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Boys of Riverside #2
Love How You Love Me
All I wanted for so long was to remember the car crash that killed my mother. Like it might somehow chase away the guilt and grief that followed her death.
But now I remember, and everything has changed.
I should be relieved.
Instead, I’m angry at the world. My mother. Father. And especially the boy who stole my heart and crushed it beneath his palm.
Everyone warned me to stay away from Atlas Scott–the bad boy football star, with a reputation for trouble.
Maybe I should've listened.
But our bond was seemingly unbreakable, forged in the fire of tragedy.
Until it wasn’t, and everything fell apart.
Now the memories that haunt me are so much harder to manage on the heels of heartbreak.
Graham, my best friend, is, once again, picking up the pieces while I search for vindication in all the wrong places.
Because there’s only one catalyst for healing and redemption.
Love.
Fans of emotional YA romance will fall in love with this sequel to Love the Way You Lie, book two in the Boys of Riverside series.
But now I remember, and everything has changed.
I should be relieved.
Instead, I’m angry at the world. My mother. Father. And especially the boy who stole my heart and crushed it beneath his palm.
Everyone warned me to stay away from Atlas Scott–the bad boy football star, with a reputation for trouble.
Maybe I should've listened.
But our bond was seemingly unbreakable, forged in the fire of tragedy.
Until it wasn’t, and everything fell apart.
Now the memories that haunt me are so much harder to manage on the heels of heartbreak.
Graham, my best friend, is, once again, picking up the pieces while I search for vindication in all the wrong places.
Because there’s only one catalyst for healing and redemption.
Love.
Fans of emotional YA romance will fall in love with this sequel to Love the Way You Lie, book two in the Boys of Riverside series.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2023
843 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
November 1, 2024
Drama drama drama. 2.5 stars
Plot-
Wow. This book was triple as angsty as the first one, and that’s saying something. !!!! I felt like I’d been transported to an epic soap opera. The 3 MCs were subject to all kinds of shocking and sordid reveals. Their lives were like a melodramatic train wreck.
There was so much going on, including affairs up the wazoo (is there no such thing as a faithful married person?), a near-mugging/assault (so OTT), and a near-traumatic brain injury. Add full blown, fetal position, panic attacks. One main character spirals from self destructive behavior in an attempt to cope, but thankfully is in a better place before the book ends.
Plus one character seeks closure and peace through vengeance and hate. That was the low part of the book for me…
There was so much dysfunction in this book (seriously, not ONE adult/parent figure was admirable) and so much pain, that I couldn’t help but think they need Jesus Christ. True forgiveness and humility and love are what bring peace and healing, and Jesus Christ is the only true source of any of that.
Religion was not in the book whatsoever, and I get that it wasn’t meant to be. But I become invested in the books I read, and wow, it just made me so sad how Kenzie sought comfort by emotionally destroying Lee Scott. Was he a victim? No, of course not. But what both Kenzie and Lee actually needed in order to become better, thriving versions of themselves was to forgive and to be forgiven. A second chance. A combination of justice WITH mercy. Impossible they say? Well, on your own, sure. But not with Christ beside you. Instead, pain begat pain and the cycle continued.
Anyway, the good thing is, it all ended well. All 3 MCs are in a good place with each other and healing. Good conclusion with the promise of more as the series continues with the happy ending for the boy who got the romantic shaft. I won’t be continuing since the books are too angsty for my liking.
Romance-
Love Triangle = 1 mysterious guy + 1 childhood friend guy + 1 girl = angst^n
- from A Nudge blog
Yep, that quote says it all. However, shockingly, I actually enjoyed the love triangle in this duology. Why?
Because I empathized with the FMC. The author made both boys lovable; both were pretty sympathetic characters. Between the three MCs, lots of the right ingredients were there - an exploration of emotions, vulnerabilities, character depth, confusion, questioning, feelings of unworthiness, jealousy, guilt, attraction, affection, loyalty.
To be clear, it’s obviously which direction the FMC will go from the very beginning of this book. So while Book 2 is still def considered a love triangle, at least there’s that.
The romance ended well and I’m perfectly satisfied in that regard. They are fully committed and are a great match.
Writing -
Pretty good (besides the OTT plot drama), just in need of a proofread. There were one or two instances where a line was clearly missing, must have been deleted because we had the first part of one sentence and the last part of another sentence. Other small errors like this:
I inhale, tearing my eyes from hers and shove them in my pockets
Wow, that’s a gruesome picture right there. lol
Content-
Language- 109 f-words. BIG YIKES
Substance abuse- Underage drinking at parties is normalized but there’s an underlying message that it can go overboard which can lead to broken dreams and ruined lives. One character spirals into alcohol and gambling, but he’s going to pull out of it in the next book. Drug use is strongly denounced by the main characters. One instance of overdose from a side character.
