This was a fun and magical read. I ended up loving the characters and the fantasy world we were in. There was so much lush imagination, it was a fun place to have play before my eyes. I saw Helen Hoang's review talking about it being very inline with a Studio Ghibli film--which 1000% I agree with. It did, however, take me some time to be able to image that. The reader is very much thrown into a fantasy world without any of the usual upfront explanations. This world slowly unravels, which at times made it hard for me to connect. But once I got there, I really loved it. I do believe this would made a STUNNING movie. 

The romance angle in this story was interesting because it heavily takes place on paper. In the letters Hart and Mercy write unknowingly to each other. This wasn't hard to connect with, but did leave me feeling a certain distance from the characters. Hart does get a lovely character arc and growth, which made his character feel more realistic than Mercy's at the end of the novel. 

What I really wish there was more growth on was the relationship dynamics with Mercy and her family. It somewhat fluttered off into best case scenarios, which I thought was a let down. I also found the conflict near the end with her and her family to be...a little ridiculous? It seemed like something that could have easily been solved over a discussion. I wish this part of the story had been better worked out because I loved all the side characters and their quirks. 

Overall, I enjoyed my time with these characters and in this world. I look forward to reading more from Megan Bannen in the future.