The Rivaled Crown

The Veiled Kingdom #3

by Holly Renee, Aaron Shedlock (Narrator), Aubrey Vincent (Narrator)

I swore I would never return to this palace. Never kneel before my father again.

But I have been dragged back into his gilded cage, trapped beneath his rule, and bound to a fate I had tried to escape.

My body is his to break, my magic his to wield. And no matter how many nights I dream of Dacre storming these halls, of his hands, pulling me from the darkness—dreams are nothing against the greed of a king.

Even if my mate comes for me, even if I am freed from my father's grip, I'm not sure there will be anything left of me to save.

The kingdom is dying. The land withers beneath the weight of stolen magic, and my father's reign will not end without bloodshed.

But I have lived in the dark for too long.

And I was not made to wither, I was made to burn.

Narrated in duet style.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fae, Magic

12 pages, Audible Audio

First published March 18, 2025

About the author

✨USA Today Bestselling Author
🤠 Cowboy Casual out October 7th

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhollyrenee/
Join my Reader Group, Hollywood: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HollyRenee


🩷🤠COWBOY ROMANCE🤠🩷

Cowboy Casual | Coming October 7th


✨🌙⚔️FANTASY ROMANCE⚔️🌙✨

The Veiled Kingdom Series

The Veiled Kingdom
The Hunted Heir
The Rivaled Crown

The Stars and Shadows Series
A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows
A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows
A Kingdom of Fire and Fate


🖤🫦CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE🫦🖤

The Boys of Clermont Bay Series
The Touch of a Villain
The Fall of a God
The Taste of an Enemy
The Deceit of a Devil
The Seduction of Pretty Lies
The Temptation of Dirty Secrets

The Good Girls Series
Where Good Girls Go to Die
Where Bad Girls Go to Fall
Where Bad Boys are Ruined

The Rock Bottom Series
Trouble with the Guy Next Door
Trouble with the Hotshot Boss}
[book: Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend

The Wrong Prince Charming
The Wrong Prince Charming

Reviews

[SK · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well that was absolutely a waste of time. I'll keep the review short cause I'm simply relieved it's all over.

The finale was boring, I should have known given how bad book 2 was. It was also extremely repetitive and poorly written. It was too fast paced as well, as if rushing to end and for an ending that was underwhelming.

The one star is for Dacre alone cause the man carried the series. I have nothing else good to say 😅

~•~•~
Why does the finale have such low ratings? I guess I'll find out but seriously hoping it ends on a good note 😅

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, The Rivaled Crown… I wanted to love you. I needed to love you. But instead, I feel like I just got hit with a spell of disappointment. 😭 This was supposed to be the epic conclusion, the grand finale, the book that would make everything worth it—and yet, here I am, staring at my phone, questioning my life choices.

Let’s start with the good because yes, there were some highlights. Dacre. That’s it. That’s the highlight. 😭🔥 Our broody, chaotic warlord truly carried this book on his very broad, very capable shoulders. I loved seeing his growth, his devotion, and the way he was all in for Verena. Honestly, the entire series should’ve just been about him because I would’ve eaten that up.

But everything else? Oof.

The pacing was a mess. The first half dragged like my WiFi on a stormy day—so much internal monologue, so many sighs, so much over-explaining—while the second half was like being thrown off a cliff. Suddenly, boom, everything’s happening, and I barely have time to process before we’re already at the end. Major plot points were dumped into the story instead of being naturally woven in, and it made the whole thing feel chaotic instead of satisfying. I kept thinking, why wasn’t this in book two?!

And the magic system? Don’t even get me started. 🫠 Rules were made only to be broken, powers came and went with zero explanation, and by the end, I felt like I needed a whole guidebook just to make sense of it all. If you're going to have a fantasy element, please make it make sense.

Also, the repetition. If I had a gold coin for every time I read "my mate," I could buy my own fae kingdom. We get it. They're mates. They have a magical bond. But I do not need to be reminded of it every other page.

