Our Radiant Embers

Why do I like older MCs, you ask? I don't like when they're younger and make reckless decisions for love because they don't yet grasp the repurcussions. I want them to know exactly how what they're doing would fuck shit up. Then do it anyway.

Seeing the magical aspects in the blurb, I picked this up in spite of that, because I usually love this author's books.

Finding out that the MCs were 29 and 30? That was the first plus in a long list of pluses for this book.

I loved how they got to know each other slowly, hesitantly and I could see their feelings develop from attraction, to grudging admiration, to friendship and finally to love.

I loved that they were old(er) and yet loved like they'd never experienced hurt. No holds barred, even though they knew they couldn't possibly last.

I LOVED that the love declaration didn't equal automatic forgiveness and slate wiped clean trust from the other. That slightly petty passive aggressive thing he does to rub it in? Big fan.

Things got a little bit too out there for me towards the peak of the subplot conflict, which I'm a bit meh on(because again —me and magic don't really mesh), but I generally really loved this.