The Choosing Chronicles: Ryker and Brynleigh's Duet

The Choosing Chronicles #1-2

by Elayna R. Gallea

He requires a wife. She needs to kill him. All’s fair in pursuit of love and revenge.

This duet contains both halves of Ryker and Brynleigh's story in one A Game of Love and Betrayal, and A Heart of Desire and Deceit, as well as a 1.5 short story following Jelisette and Emery, A Song of Blood and Shadows.

What’s a vampire to do when the fae who made her an orphan is searching for a wife?

Make him choose her and end his life on their wedding night, of course.

Brynleigh has been carefully planning this for years. Her plan is date Ryker Waterborn, the Fae Representative’s son, make him fall in love with her, and kill him after they say, “I do.”

Unfortunately, it will not be that easy. She won’t be the only one going after Ryker’s hand. Far from it. Two dozen men and women are competing in the Choosing, each searching for their perfect partner. The catch? It’s a blind selection process, and contestants won’t see each other until they have made their choice.

Nothing will stand between Brynleigh and her revenge, not even a competition for love.

This duet has a happy ending, and it is a contemporary enemies-to-lovers vampire/fae romantasy, perfect for fans of Sarah. J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Danielle L. Jensen.

A Song of Blood and Shadows was previously published in the charity anthology, Court of the Fated.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Vampires, Fantasy Romance

810 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2024

About the author

Elayna Gallea lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada with her husband and two kids. They have dogs and cats and enjoy touring their beautiful province whenever they can.

Reviews

[Anana Nuñ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was giving a fantasy/fae/supernatural love is blind vibe at the beginning. (Love is blind is a netflix show) When I tell you I was stressed for a good minute. I dont want to spoil anything but I just wanted to strangle sense into the characters like get with it understand the other person already...😩

It was a great read. I will be waiting for Mrs. Rivers book. I don't know if Hallie and Therian have one or will get one would love that too.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed this series and enjoyed. A smutty brain candy read for sure with a decent plot. Sometimes thats all a girl needs to get through the work day.

[Rajashree Mishra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story but regretted buying just from a few reels from insta

The overall story is good... For the first 200 - 300 pages you will really enjoy everything... Then you will want to skip the paragraph..and it's coming from a loyal reader who re- read each word over and over again if a dialogue or writing is good and never skip even words let alone paragraphs . But surprisingly I did it for this book because the writer kept the same thing with different wordings again and again. It's an 800 page book and I finished it within 2 days. 2 stars is for the different story line ... An effort to try to put every fantasy thing into one book. You won't like the FMC much.. but you can find it interesting in the last 100 pages. Nice green flag MMC .

Read it as per your own risk 😁😉.

[Angell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t choose a book based on its influencer reels. One cute phrase, which is literally in the last maybe 3% of the story, and the rest feels like it was written by a middle schooler. So much repetition, half baked metaphors and just-boring- story. Characters meh and uninteresting, attempts at world building just make the whole thing feel even shallower and just plain bad.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I did not like that the reason I chose this book was because of a quote I saw everywhere and couldn't get away from. The quote was not in this book. I yelled when it abruptly ended and everyone in my family was worried and asked what was wrong. I feel like I was done dirty. I'm leaving it at this because I'm mad

[Ami · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Is there even a plot? Will we ever know?
Was so excited to read this after I saw so. Many. Videos about it!
So slow progressing that barely a trickle of anything is actually occurring. Going round and round in circles and overall uninspiring.

[Lea Saurusrex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bon.

Y a deux trucs que je peux reconnaître à l’autrice :
- elle sait écrire une sacrée pavasse ;
- elle est douée en marketing.

Je me suis fait avoir par une phrase sur un reel Instagram, qui me promettait une romantasy mais avec une inversion des clichés (pour une fois c’est l’héroïne qui est censée être « morally grey »). Cette phrase, il faudra attendre d’arriver à 95% de la lecture pour enfin la croiser. Quand je vous dis qu’elle est douée en marketing.

Pour tout le reste, on repassera :
- l’univers est franchement moyen ;
- la plume carrément bof ;
- y a pas d’intrigue (au début ça me faisait marrer un Love is Blind surnaturel, mais c’est tellement pété) ;
- les personnages principaux sont insupportables ;
- les personnages secondaires et tertiaires n’ont aucune vie propre, ils ne font qu’être des pions dans la narration, voire des deus ex-machina ;
- y a aucun enjeu (l’autrice dit dans les remerciements qu’elle a passé son temps à pleurer en écrivant, et ça se voit, elle s’est vraiment perdue dans du mélodrame qui tourne en rond pendant 400 pages) ;
- l’héroïne n’est pas « morally grey » ;
- la fin est à l’image du reste : décevante et ratée ;
- beaucoup trop de choses ne sont pas résolues ;
- j’ai jamais vu un roman avec du cul dans lequel quasiment la moitié des scènes de cul se passent… dans un rêve ;
- c’est incohérent au possible ;
- la relation est TOXIQUE et le mec est un CONNARD, et je comprends pas comment on puisse vendre ça comme un exemple à suivre ?? « La communication résout tout 🫶 » Y A PAS DE COMMUNICATION, juste le mec qui fait du boudin parce qu’il est trop privilégié omg et la meuf qui s’écrase parce que..? Elle est censée être méchante donc elle veut se racheter ???
- ça se voit que c’est écrit par une meuf blanche parce que j’ai rarement vu un cas de système oppressif aussi mal écrit. On nous dit toutes les trois pages que la société est injuste et meurtrière, mais le discours c’est quand même que les rebelles sont les gros môchants et qu’il faut tous les tuer ?? URGHHHH

Je pourrais continuer la liste longtemps, je ne sais vraiment pas comment je suis arrivée au bout de la duologie (j’ai sauté le spin-off de la Grande Vilaine parce qu’à ce stade, je n’en avais rien à faire), je voulais juste avoir ce que j’étais venue chercher et j’ai rien trouvé. Épargnez-vous cette peine. Vraiment.

[Sydney Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay okay, picked up this book off of a instagram reel. And i had like mid expectations. and it definitely blew those away. but a fair warning is needed

This book reminds me heavily of like a fanfic. Not in the actual story but how it’s written. the first half is pretty damn good, reminds me a lot of The Serpent in the Wings of Night. the FMC is amazing, mildly annoying but i find most are. the MMC is like dream green flag for the first half.

The second half is like Iron Flame with the miscommunication trope. so if you can’t handle that this book is frustrating. i enjoyed it, but omg Ryker is the biggest mix of hot and frustrating. definitely get more of the possessive fae male trope in the second half which i thoroughly enjoyed.

overall, plot is like a 3.5/5, very predictable, very wattpad-y mixed with ACOTAR and like every trope out there. but it was entertaining and got me out of a book slump after Onyx Storm. but it’s definitely a fun read. i read it in about 2 days. it’s not complex.

[Elizabeth Argue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story and characters. I found it quite repetitive in parts and the dialogue a bit stilted.

[shanya]

i'll give my thoughts later

[Jacquelyn Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall, book was good...but when compared to other fantasies it was subpar. I would recommend to those that like fantasy romance with heartbreak...

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has potential

The idea behind this storyline is great and with editing it could be so good. The plot is rushed and missing details. This could pass for a YA book maybe, if there wasn’t so much spice. The bedroom scenes have more details than the rest of the book. With some edits and more plot, this could easily be a series. I finished because I wanted to know how the duology ended, but I considered DNFing this book so many times because the writing is just not there. So much potential, just needs better execution.

[Kesa Lionheart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made an account just to review this book because it has so much potential. It has a great set up with world building but unfortunately it all falls so flat. Book one was okay but book two is really where things fall apart. The characters are so shallow you couldn't drown in them if you lay down nose first. The worst part about it is the author makes these attempts to have a deeper conversation about things but none of it ever gets resolved.

Everyone keeps talking about how Ryker is such a green flag but he feels more like a petulant jerk masquerading as a good guy. In book two, Brynleigh has the thought that she is angry that Ryker can't see things from her perspective and doesn't defend her the way he defends his family. This is never actually solved and in the whole book and even after the two patch things up when his mom comes to berate him he still just listens to her nag until she says something wrong about River. We never see him defend Brynleigh the same way he defends River. Brynleigh and Ryker never have the conversation addressing Brynleigh's feelings and it's all swept under the rug when Brynleigh keeps apologizing. I believed it would come up again when they argue at the end of the book about Ryker and River's privilege but that argument only leads to sex and is never addressed again.

Brynleigh is supposed to be a strong female lead but is the opposite of that. She is the same damsel in destress character with too much trauma which seems to just magically go away. They don't resolve her PTSD from her family dying, the torture she received in the hole, or the manipulation of her maker. In the end all her negative emotions are just slowly swept away because love? Brynleigh spend one night contemplating what to do about her and Ryker after She found out it was River who killed her family. I'm the end she decides to let go of the pain and actively work against her maker. Ryker spends weeks crying about how Brynleigh was going to kill him whole Brynleigh is tortured and even after knowing her reasons for the attempt is not actually remorseful he still treats her like trash. He cries about how his dad is going to die of natural causes but never once cares about Brynleigh's struggle losing her whole town. He acts so wronged but even if he didn't kill her town he still protected their murderer and covered everything up. He isn't innocent in this and has the nerve to get mad when Brynleigh brings up his privilege and the fact that River should have had repercussions for being a danger to society. I don't think River should have been punished with jail time but having consequences are important when you murder a whole village of people. Maybe court mandated community service and magic management courses.

Brynleigh who is so broken by her life experiences is used by Ryker and the council to turn against her maker who is a lot more morally grey than the "bad guy" she is portrayed as. The council is kills and tortures without impunity and are somehow seen as better than the Rebels who have genuine cause to be upset and seem to have no other recourse to solve their grievances than violence. I wish this part was written with more nuance than "rebels bad." I would have loved a complex fight between the two factions with more back and forth. Jelisette deserved better writing than a flat villain. There are also some really dumb parts that break continuity for me. Jelisette is supposed to be this evil mastermind and has 10 rules one of which involves not to wear jewelry and the other is to trust no one. The day Brynleigh gets sent to try and get information on her maker they use a bunch of jewelry which Jelisette doesn't seem to notice or care about how suspicious that is. Brynleigh comes back from the hole under dubious circumstances and tells Jelisette she wants to join the Rebels and Jelisette just leads her to them with no double checks. Jelisette also just doesn't notice that Brynleigh stole the book from her study? Also if they have listening technology why can't they just have Brynleigh put listening devices in Jelisette's study. How could Brynleigh not assume that Jelisette would have her study watched when she is described as cold, calculating, cautious, and untrusting? Honestly the whole book would have ended easily if Brynleigh just waited til after the reunion where she could sneak in and take the cipher after Jelisette is arrested. The cipher didn't even play a part in the story and is only cracked after the conflict is resolved.

Brynleigh is supposed to be a strong female lead but she is just another average weak heroine. She mistreated, manipulated, used, and gets beat up during the entire story. She doesn't stand up for herself once in the whole book and spends it apologizing to Ryker. The "my wife is here" is followed by her showing up for Jelisette to try and unalive her while Ryker ends up saving her again. She is painted as a bad guy for being an assassin even though she only kills criminals when Ryker is in the military and has admitted to killing others as well but somehow it's okay when he does it. If the roles were reversed Ryker would be a misunderstood good guy and Brynleigh would be expected to just accept him and help him heal all of his trauma but because it's the female who is traumatized Brynleigh is still expected to just heal him forgive and forget her own grievances while also still emotionally supporting and placating the male lead.

TLDR- Ryker is a self important jerk pretending to be a good guy and Brynleigh is just another weak, bland heroine. The book lacks substance and nuance. It is long-winded at times but the timeline is too short with a rushed predictable ending. Also if you are here for the spicy aspect just read a different book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed the first book and the way it felt very similar to the show Love Is Blind. I liked the twist and enjoyed the characters.

I didn't feel any desire to read the short novella about Jesilette and Emery. It was information I didn't need nor overly enjoy. It felt extremely rushed and unnecessary. I really hate how villains these days seem to need some sort of background reason to be evil.

Book two, what a snooze. I know it had all the action, but I wasn't feeling it. The two main characters became very one-dimensional. The build-up to the ending was descent, but than the ending was completely anticlimactic. For the big bad, Jesilette to be taken down in such a simple manour was blah. In the end, none of the problems were fixed, and nothing serious changed. Our main characters end up happy, yipee, right?

[Lilithpenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of modern fantasy, but I quite enjoyed this odd hybrid setting. The mix of magic powers & technology, modern & more ancient traditions/ideals, and the snippets of history. I'd certainly be interested in reading more books from this, especially if they had a little more world building.

