A Sun Scorched Bloom

Magic of the Wildflowers Trilogy #2

by Megan Shade

A bloody bargain. An impossible choice. An inevitable war.With the Lonely Death spreading and a rebellion ignited within the kingdom of Desia, Lea finally knows the truth. At least---she thinks she does. But the revelation of Gray’s identity is only the beginning.Guided by an ancient prophecy, Lea embarks on a quest to harness the power of the moonflowers and save the lives of her people, but this power will not come without a cost. Lea must confront her innermost demons, reopening old wounds in order to fulfill the prophecy and end the reign of the wicked Black King.

In the spellbinding sequel to A Wildflower in the Wind, Lea is forced to plunge deeper into her magic where the line between victory and chaos blurs, leaving her to wonder if the flames within her will render her unstoppable, or perhaps, irreversibly consumed in the fire.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Romance, Magic, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook

569 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2023

About the author

Megan Shade is a romance and fantasy romance author from Tennessee. Megan is a mother of four, including toddler triplets, and a voracious reader of fantasy, romance, and thrillers. In her writing, Megan enjoys writing flawed characters who grow throughout their stories, strong friendships and found family, and anything with a bit of magic in it.

Connect with her on socials @meganshadeauthor on tiktok and instagram.

Reviews

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! Everything you could hope for from a second installment and more! The plot is so dynamic and Gray and Lea’s worlds grow tremendously as they travel and prepare to lead the rebellion.

All of my favorite characters were back, plus a couple new ones and now I have to nurse this book hangover 😭

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the story not only focused on Lea and Gray but also Janelle and Erik. I like how she wasn’t afraid to give a darker side to the characters and their experiences. I feel like it makes it more realistic even if this is just fantasy. Be prepared the ending kills off a beloved character and ends in a cliff hanger for our favorite couple.

[Sammy Dooris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved book 1, and book 2 was no disappointment! My heart was in my mouth by the end, and I honestly don't know how I can long I can wait for book 3 with an ending like that. I feel like my own heart has been ripped out!

I loved the darker side of the characters and loved that we got to see more of Jenelle and Erik, I can't wait to see their relationship grow even more.

[Kara ✨ kara_readsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

We hit the ground running with Lea (the FMC), Gray (the MMC) and the gang as they fight their way out of the castle as the rebellion unfolds.

Once they escape, the gang must travel through the Wicked Wood in order to find a witch that will help reverse a curse. Once the curse is gone, Gray may finally be able to unalive his evil family and bring the kingdom to peace.

I really liked following along with Lea as she discovers more of her magic, but also as she discovers how powerful and strong she is - not only as a magic wielder but as a person as well.

🌶️.5/ 5

✨ Magic 💫
✨ Fated mates 💞
✨ Shadow Daddy 🖤
✨ Touch her and ☠️
✨ Road trip 🏇
✨ Found family
✨ Who did this to you?

Book 2 focused a lot more on both Lea and Gray's relationship, but also the relationships with the secondary characters and we got to know them much more intimately.

And turns out that's the perfect recipe for absolute heartbreak 💔. When I finished the book, I was honestly speechless and I'm still processing the book ending on such a devastating cliffhanger 😭.

I'll be thinking about this one for a while, and need book 3 to (hopefully) mend my broken heart.

[Taylor Morris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. This was not a good romance book. This was more of an action book. Which is fine. I like action. The action was good but a little too drawn out. The ending really pissed me off.

I will not be purchasing the third book. I’m done.

I only purchased this second book because I was really attached and interested in the main couple. I was hopeful they would start their lives together since it took the entire first book to admit things to each other.

I was very disappointed when nothing was happening. It started off so good, but it quickly became dull. For soulmates and bonds, the author did a poor job understanding how to write about that. I almost stopped about halfway thru the book. What stopped me was they finally sealed the bond. But even after that, you don’t see much of them using their bond like authors write about. Yes they’re preparing for war, but it just wasn’t what I had hoped for. This author missed the mark.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finally finished this one. It was rough. The ending was good but the 500 pages I had to read to get there…. I deserve a metal. I’ll Definitely be reading the 3rd book when it come out. 🤷‍♀️

[Kathleen Ninke · Rating 4 out of 5]

She did it again but even better????? Megan Shade my friend, maybe I’m biased, but the world you’ve built is as engrossing as any mass-published romantasy out there.

