Marissa

I loved and absolutely adored this book. I had a shit-eating grin nearly the entire time I was reading it. It was so cute with swoony banter but also had a really good plot. I will say six months is a lillllll fast, but they weren’t complete airheads. I not only fell in love with Sawyer and Royce, but all the bothers. I also enjoyed her writing style and the healthy balance of plot and spice.

Bella and Nico have claimed a sacred place in my love for romances.

This book tugged at so many heart strings. I absolutely loved and adored it. In the beginning, my progress updates consisted of me not knowing whether to love or be infuriated by the book. Followed by confusion, then giddy because there was a plot twist, and after finishing it I’m even more giddy. They had, what seemed like everything, going against them in their story. It was filled with love, grief, betrayal, anger, sorrow, and once the character experienced this, they just went through it again and again. Which sucks for them, but made an AMAZING story. I love when I am given every single element that makes up a character and their behavior. Between Nico’s demoralized self and Bella’s apprehension and distrust, these two characters put themselves through hell and high water. AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DESTRUCTION. Bella is sure it will never work because they are “like fire and ice” (still unsure on who would be which), and Nico counters with absolute and unwavering certainty, that they are both fire, and together they create an unstoppable inferno. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

Anyways.

Overall, it had SUCH a good plot, the characters were developed and well rounded, her writing style is amazing. It was all around such a great read.

Okay I’m biased because I will forever love one-couple series. Ugh this book was so cute. I loved it. If you’re looking for a quick steamy back and forth type beat, you should read this book. I loved her writing style and plan to continue to the next book in the series. Idk what I’m anticipating, but I do have some gaps and thoughts.

**SPOILERS**

First, so does Darren know about the child?? I’m assuming not because he’s not grilling her about it when he’s got her tied up. And I’m not sure if she WANTS him to know about the child? Again I’m assuming not because of his gangster status and ties to dark networks. Also, how are you going to mention that her roommate died but it’s not even in the book?!?! I think it ended on a good cliffhanger, but I wish it had just a littleeeee bit more. I HOPE the next book will be similar Past/Present Dual POV and that we learn more backstory but at this point I have no idea.

it was a good book but I ruined it for myself by creating extremely far fetched theories on what I thought would happen, but then actually being somewhat right…

I lowkey took the fun away from myself but hey it’s whatever.

I understand it’s not love, and that’s the part of me that thinks maybe I’m not crazy, if I can know that much.

If I was a lawyer, this would be my defense if someone asked if she has mush for brains.

Anyways, I had written in a progress update around 65% through the book saying I was getting a migraine. And that is how I will continue to describe my thoughts and feelings while reading this book. I was going to rate this book a 2 because that’s how I was feeling however, the epilogue really ended the book on a high note, this changing my reading to a 3.5.

It didn’t wow me or cause any emotional WTFs which is the main reason for the lower rating. I think the smut scenes were good and after reading Guilty Pleasures, I still do like her writing style. It was a quick read but it’s not something that will be on my mind.

Now for why my rating went up:

But I know I need him. And I hope he needs me. What we have is fucked up and twisted, but it serves a need. I know I’ve always been wired differently. He only brought to the surface what was already there.

UGH THIS WAS SO GOOD. AND FOR WHAT????

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

This was 80% due to the epilogue. During this, the Dr. and the Emily’s mother are reviewing the letter that she left when she returned back to her captor. I really liked it because of the amount of growth she had and expressed throughout the letter. I think her ability to be level headed was all over the place during this book but in the letter she basically expressed how much she enjoyed pleasing him, and how his displeasure caused by her, was debilitating to her.

Okay, I actually really liked this book. There were times that were a bit skeptical but by the end I was like “damn that was good”. However, I will not continue the series. Similar to my past reviews, I don’t like interconnected relationships series and I’m not losing sleep by not reading the next book because FUCK Brian. Idc. He pissed me off. Nothing he could do in that book could make me like him and I will die on that hill. Anyways, I like a one-couple series but I feel like this one wrapped up nicely and the future events that were mentioned in the epilogue are predictable enough so it wouldn’t necessarily make a difference to have more than one.

