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4.37 AVERAGE
4.37 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I simply cannot get enough of this author and the world of Wesbourne. This is a wonderful easy read. I read it in two days and I am not sorry about it. Lux was once of my least favorite of the crew until I read this. It goes into her past and she is seriously misunderstood. I am so glad I stumbled upon this ARC sign up because I am in love with these characters! Lux and Slate are my new fav baddie couple. I love the mixing of both worlds and the love that Lux and Slate have for Briar. I cannot wait until the next installment (which I have also requested to be an ARC reader for.) I said it in my last review for Ace of Betrayal (which if you haven’t read that yet, what are you waiting for!) Jessica Jude has a new lifelong fan!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This one is spicer for sure. Quite a few open door scenes and let be real, drool on my Kindle! The romance was beautiful but the yearning was immaculate. I love a man who worships his woman.
“She couldn’t look more disgusted if my hand were a live snake. This only increases my desire to riddle her dainty feathers, see what kind of wild beast lurks beneath that immaculate exterior”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
solid 4 stars.
The second book of this series follows Lux as she falls in love. I enjoyed this book more than the first because the plot felt more robust/less choppy/less plot holes (still some minor ones here and there). These characters felt more developed, and I really enjoyed how we got to see some growth from the both of them.
Looking forward to the next book in this series!!
ARC provided by Jessica Jude. Released 1 July 2025
The second book of this series follows Lux as she falls in love. I enjoyed this book more than the first because the plot felt more robust/less choppy/less plot holes (still some minor ones here and there). These characters felt more developed, and I really enjoyed how we got to see some growth from the both of them.
Looking forward to the next book in this series!!
ARC provided by Jessica Jude. Released 1 July 2025
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think Slate and Lux might be my new favourite couple - their chemistry was off the page!! This story had me hooked from the beginning, if I thought Ace of Betrayal was the perfect blend of toxic Gossip Girl this took it to the next level. These characters are walking train wrecks but in the best way possible, they’re so well written and the stories are so obsessive it’s like you’re watching it play out on screen while binging on a bowl of popcorn willing the drama to get even more intense. I knew there would be more to Lux than the socialite we were meant to believe and I love that Slate brought her realness back out and made her start to be true to herself. I am so excited for the next instalment!! Thank you to Jessica for sending me an arc to read and review, you’re a rockstar!
If I wasn’t already obsessed with Lux, I am now! I’m glad we got to see more of her with this book. I was immediately hooked when I read Ace of Betrayal so I’m very grateful to have been gifted a copy of the ARC. I loved the dynamics between Lux and Slate and loved him dynamics and interactions with her friend group. Especially the poker games. I also love the sibling interactions and the found family. I can’t wait for the next book and to see more of these characters. I am very much attached to them at this point.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / out of 5 stars ⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / out of 5 stars ⭐️
emotional
medium-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-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:
N/A
Thank you to Jessica Jude for allowing me to be one of your ARC readers and receiving an advanced copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.
Jessica Jude's Queen of Vengeance is the second installment in the Hand of Revenge series. Set in the world where the social elite children are reminiscent of Gossip Girls characters with a weekly poker game. Every Tuesday night is poker night, and every Tuesday each player submits their grievance for the week. The winner of the game determines who the group will exact their revenge on, and spend the rest of their evening drinking and plotting.
Lux Colombia-Clarke is the epitome of society. She has the life, the money, the boyfriend, the social media following. Who wouldn't be envious of all that. But behind closed doors, it's a different story. When she's trying to search for her older brother, Lux enters the world on the other side of the river, known as the Junction. Now, she has her own personal vendetta against those personally responsible for selling and distributing the drugs her very own brother is addicted to. Slater Lawson is trying to survive. He's trying to make sure his car garage service has customers, but more importantly, he's the sole guardian and provider for his younger sister who has a mysterious illness that no one seems to be able to solve. When Lux shows up on his doorstep, she has a proposal that he can't refuse.
Just when I thought I loved Ace of Betrayal, here comes Queen of Vengeance. I was encapsulated reading this story that I couldn't put it down. This story does have darker subject matter than the first, so read those trigger warnings first before proceeding. I loved Lux and Slater's relationship. Both acknowledge that the person they're falling for is from a different socioeconomic status. Everything about them is the complete opposite, but this gives the other the perspective that they needed. The conversations between the two of them make you root for them and will have you internally screaming for them to admit their feelings for the other. They bicker and tease each other, but they end up choosing to protect the other. I enjoyed all the twists and turns on this ride. It was deep and emotional, humorous, and spicy. You can't help but connect to these characters. Plus, it has a nice set up for the next character's storyline.
