Destructively Mine

Webs We Weave #2

by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves’ new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next novel of the Addicted series.

As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions. . . .

While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.

Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games . . . and win.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Audiobook, New Adult, Found Family

512 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

NYT & USA Today Bestselling Authors Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.

To stay up to date on new releases, bonus content, and more, sign up for Krista & Becca's Newsletter: www.kbritchie.com/newsletter

Quick note: We don't check Goodreads, so we don't respond to messages here. But if you want to connect with Becca or me, you can reach out to us on our social medias or at our website: www.kbritchie.com

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Fans of Krista & Becca's Books:
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Reviews

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus)]

DNF @40% This series is such a drag. It's just not for me. I love the Addicted Series and the Calloway Series. Rose and Connor Cobalt are forever my loves, but not this. 💘

➽──────────────❥
Did I love book 1? No. Will I be reading this upon release - yes, yes I will.

The pressure... I feel like I need to do a quick reread of the first book now. I kinda blocked it out of my mind. 😩

Expected Publication Date - 04/29/25

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing (Besties) for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 💐

Thank you Elisha Katz for always hooking your girl up 😘

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay but WHY was this 500+ pages of nothing?
I’m not even trying to be dramatic—this book broke me. Like genuinely, I powered through with the strength of 300 tired brain cells because I refused to DNF. But at what cost????

I wanted to like this. I really did. The con artist premise? The fake dating? Rocky’s sad boy energy?? It had all the ingredients but somehow still turned out as bland as wet toast. Book 1 already tested my patience, but this? This was like watching the same episode of a show on loop, except every time it loops, they’ve added more flashbacks and less plot.

Let’s be real, this felt like a filler episode. A VERY long one.
Phoebe and Rocky had all the chemistry of two wet mops by the end. Like yeah, the beginning had some intensity and I was rooting for them, but the endless sex scenes??? Girl, I got bored. The romance got repetitive, lust-driven, and lacked emotional depth. I'm begging these two to have a conversation that isn't about sex or trauma.

Tropes:
🎭 Fake Dating
♠️ Second Chance Romance
🎭 Con Artist Romance
♠️ Found Family
🎭 Trauma Bonding
♠️ Love Triangle (side plot)
🎭 Cliffhanger
♠️ Lust-Driven Romance

Also, where was the CONNING?? You're telling me this is a book about former grifters and the actual cons got shoved into a few random scenes like they were a side quest?? I needed scheming, lies, tension—not this mess of drama and filler reveals.

And let's talk about the characters for a sec—Hailey, Oliver, Jake, and Trevor ate them up. Phoebe and Rocky had the spotlight but did nothing with it. Hailey’s triangle was messy and juicy and honestly, the only thing keeping me alive at 2AM. I will be seated for her book ONLY IF she ends up with Oliver. If it’s Jake, count me out. If it’s both? Hmm. Suspiciously possible considering the Ritchies’ past books…

The pacing?? A joke. One minute we’re mid-con, next thing you know it’s three months later and we’re in a different season, probably a different dimension. The reveals? I SAW THEM COMING FROM SPACE. The emotional payoff? Nonexistent. Even the big twists just... happened. No weight. No punch. Just vibes.

CW: Manipulative parents, toxic dynamics, cheating (in arrangement), betrayal, some explicit content, mentions of trauma

AND THAT ENDING??
What the actual cliffhanger nonsense was that?? They really hit us with “wait for book 3” after dragging us through this chaos?? No thank you. I’ve suffered enough.

Would this make a good TV show? Absolutely. The aesthetic, the mess, the long arcs—it’s all there. As a book series though? It’s draining me emotionally and spiritually. I genuinely think they’re stretching this to like 6 or 8 books and the thought alone is enough to put me back in a reading slump.

I’m taking a break from the series unless I see someone swear on their bookshelf that Hailey ends up with Oliver. Otherwise, I’m jumping ship.

Final thoughts:
✧ Too long.
✧ Too slow.
✧ Too repetitive.
✧ Too much smut, not enough substance.

This book made me question everything and crave a reread of Kiss the Sky just to heal.
I’m tired.
I’m in pain.
I need a nap.

Anyway.
That’s all.

Someone please DM me spoilers for book 3. I’m not strong enough to continue.

BYE
😭😭😭

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going in with low expectations after the early reviews ☹️

——

I’m going to riot if there’s not lots of rocky content in this (as well as some actual con’s lmao)🤺

[mackenzie (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

defff liked this one better than the first but i feel like it’s still missing something for me!!! there was more plot and interesting twists in this (thank god) but idk i feel like i’m not in love with the characters? i like them but i’m not obsessed with them, not hooked on every word or anything like that. i am looking forward to more in this series tho!!

thank you to berkley and netgalley for the arc! all opinions are my own <3

pre-read:
fingers crossed i fall in love w the characters in this one !!! (also can u tell i'm spending february catching up on arcs)

PAUSEEEE I GOT THE ARC !!!! berkley has rejected me for so many other books but anything negative i ever said about them i take it back rn. i love u berkley. you're the best xoxox

[carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

࿐ "There will never be a day, a night, a minute, a moment, a breath where you aren't destructively mine. And I hope it fucking terrifies you.”

ᝰ.ᐟ 3.5 stars

I so badly wanted to love this book, but something fell flat for me. I enjoyed the first book so much and thought the premise offered something unique, because I’ve never read any books featuring con artists, so I was looking forward to reading the second book because I expected to see more of the cons. Which definitely happened, but this feels like one of those books where a lot happens but nothing happens at the same time.

── .✦ In a world of deception and aliases, Rocky is one of the few people who truly knows the real me.

It took me a while to get into the story, but once it happened, I was very interested in the plot and curious to see where it would take our characters, but there’s a lot of filler chapters that offer nothing to the story and the action is mostly concentrated in the end. I personally have nothing against scenes that don’t move the plot forward, especially if we’re talking about character driven series because I think it helps getting to know the characters, but in this case, in a series that’s a mix of character and plot driven, most of those fillers were unnecessary. Besides, once we start getting revelations and plot twists, there’s barely any time to absorb the information because new secrets keep coming and it gets to a point where that becomes exhausting. I also felt like the pacing was slightly off sometimes this time I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks as much as I did in the first book.