Spice- One kissing scene that leads to underage characters sleeping together but the curtain is pulled very quickly. Steamy clean. (Incidentally and surprisingly, I’d consider it even cleaner than book 2, which also pulled the curtain. I appreciate this about the author.)
Cover- Great.
POV- Alternating 1st person POV between the 3 main characters, who were Book 1’s love triangle.
Cliffhanger- Not with the romance but the book sets up for the third MC’s HEA.
Format- KU
How I rated the series-
Book 1, “Love the Way You Lie” - 3.5 stars
Book 2, “Love How You Love Me” - 2.5 stars
Plot-
Wow. This book was triple as angsty as the first one, and that’s saying something. !!!! I felt like I’d been transported to an epic soap opera. The 3 MCs were subject to all kinds of shocking and sordid reveals. Their lives were like a melodramatic train wreck.
There was so much going on, including affairs up the wazoo (is there no such thing as a faithful married person?), a near-mugging/assault (so OTT), and a near-traumatic brain injury. Add full blown, fetal position, panic attacks. One main character spirals from self destructive behavior in an attempt to cope, but thankfully is in a better place before the book ends.
Plus one character seeks closure and peace through vengeance and hate. That was the low part of the book for me…
There was so much dysfunction in this book (seriously, not ONE adult/parent figure was admirable) and so much pain, that I couldn’t help but think they need Jesus Christ. True forgiveness and humility and love are what bring peace and healing, and Jesus Christ is the only true source of any of that.
Religion was not in the book whatsoever, and I get that it wasn’t meant to be. But I become invested in the books I read, and wow, it just made me so sad how Kenzie sought comfort by emotionally destroying Lee Scott. Was he a victim? No, of course not. But what both Kenzie and Lee actually needed in order to become better, thriving versions of themselves was to forgive and to be forgiven. A second chance. A combination of justice WITH mercy. Impossible they say? Well, on your own, sure. But not with Christ beside you. Instead, pain begat pain and the cycle continued.
Anyway, the good thing is, it all ended well. All 3 MCs are in a good place with each other and healing. Good conclusion with the promise of more as the series continues with the happy ending for the boy who got the romantic shaft. I won’t be continuing since the books are too angsty for my liking.
Romance-
Love Triangle = 1 mysterious guy + 1 childhood friend guy + 1 girl = angst^n
- from A Nudge blog
Yep, that quote says it all. However, shockingly, I actually enjoyed the love triangle in this duology. Why?
Because I empathized with the FMC. The author made both boys lovable; both were pretty sympathetic characters. Between the three MCs, lots of the right ingredients were there - an exploration of emotions, vulnerabilities, character depth, confusion, questioning, feelings of unworthiness, jealousy, guilt, attraction, affection, loyalty.
To be clear, it’s obviously which direction the FMC will go from the very beginning of this book. So while Book 2 is still def considered a love triangle, at least there’s that.
The romance ended well and I’m perfectly satisfied in that regard. They are fully committed and are a great match.
Writing -
Pretty good (besides the OTT plot drama), just in need of a proofread. There were one or two instances where a line was clearly missing, must have been deleted because we had the first part of one sentence and the last part of another sentence. Other small errors like this:
I inhale, tearing my eyes from hers and shove them in my pockets
Wow, that’s a gruesome picture right there. lol
Content-
Language- 109 f-words. BIG YIKES
Substance abuse- Underage drinking at parties is normalized but there’s an underlying message that it can go overboard which can lead to broken dreams and ruined lives. One character spirals into alcohol and gambling, but he’s going to pull out of it in the next book. Drug use is strongly denounced by the main characters. One instance of overdose from a side character.
Spice- One kissing scene that leads to underage characters sleeping together but the curtain is pulled very quickly. Steamy clean. (Incidentally and surprisingly, I’d consider it even cleaner than book 2, which also pulled the curtain. I appreciate this about the author.)
Cover- Great.
POV- Alternating 1st person POV between the 3 main characters, who were Book 1’s love triangle.
Cliffhanger- Not with the romance but the book sets up for the third MC’s HEA.
Format- KU
How I rated the series-
Book 1, “Love the Way You Lie” - 3.5 stars
Book 2, “Love How You Love Me” - 2.5 stars
September 3, 2025
Ugh - really wanted to like this series - but definitely not for me! It drags on and on so bad! It’s predictable and I’m bored. Cannot even fathom reading the rest.
No pull to keep me engaged … blah
No pull to keep me engaged … blah
March 5, 2024
I loved getting to see both Atlas and Mackenzie work through their relationship and their own personal demons in this book. They definitely have more to work on beyond what we saw in this book but I think by the time we get to the end that they are in a spot where they can be happy as well as really have a solid foundation. As for Graham, the more I read his side and his POV the more I started to dislike him and wanted to be over his chapter. While he does play an important part in the storyline I just hated how he also didn't take responsibility for some of the actions that he took. Overall, by the end I did end up tolerating Graham but not enough to the point where I'm anxious to read his side of the story. Truly happy that I managed to stumble across this book though!