Outside of the actual content, I do plan on reading other books by this author as I really liked her writing style. I’ve found that when some books get really hot and steamy, scenes are trying TOO hard and make me cringe and sometimes I want to stop reading 😭😭😭 (LIKE WTF. WHY MOUND??)

Anyways Kitty’s writing I like I lot because she doesn’t do that, AND keeps it consistent. Chefs kiss. Next up is Comfort Food!!

Ugh this book was SO GOOD. I loved it. It actually had a plot, a GOOD plot, outside of their romance. However, it didn’t take away from their romance either. Its structure built off the challenges that provided growth for not only the characters themselves, but the relationship as well. Hell even Mrs. Martin had some character growth and I hated that bitch😭.

Anyways. It was an engaging and enjoyable read that left me content and giddy by the end.

There isn’t too much to say about this book. At least rn. I thought it was good. I want to read the next one since this one ended on a cliffhanger, however, I’m not rushing to get to it.

Okay for some reason I really liked this book, but I really don’t know if I want to continue the series…

Here’s the thing, I have kinda an issue with romance series that DON’T follow the same couple the entire time. There are exceptions, them being the Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren. And somewhat Buttons Series by Penelope Sky, but even that one it follows the same couple for three books and three in the other.

That being said, unless the other books in this series continue the same couple in at least half the plot, then I’d probably won’t read it.

Otherwise, I thought this book was good! Lexi is somehow really relatable? But also I loved how MMC consistently appreciated and admired her intelligence, for her and his daughters. I fear that’s rare for a MMC with his other attributes - possessive, obsessive, controlling, lowkey sadist - to give and acknowledge that in his partner. Considering the length of the book is on the shorter end, I think the characters became developed. I actually really liked her writing style and I’ll probably continue to read from her other works.

Okay this book definitely has the potential to be good and I’m sure it is but I couldn’t get into right now. Could be the fact I’ve been reading wayyyyyy too many darn romances recently and I can’t read anything else without being bored out of my mind. I feel like if I had listened to the book, I prob would have finished it but that wasn’t the case. I’ll try again later lol

I knew this book was getting 5 starts after I was about 47% of the way through it. Then, they introduced a major new element to the plot around pg. 220, which had me a bit shocked as they already had so much going on between FMC +MMC.

One of the elements I loved the most in this book was Gideon’s growth. Because of its intensity, it contributed to the overall development his relationships, romantic and familial.

Romantically, they worked through the employment issues he caused, his nightmares, him understanding how and why his fears and anxiety impact him the way they do. This results in major realizations, which happen to be the domino he needed. He gained the ability to acknowledge AND understand how and why to actions speak louder than words, then embracing those actions.

Gideon’s familial relationships also were impacted by his personal growth and self-awareness. One quote that embodied this is:

There was grief, a profound anguish that burned in my chest. And resignation. A clarifying, terrible acceptance. But it weighed on me so much less than the desperate hope I'd harbored: that one day my mother would love me enough to accept the truth. That hope was dead.

Though detaching himself from his mother allowed him to accept and acknowledge his stepfathers (similar) actions. He realized what that said about him as a man stepping into that father roll as an adult; starting steps to healing their relationship as he wasn’t aware of the horrors Gideon faced as a child. And it was SO good to read about it. I’ll say it again, I loved this book so much.

HOWEVER, writing an huge event that caused extreme distress to the plot with only 100 pgs. left in the book had me pissed beyond belief. I was racking my brain to figure out wtf they were going to do in 100 pgs. that would leave me satisfied and content with its ending. Let me give you a hint, they actually did a good job wrapping it up. But I’m ngl, I gained the full closure in the authors note with:

and yet now that Crossfire is over, I know Eva and Gideon are ready and able to go forward with their lives on their own. Whatever help they needed from me, they don't require it any longer.

“I’d done this to her. I had made her feel unwelcome, unwanted, her thoughts and feelings less of a concern to me than my own. I’d let my past drive a wedge between us. No, that wasn’t true. I had let my fear push her away.“

OKAY GIDEON GROWTH‼️‼️‼️

However, while his intentions are to be protective and consider every detail, his approach continues to hinder his progress. The 4 stars is because of the growth, but it’s not 5 because he doesn’t consider Eva to be an equal. My heart HURTS for Eva because of the shit she has been put through, not only by him, but by Brett, her mother, and even Cary (but in different ways). The only constant characters that I continue to love and could do no wrong is Mark and Steven.

I’m honestly just glad Eva recognizes the extreme codependency and the act of losing herself when she’s with him. At the end, she is much more cautious about breaking their unhealthy habits. However, I will say, their unhealthy habits of having sex instead of talking through their problems, seems to benefit them one way or another. For example, elevator scene, even the somewhat brutal actions, they had a revelation that changes their dynamic. Also, with the scene right before their huge fight towards the end, she was able to find solid grounds with the trust and reassurance she had in him and more confidence within herself. Which, in my opinion, is huge for characters in books where they are lovesick for each other.

It was exhausting at some points trying to read about Gideon’s mishaps. He has his good moments, but he’s not very demure. It’s giving 1 step forward, 3 steps back (specifically referring to the Olivia Rodrigo song).

Anyways, I very much liked it and proceeded to the next book in the series.

Oh my god this book. First, I loved it. It was so good. The amount of highlights I have in a book usually depicts how much I liked it and this one had 246 (surprisingly kinda low but the book was on the shorter side). I fear I have a problem with highlighting as I will mark things that are extremely important to the actual plot and not just the characters themselves. So, if I happen to take a break form the series, I can go back and look at the big moments and get a better detailed summary before diving into to the next book.

At the moment, I am writing this review AFTER finishing the second book, Reflected In You. Currently regretting that decision, but I was excited about getting to the next book after I loved this one so much; I shouldn’t have set my hopes that high…

Anyways, there was A LOT going on in this book. God they are so toxic but it’s so addicting to read LOL.

Dear god this book. I was probably 60% through it and I was like this is fucking ridiculous. It’s getting a 3. HOWEVER, things got a LOT better by the end which earned the .5.

Considering I loved the first book so much, I kinda wasn’t sure what to expect. I had to re-read some paragraphs because I was dumbfounded. That being said, Eva was being a brat, petty, immature, and overall self righteous, the majority of this book.

I get her frustrations, anger, betrayal, and fear. Giving your all to someone, the good, the bad, the ugly, the pure and extremely raw vulnerability she had, it would make sense to crash-out if still in the dark about your partner. But I couldn’t handle the pettiness.

MEGA SPOILERS BELOW

To expand on the statement above, the whole thing with her ex that they saw in concert. I was getting secondhand embarrassment. I didn’t like the method Gideon used to get the truth; at first, I thought he was using a point to be on his high horse and ‘gloat’ about her kissing another man, while accusing him of cheating. Though, their dynamic makes as to why that was the route taken, and in the end (somehow) successful to get her to admit the truth.

GO EVA WHEN SHE WENT TO CORRINE AND CONFRONTED HER. GOD I WAS SO HYPE.

IMO, I thought it to be predictable when her mom was doubled over after lunch in the street, I knew immediately she had seen her daughters rapist and knew Gideon would kill him. However, the plot was good to get there. Like actually pretty good. I LOVED her development when she broke up with him, grieved (valid), and grew as a person, living in a new place, not being co-dependent on him. They were genuinely so toxic throughout the book but I’m really liked that the characters didn’t deny that, they spoke it into existence, acknowledged it, and TOOK ACTION with couples therapy.

The pediatrician, Gideon’s mother, his step brother, can all go to hell. They infuriated me. But their part in his upbringing made much more sense about his hesitancy. Also, finding out Gideon saw videos of her as a child taken by her rapist I think was a crucial aspect in the book, but I didn’t realize it until later on. Both of them struggling with themselves and their fears of losing the other person based on traumatic events out of their control, speaks volumes to the eventual growth and development between them.

This earned a 5 stars from me!! (not surprising) I appreciated the character development for both MC. Christina and Lauren NEVER f up a workplace trope and for that, they will always have my heart

“My past had damaged me in ways that she could never know. I didn’t want her to know. I couldn’t bear to let her think that I was weak.”

