*I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*

This was a really nice finale to the trilogy!

I really liked the characters. This one was sorta fun because it brought together the whole little group of allies that included the characters from the previous books. They didn’t all get along very well all the time, but that just made the dynamic more interesting, and they still mostly cared.

And I really liked Jack (Lord Hawthorn) and Alan as narrators. I liked that Jack was one of those grumpy, surly characters with a heart of gold… but not too much gold. He was still sort of an asshole, still sort of pushed people away, still didn’t spend his days doing good deeds out of the kindness of his heart. But he also kept protecting Maud and Alan and whoever else needed it. He learned and realized some things and even made an apology or two. And Alan had so much conviction and fight and fire. He didn’t let anyone walk all over him. He’d had a difficult life. And he would do anything for his family.

They made a great couple, because Jack really did need someone who could take his snappishness and biting remarks and then give them right back. He needed someone who wouldn’t let him walk all over them. And Alan was that person. Despite all the verbal sparring (or maybe because of it), I believed the feelings growing between them. They also just had great tension and chemistry. I didn’t expect the sex between these two to be so hot. But they are really into the roleplaying thing they’re into, and their desire leapt off the pages (or out of the speakers, as it were). And they discussed the limits/rules before really getting into it, so I knew it was always being enjoyed by them both.

The magical conspiracy/contract was still the main thing the plot revolved around. The mystery got a little too bogged down in details sometimes, slowing down the story and losing my attention a bit, but not as much as Book 2. There was some danger and action and ultimately a conclusion to everything.

And since this was the end of the series, the ending was sweet. Not overly explained, but I like that. The important things were wrapped up, and all the main characters had some cute moments together.

Just a note, even though each book in this series is about a different couple as the focus, I do think you should read them in order if you want to fully enjoy them. You might be a bit lost about the plot and who the characters are if you skip any.

I enjoyed the audiobook narration by Josh Dylan. He sounded natural, had a nice voice to listen to, and always suited the emotion of the scene. Voices for Jack and Alan weren’t super different, but they had slightly different accents.

Overall, this was a lovely ending to a series full of magic and mystery and sweet, sexy queer romances!

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Audiobook*