A Bitter Affection

A Beautiful Surrender #2

by Rachel Mays

Love was supposed to conquer all.

Then why did it lead to such devastating destruction? Rysburg is reduced to rubble, the forest is burning and Ali lost the last person she could call family. She’s broken, and Nik doesn’t know where to begin to help her.

While Ali and Nik struggle with the fallout of the attack on Rysburg, Eli is left to fend for himself. Feeling utterly abandoned, he finds solace in a new home and an enchanting stranger. But what appears to be a sanctuary, has secrets of its own. And so does the girl with the captivating smile.

Forced to face new challenges and difficult journeys, they must ask themselves—is this love worth fighting for?

Author's This book is intended for readers who are 18 and older. It contains mature language, graphic violence and explicit content.

Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Romance

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2023

About the author

Rachel Mays is a daydreamer and a hopeless romantic. She'd rather spend her time immersed in a fictional world than the real one. Her fantasy romance novels are filled with vivid scenery, relatable characters and love stories that will have your heart melting. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves to play cozy games and hang out with her cat, Daryl.

Reviews

[Holly Stringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reader here. So happy I was lucky enough read. I was dying to see how the story continued. The first book ended on a cliffhanger and I was so happy to see how it’s continuing. I’m so happy with Ali and Nik’s relationship growth. Eli’s character growth is so great and he deserves all the things lol. I can’t wait to read more!

[Ruthi W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every bit of this. Seeing Eli becoming his own and getting the love and attention he definitely deserves. Grace is such an amazing character and I can’t wait to hear more about her. Ali and Nik relationship was tested but I loved seeing them grow together. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Chloe Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect continuation of the first book. I loved the old characters and their development along the way, as well as the introduction of new characters. Nik and Ali make my heart swoon and Eli is just so good. Grace was the perfect addition to the story. There’s happy and sad and hurt and healing; all that makes the best story.

I’m obsessed with these books and I can’t wait for more!

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption story for Eli 🥹

[Charlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long awaited sequel to A Beautiful Surrender, we pick up on Ali, Nik, and Eli’s stories after their home/prison was ravaged by the Coyotes. I thought I was in love with the exciting and possessive Nik, but Eli left him in the dust in A Bitter Affection! In this story, we get to see Eli grow and develop, get to know more about this once happy-go-lucky guy that seemed to get the short end of the stick with Ali in A Beautiful Surrender. Once again, Rachel Mays sets a beautiful stage with her amazing descriptions of the various locations and characters. We meet a new character, Grace, and get to know an entirely new community, Berland. We still get to see how Ali and Nik are surviving without the comforts of Rysburg, but the main focus is on Eli and his new life, and oh man, it’s a good one! The spice is completely different from A Beautiful Surrender, and I think I loved it more in A Bitter Affection! I love a good, descriptive scene and Rachel does a perfect job of balancing smut and provocativeness without going overboard or making the scenes seem unrealistic/unbelievable. The story itself took me a minute to get into, I think because it’s been so long since the release of the first book in the trilogy (which Rachel explained on her social media as well as in her acknowledgments). I had so many other books under my belt since I originally read A Beautiful Surrender that I had to reacquaint myself with the storyline and the characters before I could fully immerse myself in A Bitter Affection. But once I did, this was a quick, entertaining read that I couldn’t put down! I can’t wait for the final installment to see how these characters stories end, and I’m hoping for some closure on Sam and Theo 😉!

Storyline: ❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Thank you for choosing me to receive an advanced review copy for free in return of my voluntary review! Can’t wait for #3!!!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta read. RTC.

I loved this sequel and can’t wait to see the final product. If you liked A Beautiful Surrender, buckle up because A Bitter Affection dives even deeper into Ali, Nik and Eli’s world🖤

[Ellie Herr · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reader. This is the second book in the series of the Ali, Nik, Eli love triangle. After leaving us off with a cliffhanger on the first book, this book picks up and does not disappoint. The story follows along Ali, Nik, and Eli's journey to be reunited, and brings in engaging new characters as Eli learns to get past his romantic feelings for Ali.

I highly recommend this book and love it more than the first one on the series. I am also hoping for a 3rd in the future to continue with this world!

(Some of the scenes are also quite spicy for those looking!)

[bookishthoughtsbyjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc review
A Bitter Affection
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Eli Eli my sweet sweet Eli. My heart shattered with his during book 1. My heart healed with his in book 2. These books are so intriguing I finished each book in less than a 24 hour period.

I loved everything about this book. The plot line seemed to flow perfectly and when that special part happened, it was believable. (No spoilers)

Eli is so damn thoughtful and just genuinely him that it’s very attractive. I didn’t think this dystopian romance could get better than book 1 but boy was I wrong.

I’m very impressed by how easy it was to follow along with multiple POVs and I found i actually liked knowing where everyone stood in certain situations.

Book 3 needs to come out yesterday! Must must must read this series!

This book does end with a cliffhanger

[Amanda Lantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! With being left in the love triangle between Nik, Ali & and Eli, this second book focused more on Eli and bringing in new characters you quickly fall in love with.

I definitely suggest these books for Dystopian Romance lovers. Like me, you will be left wanting more!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC reader here! I’m very happy to continue this story! I loved to see the relationship progress for Nik and Ali as well as the character developments! Book 1 definitely left you on a cliffhanger and this book picked up where we left off. I feel it did well with tying up loose ends from the first book but I found the pace of this book to be a bit slower. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and LOVED seeing Eli develop more and find his place in this world! Grace was a great addition to this book and I love her confidence and sassy character! I can’t wait to see how the rest of their journey plays out in the next book!
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[K Huskić · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Okay, so I dove right into this book after finishing book 1. I needed to know what happened after that ending!

Ali and Nik are separated from Eli for most of the book, and I liked that. Eli had his own story to tell, and it was nice to get to know more about him, and for him to stand on his own without Ali. I liked the addition of Grace to the story.

Ali and Nik's part of the book was more emotional, they had some struggles (and she irritated me a little with her behaviour), but they had some sweet moments too. I liked these two together.

Now - the ending! This author is great at a cliffhanger. I'm so excited for book 3, it'll be a ride!

[Bev B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️’s!!!
It felt good to dive back into Ali, Nik & Eli’s world. I loved seeing Ali & Nik’s relationship grow but I was also happy to see Eli’s growth. I’ve always been a Nik girl but I also wanted to see Eli happy & this book delivered all that and more. Now, let’s talk about Grace…such a firecracker of a woman! I love her! I love how carefree & strong she is. She really helped Eli’s growth & helped him find his happiness 💜

This book was everything & I’m already looking forward to Book 3! If you love a spicy dystopian romance, then definitely add this series to your TBR!

[Frommailenesbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for sending me an ARC of this book!

This book had me begging for Eli and Ali to reunite! I was heartbroken for Nik having to do so much while patiently waiting for Ali to come back to him after shutting him out. I can't even blame Ali for her mental state: she didn't know if her best friend was okay, they had been moving around on survival mode, and she felt guilty for so many things. Meanwhile, we get to see what happens to Eli and how he manages to handle his separation from Ali and survive. I can't wait for the final book to see how everything wraps up!

📚 Dystopian Romance
📚 Friends with Benefits
📚 Found Family
📚 Dual POV

[Erin Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Rachel for the opportunity to advance read a bitter affection.

For those like me who read the first book over a year ago I recommend a reread to fully immerse yourself back into this world.

The addition of new characters and more from Eli’s perspective really helped keep the story moving. Seeing how everyone copes with difficult times and is able to grow and adapt to come out the other side was wonderful. I wish the best for Ali, Nic, Eli and Grace and cannot wait to see what book 3 will bring !

[Stephanie P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bitter Affection is book 2 in the Beautiful Surrender series!!! You have to read book 1 in order to understand book 2!

I really enjoyed the story line of Ali and Eli!!! Yes they get on your nerves because they do a lot of woe is me, but life in this book is not easy!!! They literally are dealing with life during the remains of civilization as we know it!!!

They have a lot of hardships to over come and it’s nice to see how they mature and are able to find peace and balance in their new lives! Oh and there is some spice!!!

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨
A Bitter Affection (A Beautiful Surrender book 2)
By Rachel Mays
 
4⭐️
 
I really enjoyed this second book. The story picks up where book 1 ended and we finally get to know what happens to Eli, Nik and Ali. I was glad to be introduced to new characters and, without surprise, Grace quickly became my favourite. The characters’ growth was awesome. There’s a lot of mental health rep, which was written with a lot of sensitivity and care.
 
I’m super excited for book 3 since this one leaves us on a little (but not traumatic) cliffy!
 
In this book you’ll also find:
🏔️Dystopian World
🏔️Politics
🏔️Multiple POVs
🏔️Forbidden love
🏔️Friendship
🏔️Found family
🏔️Spice that hits the spot 🤌🏻
 
Huge thank you to Rachel Mays and booksirens for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Sara Persman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

The building of the story and growth of the characters exceeded my expectations. The rivalry between Eli and Nik is amusing, but the spice of Nik and Ali along with Eli's interests..... amazing! Plus, let's not forget Sam and his budding friendship, as this has definitely set my interest in where this could progress. This story is definitely one for who loves dystopian worlds, and I am excited to see what happens next!

[Katie Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel, you are killing me with these cliff hangers!

Ali has Nik, but Eli gets his chance to find his person! Although he doesn’t give up on being reunited with Ali, his heart get a chance to heal and fall in love! Grace maybe the Lady of Borland but she just wants to be loved and be seen just like everyone else! Eli and Grace’s relationship is sweet and provocative. But I’m so happy that Eli and Ali are reunited!! I can’t wait for the next one!

[S. Frasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE. I enjoyed book one so much and book two did not disappoint! We definitely get to catch up with Ali and Nik in ABA, which I enjoyed, but Eli definitely got a chance to shine in this book after many sad vibes in book one. He comes in hot with BDE and also cute bumbling moments as well. I cannot wait for book three!

[Cassy Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these two books in the span of two days. They had me hooked. I did find they dragged in a few places but there was still important information pertinent to the story in those drags. I think I was more impatient for characters to be reunited. All in all, a good read. Cannot wait to see what happens next.

[Elizabeth Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read - completely voluntary

Everything about this sequel was amazing. I loved getting to see the characters develop from book 1 to now. I absolutely love Eli and I can’t wait to see how things play out! The book was very easy to follow! This book will give you every emotion and I couldn’t put it down!

Spice: 3/5
Overall book: 5/5

[readingwmatcha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to say if it was better than the first. But definitely slower than the first. I wasn't IN love with any of the characters. But I am hooked enough to wait.fornthr third book 😂

[Veronica Adamita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt kind of dragged on honestly but I do enjoy watching Eli grow into himself and not be so hung up on Ali in this one.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I am happy Eli found happiness. But I got a little bored at times, especially at the beginning. It was rough to keep reading initially.

[S.R. Plett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so honored to receive this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've grown to love these character through the first book and now even more through the second. First off I want to say I'm so happy Eli finally got his redemption story.

It was a little bit of a slower paced read, which I definitely had to get into (I'm just used to fast paced reads and lots of action) but I really appreciated the chance to slow down and enjoy the character and the world.

Ali & Nik are ride or die and I hope they make it in the end. I just love them.

Of course there's a cliff hanger and now I want to immediately read book 3 because you can't just leave me hanging like that with those last lines