As soon as we got to that fight, I was like PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me be wrong about a switch happening, but it DID and I'm just like HOW IS VERITY GETTING OUT OF THIS???

What a violation - for her to marry who she thought was the love of her life but realize the following morning it's his psychotic, murderous, volatile brother.

The attendant getting ready to prepare Alex for burial refers to the new, WRONG duke's flower. How long has it been - has Verity known? How could she NOT know with so many red flags - the name flub, the ankles, the flowers. How long can she stave off Viktor's advances? Is she going to head straight to the tomb to find Alex or is she just going to grieve him without realizing?? Is she going to try to murder Viktor regardless???

And thinking of Alex who is almost BURIED ALIVE with SEEDS rooted in his immortal body! I can't imagine how he'll feel when he recovers enough to realize his place was switched AND VERITY MARRIED VIKTOR. I want Alex to claw his way back and fight for her, but Viktor is so wicked and Alex at such a disadvantage.

But god, what if Alex wasn't even paralyzed this whole time? We know Viktor and Julien were poisoning him which caused the spasms, but what if Margeurite had been doing the same this whole time because she believed Alex was a runt? How deep does the betrayal go??

THANK GOD (and Erin Craig) we're getting a follow-up book so we will hopefully not be kept hanging forever, but I feel like THIS one deserved a sequel or another few hundred pages.

I can imagine this playing out in so many ways... Alex haunting the secret passages to strike at Viktor. The house going up in flames when Verity confronts Viktor. Verity somehow not realizing and being with child before the reveal.

But while the cliffhanger twist was painful, I think the loss of what Alex and Verity were supposed to have is equally gut-wrenching. Their romance was so sweet, and I just want nice things for them. Alex was supposed to see Verity in her lovely gown. The two of them were supposed to blend their two traditions to build something new and GOOD together. They were supposed to finally step into the agency they've been robbed of until now and take control of their lives with a partner at their side. But instead they were robbed.

I just want Verity and Alex to have a good life together and be happy.