This cishet lady was impressed! But of course, I defer to nonbinary reviewers. There’s also the flawless development of a nonbinary character and switch to using their preferred pronouns. In terms of sexuality representation, Johan is bisexual and it’s both a well-known fact and not a big deal. He was such an awful man and I’m glad she’s no longer under his thumb. I couldn’t help but cheer her on! I also appreciated how Cole handled Nya’s dad and how Nya was empowered to figure out how to respond to him.
Nya was so limited by her father’s control but now she gets the chance to fly and see what she really wants out of life. Cole offered insightful commentary on colonialism, particularly in regard to Johan’s country, and there’s just a wonderful feminist stance throughout. He’s been through some hard times and while he’ll benefit from therapy, I was really gratified by the progress he made and how he was able to open himself up to being loved. Gah, he gave me so many feels! He kept trying to protect himself from falling for Nya because he believes everyone will ultimately leave him. And yet he had so many layers! There’s the playboy front he presents to the world and then there’s the man who feels too much, who’s always trying to help the people around him. And yet Nya and Johan can really see one another and be themselves and this was so tender and sweet. Nya’s dad lied to her in some grievous ways so trying to trust a playboy when you’ve always been a good girl causes a fair amount of angst.
I loved watching her slowly fall for Johan, even as she navigated whether she could trust what he says to her. She decided to live as though her dreams were attainable and that meant so much to me. I could relate to much of what she was figuring out, even though our circumstances are entirely different. Not only that, Nya is my favorite heroine of this series.
Nya and Johan’s arcs resonated with me in some particular ways. This is my favorite book in the Reluctant Royals series, which is saying something because each book is astoundingly good. This is your regular reminder that everything Alyssa Cole writes is amazing.
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