Hold Me Before You Go

Catch Me Duet #2

by Brittany Ann

The Catch Me Duet is a dark bounty hunter romance. Hold Me Before You Go is the second book in the duet.

Carrie

I’d finally gotten it: my fairytale ending.
I was happy.
After years of agony and heartbreak, I’d finally found the love my soul craved.
But even happy endings don’t last forever.
Before I knew it, I was taken–ripped away from him.
My heart shattered, and now, there’s only a sliver of hope to hold on to: Grayson.
He would come for me. He wouldn’t stop the hunt until I was back in his arms.
They clipped my wings.
He’s the only one who can save me.

Grayson

I wasn’t a man who deserved a happy ending, but the universe gave it to me anyways.
I’d found my sunshine and was ready to live my life in her light.
Then, without warning, she was taken from me.
I was the best. Red Snake Investigations was the best.
Yet, I failed her.
I failed us.
I failed the fairytale we could’ve had.
And now?
Now, as I hunted her down, I was losing my mind, being pulled into the dark past I thought I’d escaped long ago…

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Found Family, Smut, Contemporary

434 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2024

About the author

Brittany is an author of suspenseful, roller coaster romances with a sprinkle of dark on top!

Brittany has dreamed of being an author since she was fourteen years old. You would always be able to find her with her nose buried in a book or scribbling down stories in old notebooks. Today, she is living her dream by writing epic love stories with morally gray MMCs and strong FMCs. She is extremely grateful for every single one of her readers.

The Batter Up Series is her debut series and is the foundation of her fictional world. She is big fan of interconnected stories and loves creating her own that her readers will be obsessed with. Brittany has just published The Langston Brothers Duet and The Burnout Series, a spin-off of the BU series. She is about to publish a dark bounty hunter romance that's set in this wild world, which is on releasing 08/26/2024.

For more updates and to stay connected, follow her on Instagram and Threads! @authorbrittanyann_

Reviews

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book and it did not disappoint. I’m so excited for what is next to come. I 10/10 recommend reading this duet.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Samanthasue218 · Rating 4 out of 5]

No spoilers. Read via Kindle ARC. Thank you so much Brittany for this opportunity of getting this book early.

I am so happy this was a duet, so we get more background of the FMC and MMC character to have the picture painted more of what happened before book 1 and to understand them more. Carrie is a strong woman and amazed me in this book. There are some heavy topics aside from the dark romance, and I absolutely loved how it was portrayed and discussed. I read this book within like 12 hours and that was with being busy with life stuff, and it was so hard to put down when I could not read. You get captivated in the story and forget that you are an adult with responsibilities. Also the BONUS epilogue, oh my goodness, cannot wait to see what is in store for the future.

Would I recommend? YES, if you are a dark romance girly, Brittany Ann is a great author for that, if you are okay with the trigger warnings, definitely start her books. Her books are interconnected which is amazing, but can also just try out a book in a series or a duet to see if they are for you and then read them all like I have.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book, and I'm providing my review completely voluntarily. This book finishes her Catch Me Duet, and it rounds out Brittany Ann's 2024 releases. This was a smoother read than some of her other books I've read and I was invested in the story and looked forward to seeing it wrap up. However, I wouldn't be doing my due diligence without pointing out a few things that made my eyes twitch. *cracks knuckles*

While I think this is totally and completely a "me" issue, I think the morally grey male main characters are overdone and tired. At one point she mentions how "she thought he said so-n-so was a nice guy" with no additional context, and he immediately flips the table over and turns on his "what did he do to you?!?" in a blind rage. But...nothing happened to justify that reaction? I get the whole "touch her and get deleted" concept but when it's done when anything and everything happens it is exhausting (and I'm just the reader! Imagine the exhaustion on the characters).

Continuing to list out "me" issues: while it was super nice to see other catalog characters make appearances and remind us readers about what's been happening on the ranch among other places, it does shine a light on just how similar all the characters really are. It feels like an angry, morally grey line of Ken dolls - here's the cowboy Ken, and his bounty hunter buddy Ken. I admit that I've been in a slump so a lot of my reading has been ARCs so when I get the exposure of several books from the same author in the same character trope, it can feel a little saturated and I'd like to see a bit more variation in the main male characters. There is a world where morally grey doesn't mean constantly blacking out with rage - I believe it!

