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Pretty Poison #3
A Shot of Pretty Poison
I can still taste her on my lips, lingering there like a shot of pretty poison.
I should hate her for what she did. No one would blame me for it—not even her brother. The pain I felt that day ripped me apart until all that remained was the shell of the man I used to be. And now I’m left to lie in the aftermath.
Devastating news has my life spiraling further out of control. If I don’t get a handle on it, I could end up losing it all. But nothing cuts deeper than the shards of a broken heart, and the scars that won’t fade make it hard for me to care.
Everything changed for us when tragedy struck. The events of that night still haunt all of our dreams. We think the darkest moments are behind us, leaving a black stain on our past, until we realize that this nightmare is far from over.
Someone is out there who knows our secrets and gets off on risking the lives of those I love most. You can’t trust anyone, especially when your enemies crave the taste of revenge, but we’re not going down without a fight.
I’ll burn the world to the ground before I let anyone hurt her—even if she’s responsible for hurting me.
I should hate her for what she did. No one would blame me for it—not even her brother. The pain I felt that day ripped me apart until all that remained was the shell of the man I used to be. And now I’m left to lie in the aftermath.
Devastating news has my life spiraling further out of control. If I don’t get a handle on it, I could end up losing it all. But nothing cuts deeper than the shards of a broken heart, and the scars that won’t fade make it hard for me to care.
Everything changed for us when tragedy struck. The events of that night still haunt all of our dreams. We think the darkest moments are behind us, leaving a black stain on our past, until we realize that this nightmare is far from over.
Someone is out there who knows our secrets and gets off on risking the lives of those I love most. You can’t trust anyone, especially when your enemies crave the taste of revenge, but we’re not going down without a fight.
I’ll burn the world to the ground before I let anyone hurt her—even if she’s responsible for hurting me.
446 pages, ebook
Published April 13, 2023
830 people are currently reading
5664 people want to read
About the author
Kelsey Clayton
26 books2,160 followersKelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog.
She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories - she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.
Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Connect with Kelsey at:
Website: www.kelseyclayton.com
Facebook: @KelsClayton
Instagram: @Kels_Clayton
Twitter: @Kels_Clayton
She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories - she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey.
Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Connect with Kelsey at:
Website: www.kelseyclayton.com
Facebook: @KelsClayton
Instagram: @Kels_Clayton
Twitter: @Kels_Clayton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 504 reviews
May 30, 2023
2 stars, kinda predictable, full Review on my blog!
I'm going to start this off by saying how predictable this one was. I KNEW from the ending of the last book how this would end. Did I read all 446 pages? Yes, I did. Did I need to? Probably not. Did I waste my time reading this? Most definitely!
A Shot of Pretty Poison by Kelsey Clayton brings the Pretty Poison trilogy to a predictably underwhelming conclusion. I'm genuinely astonished and uncertain how this series reached this point. The author's transformation of a steamy romance novel into a convoluted amalgamation of Pretty Little Liars and I Know What You Did Last Summer is beyond my comprehension. It feels like she took a massive leap without even stretching first. It didn't need to go this route, it was weird. This was supposed to be a best friend/sister hockey romance but it turned into a weird murder mystery. While I adored the first book in the series and felt a bit apprehensive about the second, I pushed through and read the third one just to bring the series to a close. Boy, was that the worst decision ever. Book one could have been executed better to the point where it didn't even need to be a trilogy! But anyways, book three was riddled with countless plot holes and absurd leaps in logic. But let me focus on the most egregious one: Monty, somehow portrayed as the stalker.
Let's take a step back and revisit the conclusion of book two. Monty was shot in the stomach, causing him to lose consciousness and appear dead to everyone; everyone witnessed him bleeding out. Hours later, Hayes and Cam returned to the island, and during their "body dumping" in the middle of the ocean, Monty somehow regained consciousness and overheard their conversation. What puzzles me is how he managed to stay completely silent and motionless as they handled his body, despite being awake. How did he swim back to shore with such a severe wound? Furthermore, his parents were unaware that he was still alive, so where did he obtain all that money? And what about the individuals he allegedly killed—the fisherman who saved him and the hacker? How did he manage to evade capture? The explanation provided is utterly nonsensical. How did Monty establish contact with Riley? Did Riley even know that Monty was her stepbrother? And how was he able to carry out his malicious deeds without access to his trust fund? Where was he during the two years when everyone believed he was dead? How did he manage to surveil each of them constantly, and why on earth didn't they have any security systems in place?
Honestly, this entire storyline felt incredibly stupid and incredibly sloppy. It just reminded me of Burn Butterfly Burn, when Savy just left her men without a word to live her new life. I HATED THAT... and Laiken does the same basically. It was so annoying.
I genuinely can't comprehend why this series, let alone this particular book, has received such high ratings. Did we all read the same book? Did I miss some kind of memo? Did the people giving this a 4 and 5-star even READ THESE BOOKS? HELLO? I would have been much happier if the original characters from the first book had their happily ever after, and the rest of the trilogy was an entirely new story. 100% the author could have condensed Book 1 and executed it better to be a standalone. This did not need to be a trilogy!