August 6, 2023
A bit cluttered with the subplots.
And unexpected cliffhanger.
And unexpected cliffhanger.
June 1, 2023
Emotional Rollercoster
WOW!! This book was so beautifully written, it had me in tears both happy and sad. Mackenzie and Atlas are my absolute favorite. LOVED this series and I can’t wait for Grahams story.
WOW!! This book was so beautifully written, it had me in tears both happy and sad. Mackenzie and Atlas are my absolute favorite. LOVED this series and I can’t wait for Grahams story.
October 21, 2025
Better than the first book
If I thought the cliff hanger at the end of the first book was good, the one at the end of this book is intense. It seems like the love triangle among Atlas, Mackenzie, and Graham has been settled but there is a whole lot of other things going on. Can't wait to read the next book.
If I thought the cliff hanger at the end of the first book was good, the one at the end of this book is intense. It seems like the love triangle among Atlas, Mackenzie, and Graham has been settled but there is a whole lot of other things going on. Can't wait to read the next book.
July 3, 2025
I’m gonna miss Atlas
July 27, 2023
I loved this second part! There were such good parts and I loved everything that happened and how it evolved around each other. I just couldn't stop reading anymore and AAAH that ending! Can't wait for more!
Full review coming soon!
Full review coming soon!
June 9, 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
Loved this sequel! This one picks up right where book 1 left off and was filled with more drama, more football, and of course, more angsty teen love.
Mackenzie, Graham, and Atlas are each working through some very hard things, when even more secrets are revealed. The love triangle is written so well and I am happy with the way things are going.
The cliffhanger left me dying for book 3!
Content: closed door, some strong language
Loved this sequel! This one picks up right where book 1 left off and was filled with more drama, more football, and of course, more angsty teen love.
Mackenzie, Graham, and Atlas are each working through some very hard things, when even more secrets are revealed. The love triangle is written so well and I am happy with the way things are going.
The cliffhanger left me dying for book 3!
Content: closed door, some strong language
July 3, 2024
3.75
October 7, 2024
HERE FOR THE DRAMA.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Oh my goodness. I binged the first book and this one back to back and I have zero regrets. I loved the high level of drama and the NEED I felt the entire time reading that I had to know what happens next. This was the angsty tension filled love triangle I didn’t know I needed and I will now be forever recommending it to others.
I loved the continuation of this story. I thought the plot points came together well and I left feeling satisfied with part of the story and excited for the continuation of the other. This does finish Mackenzie’s romance and who she ends up with. There’s plenty of swoon and quotable moments and I will ABSOLUTELY be continuing this series.
Overall audience notes:
- NA Sports Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: one closed door
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: loss of a father from suicide, mentions of drug/alcohol addiction, attempted assault, gambling addiction, underage drinking
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Oh my goodness. I binged the first book and this one back to back and I have zero regrets. I loved the high level of drama and the NEED I felt the entire time reading that I had to know what happens next. This was the angsty tension filled love triangle I didn’t know I needed and I will now be forever recommending it to others.
I loved the continuation of this story. I thought the plot points came together well and I left feeling satisfied with part of the story and excited for the continuation of the other. This does finish Mackenzie’s romance and who she ends up with. There’s plenty of swoon and quotable moments and I will ABSOLUTELY be continuing this series.
Overall audience notes:
- NA Sports Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: one closed door
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: loss of a father from suicide, mentions of drug/alcohol addiction, attempted assault, gambling addiction, underage drinking
August 5, 2024
MacKenzie and Graham are best friends, but Graham caught feeling for her when they tried having a relationship until she called it quit when his cousin came to town. she broke Grahams heart to be woth Atlas but it was short lived when she found out it was Atlas dad that killed her mother by drinking and driving, he knew about it but never told her. She felt she couldn't trust him after that. She pushed him away for a while and turned to her best friend, but he was dealing with his own heartbreak from her, and he started drinking, partying, and gambling. She decides she wants Atlas to take her to confront his father for closure, and with 24 hrs after doing so, he overdoses and takes his life. She felt guilty, but Atlas never blamed her. He found out after winning the championship that his father had overdosed, so he took off needing time, and his friends couldn't find him, but Kenz knew where to find him. She went to his place and found him upset sitting on his roof. He sees her and agrees to come talk to her (after they just shared an intimate night being stuck in snow after their visit the night before). As he come to get off the roof, he slips and falls and he's unresponsive and bleeding and the 911 call wasn't clear, she hadn't driven since the accident when her mother died but she knew in that moment she had no choice, she gets in the car that had the keys in the ignition which was the same car his father was driving when he hit her mother. she got him to the hospital and ended up saving his life. While waiting for him to wake up, Graham took her for a chat and gave her his blessing, and wanted her to be happy. She was with Atlas the whole time in the hospital. He and Graham worked things out, but Graham was having trouble accepting they shared a brother, his father cheated on his mother with Atlas mother but realized his problems with his family aren't Atlas fault. They became friends, but now Graham has to face the trouble he got himself into with the large debt he owes, and they guys are there to collect....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2023
What a fantastic sequel! Love the Way You Love Me picks up right after the events of the first book with Mackenzie, Atlas, and Graham in some difficult positions. I would describe this series as a young adult sports romance that deals with some heavier themes. There are mentions of drugs and some alcohol use by teens as well as some language, cheating (not by any of the main characters), and death of a loved one but nothing really explicit. If I read this in high school, I would have been obsessed!