Can't wait for the next story in the series.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
“I want her to trust me, to know that even if everyone else in the world abandons her, I won’t.”
After having read Ace of Betrayal and knowing how much Lux was the cause of Walker’s hurt, I wasn’t expecting to love this story nearly as much as I did. But at the biggest surprise to me, we caught a glimpse of an entirely new version of Lux and learned just how vulnerable and kind of a person she actually is. I absolutely devoured this story. The tension, the yearning, the plot twist!? Every moment was amazing and I loved being able to see our favorite group of revenge seekers interact again!
“I’m opening like a flower to him, letting him see the real me, and I’m terrified.”
I’m unhealthily obsessed with Lux and Slate’s relationship. Despite them being from completely different worlds, I feel like he’s the perfect balance to her. Someone that can help her feel and learn to love herself again while still being able to be the sassy socialite that she is. will be your new favorite book boyfriend. And Lux’s love for both Briar and Slate is exactly what he needs, someone to show him that he can be loved despite his past and that helping his sister doesn’t have to mean sacrificing his own life.
Slate will absolutely become your new book boyfriend. The whole biker, tatted, drug dealer with a heart vibes?? I was down bad the moment he was introduced. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a bad boy with long hair 😂. I didn’t expect to love Lux nearly as much I did. From <i> Ace of Betrayal</i> we know that she’s very much that “socialite” picture perfect personality on the outside, but getting to know her on a deeper level was genuinely so wonderful. Her character growth was so well thought out and I loved seeing how much she grew from the first book to the end of this.
”Not beyond redemption until you’re dead.”
If you haven’t already added this series to your TBR, you need to do so right this moment. Thank you to Jessica Jude for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!🫶🏼
Tropes/What to Expect
💎High society princess x bad boy biker
💎Disgruntled acquaintances to lovers
💎Witty banter
💎Touch her & die
💎Open door spice
Spice level -🌶️🌶️🌶️
After having read Ace of Betrayal and knowing how much Lux was the cause of Walker’s hurt, I wasn’t expecting to love this story nearly as much as I did. But at the biggest surprise to me, we caught a glimpse of an entirely new version of Lux and learned just how vulnerable and kind of a person she actually is. I absolutely devoured this story. The tension, the yearning, the plot twist!? Every moment was amazing and I loved being able to see our favorite group of revenge seekers interact again!
“I’m opening like a flower to him, letting him see the real me, and I’m terrified.”
I’m unhealthily obsessed with Lux and Slate’s relationship. Despite them being from completely different worlds, I feel like he’s the perfect balance to her. Someone that can help her feel and learn to love herself again while still being able to be the sassy socialite that she is. will be your new favorite book boyfriend. And Lux’s love for both Briar and Slate is exactly what he needs, someone to show him that he can be loved despite his past and that helping his sister doesn’t have to mean sacrificing his own life.
Slate will absolutely become your new book boyfriend. The whole biker, tatted, drug dealer with a heart vibes?? I was down bad the moment he was introduced. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a bad boy with long hair 😂. I didn’t expect to love Lux nearly as much I did. From <i> Ace of Betrayal</i> we know that she’s very much that “socialite” picture perfect personality on the outside, but getting to know her on a deeper level was genuinely so wonderful. Her character growth was so well thought out and I loved seeing how much she grew from the first book to the end of this.
”Not beyond redemption until you’re dead.”
If you haven’t already added this series to your TBR, you need to do so right this moment. Thank you to Jessica Jude for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!🫶🏼
Tropes/What to Expect
💎High society princess x bad boy biker
💎Disgruntled acquaintances to lovers
💎Witty banter
💎Touch her & die
💎Open door spice
Spice level -🌶️🌶️🌶️
I want to first thank Jessica Jude and her team for an advanced copy of the book! I feel as if I wouldn’t have found it otherwise, and I enjoyed the ride! That being said, this review was written voluntarily and reflects my genuine thoughts/feelings about Queen of Vengeance.
Lux is witty, charming and fierce. To the world, she is a rich, bratty, socialite. To Slate, she is putty in his hands and a soft, tender, woman.
