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A review by kfriend
Restless Things by Samantha Lovelock
5.0
Welcome back to Folkestone, dear readers, where teenage angst and first love drama is nestled into an elite world of secrets, lies, complicated family legacies, and corrupted power. Poe and Stella found some closure in their romance- but the heirs world around them continues to madly spin on- and now our eyes are on the lovable besties that are still in the midst of their own messy love story- the charmingly enchanting Sunday and Payne.
While this story features a different couple than the first two Folkestone books, this shouldn’t be read as a standalone. Sunday and Payne’s romance begins two books ago, their history spanning long before those first pages, and the actions and events that happened in the prior duet are a very heavy part of Restless Things. This story doesn't’ miss a beat- it dives right back into the heirs drama, all of the elite intrigue and corruption that these young friends are deep in the thick of. Poe and Stella’s story left us with a giant cliffhanger that careened us straight into where this story began. Heirs secrets yet again dismantling the very fragile trust and security these teens have.
To be honest, I was surprised at how quickly we were getting some answers, as many secrets and mistruths are exposed early on in this story. And, while I love finding out answers, it left me a smidge unsettled- because nothing is as it seems in the heirs world. Did this mean that Sunday and Payne’s story was going to be less interwoven with heirs machinations? Or did that mean even deeper, darker, and more complicated secrets awaited? You’ll need to dig in to find out just what these truths mean for our core characters, but if we’ve learned anything by know it is that no relationship in this world is easy. Not even Payne and Sunday’s- not even the childhood best friends.
Of course, this love story is different from Poe and Stella’s because Sunday and Payne are best friends- friends who already know many of the light and dark aspects of one another’s stories. That makes the stakes of their connection higher - because exploring their complicated feelings means risking one of their only sources of comfort, one of their only safe places- their friendship. As I mentioned we get a lot of secrets exposed and some new information comes out early- and it left me wondering, then, just what was going to be the central drama of this story. But then I realized the tension Samantha is exploring in this leg of their romantic journey- because nothing is as dangerous, as risky, as destroying one of the only pure, safe, and true connections you have in a world of corruption and deceit. And that becomes a key source of angsty drama-and Samantha does something really smart, she recognizes these characters can’t truly explore that until they have a “beat”- until they have a moment.
While their stories have spanned multiple books, this is the first time we get to spend a book inside both of their heads. Flashbacks and quiet moments help us learn more about the circumstances that have shaped them, and a bit more about them as people. We still get Sunday’s feisty fierceness, but we also see a far more vulnerable character. And Payne’s heart is far more gentle and optimistic than I expected- he’s got a swoony quality to him. I love them both- and feel fiercely protective over them. After the ways they’ve shown up for their friends...and each other...these are two characters who deserve some peace...some happy. I don’t think we fully “know” them just yet either, so I’m excited to continue to dig deeper into them both in the next book.
Yet again Samantha proves herself as an artist of the written word- this story is just beautifully scribed. Evocative imagery and meticulous emotional tension permeate the pages- and like the prior books in the series, Samantha really artfully juxtaposes tone to create a dynamic experience- the familiar warmth of these friends contrats so vividly with the foreboding melancholy of the world around them. The flashbacks in particular are powerfully engaging, and, until our epic final few scenes, they really serve as the story’s emotional center and key lever for characterization.
Just when I think I get what this story is going to be about, we are very quickly catapulted over the edge of a cliffy that I was not quite anticipating- and I’m still trying to figure out just what I think about it and what it means for the broader narrative of this couple. But I do know I’ll be anxiously awaiting the story that is next- because these two are so dear, and I will do anything for them to find an HEA.
4.5 stars
While this story features a different couple than the first two Folkestone books, this shouldn’t be read as a standalone. Sunday and Payne’s romance begins two books ago, their history spanning long before those first pages, and the actions and events that happened in the prior duet are a very heavy part of Restless Things. This story doesn't’ miss a beat- it dives right back into the heirs drama, all of the elite intrigue and corruption that these young friends are deep in the thick of. Poe and Stella’s story left us with a giant cliffhanger that careened us straight into where this story began. Heirs secrets yet again dismantling the very fragile trust and security these teens have.
To be honest, I was surprised at how quickly we were getting some answers, as many secrets and mistruths are exposed early on in this story. And, while I love finding out answers, it left me a smidge unsettled- because nothing is as it seems in the heirs world. Did this mean that Sunday and Payne’s story was going to be less interwoven with heirs machinations? Or did that mean even deeper, darker, and more complicated secrets awaited? You’ll need to dig in to find out just what these truths mean for our core characters, but if we’ve learned anything by know it is that no relationship in this world is easy. Not even Payne and Sunday’s- not even the childhood best friends.
Of course, this love story is different from Poe and Stella’s because Sunday and Payne are best friends- friends who already know many of the light and dark aspects of one another’s stories. That makes the stakes of their connection higher - because exploring their complicated feelings means risking one of their only sources of comfort, one of their only safe places- their friendship. As I mentioned we get a lot of secrets exposed and some new information comes out early- and it left me wondering, then, just what was going to be the central drama of this story. But then I realized the tension Samantha is exploring in this leg of their romantic journey- because nothing is as dangerous, as risky, as destroying one of the only pure, safe, and true connections you have in a world of corruption and deceit. And that becomes a key source of angsty drama-and Samantha does something really smart, she recognizes these characters can’t truly explore that until they have a “beat”- until they have a moment.
While their stories have spanned multiple books, this is the first time we get to spend a book inside both of their heads. Flashbacks and quiet moments help us learn more about the circumstances that have shaped them, and a bit more about them as people. We still get Sunday’s feisty fierceness, but we also see a far more vulnerable character. And Payne’s heart is far more gentle and optimistic than I expected- he’s got a swoony quality to him. I love them both- and feel fiercely protective over them. After the ways they’ve shown up for their friends...and each other...these are two characters who deserve some peace...some happy. I don’t think we fully “know” them just yet either, so I’m excited to continue to dig deeper into them both in the next book.
Yet again Samantha proves herself as an artist of the written word- this story is just beautifully scribed. Evocative imagery and meticulous emotional tension permeate the pages- and like the prior books in the series, Samantha really artfully juxtaposes tone to create a dynamic experience- the familiar warmth of these friends contrats so vividly with the foreboding melancholy of the world around them. The flashbacks in particular are powerfully engaging, and, until our epic final few scenes, they really serve as the story’s emotional center and key lever for characterization.
Just when I think I get what this story is going to be about, we are very quickly catapulted over the edge of a cliffy that I was not quite anticipating- and I’m still trying to figure out just what I think about it and what it means for the broader narrative of this couple. But I do know I’ll be anxiously awaiting the story that is next- because these two are so dear, and I will do anything for them to find an HEA.
4.5 stars