Not to say as someone in their thirties, I’m not! The author does such a good job weaving all the story elements together in a way that is concise and effective. I have read books twice this length that have not accomplished the same amount of character building. There are a few reveals in this book that caught me off guard and I love being surprised. I do think I am most invested in Graham’s story now. He is such a complex character and you really see how is struggles with having an addictive personality escalate throughout books one and two.
This book tackled a lot of problems that teens face. Grief in particular is a heavy topic throughout this story. And not just grief from someone passing away but the grief you go through when someone lets you down. Mackenzie also has a lot of anxiety around driving that she is trying to overcome in this book that I thought was really well done. Atlas continues to be such a cinnamon roll character even when he is going through a lot of hard times. I just love how all three characters are fully realized with a lot of stuff to deal with and even though not everything was solved in this book, it was nice watching these characters work through their issues.
I loved this a lot and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult books that have some heavier themes. I can’t wait to read the next book!
Not to say as someone in their thirties, I’m not! The author does such a good job weaving all the story elements together in a way that is concise and effective. I have read books twice this length that have not accomplished the same amount of character building. There are a few reveals in this book that caught me off guard and I love being surprised. I do think I am most invested in Graham’s story now. He is such a complex character and you really see how is struggles with having an addictive personality escalate throughout books one and two.
This book tackled a lot of problems that teens face. Grief in particular is a heavy topic throughout this story. And not just grief from someone passing away but the grief you go through when someone lets you down. Mackenzie also has a lot of anxiety around driving that she is trying to overcome in this book that I thought was really well done. Atlas continues to be such a cinnamon roll character even when he is going through a lot of hard times. I just love how all three characters are fully realized with a lot of stuff to deal with and even though not everything was solved in this book, it was nice watching these characters work through their issues.
I loved this a lot and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult books that have some heavier themes. I can’t wait to read the next book!
October 30, 2023
Love How You Love Me, book two of the Boys of Riverside series-
My rating for this book is a 4.5, rounded up for obvious reasons.
This book picks up right where Love the Way You Lie left off and it is quite the roller coaster of events! The author has done an amazing job of carrying the plot line over and continuing it through the entire book. A super smooth transition that has ended up being a page-turner and quick read, for sure.
Mackenzie, Graham and Atlas will be forever entwined in each others lives, even when they don’t want to be. All three of them really go through the wringer in this book. There are a lot of dramatic things that occur and a lot of questions that were left from the first book get answered in this sequel. All of our main characters really do some growing and it’s a beautiful thing to watch as each comes to grips with their realities. I disliked Mackenzie quite a bit in the last book but I think she’s grown a lot and now I don’t despise her as much. (Lol.) Graham is one of those characters that you love and hate simultaneously. Deep down he’s a decent kid but he does some really stupid, childish shit. And Atlas!! Atlas has grown the most and he’s really turned out to be such a stand-up guy. The support characters are written well and we cant ignore the turn-around that Captain Hart’s character had. Dare I say he may have even redeemed himself?
I was wondering what could possibly be in a third book but Graham went and got himself in a shituation that leaves us on another cliff hanger. I’ll be reading the third book immediately.
Gracie Graham and her writing have proven her to be an amazing YA contemporary author. This series is turning out to be a great one and I hope she proves she can carry this momentum and excitement through the next book!
My rating for this book is a 4.5, rounded up for obvious reasons.
This book picks up right where Love the Way You Lie left off and it is quite the roller coaster of events! The author has done an amazing job of carrying the plot line over and continuing it through the entire book. A super smooth transition that has ended up being a page-turner and quick read, for sure.
Mackenzie, Graham and Atlas will be forever entwined in each others lives, even when they don’t want to be. All three of them really go through the wringer in this book. There are a lot of dramatic things that occur and a lot of questions that were left from the first book get answered in this sequel. All of our main characters really do some growing and it’s a beautiful thing to watch as each comes to grips with their realities. I disliked Mackenzie quite a bit in the last book but I think she’s grown a lot and now I don’t despise her as much. (Lol.) Graham is one of those characters that you love and hate simultaneously. Deep down he’s a decent kid but he does some really stupid, childish shit. And Atlas!! Atlas has grown the most and he’s really turned out to be such a stand-up guy. The support characters are written well and we cant ignore the turn-around that Captain Hart’s character had. Dare I say he may have even redeemed himself?
