Shards of Trust

The Trust Trilogy #2

by Fox Beckman

Things are going good for Ravi. Sure, a bunch of vampires want to turn Atlanta into a bloodsucker paradise, and sure, Ravi’s matchmaking aunt keeps shoving available bachelorettes at him left and right. Despite all that, Ravi’s secret affair with the enigmatic time traveler Cayenne is making him happier than he’s ever been in his life. But Cayenne has secrets of their own, ones they can’t hide any longer, past and future on a collision course to disaster. When the truth comes out, Ravi and Cayenne face their greatest challenge: each other.

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

Fox Beckman is an author with a penchant for spicy stories about swords, sorcery, and smooching. Her books feature strong, nuanced characters that interrogate the status quo and subvert expectations. A member of both the Loft Literary Center and the Author’s Guild, Fox lives in the Twin Cities with too many hobbies and a very patient spouse.

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Shards of Trust is the second book in Fox Beckman’s The Trust Trilogy. I was absolutely delighted by the plot and character developments in this story. Book one (Stolen from Tomorrow) lays out the basic premise: Cayenne can skip through time and has done some upcoming unspeakable act, so they want to befriend Ravi and his team now as an act of good will/penance against this future (for Ravi) past (for them) transgression. Maybe it shouldn’t work, but there is such care in developing these extreme opposites-attract love interests, it was easy to set aside any disbelief that strong-and-silent Ravi would fall for the bombastic and flamboyant Cayenne. Another highlight was getting to know Harry and her crew a lot better and seeing them folded into the main action more closely.

Overall, I thought this was a terrific addition to the series. There is so much bitter sweetness built into Ravi and Cayenne’s relationship.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is very happy having his time traveling lover which he keeps a secret. Although everything else seems up in the air but they are keeping secrets from him. What are those secrets? How will they affect him? Can it ruin their love? See how he gets on

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shards of Trust is the second book in Fox Beckman’s The Trust series, and I was curious to see where things headed after the first book. The idea of the story had me super intrigued, and I was eager to dive deeper into the world. While this book kept me turning the pages, I did not love it quite as much as I had hoped.

I will be honest and say that my continued issue with this series, the thing that is preventing me from loving it in the way I want, is that there is not enough worldbuilding for me. There are so many interesting elements I want to understand better, but they all seem to be thrown together without the nuance of explanation I require to love them. Due to this, I am constantly wanting more on that front, which prevents me from being hooked on the elements that are playing out. Although things did improve a bit in this book, much of it was still provided without the level of explanation I desire. This was especially obvious at the end when a lot of the elements came together, and I wanted to understand them better. As it was, the details did not hit me as hard as I had hoped. Yes, it was intriguing. Yes, I enjoyed seeing how things played out. Yes, I am curious about what comes next. However, I really wish it had all hit a bit harder.

All in all, this remains an intriguing story for which I am curious about the conclusion. However, it has not hit me quite as hard as my prior Fox Beckman read had me hoping it would.

[SNik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in series (The Trust Trilogy), must be read in order. Paranormal urban fantasy. Semi-established couple. POC representation. Found family. Single POV.

It’s only been a few weeks since Ravi has seen Cayenne, but when his newest mission regarding some possibly dangerous vampires gets suddenly taken care of, Ravi finds Cayenne offering him another vacation away from his life’s expectations. With Cayenne spinning one day into several, Ravi gets to experience more intimacy, more fun, more freedom from responsibilities, and his and Cayenne’s feelings grow. However, as Cayenne has already warned Ravi there is more to their interactions than Ravi has been told, and the lies and time traveling problems become significant.

The idea of falling for someone knowing you shouldn’t and the heart wrenching results of mistakes that can’t be forgiven made this story compelling and emotional. Both Cayenne and Ravi are trying to do what's right, to mend the past, to find a future, but Ravi can’t see a way forward and Cayenne won’t give up. So far this series has me tightly in its grip and I can’t wait to see if these opposites who were never meant to be can get their HEA.
More of a cliffhanger as the series continues into its finale. 4.5 rounded up

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ravi Abhiramnew is the happiest he has been since forever. His secret affair with Cayenne is the reason. Nothing can affect that happiness. Not his aunt trying to find him a match nor the vampires trying to take over Atlanta. But Cayenne can. One thing is for sure, secrets do not stay that way for ever and soon his team knows something is up. In addition, Cayenne carries his own secrets, ones that will not go well once revealed. Cayenne and Ravi find themselves fighting each other on a different stage.

Ravi continues to tug on our heart strings. His life has been tough and he deserves some happiness. Cayenne may not be the one to provide that or he may be. Ravi is bound by his responsibilities while Cayenne is not. So much is going on and these two must survive the changes if they can. This series continues to be captivating and intriguing. Ravi’s whole team is amazing. While they are each other’s friends, they are ours as well. I cannot wait to read book three. It promises to be just as incredible.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and this is my unbiased review.

[Pancakepal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shards of Time is the second book I’ve read by Fox Beckman. After being pulled into Cayenne and Ravi’s romance in Stolen from Tomorrow I had to find out how their captivating (yet doomed) relationship evolves in Fox’s second novel. External forces drive a wedge between them, but when Cayenne and Ravi cut through all the crap and spend time together—WOO!! Their physicality pops right off the page—STEAMY!! Time is a major character in both novels and Fox masterfully weaves time travel into the narrative to create a page-turning plot. You’ll want to stay up late reading to find out if the power of love is strong enough to keep this star-crossed couple together. Fast-paced, descriptive writing with relatable and appealing characters make this a very enjoyable literary escape. Highly recommend!!

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in Fox's excellent The Trust Trilogy. It is a follow on book so do read the previous book to be able to follow the plot and bond with the characters. It is such a unique paranormal fantasy storyline that really draws you in and keeps you hooked with all the twists and turns. So many secrets to unravel for Ravi who whilst on a break with Cheyenne embarks on a fun, intimate time away from it all where the relationship and their feelings for each other deepen. They must the past to right the wrongs which Ravi just cannot see how they can but luckily Cheyenne perseveres. Another cliffhanger at the end leaving us avidly awaiting the final book!
I received a free arc copy from GRR and this is my honest review.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, the author has grabbed me with an inventive use of time travel. Ravi and Cayenne are a couple who continually keep me guessing. They clearly have great chemistry and spend some wonderful, quality time together here but there are so many things in their lives that pull them apart. These aren't artificially inserted obstacles either, they are integral to the overarching plot and to who these characters actually are so I'm still not sure exactly how/if the author intends to get them their HEA. I loved the vampire threat in this one and I'm waiting anxiously for book three to see how all the plot threads get wrapped up. Fingers crossed for that HEA....

[Alias11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this unique and engaging time travel romance. My heart is overjoyed at seeing Ravi so happy and enjoying life, but does his secret love with Cayenne have an expiration date? Cayenne has secrets that Ravi doesn't know, and as they unravel, will their love survive, or will Ravi end up broken-hearted? This world and these characters have so many layers that keep me enthralled...and on tenterhooks wondering what will happen in the next book. Note: The books in the series must be read in order.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fox Beckman has conceived of a very unique character in Cayenne and the story that she has worked around them is fascinating. You really just need to decide that you aren’t going to figure everything out as this story plays out over the three books. It’s fun, action, time travel, adventure, relationships of many types and more and the whole thing is a great read. I’m going to jump into the third one now thanks.



I got a copy of this book from GRR and this is my honest review

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still not totally sure what to think about this trilogy. It gets really confusing with all of the time travel. I’m sure that’s part of the mystery, so I am very hopeful for the final book. There is some significant frustration and anger toward one of the MC in this book! I still hold out hope for a HEA between the two MC, I love them together (most of the time).

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic continuation of this story. Wow, this was really exciting and I was completely riveted throughout the book. It's funny/ironic that it always seems to come down to trust in the end. I SO can't wait for the next installment in this story. Hope it's soon as patience was never one of my virtues!!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of this trilogy and while I’m enjoying the story with all the twists and turns, I still really like Ravi and Cayenne together again we get a lot of time travel and are left with a cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the last book of this trilogy.

[Readingbks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this very interesting series! This is Ravi and Cayenne's story and it's a challenging, interesting, steamy, romantic and at times, remarkable, and unbelievable at times! I can't wait for book three! I read an advanced copy of this book and this is my unbiased review!

[Samantha Cato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series! This is the second book in the Trust series. It's a unique take on vampires and super fun. Definitely not a stand alone so go back and read the first book! Can't wait for the next one.

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the series with more of Ravi and Cayenne to enjoy.Plenty of action and twists.
Looking forward to the next book.

[Virginia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

continues of book 1 we see our characters responsible and secrets impact their relationship