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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the reading goals that I have for 2023 is to read at least one author from every author that is going to be at the Sweetgrass Author event in 2024, and Shain Rose is one of the authors that is going to be there! I read Fractured Freedom by her last year and really loved it, and I saw a TikTok video hyping this duology, and I just could not wait to give this book a try. Overall I liked what was going on in it, but the romance wasn't really my favorite thing. I feel like it was really forced, and I just wanted more from it. However, Katalina is amazing, and I loved getting to see her learn how to stand up for herself, and it was just an incredible evolution for her in this one. This one does not end with a happily ever after, it is a duology, and things are supposed to wrap up in the next book, but I am way more curious about how she's going to step up and be a leader!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was insanely confused the entire book. Am I reading a love triangle? Or is this fake dating? Or is this Mafia? Or all of the above? Idk man. Imma read the next book bc I still like Rome and Katie lowkey but I'm confused. Also it took my like 6 days to read which has never happened with such a smaller book.
Damn. I rlly don’t know how to feel about this book. I loved Rome since ‘Inevitable’ and rlly could feel the possible love story between the two since then. At the same time I think the author messed up on a small piece of their story. In ‘Reverie’ Vick says that she walked in on them whilst they were on in bed (hence, had slept together) and in their timeline rn, Katie and Rome don’t sleep together until AFTER Vick and Jet get married. Nevertheless, that little detail did bug me a little.
I think the author’s writing has massively improved and I genuinely LOVED the first few scenes and the whole Cleopatra and Poe letter thing. Like I LOVE IT when the otp have something which just screams THEM. Also loved that from the get go they were meant to be (but at the same time it wasn’t overly emphasised)
Rome x Katie reminded me a lot of Gianna x Christian. (Though, I love the latter immensely more) In terms of the fact that she’s the passed around trophy and one that is drooled after and he’s the cold-ish one who’s tried to abstain from her charms for years. And at the end of the day, they both are these broken pieces that were meant to fix together. And no to mention the SAME chemistry of the ml going nuts and trying to protect her and the fl being a girl boss and tired of taking shit from men.
Let’s talk about Rome. I love that name. I love his tattoos. I loved that she got his words as tattoo, wish that was mentioned again though. I love the whole ‘if she bleeds, I bleed. And if she dies, I die” like this man is a all or nothing kind of guy and I’m LOVING IT! ALSO HE CRIED WHEN SHE LEFT. HE WAS FREAKING ON HIS KNEES CRYINGGGGGG AND DAMN I RLLY WANTED HER TO TURN AROUND AND SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL ON HIS KNEES BEGGING HER AND SHEDDING TEARS THAT IM SURE HE’S NEVER SHED BEFORE.
Also I genuinely like Bastien and can’t wait to read his story.
I think the author’s writing has massively improved and I genuinely LOVED the first few scenes and the whole Cleopatra and Poe letter thing. Like I LOVE IT when the otp have something which just screams THEM. Also loved that from the get go they were meant to be (but at the same time it wasn’t overly emphasised)
You realize I’m a mixed woman in a dark alley dressed like a hooker, and a cop with a loaded gun is asking me to step out of the car, right?” The hitch in her voice had me searching past the stone of her eyes, looking for the hint of fear. “I’m not scared, Rome. I’m pissed. I shouldn’t have to be scared, nor should any woman. The imbalance in power is what makes this all so sickening. No woman should have to be nervous when she’s stopped by a cop in the middle of the night.”I LOVED KATIE and whatever she stood for. Her childhood sucked top level and honestly I did get frustrated with her choosing to live SUCH a lifestyle and playing with her life as if it meant nothing. Her father killed himself so that she wouldn’t have to do such a thing. But then I realised that she was meant for this life. She was meant to be the woman to sacrifice her life to save the rest of women from doing the same. Unfortunately, there were times when I was annoyed at her like no other. Like at the end, I rlly wished she didn’t go in just for the sake of information. Like I just felt that happened just to extend the story and add a climatic shift. Like ok the idea of her mother being a Bratva princess was good but why didn’t Bratva act before (surely she was the arm candy of Bastien before as well) so why now?! Also the whole I am going into the enemies’s gang so that I could get more information on my parents and honestly I don’t know if my uncle is a nice guy who liked his sister and would treat me like his niece or is a psychotic leader who has messed up fetishes. Like this girl is going headfirst, in blind rage and I hate it. And she’s leaving Rome n all because she was never a part/equal of them. For which I think fair. But wasn’t that a good blackmail. Like tell Bastien, I could be a secret agent for you and get you info, in turn give me a role and power in your gang.
