Well, this was a shock to the system after reading the calm and serene "When October Starts" 😂 but let's get into it! Disclaimer, Fiamma should be read after Azula, otherwise it may not make much sense.
Further disclaimer and word of warning, Azula is VERY extreme, VERY taboo and as I always tell you it's not going to be for everyone and that's OK! If you know you can't handle it then don't venture into it. Because of Azula being so intense, not going to lie I was low key scared diving into Fia's book, but I was so shocked at how much gentler it was, and I loved it!
Obviously we know what to expect now from Seven Rue's Taboos, and she delivered them all. We have some of the old Dèjà Vu with Wesson and Thane, BUT not to the same extreme level. I was relieved that history didn't FULLY repeat itself, I think that Fia's journey needed to be different to Azulas, because although they are so similar in many ways, Fia is under different circumstances than Zula was, and I think it needed to have a calmer aura around her story, which is 100% did and it was perfection!
Shout out to the dreamy Kairo and Keats 😍 between her beautiful bond with Kai and her her magnetic pull to Keats they really were the best people Fia could have around her. Keats is every reason I love an age gap trope, I love a sexy and grumpy older man who only goes soft for his woman, or in Keats case, his sweet girl 😩 urgh, SWOON. I was kinda shocked at who Fia ended up with, shocked in the best way though, and the ending was spot on in my opinion!
And again, shouldn't be rooting for it at all, but Azula and Reuben, and then at the end ... Wesson and Thane ... 🥺 my heart! How Seven has the ability to make me feel this way about something I shouldn't feel this way about always amazes me. Just testament to her incredible talent as an author who uses her words to tell the stories of those who don't get to tell their stories 👏🏻