Review Detail

Renée Ahdieh has created another intriguing addition to The Beautiful Quartet series. I have waited to read until the series is complete so that I can binge-read it. It is a testament to her writing style, the quality of the characters created, and the world they reside in that this is exactly what I have done. With the cliffhanger at the end, I am also very grateful to have the fourth book ready to read.
This book took a departure from the expected based on how the last book ended. Odette is not as dead as Bastien and Celine believe her to be. Her loyal found family will go to any lengths to see that she has a chance to be healed. This leads to the story centering around Arjun Desai and his ties to the Fae court in the to secure the best of magical healers.
Pippa Montrose is not satisfied with the hasty note Celine left, which did not explain why she would want to go to the Fae world. Pippa’s whole life has been based on protecting others and she can’t leave it be. What ensues is folly on her part and the whims of destiny. With her life in mortal peril, Arjun can only think of one thing to protect her, make her his bride.
The fake bride trope, secret sexual desire, and the peril of the situation make this a consuming page-turning delight. I loved their characters taking centerstage and honestly, this was my favorite of the three so far. I do find it ironic that in the other books, Celine is seeking her own agency and not to be at the whim of others. Yet, now in her own series, she became a side character that didn’t even have a part in the story until over 60% of the book was finished. She also wants so badly to believe in her mother’s goodness that she does not take Bastien’s reservations seriously. Their relationship which is supposed to be this epic-consuming love story does not compare to Arjun and Pippa’s love story.
The other thing I found unexpected about the story was that this series is marketed as a vampire book. Therefore, I expected the plot to be wrapped up in the vampire mystique and the seductive appeal that they have. Yet, the first book was setting up this world of mystery and intrigue and Celine didn’t fully realize that those around her were actually vampires. Then in book two, her memories have been stolen, the fae aspect becomes a large part of the plot, and Bastien does not actually want to be a vampire. I did find his struggles with his fate refreshing compared to other big-name vampire books like Twilight and Crave where those male main characters were thoroughly confident in that aspect of themselves. Now, this book focuses on Arjun being half-fae and his love story with the mortal, Pippa, and the secret machinations of Celine’s mother. In many ways, the vampire aspect is not the focus of the plot. Now that I’m coming to terms with the reality being different from the plot I expected, I am excited to see what will happen in the fourth book.