I was wondering what could possibly be in a third book but Graham went and got himself in a shituation that leaves us on another cliff hanger. I’ll be reading the third book immediately.
Gracie Graham and her writing have proven her to be an amazing YA contemporary author. This series is turning out to be a great one and I hope she proves she can carry this momentum and excitement through the next book!
September 27, 2024
we had A LOT going on in this book. I honestly wished we wouldn’t have dwelled so much on Graham’s issue but I also know we had to build a story for him since his book is next, which i’m considering coming back to because i’m still not sold on him and I don’t know if I can handle a whole book about him. I was shocked at both the direction we took Graham this book and the reveal of what went on with Atlas’ mom.
Mackenzie kinda drove me nuts in this book. she had every right to be angry and that’s not what drove me nuts, it was that she let Graham be an ass to her and she just let him because she felt bad that she picked Atlas over him. she needed to give herself space from him after everything and I understand he’s her best friend but she knew he was still upset and she just let it be 🙄. I really thought she wasn’t going to give Atlas another chance (because of Graham) and I was going to riot if that was the case.
Graham like I said earlier drove me nuts and i’m still not sold on him, it took him until almost 90% of the way through this book, Atlas & him getting in a fight, and him REALLY listening to what Atlas had to say to realize that he was pushing way too hard for Mackenzie and that yes she loves him but not in the way he needs her to plus he was using their friendship as a bargaining chip to get her to pick him. he’s also kind of a whiny baby and now he’s got a gambling/drinking problem on top of everything. I just need a break from him.
Atlas had it rough in this book. between his mom, his dad, Cal, Graham, & Mackenzie he couldn’t catch a break. I was happy to see that he kept his word and never stopped fighting for Mackenzie even with all the new information he received about his family, he could have definitely just bolted from everyone and everything. kinda hate we won’t have more Atlas & Mackenzie as the main characters anyways 😔.
Mackenzie kinda drove me nuts in this book. she had every right to be angry and that’s not what drove me nuts, it was that she let Graham be an ass to her and she just let him because she felt bad that she picked Atlas over him. she needed to give herself space from him after everything and I understand he’s her best friend but she knew he was still upset and she just let it be 🙄. I really thought she wasn’t going to give Atlas another chance (because of Graham) and I was going to riot if that was the case.
Graham like I said earlier drove me nuts and i’m still not sold on him, it took him until almost 90% of the way through this book, Atlas & him getting in a fight, and him REALLY listening to what Atlas had to say to realize that he was pushing way too hard for Mackenzie and that yes she loves him but not in the way he needs her to plus he was using their friendship as a bargaining chip to get her to pick him. he’s also kind of a whiny baby and now he’s got a gambling/drinking problem on top of everything. I just need a break from him.
Atlas had it rough in this book. between his mom, his dad, Cal, Graham, & Mackenzie he couldn’t catch a break. I was happy to see that he kept his word and never stopped fighting for Mackenzie even with all the new information he received about his family, he could have definitely just bolted from everyone and everything. kinda hate we won’t have more Atlas & Mackenzie as the main characters anyways 😔.
October 28, 2023
3 stars ⭐
I preferred the first one more, but she ended up with Atlas 🥰 so this book was still a win!
In saying that. Kenzie annoyed me for over half the book. Understandably she was upset with Atlas over hiding the truth from her, but her making out like it was over between them forever and she wouldn't be able to forget was a bit much imo. I tried to remember that these are 18 y/o having to deal with really heavy matters but still. It's not like he got to know her and fell in love whilst knowing the truth and hiding it from her the whole time. He only found the truth out days prior to her finding out. I think the worst part was him agreeing to let her drive the car, but even that, I don't think it was unforgivable. He loved her so much and was scared of losing her. Plus it was a huge thing for him to find out himself, shock can make people not think straight for a while. Obviously it was wrong of Atlas, but the first half of the book dragged for me personally because I wanted more of them together. Although them coming back together towards the end was sweet.
Still don't know how I feel about Graham :/ I feel some level of understanding and sympathy but at the same time, he annoys me.
A good duet overall :)
I preferred the first one more, but she ended up with Atlas 🥰 so this book was still a win!
In saying that. Kenzie annoyed me for over half the book. Understandably she was upset with Atlas over hiding the truth from her, but her making out like it was over between them forever and she wouldn't be able to forget was a bit much imo. I tried to remember that these are 18 y/o having to deal with really heavy matters but still. It's not like he got to know her and fell in love whilst knowing the truth and hiding it from her the whole time. He only found the truth out days prior to her finding out. I think the worst part was him agreeing to let her drive the car, but even that, I don't think it was unforgivable. He loved her so much and was scared of losing her. Plus it was a huge thing for him to find out himself, shock can make people not think straight for a while. Obviously it was wrong of Atlas, but the first half of the book dragged for me personally because I wanted more of them together. Although them coming back together towards the end was sweet.
