It's been a while since a series managed to draw me in like this, but wow, did I love the Lunar Chronicles! Each of the four girls the books are named after is brave, strong, and lovable in her own way; but they are also very different. They are not your typical damsels in distress, but they are also not perfect heroines - they all have flaws, which makes them easier to relate to and more realistic. The same goes for the love interests and the other characters in the books. 
 The hopeless romantic in me was cheering for all the romance, but it did not at all take the focus away from the plot or undermine the characters' strength in any way, which was refreshing. The incorporation of elements from the fairy-tales the books are based on was very nicely done, too. There were plenty of hints referring to the original fairy-tales, but they were not always obvious, which I was happy about because it meant that these books are not just a re-telling of stories we all already know. Sometimes I almost found myself forgetting I was reading a fairy-tale-based story, since these books are so original and unique in their own way. The dark themes in these books, such as illness, abuse, and war, probably also contributed to that. 
 I've been thinking about these books a lot whenever I couldn't read them and the moment I got home, I picked them up again to read on because I couldn't stand not knowing what would happen next. This series is exciting, well-written, and altogether wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you, like me, have a soft spot for fairy-tales and bad-ass heroines and are looking for something with a solid, exciting plot with some romance stirred in, I would definitely recommend these books.