Sine Qua Non

Nick & Jay #2

by Nenia Campbell

Justine Varens knows she has a messed-up life. She spent her whole adolescence hiding it beneath a gilded veneer of perfection, but now the shine is coming off. She’s fallen for the one man she shouldn’t—the man with the power to ruin her completely: her younger stepbrother, Nicholas.

Nicholas Beaucroft would do anything to make Jay his. She’s the only woman who can bring his wild passions to heel and when they’re together, sparks fly. But it’s not enough that his touch makes her heart beat faster. He wants to possess her entirely, to make her burn forever in his world of darkness.

But when old specters rise from their thorny past and history threatens to repeat itself, both Nicholas and Jay have to decide how much of themselves they’re willing to surrender for the sake of their forbidden love . . . and what secrets they might be forced to face when all the shadows fall away.

Genres: Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Dark, M F Romance, Contemporary

Unknown Binding

First published October 19, 2024

About the author

Nenia Campbell is a dark romance author who lives in San Francisco, California. When she's not writing, or reading, she can be found roaming the city or curled up with her void cat. She collects romance novels older than she is and loves a villain with flair.

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Reviews

[Allison Gravel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*As a thank you for my help in the beta reading process the author was kind enough to provide me with a free copy of this ebook.
Regardless of this gift there was no quid pro quo(hehe) and any thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I “threatened” that this was going to end up a chapter by chapter review of everything I loved about this book. Instead it has become a sort of stream of consciousness rant detailing my obsession with this book.
So sorry, or you’re welcome depending on what type of person you are. Also I’m not sure I won’t have to revisit this review to add more thoughts once they occur to me. Ive been thinking about this book for a while now and I have A LOT of thoughts. 😅



Nenia Campbell does it again! She will always be an instant buy author for me so I obviously expected great things from this book but i was bowled over by how much I loved it.
This book had no right to be this good. I was obsessed from the very first moment and never looked back.
Two of my all time, absolute favourite books are Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I have loved them since I was a teenager and the fact that this book was inspired by both just made it all the more gorgeous.

I love a dark romance, taboo romance, age gap(reverse or otherwise). Give me any flavour, all the red flags and a morally grey MMC and I’m already happy. Quid Pro Quo gave us all of those things and more and even though it ended with a sort of cliffhanger it could have ended there and been a perfectly wonderful and well written book. Instead Campbell was generous enough to give us this absolutely perfect sequel.

Sine Qua Non is not only an ending to Nick and Jay’s story but it also delivers some of the best character development and story payoff. It’s not just a sexy taboo romance book, though I promise it is that too, but this book, THIS BOOK is a beautifully written romance, a story about two broken individuals finding out they aren’t as broken when they’re together. They grow, they evolve, and they find themselves together.

This isn’t some cliche where Jay changes Nick into a better man or Nick gets Jay to see her value and without him she’d be lost. These two help each other, they bolster each other, they might even try harder to be better for each other,but they grow and evolve as individuals. Nick willingly embraces human emotions because he wants to be good for Jay but also because she allows him the space and opportunity to express and experience them when no one else in his life had before.
These two people are both haunted by parents that gave them unrealistic ideals. Jay fought against everything her mother told her but just as Nicholas was stunted emotionally by his father, Jay’s mother gave her such a skewed view of womanhood and the outside world when it came to men and it made Jay meek and unsure of herself.

I loved the moments in this book when Jay stood up for herself, her learning that she’s allowed to take up space and not have to apologize for it, and Nicholas for as much as he’s heavy handed and overbearing he also allows her that freedom. Not just at home with him, but by having her back and constantly reinforcing the fact that she’s the greatest thing he’s ever known.
As he says, he would burn the world down for her.
Also can we talk about how Nick has all this power and yet the reality of the situation is that when it comes to Jay he’s absolutely at her mercy, and the moment Jay realizes that. ✨chef’s kiss ✨

I could go on for days about how much I loved the character growth but there is so much more to this book. Bringing in Danielle to play a bigger role and especially the prologue where we get some insight into her thinking. I mean you know you’re reading a well written book when for just a second you start to feel bad for the evil mom. But also Jay finally realizing her mother is problematic and then cutting her off? That’s growth! That’s why I love this book

It’s all those nuances for me, with all the characters, even more minor ones like Michael and Annica, even Arthur. We don’t focus on them to a great degree, i mean this is a story about Nick and Jay, but they feel fully realized. The scenes at work, the actual financial dialogue scenes; they all help to develop the world and keep me so absorbed. Jay’s veganism isn’t a throwaway trait, it shows up throughout the story in deliciously descriptive ways. It’s all so multilayered and multifaceted and filled with these breathtaking moments of prose that legit made me put down my kindle and just sit in it for a minute.
When I love a book I want to devour it, I can finish it in a day if I’m fully immersed, but sometimes you need to simmer in it. You need to take moments in and then just absorb them.
Like with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, Sine Qua Non gives me these moments, these quotes that just sucker punch you, leave you gasping.

I honestly think what makes this book so good is that even though Nick and Jay work through their traumas and make in roads when it comes to healing themselves, I appreciate that Nick especially, remains fully himself. He’s still an arrogant jackass, he’s still controlling and sometimes rude. He thinks a little too highly of himself and often thinks he’s right, but he loves Jay. He is willing to bend for Jay, and Jay accepts that. She doesn’t feel stifled by it. She embraces it.

Could i say more? Yes. But I’ll allow this long winded review and the 51 highlights i made be enough. (For now 🙃)

5⭐️ mostly because thats all Goodreads will allow.

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I am no bird and no net ensnares me”

This book is the sequel to Quid Pro Quo and it has an audacious goal: to move from a relationship of coercion and dominance to love and understanding.

I loved Quid Pro Quo and did not think it was lacking in any way, but I am so happy for the sequel!

Like all Campbell’s work, this romance is intricately layered and detailed, with complex character work and thoughtful development. Both Nick and Jay grow, often painfully, in this book, as they learn to communicate with each other.

I have always been a big Nick fan, and I love how tenacious and desperate he has always been for his stepsister. So he did not need to redeem himself to me but I was still charmed by his brutal tenderness.

The smut was obscenely good, and the language and writing was beautiful.

I felt a little sympathy for some of the villains, even if they were gross, and that is a testament to her complex character development. I loved the ending and could see in the future Nick buying Jay her own vegan joy company to run and succeed at.

Jay occasionally gets hate but I’ve always found her moving and loved that she allowed herself to accept obsessive love & devotion here.

🥹🥹🥹 verklempt

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I loved revisiting Nick and Jay! I also loved the groveling (much needed imo) that Nick did in this book. I liked that he didn’t lose anything that was central to his character in doing so. Jay learned to forgive or at least love Nick, even after all that he did to her in their youth, which was really interesting to see. Will def reread this duology in the future.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been trying to work out just how to write a review for this book, and I'm currently on my fourth attempt so we're all just going to have to accept that this is going to be a flail. This is a dark romance, and I'm not talking about masked guys and smexy times, I'm talking about imposter syndrome, toxic childhoods from (psychologically) abusive parents, and small town mentality. I don't know how Nenia does it, but she creates characters and settings in a way that feel utterly claustrophobic. The weight of everyone's expectations and opinions feel suffocating, and yet you still keep reading because you desperately want them to get out.

The story picks up more or less right from where Quid Pro Quo leaves off, and I really appreciated the continuity there. I was also intrigued to see that we got more of Jay's mother, Danielle's backstory. There's to redemptive arc for her character, but perhaps enough tidbits to get a better understanding of what makes her tick. I mean, it's narcissism, that's a given, but she's used her looks and sensuality to score an easy ride with no Plan B. Having a child in the mix was never planned for, and she has only ever seen her child as a hindrance and competition.

Nicholas has been traumatised by his father, Damon, having to cultivate a hard shell and abusive behaviours of his own until he could extract his revenge. That has led to him viewing everything and everyone as a commodity or investment, with the exception of Jay. Both children when they met, Jay is perhaps the only person who showed him any softness. Consciously or not, that was enough for him to imprint on her which later grew until a kind of love/obsession.

