Synopsis

What if you fell in love with the one person you’d sworn to destroy?Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil – and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara’s homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home – a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas – and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?

Mini Audiobook Review

3 stars

I chose to listen to this one as the female character was narrated by one of my favorite narrators: Lauren Fortgang

I had great expectations for that book that has already seduced so many of my bookish friends.

It has one of my favorite tropes: enemies to lover as Lara comes from an enemy kingdom to marry the new young King of a rival country, Aren.

The world building is alluring as you have a kingdom built on many islands and the story is giving a prominent place to the sea and the storms. There is also a mystery to solve: where are all the citizens? And how do you enter the bridge? And who is conspiting against who? Who is the true villain?

The female character, Lara is badass! The opening scene is fantastic and bloody, throwing us right into the story.
Lara is far from the pampered princess as she has been raised as a weapon from a young age, knowing everything about spying, hunting, poisons, weapons and combat techniques.

The young king is alluring, sexy, kind and hopes for a better future for his country.

So why didn’t that work for me?

I don’t know. It was like a failed mayonaise.

First, I knew what would happen. I knew that something Lara did would turn bad. And it was so obvious that it frustrated me to no end! I wanted to scream to her :” Don’t do this!” and then “Correct this now! Don’t wait!”.
Her mistake had me so angry! And angsty. And I hate unnecessary drama in books.

Second: I didn’t feel the love story. Nor the lust.
Yet there are very sexy and hot scenes, with all the right words.
Lust, yes. Respect after some time, yes. But love? I just didn’t buy it.
Maybe because Aren was absent so often? Maybe because Lara lying all the time I couldn’t believe there was a real connection emerging?

And if Aren is kind, a warrior, beautiful etc, he didn’t win me either. Maybe this was due to the male narrator whose performance I didn’t like. Narrators can make or break books for me.

In the end, as this book has many enthusiastic reviews and all the right ingredients to make it a wonderful story, I believe this is a true and honest case of “It’s not the book, it’s me”.

Don’t stop at my review to make your opinion about buying it or not but look further to more positive ones.

Have you read it?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie