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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I didn’t think I was going to like this book… until I got to chapter five. I was all ready for this to be a predictable and snooty billionaire romance snoozefest until we got to chapter five, and then I perked up some and took notice. From there, my interest only climbed until I was completely invested in the story of Vance and Emery and the twisted mini-verse that is Cape Hill.
You see, I am almost convinced Nikki Sloane doesn’t write bad books. She may write disappointing books, or books that might not be what I’m into, but she doesn’t write BAD books. For instance: I didn’t like “The Initiation”, the first book in this series. I also had a lot of criticism for “The Architect” (even though there were a great deal of things I did enjoy about that book). But this book? This book is really, really good.
I love the dual POV. I love Vance, now so removed from the events of the first book but also so lost amongst the rubble of Alice’s machinations. I liked Emery from when we first met her, but by chapter four I was in love with her. I kind-of want to reach into the book and steal her away. Even the mystery that kicks this whole book off (which had me turned off completely at first) which then turns itself into a subplot so the romance and a larger plot can come first is a matter I became invested in and I enjoyed how Sloane brought it back in and tied it all together at the end.
The best takeaway from this book is Emery. Emery Emery Emery.
You see, I am almost convinced Nikki Sloane doesn’t write bad books. She may write disappointing books, or books that might not be what I’m into, but she doesn’t write BAD books. For instance: I didn’t like “The Initiation”, the first book in this series. I also had a lot of criticism for “The Architect” (even though there were a great deal of things I did enjoy about that book). But this book? This book is really, really good.
I love the dual POV. I love Vance, now so removed from the events of the first book but also so lost amongst the rubble of Alice’s machinations. I liked Emery from when we first met her, but by chapter four I was in love with her. I kind-of want to reach into the book and steal her away. Even the mystery that kicks this whole book off (which had me turned off completely at first) which then turns itself into a subplot so the romance and a larger plot can come first is a matter I became invested in and I enjoyed how Sloane brought it back in and tied it all together at the end.
The best takeaway from this book is Emery. Emery Emery Emery.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love Vance, but I don’t love this book as much:(
Vance Hale is the only male I haven't wanted to punch in the face. His dad and older brother were terrible. While Vance is no angel, he owns his shit. He knows he was wrong. He is a loyal and decent human. Well, for an extremely rich white man with all the privileges life could offer.
Emery was my favorite heroine. She was smart, capable, resourceful, and manipulative. She may be Cape Hill adjacent, but she knows how to play the games.
I loved the symmetry of this book to the first one. We see original sins come around, negotiations that trigger the worst in ppl, a chess match when others are playing checkers, and one hell of a send-off to the Hale family.
This was by far my favorite installment and left me feeling resolved.
Emery was my favorite heroine. She was smart, capable, resourceful, and manipulative. She may be Cape Hill adjacent, but she knows how to play the games.
I loved the symmetry of this book to the first one. We see original sins come around, negotiations that trigger the worst in ppl, a chess match when others are playing checkers, and one hell of a send-off to the Hale family.
This was by far my favorite installment and left me feeling resolved.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
The Temptation felt different than the rest of the series. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It didn't overshadow The Redemption, but I loved the storyline and Vance lived up to my expectations.
This was definitely a disappointment for me. What's hard is I don't think this is a bad book, it just didn't give me what I wanted. I understand that at this point in the series, we are wrapping things up on character development for all the main hitters in this series and moving away from the toxic behavior we saw at the start, but this just did not give me the same taboo, dark romance I was craving and had gotten from all the other books in Filthy Rich Americans. Because I wanted screwed up, trauma, and just dirty relationships, reading about a somewhat healthy start of a relationship with fake dating and the biggest issue that they had to overcome was learning to accept being loved, I was bored and heavily disappointed. On top of that, there was this huge buildup with the no sex compact that when they were finally able to do things, there was barely anything happening, and it was such a letdown. If I had come into this story viewing it as just a regular romance, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more but because the previous books created all this expectation, I honestly struggled trying to finish this. I will say the incorporation of safe cracking was such a fun element and is what probably kept me reading this. Sadly, this series did not finish how I wanted it to, but I don't think it would put me off trying something else from the author.
“What would you do to me if you could?”
One simple question that gives you both
One simple question that gives you both