The Dark Tide

I've read The Dark Tide a few months ago but I struggled so much to rate and review it that I decided to reread it again after a while. Finally, I've reread it and I'm still struggling to organize my thoughts about it.
I was really liking the story during the first half of the book but then I felt disconnected. I can't pinpoint the exact moment that my interest in the story started to fade but I'll try to sum up what I liked and disliked.

What I liked:

• Rep (POC; LGBT);
• Captivating premise;
• The dark setting of the palace and the island;
• Witches;
• Lina and Finley's relationship was great, really loved their banter;
• The pet sea serpent was amazing;
• Eva was the most complex character in my opinion and I really liked her POV;

What I didn't like:

• The magic system was underdeveloped;
• The pacing felt off;
• There was no build up in the romance (Lina's transition from being so in love with Thomas to having feelings for Eva came out of nowhere);
• Other than Eva and Lina, the other characters felt flat.

Overall, I liked it but I feel like the story didn't quite fulfill its potential and couldn't keep me invested until the very end. I'm still curious about the next book though.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.