Kiss of Love

Court of Chains #2.7

by Rawnie Sabor

Healing is never linear.

After months of terror and torment, everything finally seems to have fallen into place for Evie. The Court of Chains is expanding, her relationship is flourishing, and she has settled into her new life in Chicago.

Yet, part of her longs for how things used to be.

Pieces are still missing, some of which might be gone forever. Painful memories haunt her days. Nightmares disturb her rest. And her friends from before the terror of the previous years have vanished, leaving no trace as to where they could have gone—or who might have taken them.

As fall brings in lingering darkness, the shadows in Evie’s mind grow longer. Her thoughts spiral towards hopelessness as she fights to reclaim the parts of her still lost. But no matter what, she won’t have to face her past alone.

Kiss of Love is a short sequel about healing, hope, and reclaiming yourself after tragedy. It is not a standalone and contains spoilers for Kiss of Seduction. This book is available for free on the author's website.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Romance, Queer, Paranormal, Dark Romance, Fiction

184 pages, ebook

First published July 22, 2024

About the author

Rawnie Sabor is an author of fantasy romances filled with troubled people and gorgeous monsters.

She delights in everything dark and dreamy, especially sapphic love stories with a heartache-inducing relationship at their center.
​
Rawnie lives in a Scandinavian harbor town and spends most of her time either writing or thinking about writing. A certified night owl, her free evenings involve researching obscure folklore or conjuring story ideas for her ever-growing fantasy worlds.

Reviews

[lauraღ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Things did happen. Just because you survived them doesn’t mean they can’t still affect you. But you don’t have to be alone with it.”

4.5 stars. This was wonderful, and I expected nothing less. Gosh, it felt so good to be back with these characters, and remember just why Kiss of Seduction was one of my favourite romances this year. Evie and Natalya are sooooo special to me, and I loved getting to see a bit of the continuation of their journey. This takes place a few months after their book, and we're looking at Evie's continuing healing journey and the search for her old friends, and Natalya's ups and downs with the leadership of the Court. We see glimpses of side characters we love (I do think I might go back and read Blake and Flea's book; they're so cute) and getting more insight into the world was also great. But mostly, of course, I just adored this for the romance. The way they love and support each other... I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. It's so short, but I think I teared up a few times?? Haha, I'm a baby. And really, it's just because I love these women so much. It made me so emotional. It's not necessary to read, because the first book established their HEA really well. But if you loved the couple, it's definitely worth it. 

I think I had a couple writing nitpicks, but they were pretty minor. I'm so excited to get more books from this author in this series next year. <333

“I’m beautiful. Strong. And brave.”
“Brave.” Natalya placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent novella-length continuation of Kiss of Seduction that works with the idea that healing isn't necessarily a journey, but an ongoing process. For Evie, the anniversary of her first meeting with Natalya approaches, and while that eventually saved her, she's feeling the loss of her life before the vampires.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

god im a slut for happy endings

AND strap scene >>>>>> 🤭

[OceaneZw · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars +++

Same as with Kiss of Seduction, I’m at a loss for words to describe how good this is.

Even after reading hundreds of books, no one tops Natalya and Evie for me when it comes to main characters. Both of their stories are raw and emotional. They carry such deep trauma that it feels impossible to overcome, yet they heal through each other’s help and support.

Reading their story is the best way to realize how life can turn around, even when we feel broken beyond repair.

I can’t wait to see more of them in future books.

Do yourself a favor and go discover this author. She truly deserves more recognition. She even managed to win me over with her straight books (and that says a lot about how good she is! 😜).

P.S.: If you do, PLEASE check the trigger warnings. These books cover some heavy topics. 🙌🏻

[Angel Beckford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read. Can be done in just a few short hours but it’s packed with a lot of emotion and a great ending. The court still remains under threats that will probably never truly dissipate but they are stronger than ever before and moving in the right direction, just as Evie and Natalya seem to do with every chapter.

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my! I am so happy I could get my hands in this story, it was very sweet. My heart swells also by reading stories that give a lot of weight to the process of healing.

Dark and lovely stuff.

[bookster · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Lady Olenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be difficult to understand if you read this without the context of Kiss of Seduction.

