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Legion #2
Cruel Betrayal
Kiera
He thought I betrayed him.
The truth was worse.
For ten years, I managed to survive with my heart in a cage of barbed wire, until one night when everything changed.
He promised to break me, yet old wounds began to heal.
But when my worst fear came true, I had no choice but to reveal my darkest secret. A betrayal so deep, would we ever be able to survive?
Jackson
She betrayed me.
Smashed my young, naive heart to smithereens.
I tried to forget her, focusing on earning my place in Legion, a secret society I would one day rule over, but it was impossible to remove her from my heart.
When an opportunity presented to get my revenge, I had to take it. I had to make her pay.
Somehow, she slowly began repairing the damage she caused, but when tragedy struck, and shattering secrets were unveiled, would we ever recover from the ultimate betrayal?
He thought I betrayed him.
The truth was worse.
For ten years, I managed to survive with my heart in a cage of barbed wire, until one night when everything changed.
He promised to break me, yet old wounds began to heal.
But when my worst fear came true, I had no choice but to reveal my darkest secret. A betrayal so deep, would we ever be able to survive?
Jackson
She betrayed me.
Smashed my young, naive heart to smithereens.
I tried to forget her, focusing on earning my place in Legion, a secret society I would one day rule over, but it was impossible to remove her from my heart.
When an opportunity presented to get my revenge, I had to take it. I had to make her pay.
Somehow, she slowly began repairing the damage she caused, but when tragedy struck, and shattering secrets were unveiled, would we ever recover from the ultimate betrayal?
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2026
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September 21, 2025IS THIS JACKSON AND KEIRA’S BOOK???? IS BILLIE’S HIS? AND DOESNT REMEMBER SLEEPING WITH HER??
May 4, 2026
4.5 stars
Loved this one with all the angst, hate to love, and unwanted longing for the one that destroyed you. Jackson & Kiera had a secret relationship when they were teens and promised all their firsts to each other. So when Kiera winds up pregnant and dumps Jackson he is shattered and vows to destroy her if they ever cross paths again. Well when she is your best friends little sister it isn't that easy to never see one another again. Once again you see how the secret society corrupts and protects its own. Secrets are buried for 10 years and when they finally surface more than one life will be changed forever. Cruel Betrayal takes place over the same time frame as Cruel Love. This makes you reevaluate your perception of previous actions and interactions. I am loving this series and am anxious to see what E.K. Hunter has in store for us next.
Loved this one with all the angst, hate to love, and unwanted longing for the one that destroyed you. Jackson & Kiera had a secret relationship when they were teens and promised all their firsts to each other. So when Kiera winds up pregnant and dumps Jackson he is shattered and vows to destroy her if they ever cross paths again. Well when she is your best friends little sister it isn't that easy to never see one another again. Once again you see how the secret society corrupts and protects its own. Secrets are buried for 10 years and when they finally surface more than one life will be changed forever. Cruel Betrayal takes place over the same time frame as Cruel Love. This makes you reevaluate your perception of previous actions and interactions. I am loving this series and am anxious to see what E.K. Hunter has in store for us next.
April 22, 2026
Now this is how you do the brother’s best friend trope!!!! It’s a trope I loathe but E.K. Did a fantastic job of it! I loved this second installment in the series and can’t wait for more!
April 25, 2026
Another dark romance done RIGHT 😮💨🔥
Another dark romance done RIGHT 😮💨🔥
This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone—and I loved every second of it. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The emotion in this story hit HARD, and the spice? Wow… perfectly balanced with the depth of the characters and storyline.
E.K. Hunter has such a talent for pulling you into these intense, dark worlds and making you feel everything alongside the characters. The chemistry was incredible, the tension kept building, and I found myself completely invested from start to finish.
There were moments that genuinely surprised me, moments that hurt, and moments that had me completely obsessed—I couldn’t put it down.
Another amazing read from this author, and I already can’t wait for more.
Another dark romance done RIGHT 😮💨🔥
This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone—and I loved every second of it. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The emotion in this story hit HARD, and the spice? Wow… perfectly balanced with the depth of the characters and storyline.
E.K. Hunter has such a talent for pulling you into these intense, dark worlds and making you feel everything alongside the characters. The chemistry was incredible, the tension kept building, and I found myself completely invested from start to finish.
There were moments that genuinely surprised me, moments that hurt, and moments that had me completely obsessed—I couldn’t put it down.
Another amazing read from this author, and I already can’t wait for more.
April 29, 2026
A great read that had me from page 1. There is so much packed into this book and it is all cleverly delivered. I think I experienced every emotion under the sun in this story, anger, heartache, joy and yes even some humour. Is it dark? Absolutely, so be aware of the TWs.
This is an author who has continued to deliver on every level and I can't wait for the next book.
This is an author who has continued to deliver on every level and I can't wait for the next book.
