Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - A Power Unbound

I was quite nervous going into this one. I really enjoyed the first book, and had some significant issues with the second book, so I was afraid this was going to be a similar issue, especially when I saw it was hate to love.

Thankfully, I did end up enjoying it. I think book 1 focused 60/40 on the romance vs plot, book 2 was 30/70, and book 3 is 50/50. Book 1 is a Sunshine/Grump (a trope I love), book 2 is a murder mystery with a side of holiday romance, and book 3 is hate to love (a trope I don't usually enjoy)

Both as an individual book, as well as the conclusion to the trilogy, I think this did a really good job. I liked the character growth we got between Alan and Jake as we/they found out more about each other. I also appreciated that they, like Edward and Robin, got on the same page with a good amount of the book left (~50-60% as opposed to Violet and Maude who didn't manage that until the very end, and ended their book with me unsure if they would keep seeing each other let alone have a HFN never mind a HEA)

From a fantasy perspective, I loved how much worldbuilding we got in this book. Seeing the exploration of the magic was fascinating and definitely increased my enjoyment.

I'm very happy where this trilogy left off, and I'll be interested to see what Marske puts out next - these have all pulled a little more angsty then my personal preference, but the quality is amazing so depending on tropes I'll give the next thing a shot.

Not quite a content warning, but the sexual encounters are all rape fantasies. The two characters have explicite concent and boundaries discussed prior, however if power imbalances and "not" being able to say no is a trigger, I would suggest skipping this.

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hailstorm3812's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

I think this book got caught up in the amount of plot ground to cover that it tended to lose sight of the romance. The two genres tended to feel very distant in a way that they other books didn't. I liked both the plot and the romance but I think it could have felt more relevant. I do think it did a good job of tying everything up in the end, which so many series struggle with, while also leaving it open to the possibility of another series. Also three times is a pattern and the bonding of every couple over erotica is so funny. I love the way romance authors tell on themselves.

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ladythana's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

5.0

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jencolumb0's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.25

I was really excited to read Jack’s story but found it hard to stan him and Alan, which made this book a less-gripping read than the first two. I understood why it had to be the person in Alan’s role to advance the social commentary the author wanted to weave in (and think the kink elements woven in are a clear way to explore those dynamics with some heat) but he and Jack always *felt* half a step off from one another even if the plain meaning of the words didn’t reflect it. Somehow, there managed to be a lack of chemistry between two thoroughly fictional people who worked well in theory. I have yet to put my finger on why, exactly, but it is what stopped me from giving this book a full five stars.

Anyway, this is not a book you can step into without reading the first two so, um, don’t. Know that it is bloodier than the first two but delivers a satisfying resolution across the board . . . which makes it worth reading even if it’s not as easy to gobble up as the first two. I’m looking forward to reading what Marske takes on next.

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I've gone back and forth on the rating for this one, but I think I'll settle in at a 4. I *loved* the first book and though I didn't enjoy the second one nearly as much when I was reading it, I think of it with fondness and positivity now. I suspect it will be the same with this one. The world remains fascinating (I would definitely read more in this setting!), the characters are captivating, the Edwardian found family vibe is pretty perfect, and the whole theme of consent as it applies personally between partners and broadly in the system of magic and political power is clever and intriguing. The relationship dynamics and humor didn't really connect for me in books two and three, though I liked the individual characters well enough. Also, "levels of steaminess" is a completely subjective measure, but I think readers may want to know that this one follows the trajectory of book two and, on my scale at least, moves from "mildly steamy, mostly sweet and swoony romantic fantasy" in book one to "kinda spicy, unapologetically kinky romantic fantasy" in book three. There's a lot of fantasy story line to wrap up, so it doesn't become ALL about Hawthorne and Ross's relationship, but it's a significant part of the story.

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