the banter and slowburn in this was frustratingly ~ immaculate ~
also, the tropes here are chef's kiss material because, well, i'll list them4.5 stars
the banter and slowburn in this was frustratingly ~ immaculate ~
also, the tropes here are chef's kiss material because, well, i'll list them out:
→ slowburn (mariana zapata type of slowburn if you know what i mean) → great banter // heroine is the funny, playful and carefree type of character while Hero is the grumpy, stay tf outta my way or i'll beat your ass type of character → age-gap (10 years i think??) → NO OW/orgy scene. halle-fucking-lujah !!! → soulmate trope // there is a little bit of insta love here from the heroine but i didn't mind it because it made the banter so funny → "unrequited" love → forced proximity trope (Gavin is Ginny's "bodyguard" and all that) → found family trope // Hero bonds with heroine's brothers (aww) → and a little bit of a road trip and "bed-sharing" trope
you do have to read the first book before reading this because this starts right after the end of the first one. also, you won't understand Ginny and Gavin's soulmate connection in the previous book. but a little backstory,
⤷ Ginny (h) and Gavin (H) are soulmates but they haven't met until Ginny's secret blood sister's wedding, singing her song about losing her soulmate and lo and behold she finally sees him. after 10 years of being raped and tortured, and when he was rescued 2 years before, Gavin no longer exists, thus, Reaper is introduced. in this book, Gavin/Reaper protects Ginny from her stalker while also finding out who her stalker is.
Ginny always believed in "soulmates" and once she saw Gavin, she had no qualms in letting him know that they are meant to be together but because of what happened to him in the past, he was all like ha ha ha. no... ˡᵒˡ ʲᵏ ⁱ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᵗᵒᵒ ᵇᵇ ᵍⁱʳˡ..
— tw (spoilers): Gavin/Reaper is Viper's (viper's run // 2nd book) younger brother and from his book, we all know that everyone thought he "died" until he was rescued in train's clash // 9th book. He was raped, drugged and tortured the whole 9 years or so, and there's also suicidal thoughts and attempt.
// characters // i really liked both Ginny and Gavin. them and this trilogy is probably my favorite out of ALL the last riders books because i have a weakness for the soulmate trope, plus, their connection is more on the emotional side than physical side. also, even though Ginny has characteristics found in a last rider heroine (she's an innocent virgin), she actually has a lot of backbone and gives Gavin shit when he's being mean, though, she is a little forgiving and she spoils him a lot BUT i could understand why because of what he went through and all that.
// "OW/ex" drama (spoilers) // first of all, i never thought i'd see the day when a last riders book does NOT have OW/orgy scene. thank fucking god for that.
OW drama in the first book
⤷ since the first book is about Ginny and Gavin's story before they even meet and Gavin was 25 and Ginny was 15 before he was kidnapped, he was "in love" with Taylor and asked her to marry him. there were 2 intimate scenes between them there and he used her image and their future plans as a way to survive his torture (don't worry about this little tid bit. he'll explain in this book why that's a mistake. trust the process y'all). he even begged her to stay with him once he was rescued but it was not about love, it was more about Gavin trying to hold on to a piece of himself before he was kidnapped.
in this book, there is a bit of this drama but the ex never even shows up and it's more of Ginny (h) thinking that he still loves the ex (but he really doesn't, he even admitted that he won't get back with her). Gavin/Reaper (H) thinks he still loves her but really, he's just using the idea of the ex to protect himself. he was never pining after her (even though Ginny thinks he is) but his comparisons of the ex and Ginny were annoying tho.
his comparisons were like backhanded compliments where Ginny was the innocent looking girl who you bring home to your parents but also friendzone, while Taylor (the ex) had that oomph aka sex appeal that every man wants and you'll feel like you did a touchdown during a super bowl once you had sex with her (yes, this is what Gavin said). but whatever. at least with his comparisons, it always ends in a bad note when it comes to Taylor. also i felt more tolerable about this just because i liked how extreme his emotions are whenever Ginny smiles at him or when she tells him she'll give him space soo oh well.
this book does end in a cliffhanger so if you're impatient like me, it's best to wait for the third book but im a dumbass so i didn't wait and now i feel empty ughhh
you know the kind of anger where you're so angry that you start crying? yeah... that was me while reading this. don't ask me why i felt this 3.5 stars
you know the kind of anger where you're so angry that you start crying? yeah... that was me while reading this. don't ask me why i felt this emotion in an extreme way, i read the last 40% of this book at 3 am while drinking a glass of wine so pls don't judge.
but anyways, why am i so angry you ask? well let's just say that I HATE THE HANGMEN.
