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Promise to Uphold: Book Two of the “Broken” duology
Maricela:
I never wanted to return to the city that broke me or face Killian Fierro – the man who shattered my soul. But a turn I never expected made me risk everything and make yet another wrong choice, even if it means plunging back into Killian's world of dark power and twisted desire. I'm no longer the naive girl he once bullied and seduced. I'm broken, shuttered, ruined behind repair.
Killian:
Maricela Fernandez was my obsession, my addiction, the only color in my merciless existence. I broke her once, and I've waited four long years to claim her again. She thinks she can deny the dark hunger between us. But this time, I won't let her escape. I'll peel back every layer of her secrets until she remembers she's always been mine. And I'll destroy anyone who tries to take her from me. Even her if needed.
Author's Promise to Uphold is the second book in the Deviant Alliance series. It contains dark themes of emotional and physical abuse, and obsessive, toxic relationships. Please check the content warnings before proceeding.
I never wanted to return to the city that broke me or face Killian Fierro – the man who shattered my soul. But a turn I never expected made me risk everything and make yet another wrong choice, even if it means plunging back into Killian's world of dark power and twisted desire. I'm no longer the naive girl he once bullied and seduced. I'm broken, shuttered, ruined behind repair.
Killian:
Maricela Fernandez was my obsession, my addiction, the only color in my merciless existence. I broke her once, and I've waited four long years to claim her again. She thinks she can deny the dark hunger between us. But this time, I won't let her escape. I'll peel back every layer of her secrets until she remembers she's always been mine. And I'll destroy anyone who tries to take her from me. Even her if needed.
Author's Promise to Uphold is the second book in the Deviant Alliance series. It contains dark themes of emotional and physical abuse, and obsessive, toxic relationships. Please check the content warnings before proceeding.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
21 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 1, 2024
You will not be disappointed, and if you've read both A Promise to Break and A Promise to Uphold, you will surely be as hooked as I am on these characters.
Boiling hot and high intensity!
Stay tuned for more because this author has a lot more in store for us.
Boiling hot and high intensity!
Stay tuned for more because this author has a lot more in store for us.
April 19, 2024
Wow!!! I was not ready for this book, but I LOVED IT! This book broke my heart, answered questions I had from the previous book, picked up where the first book left off, and ultimately made me fall in love with the characters even more! I loved how the author wrapped up multiple issues from the previous book, but she also left us on another mega cliffhanger!!!
IV Cox, you’ve done it again! The author has such an incredible ability to create multiple characters in a book and showcase all of them and their character development over the course of her books.
This book was incredible, and I can’t wait for book 3!
IV Cox, you’ve done it again! The author has such an incredible ability to create multiple characters in a book and showcase all of them and their character development over the course of her books.
This book was incredible, and I can’t wait for book 3!
May 14, 2024
promise to uphold
Promise to Uphold is the second book in the Deviant Alliance series. It contains dark themes of emotional and physical abuse, and obsessive, toxic relationships. Please check the content warnings before proceeding.
Maricela:
I never wanted to return to the city that broke me or face Killian Fierro – the man who shattered my soul. But a turn I never expected made me risk everything and make yet another wrong choice, even if it means plunging back into Killian's world of dark power and twisted desire. I'm no longer the naive girl he once bullied and seduced. I'm broken, shuttered, ruined behind repair.
Killian:
Maricela Fernandez was my obsession, my addiction, the only color in my merciless existence. I broke her once, and I've waited four long years to claim her again. She thinks she can deny the dark hunger between us. But this time, I won't let her escape. I'll peel back every layer of her secrets until she remembers she's always been mine. And I'll destroy anyone who tries to take her from me. Even her if needed.
Wow this book started off strong “4 years later”. This book made me mad, sad. Made me scream out loud. Made me go ewwwwwwwwaaaa. And also shook me with some plot twists. Loved the HEA
I can wait for the next book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Promise to Uphold is the second book in the Deviant Alliance series. It contains dark themes of emotional and physical abuse, and obsessive, toxic relationships. Please check the content warnings before proceeding.
Maricela:
I never wanted to return to the city that broke me or face Killian Fierro – the man who shattered my soul. But a turn I never expected made me risk everything and make yet another wrong choice, even if it means plunging back into Killian's world of dark power and twisted desire. I'm no longer the naive girl he once bullied and seduced. I'm broken, shuttered, ruined behind repair.
