, when she’s was 5 months pregnant, instead of FOUR months later when she’s now 9 months pregnant. Makes zero sense. Of course more cliche right at the end of the wedding ceremony. Then The End.
This was an okay read, definitely could use editing though.