BOOOOOO. ugh insecure men. YUCK.

(yes ik trauma and whatnot but having it isn’t weak shawty)

Okay overall this book was good. I had originally rated it a 5 but brought it down to 4.5. And it was honestly for more comments like this, and the CONSTANT use of sweetheart.

Like babe we aren’t below the Mason Dixon Line???

Anyways. Their banter was cute. Probably the most intense “Touch Her You Die” trope I’ve seen in a book. Erm the MMC development was there, but not super standout-ish. I honestly loved that he bought her a cat. It was cute. I liked how the FMC consistently brought up to them how they had horribly gotten her in the situation (kidnapping). I feel like most FMC (in dark romances) fall love-sick and then don’t actually take a step back. She was super in-tuned with gravity of the situation, which is more than most. Even her acknowledging the potential feelings she has but breaking down crying because she didn’t know if she had Stockholm Syndrome. Yes Ashlee!! I’m so glad you still have a rational brain!!!!!

OKAY THE CLIFFHANGER WAS ACTUALLY DECENTLY GOOD.

I didn’t know I was at the end of the book till kindle was asking me if I wanted to buy the second one for $2.99…

Considering most books I’ve read labeled as dark romance have a complete love story but then an underlying plot that’s more intense but so far I haven’t been completely grasped in the moment as much as this book. I guess you could say their love story was completely but imo it’s not quite because of her condition at the end of the book.

I saw someone say that it was hard to rate it and just writing their thoughts about it. However, it feels wrong NOT to rate it. Anyways, I gave it a 3.5 mostly because it became predictable (to me) about 65-70% of the way through the book. Which isn’t a bad thing, but I want my mind to be spinning by the end and questioning everything. I think it was a good, quick read, and kept me intrigued. I usually don’t like how much something is repeated throughout the book, however, describing Olivia’s eyes was SO GOOD and made such a beautiful image in my head of her character.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

I lowkey hate the ended because of how much they went through, that was a “twist” that surprised me and made me a bit sad lol. The other unexpected for me was Olivia and Oscar with his book. Towards the end of the book when they are in the woods, I did somewhat believe a few of the things she said about Oscar because it makes sense and adds to the winding plot. For me, the element that connected the dots was the way the unknown narrator described each male character and their distinct scent nearly every time they were mentioned. Which I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but I could tell where it was going.

This book is the damn near epitome of “New Adult Contemporary.

I genuinely loved this book. I read it in one day, probably could have been quicker except I highlighted A LOT.

Overall, this was written beautifully. Specifically, how she approached fulfilling your partners sexual desires, acquiring and reassuring consent, meaningful discussions about specific boundaries, and how to have an overall healthy relationship with those elements. As a former D1 athlete, I think she captured the lifestyle surprisingly well. Their banter was so cute.

I was a bit skeptical about reading another one of her books. I read The Love Hypothesis, absolutely loved it but that was nearly 4 years ago. Back then, I read YA and used to like it, but it’s generally not my forte anymore. But this book exceeded expectation.

Honestly the only thing I really didn’t like about it, was switching it to third person POV in the epilogue. I liked it was Lukas, but I wish it had been first person POV.

Honestly, I almost put down this book as soon as tiktok was mentioned. But I did not. That's the main reason for the rating because I feel like it tried to "glamorize" something that is very real and it does not go the way it did in the book. The redeeming qualities were: FMC and MMC banter, acknowledging of the potential danger from the MMC, and there actually being a plot other than a social media trope and BDSM.

I finished it and it took me a little under 8 hrs, which currently isn't unusual as I typically read a book every 1-3 days. I think the story was good, but the ending could have been so much better. By 65-70% of the way though, I could predict the ending and I hate feeling like that when reading a psych-thriller/suspense. Like pls let me be wrong. Anyways, 3.5 because it was good until I knew what was going to happen. I will say the way Paris met her husband threw me for a loop as I didn't fully expect it.

When I say this book ripped say every single fiber of my heart, I might be somewhat exaggerating...but you get the picture. This one was definitely my fave out of the trilogy.