A bit more of a 3.5 rating for me on this book and I want to say that I thought that this couple had a lot more...actual love/build up compared to the first book. There's still the gladiator lust thing with different alien bits in this - but despite that all I felt that the ML & FL were still really falling into love with each other. Again another highpoint for the author also putting all the CW without giving away plot as well which I enjoy. I do think though that this book in some ways felt....lighter though actually compared to the previous - and I don't mean the steam/plot.....but I think it actually may just be the fact that the ML & FL in this book CAN communicate to each other. The first book - has the couple not being able to for a while and having this silent dubcon (which I felt made it "darker") whereas in this the two leads are ...well it is a different form of dubcon - but they are at least talking to each other.
That being said - the biggest let down of the book was that it felt that near the halfway point and beyond - the author was in a rush to finish the book. There were so many descriptions or events that ended up happening in either sentences, or just narration through either ML or the FL's point of view. There were sentence location skips and a couple of the steam scenes after the halfway point just transition SO fast, I had to reread double take to make sure what was happening was actually happening. There was also the presence of a not love interest, but an old love interest of Brasck's that had an annoying scene which was Jalincs. I didn't really feel that putting that character in did anything to learn of Brasck's past and how he has changed.
I had a lot of questions on Brasck's future as a king - while also feeling that his whole story and main conflict got tidied up SUPER fast in the end. I did though like him as a male lead since he was as understanding and helpful he could be with Elodee.
The ending is finished super fast honestly - (Spoilers) like super fast since the moment Elodee left and blocked Brasck...that whole coming together back was a wild boomerang. After the makeup sex - the last chapter contains EVERYTHING; As in the pregnancy talk, the birth, Elodee's scales gone, but thinking of a next baby...but whatever they are happy and in love - the end. It was such a disappointment that it ended like that.
If you enjoy the previous book, such as the gladiator setting, the alien (yes alien) steam with different body parts and no cheating romance love - this was enjoyable for that. I do also like Brasck (and maybe Elodee) a whole lot more than Rowan, I thought he was more considerate than Rowan and didn't frustrate me at times in comparison. However again halfway through the book and beyond does get disappointing on the way everything is written out since it felt like it got sped up and details were suddenly lacking. I DO still want to read a lot more from Jove, I'm sort of skeptical on the next couple (if you remember the first book) since I do really enjoy the steamy hot scenes how they are written, but it does seem like the steam fizzles out is consistent. But the ideas and world building is still really interesting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.