Meanwhile Jay is a beautiful woman, but she has only ever seen superficial beauty weaponised via her mother, and has both seen and experienced the kind of male gaze/attention that comes with it. She doesn't want any of that, but like it or not, there's no hiding when you're pretty. The world's gaze is going to find her no matter what she does through no fault of her own. Underpinning all that is her desperate need for love, support and friendship, which she has never received so far without there being some sort of price tag attached.

Sweet. The word felt like a thorn in her throat. People had called her that in high school, but it felt like a status that could be revoked at any time. Every time Michael had asked—pleaded, really—for her to sleep with him, she had said no, terrified that if word got out, she wouldn’t be the sweet girl. She’d be the girl who did those things. The sort of girl whose name got carved into bathroom stalls and blew boys beneath the bleachers.

So here we are. A beautiful woman and a slightly younger, ridiculously wealthy man, who grew up in each other's orbit. That lead to the inevitable, until the actions of Nicholas's father, Damon, made her run. They're both unable to articulate how desperate they are for love, because neither of them have a working understanding of what love actually is.

They were good at hurting each other. Had perfected it with a lifetime of careful brushstrokes that demonstrated a mastery rivaling any one of these framed paintings. But he was tired of coupling their passion with violence. He just wanted to be fking loved.

And that's just the start of all the trauma. There's a small town mentality with everyone watching and gossiping. All Jay's friends from school either wanted her for her looks, thought she would be easy like her mother, or were jealous and out to tear her down. Nicholas assigned himself as Owner to prevent anyone else from taking away perhaps the only person that might understand him, and also looking to save her from their parents, which only fuels the speculation even more.

His approach puts Jay on the radar even more, and all she wants to do is hide, while at the same time wanting to be seen by someone - anyone at this point - who might love her and give her what she wants. And whether she likes it or not, that person is Nicholas, who for all that he is a few years younger, is also a young Dom. Neither of them have a clear understanding about why they're behaving the way they do, but they can't stay away from each other because their history gives them a shared language that no-one else will ever understand. And then one day part of that shared language becomes "Yes, Daddy."

You will need emotional support snacks, because there were moments in this book that hit HARD. Namely:

“Why do you think I need help from you?” she pressed. “Why are you so busy trying to assign me extra value if you think I’m already worthy?” “Because I think you’re fucking exceptional. Everyone in our family got to where they were by pretending to be something they weren’t. But not you. You never had to pretend to get people to love you. The only thing that ever held you back was you thinking you weren’t good enough.” His jaw set. “You might be content to sit and play the long con, but I’m not. Think of it as me accelerating the process so you don’t get stalled by your devaluation of yourself.”

I mean, that right there. Jay has spent her whole life trying to avoid anyone's gaze so she has lost her sense of worth, and Nic is fighting equally hard for her to see it. We should all be so lucky.

And she reciprocates:

Before she was quite aware of doing so, Jay closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his slender waist. The muscles of his back stiffened beneath his suit. “What are you doing?” he asked, in a careful voice. “Hugging you, idiot,” Jay mumbled, hugging him harder, burying her face in his throat the way he did, whenever he inhaled against her hair. “Even though your plans are stupid and I think you might be insane, the way you defended me today made me want to kiss you.”

It takes a long time in this story before these two characters can really begin to talk to each other and start to heal. It's not a miscommunication trope by any stretch, but rather they're both carrying so much trauma they don't know how to articulate, that it takes a while for them to find some sort of vocabulary in the middle ground. Until now, the middle ground has always been physical but for them to move into a proper relationship they need to adult their way through with more than their bodies. But when they do it's oh so worth it.

So Jay is working at Nicholas's company and you'd better believe the company gossip is going into overdrive, along with the depressingly real scenario of women tearing down other women. Fortunately Jay has a great boss, Arthur, who adopts a paternal approach with both Nic and Jay - that's borne out later when Nic extends a very special request.

