Boy, I just love Melissa Marr. My only complaint about her beautifully written Wicked Lovely series is that we don't get a lot of closure on the different story arcs. Some of that was resolved with Stopping Time, a sequel to Ink Exchange. Stopping Time is a novella (boy I wish it would have been a full-length novel) which picks up where Ink Exchange left off.

Leslie left the Dark Court and Niall and Irial behind. She loves both of them and they both love her. They are still looking out for her, protecting her, and Irial meets with her once a week in a public spot, but never speaks to her. Leslie fights her attraction to both fey and fights her dark side, which sanctioned the immorality and violence of the Dark Court when she was a member. Leslie is determined to make a new life for herself but she can't let her feelings for the two fey go.

Stopping Time was one of the best novellas I've ever read. It had its own plot and twists, unlike many other novellas which just provide a back story or a closer look at certain characters. Stopping Time is a must-read for fans of the Wicked Lovely series. It was the perfect thing to tide me over until the final Wicked Lovely book--Darkest Mercy---is released February 22, 2011.

Just One Gripe:
This is my gripe with all novellas: I always want more. Reading a novella is like taking one bite of a delicious dessert---just enough to tease me. I really felt this way with Stopping Time because it was so good!

The Best Thing About This Book:
I had always suspected that something was going on with Irial and Niall. It was so gratifying to have my suspicions confirmed...

Appropriate for a younger audience:
It's no more explicit than any of the other Wicked Lovely books.

Score:
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting/Imagery: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Total Score: 21/25