Killian:
Maricela Fernandez was my obsession, my addiction, the only color in my merciless existence. I broke her once, and I've waited four long years to claim her again. She thinks she can deny the dark hunger between us. But this time, I won't let her escape. I'll peel back every layer of her secrets until she remembers she's always been mine. And I'll destroy anyone who tries to take her from me. Even her if needed.
Wow this book started off strong “4 years later”. This book made me mad, sad. Made me scream out loud. Made me go ewwwwwwwwaaaa. And also shook me with some plot twists. Loved the HEA
I can wait for the next book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
April 20, 2024
This book picks up 4 years after the end of the first book. Maricela comes back because her brother in law and sister are dead and she’s now guardian of their small children. However, Killian requires that she lives at his home or he’s going to take the kids away from her. Everyone can see that she’s not the same girl that she was before she left but it’s Killian’s brother who’s the one that figures out something happened to make her leave and she didn’t choose to run away. He eventually figures out it was his father and he makes sure that Maricela (and all the other women) are avenged.
Killian and Maricela still have that push/pull relationship but because of her trauma she’s very dependent on Killian. At first, he was all about getting revenge but that turned into “who did this to you?” and he falls back into that protector role.
The story had me from the beginning and just like the first one, I didn’t want to it to end. I highly recommend this duet!
⭐️ 5/5
🌶️5/5
Killian and Maricela still have that push/pull relationship but because of her trauma she’s very dependent on Killian. At first, he was all about getting revenge but that turned into “who did this to you?” and he falls back into that protector role.
The story had me from the beginning and just like the first one, I didn’t want to it to end. I highly recommend this duet!
⭐️ 5/5
🌶️5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2024
This is book two of this two part series. Book 1 ends on a horrendous cliffhanger - and book 2 delivers the ending we all need WITH opening us up for what is to come! 🖤
This book takes you through EVERYTHING we have to unpack from the cliffhanger from book 1. We pick up 4 years later and EVERYTHING has changed. The question will be can things be more? Can these two get the ending they so desperately want with each other? Or is the void to grand for them to over come?
The last 20% of this book was so much to unpack it too my head 24 hours to wrap around all of it. IV cox did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life, showing all aspects of the destruction that Killian is willing to take for the love of his life. His woman. No one else can ever be Maricela.
Check your trigger warnings before reading. This book has several and some VERY sensative topics for people. This is a DARK ROMANCE book 🖤🖤
This book takes you through EVERYTHING we have to unpack from the cliffhanger from book 1. We pick up 4 years later and EVERYTHING has changed. The question will be can things be more? Can these two get the ending they so desperately want with each other? Or is the void to grand for them to over come?
The last 20% of this book was so much to unpack it too my head 24 hours to wrap around all of it. IV cox did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life, showing all aspects of the destruction that Killian is willing to take for the love of his life. His woman. No one else can ever be Maricela.
Check your trigger warnings before reading. This book has several and some VERY sensative topics for people. This is a DARK ROMANCE book 🖤🖤
May 1, 2024
thank goodness I didn't have to wait too long in between this book and promise to break because I was counting down the days until this one got released. I couldn't get enough of maricela and killian's story. in all seriousness, take the trigger warnings seriously. this book has dark themes in it that are very much apparent throughout the entire book. not just in one part. with that being said, it was such a beautiful thing to witness killian trying to love maricela back to life after becoming a shell of a person. he poured his heart and soul into her with true devotion. what a man! once maricela lets killian help her put the pieces of herself back together, you can't help but want to cry at how perfect their story is. while all of this is going on, there's a whole other storyline developing with raven and liam that keeps popping up every so often that makes you wonder if there's going to be another book about their story because liam throws a curveball at you by the end of this one 👀
overall, spice? chef's kiss. plot? incredible. would I recommend to a friend? absolutely.
overall, spice? chef's kiss. plot? incredible. would I recommend to a friend? absolutely.
April 15, 2024
Promise to Uphold is the second book and starts off four years after the last left off. This had me in a tighter chokehold than the first one. Killian is relentless in his search for Maricela. He quickly realizes the woman who returns to help look after their niece and nephew is not the same as she was before she left. The bond these two have is just wow!! Killian is unhinged asf but he loves Maricela and doesn’t give up on getting the woman he lost back. These two are 🥵🥵 and have crazy chemistry. All the characters are amazing honestly, I can’t wait for Raven’s book. The ending Killian and the others give his father🤌🏼🤌🏼The writing is seamless, I highly recommend it.
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
April 21, 2024
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I needed to know what happened with Maricela and Killian.
The first half of the book was a lot of Maricela not wanting to talk with Killian and open up to him about what happened. It took that first half for her to finally talk to him. I was so glad when she did and all the truths finally came out at the end.
I’ll be honest the ending had left so many questions unanswered and this is just a duet. I guess we will never know what became of Raven and Liam or the others. I really wish we did. Maybe there will be more books that will come from this; it’s all I can hope for.
I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I needed to know what happened with Maricela and Killian.
The first half of the book was a lot of Maricela not wanting to talk with Killian and open up to him about what happened. It took that first half for her to finally talk to him. I was so glad when she did and all the truths finally came out at the end.
I’ll be honest the ending had left so many questions unanswered and this is just a duet. I guess we will never know what became of Raven and Liam or the others. I really wish we did. Maybe there will be more books that will come from this; it’s all I can hope for.
April 19, 2024
Book Review 4⭐️ 5🌶
This picks up several years after the first book. Maricella and Killian still have heat like never before, along with secrets and some deceptions. Will they find their way, or will they break apart forever? Honestly, this book may break parts of you before it tries to rebuild you. It left me wanting more of the story and to see how other characters develop and find themselves.
I hope I.V. continues with this set of characters to give us more of Kai, Raven, Liam, Maddox, and even Lila.
This picks up several years after the first book. Maricella and Killian still have heat like never before, along with secrets and some deceptions. Will they find their way, or will they break apart forever? Honestly, this book may break parts of you before it tries to rebuild you. It left me wanting more of the story and to see how other characters develop and find themselves.
I hope I.V. continues with this set of characters to give us more of Kai, Raven, Liam, Maddox, and even Lila.
May 6, 2024
The banana 🪧 back
This was Mari’s book. Her story was the only one that mattered. Well, and Isabella. Not going to lie, Killian pissed me off at times in this book. He definitely did wrong by Mari for a bit towards the middle/end of the book after the revelation of what happened to her. She had everything ripped away from her in the most heart wrenching way. Even her path back to Killian was a horrible one. Bomb after bomb was dropped in this book. I felt like it never ended and I was so stressed. Also I like Lila now? How is that possible?
This was Mari’s book. Her story was the only one that mattered. Well, and Isabella. Not going to lie, Killian pissed me off at times in this book. He definitely did wrong by Mari for a bit towards the middle/end of the book after the revelation of what happened to her. She had everything ripped away from her in the most heart wrenching way. Even her path back to Killian was a horrible one. Bomb after bomb was dropped in this book. I felt like it never ended and I was so stressed. Also I like Lila now? How is that possible?
June 19, 2024
This book is just as amazing as the first! After book one ended on a cliffhanger I was absolutely dying to get my hands on this book and I was not disappointed.
It’s spicy, it’ll break your heart and piece it back together, you’ll get answers to questions you’ve been waiting for, and you’ll love every minute of it! Maricela and Killian have my heart and I can’t wait to read these books again!
This is a dark romance and has some trigger warnings, but this book is everything I could ask for and more. Definitely read these books! You’ll love them!
It’s spicy, it’ll break your heart and piece it back together, you’ll get answers to questions you’ve been waiting for, and you’ll love every minute of it! Maricela and Killian have my heart and I can’t wait to read these books again!
This is a dark romance and has some trigger warnings, but this book is everything I could ask for and more. Definitely read these books! You’ll love them!
April 15, 2024
This book is the second in the duology and it did not disappoint. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, trauma, and healing. I would definitely check the trigger warnings. The spice is amped up in this book.
In Killain and Maricela's attempt to deal with their trauma and heart ache, they unmask new secrets that could alter their relationship forever. As they plot their revenge, will they be able to mend their broken hearts and save each other?
Spice 4/5
In Killain and Maricela's attempt to deal with their trauma and heart ache, they unmask new secrets that could alter their relationship forever. As they plot their revenge, will they be able to mend their broken hearts and save each other?
