A wild ride
Phew. What a WILD ride! Malpas clearly left plenty of breadcrumbs in the first two books, because this masterfully sews two different love stories together and advances the suspenseful element in a big way. Full disclosure: I struggled with this story for at least 100 pages at the beginning. It felt like all of the progress these couples made in their respective books was just GONE, and everything felt pretty bleak and desolate. Which... yeah, was an intentional choice for the story. But it certainly wasn't what I wanted. I'm really not a trilogy kinda girl, and - since there was no mention of this being an ongoing series when I started reading - I'm going into this one kicking and screaming. Because that's really what this is; it's ESSENTIAL that you read The Brit and The Enigma prior to starting The Resurrection... and the series ain't over yet.
I'm going to try to avoid offering spoilers, but I suggest skipping this review and jumping right into the book if you want to go in completely blind. This story picks up right where The Enigma left off, with both of our couples dealing with the fallout of recent events. James and Beau thought they had found happiness, only to have it torn away. And Danny is forced to upend his life in paradise to get back in the game. No one is happy about the situation, and it threatens to tear both couples apart - especially because Danny is breaking Rose's trust by coming back from the dead. Forced to team up, these two brutal killers discover that they've met their match in each other... and that could either be their biggest advantage or the thing that finally takes one of these powerful men down.
If you made it through The Brit and The Enigma, then neither the violence nor the steam will surprise you. There is plenty of both, with a SIGNIFICANT focus on the suspense. With two established couples at the start of the book, this wastes no time heating up in a variety of ways. It's INTENSE and violent, with complex characters and developed relationships that are full of intimacy. I loved how this tied everything together and then had its own vibe, which kept me on the edge of my seat in the back half. What I struggled with the most was how these characters buckled under the pressure, showing the worst sides of themselves in ways that I thought we'd moved past. It's not always enjoyable reading, but it IS excellent writing from Malpas, and I started fully connecting once things took a turn. It was the back half that shined for me - once these couples work out their differences, I loved how they became stronger together. And the suspenseful element? Had my full attention by the end. Yes, this ends on another CLIFFHANGER, and I would love it if another couple were at the center of the next book (maybe Brad and a mystery woman?), but there's definitely more story to tell. All in all, this ended up being another fantastic addition to a stellar series, and it certainly won me over along the way.