I didn’t love this, but I also didn’t dislike it. It was very fast paced, which I enjoyed, but it felt like something was missing almost. It was a little too fast paced in my opinion.

I flew through it, and while I will likely read the second book, I’m not completely obsessed with it and dying for the next book. The insta lust was not what I was expecting, especially since this was marketed as enemies to lovers. The fmc and mmc knew they couldn’t be together, but they sid scree it to absolutely everything almost immediately.

We have a who did this to you moment, as well as some other beloved tropes such as a tournament, touch her and die, and betrayal. But, none of them were really strong enough on their own to be truly great additions to the genre.

Thank you very much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Jen L. Grey for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There are many things about this that I thoroughly enjoyed. I really liked Finnian and Nightbane and I found the relationship dynamic between Tavish and Lira quite entertaining but I feel like I definitely more questions than answers and there are a few holes in the plot that have yet to be filled in but I assume that's because it's a series. It was very fast paced and I breezed through it.

The first book in a brand new trilogy about fated mates, childhood best friends who don’t remember about one another who then become enemies and with a slow burn that will get you screaming “kiss her already” multiple times while reading the book!!!
Lira and Tavish’ story is a bit complicated but oh so entertaining. They are enemies. Seelie and Unseelie. But she doesn’t remember a thing about their past … until he kidnaps her, that is. And oh, how did I enjoy the slow building of their trust and friendship back again. With the forced proximity and the “who did this to you” and the MMC absolutely obsessed with her to the point where he should act like he doesn’t care but it is impossible now. It’s exactly what you might want in a fast and action packed fantasy romance book but that will leave you with a cliffhanger worthy of the name !!! Because … WHAT DO YOU MEAN? What was that? I need more. I need to know it all!!! I can’t wait for the next book!!!

The King of Frost and Shadows was such a fun and addictive read. It gave me everything I was looking for in a romantasy: a broody fae king, a hidden princess, high-stakes politics, and a slow-burn romance that had me fully invested.

Tavish is your classic morally gray fae ruler, cold on the surface but clearly hiding a storm underneath. The heroine is strong-willed and not easily manipulated, which made their back-and-forth dynamic really satisfying to watch unfold. The enemies-to-lovers tension built steadily, and I loved watching those walls start to crack.

The pacing worked for me overall, though there were a few parts where the worldbuilding felt a little underdeveloped. I found myself wanting a deeper dive into the fae realms and more complexity from some of the side characters. Still, the plot moved quickly, the writing was engaging, and the emotional payoff was worth it.

Lira ha vivido una vida aparentemente normal en la Tierra, junto a su hermana adoptiva y una familia amorosa, sin recordar nada de su pasado antes de los diez años. Pero en una noche de Año Nuevo, todo cambia. Un misterioso hombre de ojos tormentosos, Tavish, irrumpe en su mundo y la arrastra hacia otro reino: Cuil Dorcha. Allí descubre no solo que es una princesa Seelie destinada a ser reina, sino que fue arrancada de ese mundo tras una traición que provocó una guerra ancestral entre razas fae.

Tavish, el Rey de la Escarcha y las Sombras, ha pasado más de una década endureciendo su corazón, esperando el momento de su venganza. Cree que Lira es la clave para humillar a sus enemigos: los padres de ella, los responsables de la muerte de los suyos. Pero la Lira que él secuestra no es la que recuerda. Sin memoria, sin magia, sin alas, es humana en todo menos en sangre… y eso lo desconcierta.

Lo que comienza como una lucha de poder entre dos herederos reales se transforma en una batalla más profunda: la de Lira por recuperar su identidad y la de Tavish por mantener su corazón blindado ante alguien que, sin querer, vuelve a encender lo que él creía perdido.

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Demasiado juvenil para mi gusto.

No tengo idea si esta es una reedición de portada o si hubo cambios en la historia.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

This was a fun, trope-filled romantasy read that gave me ACOTAR meets Throne of Glass vibes. If you love fae kings, magical trials, and enemies-to-lovers energy, this definitely checks all the boxes.

The story follows Lira, who’s suddenly pulled from Earth into the dangerous Unseelie realm—where surprise! she’s got magic and might just be the key to saving the realm. Of course, she ends up paired with Tavish, the cold and brooding Unseelie king, who’s got his own complicated past and a very morally gray to-do list. Their dynamic is very much the “I don’t trust you, but I’m also lowkey obsessed with you” type, which I honestly never get tired of.

There’s also a tournament-style gauntlet that gave the plot some momentum, and I liked the idea of the trials even if I wished they were fleshed out more. Some moments between Lira and Tavish were super cute (and a little spicy), and fans of the “who did this to you” trope will definitely eat it up.

That said, there were a few things that pulled me out of the story. The writing felt a bit rushed in places, and the characters sometimes told us how they felt instead of showing it through actions or dialogue. I also wanted more depth in the world-building—it felt like there was a really cool fae world just under the surface, but we didn’t get to fully explore it.

Still, if you’re looking for an easy, bingeable fantasy romance with familiar (and beloved) tropes, this one will absolutely scratch the itch. I’ll probably check out the sequel—especially if it digs a little deeper into the world and Tavish’s backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The King of the Unseelie Fae, Tavish, is focused on taking back his rightful lands from the seelie fae after they killed his parents. The seelie princess is hidden on Earth and he finds more than he bargains for when he locates her....

Love this enemies-to-loves romantasy. Terrific character... I enjoy the build-up to the romance. Very swoony romance. Interesting magical world.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I love Jen Grey and this is one I thoroughly enjoyed. Morally grey. Touch her and die. Fast paced with a thrilling and intriguing plot. I devoured this enemy to lovers. Quick read and fun read that leaves on a cliffhanger, you'll jump easily into the next book.

Also,
I love the new updated cover.

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Jen L. Grey and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op I Page & Vine: Anya for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day! This is touch her and die at its peak! Literally anyone could get from Tavish if anyone touches Lira. Fated mates but zero knowledge of it for Lira except sparks every time she and Tavish touch. The gauntlet is brutal! My goodness. I cringed so many times during this part of the book. Which happened to be the entire 2nd half of the book. I was hoping we’d move past this past the gauntlet before the end of the book as it felt like it dragged (even with the very intense trials. Thankfully Lira has trained for this the vast majority of her life, but just maybe not to this extreme. The whiplash of Tavish denying his feelings truly hurt me to my core. Tavish faught his feelings to the very last second. But THE ENDING…it’s truly cruel and unusual punishment.

The King of Frost and Shadows hooked me from the beginning to the end. Lira is a Seelie princess, but she doesn't remember the early years of her childhood. All she knows is that she was adopted at ten and have a loving family. However, that world is stripped away from her the moment she meets Tavish and is thrust into his world. Now she's in for the fight of her life but there's more to her and Tavish than she remembers. This story if full of enemies, death, possessiveness, secrets, survival, laugh out loud moments, allies, trials and more. It ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more and a bond that slowly revealing itself. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

As usual, Jen writes another amazing start to a series. The characters are well written, and I just love the dynamic between the FMS and the MMC.

This Book! I love it. I went in blind without reading anything about it, and I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved it.

All throughout the book, I was so proud of the FMC. She took everything they threw at her without hesitation, and came out on top. Her thinking and actions constantly show that she is so much more empathic than the others, and I loved that she went against what they were expecting every single time.

Now, that ending? Ms maam that is not fair. Cause I know you didn’t snare my heart for that ending to rip it right out of my chest, stamp on it, cover it in dirt, and then put it back in. How am I supposed to function until the next book? 😭❤️

10/10 read! You do not want to miss out on this!