After finishing The Heartstring Duet’s first book called ‘Crown me Dead’ I had to start the second and last book of this series immediately. The second book is called ‘Crown me Yours’ and is less gory then the first one.

You best believe that after reading this duet I’ll be looking for more books by this author because she can write a mean dark romance.

After what happened at the end of the first book, Elara being crowned Queen; she has the gut-wrenching task of figuring out what Kael meant. He told her the curse could be broken, but he’s dead and he was smart enough to not write anything down in case Death found his notes and double crossed him. A messenger, that’s what he said; there should be a messenger that knows all that Kael figured out which means she has to wait for him to make contact.

Mrs. Hempstead has been with the royal family for years; she knows of the curse and what it entails; The crown must be fed or else the kingdom would be plagued by rot. With Mrs. Hempstead’s experience with the family, she ought to know where information can be found, she needs to know when the curse was brought down on the crown, what the exact wording was on how to end it and she does find that note but it’s in the old language. With her brother fighting against the rot, she doesn’t have much time.

Kael’s plan was for her to marry Death, bed him and slice his throat; but Death is smart, he knows about this plan but whenever Death is outsmarted a wish can be made and her first wish? For him to marry her, so that the first part of her assignment is done. Death has never bedded a woman before which means he has to feel something for Elara and gods he is good in the sack. Cozying up to Death, even in his real form makes Elara realize something. You can’t grief if you haven’t loved, those things are on the same side of the coin. The bigger you have loved, the harder the grief hits; but the better the memories.

With one of the priests translating the document of the curse and her brother Daron having had more time given to him by death which Elara will learn after Daron passes, something changes. She knows death is capable of love even though he fears it immensely; she just needs to let him see that life is worth living and that with all that he’s doing and (especially) nót doing hasn’t been living at all but just simply existing and that isn’t how it should be. You shouldn’t fear to love, you should love wholeheartedly because when the hourglass has been depleted of its sand; goodbye isn’t forever. You’ll always carry a piece of that love with you.

Again, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars!