Love Dove but everyone else was incredibly annoying. The lying was it for me. I don’t care that Gibbs was with her sister before, it’s the lying that’s the worst. Still mind numbing distraction. Cute.

Cheesy and cute but still like trash TV. Mind numbing distraction.

Not nearly as good as the first book but I understand we’re in the building of suspense part of the series. There’s a lot of side conflicts other than Elise trying to solve her brother’s murder. I think the relationships she’s building with the four Kings are interesting and more in-depth than other reverse harems, but I wish she was making friends with other people and there was more female perspectives in this series. It also doesn’t really seem like a reverse harem as she seems to just be an individual dating four separate guys. 

Very cute side story of Seth on the moon. It is exactly as you would expect. 

I loved that everyone was working to find a way to get Tory and Darius together. The threesome with them and Caleb was hot when I think about it being isolated but the whole scene leading up to it and everything just freaked me out. I finally like Max, but I love Geraldine even more now because of how she’s treating him! I KNEW Orion and Darcy were gonna get caught and I could just feel him prepping to plead guilty and it nearly sent me. Like it really broke my heart. I definitely like Tory better in this one and her and Xavier are just so wholesome. Also, Seth and Caleb?? Yes please, I need this to happen ASAP. I like that the Heirs and the Vegas are becoming friends? I know they’re still supposed to be enemies but I mean the Heirs keep saying that it’s their birthright to rule when that’s literally incorrect. The Vegas were in Solaria for like their first year of life, they’re the ones born to rule and the Heirs are the ones that were supposed to help them. I’m also confused as to how a Cyclops could use Darcy’s memories to exonerate Lance, because they made it clear before that a Phoenix is immune to the mental powers of things like Cyclops and Sirens. 
As soon as Tory took off to “rescue” Darcy, I knew it was a trap. And I definitely knew she was gonna be kidnapped by Lionel, but even still, I was not ready and my heart broke for Darcy. I love their sibling dynamic, it’s the most realistic sibling relationship I’ve ever read. But I love that Gabriel turned out to be their brother and just their instant bond warms my heart. They have more family than they thought. Nothing better happen to him or it’s on sight.

Love this book a lot. I love the revenge Tory and Darcy get on the Heirs. So glad they didn’t leave. Yeah, I’m pretty sure their Orders are Phoenix. Still not sure if that’s a thing, but I’m throwing my eggs in that basket. I stand by not liking Tory and Caleb. He’s just not for her. I do like her and Darius now. I’m a little weirded out about Orion and Darcy but I am liking them as a couple.

I’m currently caught up on the Zodiac Academy (minus the boys’ POV and two novellas) and needed a Zodiac fix while I PATIENTLY await the final ZA book. This was just the series. I’m seeing Gabriel in a whole new light and I LIKE it. I love the spice and just the pining and tension is everything. I love that Peckham and Valenti don’t make these 400+ page books seem that long. Because honesty it’s not enough. I want MORE. I literally squealed like a girl reading scenes with Gabriel and just grinning like a manic because of Dante and Leon. Who again, I’m seeing in a different light. I love the background stories of Dante, Leon, and Gabriel and I really hope there’s some happy endings for them in the ZA series because I love them so much now! I’m literally about to start Savage Fae. 

Look. Was it good? No. Well written? Also no. Original? Again, no. It’s the Bridge Kingdom plus tumblr Marvel fanfic. Am I going to read the next book? Absolutely. 

It is laughably clear which Marvel character is represented in this book and there’s scenes in here copied straight from Marvel movies (mostly Loki scenes). And I am 100% here for it. The fact the Thor character is named Tor sends me over the edge. I read the book in one 4-hour session. It was hot and it definitely satisfies the some Marvel fantasies I’m sure most fans have had over the years. The teaser for the second books seems to imply the introduction of a Bucky-like character and I’m just ready for the second book. The minimal plot is just enough and not too cringey to get in the way of what is basically just raw smut. It is slightly cringe the harem includes 4 brothers, but easy to get over since the only scene that has two brothers in it are two men not related in the MCU. 

I wanna start by saying that I told myself that I would not DNR a book this year unless the grammar was ridiculously bad or the book was terribly offensive, which is the only reason I finished this book. BookTok really fumbled with this one and I usually find something about the books on there that I liked. 

I think we should start off with Sean is the most pretentious fuckboy on the planet. I get not being involved is social media. But serious? Everything about is just SCREAMS toxic bro culture. He smashes her Apple Watch to make a point about technology but it’s also fucking rude? Like we get it, so go live off grid somewhere. He literally compared to living in America to NAZI GERMANY. The Holocaust dude? SERIOUSLY?! Usually when a love interest is described as having blonde hair, he immediately gets re-written in my mind (idk why blonde men are a red flag to me) but he got back his blonde hair REAL QUICK. Then he like made Cecelia feel stupid and unreasonable when she waited SIX HOURS for him after spending the day cooking for him? Miss me with that gaslighting, abusive shit. You can literally get a burner phone. Like what? There was NO WAY you could’ve gotten a message to her? And because she’s upset that means she doesn’t trust you or believe in you or your mission? I was over Sean after their first date. 

Now on to Dominic. Like at least he doesn’t pretend to be all lovey dovey and caring like Sean. He’s an asshole through and through. What you see is what you get with Dominic and not only that, the fact he’s so subtle but people notice how loyal and devoted he is to Cecelia, is what makes him sooooo attractive. He believes the same things as Sean, but he’s not shoving it down your throat every damn minute. Also, him and Sean’s fascination with 1984 by George Orwell is so cringe. Immediate red flag. They humiliate Cecelia in public which is such an immediate turn off for me. Like pushing her to force her to become strong for YOUR needs and desires? No thanks. 

Cecelia, the protagonist, is so fucking irritating. The entire book I’m just screaming at her to run. She can’t hold her ground at all and immediately forgives these assholes. And to be honest, that’s a pretty accurate representation of a 19 year old (basically a literal child) being taken advantage of by men who are nearly 30 years old. Many women, especially young/inexperienced women, who are preyed on by abusive, manipulative gaslighting assholes, often go back to these dickwads. Though, I’m not sure why the present day (26 year old) Cecelia is returning to this town because of these two guys when she should be old enough to know better. 

Look, I don’t know if Roman is truly a bad guy or he’s got some shady people working with or around him, but it does genuinely seem like he wants to make amends with his daughter in the only way he knows how to, but in typical teenage detachment, Cecelia blows him off. I’d do anything to have a dad that tried even 3% and Cecelia rejects him because what? She’s nurturing her daddy problems between two men? Unacceptable. 

Also, the writing is like irritatingly cryptic. I’m not sure if that’s the point considering the two men are always cryptic (which is not only a turn off and annoying, but a HUGE red flag) but it’s just such a turn off as a reader.

I immediately figured they were using her to get to her dad, but Dominic’s dead parents being a result of Roman’s negligence or malice is so cliché.

The cliffhanger in this book is not enough to get me to finish the series. Also, Stewart made too many references to whipping/lashes (not referring to the kink) for my liking. The book had zero plot until the last maybe 5% of the book with no tie-in to the prologue at any point during this book so it is easily forgotten and upon recall, makes zero sense. It gets 1 star for the spice and quarter a star for the very minor intrigue. 

Did this book chew up my heart and spit it out? Yes. Did it tear my soul into tiny pieces? Also yes. But it had my thanking it and asking for more. I love these characters so much and we’ve come such a long way from the villainous Heirs and ignorant Vegas. I am at the edge of my seat waiting for the finale of this series. Though I’m very upset I have to way until December 2022 for the final book. I waited nearly 4 months to start reading this book trying to close the gap between the two of them since I was able to consecutively consume books 1-6. Alas, I was weak and NEEDED to know what happened, and even still I tried to make this book last. Luckily it is super long (but super good and it does not drone on like some long fantasy books do) and so heavy that I couldn’t read the book in a night or two like I’d done with the previous books. I think I’ll just have to read the boys’ POV and the other short stories (and possibly Ruthless Fae) to get my Zodiac fix for the next 8 months. Peckham and Valenti need to stop trying to kill us!