Still don't know how I feel about Graham :/ I feel some level of understanding and sympathy but at the same time, he annoys me.
A good duet overall :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2025
This one hurt as I knew it would. There was also a lot that I did not see coming. I also got One Tree Hill vibes, which is not unwelcome.
I had to go directly into this book after finishing Love the Way You Lie. This book was less love triangle-y and more angsty. It took me a little to get into it compared to the first book since there was so much heartbreak. It was also very messy. There are some unexpected things that happen that change the course of how the story would go.
Something I really liked was that there was a deeper dive into the relationships and not in a romantic way. We get further insight into the family dynamics of each character and how this has affected decisions and actions.
This author did so well with closure. I was worried about how things would get resolved; most notably the love triangle, Mackenzie's relationship with her father, and Mackenzie's PTSD. I was prepared for an abrupt resolution, but that's not what happened at all. There were mature discussions and realizations that showed positive character growth.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.
I had to go directly into this book after finishing Love the Way You Lie. This book was less love triangle-y and more angsty. It took me a little to get into it compared to the first book since there was so much heartbreak. It was also very messy. There are some unexpected things that happen that change the course of how the story would go.
Something I really liked was that there was a deeper dive into the relationships and not in a romantic way. We get further insight into the family dynamics of each character and how this has affected decisions and actions.
This author did so well with closure. I was worried about how things would get resolved; most notably the love triangle, Mackenzie's relationship with her father, and Mackenzie's PTSD. I was prepared for an abrupt resolution, but that's not what happened at all. There were mature discussions and realizations that showed positive character growth.
I am looking forward to reading the next book.
February 6, 2024
these books are so underwhelming. the first one left on a cliffhanger, as did this one and I think that’s what’s drawing me in. I want to know what happens with these characters but the further I read the more uninterested I become. there seem to be a lot of holes in the plots and even though technically atlas and mckenzie ended up together, I still feel blah about it. there was no fire to them whatsoever. I tried to find the chemistry and it just wasn’t there. every character seems underdeveloped and the author wastes time on chapters that don’t matter while completely forgetting things that do. graham and atlas both have a half brother and we barely hear anything about him, atlas’s mother comes back after abandoning him at the age of 4 and even that storyline never reaches a resolution, and his dad who was in a rehab facility and sober for 2 months, relapses and dies on a park bench??? like what?! I’m just kinda confused about what I’m reading. I wanted to like this so bad and I did at first but I’m being slowly and slowly turned off
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2024
Look at me being controversial, and saying that I am an ardent supporter of Graham.
You could never make me hate him.
Some of the language from this boy continues to live rent-free in my head. 🫠
I will be making a quick detour here to honour Jace, who gets the best dialogue of the novel, hands-down.
Content aside, I counted two occasions where the same conversation happened twice on a single page. So similar in wording (both times) that I actually had to go back and read it again due to the glaring alarm of déjà vu.
I understand that this entry needs a nice, solid conclusion, but rolling around on the floor in pure rage at one point, and then almost immediately pushing it all aside is the equivalent of wrapping something up forcibly in a bow. I personally have never recovered from anger so expeditiously. The jump between the two stances feels incredibly sudden.
Obviously, being as openly biased as I am, finally getting to see Graham's moment in the sun is the perfect way to end the trilogy.
You could never make me hate him.
Some of the language from this boy continues to live rent-free in my head. 🫠
I will be making a quick detour here to honour Jace, who gets the best dialogue of the novel, hands-down.
Content aside, I counted two occasions where the same conversation happened twice on a single page. So similar in wording (both times) that I actually had to go back and read it again due to the glaring alarm of déjà vu.
I understand that this entry needs a nice, solid conclusion, but rolling around on the floor in pure rage at one point, and then almost immediately pushing it all aside is the equivalent of wrapping something up forcibly in a bow. I personally have never recovered from anger so expeditiously. The jump between the two stances feels incredibly sudden.
Obviously, being as openly biased as I am, finally getting to see Graham's moment in the sun is the perfect way to end the trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2023
This is the second book in this incredible series, and this story continues straight on from the ending of the first book.
Kenzie is angry at the world, and haunted by memories, and she just wants to remember the crash which killed her mom and confront the man responsible. Kenzie was warned to stay away from bad boy football star Atlas, and best friend Graham is left to pick up the pieces again. Kenzie, Graham, and Atlas all grow up more in this story, and Atlas wants to win Kenzie’s heart, while Graham needs to learn to let her go.
At the end of this story, Graham is in a bit of a predicament, and I look forward to reading the next book.