Some of the plot twists got me while others were predictable and scenes that should’ve been more shocking were a bit underwhelming. And the ending ruined things for me, because why did the Ritchie sisters had to do this? Why? We don’t need this mess. And we also don’t need a love triangle, I’ll settle for a why choose storyline. Please and thank you!

── .✦ It's attractive-how much Rocky can read into my actions like I'm an open book, when I feel like I've always lived untouched and lost on a dusty shelf. How long has he held the pages of who I am? How long has he loved each messy line? How long have I loved the pages of who he is?

As for the characters, well, to me, everyone shined brighter than Phoebe and Rocky, which sucks, seeing as these two are the only ones with pov’s. I think this series would seriously benefit from some additional pov’s, something to make the story more dynamic. I know the Ritchie sisters can write really good character arcs so it was a little bit disappointing to not see much character development for Phoebe and Rocky. I feel like Rocky is mostly the same person we meet in the first book and Phoebe is just there. I just don’t feel particularly connected to her. On the other hand, I adored seeing more of Hailey, Oliver, Nova, Jake and Trevor. I think my current favourite characters are Hailey and Oliver but Jake surprised me so much because I didn’t care about him in the first book but fortunately he grew as a character and got more depth.

── .✦ I love when I stare at Phoebe across a crowd of people-it's like we're in a dreamscape of our own making. One that only we can see. This is what I've always shared with her. A great, unyielding truth beneath hundreds of lies.

Phoebe and Rocky’s fiery romance takes centre stage and while it’s still angsty and all consuming, I was over it by the end of the book. And it’s all because their relationship is so sexual! They were constantly having sex, their chapters were something like this “Rocky: I can’t wait to be inside your cunt and fuck you so hard” “Phoebe: I need your thick cock inside me”. I’m paraphrasing but you get the point. It was overly sexual and I craved more intimate moments between them that didn’t involve sex. I think that was necessary to further develop their relationship. And maybe they’re one of those couples whose only way to show their love is through sex but I don’t think smut scenes ever other chapter are needed. Especially if they’re not that well written.

What I enjoyed most about this book was seeing the characters interact because it helped me figure out everyone’s dynamics. Some are more affectionate and others practice tough love, but it’s clear they’d all go to the ends of the earth for each other. Nothing matters more than keeping the people they love safe.

I sound like a hater but I had high expectations for this book and I’m sad they weren’t met. I did have a good time reading this and there were things I loved but something was missing for me. I will be reading the next book because I’m invested in Hailey’s storyline but I’ll be sure to lower my expectations.

[Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-arc]

┈┈┈┈
24/02/2025: I got the arc 🥳

┈┈┈┈
31/07/24: I NEED THIS NOW 😭😭

[manas (suffering) · Rating 1 out of 5]

➳ no, just no ☆

guys i am sorry. i just don't vibe with these authors at all. nothing about these books is interesting to me, and they feel SO forced in every aspect. i have been reading the addicted/calloway sisters series FOREVER. i was vibing with them at first, until i realized years later, and it's unfinished. i am going to list the reasons why this was awful to me.

★ ── the plot
this is supposed to be a story of two con families living their lives deceiving people and scheming. instead, we get a game of love island. i can't believe the authors called the main characters morally grey because they are stupid. no braincells, no interesting traits, no personality. zeroes across the board.

★ ── the romance
this is where everything fell fucking flat. these authors are allergic to slow burn and build up. just when my dumbass thought this bullshit was going somewhere—they are panging and banging and saying i love you, with ZERO indication of how we got from point A to point B. they pull the same shit in their other series and it's so jarring. having boring ass characters stay together from page one for another 10,000 pages isn't my thing. the romance is the most mundane, elementary school level relationship ever. i don't give a flying fuck about any character. even the side characters are stupid and have the chemistry of toilet water. tom & jerry have more tension than these two buffoons.

★ ── the writing
lastly, the way they write is fucking atrocious. drier than a desert. no flavor, no spice. they get compared often chloe walsh & jessa hastings, since they wrote tiktoks holy trinity series—magnolia parks & boys of tommen & addicted/calloway. at least with those books, they are dialogue heavy and even though the writing isn’t special, it was more entertaining to read and kept my interest. this is just so boring.

bland, uninteresting, tedious, stale, monotonous, lame, sleepy, lazy, humdrum.

time of death @ chapter 10. i don’t see myself finishing this. just no.

[lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh that cliff hanger was CRIMINAL. we focused a wee bit more on the cons and further developing the characters and i literally need then to spell it out for me already!!! 😫 the overarching plot has me by the neck but as a sequel, this book could only give so much away (and be sure the twists did get me once or twice) like this is insanity…

with that ending though i’m currently invested in the love triangle of all love triangles and knowing that the final book is coming out soon(ish) is the only thing keeping me going!!!

thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

[EmBibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There will never be a day, a night, a minute, a moment, a breath where you aren’t destructively mine. And I hope it fucking terrifies you.”

I love those characters. Love the whole family dynamics. Love the con artists plot line. I love Phoebe and Rocky’s chemistry, it’s just so explosive. I’m so excited for the next book and definitely excited to read more about Hailey. I’m so invested in this series.

Huge Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this copy.

[Krysta ꕤ]

dnf @ 48%

i really try not to dnf arcs but I just couldn’t care less about anything going on. Phoebe and Rocky just have sex non stop and that’s not adding to their already nonexistent chemistry. the plot itself is getting on my nerves too. these authors are just not for me honestly.

⇉ many thanks to NetGalley, the authors and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[bookish · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was literally more underwhelming than the first book and that is telling.. I saw all of the plot twists coming miles away yet I can admit the fact that at the last 7% the book got very addictive but still it doesn’t make up for the fact that nearly 500 pages were absolute boredom - all the stupid family reveals gave me absolutely nothing!!!

If you love the first book, then you’re absolutely gonna love this one, but if you were like me and didn’t enjoy it then you’re not gonna like this either because it’s book one repeated all over again with just tiny more reveals. 😭

this series is so drawn out and stretched I think it would work so good as a tv show, it doesn’t works as books because it just suffocated me and got me in more of a slump than I was already in help- and given how the structure and the writing is going, I can see the series being literally 6 to 8 books and the thought alone is drowning me!!

so for now, I’m stopping the series in here but if I see a future reviews and hails and jake end up together then I might give the series a second shot but if she end up with oliver then I absolutely will not be looking at the series again and to be honest I think the author might give the three a poly situation. I can see it coming specially since they have some poly books before. trevor was also very interesting and I bet all my money that the thing that he did at the end was for Sidney Burke just like rocky thought 👀

lastly I need at least one person to reassure me that the twisted/calloway series won’t be just like this one because I’ve been planning to read that series for years and if it ends up being like this, I will commit something bad. I wanna love that series!!



***ARC Provided by the Publisher—Berkley Publishing Group—in exchange for an honest Review.***

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Destructively Mine is the second book in Krista and Becca’s ‘Webs We Weave’ series. I was anxious to read this, as the first one ended on such a cliffhanger. I’m happy to report that we got most of those questions answered, but this book ended in a way that has me craving the third book!

I love Pheobe and Rocky more in this book than in the first. I feel like we got to know them better and see them for who they are. I loved getting snippets of the past. Their love is legendary.

Another thing I truly enjoyed in this one is seeing so much of the other siblings. Also, Jake. He’s an addition to the group I didn’t expect to love so much. I’m glad this series isn’t ending and we get more from this gang.

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this probably more than Dishonestly Yours. This is another series where I'm invested in these characters. 🫠❤️ Krista and Becca Ritchie can do wrong, imo. I eat up whatever they write.

These character building from Krista and Becca Ritchie is phenomenal. I'm usually stuck on one set of characters, but this series has me invested in all of them equally.

This book picks up where Dishonestly Yours leaves off. Destructively Yours is Phoebe and Rocky's pov and delves into their backstory of the dynamics and relationships between them as well as their families of the Tinrock's and Graves. It alternates between present and past. These two families have been running cons on others all their lives. This book picks up with Phoebe and Jake's fake relationship and continuing on with trying to figure out what Hailey and Phoebe's mothers want and why they're in town, and just who their mothers and fathers are to the group. Yes, we get DNA results. The group also sets out to pull a con. I'm keeping it shirt and sweet because I don't want to give away any spoilers. Hailey and Phoebe's friendship is so sweet. It just makes me want to cry. It's literally friendship goals. We see so much into all the Hailey and Phoebe's brothers' personal lives and just who everyone really is in this book. I love the relationship between Jake and Rocky, too. The mystery , love, friendship, and adventure in this book has me fully invested and in love with everyone in this series.

This book gives us all the answers we want and are looking for in book one.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Expected reuse date April 29, 2025

[Casey Reads &#x1f338; · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was spicy! 🔥 def way spicier than the first book! It’s still told from the POV of Rocky and Phoebe. I am hoping the next book is about Hailey and the love triangle that popped up during this book.

My only complaint is this was pretty long & I just prefer a little shorter books. But the storyline picks up exactly where it left off with the whole family of con artists that are trying to start over, but they can never truly leave that life behind. There’s a lot of new twists and turns and the ending made me excited for the next one!

The chemistry between Rocky and Phoebe is off the charts. I also actually loved the love triangle that Hailey ends up in and I am rooting for both of them, so it’ll be interesting to see where that goes.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCREAMING AT HOW GOOD THIS WAS!!!! I’m upset with myself at how fast I finished this book, I literally couldn’t put it down and absolutely devoured it.

The twists and turns kept me on edge, and each chapter made me desperate to know what would happen next. I just love the group dynamic between the Graves and Tinrocks so much.

I need book 3 immediately!!!!

[Elita ₊✩ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Berkley for the arc! This in no way affects my rating or review. All thoughts are my own.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT TO EXPECT⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
🥸 Con artists
💸 Rich people drama
🥸 Snarky banter
💸 Found family (but half of them are related)
🥸 Strong female friendship

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱PLOT⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

💸 In the last book, Phoebe and Hailey were trying to retire as con artists and live normal, honest lives . . . yeah, that didn’t last long. In this book, they’re back to grifting rich people. Not that I’m complaining bc I love the con artist storyline.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱CHARACTERS⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🥸 Rocky. If Connor + Ryke + Loren had a baby, it would be him. He’s protective and curses like a sailor like Ryke, is cynical and honest to a fault like Loren & arrogant like Connor. I love all the Addicted + Calloway boys with my entire being, so obviously I love Rocky too <3

💸 Phoebe. LOVE HER TO BITS AND PIECES!!! She’s so funny and sarcastic lmao I live for her one-liners. She would also do absolutely anything for her friends and family, and I love a selfless queen ❤️

🥸 Jake. He’s a little bit prissy and pretentious, but I love him anyway.

He can be a little uptight and prickly about following rules, but it’s endearing.

💸 Hailey. My genius bookish bestie is going through it 🤧 She has suffered so much trauma as a result of her parents’ lies and it’s finally starting to take its toll. It’s a good thing she has such an amazing support system bc she’s not sleeping or eating unless being told to. All she wants is answers and she’s willing to sacrifice her well-being to get them.

🥸 Oliver. He is so charming for no reason pls ✋ he always seems so carefree and light. I can’t wait to (hopefully) get his book bc I just know there’s so much going on underneath the surface and I am dying to get into his psyche.

💸 Nova. He’s Phoebe’s older brother and he is HOTTT. He’s so protective and responsible, I can’t help but be in love with him. He’s the one that looks out for everyone during the cons and makes sure they're taken care of. I wish he were real so he could take care of me the way he takes care of everyone else but sigh he’s fictional 😔

🥸 Trevor. He’s an antagonistic genius who LIVES to piss people off. He’s v entertaining. He reminds me of an internet troll. I’m very curious to see more of his relationship with Sydney/Sidney (I forgot what the spelling was oops) because I cannot imagine him being tender and sweet with anyone lmao

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱FRIENDSHIPS⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

💸 Hailey & Phoebe’s friendship. If there’s one thing I like to see it’s girls supporting girls and these girls support tf out of each other. There is genuinely nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. They will choose to protect each other over themselves in every situation, no matter what. The love they have for each other is so unconditional and unyielding. This is by far one of the strongest female friendships I’ve ever read about.

“I tried so hard," Hailey says. "I tried so hard to find answers, but I can't do it. It's all I'm good for and—“
"Hailey, stop," I cry. "You're beautiful—"
"You're gorgeous," Hailey professes from her core, tears streaming down her face again.
I clutch her cheeks with two hands. "You're brilliant, more brilliant than I could ever be."
She chokes on a sob. "So brilliant that I'm a useless mess here. I'm nothing. I'm no one."
"You're my best friend," I say from deep within. "If you're no one then so am I."
"You're counting on me to find answers."
My body caves. "You don't need to."
She's shaking her head.
"Hailey, you don't." I blink, and hot tears wet my cheeks. "You don't have to know everything. You could know nothing, and I'd still love you." We’re both crying now.
She clutches my cheeks, too, holding on to me.
Her chin quakes, and she squeaks out, "I'm not as smart as everyone needed me to be."
"That's okay." I rub at her cheeks. "Because I don't love you just because you're smart. You could be dumb as dirt, and I'd still love my dumb-as-dirt best friend."
She sobs harder and crumples into my body like a wounded bird.
I wrap my arms around her, hugging her.”

🥸 Jake + Rocky’s rocky friendship. hehe. see what I did there? “Rocky’s rocky friendship.” I’m hilarious. Anyway. Moving on. I LOVE THIS FRIENDSHIP!!! Enemies to friends is a criminally underrated trope. They’re completely opposites, but they fit so well together. Jake is straight-laced and polite, Rocky is a criminal and rude. Yet somehow it works. It reminds me of Ryke & Connor’s friendship. They start off despising each other, but slowly start to enjoy each other’s presence. By the end of the book, they are relying on, worrying about and looking out for one another. Their relationship has progressed so much since they met and it’s been beautiful to see 🥹

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT I LIKED⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

💸 The way the world is being set up. They’ve successfully created interesting & lovable side characters with their own complexities, backstories and struggles. I’m so excited to get each and every single one of their books. It’s hard to make your side characters as compelling and complex as the main characters, but they have managed to do it. These authors are so good at creating fictional universes, it’s actually crazy. When this series is completed, it’s going to have the same effect as the Addicted + Calloway Sisters series did. It gives very similar vibes without being a carbon copy because of the wildly different plots.

🥸 The con artist stuff is so fun!! I love being on the cons with them and fooling arrogant, gross rich men & women 💅

💸 THE BANTER!!! They deliver on snarky banter AND lighthearted, teasing banter. You get the best of both worlds as hannah montana said

His eyes meet mine like I’m your fucking boyfriend, Phebs. I can get this for you.
My heart flip-flops. I press my lips together.
“Yeah, okay,” I say nonchalantly. “You can buy it.”
“Don’t sound so enthused.”
“Ohh thank you so much, Rocky. I flail against the shelf and put my hand to my forehead. What would I ever do without you?” I stake a glare on him. “Better?”
“You’re such a—”
“Wonderful, kind-hearted, gracious soul.”
“Drama queen.”
I scoff. “Take it back.”
He’s smirking now. “No.” He’s walking backward down the aisle with the night-light.”

🥸 This playfighting scene was hot for reasons I can’t explain

“I would kick Trent’s ass solo. All on me.” I flex my bicep, which produces a tiny bump of muscle. “Be fucking scared.”
“I am scared,” he says, “that you might pull a fucking tendon.”
I flip him off with both hands.
Rocky abandons his wallet, keys, Rolex, and phone on the dresser—just to get on the bed and seize my ankle. He yanks, and I splat flat on my back.
When I try to sit up, he pushes me down. His harsh gaze caresses me like molten sandpaper, and I can’t deny—I never want him to look away. He dips closer. “You call this a fight?”
I wriggle my legs under him, kicking frantically, but he roots me to the bed with such lazy effort, whereas I’m exerting every ounce of force in me.
Growling out, I try to reclaim my arms, but he has sufficiently pinned me.
I squirm.
He grips and imprisons.

💸 Them goofing off in the water and trying to dunk each other haha their relationship is just so fun to me

She scoops water in her mouth and spits a stream at my face.
I fight a smile. “Mature.” I splash her back.
"The most mature." She splashes me, then I dunk her, and we're wrestling in the lake with dozens of happy-go-lucky, oblivious teenagers swimming around us.
For a minute, I feel her holding on to me. Hugging me. I cup the back of her head, more affectionately, and I consider kissing her. I would if I knew it wouldn't ruin our positions in the job, which would infuriate Phoebe.
Then she ends the embrace and plants two hands on my head, trying to dunk me. I have her by the waist, and we're fighting all over again. On repeat.
Over and over.
When she slows, water beads down her face and catches her lashes. Her lips dip beneath the surface of the lake.
I'm so in love with her.
I can't control it. I just feel it growing,
intensifying, devastating me.
And I hope it obliterates me.
Every single day of my life.

🥸 The first couple steamy scenes were hot. He’s dominating and the way she pretends she doesn’t like it is cute lol

“Rocky,” she cries, a needy little fucking cry.
With a fistful of hair, I pull her head back, and her glare hits me from upside down, especially as I say, “What were you saying about not begging me?”
“Shut up,” she growls.

💸 The Oliver, Jake & Hailey pairing. I’m so incredibly desperate for their book. Oliver and Hailey have so much history bc they grew up together, and I’m excited to get all their lore. It’s clear that there’s more there than what Phoebe or Rocky know and I want to uncover it all asap. My favorite scenes between them were when 1) Oliver read her The Grapes of Wrath until she fell asleep and 2) any time he would feed her or put her to sleep. I’m very interested to see how Jake will fit into their already established dynamic. We haven’t seen much of Jake/Oliver’s dynamic, so that’ll be fun to explore in the next few books.

I like his heart.
I think I’ve always liked their hearts the most. How deep they are. How you can keep reaching and reaching, but you’ll never touch the bottom. It’s easy to just . . . fall into.

🥸 The sibling relationships. As someone who loves her siblings more than anything or anyone, it’s always nice to see strong sibling bonds reflected in my books. All of the main characters share such close, loving bonds with their siblings (besides Jake bc his family sucks) and it’s genuinely so beautiful. They may fight and bicker, but they’ll all die for each other with no hesitation. The way they’re all so protective and caring towards their siblings touches my heart ;,) They have each other’s backs, especially against their parents. You can definitely tell this was written by a sibling duo based on how much sibling bonds are focused on in this series and in the Addicted + Calloway Sisters series.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱WHAT I DISLIKED⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

💸 It felt like scenes were missing. There were a couple of times where we’d do a mini-timejump and the important moments that occurred during that gap would be explained briefly instead of shown. I don’t understand what the reason was for skipping parts that matter? If it’s important enough to be explained, it’s important enough to be shown. This isn’t a PowerPoint presentation, I came for an immersive story, not a SparkNotes summary slapped between chapters. It made the story feel clunky and disjointed at times. Luckily, it didn’t happen very often.

🥸 Every smutty scene was exactly the same. They all consisted of him holding her wrists down and banging her while she halfheartedly fought him. There was never any variation. It felt redundant to have so many sex scenes and for them to all be the same. If restraint and power play is their kink, no shame, but give us a little something extra to spice it up here & there or it gets boring.

💸 The labeling of women’s clothing as trashy, slutty or both. It only happened once or twice, but once or twice is still once or twice too many in 2025. This kind of language is outdated and has been for years, so there really is no excuse. Women shouldn’t be shamed for showing a little skin, especially at the freaking beach. It’s a body. We’ve all got one. Get over it.

His gaze falls to the bikini I’m holding. “That one is fucking trashy.”

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱RECOMMENDATION⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

🥸 If you like this book/series, you should go read the Addicted + Calloway Sisters series by the same authors if you haven't already. A lot of the core themes in this are found in that too (found family, sibling bonds, recovering from emotionally manipulative & controlling parents, etc.) The character dynamics are also similar. Happy reading!

[dasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ (!!)

Happy Release Day to my favorite book!

No words, just emotions! This is one of the wildest books by Krista and Becca Ritchie. I couldn’t tear myself away—the twists, the tension, the cons—OMG!!!

Rocky and Phoebe are my favorite power couple; I fell in love with their dynamic. It’s a match made in hell (if you know what I mean).

A few thoughts about the book: the plot is well thought out, and the twists are insane in the best way. I loved every single character and their interactions. The pacing kept me on the edge. Reading this book felt like stepping into another world and becoming part of the story. It’s an exceptional talent for writers to evoke that feeling.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for a review.

[marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There will never be a day, a night, a minute, a moment, a breath where you aren’t destructively mine. And I hope it fucking terrifies you.”

✧𓈒⋆ 3.5 stars 𓈒⋆✧
rounded to 4 stars

well, i feel like i should start this review with a confession — i love krista and becca ritchie, and their addicted series is my all-time favorite series ever. however, this series is somehow kind of hard for me to get into. the first book was good, it was intriguing, and it set the tone quite well. i was basically flying through that book. this one? i really don't know. this book was quite lengthy — a lot of things were happening, but at the same time, nothing was going on. then, in the end, we were basically bombarded with quite a few plot twists and revelations that kind of surprised me, even though i guessed some of them beforehand. those revelations were executed quite well, so nothing against them, but still — was it necessary to leave them all until the end of the book?

speaking of the ending, i kind of feel like the book ended so suddenly, so abruptly. it felt like it was suddenly cut off, as the last pages gave us nothing, and the teaser for the next book gave us even more nothing! i kind of wish the book had ended in the doctor’s office, and the final shocking twist would've been revealed in the next book! imagine, right?

what i really liked in this book was being present for the con the characters were trying to pull. that was the most exciting part for me, as the whole con stuff is so unique and fresh — i don't think i've ever heard of another book revolving around deception. it was so entertaining to read, and i really wish there were more scenes revolving around cons in general — the planning stage, discussions, executions. i also wish we had other povs, as i feel like the characters aside from phoebe and rocky were really all over the place. and it's not a bad thing per se, i swear it's not, but i feel like we need to know the story from their perspectives too. i need more of hailey, olly, and jake, as their storyline for now is the most intriguing one. i honestly pray that they get povs in the next book or even get a book of their own, as these three stole the spotlight from phoebe and rocky in this book, in my humble opinion.

“And I just think, It’s me and Rocky. It’s always been me and Rocky. From the beginning. Until the end. No one else could ever take his place. I’ve told Rocky this so many times, it might as well be a nightly prayer.”

phoebe and rocky captured my heart in the previous book, as the chemistry and tension between them felt so electrifying, and i was looking forward to seeing them as the power couple they are in this book. and yes, the chemistry was still there — they still worked so well together — but i feel like, in this book, the bond between them was overly sexualized, and it didn't bring much to the whole picture. the sexual part of every relationship should exist, don't get me wrong, but i feel like here it was quite unnecessary to include so many scenes. it almost felt like every interaction between phoebe and rocky ended with them having sex.

“They raised us,” he says. “For better or worse, they’ve molded our lives into what they are, and there’s no going back from what we’ve done. I already know who I am. I’ve always known who I am.” Flames flicker against the darkness of his eyes. He touches a hand to his chest. “Spider.”
He points to Trevor. “I’m your brother.” Then he looks to Hailey. “I’m your brother.” Then to Oliver. “I’m your family.” Then Nova. “I’m your family.”
His gaze lands on me and the intensity tunnels through me in a long beat. “I’m yours,” he says into a sheltered breath. The unsaid words cling to the air: I’ve always been yours.”

other than that, truthfully, i enjoyed the love between them as it blossomed and became very apparent, tangible in this book. however, my favorite bond in this series will always be the bond between six characters — rocky, phoebe, hailey, trevor, oliver, and nova. krista and becca write the found family trope like no one else! my heart was breaking for them all as they experienced so much trauma — tinrocks specifically — but they came out stronger than before, and most importantly, they dealt with everything together, never left each other's side. i'm in awe of their bond, and i really want to get to know the other characters and read their takes on this found family. where do i sign up for a hailey/oliver book with the addition of nova and trevor's povs?

i won't shut up about oliver and hailey anytime soon, so be prepared, as these two characters intrigue me the most! and i kind of guessed some things in my review for the first book, so yeah — i can't wait to properly get to know them moving forward.

“I’ve questioned what I believe more these past months than I have my whole life, and it comes down to this. I believe in our love. I believe in the love that’s high voltage, the love that raises dead towns. The love that keeps you running when you’re on empty. The love that falls down with you—just so it can be there to drag you back up. I believe in love that has no room for failure because all it knows how to do is survive. I believe in our love—the love of six people who only had each other to trust and lean on. All I know is our love.”

i guess it's pretty obvious that i enjoyed this book — it was good overall. some things kind of didn't make sense to me, but i feel like they will play out later, so i'm very excited about the next book in this series!

thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎✧˖*°࿐°*˖✧✧˖*°࿐°*˖✧✧˖*°࿐°*˖✧

🌸 finished 13/04
that was intense! i don’t know how i feel about everything that happened in the last 10% of this book, so i might need some time to think about my rating

✨ started 13/04
i was approved for an arc 🤭
okayyy i hope this one is good! i really enjoyed the first book and i love ritchie sisters, so this one should be good, right?

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

If you liked the first book, you would like this as well because it's pretty much more of that. For me, Phoebe and Rocky romance isn't developed naturally, while pacing of plot was so slow. The only thing that was interesting to me was Hailey's love triangle. Hopefully, the next book in series is about her.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[⋆｡ ﾟ sara (rinezha’s version) ☾ ﾟ｡⋆]

dnf at 32%

i can't do it. it's just not good.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.”

This quote perfectly encompasses all my feelings while reading Destructively Mine. Finishing Dishonestly Yours left me with some truly important questions about the characters, but I felt like I had a foundation on who the characters were. Destructively Mine crumbled my foundation and I’m once again left reeling with all the revelations that this book brought.

Phoebe has been fake dating Victoria town royalty, Jake Koning Waterford, but in secret is dating her longtime love Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock. All Phoebe and Rocky want is to be together truly and honestly but there are a lot of roadblocks in their way. Phoebe’s mom has arrived in Victoria at long last and is posing as a matchmaker with mysterious plans of her own, refusing to answer any pressing questions. But Phoebe and her best friend, Hailey Tinrock, are determined to make their new honest life work… they just might have to be a smidge dishonest to achieve that.

The Romance:
Phoebe and Rocky spent so much of their lives resisting the pull that draws them to each other time and again. The angst in Dishonestly Yours was truly heart wrenching, and it all pays off in Destructively Mine. These two were volcanic in this book, their chemistry practically lit the pages on fire. There was significantly less angst in this book, but in a good way. My heart needed a break after the last one, so I was able to just enjoy watching Phoebe and Rocky fall more and more in love with each other and uncover parts of the other that they never knew, despite growing up together. Things only a significant other would know, and omg did it melt my heart.

The Plot:
Writing the basic synopsis of this book is truly so hard because there’s so much going on - but I won’t spoil anything. A big aspect of this book was hunting for the answers about the Graves and Tinrocks. Who are they really? Where did they come from? And why does every question answered still feel like another lie?

There were so many little clues that were being laid out and woven into the book. On the one hand, I had so much fun combing through the book for these hints, but at the same time, it was quite heart wrenching seeing the characters trying to grapple with what is actually the truth. If I felt like my foundation for these characters crumbled at the end of the last book, then my poor Graves and Tinrocks were decimated. Which leads me more into…

The Side Characters:
At the end of Dishonestly Yours, we finally saw our merry band of heathens all together in Victoria. The silver-tongue, the mastermind, the seductress, the getaway, the chameleon, and the psychopath. Now we finally see why they’ve earned these monikers.

For Phoebe and Hailey to make their honest life stick, they need to return to their dishonest ways - so this book sees these characters living up to their monikers. And also at the same time, we see them challenging those titles and proving that they’re more than simply a role in a con. It’s a fascinating deep dive into the characters when you see them balancing who they’ve always been with what they’re slowly becoming. Krista and Becca have always been really insightful with their characters and their development and growth across a series, and this book is no different.

I loved getting to see more of their lives through the lens of Phoebe and Rocky. For as much as Phoebe and Rocky are the center of the story, the Graves and Tinrock siblings and Jake are very much in the spotlight in this book. In Dishonestly Yours, I felt that we got to know Oliver, Nova, and Trevor more through the flashbacks to past cons that they’d participated in. I love that in Destructively Mine, we really get to see them a lot more in the present timeline, and get more insight into their characters.

All this to say…
That. Was. Wild. I think it might have been the most wild ride that any of Krista and Becca's books have taken me on. The romance, the cons, the tension, the suspense, the mystery, it was damn near impossible for me to put it down at all. Unfortunately for me, there was no savoring, I had so many burning questions and I was flying through the pages in search of answers. I am obsessed. The ending once again has left me reeling, and it's a tragedy that I now have to wait for Book 3.

