Apparently, I owe Sarah J. Maas an apology.

When I started A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was convinced I knew exactly how this relationship between the book and me was going to end. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.

Listen…the beginning was SLOW for me. I know that’s practically sacrilege in the romantasy community, but I’m committed to honest book reviews around here. I spent the first several chapters wondering if I had somehow missed the memo that everyone else received about why they were obsessed with this series.

I kept asking myself, “Are we there yet?” “When does the magic happen?” and “Why is this punishment looking a little too luxurious?” (You’ll understand when you read it.)

Because life refuses to let me sit down and read uninterrupted for hours at a time, I switched over to the dramatized audiobook. Friends…THAT is when this book looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Sit down. We’re not done with you yet.”

The dramatized adaptation absolutely brought this story to life for me. The voices, the music, the atmosphere? Chef’s kiss. I found myself bouncing between my Kindle and my headphones every chance I got.

And somewhere along the way, I became emotionally invested.

Suddenly, I needed answers. Why is Feyre in this situation? Why am I questioning everyone’s motives? Why do fantasy authors insist on giving us morally complicated, attractive characters and expecting us to simply carry on with our lives? And can someone please tell me who we’re supposed to be rooting for because my feelings are confused!

What I appreciated most about this book is that it rewards patience. Sarah J. Maas doesn’t dump the entire world-building and character motivations into your lap. She lets you discover things alongside Feyre, which admittedly tested my patience in the beginning, but paid off beautifully by the end.

Was I hooked from page one? Nope.

Did I almost side-eye everyone who told me, “Just keep reading”? Absolutely.

Am I now preparing to inhale Book Two like it’s my full-time job? Also yes.

Final verdict: I’m genuinely glad I pushed through the slower start because the payoff was worth it. This book went from “I’m not sure about this” to “Okay, fine. I get the hype.”

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

If you’re struggling in the beginning, don’t DNF it just yet. Trust the process. And if you’re an audiobook lover, do yourself a favor and grab the dramatized version. It completely changed my reading experience.

Sarah J. Maas may have won this round, but I’m keeping my emotional support snacks nearby before I start the next book.

https://www.amazon.com/…/B00OZP…/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0…

#ACourtOfThornsAndRoses#BookReview#SarahJMaas#RomantasyReader#FantasyBooks#BookClub#KindleReads#AudiobookAddict#ReadersOfFacebook#BookTokMadeMeDoIt#NoSpoilers#SendHelpImReadingRomantasy