*** Grammar edit: Chapter 42: "He's unseelie...and you're brother." I think it should be "your" here. ***
3.25 stars. 4 stars for story and detailed plant lore which I loved as a gardener though I think there's something wrong if I feel more for the plants than Darrow.

This fantasy romance has a lot to love: a high-stakes quest, powerful fae with intriguing abilities, and a creative spin on the “marriage of convenience” trope that kept me turning the pages. The magical contract binding the two leads to never hurt each other sets up a fascinating dynamic, making her enemy the only one she can trust. Their banter is sharp, the action engaging, and the world has interesting layers of history that I hope will be explored more in later books.

That said, there are aspects that left me conflicted. The male lead’s behavior toward the heroine often disregards her expressed boundaries, which soured what could have been a beautifully tense enemies-to-lovers arc. And while the story hints at deeper issues of colonial history and its impact on the indigenous population of this world, it doesn’t seem to want to grapple with them — and that silence is noticeable.

If you’re looking for a fantasy romance with banter, creative magic, and a morally gray dynamic between leads, this might work for you. But if, like me, you value mutual respect between characters and prefer these kinds of stories to at least acknowledge their own world’s moral contradictions, you may find yourself frustrated.

--- Spoilers & Deeper Thoughts Below ---
What ultimately held this book back for me was Darrow’s manipulation and lack of respect for Aella’s boundaries. He repeatedly kissed her after she explicitly told him not to, justifying it to himself as “she didn’t really mean it”. This narrative is all too familiar in harmful real-world dynamics. That line he delivered (“A woman should never need to thank a man for respecting her wishes”) is so hollow when his behavior shows he actually didn’t. Similarly, his scheme to physically mingle their scents to deceive his family about the nature of their relationship, without being upfront with her, felt unnecessary and controlling. Yes, he’s written as a man who “can’t love,” but that’s no excuse for manipulation. Respect doesn’t require love, just basic decency.

The book also disappointed me with its handling of the fae’s colonization of the planet. When an indigenous character brings up the harm done to their people, Aella who fully aware of her people’s history simply stays quiet. That silence is frustratingly familiar to how privilege often behaves in the face of uncomfortable truths, and while I don’t expect a fantasy book to solve real-world issues, ignoring them altogether felt like a missed opportunity.

On the positive side, I really liked the magical “non-harm” contract dynamic, which forced them into vulnerability despite their animosity. I also enjoyed the moments of lightness and teamwork that came through later, and I see potential for growth in future books if the author chooses to address these deeper issues more directly.

This was a good book. A nice blend of classic fantasy (elves, druids, etc.) and enemies to lovers. Some things you could say perhaps went quickly, but the setup of it was believable. There was always an answer to a question asked. There's an element of mystery here that we're tagging along with one of the POVs on soon finding out. It does seem like introductions of the characters were like fill in the blanks, no matter the character. It was always he stood____tall and wore____. His ___hair was ____ A paragraph of the same words, just character traits replaced. Otherwise, the writing was good. The pacing was fine. I like the magic system a lot. I enjoy following the two main characters. The ending was a little quick for me. Not so much abrupt, but I didn't expect it to end where it did. I will be following this series and reading the next book.

I really enjoyed this book and am interested to see where it goes from here. As silly as it might sound, my favorite part was the fact that the main characters were in their 30s/40s! I feel like I see so many books even when they’re romantasy where the main characters are younger. The characters were easy to like (or dislike) and there was nothing super complicated that was hard to wrap my head around. The magical abilities were interesting, some of which I don’t really see used in a lot of fantasy stories. Very fun and easy read, exactly what I was looking for right now.

I had no idea what to expect from this book and it definitely exceeded my expectations.

The story primarily follows our FMC, Aella, whose portal ability puts her at the mercy of her uncle and his military ambitions. Despite living under her Uncle’s thumb and his mistreatment of her over the years, she remains fierce, determined and does her best to fight for what’s right.

In order to save her cousin, she beseeches our MMC, Darrow, which results in a marriage of convenience. But what begins as a tactical alliance born out of desperation, slowly shifts into something deeper and more meaningful. However, Darrow is bound by a curse that makes him incapable of love but even despite that, he finds himself drawn to her.

