***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

This is the first adult book by Sarah Fine. I repeat. IT’S THE FIRST ADULT BOOK BY SARAH FINE. When I first heard about it, all I could think of was how much I wanted to read it and about how awesome I thought it would be and I wasn’t let down. But then again, it IS Sarah Fine. When has she ever really let me down?

What first drew me to the book, aside from it being written by Sarah Fine, was the concept. The blurb doesn't give you much of a look into the world this book is set in but it's definitely original. It’s not that no one has ever written a book about death or afterlife, hell, Sarah Fine’s YA series deals with those things too, but this book, or I should say this series, has a take on it that I personally haven’t read about. The basis of this world is in myth but at the same time, this book is also set in the future.

They live in a world where the rich people are the only lucky ones. Everyone else doesn’t even have full time running water. Chocolate is so rare that even it’s substitute, Mockolate, is way too expensive (this is your cue to gasp chocolate lovers). The waters are disease ridden and people don’t have much prevention against diseases. Eli’s sister, Galena, is looking to change that. She wants to invent a way for vaccines to mutate along with the diseases they are supposes to prevent.It would decrease the death rates by a third, but it would also become a huge drawback in the business of death, the business the Kers and the Ferrys deal in.

This book however, doesn’t dwell too much into that, we are instead introduced into the world, like we would be at the beginning of any series. Fine helps us settle into this world she has created so that when we get around to reading the following books, we can be submerged into the world with more ease.

This book, is more about the characters, Eli and Cacy.They are both formidable characters to say the least. On their own, they are strong, a little bullheaded but ready to do what they can for the ones’ they love but together, they are a team, they are in sync and are always there for each other to fall back on. Isn’t that beautiful?

Like a lot of Fine’s romances, this one definitely has the insta-vibes to it but Fine always crafts her romances wonderfully and we get to see how these two work together as as a team. We see how they make each other better people. They may be a little afraid to lean on one another but that’s part of the process. They have feelings for one another but they need to learn to trust one another. It is a wonderful journey. The deep stuff said, this book is HAWT. With capitals. If you’ve read her YA books and remember how well she writes sexual tension, I am sure you'll have a vague idea as to just how hawt this book will get.

The main characters aside, we also  have an entourage of wonderful secondary ones, my personal favorite being Moros ;) (please keep your hands off).  They are developed but our main characters remain in the spotlight. I like that none of the characters are just there though. They all serve a purpose and all play an intricate part in what is going to happen in the future books aside from the fact that they will star in them.

This book also has a tendency to keep you on your toes. There is plenty of action and Sarah knows just how to punch you in the feels (if you don’t believe me ask Nick… she had to deal with some of the aftermath.. no one heard the weird noises I was making though). None of what she does every feels unnecessary though. Things happen, but it all serves a larger plot line. Nothing can ever be perfect can it? You cannot gain one thing without losing the other and such is life.

I have to say though, I was a little surprised by the twist. I am not sure if it was the fact that I purposefully chose to blind myself to the possibility but I was taken off guard by the identity of the traitor. I didn’t even have a specific person in mind but I was surprised that it turned out to be that person.

On the whole, this is a book I’d recommend to everyone who likes a good romance but also likes it when there is something interesting happening that isn’t in the background.