That being said… I’m still sad it’s over. Despite all my frustrations, I did love these characters at one point. I just wanted more. More depth, more clarity, more of what made me love The Veiled Kingdom in the first place. Instead, I got a conclusion that felt rushed, repetitive, and frustratingly hollow.

Would I recommend this series? Maybe—if you're new to romantasy and don’t mind a romance-heavy, world-building-light story. But if you’re looking for something that actually develops its fantasy elements alongside the romance? This might not be it.

Still, I’ll always have Dacre. And honestly? That’s enough. 🖤🔥

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still can't believe this series has come to an end! 🥹 Holly Renee does such a good job with SUCKING you right into a new series!!

The Veiled Kingdom is one of my all time favorite Romantasy books of last year. Dacre is legit GOALS and one of my favorite MMC's to date!

I love where Holly Renee went with the plot in book 3.. the entire thing was so unique but I really wanted/ needed MORE! I think I could've happily read another 100 pages (easy!)

This was definitely a quick & fun Romantasy series and I think all three are bingeable in 48 hours if I'm being honest!

My favorite quotes
"The rest of the kingdom will fall to their knees before you, Verena. But please allow me to be the first."

"Take from me until I have nothing left to give. I am devoted to you. Everything I have is yours to take."

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you SO much Holly for the opportunity and sending me the digital ARC, here is my spoiler free review:

i really appreciate this series for what it is, and that is a fast paced, binge-able romantasy. there is minimal world building in these books but that makes this trilogy super easy to consume and perfect for readers new to the genre. i love our FMC and ofc our MMC daddy Dacre 🥵, the chemistry between the two was chefs kiss. i must admit the first book in the series will forever take first place for me but i am still very much happy with how the story has concluded.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I have spent my life fighting for this rebellion, but it’s a rebellion that has forgotten what it’s fighting for.”

It felt like Renee saved all the best parts of this series for the very end, pouring everything she had into this book: the reveals, the action, the emotion. Everything packed into this one finale. Still, I’ve always thought this series was just okay… and yet, I kept coming back to it. Maybe I’ve been secretly in love with it this whole time and didn’t even realize it. Well, too late to figure that out now. This is the last book, and I’m just glad it ended on a good note!

[Cara Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much repeating over and over again the same stuff.
If I have to hear “mate” or “she’s dangerous” one more time.
Loved the first book. 2nd was slow and this was just a bunch of world building/random things that made no sense/had no build up

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the reviews so far, I seem to be in the minority, but this book was just not it for me. It was a letdown because I really enjoyed book 1. I thought book 2 was unremarkable and had hoped book 3 would bring it back around for a good conclusion.

Spoilers ahead -

My main issue with this book was that the big twists felt like they came out of nowhere. I don’t remember reading a single thing about Veyrith in books 1&2, or seeing any hint of connection between Verena’s mother and Dacre’s mother/grandmother. Or any of those women and Micah, aside from Micah and Verena kind of living in Dacre’s grandmother’s yard. They’re all from the same country so obviously they all knew each other and plotted together? And Dacre’s mother helping Verena escape? What? Hints about Reed being a snake? Nothing. Maybe this is just due to my poor memory of books 1 and 2, but it felt like Holly Renee just threw in all of this information as like a tada! with zero set up. Like, how are we going to learn about the ~vessels~ and the ~prophecy~ in one scene in which Verena’s mother comes to her in a dream? It felt really cheap. Also, the first few chapters felt like they dragggged on for me between Verena and Dacre’s respective suffering. I felt like the plot advancement happened in 1-2 sentences and the rest of the time was spent listening to their incredibly repetitive inner thoughts and mutual pining.