Spice 4/5
June 26, 2024
The book was very nice honestly.I.V Cox is a very good writer and Promise to break was the hottest college dark romance book I've ever read .If only what happened to Maricela was revealed at the beginning of the book because that's what I could focus on as I could not take in the book itself.I could not take in how Killain wanted to punish his girl without moving on from the past and I feel like Franco was not punished enough.
April 15, 2024
Book 2- Promises to Uphold was as good as the first. Honestly, it captures your attention and choke holds it until you are on the edge of your seat. It leaves me craving more from Killian, Maricela, Liam, Kai and Raven. I have gone through all the emotions with these books and am left still wanting more.
April 16, 2024
Oh she definitely turned it up a notch on this second book! I mean the twist had twist to it! Raven shocked us all! And Mari & Killian that moment everyone got to witness the wolf monster's demise. I definitely shouldn't have liked it as much as I did while clutching my pearls at the same time. I honestly thought I wouldn't be interested in Liam story but I definitely am. Can't wait for more!
May 2, 2024
Killian is still just as dreamy! Obsessed! They are both so obsessed with each other. After starting the healing process after the trauma from the end of book 1, Mari finds herself with more issues than she really wants to handle. Mari and Kill find themselves as parents to 2 small children, the story unfolds beautifully. I could feel Mari’s trauma response throughout the whole book. I could understand Killian’s need to know all of the details of the traumatic event. I love the way this story ended. It’s super dark so be mindful of that and read the TW/CW.
May 6, 2024
dark and spicy
Cox has done it again. I love the book, though it was a little rushed. But still so damn good. I’m giving it a 4.7. The spice is beautiful. And the unconditional love that Killian has for Marisela is amazing. The trauma that Marisela goes through is so dark, I hope she gets help for her trauma.
Cox has done it again. I love the book, though it was a little rushed. But still so damn good. I’m giving it a 4.7. The spice is beautiful. And the unconditional love that Killian has for Marisela is amazing. The trauma that Marisela goes through is so dark, I hope she gets help for her trauma.
April 18, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It was a good wrap up to Maricela and Killian's story. Not the fairy tale happy ending, but an ending the two can work on together.
Now I would love to read more about Liam and Raven.
Now I would love to read more about Liam and Raven.
April 29, 2024
This book throws you for a loop from chapter 1 book one ends in a cliffhanger the book 2 starts out 4 yrs later!!!! ughh!!! this book has so many strong emotions throughout with many moving parts, always keeping you on your toes. due to some of it not seeming to be well thought out making some parts slightly confusing i only gave 4 stars. this mafia romance duet is well worth the read!
May 1, 2024
Unbelievably satisfying, emotional, intense, and overheated!
This duology was an explosive start for author I.V. Cox, and I'm now watching every day for the announcement of her next release. Having gotten to know these characters, I know their stories are going to be just as yummy.
This duology was an explosive start for author I.V. Cox, and I'm now watching every day for the announcement of her next release. Having gotten to know these characters, I know their stories are going to be just as yummy.
May 7, 2024
I couldn’t put this down, I was buddy reading this and we kept asking each other “ Did you read that “ I loved how each character has real raw emotions and how Mari character really was portrayed! I absolutely enjoyed this and I hope you do toooo!
April 25, 2024
What a fantastic, beautiful piece! There was so much pain and sorrow, yet you could always see the love they shared! The twists and turns were a great experience! 10/10 recommend!
April 30, 2024
I loved this book. The spice was so good and the story plot was good as well. I just didn't want to stop reading. Please check TW before reading this book.
May 21, 2024
Review coming 🔜
June 2, 2024
4.5 ⭐️s
June 26, 2024
10/10!!! Sooooo good!!!!!
November 16, 2024
MY HEART. I’m swooning at this freaking couple. The plot was chefs kiss and the suspense was even better. Thank God for that amount of spice as well. 5/5 🌶️, 5/5 ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2025
Very dark
There was too much violence and abuse in this book even though I tried to scroll through most of it. What I read was not enjoyable. I would not recommend it.
There was too much violence and abuse in this book even though I tried to scroll through most of it. What I read was not enjoyable. I would not recommend it.
August 19, 2025
So very good!!
This was a really good duology. The story has so much depth of actions and feelings! The characters are outstanding. Try it.
This was a really good duology. The story has so much depth of actions and feelings! The characters are outstanding. Try it.
April 21, 2024
This book is hot. It keeps you entertained from beginning to end. The characters are smart, funny, sexy and ruthless. I loved it!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews