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Sugar & Vice #3
Edge of Mercy
In this fight, feelings are the most dangerous weapon of all.
In the gripping conclusion to Allie Therin’s slow burn urban fantasy MM romance series, an empath and an empath hunter face off as the fate of an alternate-universe Seattle—and their own future—hang in the balance.
Caught in the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy, empath Reece Davies was forced to embrace his darker nature to protect the enemy he’d fallen for. Now, joining forces with others like him, drawn to chaos and vengeance by the corruption in his veins, Reece is being hunted…by the very man he saved.
Evan Grayson, a notorious empath hunter known as the Dead Man, was engineered to never falter from his mission—until he met Reece. Even corruption can’t cool their desire for each other, but with Reece’s dark side in control and all of Seattle at stake, Grayson must stop him, no matter the personal cost.
As the battle between the two enemies heats up, so does their forbidden attraction. But the danger is growing and closing in on them from all sides. Because Grayson isn’t the only one hunting the empaths—and they both may have finally met their match…
Sugar & Vice Book 1: Liar City Book 2: Twisted Shadows Book 3: Edge of Mercy
In the gripping conclusion to Allie Therin’s slow burn urban fantasy MM romance series, an empath and an empath hunter face off as the fate of an alternate-universe Seattle—and their own future—hang in the balance.
Caught in the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy, empath Reece Davies was forced to embrace his darker nature to protect the enemy he’d fallen for. Now, joining forces with others like him, drawn to chaos and vengeance by the corruption in his veins, Reece is being hunted…by the very man he saved.
Evan Grayson, a notorious empath hunter known as the Dead Man, was engineered to never falter from his mission—until he met Reece. Even corruption can’t cool their desire for each other, but with Reece’s dark side in control and all of Seattle at stake, Grayson must stop him, no matter the personal cost.
As the battle between the two enemies heats up, so does their forbidden attraction. But the danger is growing and closing in on them from all sides. Because Grayson isn’t the only one hunting the empaths—and they both may have finally met their match…
Sugar & Vice Book 1: Liar City Book 2: Twisted Shadows Book 3: Edge of Mercy
Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Allie Therin
12 books967 followersAllie Therin is a bicultural author of award-winning romance and urban fantasy. She also is, or has been, a bookseller, an attorney, a Parks & Rec assistant, a boom operator, and a barista for one (embarrassing) day.
A longtime fan of romance, mystery and speculative fiction, she now strives to bring that same delight to her readers. Allie grew up in a tiny Pacific Northwest town with more bears than people, although the bears sadly would not practice Spanish with her.
A longtime fan of romance, mystery and speculative fiction, she now strives to bring that same delight to her readers. Allie grew up in a tiny Pacific Northwest town with more bears than people, although the bears sadly would not practice Spanish with her.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Happy Release Day to the conclusion of one of my favourite series! 💕 💕 💕
Bless these two dumbos but it is SO HARD to take them remotely seriously as enemies because they literally NEVER stop being SUPER HORNY for each other at all fucking times.
I have only recently binged this series in preparation for the release of the third instalment and it has quickly become a favourite. The tension between Reece Davies and Evan Grayson across all three books has been some of the most entertaining, delicious and intoxicating tension I have encountered for a long time. I was really impressed with how much Therins skill in writing romantic and intimate connections has progressed.
Rest assured I wont say anything to spoilery about the plot. I think that Therin did a great job bringing together the story lines she lay down in the first two books, although she clearly has more to say about this world and these characters, which if you have read her Spellbound series won’t come as a surprise (and I wouldn’t be at all shocked to hear news of more books being released in this world). With that being said, people who have been waiting to pick up the series until the third book has been released will be satisfied with the reading experience if they jump in now.
Given the current geopolitical landscape, I enjoyed how Therin wove in themes of government corruption and the influence of lobbyists as well as the role of denial and moral culpability in the process of sanctioning and committing some real atrocious actions.
I am not sure if I am 1000% sold on some parts of the ending; it kind of came together a little TOO easily, but at the end of the day it didn’t stop me from having a great time and needing to thousand-yard-stare at the wall after reading how hot some of the scenes were 🥵. This book is probably a 4.5 stars realistically speaking, but I am rounding it up for the series as a whole and just being an addictive and engaging read.