There's a weird phrase structure that is used over and over (and over) that gets old very quick, and it's dropping the first word off of the phrase. "I missed you so much" turns into "Missed you so much", "You're such a wonderful cowboy" turns into "Such a wonderful cowboy", so on and so forth. It's fine when dialogue is fast moving or stunted due to things like pain or fatigue or hell, even if their mouth is full of food...but to have it happen multiple times with no variation, it leans more towards just lazy writing style. Tessa Bailey has also been guilty of doing this in some of her dirty talk scenes in her early books but it doesn't happen nearly as much as it does here.

Admittedly, I've had a rollercoaster reading the author's catalog, and while I liked this book more than others, I truly hope to see a bit more growth from the author in future works. The magic of writing fiction is the sheer and stupefying fact that ANYTHING is possible (heads up to any romance author writing a sex scene: lube is free and fictional - please stop just using spit), and you don't need to just plug-and-play the same character in different environments. The tell of a great author is not only knowing what works for your reader base, but also figuring out what ELSE works and growing from that. Book series are bound to get stale if it's the same morally grey cowboy/street-racer/bounty hunter. Looking back, I was trying to see how many books the author published in 2024, but it looks like that number is a bit skewed due to new editions of previous series being re-released - but I think it's at least three, maybe four? Frankly, I'd rather see more growth and better writing from fewer releases, but that's just my opinion.

*Reminder to everyone that review spaces are not for authors.

[The Bashful Bookworm by Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

🖤Dark Bounty Hunter Romance
🩷Morally Gray MMC
🖤Plus Size FMC
🩷Damsel in Distress
🖤Touch Her and Die
🩷Emotional Scars/PTSD rep
🖤Band of Brothers
🩷Found Family
🖤Brittany-Verse cameos galore!

I really am obsessed with this world Brittany has created! Her series can all be read individually but she connects them in a way that I cannot get enough of. Grayson and Carrie are introduced in other series but you don’t necessarily need to read them to start this book/duet. However, for optimal enjoyment, I highly suggest reading all her books in order for the full Brittany-verse experience and to scream and kick your feet when other characters make cameos!

Don’t be fooled but this duet’s dreamy covers, these books lean dark. There are morally gray characters and heavy topics. Brittany is very diligent and does list trigger warnings that a reader may be sensitive to.

Of course book 1 ended in a cliffhanger! And did it break my heart. Book 2 picks up right where CMWIF ended. Carrie and Grayson had found each other and love so deep only for one be ripped away from each other! Poor Carrie, she was healing and happy then to experience even more trauma! It if that wasn’t hard enough, OMG!! Grayson in the aftermath! To see him struggling and completely losing it 👏🏼TORE👏🏼ME 👏🏼APART!!

This continuation contained Brittany’s signature suspense, danger, found family, swoon and spice. Literally just so good! This is a book…by Brittany…so be ready for the breadcrumbs and teasing of secondary characters and their stories! Specifically, we will be seeing his Red Snake guys and other Brittany-Verse characters!! 🎉 And while Carrie and Grayson’s story does end on a HEA, which they deserve, we will get to seeing them again as secondary character.

It also felt like almost every interaction with the Red Snake guys and the other cameos (😏🫠) were sooo freaking emotional and made me tear up or cry just as much as I did for Carrie and Grayson! I shouldn’t have been surprised by that level of emotion because Brittany does it every time. Maybe because this was my first follow up book in a series or duet that I read in real time as opposed to binging every single one of her books as I previously did. Either way, I was totally here for it. Hurt me so good Brittany, please and thank you!

Me: Any mention of a random person and I start questioning if they will be a MC somewhere down the line and dropping into Brittany’s DM basically begging to know who will get a book. This is what I love about the Brittany-verse, all the possibilities! *me definitely still hoping and waiting for a dark morally gray football player to get his book*

________________________________________________

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐

OMG??? THIS BOOK WAS A LITERAL MASTERPIECE BECAUSE WHAT THE FCK. STARTED CRYING FROM THE START. THE STORY, THE CHARACTERS, THE PLOTS??? THEY WERE AMAZING.

Grayson and Carrie are such well written characters and Carrie might just be one of the strongest women I know. I love her so much and I'm so proud of her for being so goddamn strong. She deserves the whole world and so does Grayson.