This 184 page story delves into post Kiss of Seduction and focuses on Evie’s recovery. The themes are heavy and handled with utmost care by the author. The way the author navigated trauma and relationships was brilliant. Not once did I stop and question if this feels “funny” (I only mentioned because I did this to a previous book I just read. Some scenes felt “off” in the other book).

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please make sure you read Kiss of Seduction before reading this!

I loved this so much! Getting to see more of Natalya and Evie 😍 helping Evie overcome more of her trauma, so beautiful. Some amazing spice to!

You can get access to this via Rawnie Sabor’s newsletter! Highly recommend if you enjoyed Kiss of Seduction

[Celina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes happiness doesn't rub on me the right way.

[Rhyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

had just finished kiss of seduction a few days prior and wanted more of Evie and Natalya’s story so I skipped to this! I definitely feel like this gave me a bit more “closure” in a sense than the first book. I had so many raw emotions by the end of book 1 that I just didn’t know what to do them but this settled a lot of what I was feeling, it’s good to see the characters at peace and growing! my biggest gripe is that it felt like there were too many scenes / conversations that happened outside of the reader so I weirdly had this ever-present sense of being out of the loop. i think it’s just from a combination of short book with time jumps.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so happy we got to see more of Natalya and Evie. Their relationship is so kind and sweet - they managed to make me cry during a 🌶️ scene! This continuation definitely lives up to Kiss of Seduction, and now I want more!!!

[Sapphic Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss of Love is an Adult Paranormal Romance follow up to Kiss of Seduction and I’m obsessed with these characters!

{This is a short sequel about healing, hope, and reclaiming yourself after tragedy}

If you’ve been following my page for a while you’ll know I’m obsessed with Kiss of Seduction. I love Natalya and Evie. They are the perfect couple because of how beautifully they fit together. They are the embodiment of the hurt/comfort trope for me. They have this great dynamic where they connect so well on an emotional level and have the hottest chemistry in the bedroom. The way they can be so vulnerable and trust one another is amazing to witness. There’s just so much depth to their romance I could read a hundred books about these two.

So obviously I was overjoyed to have a follow up and I didn’t want this story to end. I dragged out reading because I wanted to pretend I could read about them forever if I just took my time. Unfortunately (not really 😅) this story is so well written I would blink and somehow have read over fifty pages. Thankfully I have the ARC for the next book up (A Little Sin) to dive into. This is a series of interconnected stories that can be read as stand alones. Well, all except for Kiss of Love. Please read Kiss of Seduction first.

Overall, I’ve read every single Court of Chains book and they are all fantastically written and perfect for smut lovers. I highly recommend every one of them. But please check the TWs first.

[Briesez Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
A short sequel to Kiss of Seduction, and I absolutely loved this. Enjoyed seeing more of Natalya and Evie!

5 Stars!!

[Romantic.Rainbow.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was delightful to realize that Rawnie Sabor wrote a sequel/extended epilogue for Kiss of Seduction. I found it lovely to revisit the characters and setting that I had enjoyed so much in her earlier book. It is important to note that I don’t think this book could be read as a stand-alone.

Like Kiss of Seduction, Kiss of Love contains heavier themes related to trauma recovery so I would check the content warning before reading this book. For example, the book contains a description of a trauma trigger during a spicy scene. I appreciate that the author included a detailed content warning on her website.

I am normally not a big fan of paranormal romances. I think both Kiss of Seduction and Kiss of Love are books that readers would enjoy even if they don’t normally read paranormal books. The world-building and paranormal aspects didn’t distract from the emotions or the character development.

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading other books in this series.

Highlights:
- sequel/ extended epilogue
- healing from trauma
- spicy (and toys!)
- set in Chicago
- sapphic paranormal romance

[Cam Bautista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Natalya and Evie so much. I just know that they'll always be my favorite couple to read about and cheer on (though Vex and Angela are coming in at a close second). This story was perfect but also too short - I love how it continued to explore Evie's healing journey and how trauma shapes your life but doesn't break it. I already know that this is setting up a future book centered around Evie's friends (my bet is on Harper) and I just can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

I really hope we get to see more fiends take center stage. The worldbuilding is out of this world (pun intended), but it's at its best when it delves into fiendish lore. Just the concept of the infernal bonds is so fresh in that I haven't read anything like it before and I am so curious to know what the rest of the Sins look like.

I selfishly hope that we get more stories exclusively about Natalya and Evie. At the very least, I hope to see them pop up in lots of future books and stories.

