I know heavy spice is a giant trend in romance right now. And while some people love this, it's not my favorite trend to hit literature. My one and only time reading Ali Hazelwood lowkey traumatized me with how it went from zero to a five-alarm spice fire in what felt like two seconds. I understood why people liked her so much because the plot sucked me in, but the amount of spice ruined the reading experience for me. So, when I saw Pledge has a spice-free edition, I was so excited. And the plot sucked me in so quickly that I ended up reading the entire book in a day, and I highly recommend Gabe and Ollie's adventure in Sefaera - no matter which of the three editions you choose to read!
.The story starts with our two main characters both at a crossroads: Gabe's parents had tragically died in a plane crash, while Ollie is desperate to whisk his soulmate away from our world to his realm where fate has destined the two of them will rule. However, in a fit of panic, Ollie's patience runs out and he kidnaps Gabe and brings him to Sefaera. Obviously, not a great start to what is supposed to be a loving relationship. However, while many people who use the soulmate trope will find a way to romanticize this, the authors smartly called out that trend. Gabe not only is upset about all of this, but Olile's sister Ariadne repeatedly calls her brother out when he's being toxic. This subverts and makes the soulmate trope better, because the option to walk away is always there, and it is left in Gabe's hands as to whether he is going to embrace this life or if he is going to go back to his old life on Earth. I also appreciated that soulmate magic doesn't work until both parties are 100% in the relationship - it shows love is not only a thing people have but a choice they make.
Sefaera is such a lush setting that I am excited to revisit the world in the next book. Every single detail of the world is whimsical, and the reader will feel immersed in it right away. Between the two moons, the lush rooms of the palace that seem to be made out of plants, and the various animals I wish existed just from the absolute cuteness of them. And with it, comes a culture that is fully fleshed out. This culture has love as a backbone of the culture - to the point, that it is ruled best when a pair of soulmates are on the throne. There is plenty of court intrigue, ceremonies, and balls which fully enrich the feeling of the culture. It's one of happiness but suspicion - and it's amazing to see how the two intertwine.
I also appreciated the way mental health was approached in the book. Gabe suffers from anxiety and has multiple panic attacks throughout the book. It made me relate a lot to him because the way his panic attacks presented is the same way mine do. It added a layer of realism, especially as he is not only dealing with grief but also in the first half of the book, a kidnapping. But nobody ever made Gabe feel bad for having anxiety, instead, they worked with him to try and make him more comfortable and erase whatever it was that set off the panic attacks. It was a beautiful thing to see mental health not only be treated as normal but also be treated so seriously by the characters in the novel.
I am so excited to see where Gabe and Ollie's story continues to go in Paragon, which comes out on October 1st. And it was just announced yesterday, that the Daylight Edition of Paragon will be coming out on release day as well! So if you want spice in your life, or if you're like me and would rather not have it, just know there is a version of this story for you!
Pledge and it's Daylight Edition are both available through Amazon.