real rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
this series coming to an end is a bittersweet moment, and this series has quickly become one of my favorites. following the journeys of Kate and Lorenzo throughout these past few months have been nothing short of a beautiful journey. one that i recommend all people go on
starting off with the storyline, it does not change much from the past three books. however, since this is the last book in the series, all of the loose ends get tied up. it was nice to finally get some answers regarding Lorenzo and his back story; and i liked how nicely things tied up. without giving away too many spoilers, i was happy to see that Lorenzo was a good guy. although i love my mafia men and am always for the villain, it's nice to read about the "good guy" winning too. i also liked how Kate accepts Lorenzo, but is skeptical at first. i think it shows how she's not a doormat and she's not going to let a guy walk all over it. it was really appreciated, and such a nice thing to read about. however, one of the main reasons i did not give this book a higher rating is because of the lack of emotional connection. although Lorenzo admits to loving Kate, i don't feel like they actually developed a real emotional connection. throughout the books, i felt as though they only interacted when they were either: 1. having sex, 2. Kate was drilling Lorenzo about his life. i didn't feel like either one of them took the time to get to know each other (aside from a few moments they had). so it was shocking to me when Lorenzo admitted to being in love with Kate. i felt like it was, rushed? i would have liked to see a more realistic approach to it; for example: Lorenzo saying that he likes Kate and would like to see where a relationship takes them. the word love is so strong to use, so i feel like it shouldn't have been used in this term. maybe i was wrong though
discussing the characters, there isn't much to say since they are the same from the first three books. starting off with our lead girl, Kate, she was great. i liked seeing her character growth over the series and it was nice to see her become more confident within herself as a person. i think that she is such a wonderful person with such a big heart, however i always can relate to her and her noseyness. i think many of us can. she was a badass, and i liked seeing her overcome many of her different fears. i hope that if the author continues this universe, that we see more of Kate in some form. switching to our lead man, Lorenzo, it was nice to see the truth about him. i think it was prolonged a lot... and made the readers take a lot of guesses as to what the secret was. so with this being said, it was nice to find out the truth (and it not be a bad thing). i think Lorenzo is a great guy with a big heart, and i think he was just dealt a shitty hand in life. however, i like to see him doing the right things in life and not following in other's footsteps. Lorenzo is another one i'd love to see in the future. but it's not Lorenzo without Santi, which is whom we'll discuss next. Santi was a cool character, and i loved the mystery behind him as well. he was a decent part of this book, and i like that we get to know more about him, as well. it's cool that Santi is so close to Lorenzo, and they've formed their own "brotherhood" type of thing. it's sweet to read about, especially given their pasts. but what i liked about Santi was that he was rough around the edges, but kept Lorenzo's head on straight. throughout the book, we see him constantly remind Lorenzo of what they need to do (which is focus on their mission). i'd love to read about Santi more, especially with his relationship towards Char. which leads me to my next person, Char. she was such a phenomenal character throughout this series. she really stuck by Kate's side throughout everything, and was always there to pick up the pieces when life was falling apart for her. i think everyone should have a friend like Char because she was really a real one through this whole thing.
this next paragraph will contain spoilers, regarding the ending of the book / series. read this paragraph at your own risk, but you have been warned.
alright so the ending was a little, wild. i don't know how else to describe it other then it being insane. first off, i never would have suspected that Lorenzo and Santi were working for the FBI to help take down their families (more their fathers) drug rings. it was such a plot twist, and not one that i was expecting. nonetheless, it was a great plot twist, and added for a good storyline. like i said, many authors make their male main characters the villain; so it's nice to read about the "good guy". i think the mystery around Lorenzo and Santi this entire series was a great element the author added. and i condone her for doing well. now, regarding Kate getting kidnapped due to her connection with Lorenzo (and her noseyness), that was insane. the scene where she is snooping and gets kidnapped, along with her being slightly tortured was one that i felt was straight out of a wattpad scene. not that im complaining, but that's what it reminded me of. i think it could have been done slightly different -- but to each their own. it was still enjoyable. now, let's discuss the conversation that Lorenzo and Kate have. Lorenzo being honest with Kate and telling her the truth was good to read about. i think that after everything Kate had been through with Lorenzo, she deserved the truth from him. and i give her props for not taking him back right away. instead, she heard him out and thought about it before making a final decision. i liked that she reflected a real person in a time like that. also the moon tattoo that Lorenzo got is a great touch, nice tie for this book from the last one
overall, i think this was a great book. i believe that the lack of emotional communication and relationship the main characters have is my main reason for my lower star rating. however, this has been a wonderful series and im happy to have been an ARC reader throughout the whole thing. this author is phenomenal, and im so excited to read more of her work in the future