[Shula McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is an addition to the wonderful Kiss Of Seduction called, which you definitely need to read first. It focuses on Evie’s struggles to overcome the depression that overtakes her when anniversaries of the previous years events arrive. What I loved was how realistic it is, that even when the situation is better it doesn’t mean you’ve immediately improved and are fine again. The support Evie receives from Natalya is beautiful. Evie might have grown, but Natalya doesn’t give herself enough credit for how soft and loving she has become.

Ultimately this story is about healing. For both of them. The author does a fantastic job with showing how the relationship continues to develop and grow, while also progressing the story and introducing new elements (Evie’s chosen family, and Natalya's new club). It’s uplifting and joyful, and I recommend it.

[cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you loved Kiss of Seduction then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this! This book was so healing to read and had great spice too.

However the ending felt a bit sudden and maybe I’m biased because no matter how much I love the characters I’m just not the biggest fan of second books unless there is another plot, so I found myself kind of in a slump in between sections of the book and didn’t find myself desperately wanting to finish it. (I did after a while)

Anyways, if you loved Natalya and Evie, I’m sure you’ll find this an enjoyable read, but nothing beats the first book in my opinion.

[Madds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Downloaded this IMMEDIATELY after finishing Kiss of Seduction UGHHH I LOVE Evie and Natalya so much. I was so happy that we got a bonus story after the first book was over because I truly didn’t want it to end 😭
No disappointments here, it was a cute ending and the spice never disappoints 😉🥵 I’m glad we got to see more with their relationship and hello how cute Natalia going out of her way to find Evie’s friends 😭❤️

Loved this bonus story, thank you 🙏🏼

[legallybookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t really say why but something was missing for me in this one. I loved all the author‘s other books so my hopes were high, but I caught myself skimming through the pages rather than reading. And I had a long break in between my reading sessions with nothing really pulling me back to this story. I wish it were otherwise.

[TJ Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sweet and a calming tea after the tense ride of the previous installment. This is a direct sequel to Kiss of Seduction checking in on Evie and Natalya once more. Trauma is not something that just goes away immediately no matter how happy that HEA is. This acknowledges that in a real way as we spend more time with Evie on her journey of healing.

[Shiv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these books but this one felt a little rushed to me. It felt like the exciting bits were all happening behind the scenes with Blake and Flea and I think the end felt very sudden as a solution. I think this could have worked well as a mini series, in which this book could have set up for the finding of the friends. Surprising as all the other books are 🔥

[Milena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! We got more Natalya and Evie. I’m so glad that Natalya loves Evie so much that she is still helping her overcome her fears. It’s an awesome feeling that Natalya still shows Evie how much she cares and loves her with her actions even though sometimes Natalya’s actions drive Evie crazy. That ending was a perfect celebration and helps Evie feel more at peace with how her life is now.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t like novellas, but this was pretty good, it felt more like an extension of Kiss of Seduction, than just a separate novella with the same characters. Although not as strong of a plot as a typical novel, there was still enough of a plot to keep things interesting. Plus I’m so obsessed with Natalya and Evie ❤️

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet beautiful read, I love Evie and Natalya so much <3 a wonderful epilogue for them both.

I cant wait to read more from the Court of Chains and see which characters appear in the future

[SunshineReads23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! I can't get enough of Natalya & Evie. Their story is so exciting and captivating to experience. To see Natalya soften and Evie becoming stronger in so many different aspects. Both reclaiming their happiness. It's *swoon worthy*. I want so much more!

[Nyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to hear about another story for Evie and Natalya!! I was not disappointed whatsoever, absolutely loved this book from cover to cover.
I'm really hoping we get more of these two 🤞❤️‍🔥

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is only a short glimpse into their life but as much as I enjoyed the characters it just felt a bit long and dull in places, some good spice though! But it was a story of healing and growth of them both and compared to the previous book less tension and more HEA moments for them both.

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST-READ for all fans of the Natalya x Evie pairing! This novella is packed with updates, new info and discoveries as these two endearing characters continue their journey as an everlasting couple!

Do NOT read this BEFORE Book 1 of the Court of Chains series, "Kiss of Seduction!"

[ItsSimmeRin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little add, touching on the aftermath of everything that happened in kiss of Seduction and the trust involved was wonderful to see. Was able to read this from signing up to the newsletter ☺️