Thank you Brittany for writing them, thank you for creating them. Every single characters of your universe are the best, they all deserve the best. I really wanna see Hayes book in the future 🤭

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST THE FUCKING BONUS EPILOGUE WAS CRAZYYYYY

[Bookishlyhaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold Me Before You Go is book two in the Catch Me duet. This book follows Carrie Hale and Joseph Grayson.

I could not put this book down. I don’t know what Brittany puts in her books, but they are addicting! While I loved book one Catch Me When I Fall, book two has my heart and soul. This book dives more into the characters' backstories. Which I loved because we got to see why Carrie and Grayson are the way they are. I knew Carrie’s story was rough, but I could not imagine the depth of her pain and suffering.

Carrie is such a strong female, and she amazed me even more in this book by how resilient she is. Grayson surprised me a lot in this book because he was finally feeling and letting his emotions out instead of acting like the tough guy all the time. I honestly loved the development of both characters throughout this series. This book does cover some heavy subjects, but I loved the approach and how it was portrayed in this story.

Don’t let the cute colorful covers fool you. This story is dark and was a complete rollercoaster of emotions. I enjoyed the ride even though Brittany Ann ripped my heart out multiple times. But it’s fine, everything is fine. They got their HEA, so that is all that matters! The bonus epilogue had me clutching my pearls, I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future!!

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Bounty hunter romance
- Morally grey MMC
- Plus size FMC
- PTSD rep
- Band of brothers
- Found family

Thank you, Brittany Ann, for the gifted copy!

[Brianna Youngblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold Me Before You Go
5⭐️ 3🌶️


Hold Me Before You Go is the thrilling conclusion to the Catch Me duet. This duet is a dark, spicy, bounty hunter romance. This book begins where the last left off. Carrie had been taken and Greyson calling in his team with a code Red Snake.

My heart was racing as soon as I started this book. I was nervous for the fmc and i just KNEW the mmc was going to lose his mind. AND BOY DID HE DELIVER. When the author said the troupe "touch her and die" SHE MEANT THAT. Greyson is so protective of Carrie but not in a way that keeps her small and inline but in a way that keeps her safe and protective. Carrie is such a strong and admirable fmc. She has the self confidence throughout the whole book and I loved it. What K wasn't expecting from this book was the plot twist. Like very genuinely came out of left field. So when i went back and read it again on KU on release day (yes i read it again sue me) i picked up the little clues here and there that blew my mind. I've never read a story with a bounty hunter but this duet made me want to look for more👀

Overall this duet was a 5/5 for me and i highly recommend it to anyone looking for a spicy romantic thriller! I cannot wait for Brittany Ann's next project 🥰🥰

[Sam Bartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ Dark Bounty Hunter Romance
✨ Touch her and die
✨ Dual POV
✨ Found Family
✨ PTSD Rep
✨ Cameos for dayyyyyys!

LET ME TELL YOU, not only was I aggressively dming Brittany during my reading, I was actively cheering, gasping, crying, and fist pumping audibly through the entire thing. Carrie is a delight and her heart is one that I personally want to protect and to watch her story unfold with bravery and wit and the ability to focus her attention on Graysons memory to survive. Grayson had me snotty crying, and experiencing what him and his men went through just solidified how intense they are, and how far they will go for their family.

I haven't rated a single Brittany Ann book under 5 stars because, honestly, she writes nothing less. The way she can write these different worlds that wrap up together perfectly with a bow on top, chefs kiss. AND when she was at the.... nope... not gonna spoil a single thing. But when you hit around 59%, my dms are open <3

(and just because, when you read this duet, because you 100000% should, then go back and read about the Cowboys and the Street Racers. They will wiggle right into your heart they way they did for me.)

[Jezebel Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Brittany, you wrote the most beautiful duet!
I’m obsessed with Carrie & Grayson. I’m so grateful to be apart of your team 💜

HMBYG starts off right after book 1 of the duet.
(Brittany loves to leave us on edge with her cliff hangers)
I can’t say much without spoiling it but…
Carrie is such a strong FMC, she’s been through so much & is still trying to get through it in book 2.
I was obsessed with the friendship she develops with a certain cowboy from Hallow Ranch 🖤

Grayson struggles so much during this book and he does realize he needs actual help. And I love the team coming together to support him.

So beautifully written! Thank you Brittany Ann for sharing this story of Carrie & Grayson.
I can’t wait for more so the team can WTF you in our group chat 😂🫶🏽

[Jenna Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brittany Ann's Hold Me Before You Go is an emotionally riveting novel that grips the reader from page one and refuses to let go. At its core, this story is about surviving the unspeakable, learning to trust again, and rediscovering hope in the most unexpected of places.

The life shattering trauma the main characters has endured and continues to endure takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster that leaves the characters and the reader trying to hold things together. Brittany Ann doesn't shy away from the messy, complicated aftermath of pain, nor does she dilute the intensity of human vulnerability. Her writing is unflinching yet, deeply compassionate.

The carefully crafted plot, which builds slowly with emotional depth, only to deliver several plot twists just when the reader thinks it is safe, sets this book apart.

[nighttime reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carrie, is the definition of warmth and strength, holding on to hope even in the most desperate of times. Her noble pursuit of happiness on her and Grayson's behalf drives the story and tugs on a lot of heartstrings. Carrie is a heroic figure with exceptional courage.

Grayson is equally appealing and shows his vulnerability as he deeply loves Carrie and poignantly struggles to win her back. His PTSD is handled with much thought, and it does add depth to his character, while his close relationship with the Red Snake Investigation team underlines their relentless support for Carrie.

The chemistry between Carrie and Grayson is so alive that their moments together sizzle. In a nutshell, the book is engaging and emotional, combining suspense, romance, and touching scenes so masterfully. The addition of some familiar characters from the "Brittany-verse," especially Mags, was a nice touch.

[Amanda Callies · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars. Infinity x infinity amount of stars.

This one hurt, oh boy did it hurt but it also healed. I cried, sobbing my eyes out so many times while reading this book, I’m in awe of Brittany Ann’s way with words to make me feel every single emotion known to us in a span of pages, paragraphs, words.

I knew after reading Catch Me When I Fall that this book would continue to make me feel all things and I wasn’t wrong. Grayson and Carrie’s story was beautiful, heartbreaking, soul mending. Chock full of my favorite tropes- found family, touch her and 💀, quirky small towns, a mmc who would quite literally burn everything down to get her back.

One of my favorite things about reading a Brittany Ann book is seeing all the past book characters whether it’s an on page mention or passing comment of how they are I never fail to squeal with joy when they come up. Hold Me Before You Go was no exception- there were so many Easter eggs and character mentions it made my heart so happy.

I’ll add more once my thoughts have processed but definitely pick this book up after reading Catch Me When I Fall

[Lyla Nadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way to take us through the emotional ringer!!! If you haven’t read catch me when I fall book one in this duet read that first as this picks up where that left off. Check any C.W. As well. This book took us on one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for both main characters. We saw a lot of flashbacks to the past and what they have each been through in their life and they both just deserved happiness. They fought so hard through this whole book in so many ways and Brittany really knows how to break you and put you back together piece by piece. She also has an incredible way of sneaking in cameos from her other books. She’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of cameos for the book world and I love how she sneaks her other books in. This duet was great! I can’t wait to see what is next because that epilogue?! 👀

[Lisa Hambridge (lisamareebooks1109) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Brittany for the ARC.

The Grayson and Carrie dark bounty hunter duet was such an enjoyable read.

Carrie was such a strong character who was determined to get back home, and Grayson was determined to rescue his sunshine. I enjoyed the appearance of characters from the langston series. This book was an emotional conclusion to Grayson and Carrie's story.

Brittany knows how to get her readers emotionally involved in her books. This book definitely had some emotional moments that were perfectly written and made this book one of my favourites.

[Bailey Hattenhauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conclusion to the Catch Me Duet 🩷

*Spoilers*
The second book picks up where we left off in book 1. Carrie has been kidnapped and Grayson is losing his mind over it. We know this man will stop at nothing to protect his woman.

I was expecting Grayson to be the one to save Carrie, but she ends up freeing herself and running barefoot for miles in freezing weather. Okay, baddie 💅🏻 She takes shelter in a graveyard and ends up being found by our favorite Hallow Ranch cowboys. I loved being able to see them again.

Carrie and Grayson’s troubles were not over though. Carrie’s past refuses to let go of her and she and Grayson have to fight to get to their happy ending.