June 21, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Legion Society is back with a fiery second installment and it features one of my favorite trope combinations: brother’s best friend and second chance romance🔥😍 The very first pages pull you into the story so effortlessly that putting the book down feels almost impossible! 😋
Kiera Carter and Jackson Rivers have loved each other since they were thirteen and fifteen years old. When Kiera becomes pregnant at fifteen, their lives are changed forever. The father isn’t Jackson, but the truth behind what happened is revealed much later in the story and unleashes an avalanche of emotions, secrets and plot twists.
Kiera has been dealt one bad hand after another since becoming a teenage mother to her daughter, Billie. Now trapped in an unhappy and abusive engagement to Alec, she feels like life has passed her by. A chance encounter with Jackson after ten years apart reignites feelings she never truly buried. While Kiera is driven by longing for the life she once dreamed of, Jackson is fueled by a desire for revenge and answers that have haunted him for years.
Jackson, heir to one of the ruling seats within The Legion and best friend to Kiera’s brother James Carter (I loved his story in book 1), is forced to suffer the aftermath of his beloved’s betrayal and choose between duty, loyalty and the woman he loved most, making his journey one of the most compelling aspects of the book. He is morally questionable, emotionally damaged, obsessively protective and completely gone for one woman. Exactly how I LOVE my MMCs😍🔥
I absolutely loved the tension between Jackson and Kiera in the beginning 🌶️🔥 Their constant clashes, stubbornness and emotional push-and-pull made every interaction engaging. Their shared history is filled with lies, heartbreak and missed opportunities, which made the eventual plot twists hit even harder.
“𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐. 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒏. 𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇”♥️🥹
My only real gripe with the book was how closely it flirted with cheating. Kiera is still engaged to Alec when she first reconnects with Jackson, and despite Alec being an abusive and unfaithful partner himself, that doesn’t completely erase my discomfort with the situation. Jackson also attempts to move on with other women after reconnecting with Kiera, although he quickly realizes that no one else compares to her. It didn’t ruin the story for me but it was definitely something that stood out.
If I’m being honest, this probably should have been a 4-star read for me. But somehow the writing, the angst and the emotional depth of the characters completely swept me away. The story makes it surprisingly easy to overlook the things that would normally bother me. By the final pages I was far too invested to care 😂😂
🫀 Dual POV
⛓️ Secret society
🫀 Second chance romance
⛓️ Brother’s best friend
🫀 Broken heroine
⛓️ Morally pitch-black MMC
🫀 Dub-con
⛓️ Touch her and 💀
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
‼️⚠️ TW: coercion and blackmail, SA (not between MCs), domestic abuse (physical and emotional), death of a parent, violence, murder, mention of abortion, forced medical procedures, alcohol abuse, child cancer⚠️‼️
The Legion Society is back with a fiery second installment and it features one of my favorite trope combinations: brother’s best friend and second chance romance🔥😍 The very first pages pull you into the story so effortlessly that putting the book down feels almost impossible! 😋
Kiera Carter and Jackson Rivers have loved each other since they were thirteen and fifteen years old. When Kiera becomes pregnant at fifteen, their lives are changed forever. The father isn’t Jackson, but the truth behind what happened is revealed much later in the story and unleashes an avalanche of emotions, secrets and plot twists.
Kiera has been dealt one bad hand after another since becoming a teenage mother to her daughter, Billie. Now trapped in an unhappy and abusive engagement to Alec, she feels like life has passed her by. A chance encounter with Jackson after ten years apart reignites feelings she never truly buried. While Kiera is driven by longing for the life she once dreamed of, Jackson is fueled by a desire for revenge and answers that have haunted him for years.
Jackson, heir to one of the ruling seats within The Legion and best friend to Kiera’s brother James Carter (I loved his story in book 1), is forced to suffer the aftermath of his beloved’s betrayal and choose between duty, loyalty and the woman he loved most, making his journey one of the most compelling aspects of the book. He is morally questionable, emotionally damaged, obsessively protective and completely gone for one woman. Exactly how I LOVE my MMCs😍🔥
I absolutely loved the tension between Jackson and Kiera in the beginning 🌶️🔥 Their constant clashes, stubbornness and emotional push-and-pull made every interaction engaging. Their shared history is filled with lies, heartbreak and missed opportunities, which made the eventual plot twists hit even harder.
“𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐. 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒏. 𝑨 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇”♥️🥹
My only real gripe with the book was how closely it flirted with cheating. Kiera is still engaged to Alec when she first reconnects with Jackson, and despite Alec being an abusive and unfaithful partner himself, that doesn’t completely erase my discomfort with the situation. Jackson also attempts to move on with other women after reconnecting with Kiera, although he quickly realizes that no one else compares to her. It didn’t ruin the story for me but it was definitely something that stood out.