As always, I was very appreciative to have Teru to hand hold me during ARC reads that make me need to yell at someone a little bit. After the collective neurosis we experienced waiting for these ARCs to drop I am so glad they ended up living up to expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
✨ Planned release 23 June 2026 ✨
Consider following my instagram
Bless these two dumbos but it is SO HARD to take them remotely seriously as enemies because they literally NEVER stop being SUPER HORNY for each other at all fucking times.
I have only recently binged this series in preparation for the release of the third instalment and it has quickly become a favourite. The tension between Reece Davies and Evan Grayson across all three books has been some of the most entertaining, delicious and intoxicating tension I have encountered for a long time. I was really impressed with how much Therins skill in writing romantic and intimate connections has progressed.
Rest assured I wont say anything to spoilery about the plot. I think that Therin did a great job bringing together the story lines she lay down in the first two books, although she clearly has more to say about this world and these characters, which if you have read her Spellbound series won’t come as a surprise (and I wouldn’t be at all shocked to hear news of more books being released in this world). With that being said, people who have been waiting to pick up the series until the third book has been released will be satisfied with the reading experience if they jump in now.
Given the current geopolitical landscape, I enjoyed how Therin wove in themes of government corruption and the influence of lobbyists as well as the role of denial and moral culpability in the process of sanctioning and committing some real atrocious actions.
I am not sure if I am 1000% sold on some parts of the ending; it kind of came together a little TOO easily, but at the end of the day it didn’t stop me from having a great time and needing to thousand-yard-stare at the wall after reading how hot some of the scenes were 🥵. This book is probably a 4.5 stars realistically speaking, but I am rounding it up for the series as a whole and just being an addictive and engaging read.
As always, I was very appreciative to have Teru to hand hold me during ARC reads that make me need to yell at someone a little bit. After the collective neurosis we experienced waiting for these ARCs to drop I am so glad they ended up living up to expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
✨ Planned release 23 June 2026 ✨
Consider following my instagram
June 29, 2026
I actually have no clue how to rate or even review this. Because if this actually is the end of the series with no further spin-offs or books planned, I’m disappointed and just.. flabbergasted. If there is more to come, I loved this book?!
You see, I inhaled this! So many good things!
Here are just a few things that worked wonderfully for me:
Evan and Reece are now enemies but still flirt.. ehm.. I mean ‚text‘ (kicking my feet while typing this)!
Their sexual tension is still the most delicious thing I’ve ever read!
They switch cars and chase each other with them!
The plot is THICK and FAST!
New and old villains surface!
Corrupted Reece is so fun and interesting!
The two teams around Reece and Evan are so fun to witness!
THERE IS ANOTHER BACKSEAT TRUCK SCENE AND IT IS DIVINE! 🥵🥵🥵
Evan and Reece and their protectiveness and obsession for each other melted me! 🫠
I love Jamey so much!
A lot of exclamation marks but all very justified 😍
BUT. But. Babes, what was that ending?
(SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!)
Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, got resolved. Everything felt incredibly rushed and I still have virtually all my questions unanswered. The author also went into a direction I didn’t see coming and sadly didn’t vibe with at all 🥺
For example, I hated that Reece reverted back to his pacifist self. I loved corrupted Reece, and I genuinely don’t understand what the point of introducing that side of him was if it was all undone by the end, effectively erasing the character development he went through in this book. So much time was spent rooting for him to find a balance between those two sides of himself, with Evan repeatedly assuring him that it was okay to be both - that he was still Reece, his bad-decisions-bear, no matter what.
And most importantly I hated the amnesia thing. It felt a bit lazy and made me lose my connection to Reece and Evan and their relationship, because wdym Reece doesn’t remember a single thing from the plot of this book now (the texting, the rescue, the obsession, the truck scene 😭)? I mean, I’m happy they’re happy - genuinely - but how everything came to be?? The fade to black in the most crucial moments? How Reece reverted back, his apparent new powers and how Grayson suddenly started feeling again? How he seemingly processed two years’ worth of traumatic feelings in a single evening? How Reece isn’t even fazed by the fact that they now can touch even though he doesn’t remember that whole thing at all?
