by Christina Lauren

A Fantasy Romance, 2024 by Hyperion, 320 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

The vibe coming from Ren to open this book is obnoxious. She’s written to be naive and sheltered but she comes across as selfish instead. That does change, eventually, but it takes a bit.
The book feels more YA than adult. That’s likely owing to the fact that this is based on a fairy tale (Rapunzel), the characters are college students, and one of them has lived a very sheltered life. Overall, you get a cute YA romance vibe from this one for sure.
The book didn’t need that last paragraph, but that’s just my opinion. It felt too forced.

The change that comes over the character and the entire vibe of the book following an early class assignment revelation is intense and welcome. Just as you’re ready to give up on this character, the switch is flipped and things move in a new direction. It’s perfectly timed.
Great fast action from the arrival in Atlanta to the end. You’ll want to read that part all in one sitting!
The modern spin on the Rapunzel fairy tale is well done. There’s enough of the fairy tale left in it to be pleasant and all the modernization makes SENSE!