Ashley Shea’s Reviews > The Everlasting > Status Update
Ashley Shea
is 73% done
It's getting harder and harder. Look, every word is necessary... but there are just so many!!! It's been twisted and surprising and sad but it's also been so boring!!! And I refuse to believe it's me. I mean, maybe it is me and it's just not the right time, but I flew through 10,000 doors of January, and this one is so well written, but it's much harder for me to get through.
— Jan 29, 2026 05:15AM
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Ashley’s Previous Updates
Ashley Shea
is 65% done
More twists and turns than... a roller coaster? I am so turned upside down. I had this great theory about Owen's happy family but... I can't make heads or tails of any of it, which is totally fine! It's still slow going, it'll never be a favorite per se. The romance is still super weird, not so much anymore in a bad way, just, it feels very forced still, but sweet, I guess. It's so smartly written though, love that!
— Jan 27, 2026 06:44AM
Ashley Shea
is 40% done
OK, then it got crazy! With several "OH DAMN" moments in single pages. Time travel is always a minefield, but then Harrow said "let me make this as complicated/twisty as possible" and I'm here for it as long as I can follow along. I made allusions to Happy Death Day and I'm sorry I didn't give you enough credit. This is Groundhog Day/Back to the Future/Happy Death Day/Timeline on speed. Still don't like the romance.
— Jan 26, 2026 05:56AM
Ashley Shea
is 25% done
The romance comes not from banter and curiosity but from panic attacks and nightmares. There's no tenderness, there's no melding of minds. It's trauma bonding... I'm not saying romance should always come from organic, feel-good vibes and make my toes curl, I guess the point is that romance is going to happen even if it's out of necessity. But I'd rather we not call it romance then. I dunno, it's early still.
— Jan 25, 2026 07:42AM
Ashley Shea
is 25% done
As a result of all this, the romance subplot feels forced and a bit inappropriate. Not that knights and soldiers can't have love, just that it seems to come out of nowhere. I feel bad thinking that because, what, she's too big and burly? She doesn't deserve love too? No, she's being written as unapproachable and mean and he's being written as cowardly and uninterested.
— Jan 25, 2026 07:39AM
Ashley Shea
is 20% done
Slow going yesterday, looking forward to getting some real reading done today if I can ignore the news for a bit. The writing is obviously amazing, it's just a bit boring. The set-up is definitely unexpected though! I did not see 'older, bitter, jaded lady knight who needs persuading to get back on her horse' coming. Nor, of course, the unlikely hero who has to be brave enough to stick by her.
— Jan 25, 2026 07:35AM