There’s so much more I wish I could say but just know it was heart wrenching, pulse pounding, swoony, mind twisting fun being back in this world, with this merry band of heathens.

The ending was everything. All the kudos to Krista and Becca for making me feel settled with the answers I did get, but also feeling like my brain has been scrambled and I still have so many questions left to explore in Webs We Weave 3.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for an early copy!

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picking up where Dishonestly Yours ends, we are thrust back into the world of Phoebe and Rocky as they and their family work a con in an affluent Connecticut town. As always in a Ritchie novel, I enjoyed the closeness and dynamics between the main characters and their families (found or related).

Coming in at over 500 pages, this never felt long as it was entertaining and the writing flows easily. Yet much of it also felt like it was largely filler, preparing us for the finale next book. Not a lot happens until the end.

As this series focuses on two con families, there’s a hint of mystery involved and I enjoyed trying to figure it out.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[ohmynameiskaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4.25 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

‘Destructively Mine’ delivers an exhilarating tale of unexpected wickedness and deceit disguised in prose even more riveting than the last. True to its title, the Webs We Weave universe is as intricate as it is enticing.

playlist 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75i...
pinterest board 📌: https://pin.it/5L1uECIfv

Authors Krista and Becca Ritchie prove time and time again to be in a league of their own, paving the way in New Adult romance with authentically flawed characters and ingenious plots.

“There will never be a day, a night, a minute, a moment, a breath where you aren’t destructively mine.”

Our silver-tongue and seductress are back in all their volcanic glory, determined to set down their romantic roots years in the making. Readers have paid their slow burn dues and are now reaping the rewards as Phoebe and Rocky are determined to carve out their own semblance of peace amidst the brutal realities of the past they yearn to abandon. To truly be together they must now embark on a con of their own - keeping the love they’ve spent years cultivating a secret. The tension of illicit affairs and clandestine meetings pull their relationship taut, but fueled by the adrenaline of defiance and the urge for freedom, their dynamic is every part as persevering as they are.

That being said, I do fear these characters are becoming a little too codependent. After pining for one another all these years, I don’t want to be the one to deny them the luxury of being attached at the hip. Yet, after being seen as nothing but a pawn in the godmothers’ game of chess, I can’t imagine Phoebe becoming a watered down version of herself for anyone, let alone a man. It does lead me to ponder whether this is a tactic for us to shift our attention to other characters with more…complicated romantic situations, to say the least. As for those steamy scenes we all love and adore, less will always be more. The story is developed enough to stand on its own without an abundance of physical intimacy. There’s no lack to compensate for and after a while, it became numbing. Especially given the backstory of our female protagonist, it would be refreshing to see both her and Rocky make an intentional decision to undress themselves emotionally from time to time, so to speak.

“You’re my best friend,” I say from deep within. “If you’re no one, then so am I.”

With the ghosts of their pasts subconsciously driving a wedge between the two, Phoebe and Hailey must grapple with the ugly truths of their origins before it destroys them. The desperation behind Hailey’s search for her true identity was agonizing and served every ounce of angst readers are searching for. In a turbulent journey of heartache, sacrifice, and remembering a bond greater than life itself, these best friends prove that love, even platonic, conquers all.

“Do you love him?” “I can’t remember a moment where I didn’t.”

While ‘Dishonestly Yours’ set the scene for Phoebe and Rocky, its sequel takes more time exploring their relationships with those around them and reconstructing dynamics we thought we were certain of. With the entire band of heathens in the small town of Victoria, Connecticut, chaos proves to be imminent and inevitable.

Romantically speaking, I’ll contribute nothing more to the conversation than letting it be known that there’s a love triangle I’m manifesting with all my might will turn into a throuple. I’m intrigued (and very, very nervous) to see the way this particular storyline will play out in such a constricted timeline with only one more book slated. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, I suppose. In Krista and Becca Ritchie we trust!

Speaking of…I, myself, am in a love triangle with none other than Nova and Oliver Graves. They each own a fragment of my heart and seem to never be letting go. In my mind, they’ve already been promoted to main characters. Since the beginning, every thought of every day has been consumed by them and its only been amplified the more of their backstory we uncover. I’m craving to see the inner workings of their minds through their own POVs. Let it be a testament to the quality of writing that I’ve resorted to self-inserting in this narrative.

As for Trevor, well, he’s an enigma to me, yet his pull is magnetic. He’s a character you hate to love and love to hate.

˚₊ · »-♡→ plot + pacing

As per usual, the Ritchie's maintain the equilibrium between character and plot pacing with enviable precision. With twists and turns on every page, I devoured this in a day! There was a fervent nature that was more present in this book than the last, luring you in with its cryptic foreshadowing before then taking every preconceived notion you so skillfully adopted and obliterating it in the most diabolical way possible.

However, my grievance lies with the subtlety of the con, or lack thereof. Discretion simply does not exist in anyone’s vocabulary and it reads as an oversight. Even the mere thought of breathing word of their plans in public left my eye twitching. Either I’m paranoid or we’ll see this manifest itself in an unfortunate turn of events.

˚₊ · »-♡→ ending thoughts

As much of a whirlwind as this installment was, it oddly felt like the calm before the storm; a band-aid on a gaping wound. At this trajectory, I’m anticipating the conclusion to this series to be my favorite thus far!

Thank you to Berkley Romance, Krista, and Becca Ritchie for so kindly providing me with an ARC. As always, all thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

₊⊹⁀➴ Pre-'Dangerously Ours' Predictions coming soon…

[Cristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is the 'Addicted Series' in sheep's clothing. At some points, I'm pretty sure there were lines from that series taken and plopped right in here.

I enjoyed that we spent more time in the con with the characters. I'm loving getting to see the dynamic between the kids a lot more, and them bringing in more people to help. I will say, Hailey has to be the worst character and everyone seems to be ignoring it... genuinely an awful best friend and person. I hope we see her grow in book 3.