oh god, y'all don't know the FURY i felt with how they treated my boy Rider (H). sure he was the bad guy in the first 3 books and he was a dumbass but my boy didn't deserve the shit he got from them ok? my mans Rider needed a hug, like, yesterday and did they give him that? NoOoO. every good thing that happened to the Hangmen in this book is because of Rider and all they did to "thank" him was (spoilers) torture him, and almost beat him to death. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. TORTURED HIM.
now THAT is how you ruin the main characters/good guys in this series and i don't know about y'all but i was ready to throw hands and fight ALL the Hangmen and protect Rider [image]
Rider had been starved, tortured and beaten to death for nearly 80% of this book and the fact that the "good guys" are also doing the things that the "bad guys" did to Rider? how- how can i even like the Hangmen? of course im gonna hate them.
and i never really cared about Smiler (one of the Hangmen) cuz he had no significance in the previous books but i loved him here. now HE is a true bro for having Rider's back. how Rider grew up being alone and no one really caring or loving him, this dude needs more bros in his life but whatever. the Hangmen don't even deserve him anyways.
another reason why i was so angry (spoilers) was the fact that we spent 3 books reading about this pedophile cult raping children and Rider's twin being a sadistic, sociopathic pervert who thinks he's a god and how does he die? from strangulation... i've known innocent people in history die the most brutal death yet this, pardon my language, motherfucker died from STRANGULATION?! [image]
the build-up for the Hangmen vs. The Order was so good and it was even more interesting than the romance but the execution and conclusion was just not it. everything happened so quickly and all these mofos died too quickly.
and speaking of romance, i love Harmony and Rider as individuals but i just didn't feel their romance here since it was pretty insta-lovey, the chemistry wasn't really there, and Rider miraculously got over Mae pretty quickly that it wasn't believable since we spent 3 books of him pining over her real hard. and can i just say, i was SHOOK when i found out who Harmony (h) really was?? i wasn't expecting that at all.
anyways, right now, i automatically hate the Hangmen in the next books so i apologize if im gonna talk shit about them in the future. it izz wut it izz ...more
didn't feel Rider's love AT ALL. i mean, even i felt the H's love in the previous books even when they were trying to2.75 stars
this was disappointing.
didn't feel Rider's love AT ALL. i mean, even i felt the H's love in the previous books even when they were trying to forget about the h with OWs. but here? Rider's "feelings" just felt so emotionless.
i know what the author was trying to do but imo, it was honestly a fail. the little fall out should've happened WAAAY earlier rather than almost at the end so that us readers would've been convinced that Rider is actually in love with Jo. instead, because of the fact he was using Jo selfishly (making her fall in love with him even though he had no intention of falling in love with her) every action and every words he said to the heroine left me thinking everything he did was fake.
the redemption was too little too late, and honestly, the book should've spent more time focusing on Rider actually falling for Jo AFTER she found out he was faking it.
we got no grovelling whatsoever and the fact that Jo accepted his "apology" so easily was baffling. idk about her but if someone i love has been faking it with me for the past few months and i found out he was using me to fulfill HIS dream of starting a family without any intention of falling in love with me, basically MANIPULATING me the whole time, i would NEVER forgive the bastard.
and speaking of manipulation, I HATED that scene where they had a fight and Rider was manipulating the whole situation so that Jo can forgive him. this was the scene where she found all the Valentine's Day gifts from a lot of his ex f-buddy's on the bad.
this is my reaction for every book in this series so far: [image]
there are sooo many tropes in this series that i avoid like the plague (sex1.75 stars
this is my reaction for every book in this series so far: [image]
there are sooo many tropes in this series that i avoid like the plague (sex with OW, h seeing H with OW, sharing, h becoming friends with the OWs aka the MCs "women"/whores) but once in a while, my curiosity gets the best of me and i end up reading books that are out of my comfort zone.
*sigh* so alas, here i am, regretting (but also kinda not regretting) beginning this series.
why do i kinda not regret reading this series, you say? i grew attached to the characters, the writing and story is actually pretty good, and my curiosity is STILL winning so, yes, im still going to continue to read the series. because let's be real, it is quite unhealthily addicting.
i honestly didn't mind all the unsafe things happening in the previous books because i didn't really care and i was in the mood where nothing can phase me. and besides, the OW scenes in the other books seemed so emotionless, short, and mechanical. it didn't seem like the H enjoyed it that much but that's definitely the opposite here.
i definitely had a lot of eyeroll moments and ew wtf am i reading moments while reading the previous books but after reading this? i genuinely hate Lucky (H).
don't worry y'all i gotchu. lemme show you why i hate Lucky:
➳ the prologue started with Lucky screwing OW Jenna and telling her her frosting is better than Willa (h).
