Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Killer Instinct

“It's not the bad memories that tear a person apart. It's the good ones.”

➽ I finally managed to read Killer Instinct, the second book in the Naturals series!! I honestly love these books as they are so entertaining and engaging! Once again we follow Cassie, a profiler and the other members of the program. This time, there is a string of murders at a local university that seems to be the work of a copycat. They're copying the style of Dean's father, an incarcerated serial killer who still has a strong hold over him. There was definitely a lot of angst, as Dean has to deal with his father again and can't help but question how much he's like him. I liked learning more about Dean, his past and how it affected his tendency to self-isolate and keep away from others.

➽ I was engaged in the mystery from start to finish, but also loved seeing the dynamics between the Naturals! The mystery was solid and had enough twists to keep me guessing. I also liked the impact it had on Dean and his friends. Lia, Sloane, Michael and Cassie want to help him, as this case is personal, but it's difficult when the killer is always one step ahead. Lia's still a difficult character to understand, but I loved getting a glimpse into her personality and seeing her deep love for Dean. It's so refreshing that there's nothing romantic between them. As the first members of the program, Lia and Dean have simply known each other the longest and looked out for each other! Sloane is still a gem, I love her so much!! She's not good with social situations, but still wants to help in her own way! I'm not too into the Love Triangle between Michael, Cassie and Dean, but I liked learning more about why Michael struggles with Dean. They have always been at each other's throats, so it was interesting to learn that - apart from Cassie - there's another reason Michael struggles so much with the other boy!

➽ I can't wait to read more of the series!! This book also dealt with the dilemma of using the Naturals in active cases and presented different opinions. I still love Briggs, but the new agent in the house - Agent Sterling - sees the program as a huge risk ... especially once things get personal. Sterling is also a profiler and I liked seeing her dynamic with Cassie develop. Cassie's not the best at staying out of things and frustrated with Sterling's decisions, but discovers that there's more to the woman than she expected!

“I take it you’re Michael,” she said. “The emotion reader with the attitude problem who’s continually doing stupid things for girls.” “That’s hardly a fair assessment,” Michael replied. “I do plenty of stupid things that aren’t for girls, too.”

Content Warnings

lydia203's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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keestan's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

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justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition

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4.25

"It's not the bad memories that tear a person apart. It's the good ones."

The agggtm vibes are strong with this one! I enjoyed this book even more than the first! Dean has honestly become my favorite character after this book, but maybe that's because this book focused on him the most.

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samflowerv6's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I really love this series. The chapters go by so fast. JLB is a boss at mysterious fast paced stories. I was wrong with who I thought was the unsub and that’s rare for me. I love all the naturals Lia, Sloane, Michael! I LOVE YOU MICHAEL! But Cassie and Dean are just so good together. The slow burn was slow burning and I loved every minute of it. Cassie is such a good main character

“None of us had normal childhoods," Sloane said quietly. "If we had, we wouldn't be Naturals.”

Content Warnings

kaitlynnnng's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The first book in this series didn’t hit me the way I’d hoped it would, but I’m so glad I kept reading, because I loved this book! I felt much more connected to the characters, and the storyline was more interesting.

Throughout the story, I thought I knew what was happening, and then something would change my mind, and then I’d be confused, and then the cycle would repeat. In the end, I was so right and so wrong at the same time.

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elliereadsthings's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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