There's a trip along the way back to San Francisco so that she can pack up her old apartment, and the pair of them get a chance to just be together away from all the stares and whispers. While there's no liberating sense of getting away from it all, they're able to relax with a few less expectations on their shoulders. That of course sets them up for the next act which gets vindictive. Just because they're taking a few steps to move on, doesn't mean that others want to let them.

I have to say though, that this might be my favourite part of the book because things REALLY come to light, and Jay at long last gets her phoenix moment and it is utterly glorious. Nicholas in turn, grows from being a young Dom to a proper Daddy Dom. Now he has the means, and the evidence to really step up and burn the world down for Jay, and rightly so. I may have cheered at this point:

"And then she left me alone. She hurt me on purpose because it made her feel bigger when I was small. She treated me like I was nothing. And then she sold me—like I was nothing." She looked up at the man her mother had sold her to. He looked back at her, and she saw that radiant chill in his eyes thaw by just a few degrees, like a teasing glimpse of sun in a storm. Then he bent to her ear and whispered, “Let Daddy take care of it.”
“Okay,” Jay said, sounding only a little shaky.

This whole section of the story is oh so satisfying but I don't go into details because spoilers, but the satisfaction I got as it all played out was *chef kiss* I feel like I'm doing it a disservice at this point by now waxing lyrical, but you need to experience it yourself. The last act finally shows what their life ahead together might be like, but still not without darkness. Nicholas is a Daddy Dom after all, and he's not going to tolerate anyone saying a word against his Blue-Jay, and then showing her just how much he worships her. And just when you think he's still going to be the super prickly Dom, he goes ahead and does this:

Her eyes widened. “You brought me to a bookstore.” “I knew you’d love it. Happy birthday, you little nerd.”

Great exchange between him and another (male) customer in the store by the way. He's still super protective and aggressive, but meanwhile Jay is no hothouse flower. She's growing at work and getting a chance to lead, and their roles switch in a way that truly satisfies because now they're both playing to their strengths and getting what they never knew they always wanted.

So can this all be summarised? SURE. Let's see. Dark, claustrophobic, Daddy dom, small town toxicity, SPICE, and most of all "Let Daddy take care of it."

Now, I think I need a lie down.

[Allison Gravel]

October 19th cannot come soon enough.
Beta read this bad boy and I am so excited to see all the edits and additions that were done.

[Arryns · Rating 5 out of 5]

just reading this, I cannot _possibly_ imagine nick and jay’s story coming to a end on the first book.
this was a perfect and much needed conclusion to their story. was I frustrated in the first few chapters? yes. did I think it was necessary? also a yes. jay had denied them for a long ass time, it wouldn't make sense to not question it suddenly. their relationship was a complex one and it was so special to see what came after, how they would actually work as a couple and it was perfectly them.
at some point, I almost cried 🤡 it's so rare to see a book where the romance doesn't take away from the characters individually. nick remained very much nick. he didn't mellow, his obsession was not sated — it actually went out of control. a lot of the times, I was kept on my toes, afraid that he would act out of desperation and fuck up. and the same remained true about jay. I was kept thinking she would find a reason to run, but they grew as individuals and together (sappy of me, but nonetheless truthful).

I will be reading more from Nenia and this was one the best read of 2024 for me.

[Regina Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever, I'm impressed and delighted by Campbell's style. Enthralling. This was an excellent sequel to the first in the series. Truly a satisfying wrap-up to Nick & Jay's story.

Minus one star only because I don't think I'll reread it, which is my usual requirement for five stars.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this one! Stopped to read this one instead of my other two that I need to finish and boy was it worth it.

This one made my heart break with how much insecurities the both of them had. Highly recommend even if it's a little twisted 😉.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

yoooooooo Nick is my new top tier fav male character. RIGHT next to MARCELLE. He belongs in my deranged sims game play officially.

