Magic, mystery, fox + overpowered MC → are the only things that carried the story.
ML’s attraction → If the ML comes from a very different time period, instant attraction without cultural or personal context feels lazy. Even a short backstory, or a clear internal conflict (“this shouldn’t feel right, but…”) would have grounded it.
Insta-love → yeah, if you’re not into it, this story was basically set up to frustrate you. Insta-love can work only when it’s justified (fate, past lives, etc.), and this one didn’t earn it.
Whiny narrator → that’s a dealbreaker for me. When the narrator uses the same tone for turned on as whiny, it is a total ick.