Brittany is good at getting me invested in the side characters. I want to know everyone’s stories. And that bonus epilogue? C’mon Brittany, that’s cruel! I need it.

[Jordan Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been WAITING for this second book and man was I not ready for the wild ride it took my on! This second duet was a great way to not only finish the story but also bring in other characters from previous books and prep us for whose book we may get next.

The story jumps right back in from our cliff hanger in book one and the way Brittany writes I feel like I was immersed into the characters. I felt their pain, their hope, their peril, and I wanted nothing more than for them to get their happy ending they so deserve.

Carrie is so real with her struggles, her love, her light, and everything in between. Grayson is so strong yet we get a glimpse into how he’s been broken in his past which made me love him even more!

Please go on this wild ride and read this book immediately.

[Theresa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrie and Grayson’s story continues in this sequel to Catch me When I Fall. Seeing Carrie fight her captors and show her bravery was inspiring. Learning more about the Red Snake group and seeing them pull off a Payday 2 heist to gain info was impressive and hilarious. As always, Brittany delivered an incredibly heartwarming story with strong characters! 10/10 would recommend.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good!

I was *addicted* once I picked this book up. ADDICTED just like the first one. Ugh I’m so glad they had two books. So glad I got to live in the Carrie and Grayson world a little longer. 🩷🩷

[Jazmine Gillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brittany's words always bring me to tears, or screaming, or laughing.. this one did all of the above. The last installment of Carrie and Graysons duet was worth the read. I love these characters so much and I can't wait for more of the Red Snake men🥵 (obviously after we go back to my cowboys). It was nice getting a mix of all my favorite characters in this book, my cowboys always put on one hell of a show. If you haven't read Carrie and Graysons story now is the time, then go back and catch up with my men before we go back to Hallow ranch😘

[Kims.reading.nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad that Carrie Hale's story has been told! I was curious about what would happen to her after she appeared in past books as a victim, and Author Brittany Ann really did her justice ❤️

Grayson (the Bounty Hunter from the Langston brothers duet) was the perfect man for Carrie and I appreciated how honestly he discussed his past trauma, whilst also displaying healthy masculinity and strength of character.

Don't get me wrong, this is a dark romance for a reason, and he's ruthless in doing what needs to be done to protect those he cares about (if you've read a Brittany Ann series before, you know what I'm talking about). Get ready for allllll the 🔥

As always, read the trigger warnings at the start of the book as the Author doesn't glance over the graphic scenes.

The bonus epilogue KILLED ME and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next!!

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️
4.3 ⭐️
2 🌶
*Releases 12/02/24

Read the first book to this duet - Catch Me When I Fall - Carrie and Grayson story is one that ended with Ts crossed and Is dotted! I was so frustrated the way the last book ended, but this was an awesome continuation of the heartache, trauma, WTF moments, love, and found family that Brittany provides in her books! The hell that Carrie and Grayson went through was insane and I honestly did not see the plot twist coming. The fact that we got to see more of the Red Snake men AND the Hallow Ranch Cowboys - say less! 🤪
*Did love the bonus epilogue at the end that gave us a little sneak peak of what Brits got up her sleeve! **More excited about Mags's book, though 🫶🏻

[Brittany Hayley Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Hold me before your go by Brittany Ann (@authorbrittanyann_) it continues on from where Catch Me when I fall left off. Carrie getting kidnapped for her late husband’s sins let’s call them. Grayson our favourite bounty hunter sets out with his team to find her. All while finding out the dark truths about Carries late husband. I loved this book Brittany totally makes your heart clench in some of these scenes in the book. Will Grayson finally be with his sunshine? Or will Carrie make a wrong move and drive them apart for good? Well you’ll have to read it to find out.

[Kenzie (checked.out.bookss) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesss this is everything you want in a second book!! The couple does get their HEA… but not before going through the wringer.

This story sucks you right back in and doesn’t let you go till you finish it.

The love Grayson has for Carrier is shown even more in this book. But also Carries is shown right back.

You do get to go back to the farm… but I wish it was for longer!

I’m excited I’m hoping the next one from the group is Hayes who gets his book… maybe with Margo?

[Samantha Ivy (novelsbysamantha) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel in the Catch Me series. We meet Carrie and Grayson again, and let me tell you, Carrie and Grayson are so cute. They may be my top favorite couple in the Brittany-verse. The ending in this book had me screaming and feeling way too many emotions. Plus that bonus epilogue? Yeah....my emotions are all over the place!!!!

