Emzy Strong
This is a wonderful story. The back and forth in the banter between Yasmine and Gules is a wonder to behold. My heart aches as the struggle to grow together. So many obstacles are put in their way. Such a crazy ride. The epilogues were a delight and definitely eye raising. I wasn’t expecting the surprises revealed in them. The plot was so twisty and packed with emotion. This is truly an enjoyable emotional journey.
abad wallflower
I could not stop smiling whenever the wallflower dress is described or mentioned. I had no clue why Yasmin would want to be a wallflower and the reason is infuriating, I could not read fast enough for the resolution. This book is heart-warming and well-paced with a good-for-you-girl vibe!!
Viper Spaulding
Explosive, dynamic story! The story opens with the horrible treatment that Yasmin endured when she was far too young to know better. The events force her to grow up way too fast, so when the story starts nine years later, she's well-accustomed to the rumors and double standards of Society and has made her peace with her current role, finding some freedom in her own brand of self-expression. Giles is a man still reeling from the scandals of his parents, so he values virtue and conformity above all else. Which makes his unrelenting attraction to Yasmin very difficult. And he never lets her forget it. There's some serious tension in this story, as neither Yasmin nor Giles can ignore the other, yet neither one considers the other suitable for anything more than an occasional dance. It's not a real "hate/love" dynamic, except they each hate themselves for being attracted to the other. This book truly evoked strong emotions for me - I was angry with Giles when he was brutally honest with Yasmin, devastated for her when she realized just what everyone else really thought, heartbroken for them both when the necessary separation didn't go as planned. I loved the unexpected pacing in this story. Even after things seem to progress with their relationship, the most unexpected scenario completely derails their progress - for a time. Giles handles it far better than I would have given him credit for, and it even seems to surprise himself. The problem of his selfish sister continues to stand between them, but once that was overcome, I was ready to cheer this couple all the way to their HEA. I was happy to see that Lydia, for all her efforts, ends up in a stew of her own making. And the epilogue that demonstrated Yasmin's triumphs was very nicely done, indeed. This was a stand-out book for me simply because it didn't follow any predictable or formulaic path, instead giving us a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows with some scenes leaving everyone's hearts shredded on the floor. That the author was able to still believably lead us to a very satisfying HEA is a tribute to her skill with character development. It is like no other book I've ever read, and I can't wait to read more. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
