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A review by kfriend
Fallen Rose by Amelia Wilde
5.0
WHAT AN EPIC FINALE!! Amelia has saved her most intoxicating, beguiling, and spellbinding book in this trilogy for last- the perfect conclusion to this erotic, sensual, and deliciously dark beauty and the beast masterpiece. I was transfixed from the first word to the last, desperate for our star crossed lovers to find a way to conquer the evilest of Constantines, but even more desperate for our beauty and our beast to be free of their pain.
Like Haley, I’m a captive- completely owned by the intoxicating dark magnificence of Leo Morelli. HE IS EVERYTHING. Hands down Amelia’s most compelling and nuanced hero to date. And, the Morelli beast is ironically the soonest Midnight Dynasty leaning man of all. Amelia has created such a profound and compelling character evolution for this long-suffering, tortured man. In this finale, we see the full spectrum of what makes Leo Morelli- from the savage, ruthless, carnal urges of his repressed beastly nature to the altruistic, unconditional, pure love he oozes as he selflessly sacrifices for his family and Haley. But we see the entirety of the man in this conclusion, and he is breathtaking. Whereas the fabled beast wore his beastly guise as the result of a curse, Leo has donned his beastly persona of choice. He’s created a weaponized visage that protects him from exposing his pain, his trauma, his heart. But now we see the most beautiful, soul shattering aspect of this man- his vulnerability. And while we still have our alpha, dominant, possessive Morelli king, we also have a wounded, gentle, devastating besotted hero. Amelia gives us both beast and prince- and THIS IS HOW YOU EVOLVE A CHARACTER! I was transfixed by every word. His past broke my heart, but his arrestingly beautiful way of loving Haley shattered it completely. The power of his heart was truly breathtaking, I felt his pain and devotion in my very soul. Our prior books helped us understand his dimension, but now Leo has to come to terms with all parts of himself. And it’s less about harnessing the beast, and more about accepting his goodness. He has to expose all of himself, and sweet and solid Haley loves him for every piece.
“I’m the beast now. The nightmare….
I see you for what you are. You’re a prince. My prince.”
Haley is his perfect match- the light to his dark, the submissive to his need for control. I loved how unwavering she is- she knows what and who she wants, and she never falters. Despite the countless obstacles her family and the vicious matriarch Caroline Constanine throw her way. She’s so pure of heart, but she’s not naive. She doesn’t want to tame the beast- she wants to accept and love him, and she also wants to help him see that he’s more than that. And in doing so, we also see her blossom, as his partner, as his equal. We see her become more than the poor Constantine captive, the pawn. I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft- but she also is POWERFUL. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with SO much emotional dimension, because they finally are emotionally bare to one another. Completely honest, exposed, and it only strengthens their connection.
While the story has certainly veered from its beauty and the beast beginnings, Amelia finds ways to keep nodding at the themes of the original, but with her own brilliant twist. Our climatic is her best and most impactful referential moment of the entire series- I literally could not breathe I was so consumed by emotion. And, like our second story, this book is more metaphysical in focus- about the emotional wrestling these characters are doing with themselves, so our story remains deliciously meta. You feel so intimately connected to them both. And the prose is beautifully composed.
And just when I was lamenting that this engrossing story was turning its final page for good, Amelia gifts us with an epilogue that sets us up for a spin-off that has me SALIVATING. One that I can only hope gives me a chance to dance just a little while longer with the beauty and her beast. By far one of the best stories yet in the Midnight Dynasty world, and one of my favorite Amelia Wilde series ever.
Like Haley, I’m a captive- completely owned by the intoxicating dark magnificence of Leo Morelli. HE IS EVERYTHING. Hands down Amelia’s most compelling and nuanced hero to date. And, the Morelli beast is ironically the soonest Midnight Dynasty leaning man of all. Amelia has created such a profound and compelling character evolution for this long-suffering, tortured man. In this finale, we see the full spectrum of what makes Leo Morelli- from the savage, ruthless, carnal urges of his repressed beastly nature to the altruistic, unconditional, pure love he oozes as he selflessly sacrifices for his family and Haley. But we see the entirety of the man in this conclusion, and he is breathtaking. Whereas the fabled beast wore his beastly guise as the result of a curse, Leo has donned his beastly persona of choice. He’s created a weaponized visage that protects him from exposing his pain, his trauma, his heart. But now we see the most beautiful, soul shattering aspect of this man- his vulnerability. And while we still have our alpha, dominant, possessive Morelli king, we also have a wounded, gentle, devastating besotted hero. Amelia gives us both beast and prince- and THIS IS HOW YOU EVOLVE A CHARACTER! I was transfixed by every word. His past broke my heart, but his arrestingly beautiful way of loving Haley shattered it completely. The power of his heart was truly breathtaking, I felt his pain and devotion in my very soul. Our prior books helped us understand his dimension, but now Leo has to come to terms with all parts of himself. And it’s less about harnessing the beast, and more about accepting his goodness. He has to expose all of himself, and sweet and solid Haley loves him for every piece.
“I’m the beast now. The nightmare….
I see you for what you are. You’re a prince. My prince.”
Haley is his perfect match- the light to his dark, the submissive to his need for control. I loved how unwavering she is- she knows what and who she wants, and she never falters. Despite the countless obstacles her family and the vicious matriarch Caroline Constanine throw her way. She’s so pure of heart, but she’s not naive. She doesn’t want to tame the beast- she wants to accept and love him, and she also wants to help him see that he’s more than that. And in doing so, we also see her blossom, as his partner, as his equal. We see her become more than the poor Constantine captive, the pawn. I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft- but she also is POWERFUL. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with SO much emotional dimension, because they finally are emotionally bare to one another. Completely honest, exposed, and it only strengthens their connection.
While the story has certainly veered from its beauty and the beast beginnings, Amelia finds ways to keep nodding at the themes of the original, but with her own brilliant twist. Our climatic is her best and most impactful referential moment of the entire series- I literally could not breathe I was so consumed by emotion. And, like our second story, this book is more metaphysical in focus- about the emotional wrestling these characters are doing with themselves, so our story remains deliciously meta. You feel so intimately connected to them both. And the prose is beautifully composed.
And just when I was lamenting that this engrossing story was turning its final page for good, Amelia gifts us with an epilogue that sets us up for a spin-off that has me SALIVATING. One that I can only hope gives me a chance to dance just a little while longer with the beauty and her beast. By far one of the best stories yet in the Midnight Dynasty world, and one of my favorite Amelia Wilde series ever.