POV: 1st person, multiple – Ava, Torin & Shalini
Genre: Urban fantasy romance
Ending: HEA
Content Warnings: Explicit sexual content, violence
Pace
C.N. Crawford set their story up perfectly in Frost to have an epic book to finish the duet. Ambrosia is fast pace and full of twists and turns to keep the storing flowing. I was sick when I read it so I didn’t read it at the pace I normally would, but even in my ill state, I sprinted through the book. There was enough mystery and intrigue to pull the readers along and the steamy romance between Torin and Ava was really the cherry on the top.
Characters
Ambrosia is multiple POV instead of the typical dual POV. The third point of view because it gives us the events happening in the Seelie court through Shalini‘s perspective while Torin and Ava are in the Unseelie Court of Shadows. We also get some very interesting new characters that turn out to play quite pivotal roles within the plot. I almost thought there was going to be a second love interest until they turned out to be something entirely different.
It’s refreshing to see Ava step into her power and really save the day. Speaking of saving the day, I love a bat shit crazy villain and that’s exactly what C.N. Crawford give us. I was happy to see C.N. Crawford expand on Torin’s vulnerability in Ambrosia. I love a masculine male character but it’s so refreshing to read one who is also complex and multifaceted with moments of vulnerability instead of being static and unchanging with little to no growth through the plot. C.N. Crawford write beautifully complex and interesting characters and Ambrosia is another shining example in their catalog.
Tropes
- Curse
- Forbidden Love between Rival Kingdoms
- Royalty/Political Intrigue
- One Bed
- Hidden/Secret Identity
Is Ambrosia by C.N. Crawford spicy?
Ambrosia is equal parts plot and romance which really helps with the pace and character development and makes for a really fun read. The romance is a major plot line in Ambrosia and there are some well-written steamy scenes. While, I wouldn’t say this is the most spicy book I’ve read, it does deliver a satisfying amount of spice for the regular romance readers. It’s also a good starting point for someone who wants to dip their toe in the spicy romance genre without being overwhelmed with explicit content from cover to cover.
My Thoughts
It’s no secret that I’m a huge C.N. Crawford fan so I’m naturally predisposed to enjoy any new work they release. I read quite a bit of their extensive backlist and it seems to me that they’ve really perfected the formula for character development, plot, and just general storyline delivery. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with a C.N. Crawford book.
I will say that I think I enjoyed Frost more than Ambrosia but I think that might be because I really enjoy discovering new worlds and characters and they did such a good job at that in book one. It was also a bit more lighthearted and comical, whereas book two was more focused on conflict resolution. I’ve seen some reviewers comment on the inclusion of Shalini‘s POV, mostly that they didn’t understand why it was there but once you read the book you, you will understand that it’s really necessary for the reader to understand what was happening back in the Seelie Court.
I loved the Frost & Nectar duet and would absolutely recommend Frost and Ambrosia to fantasy and romance readers.