Nenia you didn't have to go this hard but you did and so did Nicholas and I thank you 😩❤️

[vivareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick and Jay will always be my favorite, I can never get tired of them!! Even though the book is longggg I didn’t wanted it to end. 😭😭

[cajareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚—𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”


This is the second book with the same couple in the first book, the H, Nick and the h, Jay. The evil father (Nick’s father) was no longer in picture because he died by the end of book one but the scheming mother (Jay’s mother) was still an annoyance to the both of them, Jay especially. Now they’re no longer bound as step-siblings but people still think of them as sister and brother. The thrill of the taboo aspect from the first book was no longer there. It’s now replaced with the push and pull trope which I’m not really a fan of. People might not like the “daddy” trope but surprisingly I like it lol. Because Nick’s younger than Jay and him telling her to call him daddy brought a unique balance in their relationship. The spice scenes were still hitting hard tho. Nick’s got such a filthy mouth on him he’s such a slave for Jay’s attention & affection.

“𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝘿𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚.”


As for the writing, it’s still the same as in the previous book. Some phrases were a bit choppy and some scenes just skipped around and ended so suddenly. The past chapters were thrown in there abruptly within the present chapters as well. There’s also too much internalized inner thoughts between the two of them.

But other than that, I love the way Nick teases and “torment” Jay with his endless commands that’s in the first book as well. He’s still so uptight with everyone else though. He pretty much hates everyone except for Jay lol. This time, he’s the one who’s more laid back while Jay’s the one goading and provoking him for reactions. I love the character growth from Nick. He’s changing from the boy that grew up with Damon as his father, into Nicholas that tried his best to be the better man for Jay. The way he defended her; goddamn it was HOT. This man is fucking RUTHLESS when it comes to Jay. One small detail that I love was the fact that he always wore condom when they had $ex instead of making her taking the pills. Jay on the other hand, frustrated me sometimes.. If you read this book then you’ll know why. I just want to reach inside the book and yell “match Nicholas energy damn you” ughhh.

I enjoyed the first book more than the second book for sure but I do appreciate how some of my questions from the first book were answered here; like why Nick hadn’t went after Jay after she ran and what happened after Jay ran away. I really like the ending eventhough the epilogue only happened a couple of months later.

I don’t know if Nick had been with anyone during the 9 years separation. Jay did and she had a couple(?) of boyfriends.

Anyway, I am obsessed with the song Let The World Burn by Chris Grey and it matches perfectly with this book 🤌🏼

[Cortney Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad this book exists! I absolutely needed more of Nick & Jay after finishing Quid Pro Quo. I love that we get to see their relationship evolve and get to know Nick more. It was amazing to see Jay grow into herself and accept/demand what she wanted and needed.

This book, like the first, succeeded in making me feel several emotions during my read. The late night reading was well worth the sleepy hours at work because this book is amazing.

Nenia is on my short list of "automatic buy & read" authors. Her writing is phenomenal and just sucks you in! I would absolutely NOT be mad if we got more of Nick and Jay in the future.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s talk about the power of a sequel. I never really understood Nick as a desirable hero—not a critique on QPQ as a book AT ALL, rather a symptom of my own lack of empathy, I think. I think I never fully understood his motivations, because feelings like that are very foreign to me.

But with Sin Qua Non, you turned the tables on me! I truly never thought I would swoon for a man like this, and yet… here we are. He’s so goddamn sweet! You were telling us he was secretly sweet all along! Ughhhhhh

Brava, lady. Seriously, well done. Five enthusiastic stars.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this conclusion to the Nick an Jay series. Nicholas is one of the funniest villains/love interests I've ever read and I've never had so much fun with such a shamelessly menacing MMC. Nick and Jay god the happy ending they deserved and I can't wait to read more of Nenia's work!

[Hunny Vie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to one of the most complicated relationship between a step-siblings. It's amazing how far they've gone from hate to love, to letting go of each other miserable pasts and to become a better versions of themselves despite the brows raising relationship.

Nick was a pain in the butt most of the time, his definitions of love was a big contrast to Jay's. While Jay longing for freedom, Nick was determined to keep Jay by his side, either by choice or by force. In the end, they both realized they were hurting each other, so they both took a bigger risk in order to make their relationship works, even if it's affecting Nick's reputations and forcing Jay to face her shadow of the past.

Hands down one of the best taboo romance I've read this year. The storyline and the writing was excellent, so easy to get hooked.