“I can’t do that,” I said. “Won’t let anyone else do it.” “So you’ll choose her over the family?” “She is my family. And I’m hers.”“More than this one?” he whispered.“More than any one,” I replied
Rome x Katie reminded me a lot of Gianna x Christian. (Though, I love the latter immensely more) In terms of the fact that she’s the passed around trophy and one that is drooled after and he’s the cold-ish one who’s tried to abstain from her charms for years. And at the end of the day, they both are these broken pieces that were meant to fix together. And no to mention the SAME chemistry of the ml going nuts and trying to protect her and the fl being a girl boss and tired of taking shit from men.
Let’s talk about Rome. I love that name. I love his tattoos. I loved that she got his words as tattoo, wish that was mentioned again though. I love the whole ‘if she bleeds, I bleed. And if she dies, I die” like this man is a all or nothing kind of guy and I’m LOVING IT! ALSO HE CRIED WHEN SHE LEFT. HE WAS FREAKING ON HIS KNEES CRYINGGGGGG AND DAMN I RLLY WANTED HER TO TURN AROUND AND SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL ON HIS KNEES BEGGING HER AND SHEDDING TEARS THAT IM SURE HE’S NEVER SHED BEFORE.
Also I genuinely like Bastien and can’t wait to read his story.
dark
emotional
slow-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
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not feel like reading when I read this book, which is a very good sign for me. I like how we got to see how Rome and Katie were thinking and how they navigated their feelings in combination with their trauma's.
The thing that I did not like was that the men in the book said so much 'Woman...' even Rome. It sounds very disrespectful. Maybe that was on purpose to show the underlying misogony that the men did not think was there and that there was reel equality.
The relationship between Katie and Rome was so explosive and intense as they described it themselves. It felt very fitting for their characters.
At the end when Katie realised she wanted to search for external approval, but knew it had first had to come from within was very interesting as there would be a new side unlocked from Katie. A side that does what she wants and who she is instead of the mold other people want to put her in.
I'll be reading the sequal to this book, my interested has been peeked to know how it will end.
The thing that I did not like was that the men in the book said so much 'Woman...' even Rome. It sounds very disrespectful. Maybe that was on purpose to show the underlying misogony that the men did not think was there and that there was reel equality.
The relationship between Katie and Rome was so explosive and intense as they described it themselves. It felt very fitting for their characters.
At the end when Katie realised she wanted to search for external approval, but knew it had first had to come from within was very interesting as there would be a new side unlocked from Katie. A side that does what she wants and who she is instead of the mold other people want to put her in.
I'll be reading the sequal to this book, my interested has been peeked to know how it will end.
Katie is trying to help her sick father find comfort in his last days. Her father knew the path she took will lead towards darkness she won’t be able to escape. When he warned her and told her to stop, she told him they needed the money. After his death, she was already mixed up with the wrong people, with no way out. Her father used to mow a mafia boss’s lawn, and they considered him family.
When she went to foster care after his death, the mafia used her as bait to get them the information they needed since she was already in the middle of a disaster bigger than she thought it to be. Her path kept crossing with the one guy who intrigued her ever since they first met. Rome’s darkness seemed to match her own. With the people whom she knew too much about after her, Katie and Rome get closer. When everyone else uses her as bait, she takes things into her own hands, trying to stop a human trafficking ring so other girls don’t do through the same pain.
I’m wasn’t sure how to feel about this one. The writing style got me confused at first. A few words and phrases are overused and repeated, as if forcing the reader to see the point. Katie is one hell of a confused woman. She wanted to belong, doing everything she could to fit into a world she wasn’t meant to be a part of. Rome was portrayed as the broody mafia man. The love triangle felt forced, and it only showed Katie’s confusion more. But it somehow fit her story, with her past and her role in the family.
I enjoyed reading about Rome’s past, and how he turned out the way he is. Once I got used to the writing style, I enjoyed it. The plot progresses in a way that makes the story move forward intriguingly, with a lot of plot twists that came out of nowhere. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I felt like something was missing.
Some topics mentioned in the book might be triggering.