Also: what about Alex? What about EVAN AND ALEX (god, the missed potential here makes me so mad)?? CORA? THE EMPATHS? THAT FUCKING BILL? VANGUARD?
(SPOILERS OVER)
Sarah with whom I read the ending (thank god we experienced that together!!! 💕) and I spent ages talking afterwards and couldn’t STOP coming up with unanswered questions and that’s just so damn unsatisfying.
Like I said, if there’s more to come: great, I’ll read the hell out of that and happily bump this rating up to 5 stars because what a nice cliffhanger for a new series/book! If not.. I’m honestly not sure what to make of this.
Ugh. I still love Reece and Evan, they’re one of the best couples I’ve read in a while with the most delicious sexual tension that DID THINGS TO ME and I do believe they’re endgame!
But that ending left me so so frustrated, knowing it’s the end of this trilogy. So I guess 3 stars it is?
I’m just gonna try to keep on swooning over book 2 because I adored that one! 🥺
You see, I inhaled this! So many good things!
Here are just a few things that worked wonderfully for me:
Evan and Reece are now enemies but still flirt.. ehm.. I mean ‚text‘ (kicking my feet while typing this)!
Their sexual tension is still the most delicious thing I’ve ever read!
They switch cars and chase each other with them!
The plot is THICK and FAST!
New and old villains surface!
Corrupted Reece is so fun and interesting!
The two teams around Reece and Evan are so fun to witness!
THERE IS ANOTHER BACKSEAT TRUCK SCENE AND IT IS DIVINE! 🥵🥵🥵
Evan and Reece and their protectiveness and obsession for each other melted me! 🫠
I love Jamey so much!
A lot of exclamation marks but all very justified 😍
BUT. But. Babes, what was that ending?
(SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!)
Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, got resolved. Everything felt incredibly rushed and I still have virtually all my questions unanswered. The author also went into a direction I didn’t see coming and sadly didn’t vibe with at all 🥺
For example, I hated that Reece reverted back to his pacifist self. I loved corrupted Reece, and I genuinely don’t understand what the point of introducing that side of him was if it was all undone by the end, effectively erasing the character development he went through in this book. So much time was spent rooting for him to find a balance between those two sides of himself, with Evan repeatedly assuring him that it was okay to be both - that he was still Reece, his bad-decisions-bear, no matter what.
And most importantly I hated the amnesia thing. It felt a bit lazy and made me lose my connection to Reece and Evan and their relationship, because wdym Reece doesn’t remember a single thing from the plot of this book now (the texting, the rescue, the obsession, the truck scene 😭)? I mean, I’m happy they’re happy - genuinely - but how everything came to be?? The fade to black in the most crucial moments? How Reece reverted back, his apparent new powers and how Grayson suddenly started feeling again? How he seemingly processed two years’ worth of traumatic feelings in a single evening? How Reece isn’t even fazed by the fact that they now can touch even though he doesn’t remember that whole thing at all?
Also: what about Alex? What about EVAN AND ALEX (god, the missed potential here makes me so mad)?? CORA? THE EMPATHS? THAT FUCKING BILL? VANGUARD?
(SPOILERS OVER)
Sarah with whom I read the ending (thank god we experienced that together!!! 💕) and I spent ages talking afterwards and couldn’t STOP coming up with unanswered questions and that’s just so damn unsatisfying.
Like I said, if there’s more to come: great, I’ll read the hell out of that and happily bump this rating up to 5 stars because what a nice cliffhanger for a new series/book! If not.. I’m honestly not sure what to make of this.
Ugh. I still love Reece and Evan, they’re one of the best couples I’ve read in a while with the most delicious sexual tension that DID THINGS TO ME and I do believe they’re endgame!
But that ending left me so so frustrated, knowing it’s the end of this trilogy. So I guess 3 stars it is?
I’m just gonna try to keep on swooning over book 2 because I adored that one! 🥺
June 29, 2026
This was a much anticipated read for me and I was really enjoying it but feel dissatisfied by the final resolutions. Happy to see other friends have loved it! There is lot to like! Would be interesting to know if the author plans to do a spin off series from here.