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[BOOK ONE]
The Choosing event itself reminded me a little of 'Ready Set Love' (a Thai drama on Netflix). The class system had a bit of a Hunger Games vibe, and the supernatural creatures slinking about a modern city reminded me of Mortal Instruments(or what little I've read of it).
So if you like any of those, you'll probably like this.

I found I enjoyed book 1 much more than book 2. The first book seemed to have good pacing and a decent introduction/characterisation for each of our main & side charcaters. Several sweet (swinging feet and giggling) moments, as well as some action/drama/whump.
It's a small niggle, though I have to say one thing that annoyed me was when Bryn used the phone in the Dr's office without being concerned that it was tapped in any way? And that she said out loud about killing him when someone could have heard outside (or listening in/recording the phone).

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[BOOK TWO]
I found the start of this book BEYOND frustrating. I'm not sure if the reader is supposed to dislike Ry quite as much as I did. All his internal monloguing and the few words he does say to Bryn are just so hypocritical.
There are too many things to list specofic examples here, but I will happily rant to anyone who asks (as my poor partner has already found out).

I know he isn't seeing it from her POV like the reader is, and I wouldn't expect him to not be upset, but considering he has ALL the informarion at this point (we arent going for the missunderstanding trope), the actions he takes and his reasoning is all just very... selifish/hypocritical/delusional. To be honest, he just seems like some alpha dude bro, who can't let go that his male ego has been damaged.

His whole personality/characterisation seems different compared to book1. Where he was supposedly introduced as a rule loving (potentially uptight), intelligent, military captain, who is respectful/gentlemanly and doesn't appear to have the same elitist attitudes others have. He's now become an idiot, and a posesive one at that.
He showed hints of the 'possessive fae/shifter mate' stereotype a few times in book 1, a few times is hot, but I honestly dislike books where that's the MLs whole thing, his minimal usage of it was one of the reasons that I originally actually liked Ry.
But now, it seems like we have to root for that behaviour cos it's the only time he's not being a hypocritical arse.

I genuinely couldn't see how he would end up being redeemed, and when he finally just twigged out of nowhere, it felt so silly? I wish he'd had to grovel a bit more and that Bryn had been a little bitter for longer, but considering she had fuck all going for her I can see why she took him straight back.
I'm disappointed in myself that I did, then, like him again espcially when he finally fucking acknowledges some things and appologises for them (though once again, a tad frustrated to see her brush it aside and forgive instantly).

His weird views on death got me too. He's a soldier, so someone killing as part of some sort of vigilante/assasin group shouldn't be that shocking to him. Sure, he can be against the unlawfulness of it, but not the killing itself. And he himself says all the time how he would kill for his family or for her. And before he even knew she was a killer, he thought it was hot that she was dangerous.

And the last bit that irked me was how aggressive he got at being asked to admit the bias that saved his own sister from repercussions. And that conversation never really got resolved they just boinked instead? One of the first times I've actually been like 'dammit, not another smut scene'.

Other than that, some decent whump and action and a teeny bit of espionage/plotting.
End mini plot twist at the reunion was cool, I'm a sucker for FL having to save ML. Tho I feel like the big bad vamp lady was defeated a little too easily...

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Overall, worth a read if you like the genre. Read the first one slowly, it's fun and easy. Second one, be prepared to rage and shout at your book/screen for the first half and enjoy the smut.

[Savanna S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Overall, I guess that I enjoyed it, the first more than the second - and I did not enjoy the middle novella, but I’m not interested in any more books in this universe. The premise was kitchy in a fun way: Love Is Blind in a dystopian aristocracy filled with vampires, werewolves, fae, elves, and dragon shifters. However, the execution was lacking, especially in the resolution.

Brynleigh (the name is so bad that it was distracting to read so frequently) is a vampire living in the Rose kingdom working for her Maker as an assassin of evil people (very Dexter) while she bides her time to get revenge on the man who killed her family. While revenge is important for a large portion of the book, the main driving plot point of the story is really whether or not the government, and its Representatives, are redeemable. Brynleigh’s Maker, Jelisette, is on a revenge quest and believes that overthrowing the government is the only option. Without knowing the main reasons for Jelisette’s hatred, her Maker passes this idea on to Brynleigh. On the other hand, Captain Ryker believes in the system which he directly benefits immensely. This is at its core the entire conflict of the story, and in my opinion is not really resolved.

