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496 reviews
Twisted Little Truths by Elle Thorpe
The secrets are starting to come out and Lacey doesn't know how to handle them. The maliciousness of Owen is starting to weigh on Lacey and she devises a plan to finally catch him in the act of date raping girls so that her sheriff daddy can't do anything to refute the claims. But Owen is nothing if not prepared for the unknown. Lacey has to free Colt's ex-girlfriend from Owen's abusive clutches, protect the women of her town, find her uncle's killer, deal with the sudden appearance of her birth mother, and wrangle the three men who she has given her heart to. She's got a lot of work ahead of her.
Owen was the perfect antichrist, er, I mean antagonist. He was evil with zero redeemable characteristics. He was an abuser, a womanizer, and completely at odds with the soft-spoken Owen we met in the first book. I was so desperate to see him get what he deserved. He definitely deserved nothing less. When Lacey and him had this next face-to-face meeting alone, I thought that was the end for our female protagonist. The situation was gearing up to get her seriously hurt and when her surprise revelation, the whole thing became even more dicey.
As the plot unfolds and the enemies we knew became allies and vice versa, I didn't know who's side I was suppose to be on in any given moment. Lacey's birth mom left her but for good reason. Lacey's uncle who treated her like a princess was anything but the debonair king she would expected. Her beloved and accepting Banjo may have bitten off more than he can chew. And her aunt may have had ulterior movies we never would have even guessed. Thorpe had a wonderful way of twisting her characters and making their morality questionable and uncertain from one page to the next.
The happy ending was everything I would have hoped for. Except I would have wished Owen had more to do with Lacey's uncle's death so that he would have even more punishment for being an asshat. Twisted Little Truths was the contented sigh cherry on top of a magnificently delicious series.
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3.0
The secrets are starting to come out and Lacey doesn't know how to handle them. The maliciousness of Owen is starting to weigh on Lacey and she devises a plan to finally catch him in the act of date raping girls so that her sheriff daddy can't do anything to refute the claims. But Owen is nothing if not prepared for the unknown. Lacey has to free Colt's ex-girlfriend from Owen's abusive clutches, protect the women of her town, find her uncle's killer, deal with the sudden appearance of her birth mother, and wrangle the three men who she has given her heart to. She's got a lot of work ahead of her.
Owen was the perfect antichrist, er, I mean antagonist. He was evil with zero redeemable characteristics. He was an abuser, a womanizer, and completely at odds with the soft-spoken Owen we met in the first book. I was so desperate to see him get what he deserved. He definitely deserved nothing less. When Lacey and him had this next face-to-face meeting alone, I thought that was the end for our female protagonist. The situation was gearing up to get her seriously hurt and when her surprise revelation, the whole thing became even more dicey.
As the plot unfolds and the enemies we knew became allies and vice versa, I didn't know who's side I was suppose to be on in any given moment. Lacey's birth mom left her but for good reason. Lacey's uncle who treated her like a princess was anything but the debonair king she would expected. Her beloved and accepting Banjo may have bitten off more than he can chew. And her aunt may have had ulterior movies we never would have even guessed. Thorpe had a wonderful way of twisting her characters and making their morality questionable and uncertain from one page to the next.
The happy ending was everything I would have hoped for. Except I would have wished Owen had more to do with Lacey's uncle's death so that he would have even more punishment for being an asshat. Twisted Little Truths was the contented sigh cherry on top of a magnificently delicious series.
Devious Little Liars by Elle Thorpe
Lacey's life was perfect until it quite literally went up in flames. As the flames licked over her skin as she struggled to save the only father figure she had ever known, she thought that was end. Until a hard body scooped her from the ground and carried her to safety. This same man may have been the man who set the fire and killed her beloved uncle. The only thing that is keeping Lacey on her feet is the thought of avenging the man who raised her and bringing the guilty culprit to justice. That night the man that carried her to safety was wearing an unmistakable shirt with SVHF embroidered on it. Saint View High Football. To find her uncle's murderer she enrolled in the school hoping to shake free the guilty party.
Along the way she meets Banjo, Rafe, and Colt. Banjo with his easy-going demeanor was an instant connection. One that she was hard-pressed to let go of, even if Banjo's best friend, Colt, has deemed her an undesirable. She is to be forced out of the school as soon as possible and none of the Untouchables are to be involved with her. But Banjo and even his slighter harder to win-over friend Rafe struggle with their desire for Lacey and their loyalty to Colt.
But are Rafe and Banjo's feelings genuine or are they playing her for a fool? Why does Colt want her out so badly? Why would her uncle's murderer save her like he did? What could drive someone to murder an innocent man? Lacey will need to find the answers to all these questions and also stomach the betrayal at the hands of someone she thought she cared for.
I absolutely loved this book. I was a little nervous when there was a little love interest between two of the boys. I am not a huge fan of the whole "crossing swords" aspect. I mean, if it's in a group atmosphere, sure. But them having a separate relationship just them without the female protagonist makes me kinda squirmy. Hey, I can't help how I feel. We all have our literary lines.
Lacey was a delightful female protagonist. She was strong-willed and quick-witted. She didn't let anyone talk down to her without a snappy comeback quick on her tongue. She didn't let her perceived superiority go to her head. She didn't see any of the other students as the 'poor kids'. She knew her past had not always been glamorous and that grounded her. She was able to see the poor conditions of the boys she desired and instead of turn her nose up at them, she strove to help and support the best ways she could. Savior complex? Maybe a bit. But some of them deserved to be saved.
The cliffhanger in this book is gut-wrenching. You will need to have the second book on standby or you will face a book hangover unlike any you may have ever experienced. I know my fingers never flew across my tablet as fast as they did to request the 2nd book off Kindle Unlimited.
Devious Little Liars is the start of a truly stellar trilogy about classism, sexual exploration, and the pursuit of love in the face of betrayal and devastation.
4.0
Lacey's life was perfect until it quite literally went up in flames. As the flames licked over her skin as she struggled to save the only father figure she had ever known, she thought that was end. Until a hard body scooped her from the ground and carried her to safety. This same man may have been the man who set the fire and killed her beloved uncle. The only thing that is keeping Lacey on her feet is the thought of avenging the man who raised her and bringing the guilty culprit to justice. That night the man that carried her to safety was wearing an unmistakable shirt with SVHF embroidered on it. Saint View High Football. To find her uncle's murderer she enrolled in the school hoping to shake free the guilty party.
Along the way she meets Banjo, Rafe, and Colt. Banjo with his easy-going demeanor was an instant connection. One that she was hard-pressed to let go of, even if Banjo's best friend, Colt, has deemed her an undesirable. She is to be forced out of the school as soon as possible and none of the Untouchables are to be involved with her. But Banjo and even his slighter harder to win-over friend Rafe struggle with their desire for Lacey and their loyalty to Colt.
But are Rafe and Banjo's feelings genuine or are they playing her for a fool? Why does Colt want her out so badly? Why would her uncle's murderer save her like he did? What could drive someone to murder an innocent man? Lacey will need to find the answers to all these questions and also stomach the betrayal at the hands of someone she thought she cared for.
I absolutely loved this book. I was a little nervous when there was a little love interest between two of the boys. I am not a huge fan of the whole "crossing swords" aspect. I mean, if it's in a group atmosphere, sure. But them having a separate relationship just them without the female protagonist makes me kinda squirmy. Hey, I can't help how I feel. We all have our literary lines.
Lacey was a delightful female protagonist. She was strong-willed and quick-witted. She didn't let anyone talk down to her without a snappy comeback quick on her tongue. She didn't let her perceived superiority go to her head. She didn't see any of the other students as the 'poor kids'. She knew her past had not always been glamorous and that grounded her. She was able to see the poor conditions of the boys she desired and instead of turn her nose up at them, she strove to help and support the best ways she could. Savior complex? Maybe a bit. But some of them deserved to be saved.
The cliffhanger in this book is gut-wrenching. You will need to have the second book on standby or you will face a book hangover unlike any you may have ever experienced. I know my fingers never flew across my tablet as fast as they did to request the 2nd book off Kindle Unlimited.
Devious Little Liars is the start of a truly stellar trilogy about classism, sexual exploration, and the pursuit of love in the face of betrayal and devastation.
Knockout Queen by E.M. Moore
Kyla's world is unraveling. Johnny has been taken from her and is being subjected to torture and torment. She has to lean on her other lovers to gather her strength to continue on as if nothing is wrong. Keeping herself in the good graces of Daddy K is becoming exhausting and she is starting to wonder if she is actually ever going to get the opportunity to exact her revenge or whether it's even worth it anymore. Perhaps she should gather her men and make a break for it. But to do that she would need to first find Johnny. Magnum, Brawler, and Oscar are willing to do anything she needs to find Johnny and take the pain out of her eyes. But will they get to him in time?
It is no secret that Gregory has made Kyla his prime target, perhaps if she is made available for the taking, they will be able to find their way back to Johnny as Gregory is the most likely suspect of his capture. But to do so she will have to step out of the protective embrace of her Crew men and risk it all.
The twists in this book gave me whiplash. Between the rival gangs threatening her existence and Daddy K and his tests for both Brawler and Kyla, there is a constant need for plotting and planning within their family. Whether it was trying to track down kidnapped Johnny, keeping Brawler on the straight and narrow for his initiations, or even just keeping her relationship with any of the men from getting out within the Crew, there was never a dull moment.
I wanted so badly to see Daddy K's demise. He was the most loathsome character I have ever encountered. Between his absolute hatred for women and his psychopath tendencies, I was counting the days until Kyla finally put a bullet in his head. But the more roadblocks the man put up in the way, the more frustrated I became. WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! I was also worried how if Kyla did take him out how that would effect Johnny. Hard to stomach your girlfriend killing your father even if he is an abusive asshole of a man.
Knockout Queen was definitely the best wrap-up book I have read. It flowed well and didn't resolve issues quickly when the end of the book was approaching. It was the perfect ending to a perfectly delightful series.
4.0
Kyla's world is unraveling. Johnny has been taken from her and is being subjected to torture and torment. She has to lean on her other lovers to gather her strength to continue on as if nothing is wrong. Keeping herself in the good graces of Daddy K is becoming exhausting and she is starting to wonder if she is actually ever going to get the opportunity to exact her revenge or whether it's even worth it anymore. Perhaps she should gather her men and make a break for it. But to do that she would need to first find Johnny. Magnum, Brawler, and Oscar are willing to do anything she needs to find Johnny and take the pain out of her eyes. But will they get to him in time?
It is no secret that Gregory has made Kyla his prime target, perhaps if she is made available for the taking, they will be able to find their way back to Johnny as Gregory is the most likely suspect of his capture. But to do so she will have to step out of the protective embrace of her Crew men and risk it all.
The twists in this book gave me whiplash. Between the rival gangs threatening her existence and Daddy K and his tests for both Brawler and Kyla, there is a constant need for plotting and planning within their family. Whether it was trying to track down kidnapped Johnny, keeping Brawler on the straight and narrow for his initiations, or even just keeping her relationship with any of the men from getting out within the Crew, there was never a dull moment.
I wanted so badly to see Daddy K's demise. He was the most loathsome character I have ever encountered. Between his absolute hatred for women and his psychopath tendencies, I was counting the days until Kyla finally put a bullet in his head. But the more roadblocks the man put up in the way, the more frustrated I became. WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! I was also worried how if Kyla did take him out how that would effect Johnny. Hard to stomach your girlfriend killing your father even if he is an abusive asshole of a man.
Knockout Queen was definitely the best wrap-up book I have read. It flowed well and didn't resolve issues quickly when the end of the book was approaching. It was the perfect ending to a perfectly delightful series.
Beautiful Soldier by E.M. Moore
After a car wreck lands Kyla in the hospital she is told she is being arrested for the murder of a small girl. After the rival gang riot her apartment was ransacked and the gun she had reserved for her revenge was stolen. That same gun was used to commit the crime and blame Kyla for it as her fingerprints were present. When Beautiful Soldier starts Kyla is being put their an excruciating physical therapy session with a therapist who has no soft spot for suspected child murderers. All she can do is wait and see if the Crew's pull can free her from her frame job. But it's Magnum who is keeping tabs on her more than the rest. He feels responsible as he was driving the car that caused her to break her arm and suffer a bad concussion. Eventually Kyla and free to return to the tower only to find out that the amount of enemies is growing.
Now not only are they combatting the stragglers of the rival gang Daddy K disbanded with a bullet to the leader's head, but now one of their own is recruiting other Crew members to form his own gang. This gang is set on unseating Daddy K and showing how weak the Crew actually is. With that in mind, a new recruit is brought in to raise the numbers of the Crew: Brawler. And his first initiation test? To fight in the ring with his best fighter. Kyla. If she beats him, he loses his ability to join the Crew and possibly his life. If she wins, Brawler has to live with the fact that he had to beat his girlfriend unconscious. Could one more thing be added to Kyla's ever filling plate?
I loved getting a chance to see Magnum as more than a mostly background character. He was always there but was always simply providing his strength when needed, backing Johnny, and protecting Kyla. There was no way to see what he was feeling behind his shadowed gaze. Until he opens his mouth. Then you get to see the heart underneath all the tactical gear. He has always been accepting of Kyla's dynamic with the other guys. He just wants a place beside her. I feel all the guys are willing to protect Kyla as best they can but only Magnum would truly die for her without a second thought.
We also get to see Kyla and Johnny fall deeper for each other despite Johnny's father wanting them to keep their distance. They can't seem to help themselves which makes their relationship that much hotter. The secrecy of all the affairs going on is enough to make your head spin. But they're all delightfully potent in each of their own ways.
5.0
After a car wreck lands Kyla in the hospital she is told she is being arrested for the murder of a small girl. After the rival gang riot her apartment was ransacked and the gun she had reserved for her revenge was stolen. That same gun was used to commit the crime and blame Kyla for it as her fingerprints were present. When Beautiful Soldier starts Kyla is being put their an excruciating physical therapy session with a therapist who has no soft spot for suspected child murderers. All she can do is wait and see if the Crew's pull can free her from her frame job. But it's Magnum who is keeping tabs on her more than the rest. He feels responsible as he was driving the car that caused her to break her arm and suffer a bad concussion. Eventually Kyla and free to return to the tower only to find out that the amount of enemies is growing.
Now not only are they combatting the stragglers of the rival gang Daddy K disbanded with a bullet to the leader's head, but now one of their own is recruiting other Crew members to form his own gang. This gang is set on unseating Daddy K and showing how weak the Crew actually is. With that in mind, a new recruit is brought in to raise the numbers of the Crew: Brawler. And his first initiation test? To fight in the ring with his best fighter. Kyla. If she beats him, he loses his ability to join the Crew and possibly his life. If she wins, Brawler has to live with the fact that he had to beat his girlfriend unconscious. Could one more thing be added to Kyla's ever filling plate?
I loved getting a chance to see Magnum as more than a mostly background character. He was always there but was always simply providing his strength when needed, backing Johnny, and protecting Kyla. There was no way to see what he was feeling behind his shadowed gaze. Until he opens his mouth. Then you get to see the heart underneath all the tactical gear. He has always been accepting of Kyla's dynamic with the other guys. He just wants a place beside her. I feel all the guys are willing to protect Kyla as best they can but only Magnum would truly die for her without a second thought.
We also get to see Kyla and Johnny fall deeper for each other despite Johnny's father wanting them to keep their distance. They can't seem to help themselves which makes their relationship that much hotter. The secrecy of all the affairs going on is enough to make your head spin. But they're all delightfully potent in each of their own ways.
Arm Candy Warrior by E.M. Moore
Things are getting deeper between Kyla and her men. While Johnny is still under Daddy K's thumb, the other guys are starting to show their unhappiness within the Crew's ranks. Now it seems that not only does Kyla feel she needs to exact her revenge, but she needs to free the men she is developing feelings for of the chains that bind them to the Crew. But until she can do so, she has to play along. She will fight whoever Daddy K decides even if it means the most prominent male fighter of a rival gang. If she wins, it will secure an alliance between the Crew and the other gang. If she loses... well, she can't lose.
Finding a gym to train for her upcoming fight leads her into a comfortable comradery with the gym owners and an excuse to spend more time with Oscar and Brawler. As she spends more time with them she starts to learn more about their lives. Brawler is no longer happy living in the shadow of her dead siblings. Between her dead Crew member brother and drive-by victim sister, his mother has been unable to pull herself out of her depression. Brawler can't help his mother in the Heights. He needs to get her out to get her help. And Oscar has a drug addict for a mother who is destined to fall further and further down the drain if she remains in the Heights. Both men have mothers who will not survive if they remain in the Heights. Kyla has to get them out and get them free when she achieves her goal.
It also seems that Kyla is starting to view Magnum as much more than the protector of her when Johnny is not around. His heated looks are starting to become more and more obvious to her and she can't help feeling much the same for her favorite bodyguard. But Magnum has a loyalty to Johnny that the other two men don't have. Magnum and Johnny are virtually best friends and chasing your best friend's girl is not done without an abundance of guilt accompanying it.
Getting to see Kyla's relationships grow more substantially past the initial attraction is great to see. Oscar is more than the witty clown and Brawler is more than the bleeding heart love muffin. Magnum is touched on but not explored fully and Johnny is starting to be tamed slowly but surely by the affection of Kyla.
The thing I enjoy most about this series so far is that the twists in the story are not apparent until the very last cliffhanger page in the book. It's got a way of sneaking up on you and shocking you completely. But there are hints of these soul-crushing situations occurring but unless you know what's coming you can't guess what's to happen. I love stories you can think back on situations and have an "ahha! So that's what that actually meant!" sentiment.
I am really enjoying the Heights Crew series and am anxious to see where Kyla and her Heights Boys' stories go.
4.0
Things are getting deeper between Kyla and her men. While Johnny is still under Daddy K's thumb, the other guys are starting to show their unhappiness within the Crew's ranks. Now it seems that not only does Kyla feel she needs to exact her revenge, but she needs to free the men she is developing feelings for of the chains that bind them to the Crew. But until she can do so, she has to play along. She will fight whoever Daddy K decides even if it means the most prominent male fighter of a rival gang. If she wins, it will secure an alliance between the Crew and the other gang. If she loses... well, she can't lose.
Finding a gym to train for her upcoming fight leads her into a comfortable comradery with the gym owners and an excuse to spend more time with Oscar and Brawler. As she spends more time with them she starts to learn more about their lives. Brawler is no longer happy living in the shadow of her dead siblings. Between her dead Crew member brother and drive-by victim sister, his mother has been unable to pull herself out of her depression. Brawler can't help his mother in the Heights. He needs to get her out to get her help. And Oscar has a drug addict for a mother who is destined to fall further and further down the drain if she remains in the Heights. Both men have mothers who will not survive if they remain in the Heights. Kyla has to get them out and get them free when she achieves her goal.
It also seems that Kyla is starting to view Magnum as much more than the protector of her when Johnny is not around. His heated looks are starting to become more and more obvious to her and she can't help feeling much the same for her favorite bodyguard. But Magnum has a loyalty to Johnny that the other two men don't have. Magnum and Johnny are virtually best friends and chasing your best friend's girl is not done without an abundance of guilt accompanying it.
Getting to see Kyla's relationships grow more substantially past the initial attraction is great to see. Oscar is more than the witty clown and Brawler is more than the bleeding heart love muffin. Magnum is touched on but not explored fully and Johnny is starting to be tamed slowly but surely by the affection of Kyla.
The thing I enjoy most about this series so far is that the twists in the story are not apparent until the very last cliffhanger page in the book. It's got a way of sneaking up on you and shocking you completely. But there are hints of these soul-crushing situations occurring but unless you know what's coming you can't guess what's to happen. I love stories you can think back on situations and have an "ahha! So that's what that actually meant!" sentiment.
I am really enjoying the Heights Crew series and am anxious to see where Kyla and her Heights Boys' stories go.
Uppercut Princess by E.M. Moore
Kyla comes to the Heights to find the man who murdered her parents in cold blood and exact her revenge. To do so she must put on an act that she is a meek and defenseless girl until she is forced into the boxing ring to prove herself before the son of Heights Crew. It is there that she catches the interest of Johnny Rocket which starts Kyla on the road she had hoped to travel down. But what she wasn't expecting was to actually find herself attracted to Johnny, let alone to the buff fight organizer, Brawler, the quarterback turned Crew member, Oscar, or the stoically silent bodyguard, Magnum as well. It would see that Kyla now has to not only find her way to rise to the top of the Crew to get her hands on her parents' murderer but also deal with the growing feelings for all the men in her new life.
Kyla is presented with ample opportunities to drop her mission and escape the talons of the Heights Crew crime organization, but her thirst for revenge will not be sated in anything but the life blood of her enemy. Johnny has made his claim on her very apparent and the gilded cage that comes with that claim causes Kyla to buckle in her resolve. Add to that the fact that Johnny has made it abundantly clear that he is not the sharing type, leaves Kyla wondering about her feelings for the other men. Does she owe loyalty to her captor? Is the attraction worth the risk of all their lives? And should Kyla even be focused on her infatuations when her aim is death and destruction?
I honestly have never seen a reverse harem where all parties weren't on board. Watching Kyla sneak around behind Johnny's back was equal parts upsetting because (cheater!) of her ties to Johnny but also exhilarating. I loved the dynamics of all the men. Brawler was the sentimental lovey-dovey type, Oscar was the comic relief, Magnum was the strong silent type, and Johnny was the alpha male. By now we can all gather I like the strong silent type so I'm a Magnum type of girl, but Oscar's sense of humor is infectious. I was glad to see Kyla was unable to fight getting to know the other guys better despite the betrayal to Johnny.
The first book set the stage for twists and turns the likes of which I can only imagine happening at this point. I loved the connections between characters, the savior complex Kyla has in the face of her thirst for revenge, and the dynamic of the Heights Crew having control of the entirety of the town even down to the hierarchy in the local high school.
Uppercut Princess is the story of one girl's mission of death shifting to a mission of mercy when encountering the potential for love.
4.0
Kyla comes to the Heights to find the man who murdered her parents in cold blood and exact her revenge. To do so she must put on an act that she is a meek and defenseless girl until she is forced into the boxing ring to prove herself before the son of Heights Crew. It is there that she catches the interest of Johnny Rocket which starts Kyla on the road she had hoped to travel down. But what she wasn't expecting was to actually find herself attracted to Johnny, let alone to the buff fight organizer, Brawler, the quarterback turned Crew member, Oscar, or the stoically silent bodyguard, Magnum as well. It would see that Kyla now has to not only find her way to rise to the top of the Crew to get her hands on her parents' murderer but also deal with the growing feelings for all the men in her new life.
Kyla is presented with ample opportunities to drop her mission and escape the talons of the Heights Crew crime organization, but her thirst for revenge will not be sated in anything but the life blood of her enemy. Johnny has made his claim on her very apparent and the gilded cage that comes with that claim causes Kyla to buckle in her resolve. Add to that the fact that Johnny has made it abundantly clear that he is not the sharing type, leaves Kyla wondering about her feelings for the other men. Does she owe loyalty to her captor? Is the attraction worth the risk of all their lives? And should Kyla even be focused on her infatuations when her aim is death and destruction?
I honestly have never seen a reverse harem where all parties weren't on board. Watching Kyla sneak around behind Johnny's back was equal parts upsetting because (cheater!) of her ties to Johnny but also exhilarating. I loved the dynamics of all the men. Brawler was the sentimental lovey-dovey type, Oscar was the comic relief, Magnum was the strong silent type, and Johnny was the alpha male. By now we can all gather I like the strong silent type so I'm a Magnum type of girl, but Oscar's sense of humor is infectious. I was glad to see Kyla was unable to fight getting to know the other guys better despite the betrayal to Johnny.
The first book set the stage for twists and turns the likes of which I can only imagine happening at this point. I loved the connections between characters, the savior complex Kyla has in the face of her thirst for revenge, and the dynamic of the Heights Crew having control of the entirety of the town even down to the hierarchy in the local high school.
Uppercut Princess is the story of one girl's mission of death shifting to a mission of mercy when encountering the potential for love.
Catch Me by E.M. Moore
Confronted with a situation reminiscent of when Briar lost her brother, she can think of nothing else to do but cut and run again. If she loses Reid the same way she lost Brady she won't know how to handle the loss. It is terrible to lose one person to love, but to lose two doing the same dangerous sport? Run. That is how Briar finds herself in a sketchy hotel, panhandling to survive. That is also where Sasha, Reid's venomous ex-girlfriend, finds her with revelations and dreams of further blackmail in mind.
Luckily, her boys are not going to let Briar disappear off the face of the Earth again. When they track her down in just the nick of time, she returns home with her tail between her legs. Now she has to make it up to her parents, friends, and Reid for pulling another Houdini act on them when things get tough. Add to that the fact that they now need to find a way to bring down Sasha and her corrupt cronies who have made it their mission to ruin Reid's football career and drag the couple apart by any means necessary. Can Reid and Briar keep their love alive while also uncovering all the corruption within their classmates?
The antagonists were extremely surface level. The drama was not something that drew me in and captivated me but actually started to make me roll my eyes. Especially the situation with Eli. They confront him at a party about his role in Reid's injuries and also his role in the blackmail scenes of Sasha, but do nothing aside from talk to him and threaten him. Then they had Oscar track the guy down so they can confront him again once more with force. The way they made it seem, the guy was hard to find and yet he showed up at the party and was constantly around trying to track down Sasha. So, why exactly was it so difficult to find him to the point of needing to tap in an outside source to find him?
The Sasha situation should have been wrapped up in the pages of book one. The book seemed to be dragged out between two books but it could have easily been condensed into one. If it had been a slightly longer standalone, it may have flowed a bit better and there would have been more opportunities to add some meat onto the bones of the main conflict. While the characters were well developed in the first book, the second book felt rushed and as if situations were tossed in to try to fluff it out a bit. It felt a bit rushed. It wasn't a terrible book, but I would have liked a bit more substance.
2.0
Confronted with a situation reminiscent of when Briar lost her brother, she can think of nothing else to do but cut and run again. If she loses Reid the same way she lost Brady she won't know how to handle the loss. It is terrible to lose one person to love, but to lose two doing the same dangerous sport? Run. That is how Briar finds herself in a sketchy hotel, panhandling to survive. That is also where Sasha, Reid's venomous ex-girlfriend, finds her with revelations and dreams of further blackmail in mind.
Luckily, her boys are not going to let Briar disappear off the face of the Earth again. When they track her down in just the nick of time, she returns home with her tail between her legs. Now she has to make it up to her parents, friends, and Reid for pulling another Houdini act on them when things get tough. Add to that the fact that they now need to find a way to bring down Sasha and her corrupt cronies who have made it their mission to ruin Reid's football career and drag the couple apart by any means necessary. Can Reid and Briar keep their love alive while also uncovering all the corruption within their classmates?
The antagonists were extremely surface level. The drama was not something that drew me in and captivated me but actually started to make me roll my eyes. Especially the situation with Eli. They confront him at a party about his role in Reid's injuries and also his role in the blackmail scenes of Sasha, but do nothing aside from talk to him and threaten him. Then they had Oscar track the guy down so they can confront him again once more with force. The way they made it seem, the guy was hard to find and yet he showed up at the party and was constantly around trying to track down Sasha. So, why exactly was it so difficult to find him to the point of needing to tap in an outside source to find him?
The Sasha situation should have been wrapped up in the pages of book one. The book seemed to be dragged out between two books but it could have easily been condensed into one. If it had been a slightly longer standalone, it may have flowed a bit better and there would have been more opportunities to add some meat onto the bones of the main conflict. While the characters were well developed in the first book, the second book felt rushed and as if situations were tossed in to try to fluff it out a bit. It felt a bit rushed. It wasn't a terrible book, but I would have liked a bit more substance.
Free Fall by E.M. Moore
Briar's in mourning. Her older brother has passed away and Briar doesn't know how to cope. He was the steadfast rock that kept her grounded and when that is taken away from her, she loses all drive to carry on. She stops dressing in anything more than baggy sweats, she showers sparingly, and school is now an afterthought for the once studious girl. But it seems Brady's best friends and football teammates will not let Briar sink into despair. Lex, Cade, and Reid are determined to force Briar out of the shadows of depression and back into the world of the living... whether she likes it or not.
As Briar starts to come back to her new reality without her brother, she starts to realize the depths of her feelings for Reid, the team quarterback. The bully of a man with the bitch of a cheerleader girlfriend is the last thing that Briar should desire but for some reason she can't stop herself from feeling a twinge of jealousy every time she's see them together. Little does she realize that Reid has harbored his own secrets about his feelings for Briar. However, the ghost of her brother's disproval of their union hangs heavy over Reid's head and causes him to resist pursuing the girl he really wants. Can Briar learn to live without her brother and can Reid make peace with his best friend's ghost to finally have the girl he has always wanted?
The book started in the middle of Briar's turmoil and was so abrupt that I had to double check that I was reading the first book in the series after all. It was one of those books that you have to take a running start reading because it's going to throw a lot of backstory at you all at once and you have to puzzle piece the parts together to form what happened beyond the scope of the story. While sometimes that can be a good way to exercise the brain, when running on 3-4 hours of sleep it was a lot of brain power I was lacking at the current moment.
I did feel the loss flowing off the pages. The pain was tangible and seemed to seep from every pore of every character in their world. Brady was made out to be this god tier man that made even people who didn't know him personally mourn. That seemed a bit... far-fetched. There were times when someone was warned to treat Briar right simply by mentioning Brady. This worked with their schoolmates and football teammates but when mentioning to other school's football players... sure that's unfortunate but why would they scramble to be kind to her simply for that reason? People aren't that empathetic in reality, in my opinion.
I felt like there was the potential for a reverse harem within the pages, especially with the connection between Briar and Lex as well as Briar and Reid. It almost felt like the author toyed with the idea throughout the entirety of the book. It was similar to enjoying the appetite with the potential of a delicious entree in the next book to come.
3.0
Briar's in mourning. Her older brother has passed away and Briar doesn't know how to cope. He was the steadfast rock that kept her grounded and when that is taken away from her, she loses all drive to carry on. She stops dressing in anything more than baggy sweats, she showers sparingly, and school is now an afterthought for the once studious girl. But it seems Brady's best friends and football teammates will not let Briar sink into despair. Lex, Cade, and Reid are determined to force Briar out of the shadows of depression and back into the world of the living... whether she likes it or not.
As Briar starts to come back to her new reality without her brother, she starts to realize the depths of her feelings for Reid, the team quarterback. The bully of a man with the bitch of a cheerleader girlfriend is the last thing that Briar should desire but for some reason she can't stop herself from feeling a twinge of jealousy every time she's see them together. Little does she realize that Reid has harbored his own secrets about his feelings for Briar. However, the ghost of her brother's disproval of their union hangs heavy over Reid's head and causes him to resist pursuing the girl he really wants. Can Briar learn to live without her brother and can Reid make peace with his best friend's ghost to finally have the girl he has always wanted?
The book started in the middle of Briar's turmoil and was so abrupt that I had to double check that I was reading the first book in the series after all. It was one of those books that you have to take a running start reading because it's going to throw a lot of backstory at you all at once and you have to puzzle piece the parts together to form what happened beyond the scope of the story. While sometimes that can be a good way to exercise the brain, when running on 3-4 hours of sleep it was a lot of brain power I was lacking at the current moment.
I did feel the loss flowing off the pages. The pain was tangible and seemed to seep from every pore of every character in their world. Brady was made out to be this god tier man that made even people who didn't know him personally mourn. That seemed a bit... far-fetched. There were times when someone was warned to treat Briar right simply by mentioning Brady. This worked with their schoolmates and football teammates but when mentioning to other school's football players... sure that's unfortunate but why would they scramble to be kind to her simply for that reason? People aren't that empathetic in reality, in my opinion.
I felt like there was the potential for a reverse harem within the pages, especially with the connection between Briar and Lex as well as Briar and Reid. It almost felt like the author toyed with the idea throughout the entirety of the book. It was similar to enjoying the appetite with the potential of a delicious entree in the next book to come.
Brutal by Ruby Vincent
The ledger has once more changed hands to a new Kieran and this time, those hands are all too familiar to Adeline. Now she must struggle as the middle man of a war between this new owner of the city and her Merchants. She can't give up the men she loves but she also can't find a way to save them from the wrath of her newest nemesis. Some how she must appeal to Kieran and prove her love for her men or risk losing them all to death or circumstance.
Meanwhile, Brutal is struggling with his own demons. He never intended to stay long in the Merchant's company. He had a mission to track down his sister and her child and that would take him away from the brothers he's grown fond of and the woman he loves. When the tip of his sister's whereabouts is dropped into his lap he is resolute that helping Adeline to find her happiness is the last task on his list before he disappears forever.
But Adeline's own mission brings them face to face with a new evil by way of the King's tournament. Imprisoned and forced to fight in deathmatches against the most vile and bloodthirsty men Brutal has ever seen, he hopes he can remain alive long enough to protect those he love. But the Kings want him dead and they are not above putting an opponent into the ring with Brutal that his fists hesitate to brutalize as he has done all previous opponents. Can he find himself free of his cage and keep his soul intact or is this where his love story ends?
I was so excited to get to my boy's book. With Brutal being such a strong, silent type (literally) there was almost more mystery to him than even Mercer. I do like that the author alternates perspectives between Adeline and whatever boy is the main focus of each of the books. It was nice to get some insight into Brutal's mind. The subtle mannerisms and signals he gives his friends and Adeline are put forth in a new light in a very 'ah ha!' feel. Brutal's sister was mentioned once before in a previous book but what happened to her was never touched on again until now. I was absolutely shocked with the outcome of that interaction, to say the least.
The connection forged between Brutal and Adeline was cemented within the pages of this book and it was as swoonworthy as her connection with Saint and Cash. However, Brutal will always have a fist wrapped around my heart.
5.0
The ledger has once more changed hands to a new Kieran and this time, those hands are all too familiar to Adeline. Now she must struggle as the middle man of a war between this new owner of the city and her Merchants. She can't give up the men she loves but she also can't find a way to save them from the wrath of her newest nemesis. Some how she must appeal to Kieran and prove her love for her men or risk losing them all to death or circumstance.
Meanwhile, Brutal is struggling with his own demons. He never intended to stay long in the Merchant's company. He had a mission to track down his sister and her child and that would take him away from the brothers he's grown fond of and the woman he loves. When the tip of his sister's whereabouts is dropped into his lap he is resolute that helping Adeline to find her happiness is the last task on his list before he disappears forever.
But Adeline's own mission brings them face to face with a new evil by way of the King's tournament. Imprisoned and forced to fight in deathmatches against the most vile and bloodthirsty men Brutal has ever seen, he hopes he can remain alive long enough to protect those he love. But the Kings want him dead and they are not above putting an opponent into the ring with Brutal that his fists hesitate to brutalize as he has done all previous opponents. Can he find himself free of his cage and keep his soul intact or is this where his love story ends?
I was so excited to get to my boy's book. With Brutal being such a strong, silent type (literally) there was almost more mystery to him than even Mercer. I do like that the author alternates perspectives between Adeline and whatever boy is the main focus of each of the books. It was nice to get some insight into Brutal's mind. The subtle mannerisms and signals he gives his friends and Adeline are put forth in a new light in a very 'ah ha!' feel. Brutal's sister was mentioned once before in a previous book but what happened to her was never touched on again until now. I was absolutely shocked with the outcome of that interaction, to say the least.
The connection forged between Brutal and Adeline was cemented within the pages of this book and it was as swoonworthy as her connection with Saint and Cash. However, Brutal will always have a fist wrapped around my heart.
Cash by Ruby Vincent
The mask of who Adeline actually is and what her motives are is firmly in place but one of The Merchants isn't buying her act. She has Sinjin and Brutal firmly under her thumb with copious amounts of sex and sweetness and Mercer won over even if nothing physical has happened between them yet. But Cash... Cash is a hard nut to crack. Adeline knows she has to put his mind at ease if she is to accomplish her goal of retrieving the ledger and taking her place as the Queen of her town, but Cash is not going to make it easy. Cash is not above following Adeline's every move and wait for her to slip up so he can prove to his brothers that she was never meant to be allowed into their world.
However, Adeline has been skilled in manipulation and trained by her father in the ways of the criminal underworld so is not to be underestimated. Even the love she feels for Cash and her boys can't keep her from going after what she feels is rightfully hers. Partnered with her adoptive sister and best friend, she strives to piece the puzzle together to find out who the owner of the ledger actually is. The twists and turns they confront along the way leave them questioning everything they know and who they actually can trust in the long run.
Will Cash find vindication in proving Adeline is more than what she seems, or will he also fall victim to to the love his brothers are already experiencing? And will The Merchants and Adeline be able to head off the bloodthirsty gangs who are hot on the heels of the ledger or are they doomed to lose everything?
It took me a minute to realize that each book named after each of the men are aimed to show the connections formed between Adeline and them. I really couldn't stand Cash in the first book. He was just an alphahole with little redeeming qualities that I could see. But I was able to see a bit deeper under his own cold exterior to see the heart beating below. Cash is just protective of those he cares about and will do anything to keep them safe, even at the detriment of his own best interests. His connection with Adeline, while difficult to get started due to his own reservations, was livewire you just have to grab onto and ride out.
I thought I would have a problem with the overwhelming change between who Adeline pretended to be and who she really was but I grew to love that she was a badass of her own making. She was able to defend herself easily with little to no assistance from her handsome men. I don't like damsels in distress. I want heroines who can take care of themselves and even save their own men from harm.
I loved Cash more than I would have thought. It was nice to see the human iceberg melt under the love of a good woman.
4.0
The mask of who Adeline actually is and what her motives are is firmly in place but one of The Merchants isn't buying her act. She has Sinjin and Brutal firmly under her thumb with copious amounts of sex and sweetness and Mercer won over even if nothing physical has happened between them yet. But Cash... Cash is a hard nut to crack. Adeline knows she has to put his mind at ease if she is to accomplish her goal of retrieving the ledger and taking her place as the Queen of her town, but Cash is not going to make it easy. Cash is not above following Adeline's every move and wait for her to slip up so he can prove to his brothers that she was never meant to be allowed into their world.
However, Adeline has been skilled in manipulation and trained by her father in the ways of the criminal underworld so is not to be underestimated. Even the love she feels for Cash and her boys can't keep her from going after what she feels is rightfully hers. Partnered with her adoptive sister and best friend, she strives to piece the puzzle together to find out who the owner of the ledger actually is. The twists and turns they confront along the way leave them questioning everything they know and who they actually can trust in the long run.
Will Cash find vindication in proving Adeline is more than what she seems, or will he also fall victim to to the love his brothers are already experiencing? And will The Merchants and Adeline be able to head off the bloodthirsty gangs who are hot on the heels of the ledger or are they doomed to lose everything?
It took me a minute to realize that each book named after each of the men are aimed to show the connections formed between Adeline and them. I really couldn't stand Cash in the first book. He was just an alphahole with little redeeming qualities that I could see. But I was able to see a bit deeper under his own cold exterior to see the heart beating below. Cash is just protective of those he cares about and will do anything to keep them safe, even at the detriment of his own best interests. His connection with Adeline, while difficult to get started due to his own reservations, was livewire you just have to grab onto and ride out.
I thought I would have a problem with the overwhelming change between who Adeline pretended to be and who she really was but I grew to love that she was a badass of her own making. She was able to defend herself easily with little to no assistance from her handsome men. I don't like damsels in distress. I want heroines who can take care of themselves and even save their own men from harm.
I loved Cash more than I would have thought. It was nice to see the human iceberg melt under the love of a good woman.