When I’m transported this thoroughly into a book world, it’s so hard to emerge. I’m writing this while I’m still in the bookworld haze, but before I end up with the inevitable book hangover. So bear with me…
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Thor and Selene
POV- 1st person dual
Genre- MC Romance
Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️. This book could boil ice water. The hottest book I’ve ever read is Crimson Chaos (another book in this series) but this one makes my top ten and I have read a LOT of smut. If vanilla is the only flavor of ice cream you enjoy, this is probably the wrong series for you, but if you like a little chocolate or some Rocky Road, you’ve found your sundae. There’s BDSM elements with a lot of Primal Play and a ton of creativity. This one’s for those of us who have a bit of a wild side, no matter how hidden.
Series? Y and the next book cannot get here fast enough. Wondering how to chain the author to the keyboard so she can write 24/7 so I can feed my addiction to her books… but that would violate the restraining order.
Safety: No. Don’t go into this series expecting to feel Safe. Go into it expecting to feel. In this particular book, there’s no cheating, but there’s memory of past S.A.
Triggers- The violence is graphic and plentiful, and there’s a lot of blood. Actually, the same could be said about the erotic content….
Tropes- Forbidden Love/Taboo*, Alpha Male, Badass Heroine, The Couple That Slays Together, Found Family, Twintuition.
*note that the party of the first part and the party of the second part are not blood related, so don’t worry!
Mewsings
Before reading this book, cancel your plans, stock up on snacks, get a babysitter, and for heaven’s sake, put your phone on silent or it could end up applied to the nearest wall with force if you’re interrupted. ( I have a military grade phone case because explaining this to my phone repair guy is not how I like to spend a Sunday). I stayed up to read it, and though I am tired, I am jazzed.
The overall story arc between the Roses and the mafia continues, and it doesn’t get any prettier. Selene wisely observes that the feud will never end because there are continued violent acts perpetrated by both sides, and more casualties, and more hatred and resentment… and no one is safe. This is one of the most realistic literary assessments of a blood feud I’ve ever read outside of The Godfather.
At the heart of this book is the soul-and-bone deep love between the main characters. Their relationship is visceral, with blood and sweat and skin and teeth and a love greater than the sum of its parts. It’s humbling to read. And it goads and satisfies the Bipolar parts of me in the best way. The characters have been telling each other for so long that their love is wrong that it’s almost a physical relief when they finally give in.
If the love is the heart of the book, consent is the blood pumping through it. They both are into some things that are pretty extreme. But the book honors their kinks respectfully and makes it abundantly clear that everything is done with consent above all. I love this about these books. Safe, Sane, and Consensual are the BDSM bywords, and although the kinks vary in type and intensity, Consent is the constant.
I’m starting to come out of my book haze, and the book hangover has commenced. So I’ll end with a thought and a quote from the book. This is the best kind of book to appease my love of smut, and I highly recommend it. And, as Selene says in the book, “the contents of my library are between me and God”. Enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book for free, and this is my honest, voluntary review.
Check out Jena’s Website: https://jenadoyle.com
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