Since the end of January, I’ve been attempting to read this book but have only reached page 162. No matter how many times I tried—and there were many—I couldn’t engage with the story. The characters, especially the main one, Harlette, didn’t captivate me enough to continue reading. Harlette often behaves in a childlike manner, despite being portrayed as a seductive woman. She frequently whines, throws tantrums, and behaves like a petulant child. The king of the land she enters is needlessly harsh and vexing to her and to anyone not in his immediate circle.

Harlette, single and a hopeless romantic, is an ordinary girl with just two dreams: to fall in love and to find her place in the world.
Her life, rather unremarkable until now, changes dramatically when she’s whisked away to another world, Ara, without any explanation or even proper clothing.
Clad only in underwear and stilettos, she ends up in Nimrod’s forest, where she is captured by Karayan, the elven king, and his guards. Nimrod is the mightiest kingdom in Ara, and Karayan is the most formidable of elves.
Although Karayan takes a strong interest in her, the appearance of humans in Ara is rare and often considered an ill omen, leading him to treat Harlette with suspicion and hostility…
Caught amid an escalating interdimensional conflict, branded as an intruder, and with no way back home, Harlette is thrust into a whirlwind of adventures. She soon realizes that this fairy tale, regardless of its cruelty or beauty, is not a figment of her imagination. Love is not as straightforward as in romance novels, and she must toughen up if she is to withstand the storm of events ahead.
Will Harlette uncover the reason for her abrupt transport to Ara, and does she possess the strength to confront the obstacles in her path?

The first thing I thought of when I started reading this was The Wizard of Oz because it has that same feel to it. Like a fairy tale that has a dark side but you have to really look deep to find it. There are elves, which makes the Oz thing not so much.

Though I could not find my way into the story someone else may. This just was not my cuppa on any level.

My rating: ✮