I also find it funny that the book was dedicated to the editor, considering that the editing in this was even worse than in the first book—and that's saying a lot... It was a mess. And that's not even touching on the fact that the story itself turned out to be utterly ridiculous, revolving around a character who felt completely forced into the plot from the beginning.
I won't outright discourage anyone from reading this series since apparently, many people enjoyed it despite all the craziness. However, I advise proceeding with caution and being aware of how ridiculous it gets. In my opinion, it would be wise to conclude your reading journey with book 1 and leave it at the suspenseful cliffhanger ending. Which, I leave you with the small spoiler that hints at Hayes and Laiken getting married and experiencing a happily ever after.
_________________________________
A Dose of Pretty Poison | Review
A Drop of Pretty Poison | Review
A Shot of Pretty Poison | Review
Blog ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
I'm going to start this off by saying how predictable this one was. I KNEW from the ending of the last book how this would end. Did I read all 446 pages? Yes, I did. Did I need to? Probably not. Did I waste my time reading this? Most definitely!
A Shot of Pretty Poison by Kelsey Clayton brings the Pretty Poison trilogy to a predictably underwhelming conclusion. I'm genuinely astonished and uncertain how this series reached this point. The author's transformation of a steamy romance novel into a convoluted amalgamation of Pretty Little Liars and I Know What You Did Last Summer is beyond my comprehension. It feels like she took a massive leap without even stretching first. It didn't need to go this route, it was weird. This was supposed to be a best friend/sister hockey romance but it turned into a weird murder mystery. While I adored the first book in the series and felt a bit apprehensive about the second, I pushed through and read the third one just to bring the series to a close. Boy, was that the worst decision ever. Book one could have been executed better to the point where it didn't even need to be a trilogy! But anyways, book three was riddled with countless plot holes and absurd leaps in logic. But let me focus on the most egregious one: Monty, somehow portrayed as the stalker.
Let's take a step back and revisit the conclusion of book two. Monty was shot in the stomach, causing him to lose consciousness and appear dead to everyone; everyone witnessed him bleeding out. Hours later, Hayes and Cam returned to the island, and during their "body dumping" in the middle of the ocean, Monty somehow regained consciousness and overheard their conversation. What puzzles me is how he managed to stay completely silent and motionless as they handled his body, despite being awake. How did he swim back to shore with such a severe wound? Furthermore, his parents were unaware that he was still alive, so where did he obtain all that money? And what about the individuals he allegedly killed—the fisherman who saved him and the hacker? How did he manage to evade capture? The explanation provided is utterly nonsensical. How did Monty establish contact with Riley? Did Riley even know that Monty was her stepbrother? And how was he able to carry out his malicious deeds without access to his trust fund? Where was he during the two years when everyone believed he was dead? How did he manage to surveil each of them constantly, and why on earth didn't they have any security systems in place?
Honestly, this entire storyline felt incredibly stupid and incredibly sloppy. It just reminded me of Burn Butterfly Burn, when Savy just left her men without a word to live her new life. I HATED THAT... and Laiken does the same basically. It was so annoying.
I genuinely can't comprehend why this series, let alone this particular book, has received such high ratings. Did we all read the same book? Did I miss some kind of memo? Did the people giving this a 4 and 5-star even READ THESE BOOKS? HELLO? I would have been much happier if the original characters from the first book had their happily ever after, and the rest of the trilogy was an entirely new story. 100% the author could have condensed Book 1 and executed it better to be a standalone. This did not need to be a trilogy!
I also find it funny that the book was dedicated to the editor, considering that the editing in this was even worse than in the first book—and that's saying a lot... It was a mess. And that's not even touching on the fact that the story itself turned out to be utterly ridiculous, revolving around a character who felt completely forced into the plot from the beginning.
I won't outright discourage anyone from reading this series since apparently, many people enjoyed it despite all the craziness. However, I advise proceeding with caution and being aware of how ridiculous it gets. In my opinion, it would be wise to conclude your reading journey with book 1 and leave it at the suspenseful cliffhanger ending. Which, I leave you with the small spoiler that hints at Hayes and Laiken getting married and experiencing a happily ever after.
_________________________________
A Dose of Pretty Poison | Review
A Drop of Pretty Poison | Review
A Shot of Pretty Poison | Review
Blog ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
April 11, 2023
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog: ╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
ღ 𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 ღ Is the final full length romance book in the 'Pretty Poison' trilogy by author Kelsey Clayton. Heroine: Laiken Hero: Hayes.
A coffee, an easter egg 🐣 and this book made it the perfect Easter Monday treat. A girl could not ask for more. Like the previous book this was easy to get into but harder to put down, guess that explains why this was read in one sitting.
What you get
💋 Brothers best friend
💋 Murder
💋 Secrets & Lies revealed
💋 A game of cat & mouse
💋 A stalker on the loose
The author definitely came out swinging with this one and she's taking no prisoners, more angst, more heartbreak, more thrilling twists and turns, more suspense, more feels.