Ryker’s privilege clouds his understanding of the world, and Brinley just accepts anything she has told. First Jelisette tells her the system is flawed and she believes it; then, she falls in love with Ryker who says the system is not flawed, and she accepts it. That is the complete story. Brynleigh never understands the nuances of leadership and rebellion. She never actually interacts with anybody outside of the bubble around her maker and the bubble around the representatives. She really learns nothing throughout the course of two entire books other than that, Ryker is hot and nice. Like be so for real. Ryker actually learns absolutely nothing over the course of the book.

Well, they’re technically our secondary characters like Ryker’s mom and sister and his friends, each of them have exactly one characteristic, and they do not deviate from that characteristic for two books. His mother is cold and focused on political appearances. His sister wants to be a doctor and rebel against her mother. His two friends only ever do favors for him and it seems he brings nothing to the friendship besides possessiveness over his sister. From Brynleigh’s perspective there is Zanri who if anything is more innocent than Brinley because he did not want to do what he was doing. He was being blackmailed, but they just left him to rot in prison. This is supposed to be her only friend in the world and she just gave up on trying to help him. When Ryker decides to make the marriage work again, as a present to Brynleigh, he gets Zanri out of jail but he is a shell of a person - who they talk about while he’s standing right there. She also makes a single friend at the Choosing who’s characteristics boiled down to not evil. They have no meaningful conversations, do not really do any activities together, don’t learn about each other’s interest or his histories, and this is her best friend at the end of the story.

I’m not even going to touch Jelisette’s story and her novella which made me hate her even more and feel she had somehow even LESS of a personality or story. What I do have to mention is there was all of this talk about bonds - the Maker bond and a bonded relationship - but they weren’t really even important. Sure the argument could be made that the bond Jelisette made with Emery caused her to lose her soul and was a driving force for her revenge, but I would argue that she was a coldhearted bitch before and after. She just found somewhere to target her anger. The maker bond seemed to do absolutely nothing. We never learned who made Jelisette, Emery killed his maker, the Vampire king killed his according to history, and then Brynleigh killed Jelisette. So it didn’t seem to affect anyone. I thought, surely Brynleigh and Ryker will be forced to have a bond to save her or something, but nope. She just bites him in sex and the end. There was more text devoted to them, walking around the abandoned warehouse. Then there was resolving this part of the story.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

War ganz spannend, dass mal wieder fmc die böse war und nicht der mmc. An sich gut umgesetzt, keine großen überraschungen. Solide, aber nichts besonderes?
Außerdem, was mich nervt: ja, sie wollte ihn umbringen, aber das war ja bevor sie ihn kannte. Und als er das alles herausgefunden hat, war torture für ihn ok? Puh weiß ja ned.

This was… It was… Too much. It wasn’t enough. Fuck. She could barely think. /174

“I want you to marry me, Brynleigh de la Point,” he breathed. “I’ll ask you formally on the night of the Masked Ball, but there’s no point pretending I haven’t decided. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.” Her heart thundered between them, and he held her close as they danced. Several minutes passed, but he didn’t push her for an answer. “Yes, I will.” She rested her head on his shoulder and relaxed against him. “After all, you’re what I came here for.” Ryker’s heart soared at her words. They were exactly what he wanted to hear. /180

“River said you didn’t want to dance,” Brynleigh murmured. Ryker drew her against him, her back lining up with his front. He held her hips, and they swayed to the music as it slowed. The captain’s breath ghosted over Brynleigh’s ear. “Sweetheart, it seems I’m breaking all my rules for you.” /310

She was his everything. His other half. His Chosen partner. His wife. /317

Brynleigh chuckled, “You know what they say, the couple that slays together stays together.” /638

He turned to look at her. “Sometimes, I think you could be my ruination.” Her hand twitched in his, but he wasn’t done. “If you’re going to ruin me, do it by my side. Remain with me. Let us work this out, and whatever happens, happens.” He traced her wedding ring. “There’s no one I’d rather be ruined by than you.” /668

“Listen to me. You’re my wife, and I need you to make it out of there alive. Jelisette might have Made you, but you aren’t hers. You’re mine.” /680

Ryker reached up and brushed a hand down her cheek. “There are no gods here, love. Just me and you.” /715

“What the fuck? What’s happening?” A third cry rose through the air, this one even closer. Ryker’s chest warmed with pride, and despite the brokenness of his body, he felt lighter than before. He knew that darkness like he knew his own soul. It called to him. The scent of copper filled the air. He met the Death Elf’s gaze and smiled. “My wife has arrived.” /762

“You broke the rules. Again. Did you think you could betray and outwit me? I Made you. I own you. And I will fucking destroy you.” /766

[Laísa Aliandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

[A Game of Love and Betrayal]
Eu comecei esse livro influenciada pelo TikTok - uma cena que só aconteceria no final do segundo livro, inclusive -, então por isso, não sabia muito e, consequentemente não esperava uma mistura de A Seleção com Casamento às Cegas, mas eu gostei bastante!

