ugh idk this just wasn’t as good as the last book. there was basically insta love. in the first book, cat finally accepts that she even likes griffin, then she’s immediately admitting her love for him and all lovie dovie despite having never allowed people to touch her before him? i also lost all respect for griffin with his giant temper tantrum in the beginning. he knows the supposed love of his life has severe trauma around violence and yelling, yet he destroys every piece of furniture in their bedroom and essentially crashes out then just walks away from her?? and she then goes on to immediately forgive him and tell him she loves him?? and we just move on from that?? it totally tracks that they have a decade age gap atp. he’s kinda a pos for that and it really ruined a lot of the book for me. i didn’t even feel like her secret deserved such an explosive reaction. he acted like she killed a family member of his or cheated on him. also, i’m getting tired of the gods constantly stepping in to prop her up. she’s supposedly super powerful but we never actually see her use her powers successfully? and she’s constantly being bested in a battle? don’t even get me started on the constant mention of spanking at the most idiotic times. this book ruined spanking for me!!! it’s all very repetitive and exhausting.

i will say, i did enjoy the arena trials. i enjoyed many of the characters and the humor was good. also, cat was way less insufferable and juvenile this time around; although, i still can’t read their sex scenes🥴 3.5 stars

In this book, we see Cat and Griffin going on another quest to save the world. And again we see how little and truly Cat knows about herself and what she is expected to always be: a leader:
"It's time to be the person you were meant to be, Cat. You don't just have to make decisions and stand by them now. You have to live with them.”

Spoiler ahead! 

The first 5% of the book traumatized me.  I never expected Griffin to practically destroy their bed (not in a good way) and scare Cat like that.

her being the lost princess…

 

He actually scared me a little. His persona did a whole 180. But then, on the next chapter, everything is forgiven and Cat forgives him so easily. 

Another thing about this book, is that it has so much actions. So many trials going on. This story is heavily action detailed oriented.

And again Cat has somehow unexplainable rare powers…

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Besides that, I love that we get to see Cat bond with Kato. His care and protectiveness and loyalty to both Griffin and Cat is somewhat comforting? 

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Cat and Griffin sexual escapades continues. Sometimes they are spicy and others repetitive. But the soulmates love is very well present:

"You're the shield, and I'm the sword. Together, we'll forge a new world.”

In this book, Griffin is somewhat more obsessively protective?sheltering?paranoid? over Cat. 

We also get to see Cat being a little possessive as well. They are certainly attached to the hip:

“I'll still run, Griffin. The difference now is that I'll run to you."

W: violence; blood; murder; death; grief

Not interested in an overgrown man-child throwing a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Explosive reactions like the way Griffin acted in chapter one are too dangerous. Might have been into this when I was 19, but as a grown woman I'm more interested in a grown man who can handle dealing with his emotions without destroying an entire room (and slamming his partner into the wall) in a fit of rage.