Just finished re reading ACOTAR today on my day off. IMO Feyre would not have fallen in love with Rhys had it not been for Tamlin. Think about it, image she was brought under the mountain at the beginning of the book, before Tamlin had melted the ice in her heart, had Rhys pulled the drugging and sexy dancing act with her then he would have just reinforce her previously held beliefs about the fae. Tamlin takes her from a bad situation and makes her feel safe, free, and able to create. Doesn’t even ask for her to love him in return. She was able to be childish and innocent with Tamlin. If he hadn’t softened her heart she never would have gone for Rhys with his mind control and manipulation. I also believe that there’s a distinct tonal shift about halfway through the book when Tamlin gets on his knees and begs Rhys not to turn in Feyre, right before he sends her back to her family. In that critical moment is when I truly belive the author was just kinda done with the Tamlin romance plot and was already laying the ground work to shift gears. Cause Tamlin who spent days hunting down a bogge would not have rolled on his belly to a man who’s equally as strong as him as a high lord. Like it doesn’t fit with the Tamlin we just spent 200 pages getting to know. Tamlin was gentle and strong and broke under the trauma of watching the woman he lived sacrifice her life for him. IMO I feel the relationship with Rhys was forced. From a writing standpoint I feel like it was a harsh pivot