This book drove me a bit nuts. I was torn about finishing it. So many things annoyed me about it. Like how we don’t see the characters grow together and form relationships. We are just told they love each other, but never see any moments to show why. There was exactly one date over the course of two books. Even the conversations they have are primarily about the Phosopoi, not about who they are as people.
And the first intimacy scene had me extremely annoyed. It was forced, cold and unnatural. Almost like the author didn’t know how to make her character take the next physical step because of her past, so just added a random growl noise that suddenly meant they had to have sex, even though she was not emotionally ready. With her abusive past, and all this talk of not pressuring her, it felt absolutely awful to put her in a situation where she had no choice. It felt like taking away her consent.
Basically no time is spent delving into characters. They have a brief intro of their looks and one character trait, and that is what they are stuck with for the entire book.
She also constantly thinks up questions or issues, but rather than thinking them through or dealing with them she pushes them to the back of her mind for later. But later never comes. It feels like her whole life is one big game of avoidance. If it is too hard, or the wrong time, makes her feel too much - push it back. Seriously, how much room does she have in her brain???