The Finish Line by Kate Stewart 

I'm so torn. In so many different ways.

I loved this series for so many reasons, and I loved this book for so many reasons. But I also don't think it was the strongest in the series. Yet at the same time, it is so painfully perfect for what this story needed and how it needed to be told. I'm conflicted.

I love him. I love them. And their story is perfect for their journey.

This was definitely the slowest of the series. The pacing took a major shift with the flashbacks, the dual POV storytelling, and the heavy slice-of-life approach. The emotional weight of this book is undeniable, but at times, it did feel like we were lingering in place, rehashing the same emotional wounds instead of moving forward. But at the same time, it makes sense. After everything, they deserved the time to sit in the aftermath, to unravel, to heal in ways that didn't involve chaos.

This book isn't just about surviving. It is about living. And damn, do they earn it.

So many answers are given, earned, and fought for. There is no way to fully feel the weight of this series without this book, and I pity anyone who doesn’t make it to the end. The first two books demand your attention, but book three is politely asking for it. It's not flashy or demanding, it's just there, reaching out a hand and letting you choose where the finish line is for you. The story wouldn't be whole without this journey.

Some of the messages were a little heavy-handed, but after two books drenched in secrecy and deception, it felt like a fitting shift. It is raw, it is honest, and it makes you sit in the emotions you’ve been desperately trying to shove aside.

I'm processing. I'm feeling. And I am definitely buying physicals to keep this series close to my heart. It wormed its way in, made me cry many times, and definitely purchased land in my Roman Empire neighborhood.