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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I forgot about the warning about the cliffhanger ending...hnnnnng
Enjoying the series so far, the writing is pretty good. Feel like there have been a few strange editing choices but overall pretty good
Enjoying the series so far, the writing is pretty good. Feel like there have been a few strange editing choices but overall pretty good
3.5 rounded up to 4. Even though this book wasn't for me, the writing style is decent and the trigger warnings honest.
This book proved a bit too much for me, at least in this season of my moods. Next week or next month I may feel differently, as my tastes often wax and wan as the calendar changes.
But today? Pay attention to the trigger warnings and understand that this might not be your typical romance. If you are in the mood for dark, it will suit you well, though it's not the horror or dark type of goth some may seek. No, this is the dark of human nature and, like the title, obsession.
I'm sure my reading desires will flux in the future and I'll return to this questionable gem of a series. Till then, I'll set it aside and seek out some sparkly unicorns.
This book proved a bit too much for me, at least in this season of my moods. Next week or next month I may feel differently, as my tastes often wax and wan as the calendar changes.
But today? Pay attention to the trigger warnings and understand that this might not be your typical romance. If you are in the mood for dark, it will suit you well, though it's not the horror or dark type of goth some may seek. No, this is the dark of human nature and, like the title, obsession.
I'm sure my reading desires will flux in the future and I'll return to this questionable gem of a series. Till then, I'll set it aside and seek out some sparkly unicorns.
This series has everything I love. Cannot wait to read the next one!
5 obsessive and steamy stars
-RH
-series
-major cliffy
-steamyyyy
-single POV
-dark themes
I’m a huge Callie Rose fan so I had high expectations for this book, and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Y’all, what a start to this series.
As per usual, my review will have some small spoilers
First, let me say that I LOVED our main female lead, Ayla. She’s so tough on the outside, and will do absolutely anything to keep anyone from viewing her as weak. But she’s soft on the inside. She hurts. She gets her feelings hurt. She feels alone. She feels worthless. You ache for her, for the life she’s had to live. But even though she might be hurting on the inside, she’ll be damned if she lets anyone know.
Our guys are great. We have the usual one guy who is serious and obsessed with her, the one who seems happy go lucky and smooth as hell, and the broody one who seems to not want anything to do with her. Marcus is five alarm H O T and boy will he have you sweating. His absolute obsession with Ayla is madness, yet beautiful. I want my own Marcus, Jesus he can heat up the pages. He would do anything for her, but one thing he won’t do, is let her go. And I’m totally here for a possessive alpha male. Theo is smooth and calm personified. Ryland is broody and mysterious. We’ve only seen things get real serious with Marcus so far, and I’m excited to see things heat up with Theo and Ryland in the next book.
A little backstory: 2 and a half years ago, Ayla made the selfless decision to jump in front of a bullet to protect a man she didn’t even know. Present time, we have that same man and his sidekicks popping back up in her life and making her wonder if they ever even truly left her life, even if she didn’t know they were there. We watch her deal with PTSD, flashbacks, and panic attacks related to the incident. We watch her go from wanting these men to butt the hell out of her life… to not knowing what she would do without them, because they’ve somehow ended up as permanent fixtures in her life. We don’t know much about the guys and what they do for a living. We obviously know they’re involved in some shady shite and Ayla doesn’t ask too many questions. I thought it would bother me that she didn’t try to learn more about them, but Callie Rose wrote the storyline so flawlessly that it makes sense WHY Ayla didn’t want to know more. She didn’t want them to stay in her life, she wanted to go back to her life of solitude, so she didn’t want to know more than she needed to. But once she decided she needed them, all hell broke loose and at that point she knew she needed answers, and she got them.
I NEVER expected where this storyline was going. The whole idea of “The Game” was actually brilliant. Like with all RH novels, you have to suspend reality a little, but I found myself able to believe this storyline pretty easily.
As usual, Callie Rose’s character development is on point. You feel like you know these characters so well (minus Theo and Ryland at this point, but we will get to them in the next book). You can understand the actions of these characters because Callie puts you in their heads so well, which to me is hard to do since this is only in Aylas perspective. But she did it. And she did it well.
Warning, this book ends on a killer of cliffhanger, but THANKFULLY, this series is completed, so we don’t have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!!
*I did NOT receive an ARC for my review, nor do I know the author personally, I’m just a fan of her work after randomly coming across her Kings of Linwood academy series. If you haven’t read that one, what are you waiting for?! I read this book through Kindle Unlimited*
-RH
-series
-major cliffy
-steamyyyy
-single POV
-dark themes
I’m a huge Callie Rose fan so I had high expectations for this book, and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Y’all, what a start to this series.
