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Conviction #2

Fighting Conviction: Conviction, Book 2

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They call me Devil. But I'm haunted by the deaths I've caused.

That's why I've hidden who I am. A failure. I control everything or I fight to block it out. If I don't care, I don't lose. But my defenses don't work on Ellie.

I saved her once. Now she's learning to save herself. If only teaching her how didn't test my control. She's my friend's sister.

Warm. Light. Innocent. That's what I need to remember. All I want is to fuel my angel's desire.

He calls me angel. But I'm no one's saving grace. I hate what I am. A victim.

I lost so much before Devil found me. And I'm afraid of losing what's left. But fear made me a coward. He saved me then. Now he's teaching me to save myself. If only he didn't make me lose control.

He's my brother's friend. Cold. Dark. Forbidden. That's what he wants me to think. All I want is to feel Devil's burn.

Contains mature themes.

Audible Audio

First published June 6, 2021

1180 people are currently reading
8797 people want to read

About the author

Greer Rivers

14 books2,698 followers
Greer Rivers lives by the mountains with her real-life book husband and their three furbabies. Obsessed with history and folklore, she’s also a sucker for reality TV and proudly owns her titles as a messy eater, shirt ruiner, and steadfast non-sharer of food and wine. She adores romance, especially the dark and twisty kind, and her main goal as an author is to create a safe place for readers to feel too much.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
Profile Image for Sabrina.
4,314 reviews2,398 followers
June 14, 2021
I'm a little on the fence with this book, mostly because part of the problem was my own fault. I saw brother's best friend and age gap and went right in without thinking about the fact that it was book 2 in a series. Not that I don't read series out of order all the time, but this book should definitely be read after the previous one. 

But at the same time a lot of the issues I had with the story didn't come from the fact that I was reading out of order. It was hard to connect with these characters and I honestly just didn't see the chemistry between them. They had some hot scenes but overall there was a lot of back and forth from them, to the ongoing story of human-trafficking, to just Ellie living her life and trying to move on from past tragedy. And it didn't all come together too well for me. 

Overall, I think the premise was interesting and had a lot of potential but in the end I just don't think the book was for me. 
Profile Image for Lee.
617 reviews57 followers
August 31, 2021
This book heavily features sex-trafficking and all of the many triggers that come with that topic. Please do your research and read carefully. Take care of yourselves.

I'll start with the positives.

I think Ellie's trauma was handled beautifully, the story and the supporting characters treated her with understanding and respect instead of just pity (except maybe her overprotective brother, but that was somewhat understandable). I loved that there was so much focus on helping survivors while also dealing with the complexities of her own traumatic experiences. It helped me to connect with Ellie and the story on a deeper level than I am used to with dark romance.

I loved Dev (I refuse to call him Devil because that was just ridiculous), and while I understand the need for the way their relationship was written I would have loved to see a character with his proclivities in a situation that didn't require quite as much caution - or at least a long enough story arc where we get to see them more comfortable with each other down the road, more settled.

Now for the negatives.

There was a note at the beginning warned that while this was a standalone it was part of a larger arc, however the note stated that it would be completely fine to read this by itself. I respectfully, vehemently disagree. There were so many moving parts right from the start that left me feeling disoriented in the story, and I definitely felt like I was missing important details. If you want to read these, start at the beginning.

I picked this book up because of the author's tiktoks where she was recommending it by sharing excerpts and passages of tension between Dev and Ellie. While those scenes were good, there was such a heavy emphasis on Ellie's trauma and the sex-trafficking-ring storyline that I felt like that romance took a back seat. Again, understandable but slightly misleading.

The passages from Neal's perspective were not able to hold my interest, and I found myself skimming those frequently. I get that he isn't supposed to be a likeable/enjoyable character, but it was more just that I didn't find him to be well written.

And finally, I just got bored. I was over the story before I made it to the halfway point, I only stuck around because it was such a slow burn and I kept hoping it was building up to something worthwhile. And in a way it did - the plot certainly got intense - but it all fell flat for me. Maybe it's because I never cared about/connected with Virginia as a character and I knew that the HEA was guaranteed, but I just wasn't as invested as the story needed me to be.

Bottom line? I didn't feel like the payoff was worth the emotional labor of reading this book. It would take a LOT of persuading to get me to pick up another book by this author.
Profile Image for Ariel.
170 reviews3 followers
June 1, 2021
This story was AMAZING!!!
Like I loved the first book but now I love this one even more 🙌🙌🙌

Dev and Ellie have the hottest slow burn that grew into an inferno of dark, raw and seriously steamy intimacy.
I LOVE THESE TWO CHARACTERS!!!!
The way their inner thoughts and desires gradually revealed what they wanted and needed felt so genuine and real. Especially with how they had to work on dealing with their trauma and learning to trust each other.

The suspense continued from the first book and there is so much that happens across all characters but everything about this story flowed perfectly 👏👏👏

I’m so excited to see what book three brings to this series because the first two books have 100% got me hooked!
Profile Image for Lili.
841 reviews48 followers
June 22, 2021
Do you believe in ghosts?

This is not a typical romance, and the names of the lovers resonate with it. They went through hell to find some semblance of heaven, and they had the help of angels, wether real or just in their heads.

I felt involved and afraid, I got really invested. So many situations to make you wonder "what would I do?" We all suffer loss and pain in life, but some things are so tragic and unfair that I damn well hope they will some day never happen again. Getting in the head of victims of abuse - be it of drugs, physical abuse or violence made me feel so ignorant and helpless.

A good writer, the author imagined an interesting setting, with a lot of potential for the next books in the series, which I will definitely want to read.
Profile Image for Noor Reads.
192 reviews13 followers
October 29, 2021
“I’m the type of man who needs control.”
“But with you? I don’t know if I can keep it.”

“You like when I do that? You like knowing that even when I’m in charge, you’re in control?” His teeth nipped her ear. “That I’m begging you to be at my mercy?”

What can I say ? I loved this book 😍 and since I love the brother's best friend trope this was definitely it!! Fighting Conviction was amazing and honestly I loved it more than the first one. I've got a feeling it'll be the best one in this series.
And one thing is for sure is that it's one of my favourite reads of 2021 😍


Trigger warning:⚠️

Descriptions of human trafficking, drugs, and physical and sexual violence.
Profile Image for Chey.
1,494 reviews50 followers
June 17, 2021
The second installment in the Conviction series has been the best book in the series so far. With terrific characters and a riveting plotline, the series is continuing strong.

Ellie is a great female protagonist that shows real trauma and how to deal with it. She struggles and has her moments and it makes her all the more real.
The book was good, but there were points where to didn't hold my attention, and I had to stop reading and come back to it.
Profile Image for Crazychriss889.
1,486 reviews10 followers
April 24, 2022
Well...

I am conflicted about this one.

Yes, the hero can be the worst piece of sh# but he also helps the heroine find herself again. Does this absolve him of everything? Nah... but it's still a good book.

I was annoyed that he was with a stripper after kissing the heroine. Yes, it didn't go that far but he definitely had the intention to go all the way. And it was basically just his body that told him NO. Disappointing, to say the least.

All in all, I think I will try another book in this series cause I liked the overall vibe. And by that I mean over the top alpha. But there seem to be some strong women in this one so... let's see.
Profile Image for Neelakshi.
511 reviews393 followers
September 15, 2021
Stopped reading after hitting a hundred pages.

Mmhhmmm nuh uh
Thanks.

"rEaDiNg iT fOr tHe sMuT"
Look where it got me.


Just....
Didn't work for me.

