Crude Intentions reads like the Romantasy equivalent of finally leaving the toxic ex, only to discover the terrifying possibility that someone might actually treat you well.

Amanda Allen’s second installment in The Chronicles of Crofea leans further into emotional healing, rebellion, loyalty, and romantic tension while maintaining the quick pacing that made Crude Games so easy to binge. This is still very much a fantasy romance filled with dangerous rulers, forbidden magic, life-threatening situations, and emotionally loaded banter, but the emotional core feels stronger this time around.

What surprised me most about Crude Intentions was how much heart it managed to tuck between the action scenes and declarations of devotion. Audryn’s stubborn independence never disappears, but the story challenges her to reconsider what strength actually looks like when survival no longer depends on standing entirely alone.

If your ideal Romantasy involves competent heroines, emotionally intelligent love interests, rebellion plots, and enough yearning to fuel an entire kingdom, Crude Intentions absolutely delivers.

*Spoilers will be hidden and labelled so you can choose to read or skip.

Echoing the cover of the first book in the series, the cover of Crude Intentions showcases a crown surrounded by flowers and magic. This time, the crown is sharp and encrusted with silver and diamonds with an onyx orb. The flowers, appropriately, seem to be oleander. The composition still feels tight and boxed in, but I do appreciate the consistency.

Color Story

The color palette reflects the kingdom it represents, the colors of Kuroden bing Black and silver. It also uses the pink oleander flowers to create some contrast and bring the cover some life.

Typography Notes

As noted in the review of book one, Crude Games, the type is elegant and appropriate, but the styling, specifically the lighting effects and the heavy drop shadow, looks amateur.

Genre Signals

Dark Fantasy Romance or Romantasy is the clear genre signal. This is achieved through the combination of imagery (a crown with flowers is a genre staple), palette (dark with pops of color hint at the themes), and typography.

Hidden Details

The gemstones, palette, and flower choice are all deeply tied to the story.

Mood Check

At first glance, the Crude Intentions cover promises something dark, but also some romance.

Beyond the Dust Jacket

The ebook version is well-formatted. No issues with readability. It includes a linked table of contents, content warnings, author bio, etc. Each chapter is labeled with its number and POV character. We are also treated to a pretty drop cap. Handwritten notes in the story are treated to a different type styling to help them stand out.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

The design did not affect my purchase of the book, because I was fully committed to finishing the story after the first book. However, the covers of both books did ultimately play into my decision to purchase the second book as an ebook rather than buying both books in paperback. I just wasn’t quite moved enough by the look and feel to choose the shelf trophy.

Crude Intentions continues to follow Audryn, Ryder, and Grave from the first book, Crude Games. We learn more about each of them and take a deeper look at a few side characters.

Some interesting developments, both expected and surprising, regarding character development.

Audryn’s arc was hard-earned. No flip-flopping here. This girl is stubbornly independent, with good reason. It literally takes a village to make her see the value of relying on others, not just the love of one person.

Allen continues the momentum, but does allow for some quieter moments. There is a subtle infusion of humor running through the story that makes darkness seem a little lighter.

Crude Intentions builds on the revenge story, but sprinkles in some forgiveness.

Plenty of domestic abuse and tyrannical leaders.

Surprisingly, learning to adapt and overcome challenges with the help of others or new perspectives cropped up a few times. Dang, I love intelligence in an FMC almost as much as in a MMC.

Teamwork makes the dream-work, but make it a rebellion.

What Worked:

Strong side characters with unique personalities are conveyed efficiently

Balanced magical powers, no one was overpowered (except maybe Amalee, but she didn’t use her “gifts” much on the page)

What Didn’t Fully Click:

Crude Intentions continued the simple magic system, but didn’t develop it or explain the different types. This felt like a miss.

Overall:

Overall, Crude Intentions is a solid Romantasy with a good conclusion. The end pages hint that there’ll be a third book, so keep an eye out for that. Luckily, no massive cliffhanger at the end of this one.

After reading Crude Games, I rushed to download Crude Intentions. I just had to know what happened next. Clearly, I was in a Romantasy binge, but this absolutely hit the spot. I was fully entertained. Will I remember it in six months? Probably just the vibes. But that’s all I needed from this, so I am satisfied.

Read if you like:

Quickly-paced, uncomplicated Romantasy stories with some humor and some spice.

A “love”-triangle that juxtaposes the red flags 🚩 with the green flags.

Excellent declarations of love/care. Yes, there is a “touch her and die,” but there are so many better ones, too.

Skip if you dislike:

Fantasy settings with ultralight world-building.

Check the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to darker themes, including domestic violence, suicide, and public executions.

What magic power would you want to have?

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!