“A Sun Scorched Bloom” starts right where “A Wildflower in the Wind” left off. TBH I have no idea how to write this sequel’s review without first-book spoilers, so, um, SPOILER ALERT FOR "A WILDFLOWER IN THE WIND" (but NOT "A Sun Scorched Bloom").

Lea now knows her mate Gray’s secret: he is the leader of the rebellion against his own family–a family royal, ruling, and evil to the core. Finally, with his mission in the open, she and his other followers can officially join the fight against the king and his curse “the Lonely Death,” which steals magic from unsuspecting villagers. With a small cast of our favorite characters, we go on a journey through the kingdom and beyond. Along the way, the crew faces all kinds of demons (without AND within). Also, the crew forms new connections…maybe even some romances we didn’t see in the first novel, oOoOoOo. Twists, turns, and an action-packed ending cap off this fun AF read.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it every time I review a romantasy: this is not a genre I seek out, so I don’t know much beyond SJM and Tomi Adeyemi. But damn if I don’t still know for sure that Megan Shade’s storylines are fresh as hell. Yes, we have the tropes we love in this genre, but this one kept me guessing start to finish. I loooove the new romances that bloom here. I loooove the multiple POVs we get (inside Emma’s head? Yes please!). I LOOOOVE the way the flashbacks are written into the story–and the reveals we get from them. And the character development! When we’re introduced to Lea in AWITW, she’s a more simplistic character–a little naive with a one-track mind. In ASSB, Shade fleshes out her complexities in a powerful way. Same goes for the plot. Like with SJM’s ACOTAR, the first book’s plot is pretty basic…so that the second can floor us with the truth behind the “basic.” Shade uses that tactic here to glorious effect.

Like all good second-in-a-trilogy novels, this one ups the stakes and widens the world. Unlike all bad second-in-a-trilogy novels, this one doesn’t just feel like a cursory bridge to get to the finale. A fully formed novel in its own right–but that’s not to say it doesn’t leave my itching for “A Petal in the Crown” coming soon!

[Megan Stieritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a freaking nail biter at the end there. So glad the next one is out so I can jump right in!

[Mai Xee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action from A to Z. Jenelle and Erik I ship the fuck out of them. This FUCKING BOOK the ending… THE ENDING?!? Whhhhyyyyy. Fuuuuck. Ugh. So good.

[Jada Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book like this before!! It literally gave me a physical reaction when I was done. I felt nauseous as I read the last few pages but kept wanting more!! If you are looking for a page turner that keeps you coming back for more and unable to put it down you are in the right place. Now I just need for November to hurry up so I can’t get the last book!!

[Lauren Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like book one, this book also captivated me from page one. I couldn’t put it down.

I love that this book started off exactly where book one ended and there was no laps and time. Another difference between this book and book one was that I got to read different characters point of view.

Learning about Janelle and her past, and how her relationship with Eric changed drastically throughout the book was amazingly sweet.

I really enjoyed reading about Lea’s strength with her magic increasing and finding the balance between night and day magic. Her confidence building as the book went on. The battle scenes were phenomenal.

I held my hand over my mouth gasping towards the ending chapters. I can’t wait for book 3. I need to know what happens next.

[Elisabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is so bad i want to give you a zero, but that’s not possible, so i give you, a one. No bc this was the most painful book i almost dnf but obiosly i had to. Gray was literally the worst character ever and tbh so is lea. I think i like the storyline as a whole but the writing is frustratingly repetitive like WE GET IT they will burn down the world to ash and dust bc they’re so protective of each other, and they’re mates, you’re MINE, and i can’t live without you grr. the only saving grace was the fact that i liked the other characters bc we didn’t have a permanent internal monologue running for them. I think this was so painfully slow and then at like 80% through suddenly it’s the fastest pace ever and i have no idea wtf is going on and then everyone is dying and we don’t even have time for setting the scene. idk i don’t think i’ll bother with the last one, like don’t get me wrong i want to know what happens but it’s also pretty predictable at this point and i don’t need 3 chapters dedicated to how sad and angry Lea is and how will she go on blah blah blah. i think the only saving grace was erik and janelle but even that got a bit tedious

[Callie Pey · Rating 4 out of 5]

moonflowers and sacrifice

An enjoyable continuation of the series. Erik and Janelle stole this book for me. The twist at the end with Noah… so many threads pull together and lots of secrets are revealed. What a cliff hanger to end it on too

[Clare DiPaola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dialogue? Cringey. Characters? Cringey. Plot? Predictable until the last 20% which was this books saving grace fr. I’ll probably read the next one lol

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

That cliffhanger was ROUGH. Need book 3 immediately

[All_About_Them_Audiobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead***

Possible triggers: Anxiety, Assault, Attempted Murder, Child Death, Death, Dead Bodies, Decapitation, Gore, Grief, Illness, Kidnapping, Knife, Sword and Axe Violence, Mental Health, Murder, Physical Abuse, PTSD, Scars, Violence, War

Overall star rating (out of 5⭐️): 4.25

Spice level (out of 5🌶️): 3 (open door with some explicit scenes)

Content review: The writing is great and the storyline kept my interest, even so it’s the second book of three. I love the side characters and their story (appreciate a good side character but even better if they get their own story I can cheer for them).
But be warned, it ends on a cliffhanger!

Narrator review: Samantha Cook did a fantastic job reading all the different characters. Solid 4 out of 5

Reading Format: Single (female)

Tags: bargain, curse, death in person, demons, evil creatures/monsters, fae, fantasy, fated mates /bonds, ghosts, gods, great storyline, hidden/ secret identity, magic, portals, paranormal, political intrigue, prophecy, revenge plot, romantasy, time travel

Tropes: one horse only, touch her and die

❤️ Love interest: Grey x Lea

[Heather Cravens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series hasn’t gotten enough hype but make no mistake— this series is FIVE STARS.

I CANT. The heart break is too much! The sacrifice was admirable but gosh it hurt me. It cut me deep— the betrayal and sadness from that cliffhanger was way too much. I thought that was what would happen but I guess reading it was completely different.

These books are written beautifully. So much detail.

If you love:
Fated Mates
Friendship
POVs
Sunshine/ Grumpy
Awesome side characters
Magic


You’ll love this series.

[Marissa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think it could get better than the first book…
Incredible writing, such a creative storyline. I cannot wait for book 3!!!

[Heather Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book, I was quickly sucked in and couldn’t put it down. It is a longer read than the first book, but there’s so much to tell of the story so I loved that it included lots of details and character development. Also, I’m absolutely speechless on this cliffhanger! I mean, I knew there would be one, but did NOT have any idea of what it would be! You’ll love this book if you liked the first! And you need to read this trilogy if you love fantasy with some romance!

[Ace Highwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book was great, but with this book I found myself drifting off. It was hard to concentrate at times. I like the characters and the story but idk. Something was missing.

[see nic read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was soooo bad. It was boring, slow, repetitive, and the ending was just straight up rude. That last scene was the only interesting that to happen. The rest is Gray ranting about how he would end everything in existence if she got even a cut, and Lea almost dying every ten minutes. If I ever read “WHERE. IS. MY. MATE????” again, I’m going to explode.

It could have been saved by Janelle and Erik’s relationship changing, but instead of taking the time with the characters to flesh things out, we get a couple scenes and suddenly Janelle is healed inside and they’re together. I’m unsure why they bothered with Emma’s POV, it was also boring and added like three scenes. Most of this is everyone telling Lea how special she is and her being like no me?? I can’t be! I am furious because the last scene makes me want to know what happens in the third book, but I don’t really want to have to read it.

🌶️: 3/5

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh… I won’t finish the rest of the series.