MAYBE would re-read after a while just to see if I feel as strongly then as I feel about it now

Strongly what you wanna know?
It's a strong no✨

Sorrehhh✌️
Profile Image for Kat.
394 reviews3 followers
December 1, 2021
Cw: gunshot, PTSD, drug use, cancer, dead parents, suicide, grief, panic attacks, disordered eating, sex trafficking, kidnapping

Woof. Okay now that it's out of the way. Holy shit I cried so much. The trauma and the pain was so real and the descriptions of PTSD were absolutely spot on. Hoooo boy.

The age gap was also so nice and very well done. I can't get over how well suicide was handled in this book. It was so very real and absolutely lovely. The descriptions of grief were so lovely there were moments when I absolutely sobbed at how precious the memories and the grief were. I will still always stand by that grief is one of the most beautiful feelings once you accept it. Allow me to list some of my absolute favorite aspects of this book:

The stages of grief were never once mentioned (thank god that is my pet peeve)
h went to therapy after the trauma she experienced
It was never mentioned that H could fix her
Real life advice FROM A THERAPIST was actually mentioned (some of the advice h receives are actually things my therapist recommend all the time)

I know there's more but this is what I've got for now.
Profile Image for Veronica and Rae.
163 reviews11 followers
June 21, 2021
Fighting Conviction is the much-awaited story of Ellie, the sister of the hero (Jason) from book one in this series (Escaping Conviction). During the first book, Ellie is kidnapped along with her best friend and multiple other girls/women around her age (18). While the first book tells the tale of her experiences with the kidnappers, in addition to Jason's attempts at rescuing her, the second book is about her PTSD and healing journey.

We follow Ellie through the period of a few months around the anniversary of her kidnapping. We still see some behind the scenes interactions to clue us into the goings-on of the kidnappers, and we also get POV from Ellie, as well as the hero, Devil.

Devil was on Jason's elite military team, and since Jason has since signed on with their team's security firm, they're now co-workers. Jason is dealing with his own stuff in his personal life, so he asks Devil to take over the responsibility of teaching Ellie self-defense.

It's clear that Devil and Ellie both have feelings for each other, but Ellie is drowning in her PTSD. It's affecting her life in every single aspect and she's not taking care of herself. Devil wants to stay away from her because he knows he shouldn't feel the way he does about her... but self-defense training kind of ruins that plan.

Despite his attempts at keeping his distance, they keep getting pulled together, and really, you want them to. There's an age gap that can be a bit frustrating -- her 18 turning 19 to his 27. It's not something Rivers took lightly and is a subject in the book.

Rivers does a fantastic job of depicting Ellie's PTSD, as well as making room for her feelings -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. You root for Ellie. You want her to get better. Her college roommate Virginia is also a shining star in the book who helps Ellie even when Ellie doesn't want to be helped.

And Devil... sigh. While the age gap is a difficult issue when dealing with an 18 year old, Devil is not preying on Ellie in any way. His intentions are not at all nefarious. He genuinely cares for her, loves her, and wants what is best for her. These are all reasons he tries to stay away from her. In the end of course, they both want each other.

Fighting Conviction is jam-packed with action and has plenty of spice. However, something that we really appreciated was that Rivers allowed time for Ellie. While she and Devil clearly have feelings for each other, he isn't pressuring her into physical intimacy that she may not be ready for.

It's a great book, full of characters that are quirky, funny, and strong. We highly recommend that you read this series in order, starting with Escaping Conviction so you can get the whole picture.

We received an ARC copy of Fighting Conviction to review for our podcast. You can listen to our full episode here:

https://anchor.fm/chicklitbookclubpod...
Profile Image for Bex_Book_Revieux.
812 reviews57 followers
September 3, 2021
Devil & his Angel are Sexy Perfection!!

Greer Rivers has hit a home run in her second in the Conviction Series, Fighting Conviction!!

This book is an Age Gap, Best Friends Little Sister Trope with some elements of control, bondage, etc. It also deals with drug use and human trafficking, as well as elements of depression and suicidal thoughts and behavior, please see the authors forward for any further trigger warnings.

Ellie is attempting to recover from the trauma she suffered previously in Escaping Conviction, but what she's really doing is burning the candles at both ends until it's almost meeting in the middle in an attempt to swallow all the dangerous feelings she's still having.

I love Ellie's strength when she's confronted with dangerous situations, and even situations that just throw her back a few months. She has a whole host of reasons to just lay down and give up, but she's determined to keep fighting, keep learning from Devil, and keep helping other survivors at Sasha Saves. In the meantime she's also determined that Devil is NOT going to walk away from her and their feelings again.

Devil is trying not to drown in his feelings for Ellie, his Angel. After rescuing her some months before, he hasn't been able to turn off his desire to protect her AND make her his. But Devil has some unique likes and dislikes, and what's he going to do if he terrifies Ellie, or worse disgusts her?

The suspense, and non-stop action between the BlackStone Security agents, the training between Dev and Ellie, and the final twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat!!

I finished Fighting Conviction in one day because I was afraid of what might happen if I closed my kindle! It was spine tingling, occasionally downright nerve-racking, and definitely SPICY AF!! Devil and his Angel are made for each other, and Greer Rivers writes these scenes with a beautifully eloquent hand!

5 SPICY ⭐'s for this non-stop rollercoaster ride!!
Profile Image for Alison Shoepe (alisonsoverbooked).
383 reviews32 followers
June 8, 2021
Holy Hell! 🔥🔥 Devil and Ellie burn up the pages in this follow-up to Escaping Conviction! I could NOT put this one down and got a little salty during the last 20% because I kept getting interrupted!⁣

I am so impressed with Rivers and her writing! The overall story is a continuation from Escaping Conviction, which is why I’m posting this early - I need to get it on your radar in case you want to catch up before release day! The plot is fantastic and has the perfect amount of mystery/thriller vibes mixed in! (The couples in each do have a HEA but the story itself continues.)⁣

Focusing on Devil and Ellie, this best friend’s sister/age gap is straight FIRE! Brace yourselves, I’ve never said this before…the slow burn was delicious!! Shocked? Me too! 😮⁣

But, there’s also a heavier aspect to this one. Ellie is dealing with a lot after her ordeal. She’s learning to trust again, not only others but herself. Devil is there to help her through this process and goes through a bit of healing his old wounds himself. They’re both also dealing with their own grief and learning how to move forward with it. There are several trigger warnings for this one, so please read the blurb to be sure this one is for you.⁣

This is romantic suspense done right! If you’re a fan of darker romance, with a mystery aspect thrown in, then you need to add these to your list ASAP!⁣

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣
🔥🔥🔥🔥/5⁣

Thank you to the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. ⁣
Profile Image for My_book_obsession25.
716 reviews38 followers
September 20, 2021
꧁༺Review ༻꧂

𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 series book #𝟐) 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5

I need one devil in my life to @authorgreerrivers

This book is amazing! In this we get the story about Ellie who is the sister to Jason from the first book (Escaping Conviction) and Devil this sexy as f** man who is Jason best friend and one of he's elite military team.

Ellie story is heartbreaking, that make my heart break for her and the things she and her friend got through.

She and Devil have both feelings toward each other, but Ellie PTDS affecting her life in all the possible ways. Devil is trying to stay away from her, but the pulling toward her is so strong that he can't control it.

He is so caring toward her that my heart was melting and so possessiv that make me love him even more!
I get little mad with him in one special chapter, but I forgave him quickly.

This book was the incredible slow burn story with mix of action and lot of spicy things also full of characters that make me laugh!

*I OWN THE EDIT, NOT THE IMAGES *

#greerrivers #fightingconviction #agegap #BrothersBestFriend #slowburn #forbiddenromance #review #bookreview #aeasthetic #bookedit #edit #blogger #bookstoread #fivestars #convictionseries #ContemporaryRomance #DarkRomance #my_book_obsession21 #reader
Profile Image for Whitney Weaver.
111 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2021
"Not, God, my angel.".. (insert super hot explicit sentence here).. "I'm your fucking Devil."

If this doesn't scream put me on your TBR list now, I don't know what will. Devil and Ellie are the most realistic couple I've read in a long time. Rivers has the ability to not only give the readers a fantastic plot to follow, but throws in some of that almighty REALISTIC smut as well to make your blood burn as you flip the pages. Bringing in her legal background for the second time, the story flows with ease and shows the real understanding of how many different government agencies, and their staff members, work together.

Fighting Conviction is the second book in the Conviction collection, and while it's not necessary to read the previous Escaping Conviction I definitely recommend the read as well. While the players in the game are the same, this time around focuses on a new building romance as they continue to go above all odds fighting to bring down the human trafficking ring that has already struck the group too close to home once before.

I've read this book twice already front to back and I will definitely be placing this one in my home library for many future reads. Okay Greer, we're ready for the next title now! :)
Profile Image for Madeline.
54 reviews
June 21, 2021
Dang it, Greer... You done ruined me again with another one that is a steamy *chef's kiss*.

After the events unfolded in Escaping Conviction, we pick up with Ellie being found by Dev and literally run with her story. This storyline is a little more slow burn compared to the last but still steamy and spicy in all the right ways. There's an age gap and a bit of the "brother's best friend" trope but ultimately, this love story revolves around a not-so-evil Devil and a not-so-innocent Angel and when they accept their fate and learn to fight, sparks are igniting everywhere.

I absolutely love the tribute to Sasha, the way everyone handles and trains each other when it comes to trauma survivors, and the multiple perspectives narrative. In my personal history, the second of any series is usually a pale comparison to the first but Greer got it right the first and second time with this series. I cannot wait to read the next one because I believe history repeats itself and a third installment with the quality of the first two would be the icing on the cake.

*I was given an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review. The author did not purchase my review or persuade me in any way. These thoughts and words are my own.*
Profile Image for Marisa.
871 reviews32 followers
June 20, 2021
A great second book in the series, I love knowing what happened to the characters after book one. I was definitely more invested in the main love interests in this book than I was in the previous book. I also felt like we didn’t get as much of the mystery as we did the romance in this one. I feel like this book was more about romance, about healing, and gave us a few more steps towards our overall mystery.

The raw emotions that happened during this book were so well written. I got emotional multiple times with our female main character. I think her and the main male character worked so well together. I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t think the age gap was that big, so for those who aren’t really into these type of books, it’s only an eight year age difference, nothing that crazy.

I already guessed who our next love interest will be for book 3 early in this book so I’m looking forward to reading about them and finding out more about the overall mystery.

I would probably rate this book more of a 4 or 4.5 but because I did get emotional a few times during some scenes I’m going to round it up.
Profile Image for Salem Cross.
Author 18 books109 followers
June 19, 2021
I read this book in three hours. A few pages in I was a little wary because let’s face it: age-gap stories can get a little iffy at times. But the way the author wrote this story with a marvelous character development, an interesting plot and loveable characters I was able to look past the age-gap thing. Honestly, it’s not too big of a deal to the story anyway. The sex scenes are flirtatious and fun, intense and intriguing. I love how protective Devil is and how much he wants Ellie to do well. His love for her is touching, albeit at times a little frustrating as he refuses to allow Ellie to grow. Ellie’s struggle to overcome her trauma is intense. The flashbacks are sad and her reactions to triggers is very realistic. I really felt her. Overall the book was fantastic, just like first one and I can’t wait to read the next installment!

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kimberly (a_romance_a_day).
387 reviews41 followers
June 20, 2021
4.5 breathtaking stars!

I absolutely adored the first book and could not wait for Ellie and Dev’s story—and it did not disappoint! It’s a slow burn but what I love about Greer Rivers’ writing is that because you get more than just the two main love interests’ POV, you are completely immersed and drawn into the story.

This story continues the series story arc surrounding the human trafficking. After the trauma Ellie experience fed last year, she is struggling with her guilt over not being able to save her best friend. Dev, as a member of the BlackStone Crew, knows exactly the type of guilt she’s carrying and through self-defense classes, attempts to help Ellie work through everything. The love story is perfect and I couldn’t get enough of the two of them together! I loved watching both of them open up to each other.

Thanks to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Rosa Dunahue.
1,352 reviews26 followers
June 4, 2021
Fighting Conviction by Greer Rivers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Fighting Conviction is second book in the series. I love this book as much as the Escaping Conviction. Ellie is a strong for all she went through and now she has to deal with the fall out mentality and emotional. And then there is Devil he help save her but he too is broken from his past. Together they work through their trauma and save each other.

Fighting Conviction had me all over the place emotional. I love Ellie and Devil. The characters in the books was great plus catching up on some past characters from Escaping Conviction is incredible. Greer Rivers does amazing job with the storyline. I can’t wait to read the next series.
Profile Image for Amy.
114 reviews
June 5, 2021
Fighting Conviction is book two in the Conviction “series”. These books are interconnected standalones. I myself have not yet read book 1, “Escaping Conviction”, so I read this as a true standalone. This book was great and it was easy to follow without reading the first, though I now want to go back and read the first. Greer Rivers sure can tell a good story! The characters are so alive ~ their emotions and trials are so real. Devil (Dev) and Ellie have such great chemistry, they seriously burn hot together. Gotta love a man who not only saves his woman, but teaches her to save herself too.
I have to triggers myself, but for those who do… definitely read the authors trigger warnings. If your good to go, then start reading this book and enjoy.
Profile Image for Lee Jacquot.
Author 24 books2,055 followers
June 14, 2021
Where do I even start?

Devil.....oooooo wee. The sexy beast that he is, and the strong strong woman that is Ellie. That girl has been through the WORST things, (though this is a standalone, you do see her story in the first story and its HEARTBREAKING) and is such a wonderful character. I def cried with her, and celebrated her healing. This novel is full of suspense, sass, and sexy steaminess!!!

Rivers always has a way of captivating me and stealing my attention with her prose and way she submerges you in the story. I'm not a fan of 3rd person, but Rivers? I adore it! I feel everything and am there with the character as if watching a movie.

I can't wait for the third in the series!!!
Profile Image for Misty.
225 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2021
Women love when men say "good girl". Dev is no exception.  I  didn't think it could get better than the first book.  I was wrong.  Ellie is still traumatized by everything that happened with being kidnapped and her best friend being murdered. Dev is helping her to not have panic attacks and shut everyone out. He is put in charge of giving her lessons to better help protect herself if she gets attacked again. 

She still keeps Sasha's spirit alive. Having donuts in the tree house ❤.

Chapter 21 is 🔥.

But there is so much more it this story than spice. They both learn to grieve the past and death of friends and move forward in life and love. 
Profile Image for BlushAndBooks.
218 reviews
July 28, 2021
This book was super hyped on tik tok, but while it was a good quick read, it didn't meet those hyped expectations. Never really enough detail and spicy level is a 1/5. The story was intriguing but I was left feeling like I never got more than the core details for the reader to only ever understand the bare minimum of the situations that play out.
Profile Image for Braylon.
230 reviews
September 20, 2021
this is by far the best ~dark~ romance that i’ve ever read…idk why I keep reading them though. I don’t think like them? I have no idea honestly. this actually had a good plot, which is so rare for these types of books which is why I enjoyed it so much.
Profile Image for Chantale Saulnier.
49 reviews2 followers
April 20, 2023
As I expected, this book was SOOOO GOOOOD! It is a must read if you love spice, action, and adventure!!
Profile Image for Cass.
3 reviews
August 3, 2021
Honestly, the book could have been 5 stars very easily. I thoroughly enjoyed Ellie's character. She was extremely complex and everything just made sense about her, especially when you finally get into her background and trauma. I definitely would NOT label this book as a standalone because I read it first and was unable to connect with the characters in a way that I knew would make the story so much better. The team just lacked that extra bit of uumph that I usually feel when reading a found family trope. There were also certain aspects of the plot that could have gone much further in depth and complexity. For example, Devil's origins and his reason for being so closed off. It was solid don't get me wrong, but the delivery was lacking. He just sort of... told her? And the story kicks off with both of them being utterly infatuated with one another and yet they have absolutely no idea about the others feelings, which would have made sense had we been given more backstory to it beyond her "Stockholm Syndrome" jokes. Also had literally no feelings for or towards Sasha, which I think was a major issue later in the book. Ellie repeatedly connects Virginia and her actions to Sasha, and a large part of Ellie's character is based on, centered around, and influenced by her best friend, who we get NOTHING on. Ellie has survivor's guilt (you find out first chapter please) but even later when you find out how deep her implicating herself goes, readers are still lagged on by the surface level details. The novel had all of the tropes and plot and organization but lacked all of the details, especially those influencing sensory connections. The smut was good but felt very rushed and page-limit-y. Overall, my biggest issue with the book was how short it was. Lengthening the book would have made room for everything commented on.
Now onto the highlights of this book. Snake and Hawk are easily the finest men out of the group. My heart is leaning towards Draco but I know nothing about him beyond him being in a coma (please why is that ATTRACTIVE), and Devil is a ginger so he's automatically not top 3 (sorry ginger nation). The introduction and development of Naomi and Thea, and their relationship with the crew, especially Snake (or should I say Wes 😏) scored this book major points. I hope to get some more content of them. It was inspiring to see how a woman who was so mistreated by the most significant man in her life can still find the ability to trust in others and lift herself from the position of being a victim. Albeit, the development could have been further given light in this book but at the same time this book was for Ellie and Devil, so I digress. Devil's trauma?? Chef's kiss. It just made his standoffishness and lack of emotion/connections make so much more sense. He wanted it to be that way, here is how he did it and then his reason for doing so. THE DETECTIVE'S POVS?? Amazing. His condition becoming more severe as the plot thickened and how it spiderwebbed out and influenced the other characters and their movements tickled my readers heart. I thought his passages perfectly reflected his illness and how an addict thinks (the repeated notion that he'll go to rehab, only needs one more hit, etc.). He also gets caught up in the Russian trafficking plot-line which ties his role in and shows the significance of his actions on the group. I really, truly enjoyed Ellie's character. I felt her anxiety and coping mechanisms were almost spot-on to how a lot of women deal with their stressors and trauma today. Her anxiety and panic attacks just made sense and their descriptions were very accurate to an actual attack. She was adorable, I see major development with her character over the span of the rest of the series as well. Also, when Devil mentioned hearing Ellie screaming from inside the building, but Ellie swore up and down that it wasn't her, was beautiful. It was a very random aspect to include, but it was an awesome ending to Sasha's presence in Ellie's everyday life and the next step in her recovery and moving on.
Overall, I gave this book a 3/5. I would recommend it to a friend, and the disappointment does not overshadow the interest I felt while (and after) reading this book. I'm sure if it was enough to make me want to read the first book or even the third (hasn't come out yet). I might consider it because I am very interest in what happened to Draco and where that puts Nora in terms of her relationships during book 2. I also really shipped Naomi and Snake even though they only had a handful of appearances in this book. Happy reading!!
Profile Image for Guinevere.
23 reviews
October 2, 2021
I don't know why a lot of people gave low ratings on this book. I personally liked it.