I have rarely when reading found the main plot points as hard to follow as they felt here. The vessels and the siphon power felt barely explained. Verena had to train like, 3 times before suddenly mastering(?) her power. And she had the same thoughts and realizations about her magic’s connection/control to her bond with Dacre approximately 19 times. We had so little information about mates. Why did Kai weirdly have an understanding about something that hadn’t been seen in “generations”? The rebels deciding to follow her after learning Dacre’s mother died for her? What about the other 3 kingdoms? The worldbuilding was basically nonexistent. I just had so many questions and so little clarity. Disappointed to say it was all a big no for me.

[AshReadThis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok I loved the first two books in this series and devoured them in one sitting, but this one was off. The writing style was so different here. I had such a hard time even finish it and had to stop and come back multiple times.

[Koisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Gripped Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5

I really wanted to love this. I inhaled the first book, and while I had some issues with the second, it was mostly because it felt like a filler book building up for this ultimate ending. Instead, I was frustrated by the constant repetition in plot, dialogue and writing, aspects thrown into the plot with very little buildup or time for resolution, and a plot with the most confused pacing in the world. The middle just felt like two characters sitting in a room talking about what they did, and as a result, those aspects were never really shown to the reader. This is one of my pet peeves in writing: I wanna be shown, NOT TOLD!!!!

The writing in this was also oddly full of purple prose. Internal monologues spiralled endlessly, repeating the same emotions and thoughts so many times. And the SPICY SCENES... I was skimming them because they felt overly emotional and metaphorical, that they were just annoying and so formulaic. WHERE was the Daddy Dacre from the previous books? He turns into a moaning boy with exaggerated descriptions of his love for Verena.

I also found myself counting a lot of repetitive words, and once I start doing that, I know it's normally a bad sign for the book because I get more and more annoyed by the word being used OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN...

THE MAJOR WORD ISSUES:
The Magic System:
I STILL do not know how the magic system works in this world, which is shocking given the amount of metaphorical, internal, poetic monologuing Verena has with her internal struggle to find her magic. And besides Verena’s magic, which is vaguely explained, the magic wielded by anyone other than her father has NO EXPLANATION whatsoever; it's just shadows, energy and feelings. The word "magic" was used 355 times. That is a lot of times to not know how it really works...

The GRIP of Doom:
If I had to read the word grip one more time, I was going to scream. I am not kidding; the word was used 98 times, and I swear each spicy scene had at least 10 mentions in that chapter alone.

Case in point, here’s a breakdown of Chapter 18:
1) "His grip was firm, grounding"
2) "Holding me with a grip that bordered on painful."
3) "Dacre moaned softly, his hands gripping my waist possessively"
4) "His grip tightening like he was anchoring himself"
5) "The slow, measured control he had clung to fractured as his hands gripped my thighs"
6) ""Fuck," Dacre groaned, his hands gripping tighter as I began to move"
7) "and I gripped my breasts in my hands, rolling my nipples between my fingers as he slammed harder inside me"
8) "My hands gripped his hair"
9) "One hand moved to grip my hip"
10) "His hands gripping my hips tightly as he rode out my orgasm with me"

ALL IN ONE CHAPTER. I was seriously starting to lose a grip on my reality. There are so many synonyms... clutch, hold, clench, seize, clasp, lock, and grasp... just begging for use. WHY WAS IT ONLY GRIP?

The Bond Obsession:
Okay, we get it... they have a bond! Bonds are rare. Their attraction and pull for each other is otherworldly, and they spend pages waxing lyrical about it. But the word bond was mentioned 92 times. While this isn't as bad as some books (I am looking at you "The Bonds That Tie" series), I still found myself irritated by how often the concept was repeated.

Dacre’s Father... Who?
What is Dacre’s father’s name? I kept trying to remember if we were ever told, but he was only ever referred to as Dacre's Father in the text. Why is his identity constantly defined by his relationship with Dacre? The first time, it would have been fine. If the text had been "X, Dacre’s Father", a reminder for the reader could explain who he is... But "Dacre's Father" never stopped. His name was mentioned 55 times!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Political Intrigue
▶ Found Family
▶ Burn The World For You
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Prophecy
▶ Tending to Injuries
▶ "Look at me"
▶ Fated Mates
▶ Chin Lift
▶ On My Knees For You
▶ "Lift Your Hips For me"
▶ "Sit on my Face"

Overall, while I didn’t love this book as much as I had hoped, the world remains intriguing, and I wanted to see the HEA, and there are still aspects that kept me entertained, which is why I continued reading and didn't DNF... I just wish the final installment had delivered more of the Romantasy Crack that was in book 1...