[😗 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh MY DAYS IM SOBBING. This book was everything 😭

I LOVED how we got different povs and the history flashbacks that showed us more about who Lea is and her powers. I have to admit I was a little confused in the last two hundred pages bc I read the part Lea had saved the baby once the King slit Queen Em’s throat whilst she was in her garden. The confusing part happened with so many new names popping up and characters like Deph or Evangiline (don’t mind my spelling) that part was so confusing esp since they also kept mentioning grandmother. It wasn’t till the last 70 pages or so that it cleared once again that Lea is the Queen’s daughter.

Shadow Daddy:
His death made me cry. I didn’t expect he’d die and when he carved out the mate bond I was a mess. I loved how he kept loving Lea till his last breath

Lea:
I’m proud of our girl and her powers learning to master them and embrace them rather than be afraid of them.

Emma:
My heart aches when she’d keep screaming about seeing the lost souls but oh the book was perfect with her little gift that no one had

Erik and Janelle:
Stop they were so cute! I love how Erik’s personality is all shiny and happy but once he found out what happened to Janelle when she was 17 and how he promised her he would kill each and every one of them made my heart happy.

Honestly one of the BEST books I read in 2024. I have never read a book that had 88 chapters and it was such an easy read!! Stayed up once I downloaded it and barely been sleeping

[Xclusive Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 stars — more story, more secrets, and I’m actually impressed

So let’s be real: I’m allergic to slow pacing. If a book meanders or monologues too long, I’m out faster than you can say “character development.” But somehow... this second book kept me engaged. It’s fast enough to hold my attention, and that’s saying something because I’m not known for my patience.

Compared to the first book, this one definitely steps it up — more story, more tension, and finally, some deeper character work. We’re getting actual substance here. The relationships feel messier (in a good way), the stakes are higher, and the world is building in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. There are so many secrets — but the fun kind that make you want to keep flipping pages just to figure out who’s lying, who’s hiding what, and how it’s all going to unravel.

Spice-wise? It’s there, but not the main dish. Let’s say it’s a light 3/5 — enough to add some sizzle but still letting the story breathe. If you’re in it for steam alone, you might be underwhelmed — but if you're in it for plot with tension, it's pretty satisfying.

Overall:
✔ Pacing that didn’t make me rage (a miracle)
✔ Plot thickens in the best way
✔ Light spice, layered mystery
✔ Easy to get through — no dragging, no fluff

Not groundbreaking, but definitely enjoyable — and stronger than Book 1, for sure. If you liked the setup, you’ll probably love where it goes here.

[Linsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the first one. I think it's because you get passed all the expositional backstory and can focus more on the characters and their development. I'm aware that I don't care much about world-building and I think this is another example of that.

That being said, the ending was exactly what I expected to happen and yet it was still emotional. I knew what would happen to Gray and Lea and yet it still hurt when it happened. What I don't know, and am looking forward to finding out is what happens from here. Is Gray really dead? Or will Lea's powers allow her to bring him back? And even if they do, is their bond broken forever? I knew that was the sacrifice Gray would have to make, but I'm hoping there is so way to undo it. Maybe the Moon Goddess will grant them that as a gift or something since she appears to Lead occasionally. I hope Gray comes back and that they get their bond back.

You get a lot of POV's and honestly, I don't really care about the side characters. I'm assuming, based on the events of this book, that they'll have larger sections in the next one, and that I am not looking forward to. Hopefully their POV's will at least be short chapters. I'm not reading these books for them, I'm here for Gray and Lea.

[Ihsan Baca Buku · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book had a strong emotional pull and an even stronger ending but I still can’t get over how frustrating the mate bond trope can be when it veers into the irrational. I struggle with how easily it becomes an excuse for toxic behaviour, and there were definitely moments here where the Gray’s actions felt more possessive than romantic. Also, can we please retire the repeated “my mate” dialogue? It pulls me out every time.

That said, I loved the addition of Erik and Janelle’s POVs. Their dynamic was refreshing, and I appreciated that they weren’t shoehorned into a fated mate situation, as this gave their relationship room to grow naturally.

I was also genuinely surprised by the shift in the main antagonist. Just when I thought Brennus would remain the central threat, the focus turned to Alaric and it caught me off guard in a good way. That said, I do still have questions about how exactly Alaric managed to poison and kill the most powerful Fae alive. It’s not a plot hole necessarily, but it does stretch belief a bit.

Despite all that, the pacing in the final chapters was excellent. Fast, emotional, and full of tension. That last chapter especially has me very curious to see where things go next.

[Taylor Disselhorst · Rating 3 out of 5]

more 2.5 than 3

‘i want to see if you taste like berries’ is something that i read in this book. everybody’s so creative.

many confusing bits to this one. she was present at her MOTHERS birth and saved her life, which in turned made her be born? she stole someone’s power unknowingly, then gave it back, can give pieces of hers to others, but doesn’t know how to take others even though she’s done it? you can CUT your skin to remove a mating bond mark, severing the connection?

just a LOT of questions for 500 pages when nothing happened, they just learned a little bit of info (not enough) and azalea once again didn’t know how to do much and has no confidence and then the man comes in all territorial when someone critiques her. but also they were barely together.

a stylistic choice that’s also frustrating is that there is so much exposition. i skipped PAGES because it was just describing the scene. (in the first book there’s a page about her getting dressed and how she ‘wiggled her toes’ in her shoes to see if they fit. is that integral to the story?)

it was fine and i read it. i’ll read the last one to finish it up.

[Becky Chigas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I barely made it thought the 1st book. Between the end of book 1, and the rating for book 2, I decided to read book 2.
Lea does finally grow past her childish petulant traits. But, I still don't love her. I really enjoy all of the supporting characters. I like that they are all getting their own arc that stands along and adds to the story. The world building and plot are interesting.
I can't get past some of the authors writing style. I feel this book could have used a good edit to be less repetitive. I'm not going to look up exact examples, but so much of the inner (and spoken) dialogue repeats the same things over and over. It is written like an author would write a refresh reminder from a previous book. My problem is, we have already heard it multiple times in this book. I don't know how many times we are told how the mate bond will change things, how the inner bond works and the countless other topics that are just rehashed over and over from chapter to chapter. I found myself skimming the last 100 pages for the new content that was important to propel the story.
I have decided I simply do not like the authors writing style, and don't care enough about the characters to read book 3.

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book because of the end of the first installment in the series however I am a bit dissapointed with this one. I feel like the story was set up to be really good. The characters are on the run from an evil king who wants to kill anyone with magic but somehow the characters have time for spicy moments in the woods, a trip through a haunted forest, a time travel moment and a stay in another kingdom all without having any run ins with the people they're on the run from. I just felt like alot of the story wasnt needed and that some things just didnt make sense. For example Gray saying he doesnt want to risk Lea's life but takes her into a haunted forest where his magic can't protect her even though they could have just gone around the forest. One of the characters even mentions that they could have bypassed the forest. I also found alot of the book quite repetitive and slow. I appreciated how we got to know more of the other characters through the multiple povs and that we got to know who Lea really is, I just felt the book was a bit long winded. The story ends on a massive cliffhanger after a fight that had a lot of build up and was cut very short. The third installment isn't out on Audible yet.

[Victoria Selix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a wreak

Look, I’m at a loss, absolutely devastated by the ending. I felt like the book as a whole was really good. It needed all of that build up, all of the character building, and the new characters we met. It was all so important to get to that end and I’m really struggling with if I wanna read the next one because how can I with that end?

Spoiler (sort of…): For a second there I NEEDED Lea to take his head clean off, because you know”Why is it always the head?” But that would have been comedic relief, which that end had absolutely none of. Ugh, in my perfect world this is what would have happened. Then everyone else would have skipped off into the sunset together, alive with their sweethearts. Maybe they would have used the mountains as a base for a new palace to represent a new world they would forge together. Her mother’s garden would be a foundation for the palace gardens. Totally delusional of me, I know.