Amei ver a Brynleigh e o Ryker se apaixonando sem se ver, mas ficava agoniada com a Bryn se mantendo firme e forte na missão de matá-lo. Também acho que ela demorou pra começar a estranhar a insistência da Jelisette em matar o Ryker e fazer sua família sofrer.


Como acabei comparando com A Seleção, esperava que a Valentina se mostrasse uma pessoa melhor ao longo da história, tal qual a Celeste, mas não foi o que aconteceu. E algumas coisas, inclusive a picuinha entre as duas, acabava ficando muito repetitivo.

Mas também, sabendo que o livro ia acabar em desgraça, acabei arrastando os últimos capítulos, porque não queria ver a felicidade do meu casal acabando.

[A Song of Blood and Shadows]
Não li.

[A Heart of Desire and Deceit]
Sofri bastante no começo desse livro antes das coisas se ajeitaram, mas fiquei feliz que os dois, mesmo ainda se machucando, entenderam cedo que ainda se amam e que preferiam lutar um pelo outro e tentar salvar o relacionamento, do que ficarem infelizes separados.

Apenas achei que a Brynleigh mudou de lado muito fácil. Tipo, eu entendo que os rebeldes atacaram crianças, mas ela, que antes simpatizava com a causa por entender que os Representatives não eram uma boa opção de governo, ficou fervorasamente oposta aos rebeldes por, teoricamente, uma única ação. E nunca propôs opções.

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars
Spice: Only a few scenes, pretty light on smut (in my opinion)

I overall liked this duet. There weren't a ton of characters so it was easy to follow and Brynleigh and Ryker were fairly likable characters. I really liked reading it in 3rd POV and I believe this is the first book I've read written in that POV. I also loved Jiselette and felt like her villain story was great and really sad.

I do have a few gripes.

The inner monologue was extensive, happening between dialogue, and I had to go back to see what was even said. Most of it was pertinent to the story, but maybe some could've been shaved off to prevent the scene from dragging on for so long.

Female characters were either dressed in a luxurious ballgown or wearing a sweater and leggings; there was no in-between. Nobody wears jeans? Or tennis shoes? Not once?

The friendship with Hallie felt really lacking in the second book, she only really appeared at the end and I wish we could've seen them grow their friendship more.

Finally, from the first book, it felt like Valentina was going to be way more of a villain than she ended up being. Felt like a missed opportunity to how she was presented as a character.

The timeline is also really short, save for the last few chapters of book 2, it takes place roughly over the course of barely 4 months. Not that I think it hinders the story in anyway but it just feels rushed and I would've loved more. But isn't that what any reader wants? Haha.

[Miranda Baskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

This book contains both A Game of Love and Betrayal and A Heart of Desire and Deceit which are part of the Choosing Chronicles duology hence the name of this book being The Choosing Chronicles Duet. There is also an added novella in between the two books to give more context to one of the characters within this duology.

Honestly I had a blast reading this combination of books! The first book A Game of Love and Betrayal had a Love is Blind meets The Bachelor fantasy style. I thought the Choosing was super fun and unique. I like how the characters had to get to know each other without seeing each other relying on bonds stronger than physical.

In the second book A Heart of Desire and Deceit was really interesting to see how Ryker and Brynleigh deal with everything that happened within the first book and how they rebuilt their relationship. While this book was more emotional for me I would say the first book was my favorite out of this duology. But overall the series was fantastic!

The best thing about these books was the different type of magical species. There are not only Fae, but all different types of Fae, Vampires, different shifters such as wolves and dragons. And our FMC is the morally grey one that wields shadows 😍

You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
•Dating Shows meet Fantasy
•Morally Grey FMC
•Political Unrest
•Dual POV

[Bex_Book_Revieux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisitely Angsty, it made me cry!

