This book in the series was the darkest yet, with some pretty fucked up things happening to Mackenzie & Kirill. It was a decent conclusion, in that all loose ends were somehow tied up. But for a series that spanned three books and took up a lot of space for a lot of other things, it felt a little rushed and slapped together to get to that conclusion. The sex scenes remain off the charts and I would say are a solid 4/5, even if they are pretty damned depraved. This was definitely better than the previous book in the series, because all the guys seem to get their shit together at least a little better, or at least are willing to admit their faults more openly. The author in this book allows them to be actual 20 year-olds and mess up, which is more accurate to real life than other books where the guys all seem to be emotionally mature and self aware. Dom, Tino, and Kirill seem to be bumbling through life and mess up - often. It was pretty refreshing, even if it was frustrating at times. Definitely worth the read to see how things end up for this quad, and make sure you read the "Duchess's Revenge" at the end of this book and then download the epilogue. The Duchess's Revenge is just an elongated sex scene and absolutely worth it.
Big spoiler, but I know that it's some people's least favorite trope, and I feel like you should be warned. There is an unexpected pregnancy towards the end of this book. Although, I'm not sure how "unexpected" it is since they pump her full of cum every other scene and she's no longer on birth control.
I was right!! Kirill's dad, Grigoriy, was the one to kidnap Mackenzie! Totally called it after the end of the second book. Still don't know how they didn't put it together faster that he was the one to take her. Some really fucked up shit happens to Mackenzie and then Kirill while kidnapped at the cabin. Neither one of them attend therapy following said traumatic events and Kirill goes around thinking he's a weak piece of crap for how he reacted being held in a dark room. Ya know, because his other trauma is unresolved. This is one of those endings that feels slapped together. Mackenzie and Kirill have one conversation about how he treated her in the basement and how he reacted to being in the dark and then there was no mention of it ever again. They both need a ton of counseling after that! It's also casually mentioned in the bonus chapter and the rest of the book that "Kirill can't be alone." Seriously ... how is him still being terrified of his past and the dark a resolution?
I feel like Nataniele and Lucia wouldn't have been so quick to just let them have their quad relationship after just a couple of conversations about it. They were both vehemently opposed to the relationship, but after Mackenzie and the guys kind of stomp their feet a couple of times, both parents kind of go, "okay! If that's what you want I guess." I won't be happy about it, but it is what it is. Since it's mafia college, I kind of feel like there would have been more repercussions.
Another kind of scotch taped together ending was Tino's pill/alcohol abuse. He was supposed to be taking routine drug tests and had all these tools he was supposedly using. And was the only one seeing a counselor to discuss his trauma. All healthy things to help him on his road to recovery. But then he relapses and starts taking pills again. But it isn't caught because the drug tests have weirdly stopped? And to resolve that in the book, Mackenzie gets pregnant and just stops? I feel like it should have been caught prior to him stopping on his own. I realize that he was on pain killers for his skull fracture, but there was a period of time where he was taking oxy again and he wasn't taking drug tests during that time. Seemed like an overly convenient way to fix him on the straight and narrow again.
When the guys kind of go silent after Mackenzie tells them she's pregnant and then surprise her with an open declaration of love, I thought it was odd. It really just served to embarrass her and didn't really seem like all that grand of a declaration in my honest opinion. I suppose it was their way of publicly claiming her and that they weren't ashamed of their polyamorous relationship, but it felt like a weird way to do it. It really isn't anyone else's business what their relationship is and since it just caused Mackenzie stress about how people would see her, I feel like there were other ways to go about it. And just because you publicly declare her yours and that you're in a poly relationship, doesn't mean that everyone is going to immediately accept it or care to understand. One of those other loose ends that felt slapped together just to tie it up in a bow.
I love that this author gives us an extra sex scene with all of the guys in "The Duchess's Revenge." They essentially role play with Mackenzie being the dominating persona with each guy. Dom gets walked all over while she's wearing heels and cums without even being touched. Kirill gets pegged and honestly, this was what I was looking forward to the most! He had talked several times about wanting Mackenzie to do that to him, and when the book ended and we hadn't gotten that scene, I was so irritated. But since it was in this bonus scene, I can't complain! Tino gets tied up, is made to watch the others get off, and degraded just a little and then Mackenzie takes his picture while he's compromised. Honestly, the whole thing was hot and I'm always here for an extended sex scene. I also love that the author gives us a glimpse into the future with the downloadable epilogue. It's my favorite thing when I get to see how they're all doing!
Definitely a good read for any dark romance lover. Not the ending I was expecting, but it was pretty decent overall. The plot was almost too much. So much happens to the characters, it was overwhelming at times. They never seem to catch a break and go through one traumatic event after the other; its a lot! But it keeps you on your toes the entire time and I was never bored reading this series.