Thank you to Holly Renee for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

as always, Holly baby, thank you for an early copy!!!!!

Dacre and Verena are everything and to see their story come to such an epic conclusion…ugh

I am going to miss them

[kevork_1989 · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐️
Wow what a flaming pile of s**t. Honestly best words I can describe this book. 85% of this was pointless and everything was crammed in the final 10% to wrap up the series. I thought book 2 was a mess but this was awful.

Such a waste of time reading this. I should’ve DNF but I was hoping something would happen. And it didn’t. The whole first 80% was jumbled, rambling and repetitive. All the POVs were them just breathing and exasperated about everything happening. The first 2 books had barely any world building and magic discussion and then it was all thrown in this book and made no sense.

The MMC became so boring and a shell of the character he was in the 1st book. Don’t even get me started on the FMC I don’t think she progressed at all in this book.

[littlegirlbigbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨ holly’s best book and a stunning conclusion to the series.

i absolutely love where holly took the end of this series with this book. all of the emotion evoked from both dacre and verena was so beautiful. dacre was simpering for her the way xaden did for violet in onyx storm. he was giving some rowan vibes too and i was just eating. it. up. couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop. i mean come on…his devotion? unparalleled. tender and sweet and willing to do absolutely fucking anything for her. he was the star of the show honestly. but i loved the change in verena. i feel like she really grew a solid backbone in this bone and finally said fuck this to her life circumstances and demanded more out of it. i really appreciated that in her.

i found the stuff with the vessel to still be a tad confusing, i didn’t fully understand it. but it was giving cauldron vibes. i also think the emotion after the binding ceremony and marriage and during the sex to be just a tad much & too long. like i love it but c’mon lets keep it moving. that being said, i still thoroughly enjoyed it. kai & wren finally fucking!!!! i lovelovelove it. finally. they deserve a book of their own.

from the very beginning with trying to overcome their separation and the devastation of their circumstances, to the trials & difficulties they faced along the way, i just loved how their story came to an end. i was addicted, obsessed, invested from start to finish and devoured this in a day. the tension and twists were great, the pacing was solid, the richer explanation of the magic system and world were needed. but also some of it came out of nowhere and was quite shocking. this book really recovered the slight mediocrity that was the hunted heir. again, just a stunning conclusion to the series and dacre & verena’s story. i loved it and couldn’t have asked for more.

”He had helped me escape. I had been his enemy. I represented the thing he hated most. I was a threat to everything he stood for. And still, he had chosen me.”

“I would have been loyal to Verena no matter the cost.”

“She is bound to me as I am bound to her.”

“You’re safe. And I will burn this fucking world to the ground before I let anything happen to you again.”

“I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”

“But with my soul, I thee worship.”

• enemies to lovers
• fated mates
• revolution
• forbidden love
• pining
• touch her/him & you die
• found family

thank you so much holly for the arc! 🫶🏼

[Anna Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so sad to be leaving this world (specifically Daddy Dacre) but wow what I way to end it all. It wraps up all the questions and shows big story arc moments from the first book while including betrayals and reveals along the way to push the story forward. It felt like a good natural conclusion to the conflict. Dacre is the man we know and love and the things he said made me put the book down and take a break lol

Read this if you’re in the mood for…
- a completed trilogy (The Veiled Kingdom, The Hunted Heir, The Rivaled Crown)
- mates
- hidden magic/past
- found family
- big rebellion uprising
- SPICE

Overall, this is exactly what I wanted for the last book! It flowed nicely and the big plot points hit at the right time. I couldn’t wait for them to be reunited but the tension of waiting was timed well with the big rescue. The side character had more time on page this book which was nice to see what’s happening with them and their HEA as well.

Here are a few of my favorite things…
- him feeling her while they were separated was so good and sad but really so good
- chills during the mating ceremony and how they already know the words. What a full circle moment.
- redemption for Eiran!
- the prophecy was a nice addition to figuring out her magic/fate
- the way Dacre could feel how much Verena trusted him and fully chose him. He deserves the best, always

I’m so sad to leave this world and I’m really hoping for a bonus chapter or lil novella in the future because I need to see Daddy Dacre as King Dacre

[Sigal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the series as a whole was really fun and addictive. I like both our main characters, and it’s been great to see how they both grew - especially Dacre! Our boy started out in a serious need of a slap to the face, and grew into a man who will melt your heart.

I did struggle with this one unfortunately. There was a lot of exposition and new major plot points introduced in a way that felt rushed. It was too jarring and kind of changed the vibe of the whole story, and that didn’t really work for me. I feel like these things should have been introduced in book 2.

[Ashley Salcedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

No crumbs and no notes. Just PERFECTION.

There are not enough stars to do this book justice. This was such a fitting ending to the series. I loved every second of this read. Daddy Dacre is back and better than ever.

THE LAST SENTENCE STILL HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD.

Thank you, Holly and Lauren, for an advanced copy!

Fated mates
Secrets
Betrayals
Rebellion uprising
Found family
Spice

[taylor ❤️‍🔥 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝙞 𝙖𝙢 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙚. 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙞 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

𝟒.𝟓 ★

from the first page holly pulls you in completely as the rivaled crown picks up right where the hunted heir left off. we are left grappling with the aftermath of verana and dacre being separated. verana taken by her fathers men and locked away and his castle while dacre’s location is unknown, a war continuing to brew between the king and the rebellion.

as a surprise to no one, holly does it again with writing an utterly addicting book. i sat down and read this within a matter of hours because i was so invested that i couldn’t put it down without knowing how it all ended. the pacing? fantastic. the deeper explanation of the magic system? no notes. the tension? nail biting worthy. the twists? actually made my jaw drop a bit.

what i loved most about this book was seeing dacre’s absolute devotion to verana. daddy dacre was truly in full swing this book?? his tenderness after everything she endured was enough to bring tears to my eyes. i have no doubt that this man would burn down the world for her if she only asked.
↠ the only thing that i felt could have added to the emotional depth of this story is seeing verana reciprocate some of dacre’s devotion. though honestly within the context of the story, her reactions and trauma make it very valid for that to be difficult for her to do.

dare i say that this trilogy was wrapped up perfectly? i finished the book with no questions, only an aching heart knowing that their story was over. i cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.

————————

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 🫶🏻

[ᴼᴳᴵᴹᴬᴬᴷᵂᴱ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect ending to the trilogy. It definitely made up for the lackluster in book 2. Dacre the man that you are. The absolute devotion. We love to see men on their knees. 👏🏼👏🏼🥵 A Kai and Wren spin off?? I’m here for it miss Holly..👀😌 just saying.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me by the collar and dragged me through every twist, betrayal, and heartbreak. I loved every second of it. The tension was unbearable in the best way, the romance had me borderline delirious, and the payoff was nothing short of perfection. By the end, I was emotionally wrecked, utterly obsessed, and already planning my reread. Thank you so much Holly for this arc!

[Iziey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok bear with me because this review is a little harsh. 😔🤚

I was so intrigued by the first book in this series — it had promise, mystery, and a fresh fantasy vibe that pulled me in. But after absolutely hating book two, I still held out hope that the finale would redeem things.

I promise I tried so hard to like this. Unfortunately, I just did not enjoy this book at all. SORRY.

The pacing was weirdly fast, like the story was sprinting to the finish line without ever taking the time to build tension or depth. I’m still not sure how Dacre and Verena are in love… I swear they barely know each other. Every emotion is told to us over and over again, to the point where it all feels incredibly redundant.

