2.5 stars rounded to 3 (1 star for the writing, 1 star for the h, and 0.5 stars for an interesting story)
It's hard to like a book if you really dislike one of the MCs for a majority of the book. In this case, I have an intense disdain for the H. He's a weasel, plain and simple. Other adjectives to describe him would include: selfish, lying, and cowardly. He not only bails on the h after her father dies, but doesn't contact her for 9 years until the day he needs something from her. Charming, right? Then he proceeds to lie to her face about the situation with which he needs her assistance. Isn't he a winner?
It doesn't help his case that he points out his own faults. He's a jerk. He's a liar. He's a coward. He's only thinking about himself. Man, if he weren't so selfish, he wouldn't be putting the h in so much danger. He wouldn't be lying to her. And wait for it...after she helps him out, he plans on never seeing her again. Wow, I just love him. Not. This is probably one of the few books where I didn't enjoy the H's pov. Did I really want to hear him say that he would "fill the void left by the h" with "countless women?" Yuck. No thanks. I would actually gird myself against anything stupid or selfish that he would reveal about himself.
Of course, he gets better and stops being so dumb, but it doesn't happen until way into the book. By then, I just wanted the h to want someone else. It was unfortunate.
I wish that the h was strong enough to resist him. Knowing that, since this is a romance, the two MCs are eventually going to get together, or in this case back together, was really distressing to me. I wanted her to figure his lies out earlier, to not be so broken by him that only he can "piece her back together" or "fix her." Needless to say, I was really frustrated.
Other than those issues, the writing was very engaging. The adventure and action aspect of this story was appealing. This book could have used another edit to fix some small issues with grammar, spelling, etc., but overall, I really enjoy Molly Lee's writing style. My hat's off to her, honestly, since most books with this kind of plot would be preemptively marked as dnf, but she made me interested in how it all worked out. Dang it, Molly Lee! I will definitely read her next book. With regards to this one, however, I would only recommend this to someone who loves an H who is a jerkface or who loves an H who leaves because the h "deserves better" than him.
What I liked:
1) The writing style.
2) The dual povs.
3) The h. She is a strong woman and very accomplished in her own right. I like that she's not bitter or worse yet, simpering. She forgiving and a better person than me.
4) The action was well pace and exciting.
5) The emotions without the sap. The author conveyed so much strong emotions through the MCs without it being cheesy or sappy.
What I didn't like:
1) The H.