And maybe I’m just being a bitter old cow because I paid $20 AUD for this ebook 😆
Update to explain my excessive thoughts on this book because it’s haunting me and maybe I just need to get it all out. SPOILERS!!! And please don’t read this if you loved it I don’t want to rain on your enjoyment and I’m genuinely happy if none of these things bothered you and I wish my brain was chill like that.
I can’t help but feel the author got caught up in the expansive plot and didn’t know how to bring it all together. My brain had a conniption when the climax of the trilogy resolved with “and then it all went black”. I literally screamed at my Kindle!
After endless different character introductions, different points of view, and rehashing of the empathy situation the ending felt like a rushed scramble to tie everything up.
Ok here goes, look away now anyone who does not want ***********MAJOR SPOILERS***********
- Gahhhhhh what was with the amnesia thing??? Reece remembers nothing since the DOCK?? That’s an entire freakin book!? That happened at the end of book 2 am I right?? He doesn’t remember their banter and messages and selfies 😭 He doesn’t remember the truck and the snowstorm and coming to save Evan and their first major intimate encounter?? He doesn’t remember them TOUCHING! We have been waiting for that for 3 books and he CANT REMEMBER IT?! And now they just touch and suddenly love each other like they been doing it forever?? 😭 I feel cheated FOR Reece.
- Alex and Grayson..don’t even talk??? AFTER 3 BOOKS OF BUILD UP?? This was a huge part of the whole series and NOTHING?! 😭
- Evan was the Dead Man one minute and the next he is totally normal..wouldn’t he have been overwhelmed with a sudden rush of 2yrs worth of feelings to get through? His parents being murdered, losing Alex? Everything that’s happened. There was so much emphasis on him being the Dead Man that it felt shockingly anticlimactic for him to just regain his feelings again and be sailing into the sunset with Reece.
- The whole empath situation..it feels like we went back to square one. In both society and how they view empaths as well as personally for Reece. I thought there was going to be character growth, him learning to accept living with a hint of corruption, a degree of acceptance for empaths to have some self preservation and backbone?! Evan talks about loving both Reece’s pacifist and corrupted sides, why couldn’t this evolve to be a balance rather than just wiping that entire part?
- Cora! She got jipped man. She went from full on devil lady in book 1 to sweet and hugging people, kissing Alex on the cheek and wanting the best for the other empaths and feeling like a human again to getting chucked back in an empath asylum. Why does Reece get to go free and not her? Her character felt like a puppet.
- the world building..what about the ramifications of all those deaths and civilian injuries? Whats going to happen now with Evan and the Vanguards? They had their own way of intercepting police calls but no one could find Reece earlier? I feel like there were so many plot holes that just weren’t fleshed out and I was happy to ignore them for most of the series but now I can’t unsee them 🫣
I wanted to love this SO BAD and i promise I’m usually cool with some loose ends or continuity errors. I really was enjoying it until it all got wrapped in a tidy little convenient bow that ends in my personal pet hate of “and then he woke up”. There was so much potential here and maybe I’m just being a nit picky bitch but I can’t help but feel let down by this series 😔 I was loving it until that final chapter.
And maybe I’m just being a bitter old cow because I paid $20 AUD for this ebook 😆
Update to explain my excessive thoughts on this book because it’s haunting me and maybe I just need to get it all out. SPOILERS!!! And please don’t read this if you loved it I don’t want to rain on your enjoyment and I’m genuinely happy if none of these things bothered you and I wish my brain was chill like that.
I can’t help but feel the author got caught up in the expansive plot and didn’t know how to bring it all together. My brain had a conniption when the climax of the trilogy resolved with “and then it all went black”. I literally screamed at my Kindle!
After endless different character introductions, different points of view, and rehashing of the empathy situation the ending felt like a rushed scramble to tie everything up.