This is a well written story which is an emotional roller coaster, with action, revelations, loss, grief, guilt, drama, acceptance, redemption, healing, romance, tension, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, and addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
Kenzie is angry at the world, and haunted by memories, and she just wants to remember the crash which killed her mom and confront the man responsible. Kenzie was warned to stay away from bad boy football star Atlas, and best friend Graham is left to pick up the pieces again. Kenzie, Graham, and Atlas all grow up more in this story, and Atlas wants to win Kenzie’s heart, while Graham needs to learn to let her go.
At the end of this story, Graham is in a bit of a predicament, and I look forward to reading the next book.
This is a well written story which is an emotional roller coaster, with action, revelations, loss, grief, guilt, drama, acceptance, redemption, healing, romance, tension, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, and addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
January 7, 2025
3.5 stars. This one was a bit harder to get through because of Graham. I started skipping parts of his chapters because he really pissed me off and I just wanted to know what was going on with Atlas and Kenzie. I’d get stuck reading Graham’s chapter and back out of the book to distract myself with something and then try to come back, only to want to get out of it again. So I started skimming on his bits.
What I really loved about this was that there was this tension and since so many of the best friend love books end with the two together, it was a breath of fresh air to read something where that didn’t happen exactly. And the book is realistic and written really well, aside from some minor grammatical errors here and there. If we cut out grahams chapters, I’d probably bump this to a 4.5.
I’m not sure how I feel about reading his book next, if I’m honest. Maybe I’ll come back to it at some point, but I’m not there just yet.
What I really loved about this was that there was this tension and since so many of the best friend love books end with the two together, it was a breath of fresh air to read something where that didn’t happen exactly. And the book is realistic and written really well, aside from some minor grammatical errors here and there. If we cut out grahams chapters, I’d probably bump this to a 4.5.
I’m not sure how I feel about reading his book next, if I’m honest. Maybe I’ll come back to it at some point, but I’m not there just yet.
November 5, 2024
This book was a little harder to get through. I wanted to know what was going to happen with Kenzie and Atlas but Graham was such a whiny little brat. I get that it's high school and hormones and immaturity is a given, but he was horrible.
Atlas was fairly mature for a high schooler. I felt like he handled Kenzie and all the issues surrounding her well even with his own problems bearing down on him.
Kenzie had a lot to deal with in this book and she handled it well for a HS senior. It did bother me that she went back and forth between Graham and Atlas even though she knew what she wanted.
Then there's Graham. What a child. The girl he likes doesn't like him so he's going to do everything in his power to destroy his life and guild Kenzie after all the stuff she's already dealing with. This is why guy/girl friendships don't work. Especially in HS. He tortured her and made her feel horrible because she wanted her best friend when he wanted their relationship to be romantic.
There's more books in the series but I'm done. Kenzie and Atlas had a good stopping point and the next book seems to be all about Graham and his problems coming to a head.
Atlas was fairly mature for a high schooler. I felt like he handled Kenzie and all the issues surrounding her well even with his own problems bearing down on him.
Kenzie had a lot to deal with in this book and she handled it well for a HS senior. It did bother me that she went back and forth between Graham and Atlas even though she knew what she wanted.
Then there's Graham. What a child. The girl he likes doesn't like him so he's going to do everything in his power to destroy his life and guild Kenzie after all the stuff she's already dealing with. This is why guy/girl friendships don't work. Especially in HS. He tortured her and made her feel horrible because she wanted her best friend when he wanted their relationship to be romantic.
There's more books in the series but I'm done. Kenzie and Atlas had a good stopping point and the next book seems to be all about Graham and his problems coming to a head.
May 28, 2023
WOW! Just WOW! This book was everything. It made me laugh, it made me cry. The twists took me by complete surprise and some of them were just...Wow. It was great seeing MacKenzie stand up for herself. Her character development has been off-the-charts. Atlas was brilliant as always. He's come a long way from book one. But Graham...Damn. I knew where his story was headed the moment he went to the poker game so that cliffhanger shouldn't have thrown me as much as it did but God, this is killing me... Graham's development has been interesting to say the least. I never liked him much in the first book but the way he tried to turn things around left me speechless. Especially the hospital scene. So excited for his redemption arc in the next book. After that cliffhanger, it better come out soon.
July 3, 2024
Thank God Graham finally got his head on straight about the way he was treating Mackenzie because I was ready to hit him upside the head with a two-by-four for most of the book. There was lots of drama in this installment (and a lot of typos and misused words), and while I didn't agree with the way everything was handled, I appreciate Atlas's attempts to be the bigger man and that Ms. Graham had Mackenzie start therapy for her PTSD. I also appreciate that she wrote Atlas as a character who - as the child of an addict - avoided alcohol and drugs completely. So many YA books DON'T do that and I will never understand why.
Content notes: frequent harsh profanity, underage drinking, sexual situations (closed door) and other mature themes (cheating, gambling addiction, alcoholism).
