The Blood We Crave: Part Two

Hollow Boys #4

by Monty Jay

Will obsession be enough?

I'd always believed my love was enough to save him. To protect him.

I was wrong.

The Copycat killer gets closer every day, and I can’t help but feel his every move is in my direction.

With dead ends around every curve and bodies piling up, it seems our time is running out.

They took him from me. Stole the last bit of light and left him empty.

Now, it’s not only the Hollow Boys who are seeking revenge.

I'm out for blood. A war path for vengeance.

They wanted a villain?

I’ll give them one.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, College, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Found Family

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2023

About the author

Monty Jay is a dark romance author with titles published in multiple countries. Their books are for hopeless romantics with wicked hearts looking for their next morally grey hero. They call the Appalachian mountains home, along with their two furry friends, Poe and Maeve. When they aren’t writing you can find them reading anything Stephen King, in a tattoo chair or binging a new true crime documentary. 

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

- i would hang onto Thatcher Pierson’s biceps like a koala hanging on a tree.
- i’m too much in love with Thatcher Pierson.
- Thatcher Pierson making eye contact with me would send me into a coma
- i would fall for Thatcher Pierson’s manipulations.
- i would keep going back for Thatcher Pierson.

[Marianna Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Thatcher has me by the neck I swear. I loved him and Lyras first book but this book definitely dragged a bit for me I do think it would have been so much better if they had one book instead of two. I just didn’t love this like the others but it was still really good! I’m biased because I would do anything for Thatcher Pierson…. But I was slightlyyyy disappointed by this but that didn’t stop me from giggling and kicking my feet!

[EmBibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

They’re crazy, psychotic, unhinged, and we love them.

[manas (NEW YEAR) · Rating 2 out of 5]

➳ this was unnecessary ☆

this novel is a continuation of the third book : the blood we crave part one. this story continues to follow both thatcher & lyra. in my humble opinion, this entire series is so overhyped and is not that impressive. to start with the obvious fact ; these characters are TEENAGERS, who speak like the founding fathers of the states. in addition to this, while they are—for the most part respectful to their girls—their mannerisms and deportment at the ripe age of eighteen is so cringy and doltish. it truly feels like a devils night rip off.

this book has so much unnecessary smut and obsession with thatcher drinking + licking up lyra's blood.... like you are in HIGHSCHOOL?? almost every dark romance i have been reading these days have no substance or any nuance in the prose. i personally don't like when the narrative is shoved up your ass, without letting us infer from context clues. thatcher, as always, was interesting until he started running his mouth too much. his god complex is bigger than his dick, which is quite impressive. you can tell the author favored this couple/character as they are the only couple that got a duet. lyra's obsessive nature and constant dick riding to further SHOVE how amazing he is was superfluous and embarrassing. lastly, monty jay has an odd way of depicting the story progression with piss poor pacing. every book thus far has so much instant obsession and lust, and then four to five MID interactions following. i have no credence that any of these people give a shit about each other.

pack it up.

[elara · Rating 5 out of 5]

thatcherlyra were PEAK INSANITY. just thinking about them makes me feel SICK. therapy won’t be enough to get over them

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I didn't want to give this one a simple 3 lol, but 4 felt like I REALLY love this book. However, nah it was better than the first book of the duet, but the town mystery was so predictable. WHEN EXACTLY THAT PREDICTION CAME TRUE, I was kinda disappointed because everything was super obvious.

❝Whatever she wants, she will have it. I'd give her the world if she asked me for it.❞

Thatcher — his character gradually progressed in this book, and god he was such a softie towards the end it was sickening! I mean, everything was literally minimal, BUT COMING FROM HIM???? 😌😌

❝Do you know what it's like to go your entire life and never know gentle? How to be kind? Then you meet someone who is overflowing with it, and suddenly, you can't be anything but soft just for them?❞

In this book, I finally understood his character in a better way, and to be honest, I love him! He was a perfectly healthy child, and HE WASN'T EVEN A PSYCHOPATH, but he was forced to adapt and accept that he's a psycho/killer because that's what his father wanted him to be! He projected his own personality onto him! THE METHODS, THE THINGS HE DID were brutal!

❝You took a healthy, normal child and turned me into this.❞

I'm so glad that Thatcher realized that he was exactly normal and he's finally adapting to everything. The scene where he was telling Lyra the type of things he feels in certain situations and her telling him WHAT THAT FEELING IS, just adorable. hsjsks they're cuties 🤭

• When she gifted him a digital piano because he was stuck with her in the cabin without a piano, HE FUCKING BLUSHED 😭🧸🥺🦋💓

❝I think I saved all my firsts for you too.❞

• THEY'RE BOTH VIRGINS 😌💓🧸🥹🦋

❝Thatcher's memory was what I clung to every single second when I was passed around to different foster homes and orphanages.❞

Lyra — she really helped Thatcher progress, but her whole motto was 'I'll fix him,' and she was hella obsessed with him! Like so so much. Well even though I won't call her a doormat because A) there was no forcing at all, so I can't quite say if she has the Infamous body betraying syndrome or not. B) she doesn't stay quiet when he was being an asshole and gives snarky comebacks! But still, she was super obsessed to the point of dying!

I don't hate her at all, but I'm not fully in love with her either. She ranks at like number 2 or 3 because Sage's gonna be 1, obviously, but Briar/Lyra are kind of oooookay okay!

Normal conversation between killers:

❝What are you going to do, kill me in my sleep?❞
❝Don't flirt with me like that.❞

❝I think I knew you in a past life. Do you think that's crazy?❞
❝No. But me wanting to know you in every life after this one might be.❞

╰┈➤ Others:

jsksksk I'm so happy everyone finally get to move out of the town, and they'll be living their life now that the predictable mystery is solved!

RookSage cuties, they're gonna be my favvv. I just love their book sm! I thought I would love Thatcher/Lyra more, but nope! 💕

Briar and Alistair were nice, but Thatcher/Lyra beats them, obv! NOW SILAS and CORALINE are gonna kill me! 😭

❝Are you hitting on me in a fucking hospital?❞ She scoffs, anger and pain all over her face.

hskshs damn Silas's book is gonna be painful AF because it has a lot of trauma. WHAT CAROLINE FACED WAS SO BAD, like truly so bad! And I hope Silas gets over Rosemary now that he's out of the medical facility, and THEY BOTH WILL HEAL EACH OTHER! Also, marriage for convenience 🥹 I CAN'T WAITTTT!

╰┈➤ RATINGS:

The Lies We Steal - 4 stars
The Truths We Burn - 5 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 1 - 4 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 2 - 3.75 stars
The Oath We Give - 3 stars

[Iqra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk I don’t have much to say abt this one. It was good but not better than the first one.

Even tho I enjoyed the emotional connection between them a lot more in this one, there wasn’t enough Silas to make things interesting 😭

I liked that it was fast paced and didn’t drag but I’d find myself skimming quite a bit 🥲 there was a lot of unnecessary inner monologue which added nothing to the story.

Buttt I’m genuinely glad I pushed thru bc Silas is coming home to me 🥹 all this patience better be worth it or I’m gna be involving my lawyers 😾

I loveeed Thatcher’s character development sm. It was so precious when he’d ask her what emotions he was feeling and was able to process everything. That scene where she gave him the piano was too wholesome 😩 I’m rlly glad he got the closure he deserved.

Also I realised BriarAli are smsmsmm better as side characters than in their own book lmao

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
The imitator reveal was so not surprising LMAO I guessed it in the last book 🤧

Also the blood drinking stuff was so 😭😭😭

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

After my reread.. this duet is ♾️ to me. Thatcher + Lyra forever 🫶🏻
————————————————————————————-

I'm just so in love with Thatcher + Lyra. I've never met a couple more perfect for each other. This series is just so addicting, I cannot stop. I genuinely think I will read legit anything Monty Jay writes. She is soon becoming one of my absolute favorite authors.

Mannnn.. Thatcher is so beautifully broken and Lyra who is equally broken became his sunlight 😭
Their story is dark + unique but just absolutely beautiful.

I felt like it was slightly predictable with what was going to happen - but either way.. I am obsessed. Scratch that. Addicted.

Highlights:
"Whatever she wants, she will have it. I'd give her the world if she asked me for it."

"I don't want to be perfect if it means I have to live without you."

"All your darkness is my own. We're the same."

"If it makes me weak to crave her, then let me be weak. Being strong means nothing if I can't have her."

"You're sunlight." 🥹🥹


-Dark College Romance
-Murder Mystery
-Stalker x Serial Killer
-Broken Characters
-Opposites Attract
-Knife Kink / Bloodplay
*this is dark, check TW!

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ 3🌶️

Thatcher & Lyra are literally now one of my favourite book couples ever, I absolutely fucking lovedddd their duet
I’m so obsessed with this series 😅
I feel like I would just be repeating my previous review for part 1 so check that one out but basically, this is amazing & it’s now entire personality and the spice in this series hits different 😮‍💨

[maya ⋆⭒˚｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

they vamped out hard in this book let me tell you that dracula would be proud

‎♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆ pre-review ₊˚・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆

no bc you guessed it right i’ve indeed went utterly insane 😃 when i tell you that i need this i’m dead serious like my soul won’t rest until i finish this whole series my ghost will haunt gr if this doesn’t happen 😭 this is my new mission in life forget graduation and becoming miss independent (fck you and your stupid song, ne-yo) this is what matters now 🫡 blood sweat and tears for this goal

[sasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

he has a small dick (confirmed)

[RavenOfTheSea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think when we were created, instead of splitting our spirits in half, they gave both of them to her in order to keep them safe. To remind me, when the time was right, that all I am is hers to carry.

What a remarkable, ethereal ending for Thatcher and Lyra!! I devoured each word like I was starved, I craved for the next page and yet dreaded reaching the end. Finishing this journey of a book left me in a trance. The book was laced with the indefinite, entwined ideas of death and life and veiled by a macabre aura• all focused in a fated relationship, so unique.

Monty's words were magical, the writing lyrical. Emotions expressed in an excitingly luring range, dusky, eerie atmosphere and deeply narrated, obsessive relationships• it isn't a wonder that my heart beats for Monty's books.

After the previous book's ending, I was impatiently waiting for the rest of the story. Part 2 delivered an agonizingly beautiful story, setting itself immediately as a favorite. It wouldn't be Thatcher and Lyra if their happy ending wasn't coloured in the shades of grim and bloody.

The suspense in this book, the sorrowful twists, and the mysterious plot were an addictive bait that kept me on my toes. But nothing compares to the characters of the series and in this case the haunting pair that was Little Miss Death and her Angel.

I was fooling myself by thinking that I'd learned the entirety of these two characters in the previous book. There were so many more layers to be explored, new colors for them to shine in. The exploration of these two characters was an intricate web of traits, hidden dreams, and feelings and it was inseparable from their relationship's growth. Although the obstacles they faced, their horrors and fears, there was no power strong enough to stop them from uniting in one being, their chemistry incomparable.

I expected Lyra's strength and I am fully in love with her wondrous mind. But Thatch was a surprise for me. Don't get me wrong, I adored him from book one of the series. I was on my knees for him for some time now, but I didn't expect that growth. Diving into his mind was the most addictive drug. From his dive into feelings and his gory shenanigans to his dirty mouth, Thatcher is one of my favorite mmcs of all time along with Rook (book 2).

Read the previous book and then read this one! The dark, twisted landscapes, the well-written plot but mostly these amazing, magnificent characters are worth all the time in the world!
This is one of my favorite series and I seriously don't want to say goodbye to it. Especially Lyra and Thatcher as well as Rook and Sage are top couples with crooks, intense feelings and unbreakable connections.

ARC Review

Did I like it? I would give my soul and blood as an offering to it!
Would I reread it? YES YES YES!

5++++/5⭐
4/5🌶️

[winnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
“You’d kill someone for simply touching me?”
“Darling, I’d rid the world of men who breathe the same air as you.”

After the first part ended in a cliffhanger I was so worried the second part would go downhill, it did BUT not as much as I thought. In this second part, we have Thatcher missing at first, after a lot of FBI agents investigating everything happening in Ponderosa Springs, he has to lay low for a while and Lyra is going insane because he is her obsession and she can't function without him, so she kills someone and he appears to clean the mess. Everyone is furious at him but agrees to hide him until it's safe for Thatch to go back to his house. This book shows a lot of angst because Thatcher cares for Lyra but doesn't want her to get hurt, and she will always take anything from him. There's also Lyra's teacher/friend who seems to be obsessed with her as well. This is a book for sick people so I got it and I loved it.

There are so many good quotes and the romance serves. I mean.. Lyra gifting Thatcher some kind of piano so he could still play? Him giving her the spiders? them reading and annotating books? Epic romance. These two have something unique, a bond forged by blood and their dynamic is different from all the other couples and that's why for me, they're number one in the series.

I like Lyra, but she isn't my favorite female character in the series because so far it's Sage and Coraline seemed to be sassy so it's one of them. Lyra for me was an interesting character, but I'm usually not a big fan of the obsessed girl trope or stalker girl, all that was embarrassing. While she does kill, most of her personality is just being good, and kind, and if you know me, the mean female characters will always win.

Something about the morally gray male characters will make me fall for them every time. Thatcher was so charming, his personality was beautifully written, his hobbies, his vocabulary. he's probably the best MJ character to write because it seems like there was so much planned for his character. My only problem with him in this book and why it didn't have a higher rating is the fact that at some point it started to annoy me how he would push Lyra away, I know he just wanted to protect her and he didn't know how to deal with emotions but it was repetitive.

As for the plot, it was predictable, it was obvious Lyra's teacher had an obsession with her, I felt like this second part wasn't necessary because the first one was so good. The only relevant thing here was the arrests of the murderers and men who were involved in the sex trafficking scheme. The Blood We Crave could've had only one part with 450 - 600 pages and it would've been better.

So far my ranking is thatcherlyra > rooksage > alistairbriar, but I already feel like silascoraline are gonna serve too so I think alistairbriar will be my least fav.

[Hayo ౨ৎ (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Love is not always a pretty emotion. Sometimes, it turns you into a wrathful, vengeance-seeking creature. One that will shred anything that poses a threat.”

3.5⭐️’s


Okay yeah this was MUCH better than the first one😭😭
My thoughts are all over the place i don’t even know where to start.
I gobbled this book up in less than a day, which honestly was a surprise, considering how badly I LOATHED the first part.

This book made me feel so many emotions, from love to grief, from laughter to shedding tears (especially at the goodbye scene, like oh my god??)

Was it predictable? Yes.
Was it corny at times? Yes.
But did I enjoy it? Oh, absolutely.

Yes, I did sometimes want to strangle them (especially Lyra omfd she pisses me off. Like i cheered for her occasionally, but most of the time? I wanted to kick her ass. Also, why is Thatcher still calling her “pet”? That nickname is absolutely horrendous oh my god. WHICH ONE OF YALL LIED TO ME AND GAVE ME FALSE HOPE AND TOLD ME HED STOP?? THAT MOTHERFUCKER DIDNT.) but they had their cute moments. Some very, very adorable moments and i love them for that.

Also, Henry Pierson is a piece of shit. Where’s he? I just wanna have a nice chat.

“If it makes me weak to crave her, then let me be weak.
Being strong means nothing if I can’t have her.”

“Until the grave. That’s what we are, have always been. The kind of connection that began in death and would last far beyond it. Such a very grim, morbid declaration of love.”

“I don’t want to be perfect if it means I have to live without you.”

“Do not create monsters you aren’t equipped to handle.”

“It’s in these hours of the morning that I give myself some leeway, and I am soft.
Weak for her.”

“Do you know what it’s like to go your entire life and never know gentle? How to be kind? Then you meet someone who is overflowing with it, and suddenly, you can’t be anything but soft just for them?”

“A man who fears nothing is afraid of all she is. All she makes me want. All she makes me feel.”

“I think when we were created, instead of splitting our spirits in half, they gave both of them to her in order to keep them safe. To remind me, when the time was right, that all I am is hers to carry. ”

“My mother wasn’t religious, I’m not religious, but if it meant keeping him forever, I’d pray.”

[YAYAYAYYYYAYY I FINALLY GET TO READ SILAS’S BOOK IM SO HAPPY]

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I can't read a book where the girl is more obsessed than the boy. I simply can't. It makes me hurl because girl, STAND UP. He's just a man.

I liked this more than the first one but I still couldn't connect with either of the two characters as much. Thatcher in imagination was hotter than Thatcher on paper.

Also, I'm sorry, "Thatch" is a very unmoanable name. Plus, the blood play isn't for me. This didn't work for me as much but the plotline was fairly interesting so it deserves more than 2 stars.

[Megan Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY OKAYYYYY OH MY GODDDDDD monty jay has done it again!!! this book was insane!! i laughed i cried i kicked my feet i screamed they are EVERYTHING! they’re my family fr ❤️‍🩹 i can’t believe thatcherlyra’s books are over :(

[lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

when she has a room dedicated to all the years she spent stalking you 🧸🖤♾️

[safeya ༒︎]

couldn’t even tell u what happened from how much i was rolling my eyes.
dnf 22%

oh my god i’ve never been more annoyed at mcs than i am with these two dumbasses.

lyra = “i’m not naive despite what he thinks”.
2 secs later = *falls for every word that comes out of thatcher’s mouth and lets him drag her like a blind dog on a leash*

girl bffr, literally everything she does revolves around him and I’m fucking sick of it, where’d all her personality go?? where was the lyra i was rooting for??? she is so completely the opposite from the way she is described.
her backbone is as breakable as the plot in this book. oh wait!! there isn’t one.

i would bitch slap thatcher to death if given the chance. wanted to strangle myself every time he opened his mouth. like oh my god shut the fuck up. shut up. just SHUT UP.

fuck them all, the only reason i’m continuing this series is bcuz i wanna read abt silas my bby.

[myra ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

if thatcher told me to bark, i would get on my knees and bark like a fucking dog.

[alexleasins · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I think I knew you in a past life. Do you think that’s crazy?” “No, but me wanting to know you in every life after this one might be.”

[Kayla Wayla 🧚🏾‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Phantom and the Angel of Ponderosa Springs has my entire, battered and bruised heart. Take it for it is nothing without the two of them in it. I’ve never longed and yearned for a book couple as much as I did these two. Their love sounds like “Infinite Love” by Emile Mosseri (please listen to it).

I know I KNOW they’re just characters but my heart aches just thinking about them, the rest of the characters in this series and the storyline as a whole. Michelin star chefs kiss all around!!! Their love—in its own twisted way—was like a high I’d sell a piece of myself to experience.

(…and can I be petty right now?…yes? This is a safe space? Okay…the Hollow Boys are what the Devils Night boys wish they could be *throws hands up* 🖐️😲🤚) okay that’s enough for now. I need 30 days to process what I’ll do without Lyra and Thatcher. 😫

[esperanza ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

thatcherlyra <333.

[Dev · Rating 2 out of 5]

this could’ve been an email

[Ceacea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
⭐️ 5/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 3/10
Cliffhanger: 2/10 (Setup for book 5)
Noteworthy: Book 2 in a completed duet. Book 4 in a completed interconnected series. Dual first-person POV. Check content warnings. Available on KU.

"My lack of a soul wasn’t because of the evil that had infested my mother’s womb or my father’s corrupt DNA. No, I didn’t have one because it belonged to her. I think when we were created, instead of splitting our spirits in half, they gave both of them to her in order to keep them safe. To remind me, when the time was right, that all I am is hers to carry. Far before we stood in these bodies, someone had decided she would be the keeper of my soul, knowing I would have done far too much damage to it. "


I just knew this duet was going to hit for me. Thatcher Pierson is exactly my type. 😂 There is just something about a psychopath with a weakness that sings to me. I love how Thatcher and Lyra compliment each other yin and yang style. Like your complete opposite being your kindred spirit. Gah! Perfection!

The continuation of the storyline hits a crescendo in this duet giving us a good for now ending. Be forewarned, there is a LOT of blood and violence in these two books. They make book 1 and 2 of the series look like The Cat and the Hat.

[Uswah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.35/5

I finished this part so quickly—less than a day! 😭😭😭 Tbh, I was really invested in the story. I wanted to find out who the Imitator was! 👀 I have to say it again: I LOVE Thatcher and Lyra; they are my absolute favorites.

When The Hollow Boys reunited at The Spot with the Loner Society Girls, I was so happy! 🥹 That moment was one of my favorites, and when Silas returned, OMG, I felt so emotional. 😭

The only reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars is because of the blood k!nk. Personally, I don’t like blood k!nk, and it made me feel uneasy—possibly due to my blood phobia. When he was sucking and drinking the blood, I couldn't help but think, "Hello!!! Vampire?" 👀 sup?

So, that's the only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars. Other than that, I absolutely LOVED the book, especially the mystery! 😍😍😍

Now, I’m off to 5th and the last book in this series ✌️🤭 see ya!

[hailey&#x1f940;&#x1f9a2;✮˖°. · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have such mixed feelings. it was definitely the darkest book in the series. some parts made my stomach churn.

i still like lyra and thatcher as a couple, but i don’t think two books was necessary. the story felt too stretched out and would’ve been better if it was condensed into just one book like the other two couples thus far. it just started to feel repetitive and had too much smut tbh. and some of the content of this made me a little uncomfy. the plot we did get though was really interesting and would’ve been so much better if it wasn’t dragged out. also kind of feel like the prologue spoiled the “twist” ?? i knew exactly what was going to happen.

their relationship kinda took a couple weird turns for me in this. they were my favorite in part 1, but after part 2 i think sage and rook took back the number one spot🫢 i did think they had some really cute moments though. i love that they communicate through annotations in her favorite books and thought it was sweet lyra helped thatcher learn how to identify his emotions. the way they’re both equally obsessed with each other >>>

i really have come to love this group of outcasts so much. i can’t believe there’s only one book left :’)

[Jo ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was that one chapter in Rook’s pov

[Finucha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.7/5⭐️
LyraThatcher you will forever be famous. This was EVERYTHING, and so much more than I could have expected for the second part. The mystery, plot, craziness of both mcs and every murdery thought they had,the tension, the banter, the smut, the “but I need you to need me back” vibes scene, the smut, THE HEARTS BLOOD SCENE?!!! Everything was perfection personalized💫. How we get to see Thatcher admit he’s fallen in love with Lyra and would literally kill every single person that harms her, started opening up to her and being ‘soft’ in his own psycho way warmed my heart; "I don't want to be perfect if it means I have to live without you” omg, like I literally NEED this man🥵. And Lyra, I have nothing bad to say about this bad bitch. Her obsession and need for him in this book continued and even stronger, and she got even more crazy and I was living for it every.single.moment. I loved this book, it put me through every emotion possible and it was a hard ride but definitely worth it. I adore Lyra & Thatcher so much, my fav crazies forever🩸💋.

"I think I knew you in a past life. Do you think that's crazy?"
"No." I can hear the smile in his voice. "But me wanting to know you in every life after this one might be” I CAN’t🤚🏽

"Death is trivial. He can't keep you from me. I'll follow you to the grave every time and find you in each life after”💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

[nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thatcher, let me be your darling phantom

[Lisbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia continúa progresando y finalmente obtenemos respuestas. Lo más sorprendente es el nivel de desarrollo de ambos personajes principales. Thatcher y Lyra son complejos y fue fantástico verlos a ambas en su estado más crudo y vulnerable.