So this starts right after the previous books cliffy, like a thief in the night she took off leaving all loved ones behind, heartbroken beyond repair but when you love someone you have to protect that person above all else and that's the dilemma she'd faced. She knows the consequences if she returns to her hometown.
BUT..
Like a tether to her heart she has to come back, her one and only needs her more than ever now..
Like a game of cat and mouse..Cryptic text messages lead them down a dark tunnel of no return. Someone saw what they'd done that summer and they are out for blood..
This kept me on my toes, a guessing game ensued, following the author down an unknown path as she threw everything she could at me.
I really really want a scary dark thriller set at slaughter island!!
September 28, 2023
With A Shot of Pretty Poison, we get the conclusion to the story within a story. Likewise, we see how Laiken and Hayes’ relationship will evolve and learn whether or not forgiveness can be found after her betrayal.
Kelsey really worked her magic with this series. If you read my review of Dose, you’ll know that, while I loved it, I wasn’t sure how she was going to pull off a trilogy with Laiken and Hayes’ forbidden love story. She dropped (pun intended) a bomb on us in Drop with the secondary storyline. And she went for the 5-star trifecta with Shot.
I was an emotional basket case with all the heartbreak and sexual tension. My stomach was in knots over the game of cat and mouse. I couldn’t read the words fast enough. I NEEDED to know how this was going to play out and I couldn’t be happier with this installment or series. The cherry on top would be getting Cam and Mali’s story!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😢🥺🥵😳😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Romantic Suspense
✨ Tropes: Alphahole, Band of Brothers/Found Family, Blackmail, Family Saga, Forced Proximity, Friends-to-Lovers, Forbidden, Jealous/Possessive, Miscommunication, Second Chance, Small Town
💋 Kinks: n/a
⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will leave your panties wet and reaching for BOB.
🚩 Safety Squad: There are potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: A Shot of Pretty Poison is the conclusion to the Pretty Poison trilogy. This series must be read in order.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Kelsey really worked her magic with this series. If you read my review of Dose, you’ll know that, while I loved it, I wasn’t sure how she was going to pull off a trilogy with Laiken and Hayes’ forbidden love story. She dropped (pun intended) a bomb on us in Drop with the secondary storyline. And she went for the 5-star trifecta with Shot.
I was an emotional basket case with all the heartbreak and sexual tension. My stomach was in knots over the game of cat and mouse. I couldn’t read the words fast enough. I NEEDED to know how this was going to play out and I couldn’t be happier with this installment or series. The cherry on top would be getting Cam and Mali’s story!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😢🥺🥵😳😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Romantic Suspense
✨ Tropes: Alphahole, Band of Brothers/Found Family, Blackmail, Family Saga, Forced Proximity, Friends-to-Lovers, Forbidden, Jealous/Possessive, Miscommunication, Second Chance, Small Town
💋 Kinks: n/a
⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will leave your panties wet and reaching for BOB.
🚩 Safety Squad: There are potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: A Shot of Pretty Poison is the conclusion to the Pretty Poison trilogy. This series must be read in order.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
April 13, 2023
Kelsey Clayton has written one heck of a trilogy here! Love, lies, deceit, suspense, a forbidden romance, and a crazy stalker make this book (and the rest of the) very hard to put down! This book was so bingeable because I was flipping the pages so fast because I needed to know where the author was taking us. And down a dark hall we went. The author had me on pins and needles the whole way through and I loved every minute of it!
If you’re a fan of darker romances, then this is a must-read trilogy for you! But do yourself a favor and make sure that you have a few days to read these books because you won’t want to stop until you’ve read them all!
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥
☠️ A Dose of Pretty Poison
☠️ A Drop of Pretty Poison
☠️ A Shot of Pretty Poison
If you’re a fan of darker romances, then this is a must-read trilogy for you! But do yourself a favor and make sure that you have a few days to read these books because you won’t want to stop until you’ve read them all!
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥
☠️ A Dose of Pretty Poison
☠️ A Drop of Pretty Poison
☠️ A Shot of Pretty Poison
May 9, 2023
5/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
I don’t think I will ever stop talking about this trilogy. I have been HOOKED from the start and hands down one of my new favorites. There was so many twists and turns!! Like WOW my jaw was on the floor the WHOLE time. I had no idea where this book was going to go and kept me on my toes especially with that ending. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
If you have not added this to your TBR, I recommend you add it right away. I’m definitely in a book hangover.
3/5🌶️
I don’t think I will ever stop talking about this trilogy. I have been HOOKED from the start and hands down one of my new favorites. There was so many twists and turns!! Like WOW my jaw was on the floor the WHOLE time. I had no idea where this book was going to go and kept me on my toes especially with that ending. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
If you have not added this to your TBR, I recommend you add it right away. I’m definitely in a book hangover.