And Verena… idk where to even start. She’s in power because she’s the heir, but there’s nothing special about her. No sharp mind, no natural leadership, no meaningful presence. Just vibes and a crown. There’s even a scene where she quite literally causes people to die with absolutely no military strategy and it’s supposed to be ok because she’s the heir??? I don’t understand why people are kneeling for her, and it’s hard to root for someone who feels more like a placeholder than a protagonist.

So much of the series also felt completely random. We’re three books in and I still couldn’t tell you how the magic system works. The concept of the Vessel, which should be pivotal, is vague and confusing. Verena’s mom and Dacre’s mom suddenly become critical characters with backstory dumps out of nowhere. The world map basically tripled in scope overnight. And the parallels that were building around their fathers being abusive, power-hungry figures? Just… stopped being relevant.

The only redeeming factor for me is that I’m a sucker for romance books. Dacre and Verena clearly feel deeply for each other — even if I’m not convinced it’s based on more than the mating bond — but I do think the intensity was meant to be there.

Still, I wanted more. 😔💔

[Denisse 🦋]

Is this my most anticipated book? No, am I here for a good spicy time? Absolutely! Hoping this is better than the second book because I ADORED the first!

[Sophie (lambsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Take anything you want, love. Take from me until I have nothing left to give. I am devoted to you. Everything I have is yours to take.”

We open this book in a dungeon with some torture.

"Are you so willing to sacrifice Verena for this cause that you are unwilling to save her for it?”

It doesn't get happier lmao

“I am drowning in my want for you, and there is no room inside me for fear. Take from me, touch me. Feed your body with what yearns for you. I would ruin every part of me to give to you.”

Dacre, Venera, and Co are still fighting to end the oppression led by her father, the King, but there is a light at the end of the long tunnel. Venera has powers, what will she do with them?

“You’re asking me to choose between this rebellion and my mate, but I already chose. I wouldn’t care if it was poison that runs through her veins, I will still choose her.”

Dacre was once again the star of the show. Venera was kinda like a wet rag in this one. She just cried and asked for someone to save her for the first, like, 60-70%. lmao I know that's harsh and I hate shitting on the FMC in a book. I find that a ton of people do it in reviews and it always reads as internal misogyny when I see women hating women because of certain traits (this is like a whole other dicussion, what the fuck am I saying here?) but I needed Verena to be stronger. I needed more from her. Dacre was fighting to the death practically to get to her and she's just crying. Yes, she's being tortured but like, the king had nothing over you to keep you there and submissive…so why didn't you fight back? She did slightly improve but I guess I had this problem with book 2 as well.

“I need to be inside you,” he growled. “I need to fuck you until there is no one left in this kingdom who will question who you belong to.”

Holly is literally the queen of quotable quotes lmao I always include too many but I also left out so many I wanted to include.

But Dacre and his devotion, his worship, was perfect. He literally went through hell to get her back and never once let up.

“We made it back. You’re safe. And I will burn this fucking world to the ground before I let anything happen to you again.”

I was so happy Wren and Kai were in this! I missed them.

The background on the kingdom was interesting, as was the involvement of certain mothers and the reveals *cries in fantasy*

Overall, it wrapped up the trilogy nicely, I don't think there were any major loose ends, which are the worst kind of ends, so that was great.

Thank you so much to Holly and Lauren for this eARC and PR Box!

