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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
El que más me ha gustado porque conocemos los puntos de vista de otros personajes ❤️
Well, the romance trilogy of my wildest teenage dreams has come to an end, and I’m not kidding: my inner teenager ate this whole entire trilogy up like it was my favorite ice cream and I was in serious need of eating my feelings. Even at its soapiest and on-the-verge of cringe moments, Save Us kept me smiling, swooning, and curling my toes. And yes, I shed a few drops of eye water.
Most of the time, I’m a woman who likes her books very dark and very complex. I like things to be beautiful but terrible and I’m quite the glutton for spice. Every once and awhile, though, characters capture my heart and I find a part of myself needing to sink into something nostalgic, if not for the time period the story is set in then for the feeling the story evokes in me. The Maxton Hall series is the type of book series I wanted to write when I was a teenager and wanted to be a novelist myself.
Save Us has an even wider net of narratives than Save You had as the end of the academic year nears and the stakes raise for all of our characters. These adults–who are just barely adults–are either being forced to make choices they never should have to make at their age or they’re being forced outright to do things that should be within their right to control. Adults who should be setting good examples are instead acting criminally and corruptly. The best thing that can come from such chaos is knowing who your friends and family truly are because they’re the ones who are still with you when the dust settles. 4⭐️
I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/College Romance/Forbidden Romance/Spice Level 1
✨ARC Review✨
4.5 ⭐ for Save Us by Mona Kasten
James and Ruby had me invested from the very first book (and episode because I loved the show) and I loved this last installment of the series. They definitely go ~through it~ on their path to their HEA, but I feel like the obstacles made their relationship stronger in the end.
I loved the addition of Graham and Alistair's POVs in this one, as well as the ones we already had in Save Me and Save You. I felt like these different POVs added depth to the story, and I enjoyed all of them immensely, especially Graham and Lydia's.
I can't say too much without giving away key elements of the story, so I'll just say this: I loved how each character's arc ended, and also loved how there's potential to revisit this world in the future, if the author ever decided to. A great YA series!
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alistair and Kesh my babiesss
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Save Us by Mona Kasten
-Maxton Hall, Book 3-
3.5/5⭐️
1/3🌶️ (1 scene)
1/3🦋
•My Thoughts•
Yay for a happy ending for this hot mess of characters. I loved the growth they showed and I’m feeling rather parentally proud (this book made me feel old) of them as they navigated hard decisions, learned to be good friends and just started growing up. I had a lot of issues with a particular situation between a teacher and a student and no matter how they tried to guide the narrative, it still gave me big ick. There were a few plot points that I wish were given more attention and a few that felt unnecessary but this finale absolutely delivered the bingeable entertainment I’ve enjoyed from the previous books. This was a wild ride, friends, but something about it made me come back for more. Read if you enjoy teenagers behaving badly, high angst and so much drama combined with sweet moments and character growth that makes you want to applaud.
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and Mona Kasten for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! Save Us releases November 4th!
Just like the first two books, I flew through Save Us. The final book in the Maxton Hall trilogy gave me all the drama, angst, and swoony moments I was hoping for. Ruby and James’s story wrapped up perfectly, and I loved seeing James finally stand up to his father and choose the life he actually wants. My heart was so full seeing where they ended up because they deserve every bit of happiness. 🥹
Ruby getting suspended for something she didn’t do had me stressed, but I loved how James stepped up for her, even when his own life was a mess. Their relationship has always been my favorite part of this series, and they were such a strong team here.
We also got more POVs (Graham, Alistair, Ember, Lydia), and while I liked the added depth, I wish we’d gotten more closure for some of them. Lydia & Graham (and the twins) deserved more page time, and I really wanted to see where Ember & Wren ended up. Fingers crossed for bonus content someday, because their stories feel unfinished!
Still, this was such a satisfying finale. It had all the angsty drama, found family feels, and romantic tension that hooked me in book one. And the epilogue? So sweet and exactly what Ruby & James deserved.
Mona Kasten just gets how to write YA romance that feels addictive, emotional, and full of heart. If you loved the first two, this will be everything you want in a finale. Now excuse me while I go rewatch the Maxton Hall show because I’m not ready to let these characters go. 😭
🎓 Tropes & Vibes:
✔️ Grumpy x sunshine
✔️ Found family
✔️ Rich boy/scholarship girl dynamic
✔️ Enemies to lovers turned solid ride or die couple
✔️ Angst + sweet romance
📖 Spice: 1.5/5 (soft YA fade to black vibes, but plenty of chemistry!)
Just like the first two books, I flew through Save Us. The final book in the Maxton Hall trilogy gave me all the drama, angst, and swoony moments I was hoping for. Ruby and James’s story wrapped up perfectly, and I loved seeing James finally stand up to his father and choose the life he actually wants. My heart was so full seeing where they ended up because they deserve every bit of happiness. 🥹
Ruby getting suspended for something she didn’t do had me stressed, but I loved how James stepped up for her, even when his own life was a mess. Their relationship has always been my favorite part of this series, and they were such a strong team here.
We also got more POVs (Graham, Alistair, Ember, Lydia), and while I liked the added depth, I wish we’d gotten more closure for some of them. Lydia & Graham (and the twins) deserved more page time, and I really wanted to see where Ember & Wren ended up. Fingers crossed for bonus content someday, because their stories feel unfinished!
Still, this was such a satisfying finale. It had all the angsty drama, found family feels, and romantic tension that hooked me in book one. And the epilogue? So sweet and exactly what Ruby & James deserved.
Mona Kasten just gets how to write YA romance that feels addictive, emotional, and full of heart. If you loved the first two, this will be everything you want in a finale. Now excuse me while I go rewatch the Maxton Hall show because I’m not ready to let these characters go. 😭
🎓 Tropes & Vibes:
✔️ Grumpy x sunshine
✔️ Found family
✔️ Rich boy/scholarship girl dynamic
✔️ Enemies to lovers turned solid ride or die couple
✔️ Angst + sweet romance
📖 Spice: 1.5/5 (soft YA fade to black vibes, but plenty of chemistry!)