For being 802 pages, it really flowed well. I was in love with Brynleigh from the beginning, and I really enjoyed the way the characters got to know each other. Ryker's determination to really KNOW each of the contestants, but then totally falling for her was so sweet.

I will say I skipped Jelisettes short story in between the duology. I had NO desire to get to KNOW her any better, I already detested her and I wasn't interested in a love story involving her.

The second part of the duology really flew by, and I was happy to know Ryker wasn't any different than he seemed at the beginning. I would say more, but that would ruin it for everyone. Just know it does get down and dark for both of our main characters for a while, as it should. The angst is absolutely EXQUISITE.

I adored the secondary characters, River, Anton, Nikhaela, and the light fairy and the dragon shifter that are also in the Choosing, they are all brilliant. I'm not even reallll mad at Zanri, Brynleigh's Shifter friend who hurt her so badly (you'll see why.) There are just so many aspects that made this a god tier book for me, I hope you'll give it a chance!

[Hollie Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off holy hell! There might be spoilers so proceed at your own risk! Also there will be some language in here so ⚠️ Brynleigh and Ryker! Fkn fire! 🔥 this book kept me up at night! Brynleigh is a badass vamp who finds the love of her life in an unexpected situation after lies, deceit and betrayal from her Maker(who is a cold hearted bitch not just bc she’s a vampire either). Ryker makes the best choice of his Fae life! His mom is a controlling disappointed parent who isn’t very loving to her children! Part of me wishes Brynleigh would have put her in her place bc hello monster in law from hell. River( Rykers sister) feels horrible for the incident that caused Brynleigh to loss her family, and I think her sharing that with Brynleigh was a turning point for her and her vengeance against Ryker. Ryker is just an all around great person and hello the level of protectiveness and dominance is sexy AF!
In the end they find their happy ever after for now, and with her Maker out of the way, hopefully things stay calm! But in a world full of such distance between the classes and people always wanting more, who knows where it will go.

[Hannah Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the core of your story — a vampire seeking revenge by infiltrating a fae Choosing competition is such a fresh and intriguing premise. It sets up immediate tension between love and betrayal, which makes me want to dive into the characters and see how this dangerous game unfolds.

Brynleigh’s plan feels dark and compelling, and the stakes are high. I can almost feel the undercurrent of pain and determination driving her. The idea that the Choosing is a blind process with dozens of competitors adds a cool twist that amps up the suspense. It’s not just about love but survival and strategy, which deepens the plot.

That said, I’d love to see a bit more about Ryker himself in the synopsis — what kind of person is he? Is he just a prize, or is there something about him that complicates Brynleigh’s mission emotionally? Adding a little tease about his character could make the emotional conflict even more vivid.

Also, the line about “Make him choose her and end his life on their wedding night, of course,” made me smile — it’s cheeky and fits Brynleigh’s tough, no-nonsense vibe. It’s a nice touch of personality in the pitch.

[Yaskara Bone · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say, many things happened and other things I feel were left in the air, the book was interesting the truth, but disappointing, if I gave it 3 stars it is contradictory I know, but here I go, obviously I came for everything I saw on Instagram about it specifically "My wife has arrived" but something was missing, things were missing, giving so much prominence to Bryn but in a way leaving her behind, I would have liked to see more, that the battle with her "Creator" was more interesting, more important, like many comments here I also feel that with 300 or 350 pages less of information that I consider irrelevant, it would be perfect, I also would have liked those extra pages to have been filled with the friendship of Bryn and Hallie, since there was so much female focus that at least Valentina was somehow made to fight for the death of her husband, I don't feel that things were missing, but it was a good book, that's why the three stars.

Above all, giving importance to the death of Bryn's parents, not going to visit them, that Ryker was the grave, I don't know, something was missing, things were missing...

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25-3.5⭐️

This was an ok read. Nothing fantastic, just an overall ok. I feel like


I had found the book on Facebook saying she’s the morally grey one and she was there to save him. So…that doesn’t happen in book 1.

Morally grey? Ok, sure, maybe. But she’s like a very light shade of morally grey. Yes she’s a vampire and kills for her maker and only entered the Choosing to marry and kill Ryker, but she continually doubts herself and starts falling for him.

The first book is basically a dating show with a bit of political unrest thrown in with a side of planned revenge killing.