[amna (taylor’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

update: the wait was worth it but i am so sad to see a beloved series end!! this is such an easy to binge romantasy series with not too complex world building, which i appreciated. sometimes that’s what i need. simple and spicy but still depth in the characters and their relationship. and this one was a satisfying end to verena and dacre’s tough but beautiful journey and dacre’s arc from book 1 to 3 is lowkey giving the same as xaden’s from fourth wing to onyx storm…. aka sorta cruel instructor that is suspicious of but also annoyingly attracted to the fmc to down so bad for her he can’t eat, sleep, or breathe without her and literally worships her. which i love. a lot. butttt i still want wren and kai to have their own book…
—
the wait is gonna kill me but it’s gonna be so worth it💖

[MikaylasBookNook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25-3.5 stars.
It was good. It was a good conclusion but the pacing was everywhere. I feel like this was supposed to be a 4 book series like her previous and then we changed it up to 3 last minute so we pushed it all into one book. It started super slow and it was so repetitive. So much inner monologue.
Then we get to the 60% ish mark and it’s fast and furious. Magic just appears with little to no explanation. Things start happening. We mention they are mates 500 times and that they have a bond. We make this plan for her to magically be now the queen of two kingdoms and it all falls into place so fast and boom it’s over.
Was it a happy ending? Yes. Does it leave still quite a few questions for people? Also yes.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was the most repetitive book I've ever read. Just be prepared for the beginning of every chapter to be a recap of the one before. Also, the same sentences over and over with slight variations. Gah, the 1st one was so good though!

[Tia Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last sentence of the epilogue sealed the deal for me:


“I should have known, that even as my queen, you would still be a little traitor”

I SQUEALED.

[lex (samkiel’s version ⚡︎) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ☆

First of all, Dacre is top tier book boyfriend material. I’ll be taking no questions on the subject.

Just WOW, what a conclusion to this trilogy. After everything that Verena and Dacre have been through in TVK and THH, I'm so content with how this played out for them. Holly loves to leave us biting our nails and end on cliffhangers, which is exactly what happened in THH, so we pick up here in an incredibly tense place for both the mc's with them yet again separated. The fight back to each other was painful and emotional, and I was ready to sob at several moments (literally FUCK Verena's dad!!!). And the battle isn't quite over when they do finally reconnect. Secrets and revelations pop up left and right, leaving me gasping!!! Both of these characters growth is lovely and epic. We stan a man who kneels (and worships) his woman. And Verena gave serious Queen energy as she stepped into her power. Everything came together full circle & honestly, I just wish I could experience their story for the first time again.

As always, I'm so grateful to Holly and her team for providing me with an eARC!!! 🩷

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

What an incredible series!

If I’m being honest, this was my least favorite book in the trilogy. The first half of the book felt slightly repetitive and it dragged a bit for me. I felt much more invested in the first two books. HOWEVER, I still really enjoyed the trilogy overall. Daddy Dacre was pure perfection as always. That man knows just how to make you swoon.

Thank you to Holly & her team for the ARC!

- Romantasy
- Fated Mates
- Found Family
- Touch her & 💀

[nicklein · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a series i would sell my soul to read again for the first time. 5/5 stars. sorry not sorry.

[Paige (wingsandsmut) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ After devouring the first two books in this series, I could not wait to read this one! It picks right up where The Hunted Heir left off and I absolutely needed to know what would happen next! So much happens in this book and I love the growth we see in Verena! The ending was so perfect for them and I swooned even harder for daddy Dacre! The MF spice between them….SHEESH it’s delicious!! I’m going to miss these characters, but this trilogy was wrapped up so perfectly!

What to expect:
💖Fated mates
💖Hidden magic
💖Found family
💖Lost heir
💖Touch her and die

Thank you so much to Holly Renee and her team for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own!

[saralouisereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded up!! 2.5🌶️ first and foremost, thank you to Valentine PR and Holly Renee for the E-ARC!! im always so grateful for the opportunities to be an ARC reader! 🩷 a great conclusion to the series! it was almost everything i could’ve asked for (-.5 stars only cause im a sucker for dacre and wanted more lovey dovey times. i can absolutely say this is a me problem and not the books problem 😅) all in all, without spoiling anything, i truly loved it! i loveddddd the romance and the plot twists were twisting and had me on the edge of my seat! it’s always a bitter sweet feeling ending a beloved series. i can’t wait for everyone to read this! dacre and verena will always have a place in my heart! 🩷🖤