Gleam (The Plated Prisoner Series Book 3)

Product Information

There were so many unnecessary POVs, so many random characters who suddenly got a storyline after being one-dimensional for 3 books, and yet nothing happened in this whole book. Absolutely nothing. None of the books were big on plot, but at least they were short. The first 60% of this is completely unnecessary and could have been cut, it’s an endless repetition of Slade and Auren having drama, the rest of the Wrath making jokes for comic relief, and Auren having inner monologues about the same exact thing 20 times in a row. It was such a drag and if I hadn’t gotten this far into the series already, I would have dnfed right there. the sex scenes were…weird. Did anyone else find them weird? Like the dialogue in particular just did not match the vibe of the series. I was so happy to see more of Digby! He was a gruff guard with a kinda hidden sweet spot for Auren in the first book, but now we can really see that their connection runs deeper than that. He really cares about Auren, even though he tried not to show it too much when he was working for Midas, and we realize that with the years he spent with Auren, he became a kind of fatherly figure to her. He's a sweetheart beneath all that grumpiness and grunting, and I love him! Yes. I recommend it for people who like To Bleed a Crystal Bloom, The Four Horseman Series by Laura Thalassa and A Touch of Darkness.

Midas made me forbidden and weak. Little did he know that I would find my wings and voice - which sings now. No, Goldfinch,” he interrupts. “I’m good to you. But I am every bit the villain that I warned you I was.” The plot. The reveals. The twist on the myth of King Midas. THE SPICE. All of it had me squealing and screaming and crying and all around freaking out. Not to mention the prose - so well done, so unique, so wonderfully descriptive that I can envision this world of magic and politics and love and loss as if I am there, living in it, experiencing all that Auren does.

Goodreads Summary:

warnings: mentions of emotional manipulation, physical and psychological abuse, and drug consumption. RK is slowly turning me into a hulking mad woman. all the things that made this series not so stellar were starting to get on my nerves. 😑

The term "baby". This one might be a bit petty, and I might be the only one it bothers, but "baby" in my mind is used primarily by teenagers and manipulative men - NOT by highly intelligent kings who spend their time strategizing war and politics while also supporting women's strength and independence. Much like I would cringe at someone being called "snuggly bear" because it's overly saccharine, "baby" makes me cringe because it never felt like a truthful endearment to me. If you need an endearment, things like "beautiful", "my love", "my heart", etc. are at least better because they connote a positive feeling with them. Even more, "baby" is a modern endearment, and feels like a slip-up in this ancient world with fae and kings. Ultimately, "Goldfinch" was the only endearment needed - it was unique to her and was caring while also being empowering (speaking to independence outside of the cage she'd been trapped in). Why would you bring it down with bland, basic terms like "baby"? The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out... Until you realize it’s about keeping you in. Although it helps to have a great and hilarious support system like The Wrath, and the love interest. The understanding, and emotional intelligence in this male character and the found family are almost unfathomable. He somehow sees straight through her facade, anticipates her every move & word, while simultaneously building her inner self up, and showing her how powerful she really is. I could go on, and on about this character… but really I think you just need to experience him for yourself. Be warned, he’s quite vocal. 😉 This is a dark fantasy romance, so it’s not always sweet and cuddly. I am not one of the many that seemed to love this book. In fact, it may have ruined the series for me. While I appreciated seeing Auren become more independent, I had some major problems with the romance.The romance between Auren and Rip was one of the better things and I was consider rounding up to 3 stars, because I do like Rip as a character, but the more I think about this book the more disappointed I feel so nope. 🤡 I love the angst between them, when Rip thinks that Auren would always choose King Midas while still pining for her. Pretty much the only time I didn't skim a sentence or two is when they had a scene together otherwise ehh.

The blindfold has been ripped from my sight. Now, my heart doesn’t squeeze. My stomach doesn’t flutter. He broke something inside of me far more than just my heart. He broke my will. My drive. My voice. He broke down my very spirit, and I let him. You are mine, and I am yours, and whatever pleasure you seek, I will be there to watch you get it, and I will feed it to you tenfold afterward because you are mine, and I will see that you get what you need.” To add salt into the wound, expect some heart-wrenching scenes. There were moments I was on the verge of tears. There is romance in this book, of course, and it's a delicious mix of sweet moments, dirty talk, smut, and also serious conversations, and some clashing between Auren and Slade. On a little side note, while I have nothing against dirty talk in books, I struggled to get on board with it a few times during this book... I can't really explain why, because I don't mind graphic details or very spicy smut, but the dirty talk kinda clashed with the intense moments at times... And that’s what makes my eyes sting with regret. He pushed me to light, to burn, only to douse me with ashen deceit.Love is a whisper we didn't hear or a sound that drums in our ears and drowns out everything else."