Content notes: frequent harsh profanity, underage drinking, sexual situations (closed door) and other mature themes (cheating, gambling addiction, alcoholism).
March 10, 2025
I am really enjoying this series. It is hard to find a book, or series, that is well written and close door without being cheesy or “sweet”. This series accomplishes it very well.
Altlas’ growth and character development is excellent. I would like to have seen more growth from Kenzie.
The one area I have a problem with that we, as readers, are expected to hold Cal accountable for the damage his words do to Graham, and rightfully so. However, McKenzie isn’t responsible for the damage her words do. I agree completely that we aren’t responsible for another persons actions, but “death and life are in the tongue”. Maybe that’s supposed to be the lesson, but it seems to get brushed under the rug.
Overall, a great series. Definitely worth reading. I have already started book 3.
Altlas’ growth and character development is excellent. I would like to have seen more growth from Kenzie.
The one area I have a problem with that we, as readers, are expected to hold Cal accountable for the damage his words do to Graham, and rightfully so. However, McKenzie isn’t responsible for the damage her words do. I agree completely that we aren’t responsible for another persons actions, but “death and life are in the tongue”. Maybe that’s supposed to be the lesson, but it seems to get brushed under the rug.
Overall, a great series. Definitely worth reading. I have already started book 3.
August 30, 2024
I adored the first book so had to pick up this one and find out what was in store for Mackenzie and Atlas as well as all the other characters. Graham makes you feel like you’re right there watching it all play out and it was an amazing book. I only stopped reading because sleep is not optional, but I adored the characters, I adored the twists along the way and that ending was so sweet, even though the very end makes me desperate to jump into the third book, which thankfully I can as I already have it. Overall a delightful romance with serious themes and sweet characters. Very much recommended!
March 28, 2025
Ok this book was great and I’m putting bias aside to give this 5 stars.
I have such an issue with the whole she’s mine thing and the lying
The cheating scandals had me giggling like crazy and then feeling rly bad for graham.
I’m excited to read book three because I feel so bad for graham and I personally think Kenzie made the wrong choice and I will hate her for it even though she didn’t bug me as a main character- most books with great guys have rly annoying girls- so I’d say pretty good and would recommend
Song stuck in my head that represents graham so well is shirtsleeves by ed Sheeran
I have such an issue with the whole she’s mine thing and the lying
The cheating scandals had me giggling like crazy and then feeling rly bad for graham.
I’m excited to read book three because I feel so bad for graham and I personally think Kenzie made the wrong choice and I will hate her for it even though she didn’t bug me as a main character- most books with great guys have rly annoying girls- so I’d say pretty good and would recommend
Song stuck in my head that represents graham so well is shirtsleeves by ed Sheeran
September 28, 2025
3 starss
I mean I was expecting it to end like that.. but like all that… so some of it was a snooze fest it was boring, nothing I wasent expecting, Graham deserves so much better.. like my heart chipped for him soo I can’t wait to read his book! He just lwk annoyed me but I love him! Than there’s the whole plot.. I mean it kept me on my toes, but i just feel like it dragged for an unnecessary amount of time. Overall I love Atlas, his pain is my pain, Kenzie doesn’t deserve anybody.. and than my sweet baby graham, and jace I smiled soo much because of him. I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it! But ya the whole plot Drama.. drama.. and wait MORE DRAMA…
Available on KU!
I mean I was expecting it to end like that.. but like all that… so some of it was a snooze fest it was boring, nothing I wasent expecting, Graham deserves so much better.. like my heart chipped for him soo I can’t wait to read his book! He just lwk annoyed me but I love him! Than there’s the whole plot.. I mean it kept me on my toes, but i just feel like it dragged for an unnecessary amount of time. Overall I love Atlas, his pain is my pain, Kenzie doesn’t deserve anybody.. and than my sweet baby graham, and jace I smiled soo much because of him. I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it! But ya the whole plot Drama.. drama.. and wait MORE DRAMA…
Available on KU!
June 15, 2023
One day- I consumed this book in one day. As more and more things were exposed I found myself hanging on - needing to know the truth. But as Mackenzie finds out, the truth isn’t always easy to learn. This author twists do much into this story you can’t help but keep turning the pages. Atlas and Mackenzie. Mackenzie and Graham. Atlas and Graham. Ugh! It’s was so much! I do love who she ends up with but do need to see the one not chosen find his happily ever after. I need them all to find some sort of peace because after all this they need it!
July 16, 2023
The triangle of young love continues -- lots of family angst amid the pressures of senior year of high school. The football guys have a major game ahead of them that will affect their futures. And Atlas faces some big personal challenges -- good/bad -- maybe both! I'm not telling!
This installment is shorter than the first but definitely keeps the pace moving swiftly. Of course, expect another breathtaking cliffhanger -- and one that won't be solved until November 30, 2023 when the 3rd installment in this series is released. That news leaves me a little disappointed.
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