Lucky watched Jenna ran a finger through the vanilla icing, lifting it to her peaked nipple. "Help yourself," she teased. Lucky bent over her, licking at the frosting until it melted against her flesh. "Delicious," he said, licking the last dollop away before straightening. He felt his cock jerk as he came in the condom he insisted he wore with Jenna or any woman when he fucked them. "Better than Willa's frosting?" Lucky leaned over her again, licking her nipple. "Much better."
apparently he was "lying" when he said this to the OW but does this scene seem like he was lying?
➳ orgy with this random OW, Rider, and Jewell and Raci. and this whole thing with this OW was so random? it served no purpose to the story at all and it was just there to be filler or something. this scene was too long so here are a few snippets:
Jewell writhed under his steady strokes as his hands gripped her hips, raising her ass off the bed so he could fuck her harder. She clawed at the sheets as his cock slid through her tight pussy. It never failed to surprise Lucky how good it felt to fuck her.
H says that he was thinking about h whenever he was with OW but does this seem like he was thinking about the h?
... [image]
i agree with Dean Winchester. this is Y-U-C-K, YUCK.
... aaand another one from the same scene:
"You still want to suck dick?" Anna's mouth opened, and Lucky drove his cock into it as he leaned over her, sucking her clit into his mouth, ravenously licking at it as if he had never sucked one before. His expert tongue had her convulsing with her orgasm before he could work his cock to the back of her throat.
again, [image]
➳ and another scene with Jewell (one of the women in the club) that was completely useless. i have no idea why the author even added this. it's disgusting. this is another long scene btw so here's a little snippet:
"Fuck me!" Jewell chanted over and over while he thrust his cock inside her as he kept spanking her with his knife. Once her ass glowed red, he threw the knife at the headboard, burying the tip into the dark wood while he buried his cock in Jewell's clenching pussy as she came.
this scene alone CONVINCED me that the H enjoyed sex with OW more than his vanilla sex with his wife/h. so again, why the hell was this a good idea to add to the book?
➳ the foursome H had with Stori, Raci, and Ember literally the same night he and h shared their first kiss. thank god this was fade to black scene cuz i couldn't handle another full-on scene with OW(s). but again, why did this need to happen? what purpose this add to the story? this just made the H completely 100% irredeemable and unlikable to me.
so overall, [image]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
i never say anything negative towards those who write the books but i just thought it was a really bad decision when the author wrote those VERY DETAILED and VERY LONG scenes that were prolonged with OW. i really don't get why these had to be shown in that capacity a few times. it doesn't make the book sexy, in fact, it makes the readers disgusted with the H considering how the author wrote it in a way that H enjoyed sex with OW more than with the h.
i mean, you know there's something wrong in a book if the OW scenes are way steamier than the scenes with the h.
so again, i have no idea why the author decided to include the long ass OW scenes (or any OW scenes) because it honestly just made the H's proclamation of love ingenuine and tainted.
but on the bright side, THANK GOD BLISS IS GONE....more
even though there were A LOT of OW scenes in the beginning and some were very explicit (and most of this is with Bliss. ew. i really hate that 4 stars
even though there were A LOT of OW scenes in the beginning and some were very explicit (and most of this is with Bliss. ew. i really hate that woman) and some were fade to black, Shade's love for Lily was still undeniable.
i loved how possessive he was and when he finally decided to step up and become a MAN, Lily was the only one for him.
honestly, the OW scenes felt emotionless and mechanical and H didn't even seem like he enjoyed them. the last scene with OW aka Bliss was disturbing and very detailed tho and i didn't like it one bit.
STILL the scenes were too graphic. like, fifty shades kind of graphic, so i have no idea why that needed to be shown.
and i hated the second epilogue. im sorry but i know they were old that time (around 80 years old??) but i just didn't wanna know that Lily was dying and she had only months left. that was depressing....more
don't like that threesome scene at the end because it made no sense for the character Cash (H) to initiate that since he even warned tmeh this was ok.
don't like that threesome scene at the end because it made no sense for the character Cash (H) to initiate that since he even warned the other dude, Train, he should not touch Rachel.
there was OW scene before Cash and Rachel become intimate but only once. it was with Bliss and Rider. after they become intimate, few weeks has gone by and apparently Cash was with a lot of OW. there was a scene where h sees OW getting out of his car and apparently she gave him a bj. did he feel bad? yes but ya know what he did? fucked some more OW... *eyeroll*.