[smut_and_coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sooo glad she wrote this after the Quid Pro Quo ending! After reading the last page I was a little mad lol. I loved that this book gave more insight into Nick and some of the why's and how's of his mind. Jay was as always my favorite, I love how she pushes his buttons whether knowingly or not. But also who wouldn't want a galaxy collar/necklace?!?

[amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hell yes

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Quid Pro Quo. I LOVED Sine Qua Non. It is such a great redemption story of two damaged children growing into adulthood. Loving each other through healing. Nick proves his love to Jay and doesn't give up who he truly is. Jay is finally able to accept his love and return it earnestly. This series is a favorite for me. I will think about Nick and Jay for a long time , and I will reread it.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daddy nick really brings it home with this one in his protectiveness and maturity

[Wenqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the second time reading a romance only making me fall in love with its author… the first time is Quid Pro Quo

You deserve hundreds of thousands of ratings and reviews

[Magnafeana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So.

Hm.

I have thoughts.

LIKES

✅ As always, Nick is a cruel ML who has a plan for everything. Good on him.

✅ Jay’s mother finally gets her comeuppance. She was thoroughly unlikable and Campbell did a great job of that!!

DISLIKES

❌ I don’t think I’ll ever like Jay/Justine. Dark romances are a hit or miss with FLs in MF DRs. I enjoy girl failures, but Jay was just pathetic in a “I don’t know why I should care about you” way. I get the story wanted her pathetic, but when the whole world is somehow against the FL, it feels…oddly contrived? To me—subjectively, personally, just my opinion—I lose interest in an MC that the author goes at length to make Gaia’s most hated child. At the same time, books where the MC is Gaia’s most favored child don’t appeal to me either. Why? Because I don’t see a reason for it. As in: what reason do so many characters have to be offended by or in love with the MC? Because…they exist? Even the MC being the daughter of a sex worker—so? Unless Jay’s mother was a highly visible sex worker and porn star, then I can see the sleaziness towards her. But…these were rumors? I’m trying to understand this. I understand why the author isolated the FL this much. But narratively, I never saw the reason for it. She was pathetic. And…yup.

❌ Non-linear storytelling confused me. This was my gripe with the last book too. There was a lot of back and forth in time that wasn’t really justified. Authors do this to give their story some mystery in revealing things. But in reality, you still need to justify if that mystery is needed and how to execute it. I didn’t care for the time jumps in the first book. I cared for them less in this book when the author forewent the appropriate tenses to mark a flash back and we’d be back in the present with no discernible sign.

❌ This is small, but the grammar issues kinda were ehhhh. Like—a new speaker of dialogue means a new paragraph. Unless Nick is now he/she—which is fine, I read books where characters have dual or carte blanche pronouns—then he should have he/him consistently. From the lengthy asides too, I just…wish this was edited better.

❌ Ending was kinda… Huh. Just rushed maybe? I was surprised at just it ended.

WHAT WOULD HAVE IMPROVED MY RATING

✨ More hard editing into not just grammar but craftmanship and execution. If the world is going to he against Jay, that’s fine—but prepare a reason for it. It’s one thing for Jay to think the world is against her when it isn’t. It’s another when it is for no other reason than the author said so.

✨ A little more warning through visuals or tense switching would help a lot with any sort of flashback.

OVERALL

I read this story more for Nick than for Nick and Jay or Jay. Nick was definitely a dark and cruel ML that may not be palatable to everyone. Jay isn’t my type of girlfailure, so I wasn’t sold with her. But this was still, a 2.5⭐️ that I round up as I really enjoyed Nick.

[mia ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was still the same girl who slept beneath a canopy of sunflowers while dreaming of men with cruel hands.

But now she belonged to him.

4.3 stars ˚.🎀༘⋆

this is the sweetest sequel to this duet. the other book ended so short with so many unanswered questions that this wholeheartedly delved into their shared trauma--which surprised me how affected i was by it--and how deep Campbell goes into their relationship. nick and jay have quickly become one of my favorite couples i've read in a while. nick's transformation in this book is so palpable and i find myself becoming sympathetic toward him, but i love his possessiveness regarding anything jay related.

i wanted to rate this five stars but there were some parts i couldn't get past. there were a good amount of grammatical errors, as well as a plot point about how jay wants nick to care of her in a OTT way, but when he does--albeit in a violent manner--she shutdowns and completely disagrees with it, which is at odds with her behavior. that just annoyed me. like, wouldnt you like that? i guess it reminded her of her childhood tho. it fr is so crazy how the nick we see in the first book is this same guy, it is almost triggering lol. otherwise, i'm so glad i discovered this. this is taking the stepbrother angst to the MAX 🤞

other quotes i loved ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

He'd kiss the air from both of their lungs if it meant that she'd belong to him and him alone.

I tore myself apart when you left and I am not going to lose you again.

This time, the smile he leveled at her--one of his real ones, the ones with the dimples that he never showed anyone--made her stomach flip.

I meant what I said earlier. I want you to come to me. For anything. Anytime.

As long as that means you're my princess.

[Jessy Oltersdorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first book but I had similar problems here like I had in the first one.

What did I like more? The relationship between Jay and Nick got much better, since he finally accepts his feelings and what he truly wants from her and Jay is not activeley blackmailed by Nick anymore. The dynamic between then feels more balanced now, more equal. Nick holds still a bit more power but that is because of his ruthlessnes and Jay still wants to stay very good. Almost annoyingly so.

A lot of the side characters are just plain "stick in the a**"- a**holes and very unlikeable. Very human so, but in the eyes of Justine and Nick, very much villains. What I dont understand is that Justine seems to understand her too-good morals dont get her anywhere in life but still remains stuck on them.
I wish for once she actually spoke her mind and were mean. She has much more moments of growth in this book than the first, there are even short scenes where she does speak her mind. But in a lot of curcial moments, for example with her mother, she stays silent.
She cant even really admit that Nicks ruthlessness and bad behavior turns her on. At some point it she was just too good for this twisted world. Maybe thats the point, I just like when good characters turn a little bit bad themselves, when the goodness doesnt get them anywhere in life.

And again Nenias writing saved everything. I read through the book so fast, I think I finished it in under three days. I loved all the smutty scenes and love that there were so many of them.
Nick is a 5/5 MMC, he is hot, he is dark, he is Daddy!

The story was much more engaging as well, as Justine now is with Nick because she wants to. The office and mother drama was just great!

Overall again 4/5 stars

[Hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm SO glad we got a book 2!!

Whilst this book's narrative could've tightened up a bit more, with less repetition on certain topics like Jay's insecurity and her conflicting emotions about Nick, I still enjoyed this book very much. If anything, it felt strangely relatable. One doesn't just get over insecurities and fears with just one good sex session haahhaha. And her conflicts over Nick are very valid - he did blackmail her (out of desperation to keep her, not to hurt her...too much hahaha). But I liked that this book was all about Nick's groveling arc, and making it up to Jay while she battles her inner demons. With Nick acknowledging what a little shit he was HAHAH, it was nice to see Jay grow and stand up for herself more with Nick's love too. Wholesome in a way!!

I would've liked some more sweet moments between them though, after they say I love you to each other. I loved the whole dog adoption scene, and just them doing little happy things together like playing Nick's old console. But the chasing sceneeeeee...oooohhh girl, yessssss!

Anyway, I'm still happy we got 500 pages more of Jay and Nick! I love their relationship so much, I'm almost jealous of Jay, I WANT A NICK TOO GODDAMIT!!!!!!!! It's also given me a...new perspective on my own life omg HAHAH

And phew the ENDING AND COMEUPPANCE WAS SO GODDAMN SATISFYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall, this book was...a comforting read, in a way? I mean i'm not a millionaire by any means, nor am I dating one HAHAH but it's good realism spice!! The human emotions and conflict were very, very relatable.

Can't wait for her next stepsibling/forbidden romance book heh!

[Gizelle Chia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nick and Jay are giving Cathy and Heathcliff vibes.