The relationship development is truly atrocious. My issue with friends-to-lovers is authors feel like they don't need to convince us that the couple belong together... but I need the development, I want to see them grow together as a couple. And unfortunately from some rather skim worthy smut, their relationship is boring and has no real thought put into it.

However, the plot twists were plot twisting. The last 15% of this book had my mouth fully open because I had no idea what was happening!

I will likely continue the series but I will say, this is definitely a filler book heading towards what I feel is the main storyline.

I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[tayler · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you so much krista and becca ritchie and berkley pub for the arc of this one!

i’ve been dying to get my hands on this since the ending of book one, and wow it was worth the wait. i was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book and didn’t want to put it down at any point. this is one of the rare series where i’m equally interested and invested in every character, which only speaks to how well kbr writes and develops their characters. i love seeing their usual charm and romance in such a different setting than their norm, it’s so unique.
not only was the plot well paced and had twists, expanding so much more from book one, but more importantly, i love love love the found family and the romance between phoebe and rocky. they’re TO DIE FORRRRR. i’m also so intrigued by the side romances in this one, eeeek.

i cannot WAIT for the next installment.

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

book 1 was easy to read and i think bc i was sleep deprived it didn’t take any energy to enjoy it but this was completely different. this felt like a filler book with a smidge of actual plot. everything i felt about rocky and phoebe was completely gone, i could have cared less about them. trent is literally scott van wright but frat version, i think this series is going to be dragged out and compares nothing to the addicted series!!! we kept going in circles and why was the smut always 10 pages long 😭😭 please do better!!!


thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Anna (annasbookstacks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 I really enjoyed this sequel!! It picks up pretty much right where book one leaves off and I appreciate that so much tbh. This book was filled with drama, betrayals, secrets, and twisty family dynamics. I wasn’t sure where anything could possibly be going the majority of the book so it kept me hooked. It was fast paced and the plot of this one was fun. I enjoyed all the side characters and their character/relationship growth with each other, and I loved the small town setting and the drama that added. The twists near the end definitely got me and I wish I had book 3 already!! I gave it 3.5 because at this point I’m not very invested in the romance, I don’t ~love~ Rocky (I’m sorry), and I feel like there were a lot of moments where not a lot was happening. I also still don’t feel completely connected to these characters or their story. I still enjoy these books and the story enough that I’ll be picking up the next book!! The ending caught me off guard. I said it about Dishonestly Yours but these books really feel like reality tv!! I can’t look away. Overall a decent book but something was missing for me!!

Thank you Berkley for the arc!! 🫶🏼

[Maddie Vaters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

I am going to preface this review by saying, if you read Dishonestly Yours a while ago, it’s time for a reread! I didn’t reread it before reading this book and I wish I had because I was very confused for the first 25%.

Now onto the main event:

Krista & Becca Ritchie have served another angsty romance with yearning, intense steam, and twists and turns that will keep you hooked! I was nervous and excited to dive back into Rocky & Pheobe’s story because this world is intense and I didn’t want any more heartbreak for my babies. Now, while there is definitely still a lot of uncertainty…my heart wasn’t in pieces after this so I’m hopeful that the happy times might keep rolling…I hope🥹 It did take me a while to get into it, I think mostly because I couldn’t remember what the heck was going on, but also I did feel that the writing style was a bit hard to follow at times, especially when they were referring to so many characters constantly. That being said, I did stay up until 5am one night trying to finish it because by the end, I was hooked! Now I immediately need book 3 which I now know the title of (big shoutout to Berkley for blessing me with an arc!!), and can confidently say I will be diving into the moment I get a chance to read it!!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House for providing an ARC for review!!

[elise | bookingthroughlife · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars!!!

i LOVED dishonestly yours, and destructively mine hit the same spot!! hot, mysterious, drama, twists, tension!!!!! it's exhilarating !! and just when you think you know what's going on, a plot twist comes out of nowhere. plus rocky & phoebe stay 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 the way they love each other????? the way they are obsessed???? the way they can't stay away???? I LOVE IT!!!! talk about two people DOWN BAD for each other!

if you're someone who really enjoys heists and spy-related books, read this series!!!! trust me.

& the last 10% of this book???? SCREAMING. i need answers.

thank you Berkley & Netgalley for the eARC! this is my honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Graves and Tinrocks—we were all just a merry little gang of heathens in hell together.

I loved it that way.

This was an insane ride. If you've ever thought the middle books of a trilogy are the weakest, well there's no reason to have that fear here. The first half of the story keeps you on your toes. Every character is holding secrets and there's so much uncertainty and mystery lingering in the air. And that last half... the last half is genuinely a rollercoaster. There are so many twists, there is so much tension. I was sweating by the time I got to the last few chapters.

Destructively Mine spends the perfect amount of time furthering the plot and focusing on the cons, as well as developing the characters. Rocky and Phoebe have obstacles to overcome, she is fake dating someone else after all (plus a lot more other stuff!), but seeing their relationship grow despite all that was beautiful. And I'm happy to report their banter remains as entertaining as ever.

“I’m a great liar.” I sit up more . . . “Case in point, this whole town believes I’m happily with Jake when I’m actually unhappily with you.”

And the side characters. The side characters become such an integral part of the plot this time around and every single one of them shines in their own way. Hailey and Phoebe's friendship is still one of my favorite things about this series. At this time I will accept no criticisms of Trevor Tinrock, like that's babygirl. And Jake Waterford you have become so dear to me, I did not see this coming.

I have so much more to say but to keep it short and cute, there are chapters that will make you blush, laugh, and yes, cry. You'll see new friendships start to form as well as new romances, and every single one of them makes me giddy. The ending raises all the stakes and does an amazing job at setting us up for the conclusion. I can't wait to see how everything is wrapped up in book 3!

Also I'm firmly in the denial stage because what do you mean conclusion? We just met these characters! 😭

---

THANK YOU NETGALLEY GODS