Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook
Hi! Noticed that the other Reddit threads about Webs of Vows and Vengeance seemed to have characteristics of “done by marketer” so writing my own review here.
I liked it! Would rate maybe 3.75 stars. The world is interesting. There is a trial that’s super compelling and isn’t every-person-for-themselves across the board, so there are fun alliances. There’s sisterly love and strong friendships. Spice was hot enough. I’m excited for Book 2 so maybe I should bump it to 4.25, because all the secrets/potential plot twists the authors laid out are compelling enough for me to want to keep reading.
This part of the review could be considered spoiler-y — >!The slow-burn romance could’ve been done better. The first half was great, but once the main male lead does go for it, they move really quickly to love and trust. Considering the major roles they played in the worst day of each of their lives and a highly traumatic event, it felt fast. BUT this is book 1 and we might come back/address the quickness in later books. Similarly…the main female lead’s wish from the goddess was disappointing. She still only wanted magic/riches/status for her and her sister. I thought there would be some growth in her considering what could be done for all the slum with 1 wish. Again, leaving this as something that still has time to be addressed in Books 2 and 3.!<