after his accident, h sees him screwing Bliss at the gazebo. i hated this. this had no point whatsoever and i think it was only added for more drama and angst. there were no explanations as to why Cash even did this either....more
i didn't necessarily think him sleeping around while pretending to "date" the h was cheating just because they weren't even dating. it's complicated.
di didn't necessarily think him sleeping around while pretending to "date" the h was cheating just because they weren't even dating. it's complicated.
don't like the fact he voted/fucked OW "Bliss" the same night she was almost beaten to death. don't like when h rightfully got mad, the H seemed like he sided more with the OW and his brothers.
with that said, i liked how he fought for her and showed her he wanted only her and he was even celibate for months....more
okay but whyyy is there a "game of thrones" death kind of scene in every book in this series so far??? oh my god i am emotreread (aug 2020) — 3 stars
okay but whyyy is there a "game of thrones" death kind of scene in every book in this series so far??? oh my god i am emotionally traumatized helppp.
[image]
like, write a warning before i get attached to characters that will end up getting killed off because i aint ready for that shiii
anyways moving on. im glad i enjoyed reading this the second time compared to the first time because when i first read it?? well, i don't know. i guess i was in a bad mood or something because this wasn't bad at all.
also, i guess i was in the mood for smut instead of emotional connection so there's that. and speaking of the smut... HOLY- oh my god. it was dirty. dirty in a sense that i feel like bathing in holy water because look at this:
WARNING: if you're not used to smut or romance please move along and ignore this quote cuz i don't wanna be responsible for damaging y'alls pure, innocent souls. thank you.
D A N N E R (H)
↳ “There’s a new steel butt plug at home with your fuckin’ name on it. Gonna use it to open up your sweet ass while I give my cock to your pussy, then I’m gonna give us both a treat by sinking my thick cock in your ass, four fingers in your cunt, my tongue in your mouth so you’re taking all of me, everywhere you can. Only then, when you’re takin’ all I have to give you like the good girl you are, am I gonna fuck you until the only thing you remember is how to scream my name”
Danner, dude. stop. lemme pray for you. dear heavenly father-
and now moving on to the ~ cheating ~ aspect of the book. don't worry, Danner technically didn't cheat on HR (though, he did kiss one of the OWs after they've been together but he was undercover sooo) but he did cheat on not one, but TWO of his girlfriends!! and yes, the OWs were full on girlfriends. one of them is a colleague from his work and the other is a "biker chic" he needs to date because he's undercover so it's fake (doesn't stop him from sleeping with her tho because she was one of his "submissives").
but yeah... so basically he cheated on the first OW with the biker chic, then he cheated on the biker chic with the police officer, THEN he cheated on both of them with HR... i-
[image]
hmm... this is c o m p l i c a t e d
and it was kind of glossed over?? which is kinda understandable tho since the biker chic's relationship was fake and it wasn't talked about as much since HR is "confident that she's the only one in his life". but still.
i feel bad about the other OW tho. the police officer one. she was nice and he broke up with her over the phone aww. i guess the main thing that annoyed me is the lack of remorse that both characters felt when it came to the cheating.
anywho this does have the age-gap (9 years), forbidden, star-crossed lovers (heroines family is MC and Hero is a cop), unrequited tropes, but because they got together pretty easily and all they did was have sex, i didn't really feel any of the longing or the angsty vibes i was looking especially withe tropes above. i wish there was more push and pull between them and the "before they have sex and become a couple" stage was longer but oh well.
as i've said before, this book is based on where i live and with that in mind, if guys like Zeus actually existed here?? reread (aug 2020) — 3.5 stars
as i've said before, this book is based on where i live and with that in mind, if guys like Zeus actually existed here?? i- i would proudly ✨simp✨. no joke. i would give up reading (well, ok no) and go outside... and simply simp.
[image]
✧ tropes
↳ MC romance, age gap (19 years), forbidden (heroine's dad is Hero's rival), sick heroine, star-crossed lovers (maybe?? idk).
anywho. the reason why i enjoyed rereading this is because of Zeus (H), of course, but also because of the cute penpal moments we got in the beginning. Lou (h) was soo cute as a 7 year old oh my god. i just wanted to adopt her.
now let's get into the SPOILER TALK
➪ there's a little bit of OM drama here where Lou was dating Reece after meeting Zeus for the first time after 10 years. they "dated" for at least 4 months but were never exclusive. they apparently did "hand and mouth stuff" and- wait sorry, forgot to say they did that a lot. and yes, she cheated on him because she was thirsting over Zeus and was in a full-on relationship with him before she even broke things off with Reece.
➪ as for OW drama, Zeus just makes out with someone in front of Lou the second time they meet again to let her know he's not there for romance or flowers because he's a monster blah blah blah.
➪ also!!! i wish we actually get to see the development of Lou's character from Louise Lafayette to Loulou Fox because that development happened with the OM (Reece) and, well, i wanted to see that change with Zeus. and also, this was told and not shown.
➪ and y'all know i love a good romantic development and honestly, i didn't really like it here because it felt kinda fast. i just wanted a little more push and pull between the two as i was craving more drama and angst especially since this has the age-gap, forbidden romance tropes. i don't know... i just get bored easily nowadays but ehh they got together fairly quick. i thought the reunion would also be mindblowing but ehh it wasn't.
➪ when that Mute scene came up? i...
[image]
yeah... let's not talk about that. it was depressing.
_______________________________
all in all, i think i enjoyed this more the first time i read this but again, they got together kinda fast so i got kinda bored after unfortunately. nevertheless, my mans Zeus? yeah he's mine sooo. i call dibs sorry.
also, i learned some interesting facts here as well like British Columbia has the best wEeD... hmm.. didn't know that. interesting. what to do with that kind of info..
Sorry but Hound is definitely a consolation prize and will forever be second best to heroine’s dead husband. I really hate that. And there's2.75 stars
Sorry but Hound is definitely a consolation prize and will forever be second best to heroine’s dead husband. I really hate that. And there's too much filler sex scenes here and I read KA books cuz she writes more character moments than sex scenes and I'm kinda disappointed that's not the case here. Only thing I liked were Dutch and Jag, and Bev and Tad....more
i cried a lot in this book because of the heartwarming reunions and the fact that some of the Hangmen finally stooI NEED AN ASH AND SAPPHIRA BOOK ASAP
i cried a lot in this book because of the heartwarming reunions and the fact that some of the Hangmen finally stood up for my mans Rider! [image]
but the romance here wasn't that good imo. it was sweet but it was missing the epicness or passionate feelings from the previous books and maybe it's because AK didn't say a lot of swoony things and was kind of meh about what's going on with him and Phebe and also they got together pretty quickly but oh well. Phebe and AK's past was super interesting but heartbreaking to read about tho but yeah nothing really happened once AK saved Phebe plot-wise.
this book is VERY triggering so if y'all want to know the triggers, im going to list them out so tw: SPOILERS — Phebe (h) was drugged and raped in the first 30%. there were a few scenes and of them involved AK witnessing it since it was happening in front of him but he couldn't do anything. — Phebe was raped again by the 80% mark in front of her daughter. — flashbacks about Phebe being groomed to be a Sacred Sister by the age of 10 where she "fishes" men outside their pedophile cult and lure them to join. — Phebe's daughter (14 yrs old) being drugged and raped for months by the same people who hurt Phebe. — talking about PTSD because of AK and what happened to his brother.
i didn't really like what happened here most of the time because it was just fucked up but there were a lot of sweet moments between the pyscho trio, Flame and his little brother, and Grace (h's niece).
Ky, sweetie, we get it. you have a 10 in donkey D. thank you for letting us know every chapter.
i honestly forgot how much of a ho Ky was and how brainKy, sweetie, we get it. you have a 10 in donkey D. thank you for letting us know every chapter.
i honestly forgot how much of a ho Ky was and how brainwashed Lilah was but even though these two had their faults and are very much crazy in their own way, i was still rooting for them real hard. Ky was honestly such a sweetheart to Lilah (minus him being a ho in the first 30% of course) and can i just say f you to the cult?? they're THE worst. they all deserve to die slowly game of thrones style. i just want daenerys to dracarys all of them.
— Ky Willis (H)
"Gotta take life by the balls at some point and squeeze those fuckers with the skill of a whore."
even though this dude is the hoest of all hos in the Hangmen MC, i didn't really get that vibe here after the first couple of chapters and even after some OW scenes, which is weird. Ky was definitely the very definition of a alpha, possessive fboy but he was very sweet and protective to Lilah that it made me swoon just a bit.
— Lilah (h)
"All any man has ever wanted me for was my face... my body. I have been taken against my will since I was a child. Every touch that was ever laid upon me I was told was due to my evil and sinfully beautiful face. I was taken and touched because men could not resist."
my girl Lilah has been through so much that i couldn't even read the part where (tw: spoilers!) she was kidnapped, tortured, raped multiple times, lashed, branded, and almost burned at the stake. before all this, she was the only one who held on to their pedo cult's "faith" because that's the only thing she knows. but she had to learn the hard way (understatement) that whatever her cult was preaching is fake as hell. i really liked her but there was never any character development from her since she was still the same BUT i don't think she's weak. going through what she went through and then coming out of it stronger? gotta love a strong heroine.
