I'm not crying, you're crying! This book is brilliant
Grab your tissues and a pillow to hug because Dissolution (Eagle Elite Book 12) by Rachel Van Dyken is as fraught with pain, danger and constant threat as it is an absolute tear jerker. Yes, I cried at a certain point in this book, and my heart broke a few more times throughout, but it's so fantastically well written that I'll take the sad to get to the happy end. It’s a fitting sort of end for this part of the Eagle Elite Saga. And I say ‘sort of end’ because their Mafia life and roles don’t just end.
Santino and Katya meet in spectacularly dangerous, tragic and traumatic fashion. When Katya should be afraid of the monster that Santino is, she only feels safety. It's a conundrum for Katya for sure, but the mind and the heart wants what it wants. Santino thinks himself emotionless, but Katya brings out the fire, sheds light on his dark, while fighting within himself. He knows the rules, yet he breaks them even as he denies, denies, denies.
My heart broke for both Santino and Katya. There's so much heartache, pain, loss, suffering, abuse, threats, constant danger. All the darkness ends up bringing them together, rather than apart. Then there’s the multitude of characters in this book. Engagement each other (mostly the Bosses) is predominantly purposeful, intentional teasing which brings eruptions of rage that bring levity rather than seriousness to grave moments. The Bosses, whom I remember from previous books, are as serious and as they are funny. Their outrage is often teasingly antagonistic and totally intentional, getting rises out of each other. However, when those they love are targeted or hurt, the rage is real and fierce. Santino insists he is nothing like these 'brothers', but in reality, they are all one in the same. Tensions have to be released somehow because blood in, no out is the only option. It's a lifetime commitment and way of life. Gotta love the way they deal with the stress and blow off steam.
Overall, this author knows how to get her readers gasping and gripping the edge of their seats, falling for and adoring the Hero and Heroine, breaking our hearts then healing them, create palpable despair with a silver lining of hope. Santino and Katya, in and out of danger and surviving trauma and tragedy, still find themselves falling for each other despite all obstacles and expectations. Love flourishes for these two warriors and trumps all. The only thing dissolute is darkness and a HEA and peace is in effect for all.
I read an ARC of this book via Valentine Promotions and voluntarily share my review.