[ash&#x1f608; · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️

OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD!!!

I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad, so sad, so hurt, and so WTF at a book IN. MY. LIFE!

My love of Grayson intensified this book! My love for his team grew just as much.

And our strongest of strong Carrie. Her growth🥹🥹

[cuore__di__carta · Rating 5 out of 5]

ITA/ENG REVIEW

ITA
Questa dilogia small-town romance si chiude con un concentrato di adrenalina e passione per il nostro cacciatore di taglie Grayson e per la sua dolce Carrie.

TRAMA
Spietato e solitario professionista, Grayson è ormai indissolubilmente legato a Carrie, alla quale prima dava la caccia. Ma adesso Carrie è stata rapita e Grayson ha bisogno di tutta la sua squadra per riportarla al suo fianco. Arriverà in tempo o il passato di Carrie sarà la loro rovina?

La cosa che amo di quest'autrice, grande rivelazione dell'anno, è senz'altro la sua capacità di creare personaggi diversificati e credibili e intrecciarne le vicende, finché non sembra di conoscerli così bene da ritenerli amici (e per fortuna ognuno ha avuto o avrà la propria storia).

Quanto a questo libro, già nel primo il personaggio di Grayson spiccava per abilità, arguzia e una misteriosa arroganza che poteva essere piegata solo da Carrie, la dolcezza assoluta, ora in grave pericolo. E tra scene al cardiopalma e momenti di assoluta sensualità, i due protagonisti trovano finalmente il completamento l'uno nell'altra. Un plauso al world-building, costruito tra l'agenzia di Gray e il ranch dei Langston (la loro dilogia arriva presto in Italia con Hope Edizioni).

VOTO: 5/5

--

ENG
In the last instalment of this incredible small-town, grumpy/sunshine duet, Grayson and Carrie fight for their life and for their love.

BLURB
Once an imperturbable professional, algid Grayson is now in love with sweet Carrie, but her past soon comes back. When Carrie is kidnapped, Gray needs all his wits and his crew to protect the love of his life.

What I truly appreciate about Brittany's books is the way she creates incredibly well-written, realistic and interconnected characters and stories. Once you finish a book, you simply miss them all like they're now friends.

As for this beautiful story, it is a worthy conclusion for Carrie and Gray, even if the angst has threatened to make me scream and cry, I promise that the pain and sweet passion is worth it! The HEA is what every romance reader looks for. A big bonus for the world-building and the secondary characters. I can't wait to read more about them!

Thank you Brittany, being in your ARC team is a privileged honour. You're amazing!

RATE: 5/5

[Tiffani Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book opens with the dedication of "to the women who were told they weren't good enough, strong enough, or beautiful enough. You are good enough. You are strong enough. You are beautiful enough. Women are powerful. Being a woman is powerful, Embrace it. Don't you ever let a man determine your worth.", you know that this book is going to break your heart and put it back together in the absolute best and worst way. Any book in this universe has the way of doing so, but there is something about Carrie and Greyson's story that has always connected to my soul. Not because I wish that a strong, big man would burn the world down for me, because I'm an independent woman who needs no man, but honestly, who wouldn't? It connects to me because I am Carrie. I've had people look and treat me just the way that she has, and trying to rebuild your life, and pull yourself up from your bootstraps, only for the monster under the covers to come break it down again is soul crushing. But she never lets it stop her. "You're Grayson's sunshine." Many, many times in the book, Carrie is referenced as the warmth and light in everyone's lives, and its true. She doesn't let what happen to her define her, or dim her light. She just wants the color in her life.

After the cliffhanger from the last book, Carrie and Grayson are separated, but both "find" their way back to each other, not without struggles. "Those that we love have a way of protecting us even when they're gone." Each person in this team is connected body, mind, heart, and soul to each other, and this book is a great way to show just what found family can do. Grayson puts it best, "because I choose you. I will always choose you, every goddamn time. You're my ******* life, Carrie. Nothing will ever come before you."

This last one, I feel everyone needs to read: "Yes, you're damaged. But you are also healed. You've overcome so much, clawed your way out of hell the world put you in. You are not your anxiety. You are not your fears. You are not your trauma. You are not a burden, Carrie" Everyone needs to remember that. I need to remember this. YOU ARE NOT YOUR TRAUMA. YOU ARE NOT DEFINED BY WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU.