— OW drama
"But my life? Fuckin' Groundhog Day. Teaching Lilah about life but all the time wanting her pussy. Getting fucked-up drunk each night 'cause I'd spent the whole fuckin' day wanting in her pussy. Fucking the asses off Tiff and Jules each night, pretending they were Lilah, 'cause I'd spend all fucking day wanting in her pussy! Hearing Tiff and Jules fucking bitching at me every single damn time 'cause I pretended it was Lilah I was fucking!"
gotta be honest here, their romance was a little swoon-worthy after all the OW drama in the first 30% but i honestly loved their friendship more in the beginning since their banter was so amusing to me because Ky has the idgaf attitude while Lilah is the "crazy" religious worshipper who thinks everything in the outside world is a sin. but again, the sentimentality of their friendship/relationship was ruined since each day Ky hung out with Lilah, the same night he has sex with the two OWs imagining it's Lilah for at least a month like— [image]
their romance was a little too fast for me and the development wasn't that good because of the 4 week time jump and the fact that Ky was with the blonde twins the entire time their relationship was blooming. im a sucker for emotional development but i didn't really see that here because of the stupid time jump and Ky being a ho.
the only thing that made me tolerate the OW bs was picturing the blonde twins as the dudes from the White Chicks movie and it worked soo.
the whole point of this book is to not love a person based on their looks because Lilah believed that she was a temptress, but Ky kept going on and on about how beautiful/sexy/hot Lilah looks and never about who she was as a person so yeah, i didn't really believe when he said his "i love you's" but oh well.
but anyways, i loved Ky and Styx's bromance here and MADDIE AND FLAME. these two. oh my god. i just want someone to be crazy for me like how crazy Flame is for Maddie. is that too much to ask??
Damn I really wish the asshole ex got beaten up by ALL KA heroes. I mean what kind of man cheats on his pregnant wife then proceeds to propo4.75 stars
Damn I really wish the asshole ex got beaten up by ALL KA heroes. I mean what kind of man cheats on his pregnant wife then proceeds to propose to his mistress while kicking his pregnant wife out of his house, brings her to court three times for custody (while she’s still pregnant) and forces her to live in a shitty place and working a minimum wage job while caring for her nine-month-old son??? And he was redeemed at the end? Wtf...
Anywaysss I really enjoyed this even though this is the first KA book I've read where h is the one who does most of the chasing and where H isn't over-the-top affectionate which made me kinda sad tbh cuz almost all her H's can't stop touching their partners and it was so sweet. Ugh. But I still loved this....more
Hated Shy in the beginning. I mean, waking up with two women is not a great way to start the book. He's the first KA H that I've read that's3.75 stars
Hated Shy in the beginning. I mean, waking up with two women is not a great way to start the book. He's the first KA H that I've read that's with OW while falling for h. Usually, KA H chases the h right away when they know they want the h, sooo Shy was really annoying in the beginning. I mean, it took him YEARS. Like, damn. And the fact that he was with OW, Rosalie, for three months and "banging" her right after he hangs out with Tabby is a big no-no for me. He's literally the male version of Violet from At Peace, where she goes on a date with OM, then bangs the H right after. Like, the hell? I hate this trope so much but apparently, KA has some voodoo shit she uses cuz the tropes I usually hate, I instantly forget em and I actually find them entertaining, when I'm reading her books.
Reread: 06/21/2019 5 stars Changing it cuz wow idk what I was thinking not giving this 5 stars first time I read it but this is one of the best books ofReread: 06/21/2019 5 stars Changing it cuz wow idk what I was thinking not giving this 5 stars first time I read it but this is one of the best books of KA and Tack and Tyra are one of the best MCs in KA's world. Maybe it was because Tack was an asshole and I wasn't really accustomed to KA heroes' personality that time yet?? Yeah that's probably why I rated it 4-4.5 stars.
4-4.5 STARS
Idk why, but this book reminds me of KA’s other book, Sweet Dreams and I LOVED that book. Maybe its cuz of the whole H having kids with OW and the h being a good parental figure and the relationship between H and h reminded me so much of Tate and Laurie. Ya idk but I ended up liking this but unfortunately it’s not one of my faves and maybe its cuz it reminds me of Sweet Dreams and it was just meh compared to it.
I know I know, it’s bad to compare books to other book but I couldn’t help myself. There were so many things that were similar.
One thing I really hate is when the h and H get intimate super fast, a ONS, or insta lust and this defs had that here but it didn’t even annoy me! Their connection/attraction was believable and undeniable and I was rooting for them in the beginning already.
I really liked when Tack (H) pushed away in the beginning but then when he started to get to know Tyra (h), he pursues her like a man on a mission and he was actually somewhat sweet but obvs, his alpha male tendencies outshine his sweetness
The thing that makes me addicted to KA books is that she’s so good with the bicker and the banter. Her usual MO is: - H fucks up - h gets mad and gives the H silent treatment - H looks for h and goes all alpha male and defends why he fucked up - h goes all sassy - H gets turned on, says sweet things and calls h ‘baby’ when he’s apologizing and H says something that’s completely off topic from what they’re talking about and starts to talk about his dark past - h’s sassiness fades away and swoons - h forgives H then they have hot make-up sex
I SWEAR ^ this happens all the damn time in all the books I’ve read from her so far and I’m all for it! I’m honestly addicted and this book has TONS of this. Idk how many times Tyra tried to break up with Tack and Tack goin all uh no ur not, baby, you’re mine blah blah blah.
I can’t wait to read Tabby and Shy’s book and apparently Hopper (the dude who the h caught having sex and was cheating on his old lady) has a book with Lanie (h’s bff)?! Ok.. defs interested now.
I definitely recommend this book bc it was fun and all the characters are amazing!...more
MADDIE AND FLAME ARE BOTH PRECIOUS AND MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.
this book is the very definition of a paradox sincreread (mar 2020) — 4.75 stars
MADDIE AND FLAME ARE BOTH PRECIOUS AND MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.
this book is the very definition of a paradox since its so dark that i had to take a break from the series for a year but the romance is one of the purest, most innocent thing i've ever read. and every time there's a cute moment between all the dark ones, i just [image] i can't handle the cuteness OK? and from the very first book when Flame killed Maddie's rapist and she hugged him (when Flame doesn't like to be touched), i just knew their romance was gonna be so good and i was right. why? because of their emotional connection that the first 2 books failed to accomplish.
i was a little iffy with Flame since in it ain't me babe he, uh, (tw!) cut himself and was aroused whenever he did it(!). so i didn't really know what to think of his character but ever since he met Maddie, i just loved seeing Flame being so protective to her in a very extreme way since he guards her door or stands below her window all day and night and he would always growl or go bat shit crazy whenever Maddie isn't around.
but when i discovered what Flame went through his entire childhood and what his "father" did to him to make him the way he is? i don't really know what to feel since i was both heartbroken and disgusted. it was just so disturbing so for those who want to be warned first and want to read this in the future, i'll explain some of it since it is VERY TRIGGERING.
(tw: spoilers) Flame has autism and his whole entire childhood, his dad raped, abused, cut him, locked him in a cellar every night. he also witnessed his baby brother dying in his arms, which made him believe whatever the crazy "church" people and his dad told him where his blood is evil just because he was different.
and now, as an adult, he cuts himself and touches himself to make the "flames in his blood go away" so he has to do his painful ritual every night because the voice of his father is still in his head. he does this so won't hurt others, especially Maddie. there are a few explicit scenes where nothing is held back so be warned people!!
i just couldn't handle the darkness of this book sometimes so im surprised i pulled through this twice.
Flame and Jamie from outlander are honestly the characters i know that have suffered the most in EVERY platform.
but anyways, i love how Maddie and Flame are each others' salvation. their relationship is just so precious and wholesome. they're both protective of one another and i love how Flame turns into a shy softie whenever Maddie is around. it just made me feel some type of way, because i mean, their convo would be like this,
"I draw, and that makes me happy. I was wondering what makes you happy?" I watched Flame's face as his eyes flitted from side to side, when he said, "I watch you." Heat infused my body, and I whispered, "That is what makes you happy? To watch me? Does it not bore you? I am asking what makes you happy? What you like doing the most? Flame shook his head, then his eyes that I adored so much, met mine. "Being near you. Seeing you."
UGH MY HEART. i just can't handle the cuteness it's just too much. and when they finally touched and kissed for the first time and Flame was in so much awe because his "evil blood" didn't hurt her? [image]
and y'all know how the H usually says all the swoony things? well here, Maddie is the swoony one because everything she says to Flame makes ME fall in love with HER. honestly, Flame deserves all the love Maddie gives him and im all for that.
this book is my definite favorite right now because of the wholesome content of Maddie and Flame's relationship but it's definitely one of the darkest in the series so far so PEOPLE, ONLY READ THIS SERIES IF YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT MINDSET BECAUSE THIS IS VERY TRIGGERING.
only reason why i downgraded my rating just a lil bit is because the bad guys here always die so quickly!! like, pls. just— just no.
pardon my language here but fuck that Judah character, that little pedophile bitchass. im sorry, im just so angry with him he is literally the worst character i've ever read about in a long time. but anyways, i can't wait to read Rider's book cuz i love a good ole bad guy turned good redemption story and i can't wait for Judah's death.
the FBI really do be giving me the side-eye whenever i read this series tho.
i can just picture them breaking into my home like this [image]
but for reathe FBI really do be giving me the side-eye whenever i read this series tho.
i can just picture them breaking into my home like this [image]
but for real... is this even lEgAl to write cuz there's so many fucked up things here that include children?? this series is just dark as hell that even i took a break from it for a long time but alas, here i am rereading the first three books because i forgot what happened and imma continue on with this series.
i honestly still liked Rider for Mae and maybe that's because im biased and he wasn't sleeping with OW after meeting Mae and they emotionally connected more than Styx and i could actually see their development more but oh well.
i forgot how much of a ho Ky was and i forgot how "crazy" Flame was but i am so glad i picked this series up again.
reread (march 2020): 3 stars
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old review: original rating (jan 2019): 4.5 stars
It’s a good thing I know this isn’t a safe book otherwise I would’ve hated this. I usually tend to stay away from dark romances cuz they have tropes that I hate like descriptive sex with OW, explicit rape and violence and so on. I like my safe books, ya know? I just want to be happy and laughing when I read my books. Here though, it was very dark BUT I was still very entertained.
I really liked the premise here no matter how twisted it may be and maybe its cuz I normally don’t read these type of books and I have a curious mind but honestly, I’m glad I did cuz I ended up loving this and I’m planning to read the other books in this series. I’m so invested in all the characters now, I CANT STOP.
— Salome/Mae escapes a religious cult that’s so fuckin twisted I don’t even wanna spoil it... Let’s just say men brainwashed the women to be their sex slaves and the men are a bunch of pedophiles... ya... that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When she escapes and finally gets the taste of freedom, she finds herself in the centre of another kind of hell: the Hangmen crew.HOWEVER, she finds that the President of the biker gang is the same boy she met when she was a child.
— Styx or ’River is feared by all types of gangs. This H is definitely not the type of guy u want to bring to ur parents. He loves to kill, torture, do drugs (tho he dsnt do drugs in the book it was just mentioned that he did EVERYTHING), drink alcohol, and f women whenever and wherever. He doesn’t do relationships or monogamy. but when the girl he met back when he was just a boy and has since haunted his dreams every day stumbles upon their turf... Well let’s just say it starts all kinds of drama.
OW/OM Drama One thing I REALLY hate is sex scene with OW especially right after the H meets the h For the safety ppl, there’s at least 4 sex scenes with OW: 1 full-on bj, 1 full-on descriptive sex scene, 1 fade to black and 1 almost bj (but H stops OW cuz he was thinking of h AND h catches them too)
Listen, I knew there was gonna be scenes with OW but I actually tolerated it here cuz I kinda expected it from his character. I mean he is the President of a MC sooo. It wasn’t random and out of character and 2 scenes with OW are before he meets the h and the other 2 is him trying and not trying to think bout the h. AGAIN, I really hate this (I can tolerate it tho) but oh weelllll
And the OM, Rider... I loved him (EXCLUDING Cain!) This is the first time where I preferred the OM to the H! I was rooting for the h to end up with this guy in the beginning! I really did believe in his love for the h and it was definitely more powerful, imo. The H’s inner monologue focused more on lust and this unfortunately made me NOT believe in his love for Mae.
Ryder doesn’t whore around and do the other bad shit (other than killing) the H does AND he’s waiting for a woman he loves to sleep with her. He was good and kind and the sweetest guy to the h but she friendzoned him so bad. My heart broke for him whenever he saw the h with the H. And the scene where he poured his heart out and begged the h to run away with him? My heart literally broke. I loved him until... well, until Cain happened. That’s a whole other person that I will forever separate from Rider and imma just ignore... For now.
The violence here was not too bad, I’ve read more violent books like Game of Thrones and the Throne of Glass series, so I wasn’t too iffy bout it EXCEPT the parts when Flame gets aroused by cutting himself... like, EEEEEWWWW. The other dark subjects obviously made me feel uncomfortable but hey, this is dark romance right? The goal is to make readers uncomfortable in a way? Well The Order definitely gave me the creeps.
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I really recommend this book if ur in the mood for dark romance bc this was definitely a page-turner for me 100%
I can’t wait for Ky’s book!! His should be interesting AND Flame has a book too?? AND ITS WITH MADDIE?! Wtf hes a sick psycho who gets turned on by cutting himself...? Well that should be interesting....more