Rating: 2 stars

Boy was this a chore to finish. - Why was this book soo long with a whole bunch of nothing happening?! The plot was repetitive and damn the typos were distracting.

Nicholas was unapologetically psychotic and he was the only character that made the book worth reading. It was interesting to be inside his head. His character was pretty well written.

Jay however, was completely insufferable. She was obsessed with being a victim. I have no idea why everyone was soo obsessed with her. Her personality was as dull as dishwater. Her liking kinky sex was apparently a replacement of her having an actual interesting personality.
I was disappointed to find that there wasn’t much character growth for her over the years.

Aside from the individual protagonists. It irked me that the relationship felt stagnant after they reunited. They fought so hard to stay in a home of traumatic memories in a town that made them miserable for no good reason. - The house could’ve been sold and they could’ve gotten a fresh start at any moment.
Why was Jay so comfortable going straight back to her childhood room where she was raped?
It irritated me that birth control was never discussed at their big grown ages.
Jay regressed from being someone who lived independently for 8+ years to being completely dependent which felt like a character inconsistency.

The poor cat got neglected. Introducing the dog for him to be barely mentioned again was unnecessary to the plot.

Overall, the book felt repetitive, slow, uneventful and it was disjointed from the first book. I am surprised I was able to push through and finish this!

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sine Qua Non" is part II of this dark stepbrother romance duology and follows on seamlessly from "Quid Pro Quo".

"They were good at hurting each other. (...) But he was tired of coupling their passion with violence. He just wantet to be fucking loved". ... And there were quite a few moments where you just had to empathize with Nicholas... pathologically obsessive or not.

Poor Justine and poor Nicholas. Both are the product of their parents and struggle with their inner demons. Complicating matters is their shared past and their inner fears. And not to forget the greedy, envious and malicious environment

"You´ve to come to me in the light where I can see you. Where `everyone` can see you". ... Ah... and how he managed to lure her out. (I really liked that.)

"The cruelest thing he`d ever done, though, was telling her that he loved her".
...Thank God he did. I really liked how it all turned out. It really wasn't an easy relationship.

"Perfection & Success"... A dangerous combination that ultimately got what they deserved. I loved that conclusion.

[Farheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a dream come true

Dear Nenia Campbell,

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for keeping Nick and Jay alive.
Nick was Firebrand. I wish someone could love me like he does Blue Jay.

You are a true talent. If you can write a classic like Quid Pro Quo and after years
bring the same essence and out perform its sequel, you are a tremendous writer.

It was such a joy to immerse into the world where Nick thrives.
The intensity of the story was excellent. It’s so hard to find a good book that keeps you engaged throughout these days.

Thank you so much for writing this book. You poured all your heart in the characters and it shows.

Looking forward to reading more of such true love in your upcoming books.


Love,
Farheen

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen, I absolutely looooved Quid Pro Quo and Nick and Jay's story there, but this? This was like the icing on the cake. While Quid Pro Quo ended with a happy enough ending, it wasn't the ending Nick and Jay deserved. Sine Qua Non, though, is the happiness their violent relationship needed to find peace. I loved seeing Jay grow more confident in what she wanted and Nick learning how to love her how she needed, their relationship grew and became so beautiful while they overcame so much shit trying to tear them apart.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

NICK BEAUCROFT THE MAN THAT YOU FUCKING ARE!!!😮‍💨😮‍💨 MAY THIS LOVE FIND ME!!!

Nick is everything every girl dreams of: obsessed, possessive, a bit toxic, Will fuxking do anything for his girl🙌🏻🙌🏻.
Idk how Jay didn’t give in to him after all this time. I mean I do understand in the beginning she was closed off but it kinda got annoying later on. Like girl just let him fucking love you. He’s willing to do anything for you. Anyways regardless I loved both the books and damn NICK has my heart 😭

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Quid Pro Quo. I LOVED Sine Qua Non. It is such a great redemption story of two damaged children growing into adulthood. Loving each other through healing. Nick proves his love to Jay and doesn't give up who he truly is. Jay is finally able to accept his love and return it earnestly. This series is a favorite for me. I will think about Nick and Jay for a long time , and I will reread it.