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karlapardo's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ok I really liked this book. In my opinion Ana Huang can do no wrong so I will probably like all her books. I don't LOVE this one but I really did like it. The marriage of convenience trope is one of my favorite tropes so that just had me hooked before even reading it. Let's start with the characters. Vivian is just such a good FMC. Now, don't get me wrong, it took me a little bit for me to like it, I would say 35-40% into the book is when I started liking her but by the end of the book I loved her. You can truly see her growth throughout the book but you just have to get to her actual back story and then it's easier to understand her and like her. She has this thing when she is trying so hard to be the perfect daughter but that consists of her faking her personality and she is so done with that and she just wants to be herself but that's not possible because that's not her "perfect" side. She was really against changing herself because she has it engrained in her brain that she has to be perfect so it is really hard for her to stand up for herself and be able to be just her and see that she is worth of love and attention. When she does come to the realization that she is worth love, attention and that she is able to be her true self without the unbelievable expectations put on her it's just beautiful to see. Also, I loved that she didn't give in to Dante immediately was amazing and very refreshing, especially with the arranged marriage trope. Dante! I really liked him, I think it was easier for me to like Dante at the beginning than Vivian. I loved his whole thing of "I won't ever get actually get married or fall in love" and then he just falls so head over heels in love for Vivian that it's just so fun. He is a mysterious, dark, icy man but when he has Vivian around he just turns into a loving man. He fought for Vivian when she wasn't even doing it for herself and I think that's one of the reasons why I love him. He became a better man because of Vivian and his evolution is fantastic to read. Also! This man is POSSESSIVE, the whole "You" thrust "are" thrust "my" thrust "wife" thing was so good. Their relationship was also so cute, their support for each other, the spice, the groveling, the rawness of the relationship, their chemistry, the denial and then the giving in to each other. Love this and will definitely be reading again at some point like every other Ana Huang book.
Memorable Quotes
Memorable Quotes
- “I love you, Vivian. More than I could ever hate your father. And more than I ever thought I was capable of.”
- “How does he look at me?” Janis smiled. “Like he never wants to look away.”
- “Somehow, somewhere along the way, I’d fallen in love … Not like or lust. Love, in all its terrifying, unpredictable, unwanted glory.”
- “She was my wife, my partner, my guiding star. And I wouldn't have it any other way”
- “Touch Stella again, and you’ll no longer have a fiancée.” (I HAD TO! IT'S CHRISTIAN HARPER!!!)
- “You can’t see the stars in New York,” Dante said. “So I brought the stars to you.”
- “You take the most ordinary or unexpected things and make them extraordinary.”
- “You and me, sweetheart. That’s the destination. And I’m willing to take as many steps as I need to get there.”
- “Tell me what you want, Vivian. Do you want me on my knees?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Abandonment, Body shaming, and Death
abicaro17's review
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
AAAAA! Ana you nasty girl! Ok this was amaze balls. I adore Dante and Vivian and their chemistry is amazing. Dante is the CRO of one of the largest companies in the world and Vivian is the heiress to a jewelry conglomerate. When Vivians father blackmails Dante into an arranged marriage, he uses all his resources to destroy the evidence while maintaining public apparences with Vivian. The relationship felt very raw and real between the disastrous meeting and very cold discussions for months. They graduate into something more electric and it's so fun to read! My only complaint is that I feel like the characters are kinda stagnant? Like Vivian and Dante both grow and change but they don't feel much different? For some reason that bothers me. Otherwise is amazing!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, Death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexism, Body horror, Body shaming, Misogyny, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Grief
diamondsequallove25's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book felt like if twisted lies and love had a baby, it would be 'King of Wrath.' Twisted love gives the 'I'm only using you to get at your family member' vibe, coupled with twisted lies and a complex family trope. The book stands out on its own with the arranged marriage trope. Vivian feels like Stella and Ava rolled into one character, while Dante feels like another version of Alex and Christian.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Death
krissyslibrary's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Death, Cursing, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Murder, and Alcoholism
canascorner's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Bullying, and Death
greyishrainbow's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Obsessed with anything Ana writes. Incredible. I loved this book, she wrote the enemies to lovers and forced proximity so well. I genuinely love a book where the female character develops so much in her confidence and becomes strong enough to fight for herself and speak her truth, it inspires me so much. Dante, I’m obsessed🤤 limo scene, I’ve said enough. There is just something about the way he fell for her, she consumed him in the end and he was possessive over her, which I love in a romance. Another 5 star read from Ana Huang🫶🏻 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Gaslighting
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
alisaxfridman's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
graceev's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Gun violence
Minor: Death
Blackmail, Disownment, Parental neglect and Robbery at gunpointkatvou's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Blood, Child death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a great introduction to Ana Huang’s writing. I liked the story, I really liked Viv, and I had fun roasting Dante in my Kindle annotations whenever he did something to annoy me. Which was often. (But, by the end, he was tolerable. Mostly.)
Would’ve been 4 stars if not for the weird feel of the pacing. The first 20% felt rather fast, and then the middle section was a bit of a slog to get through.
Current theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Luca’s book, Envy being Christian’s and Gluttony being Sloane’s. I’m not sure about Lust yet.
Representation:
Would’ve been 4 stars if not for the weird feel of the pacing. The first 20% felt rather fast, and then the middle section was a bit of a slog to get through.
Current theories for the rest of the series include Sloth being Luca’s book, Envy being Christian’s and Gluttony being Sloane’s. I’m not sure about Lust yet.
Representation:
- Chinese protagonist & side characters
- Filipina-Chinese side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence
There are a few consensual, variably explicit sex scenes in the second half of the book. Dante’s grandfather died just prior to the story’s start, I believe via cancer. It’s mentioned multiple times, but never in detail. Other content warnings from the author’s website include blackmail, parental neglect, family disownment, and robbery at gunpoint. The last is only one scene about half through; no one is shot.