Initially it appears that the focus of the book is the two warring factions of elves but as the story develops, it becomes clear that it’s so much more than that.

This is a plot driven book with a side of romance in a high stakes world with rich world building and magical creatures, including some feisty plants.

The slow-burn romance is well executed as this is a true enemies-to-lovers but as the two characters get to know each other better, their relationship morphs into one of mutual respect and then something more.

We also get to experience some of Darrow’s POV which is nice and adds additional depth to his character.

The side characters were fun, there’s witty banter, tension and adventure, insuring there’s never a dull moment.

I can’t wait for book 2!

Tropes: other-world, elves, magic, literal-enemies, MFC is a softie, magical garden, powerful MFC, powerful MMC.

Aella is a powerful, magical elf and an orphan. She's 33 but still under the protection of her uncle, a sadistic elf who's leading the war against other elves. The story revolves around the war between the elves and their world slowly dying unless they find an artefact that gives life to their planet. This is book one.


1. The book took me a long time to read despite not being more than 400 pages long. I think it's because the author made a decent effort to make it action packed.

2. Good world building. I was not too invested in other magical creatures which don't play a role in the story. Wisps, centaurs... it didn't matter to me if they didn't move the plot in some way. I sort of skipped those paragraphs.

3. The story is intriguing. MFC who is under the control of her uncle by being cursed, she falls unconscious any time she leaves his territory. MFC who is cursed by not being able to fall in love.

4. The author allowed a world that allows both male and female elves to express themselves sexually without being judged. The rules are the same for both.

BUT
1. Despite a lot of action, I feel like the book could have been condensed. The number of times Aella went on portal trips but then nothing happened, could have been cut down.

2. The extra magical creatures didn't contribute much to the storyline. I think they could have been cut.

3. I kept thinking that according to the story, the MMC can't fall in love with the MFC, but then he was possessive of her, cared for her, craved her, listened to her limitations and followed them, allowed her liberty of his body, was gentle with her, missed her and lusted after her. What is love, if not this. I don't know what the author defines love as, but this is it.

4. Supposedly, the MFC could roam around wherever in the enemy kingdom without going unconscious so that really confused me.

I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment when they try to reach earth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5-Star-Read

I didn’t expect to be quite so enthralled by this book—but it surprised me in the best possible way.
A layered romantasy with rich world-building and sharp emotional stakes

The story follows Aella, a half-fae, half-Druid young woman whose rare portal-travel ability makes her a strategic pawn in her uncle’s military ambitions. Secretly, Aella’s powers are far stronger than she lets on. In the aftermath of a battlefield encounter, fate forces her to beg Darrow—half-fae, half-dark elf, and heir to a cursed bloodline—for a healer to save her young cousin, the price is steep: a marriage of convenience, and use of her portals at his request.

What begins as a tactical alliance shifts—gradually, then all at once—into something deeper. Darrow, bound by a curse that supposedly renders him incapable of love, finds his carefully constructed emotional distance challenged by jealousy, longing, and Aella’s resilience.

The slow-burn romance is well executed, with a healthy dose of tension and layered dynamics. Their chemistry is built through sharp dialogue and begrudging mutual respect, which seemingly becomes something more though neither of them can yet admit it.

The plot is grounded in high stakes: the search for the mythical Naforya fountain, without which their world will die. The world-building is immersive, detailed, and original—with a particularly compelling depiction of flora and fauna, including a garden where plants seem to have their own intentions (and possibly dragons).

One moment for me: when the nameless god approvingly “good girl”s Aella for choosing the man who caused her heart to race… „Sure, he’ll be an ass and likely frustrate you in many ways, but you’ll always feel alive with him.“

If I have one minor complaint, it’s purely personal: I couldn’t quite place how Darrow smells. No pine, no spice, no rain—did I miss it?

A strong debut start of a series that balances intricate fantasy with real emotional depth. I’ll be first in line for the sequel.

I could not put this book down, the pacing was immaculate, and the magic system was extremely unique. This was overall an amazing first book that went by way too fast. Both Aella and Darrow are extremely powerful main characters and after that ending I want more of their story. This was the perfect amount of romance and the perfect amount of world altering plot. As always, thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!