Wildest Dreams

There's something wonderful about reading nearly 500 pages chock-full of two people in love.

Is this a perfectly written story? Hell no. Quite frankly, Kristen Ashley desperately needs the thesaurus entry for “cool”. Frey also exhibits some truly problematic behavior. Without spoiling too much, he makes some very serious life altering decisions without the input or consent of Finnie. Luckily for me, this isn't my first barbarian alpha male and I have no problem turning off my modern sensibilities to enjoy a good romance novel. I did stress about how Finnie would react when she found out, but the plot interrupts the fallout and the actual impact to the relationship is minimal (for good reason imo). There was already a huge falling out in the middle of the book over the “other woman”, so I consider the drama quota filled. All's well that ends well, and ultimately, this was a 5-star read for me, but certainly not for everyone.

I found Finnie to be a delightful character to read. I love her enthusiasm for adventure and her subsequent ability to roll with the punches. The best fish out of water tales have heroines that make the most of it, and that's exactly what Finnie does. When it's finally cleared up that Finnie does not share Princess Sjofn's preference for women, the story really takes off. Frey starts to see Finnie in a new light and they most definitely suit. The sexual tension is fantastic and the domestic shit is even better. As the relationship develops at a slow, but steady pace, you can't help but love these characters more and more. Finnie shows Frey more love than he's ever known (the dragon statue scene had me tearing up). Frey falls for Finnie's compassion and zest for life.

This book has given me a newfound appreciation for romances where the couple is established early on and the bulk of the book details the highs and lows of their marriage. There are too many touching moments to count and the heat doesn't disappoint.

P.S.: This book may contain literally the only occurrence ever where the hero tells the heroine not follow him when he's off to do some important business and, despite her curiosity, she does. Mind b l o w n.