Daggermouth Review | Not Quite the Enemies-to-Lovers Romance I Expected

“His heart belonged to her. Every beat it took, she owned. He knew, with bone deep certainty, that he would never love another woman.” – Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe

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Dystopian romance just does something to me. Give me a dangerous, brutal world filled with impossible choices, rebellion, survival, and a romance that makes it all worth it, and I’m more than hooked. So when I received the ebook ARC of Daggermouth by H.M. Wolfe, I was internally screaming with excitement.

Not only was it a dystopian romance, but it was also marketed as an enemies-to-lovers story, which made me even more eager to dive straight in. Going in, I expected the relationship between Shadera and Greyson to be the emotional center of the novel, the enemies-to-lovers. Instead, I found myself unexpectedly captivated by an entirely different love story.

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Daggermouth Review

At the very beginning, Daggermouth had my full, undivided, no one speak to me attention. The opening chapters immediately pulled me into its dangerous world, with (very) violent political conflict and morally gray characters, there was this constant sense that no one’s loyalties could be fully trusted. It felt like literally everyone was hiding something.

H.M. Wolfe didn’t waste any time sending readers straight into the danger, and I really appreciated how quickly the story established its high stakes, which is why I think I was so invested at the beginning.

However, as the novel moved into its middle section, I found my interest beginning to fade, and that’s never something I want to experience in one of my all time favorite genres. While the world-building continued to grow and develop, the pacing slowed. Worst of all, I never became emotionally invested in Shadera and Greyson’s relationship as I had expected.

That’s ultimately where my disconnect with the story began.

Since Daggermouth is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance, I anticipated exactly that. More tension and longing, and more emotional development between Shadera and Greyson.

The chemistry is there, and there are certainly moments that hint at what their relationship could eventually become, but in this first book of the series, the “enemies-to-lovers romance” remained more removed than I had hoped.

The Real Romance In Daggermouth

The romance that truly resonated with me in Daggermouth wasn’t the enemies-to-lovers relationship I expected. Instead, it was the unwavering true love between Callum and Lira.

Their devotion to one another felt incredibly real and every scene they shared carried an emotional weight that I couldn’t get enough of… like when Callum reveals that his heart has always belonged to Lira. Their story became the only reason I kept turning the pages.

(Spoilers ahead!!)

Which made the ending absolutely devastating. How dare you, H.M. Wolfe.

Callum and Lira’s story broke my heart, but it also reignited my excitement for the novel as a whole. After a slower middle, the final act truly explodes with tension and high-stakes moments that completely shifted the trajectory of the story.

When I turned the final page, I was already wondering what comes next, and I’ll definitely be interested in picking up book two just to find out.

Daggermouth Is Not Enemies To Lovers

As someone who reads dystopian romance primarily for the romance, I found myself craving so much more emotional development between Shadera and Greyson.

Since Daggermouth is literally marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romance, I expected that relationship to be the emotional center of the story. Instead, I found myself far more invested in Callum and Lira. Their relationship carried the emotional weight I had anticipated finding with Shadera and Greyson.

That said, I’m also keeping in mind that this is only the first installment in the series. It’s entirely possible that H.M. Wolfe is intentionally laying the foundation for Shadera and Greyson’s relationship, saving the full emotional payoff for future books. If that’s the case, I’ll be more than happy to see how their story further develops.

For now, though, Daggermouth left me emotionally attached to Callum and Lira’s heartbreaking romance. While that wasn’t what I expected going into a book marketed as an enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance, it certainly made for an unforgettable ending.

Should I Read Daggermouth?

Overall, Daggermouth delivered an engaging dystopian world filled with political intrigue and plenty of action (violence). While I personally wished Shadera and Greyson’s enermies-to-lovers relationship played a larger role, I still found myself invested in the characters.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced dystopian fantasy with plenty of rebellion and an ending with some of its biggest emotional reveals, Daggermouth is well worth picking up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Scarlett Press for providing me with this ARC!