[Josmely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much to say but I'm struggling to put it into words😭😭 I also don't want to spoil anything.

First let me say how much I adore Carrie and Grayson. These two have gone through A LOT. Stuff happens in this book that never in a million years would I have been able to guess them. I didn't think it could get worse 😭.

Carrie is such a strong character. After the Hell she was put through before, for her to still be able to wake up, smile and be strong on top of everything that she was currently going through was amazing. The best thing that could have happened was Carrie and Gray meeting. They were what each other needed to heal. They gave each other the love, care and support they were missing.

I don't want to call them broken bc i don't think they were. I feel like they were cracked a bit and didn't know how to heal. Which is were there friends and each other comes in.

“Yes, you’re damaged. But you are also healed. You’ve overcome so much, clawed your way out of the hell the world put you in. You are not your anxiety. You are not your fears. You are not your trauma. You are not a burden, Carrie.” like ya don't understand how much I love this girl.
Every day she got stronger.

Again having a hard time putting how much I loved this book into words. 😭😭😭 Just go do urself a favor and read this duet pls.

My favorite thing about this authors books are the friendships. The friends these characters have were amazing. They would drop anything and whatever they're in the middle of to help each other. They were so supportive especially when times were dark for certain characters. I wanted to cry when they didn't hesitate to help Grayson with everything Carrie was going through. 

Loved seeing the characters from the other series. Especially my men Denver and Collin. Like the obsession with them will never stop. Cannot wait to read about the rest of the guys!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Talk about a story that had me in an utter chokehold the whole way through and kept me sobbing into my pillow continually throughout. This story – OMG – this story was EVERYTHING and so much more.

Carrie and Grayson’s whirlwind conclusion was incredibly intense, and filled with so much emotional turmoil, gut-wrenching moments, heartbreaking truths, and so much passion and love between not only Carrie and Grayson, but the other amazing characters that play a part in their story.

We start off right where that insane cliffhanger left us in book 1 and let me tell you that this story does not slow down one bit. The things that Carrie and Grayson go through as they both survive her being kidnapped and him trying to find her, will shatter your heart. It was hard to get through their struggles and emotional breakdowns as they tried to find each other again.

The back-and-forth banter between all of the characters had my emotions all over the place. I laughed, I yelled, and I sobbed like crazy. But I fell hopelessly in love with the Red Snake group, and I can’t wait for each and everyone of them to get their happy endings too.

The chemistry and love between Grayson and Carrie was palpable and just oozed off the pages and melted my heart. These two were made to be together and it just killed me every time they were ripped apart.

Such a beautifully written conclusion that was not all butterflies and rainbows but had many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails with anxiety and gasping at all of the shocking moments that leaped off the pages. It was a dark, dangerous, violent and twisted ending that I won’t soon forget. And that epilogue – OMG – the next book is going to be crazy!

[Robin Axelberd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 - A little disappointing

I feel like writing a solid duet or trilogy is probably really difficult for authors. As much as I enjoyed Book 1 (I gave it 5⭐️), this second book just dragged for me and lacked the compelling storytelling the first had. There was so much superfluous and repetitive content, that I skimmed a pretty good chunk of the book, especially between the halfway mark and the end. I felt like the author was including a lot of background info for the side characters that wasn’t really pertinent to THIS story. I also thought she forced a lot of interactions with other characters from her universe, which then required some kind of background story. This was the first book I read by this author, and I didn’t *really* need to know as much about these other characters as she gave me. I also found the editing to be a little more “sloppy” than the first book.

The other unfortunate thing was that I actually grew to dislike the MMC. Even from the beginning, I really thought the way he treated Michael Humbly, in particular, was just unnecessary. But his interactions with other characters, his self blaming, and other behaviors just caused me to like him less and less. 😕

I believe sometimes authors break a story into a duet, but the second book gets a lot of “filler”. From my perspective, that is what happened here. I thought this story could have been streamlined enough to make one long book. In fact there were a few times when I thought the story could have been wrapped up, but she just kept adding things on.

Given the fact that MOST of her books are duets and given my experience with this duet, I’m not inclined to read this author in the future. It’s disappointing because I really did enjoy Book 1.