April 16, 2023
The fact that so many people are giving this book such high reviews is MIND-BLOWING to me. This book was the absolute worst thing I’ve read this year. Absolutely none of it made sense. I love the first book in the series, the second made me apprehensive, but I finished the 3rd just to wrap up the series… worst decision ever. There were so many plot holes and ridiculous leaps taken in this book, but I’m going to cover the worst one- Monty is somehow the stalker??? Even though he was shot, they all saw him bleeding out, and Hayes & Cam came back to the island hours later and disposed of his body by dropping it in the ocean…. But somehow he was actually alive through that whole experience? He was awake to hear them discussing how to dispose of his body, but made no sounds or movements as they picked up and moved his body with a gunshot wound??? And his parents didn’t know he was alive, so where was he getting all of this money from? He killed the fisherman that saved him and the hacker, and somehow never gets found or caught? I’m sorry. This whole storyline was SO stupid and felt so sloppy. I was convinced the stalker was going to be Marc because he lost everything and was destitute. Maybe he resented Hayes? I don’t understand why the author made his presence such a big deal in the 2nd book and even mentioned his current situation in this one. It seemed like she wanted to write him as the stalker but then suddenly shifted back to Monty for shock value or something. I don’t know, but it still makes more sense than this trashy version. Ugh. I’m so irritated that I kept reading after the first book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2023
This whole series was a 3.5. What i thought was a cute brothers best friend hockey romance turned into chaos. It could have easily stopped it at the first book and continued on with other characters but nope they made them sneak around for months decide they like each other instantly get engaged a month later get married and then it turned into a murder mystery?? I also like the 2 side characters way better than the main characters so i feel robbed of them
July 15, 2023
literally just got worse and worse. this whole series is awful
August 29, 2024
I can’t decide if this was more One tree hill or Pretty little liars, either way it very much made me ask where are the parents several times.
January 19, 2024
This book series came out of mfing no where and I wish I never had to endure all three of those books.
April 25, 2023
I don’t know that I’ll ever stop talking about this trilogy. Hands down one of my new favorites of all time.
♾️/5 ⭐️
3/5🌶️
♾️/5 ⭐️
3/5🌶️
April 17, 2023
***5 "Let the games begin!!!" stars***
"You had the chance to leave, and you came back.
There's no escaping now.
Welcome to your nightmare."
This trilogy is Kelsey Clayton's best work and take my word on that, cause I have read almost everything that she had written and I have loved many characters of hers very much, but no one will ever measured up to Hayes and Laiken and their incredible story!!!
What started as a brother's best friend romance had turned out to something insane and very addictive!!! What started as a simple hockey romance turned out to be something out of "I know what you did last summer" and I freakin' loved it!!!
Who would have thought that this poison would be that sweet that you will be craving for more and more!!!
"That's what she's been for me -a pretty poison.
She runs through my veins and attacks every inch of me, making it so I can think of nothing and no one but her."
The second book ended with a bomb that Laiken had dropped unknowingly to Hayes...
They were so happy!!! They had managed to overcome all the obstacles!!!
But that fateful night destroyed them beyond repair!!!
Now, one and a half year later, Hayes is still broken and angry with his wife...
He is still craving her, but he knows that what they had is over!!!
And then Laiken is coming back and everything are starting to change between them...
But the past is coming back to haunt them in the most intense and crazy way...
Now they have to cooperate for a common cause, but the lines are easily getting blurred between them...
"Two years ago, I had it all, and now, the only thing I can do is stand by and watch as it's all getting ripped away from me."
My heart was breaking for these two... Their love was vibrating throughout the three books!!!
There was something special between them and I was so heartbroken while seeing them suffering that much!!!
I won't hide to you that Hayes is a little bit more under my skin than Laiken... I know the reasons behind her actions, but I could taste the desperation and the bitterness that was coming from Hayes and it was gutting me!!!
I can also understand his hesistations when Laiken came back...
Still... these two were inevitable, but they had to learn to communicate between them!!!
"So, that's her, huh? The girl who made it so you don't believe in love anymore?"
"I believe in love. I just don't believe in it with anyone else but her."
It is a pity, really!!! I am so freakin' sad that this journey came to an end!!!
What an intense, angsty, pretty poisoned story was that!!! And the third part was so suspenseful and raw in every aspect!!!
Oh, my poor Knox!!! I thought that no one will ever measure up to you, but Hayes Wilder had stolen your place in my heart sneakily!!!
The pretty poison trilogy will stay with me for a long time, that's the only sure thing!!! And I can't recommend it enough to everyone out there!!!
And now I am wondering... Will Cam and Mali take their own story or not???
"I’ll burn the world to the ground before I let anyone hurt her—even if she’s responsible for hurting me."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
"You had the chance to leave, and you came back.
There's no escaping now.
Welcome to your nightmare."
This trilogy is Kelsey Clayton's best work and take my word on that, cause I have read almost everything that she had written and I have loved many characters of hers very much, but no one will ever measured up to Hayes and Laiken and their incredible story!!!
What started as a brother's best friend romance had turned out to something insane and very addictive!!! What started as a simple hockey romance turned out to be something out of "I know what you did last summer" and I freakin' loved it!!!
Who would have thought that this poison would be that sweet that you will be craving for more and more!!!