I do feel like the second book was more what I thought the series would be. Definitely more plot happenings I did like how they were able to overcome the obstacles in their relationship.



Overall if you are looking to maybe start reading books with morally grey characters, I suppose this would be a start. If you enjoy and have read other books with morally grey characters you might find this more of a fluffy, fun book.

[Sarah Misenheimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me longer than usual.

This had potential to be an extremely good story. But the repetition, the overwhelming amount of overexplaining the inner dialog in-between external dialogs made me have to turn back and re-read what the conversation was even about. Too much detail in minor things took away from actual plot building.

I originally wanted to read this based off a blurb I saw on Instagram (of the end of the book I've now realized upon finishing) due to the understanding there would be a strong, morally gray FMC. This is not the case. The FMC is not confident, second guesses EVERYTHING and at the end when she kills the person tormenting her the entire book, it's literally because her husband saved her???? And then she gives herself/received all the credit of the killing?

It was disappointing to see the potential of a good story be ruined by too much over explaining, sex and a FMC who really had the potential to be the morally gray baddie we all wish she was, but instead turned out to be a damsel who really couldn't do anything for herself or those she loved.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brynleigh and Ryker’s duet was everything I hoped it would be! Brynleigh‘s transformation from a vengeful, angry vampire to a powerful, dominant female was so well-executed and incredibly satisfying. She starts out seeking vengeance but ends up making waves and real change, which made her journey all the more compelling.

I absolutely love stories that showcase female empowerment and underdog success, and this book delivered beautifully. The writing was captivating, and the story was well-structured without being bogged down by excessive world-building. While there’s a map at the front, the world itself isn’t overwhelming, making this a great entry point for readers new to fantasy.

Overall, this book was a beautifully woven story with a happy ending—exactly the kind of fantasy love story that leaves you with all the feels. If you love strong heroines, a well-crafted romance, and a satisfying conclusion, this is one to add to your TBR!

[Vercaveverca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me embarrassingly long to realize that it's a fantasy "love is blind". Somehow, the book is even shallower than the show, which is kinda sad as we spend so much time inside the two MCs' heads.

The story is okay-ish. However, the repetitive descriptions of inner thoughts and emotions don't bring anything new to the story, and they drag it down. Nothing is happening in these paragraphs, yet they make up like two-thirds of the book. The biggest problem with these, nevertheless, is the overemphasis and overexplanation of one fact or emotion, while disregarding the others. This becomes especially true in the second book, as the characters spend two days constantly mulling over Bryn's betrayal, forgetting the topic of the Brynleigh family's death. Two days...

As refreshing as it was to see the main couple not join the rebels, I was ultimately disappointed because the social inequality was mentioned frequently but not resolved or considered at the end of the book.

[Ashley H · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s ok. Not great.

The story was good. It wasn’t the best fantasy story out there because it felt like a modern day Love is Blind (first book) meets Mr and Mrs Smith (second book) with some fantasy stuff thrown in. It genuinely felt like I was reading an assassin novel that didn’t do well so the author changed some characteristics of the key players and put it back out as a fantasy.

The social media ads for this book reference 2 pages at the 98% mark of this 800 page story.

Lastly, the author’s writing left me feeling uninspired. There was an air of elevated vocabulary but when mixed with everything else made I’d feel like someone used ChatGPT or a thesaurus to make it seem more educated.

I’m a harsh critic and I will DNF books quickly if I feel it’s lacking in areas or really overplayed in other areas. I didn’t DNF this one so that’s why I’m giving it 3 stars. It’s a good story just not great.

[Jenning Asche · Rating 2 out of 5]

“My wife has arrived.”

I saw this quote and immediately was intrigued - a woman heroine who’s dark and twisty while the MMC is quiet, reserved, military and peaceful. Who wouldn’t want to read it?

Well. I have and I am extremely disappointed. This book had SO. MANY. OPPORTUNITIES To be better. The FMC has powers beyond reckoning and in the end becomes this weak vampire too scared to fight. I just couldn’t understand it, especially when in the entire book she is a TRAINED ASSASSIN with dark powers that practically make her unbeatable. *smacks forehead*

The last 150 pages or so is where everything really starts to pull you and I felt pulled - then felt pulled and pulled and pulled and there was nothing that made me go “YES”. And anything that made me feel “ooooh this will be it”, it wasn’t. I was hoping for so much more :/