A Moth to a Flame by Ashley Antoinette

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The vibes:
🔥 Forbidden love
💔 Toxic relationships
😵‍💫 Obsession
🎭 Drama, drama, drama
🚩 Red flags everywhere
😤 Frustrating characters
👀 You WILL have opinions

Spoiler-Free Review

When I first read the back of A Moth to a Flame, I thought I was getting a Romeo and Juliet-style forbidden love story — two people who shouldn't be together but can't stay away from each other.

And... yeah. That's not exactly what I got. 😂

Mizan had me saying “eeyuck” more times than I can count. He is one of the most genuinely unsettling characters I've read in a while, and the more I learned about him, the more irritated I became.

But here's the thing: I could not stop reading.

I hated the main characters at times. I was frustrated with their decisions. I wanted to reach through the pages and tell Raven to PLEASE make a different choice. And yet, I kept turning the pages because I needed to know how everything was going to end.

If you enjoy messy relationships, obsession, drama, and characters who make you want to yell at your book, you might want to pick this one up.

Just don't expect a cute forbidden-love romance. 😂

[Buy A Moth to a Flame on Amazon ]

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay... now let's talk.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I'm a little at a loss for words with this one.

Because I hated these characters, but I couldn't stop rooting for them.

Well... somewhat rooting for them. 😂

I spent so much of the book waiting for Raven to finally learn her lesson. Everyone around her was telling her that Mizan was no good. Even Mizan himself basically told her that he was no good.

And somehow she STILL kept going back.

Girl. 😭

I really wish we had gotten more of Raven's self-exploration throughout the story. So much of her identity and so many of her decisions revolved around her relationship with Mizan, and I wanted to see her figure out who she was outside of him.

That's probably my biggest disappointment with the ending.

I wanted her to choose herself.

Instead, she went right back to a man.

I honestly think I would've preferred a time skip where Raven had actually had time to grow, heal, and become her own person before they potentially found their way back to each other.

And Mizan...

Mizan is actually sick in the head.

Like... genuinely.

He is one of the most insane antagonists I've come across in a while, because his obsession with Raven is just on another level.

And that's what made me so frustrated with the way the story sometimes framed their obsession.

It felt like Raven was supposed to be the one who was stuck and couldn't let go, but I'm sitting here thinking:

Mizan, YOU are the obsessed one.

What is this man doing?! 😭

Like, at some point you have to MOVE ON.

It is never that deep.

And the fact that he was still alive at the end? Irritating.

I was glad that he ultimately faced consequences, but I definitely wanted more. It felt like he got the last laugh in some ways, and I did not like that at all.

Raven Had Me Frustrated

I wanted to root for Raven so badly by the end.

Even though she irritated me throughout the book, I still wanted her to get a happy ending. I wanted her to finally realize that she deserved better and choose herself.

Instead, I found myself getting less sad for her and more frustrated with her decisions.

Her actions weren't just affecting her anymore — they were affecting her family and everyone around her.

And that's what made it so hard for me to sympathize with her.

I kept thinking:

Girl, EVERYONE is telling you this man is bad. INCLUDING HIM.

😭😭😭

Final Thoughts

I think the funniest thing about A Moth to a Flame is that I hated so many things about it and still finished the entire book.

That's saying something.

The drama kept me hooked, the characters kept me frustrated, and Mizan had me genuinely questioning what was going on in that man's head.

I just wish Raven's ending had given me more of a sense of growth and self-discovery. I wanted her to have a moment where she chose herself before choosing anyone else.

So while this wasn't necessarily a book where I loved the characters, it was definitely a book that made me feel something — even if that feeling was mostly “GIRL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” 😂

Would I recommend it? If you love messy, dramatic, toxic, can't-look-away stories, absolutely.

Just prepare yourself to be frustrated.

And maybe keep a pillow nearby to scream into.