Slate is rough, loyal and dedicated to the things + people he loves. He is broody and moody to everyone, even Lux (only most of the time).
However, I did not feel connected to these characters. I was even surprised that they felt connected to each other. Some of their moments felt like it came out of no where, and it was so oddly placed.
I just came off of reading an incredibly emotional 6 book series, so I don’t think I loved this book as much as I could have because of it. That being said, I did like the book! They’re both complex with great, original, back stories. My only negatives as far as plot goes is that most of it is VERY predictable, and there’s points of miscommunication which I loathe because you’re adults— please just talk. I found it interesting that even though this book is a slow burn, it felt incredibly fast paced. It felt like timeline constantly jumped ahead, and some scenes were often rushed.
A weird thing is that Slate described Lux’s eyes as brown several times, as well as referring to her long legs as brown. The character art shows her as a white woman with blue eyes which took me by surprise after reading the book. I think bronzed, tanned, or sunkissed would have been appropriate descriptors. Describing a character as “brown,” gives off the idea that the character is a POC, which the art doesn’t support.
The last two chapters of the book were actually my favorite. It was clever, and I loved the parallel from the first chapters. I also loved the way it eluded to the third book. Overall, I think this is a really easy read.
Lux is witty, charming and fierce. To the world, she is a rich, bratty, socialite. To Slate, she is putty in his hands and a soft, tender, woman.
Slate is rough, loyal and dedicated to the things + people he loves. He is broody and moody to everyone, even Lux (only most of the time).
However, I did not feel connected to these characters. I was even surprised that they felt connected to each other. Some of their moments felt like it came out of no where, and it was so oddly placed.
I just came off of reading an incredibly emotional 6 book series, so I don’t think I loved this book as much as I could have because of it. That being said, I did like the book! They’re both complex with great, original, back stories. My only negatives as far as plot goes is that most of it is VERY predictable, and there’s points of miscommunication which I loathe because you’re adults— please just talk. I found it interesting that even though this book is a slow burn, it felt incredibly fast paced. It felt like timeline constantly jumped ahead, and some scenes were often rushed.
A weird thing is that Slate described Lux’s eyes as brown several times, as well as referring to her long legs as brown. The character art shows her as a white woman with blue eyes which took me by surprise after reading the book. I think bronzed, tanned, or sunkissed would have been appropriate descriptors. Describing a character as “brown,” gives off the idea that the character is a POC, which the art doesn’t support.
The last two chapters of the book were actually my favorite. It was clever, and I loved the parallel from the first chapters. I also loved the way it eluded to the third book. Overall, I think this is a really easy read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
First and foremost, a huge thank you Jessica Jude for an ARC of this book. This was my first ARC read and I opted to read the first book (Ace of Betrayal) in this series before reading Queen of Vengeance. I'm glad I had some back story, but you don't have to read it to enjoy this book. I loved following the 2 main characters' story. Friendships were made, losses had me shedding some tears, and the love/hate dynamic was delicious. There is enough spice and suspense to keep you on your toes, and excited for more. I'm looking forward to reading Jessica's other books as well. Great reads!!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
Lux and Slate's story has fully taken over my mind!! I found Lux to be an interesting character in Ace of Betrayal but reading about her struggles and her quest for vengeance was exhilarating.
The bickering and banter between the main characters was delicious as they strike a deal that helps with their respective siblings. Lux is determined to save her brother from the clutches of substance abuse while Slate wants a firm diagnosis for his sister's mysterious illness. As the pain worked together, I giggled and gasped at the chemistry and tension as Lux became vulnerable and Slate into a sexy protector.
This is a phenomenal read and upped the ante from the previous book in the series. Lux's change from stoic socialite to vulnerable but fierce was nice to read. And Slate... Another fictional man that I drooled over.
*Huge thanks to Jessica for the early copy!!
The bickering and banter between the main characters was delicious as they strike a deal that helps with their respective siblings. Lux is determined to save her brother from the clutches of substance abuse while Slate wants a firm diagnosis for his sister's mysterious illness. As the pain worked together, I giggled and gasped at the chemistry and tension as Lux became vulnerable and Slate into a sexy protector.
This is a phenomenal read and upped the ante from the previous book in the series. Lux's change from stoic socialite to vulnerable but fierce was nice to read. And Slate... Another fictional man that I drooled over.
*Huge thanks to Jessica for the early copy!!