Berls
First off this was one hell of a tangled web and unraveling those pieces kept me glued to the book from beginning to end. But we got there! All of the secrets and lies that have shrouded Aranae's life were finally resolved and in a truly satisfying way -- some that I thought we'd never get to even managed to be resolved in a believable way.
And admist all the action and drama and honestly, danger, there's some incredibly character growth. Sterling has grown from someone who doesn't even consider Aranea's opinions, to someone who thoughtfully bossed her around, to FINALLY someone who asks. And Araena for her part understands why he's asking and is able to make peace with requests that he once would have forced upon her --- and as a result their relationship also has grown so much stronger. So yeah, the character and relationship growth in swoonworthy.
I really loved the way romance and suspense were intertwined (throughout the whole series, but this book in particular). In this book we're given a lot more flashbacks and that adds so much to the story, helping to unwind some of that web, but also adding a parallel story of tension because of the questions the past holds.
I flew into this book with a TON of questions and worries and was really thrilled to reach an HEA that was both satisfying and complete. I was shocked to find such a satisfactory resolution. I hope I'll manage to pick up the others before too long!