"That's what she's been for me -a pretty poison.
She runs through my veins and attacks every inch of me, making it so I can think of nothing and no one but her."
The second book ended with a bomb that Laiken had dropped unknowingly to Hayes...
They were so happy!!! They had managed to overcome all the obstacles!!!
But that fateful night destroyed them beyond repair!!!
Now, one and a half year later, Hayes is still broken and angry with his wife...
He is still craving her, but he knows that what they had is over!!!
And then Laiken is coming back and everything are starting to change between them...
But the past is coming back to haunt them in the most intense and crazy way...
Now they have to cooperate for a common cause, but the lines are easily getting blurred between them...
"Two years ago, I had it all, and now, the only thing I can do is stand by and watch as it's all getting ripped away from me."
My heart was breaking for these two... Their love was vibrating throughout the three books!!!
There was something special between them and I was so heartbroken while seeing them suffering that much!!!
I won't hide to you that Hayes is a little bit more under my skin than Laiken... I know the reasons behind her actions, but I could taste the desperation and the bitterness that was coming from Hayes and it was gutting me!!!
I can also understand his hesistations when Laiken came back...
Still... these two were inevitable, but they had to learn to communicate between them!!!
"So, that's her, huh? The girl who made it so you don't believe in love anymore?"
"I believe in love. I just don't believe in it with anyone else but her."
It is a pity, really!!! I am so freakin' sad that this journey came to an end!!!
What an intense, angsty, pretty poisoned story was that!!! And the third part was so suspenseful and raw in every aspect!!!
Oh, my poor Knox!!! I thought that no one will ever measure up to you, but Hayes Wilder had stolen your place in my heart sneakily!!!
The pretty poison trilogy will stay with me for a long time, that's the only sure thing!!! And I can't recommend it enough to everyone out there!!!
And now I am wondering... Will Cam and Mali take their own story or not???
"I’ll burn the world to the ground before I let anyone hurt her—even if she’s responsible for hurting me."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
May 2, 2023
0⭐️ I wish we were able to rate books 0 star
I’m so mad at myself for finishing this series. I seriously don’t understand why this series and this book has such high ratings!!? Like did we read the same book? Did I missed the memo?
This book was so bad! What in the little pretty liars is going on???!!! Like I’m so mad at myself for wasting my time reading this series.
There’s so many potholes it is insane. The first one how the fuck did Monty survive. And explanation of how he survived makes no sense. How did he get in contact with Riley? Did Riley know that Monty was her step brother? How was Monty able to do all of this if he didn’t have access to his trust fund? Where was he the two years where he was supposed to be dead? How was he able to surveillance every single one of them at all times and why the fuck did they not have security systems in place! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!
I’m so mad at myself for finishing this series. I seriously don’t understand why this series and this book has such high ratings!!? Like did we read the same book? Did I missed the memo?
This book was so bad! What in the little pretty liars is going on???!!! Like I’m so mad at myself for wasting my time reading this series.
There’s so many potholes it is insane. The first one how the fuck did Monty survive. And explanation of how he survived makes no sense. How did he get in contact with Riley? Did Riley know that Monty was her step brother? How was Monty able to do all of this if he didn’t have access to his trust fund? Where was he the two years where he was supposed to be dead? How was he able to surveillance every single one of them at all times and why the fuck did they not have security systems in place! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!
April 25, 2023
5/5 ⭐️
🤍 Seperation ( 1 1/2 years)
🤍 Both celibate
🤍 Second chance
🤍 Kind of hate to love (?)
🤍 Part of triolgy (3/3)
This was sooo good 😭🙌
The heartbreak, angst & feeling were fantastic 😪😍
I LOVED how they both stayed celibate and had such a strong bond !!
Their feelings for each other are so much and they are just soulmates 🤍🙌
I cried so much because of their pain and what they went through but thankfully they got their HEA !
Also the mystery messages they got and how they found out who it was was so interesting ! 😉
I loved the writing style and I already have another series by Kelsey Clayton on my TBR !!
So happy that she writes such amazing books 🤍🙌🙈
🤍 Seperation ( 1 1/2 years)
🤍 Both celibate
🤍 Second chance
🤍 Kind of hate to love (?)
🤍 Part of triolgy (3/3)
This was sooo good 😭🙌
The heartbreak, angst & feeling were fantastic 😪😍
I LOVED how they both stayed celibate and had such a strong bond !!
Their feelings for each other are so much and they are just soulmates 🤍🙌
I cried so much because of their pain and what they went through but thankfully they got their HEA !
Also the mystery messages they got and how they found out who it was was so interesting ! 😉
I loved the writing style and I already have another series by Kelsey Clayton on my TBR !!
So happy that she writes such amazing books 🤍🙌🙈
May 7, 2023
Let’s just get rid of Laiken and this random PLL plot.
Let’s pitch a rewrite: single parent, grumpy x grumpy
This is years after laiken leaves. Hayes is a grumpy bar owner and then a single mother comes into town. She needs a place to stay and ends up renting out the upstairs of the bar. She gets a job there too. Becomes besties with Mali and all round replaces Laiken in the friend group. Thank you
Let’s pitch a rewrite: single parent, grumpy x grumpy
This is years after laiken leaves. Hayes is a grumpy bar owner and then a single mother comes into town. She needs a place to stay and ends up renting out the upstairs of the bar. She gets a job there too. Becomes besties with Mali and all round replaces Laiken in the friend group. Thank you
June 16, 2023
This freaking book.
ALL. THE. FEELS.
Seriously, I found myself reading ahead to try to find out when the "good" was going to come back becuase I wasnt certain it was gong to actually get better. THE PAIN.
This was a great end to the series though, it definitely kept me on my toes and I never really knew what was going to happen. Some of the big twists I guessed while others I definitely did not see coming.
Loved this read!
ALL. THE. FEELS.
Seriously, I found myself reading ahead to try to find out when the "good" was going to come back becuase I wasnt certain it was gong to actually get better. THE PAIN.
This was a great end to the series though, it definitely kept me on my toes and I never really knew what was going to happen. Some of the big twists I guessed while others I definitely did not see coming.
Loved this read!
March 26, 2023
WOW! This book took a turn I never saw coming. I loved watching these characters fall more in love with each other. The cliffhanger is a killer though! I'm so excited for book 3.
February 17, 2024
the whole plot was soooo unnecessary and i was actually scared reading this at 3am
December 20, 2024
⭐️4🌶️2💧0
This is book 3 and the final book for the series. There were heavy “I know what you did last summer” vibes and def some twists I didn’t see coming but others that were painfully obvious.
I’m glad the FMC finally caught up and realised who the bad guy was.
Wouldn’t mind seeing some more of Cam and Mali’s storyline as they are very interesting for secondary characters.
#kelseyclayton #ashotofprettypoison #darkromance #steamybooks #bookrecs #steamyreads #audiobook #bookaholic #readingtime #bookshelf #instabooks #bookblogger #bookreview #booktok #reading #booklover #bookworm #booknerd #goodreads #aussiebookstagrammers #aussies #australianreaders #darkromance #reading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #instabook #booksofinstagram #booksarelife #spicybooklover
This is book 3 and the final book for the series. There were heavy “I know what you did last summer” vibes and def some twists I didn’t see coming but others that were painfully obvious.
I’m glad the FMC finally caught up and realised who the bad guy was.
Wouldn’t mind seeing some more of Cam and Mali’s storyline as they are very interesting for secondary characters.
#kelseyclayton #ashotofprettypoison #darkromance #steamybooks #bookrecs #steamyreads #audiobook #bookaholic #readingtime #bookshelf #instabooks #bookblogger #bookreview #booktok #reading #booklover #bookworm #booknerd #goodreads #aussiebookstagrammers #aussies #australianreaders #darkromance #reading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #instabook #booksofinstagram #booksarelife #spicybooklover
May 30, 2024
My Rating: 2.75 ⭐⭐
Series Rating: 2.75⭐⭐
These Books Have
✅ Friends to Lovers
✅ OTT Possessive
✅ Forbidden Romance
✅ Some Hockey (but it’s not really a sports romance)
✅ Fairly Light not many Triggers (Very minor)
✅ Super Swoonworthy MMC
✅ Plenty of Smut
✅ Cliffhangers
✅ Finished Series
A Drop of Pretty PoisonBook 1: Review Here
This book, while not what I expected totally drew me in. I thought it was gonna be fluffy, I thought it was going to be typical, and I just knew - KNEW I had it all figured out. Nope, I didn't. This book for me could have been an easy 3 star series but personally I can not stand the miscommunication trope. It drives me absolutely insane and completely ruins a book for me. The comedy and Fucks they drop in this book kept me chuckling and the turn this book took made me thing hmmm... Maybe this isn't gonna be as bad as I thought...
A Dose of Pretty Poison Book 2: Review Here
Ok this book was better. It was NOT what I expected... previous reviews had it as totally predictable and quite a few times I was shooketh (ok dramatic - just shocked) at the little twist and turns the plot took. Of course, cause I'm fucked 😏 I did like the slightly dark turn this book took - and was pleasantly surprised. I gotta mention though... this fucking protection by omission shit drives me insane. I also can't stand it when in my opinion a strong Character doesn't remain the way they started out.
Book 3:
So... now we're wrapping up the series and let me tell you, if....IF the miscommunication trope doesn't bother you, this is a decent series. I can 100% see you really really enjoying this book! The plot twist is great! I was right about a few but definitely wrong about more than a few. You gotta love an OTT MMC and holy shit, the possessiveness of this man is just - Yum! - Not for nothing, he has some FANTASTIC quotes in this book and once he comes around, his devotion to this woman is SUUUUPER fucking swoon-worthy.
Final Thoughts....
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I will NEVER yuck someone's yum. I think the author did fantastic with the story, and it flows excellently. You can NOT write a better guy than fucking Hayes... The way this man speaks... just whew... and on a positive note his mouth pretty filthy 😏😏 I mean he's not depraved and twisted the way I normally swoon, but he can talk dirty with the best of them. As always - I gotta talk smut, and it was not at all bad. There is an abundance of it in these books. At times a couple scenes felt repetitive but I still feel like she did a great job considering the only scenes that happened were with the 2 MCs - not to mention the ones from his POV (mmm I do enjoy those). And I was not at all mad at them.
Series Rating: 2.75⭐⭐
These Books Have
✅ Friends to Lovers
✅ OTT Possessive
✅ Forbidden Romance
✅ Some Hockey (but it’s not really a sports romance)
✅ Fairly Light not many Triggers (Very minor)
✅ Super Swoonworthy MMC
✅ Plenty of Smut
✅ Cliffhangers
✅ Finished Series
A Drop of Pretty PoisonBook 1: Review Here
This book, while not what I expected totally drew me in. I thought it was gonna be fluffy, I thought it was going to be typical, and I just knew - KNEW I had it all figured out. Nope, I didn't. This book for me could have been an easy 3 star series but personally I can not stand the miscommunication trope. It drives me absolutely insane and completely ruins a book for me. The comedy and Fucks they drop in this book kept me chuckling and the turn this book took made me thing hmmm... Maybe this isn't gonna be as bad as I thought...
A Dose of Pretty Poison Book 2: Review Here
Ok this book was better. It was NOT what I expected... previous reviews had it as totally predictable and quite a few times I was shooketh (ok dramatic - just shocked) at the little twist and turns the plot took. Of course, cause I'm fucked 😏 I did like the slightly dark turn this book took - and was pleasantly surprised. I gotta mention though... this fucking protection by omission shit drives me insane. I also can't stand it when in my opinion a strong Character doesn't remain the way they started out.
Book 3:
So... now we're wrapping up the series and let me tell you, if....IF the miscommunication trope doesn't bother you, this is a decent series. I can 100% see you really really enjoying this book! The plot twist is great! I was right about a few but definitely wrong about more than a few. You gotta love an OTT MMC and holy shit, the possessiveness of this man is just - Yum! - Not for nothing, he has some FANTASTIC quotes in this book and once he comes around, his devotion to this woman is SUUUUPER fucking swoon-worthy.
Final Thoughts....
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I will NEVER yuck someone's yum. I think the author did fantastic with the story, and it flows excellently. You can NOT write a better guy than fucking Hayes... The way this man speaks... just whew... and on a positive note his mouth pretty filthy 😏😏 I mean he's not depraved and twisted the way I normally swoon, but he can talk dirty with the best of them. As always - I gotta talk smut, and it was not at all bad. There is an abundance of it in these books. At times a couple scenes felt repetitive but I still feel like she did a great job considering the only scenes that happened were with the 2 MCs - not to mention the ones from his POV (mmm I do enjoy those). And I was not at all mad at them.
April 14, 2023
Kelsey – this trilogy is my first books by you but I can guarantee you they will not be my last.
First and foremost, thank you for writing this series and not making us wait months on end for each book. I loved that these book released within weeks of another and you fed my obsession perfectly.
A Shot of Pretty Poison is the third and final book in the Pretty Poison trilogy and Kelsey holds nothing back right the start. I was rocked after book two and was very anxious to start this one. And when I was walloped right at the beginning, I knew immediately this book was going to have me riding wave after wave of emotions. And I did.
My heart ebbed and flowed with Hayes. I felt this man's heartache deep in my bones and completely understood him.
Laiken – oh girl. I wanted to hate her but couldn't. She has her reasons for what she did.
Kesley – you wrote such a suspenseful and emotional story. I had no idea what to expect and I love this crazy story so much.
Readers – you MUST read this series. I absolutely loved this story and how the whole plot played out. There was never a dull moment and everything just flowed so wonderful together.
First and foremost, thank you for writing this series and not making us wait months on end for each book. I loved that these book released within weeks of another and you fed my obsession perfectly.
A Shot of Pretty Poison is the third and final book in the Pretty Poison trilogy and Kelsey holds nothing back right the start. I was rocked after book two and was very anxious to start this one. And when I was walloped right at the beginning, I knew immediately this book was going to have me riding wave after wave of emotions. And I did.
My heart ebbed and flowed with Hayes. I felt this man's heartache deep in my bones and completely understood him.
Laiken – oh girl. I wanted to hate her but couldn't. She has her reasons for what she did.
Kesley – you wrote such a suspenseful and emotional story. I had no idea what to expect and I love this crazy story so much.
Readers – you MUST read this series. I absolutely loved this story and how the whole plot played out. There was never a dull moment and everything just flowed so wonderful together.