If I’m being honest, this probably should have been a 4-star read for me. But somehow the writing, the angst and the emotional depth of the characters completely swept me away. The story makes it surprisingly easy to overlook the things that would normally bother me. By the final pages I was far too invested to care 😂😂
🫀 Dual POV
⛓️ Secret society
🫀 Second chance romance
⛓️ Brother’s best friend
🫀 Broken heroine
⛓️ Morally pitch-black MMC
🫀 Dub-con
⛓️ Touch her and 💀
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
‼️⚠️ TW: coercion and blackmail, SA (not between MCs), domestic abuse (physical and emotional), death of a parent, violence, murder, mention of abortion, forced medical procedures, alcohol abuse, child cancer⚠️‼️
June 30, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars
Cruel Betrayal absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Jackson and Kiera's story is packed with heartbreak, longing, secrets, and the kind of emotional angst that keeps you glued to the pages.
Watching years of pain, misunderstandings, and betrayal slowly unravel was both heartbreaking and satisfying. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist hit, leaving me shocked and desperate to know what would happen next. The chemistry between Jackson and Kiera was intense, and their journey from devastation to healing felt earned.
The Legion world continues to get darker and more addictive with every book, and I loved seeing how this story overlapped with the first while revealing so many hidden truths. If you love secret societies, brother's best friend, second chances, revenge, emotional gut punches, and dark romance filled with twists, this is one you don't want to miss.
E.K. Hunter has me completely hooked on this series!!!!
Cruel Betrayal absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Jackson and Kiera's story is packed with heartbreak, longing, secrets, and the kind of emotional angst that keeps you glued to the pages.
Watching years of pain, misunderstandings, and betrayal slowly unravel was both heartbreaking and satisfying. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist hit, leaving me shocked and desperate to know what would happen next. The chemistry between Jackson and Kiera was intense, and their journey from devastation to healing felt earned.
The Legion world continues to get darker and more addictive with every book, and I loved seeing how this story overlapped with the first while revealing so many hidden truths. If you love secret societies, brother's best friend, second chances, revenge, emotional gut punches, and dark romance filled with twists, this is one you don't want to miss.
E.K. Hunter has me completely hooked on this series!!!!
April 28, 2026
I think I liked this story much more than the first one, and it would have been a full five-star read if it hadn’t taken them so long to clear the air between them. I also would have liked a bit more groveling from Jackson, considering how much time he spent being downright mean to Kiera—especially since, in the end, she forgave him without a real “I’m sorry.”
Everyone wants to know the truth about Billie’s father, and the reveal will leave you stunned—especially when you realize what Kiera went through. All in all, the ending was perfect; I just wish we had gotten a little more time with all of them together.
Everyone wants to know the truth about Billie’s father, and the reveal will leave you stunned—especially when you realize what Kiera went through. All in all, the ending was perfect; I just wish we had gotten a little more time with all of them together.
August 18, 2026
#teamjandk
I am speechless about this book. Wait, no, that's a lie. I had a lot to say about "Cruel Betrayal," just ask the author, lol.
I finally got around to reading the second book in this series, and I couldn't stop. Well, I could with a certain chapter, lol. EK, you did an amazing job with Jackson and Kiera's story.
This is a second-chance romance where the two main characters fell in love with each other at a very young age, only to be ripped apart by something horrible. But true love always finds its way back, and that's what they did.
I will forever be on Team J&K.
I am speechless about this book. Wait, no, that's a lie. I had a lot to say about "Cruel Betrayal," just ask the author, lol.
I finally got around to reading the second book in this series, and I couldn't stop. Well, I could with a certain chapter, lol. EK, you did an amazing job with Jackson and Kiera's story.
This is a second-chance romance where the two main characters fell in love with each other at a very young age, only to be ripped apart by something horrible. But true love always finds its way back, and that's what they did.
I will forever be on Team J&K.
May 6, 2026
Loved this!! I couldn't put this down and read it within two days, definitely a first. Which I think is all you need to know with regards to how good the story is. Constantly had me guessing with what was going to happen next and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns it took.
May 27, 2026
2.5 stars
Cruel Betrayal takes place at the same time as "Cruel Love" (book 1). I read this immediately after finishing Cruel Love. There was a lot of storyline repetition. Heed the trigger warnings.
Cruel Betrayal takes place at the same time as "Cruel Love" (book 1). I read this immediately after finishing Cruel Love. There was a lot of storyline repetition. Heed the trigger warnings.
July 11, 2026
Absolutely devoured the book in one go. I was in a reading slump and I’m so happy to have come across the author and this series. Kiera and Jackson were damn good characters the story line was absolutely fab. Can’t wait for more books to come in the series
June 18, 2026
I did not vibe with the semxy talk or scenes in this book at all
May 5, 2026
This series isn’t talked about enough!!! If you love secret societies and a good bully romance then this one is for you! I absolutely devoured book one and was so excited for book two! E.K. Hunter did not disappoint and took us on an absolutely wild and unhinged ride!!! I loved Kiera and Jackson so much 🖤 Can’t wait for the next book in the series!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
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