It put me through a whirlwind of emotions. I felt everything Ellie went through, this book made me cry. Her friendship with Sasha was everything and as someone who truly values her best friend, it got me real good.

Ellie who has PTSD and is currently trying her best to pull it together and get some semblance of her normal life back. She does everything for the people who went through the same things she did to the point where she stops taking care of herself (girl has no self preservation). It can be annoying and she makes the wrong decisions sometimes. But in my opinion, its somewhat understandable. She had been through a lot and the book really showed the damage of the whole traumatic experience. But in no way or form is she weak our girl is trying her best and you can really see her development throughout the story.

Devil. Damn this guy. Maybe, Im just a sucker for the hates everyone but you trope but Im all here for it. There were times where he freaked out around her, thinking he made things worse but as the story progressed he eventually stopped treating her like some fragile doll who'll break. He gave her some tough love during the times they were training and then some. Aside from that one time,(don't wanna spoil.) One sign of discomfort from her during intimate moments, his hands immediately fly off. Some people might think this is annoying but I personally didn't, I liked how he was always considerate and always made her feel that she was in control. Devil also had similar issues to her in terms of *SPOILER* losing someone, which made them relate to each other more.

I loved their flirty moments and devil just made me swoon. The training bits were my favorite. In the end, they both managed to save each other. Dev always saw Ellie as the light of his life but I think they were each other's guiding light.

Nora love her! Gave Ellie some tough love as well.


Spice: 2.5-3/5
Didn't have much spice scenes as they were taking it slow, but don't fret cause every scene that did have spice was 🌶️🌶️🌶️!

168 reviews
April 23, 2022
After seeing an excerpt on tik tok decided to give it a try. Actually enjoyed this book and finished it within a couple hours.

I know it’s a standalone within a series but felt like I could still follow along with the plot for the most part. Maybe didn’t get all the tiny details but I didn’t think it was that hard to follow. It was more plot forward than I was expecting but that was ok. I’ve read other series this way before so maybe I’m used to just filling in the blanks.

My only gripes were a few of the character developments happened what seemed like instantly. Example Dev all of the sudden being like “wow suppressing everything and turning off all my emotions is a terrible idea not doing that anymore” like no shit Sherlock. But for someone who had been that way for YEARS to magically just be like yea that’s terrible I’m not doing that anymore seemed a bit forced.

Also when she went to the party anyway instead of bursting into that room when the Crew was meeting and defending herself into being involved somehow. OMFG. Like girl. What was your plan??? Also no back up whatsoever. I was literally yelling while I was reading and almost didn’t finish reading the book because of it. Like I get it he taught you how to defend yourself but really what were you going to do there? And then he yells at her after he discovers her at the party and she’s like “oh yea that was dumb” NO FREAKING WAY YA THINK??? Like I get she wanted to help but come on that was the dumbest thing ever. Also maybe I was missing something but she let her friend go off by herself at a party with suspected trafficking like ummmm?? Or maybe her friend snuck in but come on she should have seen that coming honestly.

That was my biggest hang up mostly because up until that point she hadn’t been that stupid. The spice was pretty good, not that there was a ton of it. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lia.
25 reviews40 followers
March 26, 2022
This story was heart shattering and heart melting. The dynamic between Dev and Ellie and just the way they are around each other sets your standards up to a whole other level. While reading this story I can say it touched upon a lot of topics like trauma, anxiety, consent etc. that not many books like to go really in depth about. But, Rivers did an amazing job at doing that and so much more. You connect with the characters in such a way, that you feel like they’re real life people you can call whenever you’re down. And let me just tell you the way she foreshadows future relationships is chefs kiss. I’m not gonna talk much about the spice, because as much as I loved it I think the story revolves around so much more than just their sexual attraction towards each other. Though don’t get me wrong the spice was awesome 5 stars for just the spice. All and all this book is an amazing 5 star read that you should definitely read because you’ll fall in love with it just like I did!
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