Aliya, a weary junior from the University of Georgia, faces an unexpected dilemma when she discovers her favorite fictional character, Crown Prince Enzo al’Deran, injured and confused in her living room. Enzo claims to be from the not-so-fictional world of Indresal, and he demonstrates the impossible: creating miniature portals. Determined to return home, Enzo enlists Aliya’s help. But danger looms—Enzo’s pursuer has followed him to Earth, intent on killing him. Aliya must decide whether to risk her life for a seemingly imaginary person.

“Only a Portal Away” is incredibly adventurous, blending humor, banter, and a touch of romance. The playful confusion Enzo experiences in the human realm adds a lighthearted touch. However, the writing style occasionally feels repetitive, and character development could be deeper. Despite these minor flaws, the novel’s unique premise and fast-paced plot make it an enjoyable read.

If you’re a fan of enchanting worlds and unexpected encounters, this book might just be your next portal to adventure!

Interesting concept that is very innovative. I wish this book had had more editing, as some of the words/phrases were repetitive and it just needed some excellent editing to really pull everything together. Also, at times, it felt the characters were out of character. They could have benefited from some serious character development. All in all, the plot has everything going for it, but what would set this book apart from a fanfiction was solid editing.

This book has an amazing premise. 'Your favorite book character appears in your living room needing your help.' I man please I've read the Tumbler posts for it... sadly the Tumbler posts are better.

For the good part of this series, The first chapter was fun... I'm happy we got a full lesbian relationship... Yeah, that's about it. If you want a watered-down 'Fourth Wing' story with no spice (If that's your thing) and no character development, then this might be a good read. But I'm going to get into the longer bit about why this is a disappointment.

1. The characters don't act how they should: This comes from a few parts. Enzo has instant love for the FMC (I forgot her name, it sounded like a fantasy name where she's the only non-fantasy character and I jumped over her name when I saw it). There's really no reason for him to fall for her. She's a fangirl, it would be funnier if he thought she was weird and was put off by her then learned she was a good person or whatever. But nah, we're getting the generic insta-love. I was trying to figure out why Enzo was this woman's favorite character. Cause to me, the big spooky guy seemed more interesting. Also, there are times when I wanted the FMC to use her book knowledge to figure stuff out. She's read the series, she has a map of the country on her wall. Why doesn't she know about the Berserkers or all the other stuff that gets revealed? She felt like a character who was a stand-in without any depth or growth.

2. It's a constant chase scene: 70% of this book is someone shouting to get into a car because something is after them. I wanted more than that and I wasn't getting it. The only times we're not getting a chase scene is when the POV shifts.

3. Flashbacks: I was so confused by how the flashbacks in this were done. I didn't know if Enzo was dreaming or reliving something, it wasn't well defined and I wish the author could have taken more time.

4. Neck break pacing: This book on my Kindle took me a little over two hours to read. That's not a book. That's not a long enough book to be telling any fantasy story. I felt like I found fanfiction for a fandom I'm not a part of and was missing 50% of the background information. I don't know or care much about the fantasy world Enzo is from. It feels like every generic fantasy world. I don't get a sense of anything interesting because we're going from plot beat to plot beat without any thought.

I feel like this book was a rough draft of an idea. I'm really sad the book that got published with this plot hook is so mediocre. This could have been an interesting book where we talk about our dependency on fictional characters. How our heroes aren't what the written word makes them out to be. Or how the love of a fictional character can give a person the strength to get through their every day. But we didn't get that... And now I'm disappointed.

LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. ONE OF THE BEST I'VE READ THIS YEAR SO FAR. SUPER BEAUTIFUL THE STORYLINE AND CHARACTERS.