Things I loved:

• The quirks of the main character. It was cool to have a FMC with OCD. And I felt like she really did have a great growth arc. I like that she had magic, but wasn’t overly powered and still struggled at times.
• The spice! 🌶️ Chef’s kiss. I usually get the ick from a “good girl” line or two, but I dunno man the way it was used and the rest of this author’s writing style during those bits definitely did it for me! I did feel like there was maybe one too many wide open door scenes, and I could have used a little more tension build up.
• Even though there were many other contestants, I liked that they were all kept at arm’s length and this was really just about Ophie’s story
• The fact that Blackwell’s dad might not be as heartless as you would expect from the king of the devils. Just that little quick bit at the end of Blackwell’s backstory gives a glimmer of redemption. And I like that the epilogue points to them searching for the answers.

Why the .75 star reduction:

• I like the tether concept at the end, but felt like it could have used more fleshing out.
• The ending in general felt rushed
• Could have used more tension build up between our FMC and MMC
• This book is on the shorter side for what it is, and the author does a good job giving everything *just* enough explanation and attention to have it feel complete. But there are definitely parts that I wish she would have milked more, even if it added to the length a bit.

Overall this is an easy, fun read with great spice! I’m a sucker for games and trials and a happy ending, so it hit all the right notes for me. I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking writing, but there were a few moments that made me pause to say “oo I like the way that was worded” or “I can viscerally feel exactly what she’s describing here”, which is a step above most books that fit this mold. I wish I would have jotted those moments down!

The audio book is also really well narrated!