As per usual, my review will have some small spoilers
First, let me say that I LOVED our main female lead, Ayla. She’s so tough on the outside, and will do absolutely anything to keep anyone from viewing her as weak. But she’s soft on the inside. She hurts. She gets her feelings hurt. She feels alone. She feels worthless. You ache for her, for the life she’s had to live. But even though she might be hurting on the inside, she’ll be damned if she lets anyone know.
Our guys are great. We have the usual one guy who is serious and obsessed with her, the one who seems happy go lucky and smooth as hell, and the broody one who seems to not want anything to do with her. Marcus is five alarm H O T and boy will he have you sweating. His absolute obsession with Ayla is madness, yet beautiful. I want my own Marcus, Jesus he can heat up the pages. He would do anything for her, but one thing he won’t do, is let her go. And I’m totally here for a possessive alpha male. Theo is smooth and calm personified. Ryland is broody and mysterious. We’ve only seen things get real serious with Marcus so far, and I’m excited to see things heat up with Theo and Ryland in the next book.
A little backstory: 2 and a half years ago, Ayla made the selfless decision to jump in front of a bullet to protect a man she didn’t even know. Present time, we have that same man and his sidekicks popping back up in her life and making her wonder if they ever even truly left her life, even if she didn’t know they were there. We watch her deal with PTSD, flashbacks, and panic attacks related to the incident. We watch her go from wanting these men to butt the hell out of her life… to not knowing what she would do without them, because they’ve somehow ended up as permanent fixtures in her life. We don’t know much about the guys and what they do for a living. We obviously know they’re involved in some shady shite and Ayla doesn’t ask too many questions. I thought it would bother me that she didn’t try to learn more about them, but Callie Rose wrote the storyline so flawlessly that it makes sense WHY Ayla didn’t want to know more. She didn’t want them to stay in her life, she wanted to go back to her life of solitude, so she didn’t want to know more than she needed to. But once she decided she needed them, all hell broke loose and at that point she knew she needed answers, and she got them.
I NEVER expected where this storyline was going. The whole idea of “The Game” was actually brilliant. Like with all RH novels, you have to suspend reality a little, but I found myself able to believe this storyline pretty easily.
As usual, Callie Rose’s character development is on point. You feel like you know these characters so well (minus Theo and Ryland at this point, but we will get to them in the next book). You can understand the actions of these characters because Callie puts you in their heads so well, which to me is hard to do since this is only in Aylas perspective. But she did it. And she did it well.
Warning, this book ends on a killer of cliffhanger, but THANKFULLY, this series is completed, so we don’t have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!!
*I did NOT receive an ARC for my review, nor do I know the author personally, I’m just a fan of her work after randomly coming across her Kings of Linwood academy series. If you haven’t read that one, what are you waiting for?! I read this book through Kindle Unlimited*
I absolutely LOVED this book!
The tension between Ayla, Marcus, Ryland and Theo is just ... perfection. The push and pull between them all ... phew. I loved it.
Ayla is strong and determined to do things on her own and to better her life. She doesn't apologize or hide from her flaws or shortcomings and I just freaking love that about her.
No spoilers but Ayla's life changes forever--violently and drastically--in the beginning and years later when she comes face to face with the three men from her past? Fireworks and sass and all the things you want!
Callie Rose did a phenomenal job tackling some sensitive subjects as well; I am constantly impressed with her writing and ability to weave a story filled with so many emotions that make you the reader, truly FEEL for the characters.
That cliffhanger though? Phheeewwwww boy. It's brutal. In the best way because ... well, it just is! You'll see what I mean when you get there ;)
I am SO excited for book 2! I can't wait to see where this author takes us and these characters! <3
The tension between Ayla, Marcus, Ryland and Theo is just ... perfection. The push and pull between them all ... phew. I loved it.
Ayla is strong and determined to do things on her own and to better her life. She doesn't apologize or hide from her flaws or shortcomings and I just freaking love that about her.
No spoilers but Ayla's life changes forever--violently and drastically--in the beginning and years later when she comes face to face with the three men from her past? Fireworks and sass and all the things you want!
Callie Rose did a phenomenal job tackling some sensitive subjects as well; I am constantly impressed with her writing and ability to weave a story filled with so many emotions that make you the reader, truly FEEL for the characters.
That cliffhanger though? Phheeewwwww boy. It's brutal. In the best way because ... well, it just is! You'll see what I mean when you get there ;)
I am SO excited for book 2! I can't wait to see where this author takes us and these characters! <3