June 4, 2023
why does this have a high rating? idk
best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable
COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 1.5/5 -best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable, nothing makes sense, Laiken leaving was painful to read
CHARACTERS = 2/5- monty jsut doing his monty things ig, riley is interesting.. but also wtf are these characters
WORLD BUILDING = 1/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas, nothing special tbh
ROMANCE = 2/5 - barely any tbh, things felt.. awkward/forced in a way
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh
OVERALL =2/5 stars
best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable
COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 1.5/5 -best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable, nothing makes sense, Laiken leaving was painful to read
CHARACTERS = 2/5- monty jsut doing his monty things ig, riley is interesting.. but also wtf are these characters
WORLD BUILDING = 1/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas, nothing special tbh
ROMANCE = 2/5 - barely any tbh, things felt.. awkward/forced in a way
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh
OVERALL =2/5 stars
April 11, 2023
For the Pretty Poison series, A Shot of Pretty Poison is the cherry on top. This book was the perfect ending to what has become my favorite series of 2023 so far. This one was the most emotional of the three with the most at stake. The struggle for Hayes and Laiken to juggle the status and future of their relationship as well as the dangers lurking behind every corner leads to some great drama, thrills, tears and spice. The twists and the mystery continued to blow my mind too, I didn’t see them coming. Ultimately the relationship between Laiken and Hayes is what I love most about this series and I think the ending to their story is just perfect.
June 14, 2023
How this hockey romance/big brothers best friend romance turned into a murder mystery/Pretty Little Liars type trilogy - I’m not sure.
BUT IM HERE FOR IT.
Jaw drop after jaw drop.
The whole series is well written IMO and the banter among Laiken & Mali as best friends found me relating it to my own best friend & I. The banter among the friend group as a whole found me wishing I was apart of that friend group myself, or at least still had one of those in my own life.
I still stand by what I said in my review of the first book - Monty is weird af.
BUT IM HERE FOR IT.
Jaw drop after jaw drop.
The whole series is well written IMO and the banter among Laiken & Mali as best friends found me relating it to my own best friend & I. The banter among the friend group as a whole found me wishing I was apart of that friend group myself, or at least still had one of those in my own life.
I still stand by what I said in my review of the first book - Monty is weird af.
August 10, 2023
★★★★☆ 4.5/5 (4★ on GR)
Ok so my expectations of book 3 were LOWWWW considering how book 2 went… But this one may have redeemed the series a bit.
This one jumps ahead 1 1/2 years later after book #2 and I didn’t hate it. It gave me Pretty Little Liars, who is “A?” vibes and I may have gotten a little freaked out 25% in and couldn’t put the book down. Bold statement, but this might be my favorite of the three.
AND THE PLOT TWIST THE LAST 10% OF THE BOOK OMG.
Ok so my expectations of book 3 were LOWWWW considering how book 2 went… But this one may have redeemed the series a bit.
This one jumps ahead 1 1/2 years later after book #2 and I didn’t hate it. It gave me Pretty Little Liars, who is “A?” vibes and I may have gotten a little freaked out 25% in and couldn’t put the book down. Bold statement, but this might be my favorite of the three.
AND THE PLOT TWIST THE LAST 10% OF THE BOOK OMG.
September 20, 2023
This book had real emotions pouring out of my eyes and heart. I could feel their emotions. The back and fourth. The love Laiken and Hayes shared. Love like this is one that no one and I mean no one can break. I am intrigued to read about Cam and Mali and I do hope it is a easy one book read as I am unsure my heart could handle much more. The book may have started with serious emotional feelings it ended with such happiness and love I knew it would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2023
i finally finished the third book in the series, so i’m gonna recap my thoughts all here!
first of all, LOVED the storyline. forbidden brothers bff trope is always fun lol. but then all the side plots were so interesting! i loved it, and the third book threw me for a fucking LOOP.
overall series i’d rate a 4.8! the second book lacked a little for me, but it was still a book i didn’t want to put down!
first of all, LOVED the storyline. forbidden brothers bff trope is always fun lol. but then all the side plots were so interesting! i loved it, and the third book threw me for a fucking LOOP.
overall series i’d rate a 4.8! the second book lacked a little for me, but it was still a book i didn’t want to put down!
November 2, 2024
⭐️⭐️
Back Again 🧟
This one was just too much for me. Wayyy too many ‘come onnnn’ moments.
Hayes + Laiken
She’s back and the secrets we’ve long since buried came back with her. Someone knows and is on a mission to burn down their lives. Will it be too much for them to handle? Or will this finally be what brings them back together?
Have you read this one yet? What did you think?
Back Again 🧟
This one was just too much for me. Wayyy too many ‘come onnnn’ moments.
Hayes + Laiken
She’s back and the secrets we’ve long since buried came back with her. Someone knows and is on a mission to burn down their lives. Will it be too much for them to handle? Or will this finally be what brings them back together?
Have you read this one yet? What did you think?
December 23, 2024
4.5 ✨ My favourite of the series. The added twists of a thriller into the mix was not where I thought this series was headed at all. But it made it very intriguing and filled the void of what was missing in the arc to me. I couldn’t pin point why I felt like something was missing, but this book did not feel that way.
January 29, 2025
Predictable book. Hated that bitch Laiken so much, like why did you just run away in the middle of the night instead of taking to your hot husband. She annoyed me through most of this series honestly. I’m glad it’s done, wouldn’t recommend.
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