Ok here goes, look away now anyone who does not want ***********MAJOR SPOILERS***********
- Gahhhhhh what was with the amnesia thing??? Reece remembers nothing since the DOCK?? That’s an entire freakin book!? That happened at the end of book 2 am I right?? He doesn’t remember their banter and messages and selfies 😭 He doesn’t remember the truck and the snowstorm and coming to save Evan and their first major intimate encounter?? He doesn’t remember them TOUCHING! We have been waiting for that for 3 books and he CANT REMEMBER IT?! And now they just touch and suddenly love each other like they been doing it forever?? 😭 I feel cheated FOR Reece.
- Alex and Grayson..don’t even talk??? AFTER 3 BOOKS OF BUILD UP?? This was a huge part of the whole series and NOTHING?! 😭
- Evan was the Dead Man one minute and the next he is totally normal..wouldn’t he have been overwhelmed with a sudden rush of 2yrs worth of feelings to get through? His parents being murdered, losing Alex? Everything that’s happened. There was so much emphasis on him being the Dead Man that it felt shockingly anticlimactic for him to just regain his feelings again and be sailing into the sunset with Reece.
- The whole empath situation..it feels like we went back to square one. In both society and how they view empaths as well as personally for Reece. I thought there was going to be character growth, him learning to accept living with a hint of corruption, a degree of acceptance for empaths to have some self preservation and backbone?! Evan talks about loving both Reece’s pacifist and corrupted sides, why couldn’t this evolve to be a balance rather than just wiping that entire part?
- Cora! She got jipped man. She went from full on devil lady in book 1 to sweet and hugging people, kissing Alex on the cheek and wanting the best for the other empaths and feeling like a human again to getting chucked back in an empath asylum. Why does Reece get to go free and not her? Her character felt like a puppet.
- the world building..what about the ramifications of all those deaths and civilian injuries? Whats going to happen now with Evan and the Vanguards? They had their own way of intercepting police calls but no one could find Reece earlier? I feel like there were so many plot holes that just weren’t fleshed out and I was happy to ignore them for most of the series but now I can’t unsee them 🫣
I wanted to love this SO BAD and i promise I’m usually cool with some loose ends or continuity errors. I really was enjoying it until it all got wrapped in a tidy little convenient bow that ends in my personal pet hate of “and then he woke up”. There was so much potential here and maybe I’m just being a nit picky bitch but I can’t help but feel let down by this series 😔 I was loving it until that final chapter.
June 25, 2026
4.5**** stars
First of all, No! this was not any less good as the previous books.
BUT. At the end of a series there is no more illusion that open questions might get answered in the next one. And I still have questions.
I still have hope tho that this was all very intentional by the author, leaving all the loose ends to tie them all into a sequel book or even series, maybe, probably, hopefully with Alex as the main character.
I’m kinda contemplating if it was too early to join the bandwaggon after all. *lol
———
But man, what a ride. I loved every single second of it. I was even such a bitch I abandoned my reading buddy, Pauline, along the way because I couldn’t put this damn book down. I’m so sorry, babe.
************
Sugar & Vice Series
Book 1 - Liar City - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Twisted Shadows - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Edge of Mercy - 4.5 stars
First of all, No! this was not any less good as the previous books.
BUT. At the end of a series there is no more illusion that open questions might get answered in the next one. And I still have questions.
I still have hope tho that this was all very intentional by the author, leaving all the loose ends to tie them all into a sequel book or even series, maybe, probably, hopefully with Alex as the main character.
I’m kinda contemplating if it was too early to join the bandwaggon after all. *lol
———
“You’re an empath hunter. I’m a corrupted empath. And we’re going to have to say goodbye, just like we always do.”
But man, what a ride. I loved every single second of it. I was even such a bitch I abandoned my reading buddy, Pauline, along the way because I couldn’t put this damn book down. I’m so sorry, babe.
************
Sugar & Vice Series
Book 1 - Liar City - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Twisted Shadows - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Edge of Mercy - 4.5 stars
June 9, 2026
• ARC review • book 3 • paranormal urban fantasy • suspense • m/m •
Final book in the Sugar and Vice trilogy.
This is a paranormal urban fantasy suspense with a tasty side dish of m/m romance.
Paranormal empath Reece, the sweet baby pacifist we know from Liar City and Twisted Shadows. Reece’s sweet side is really put to the test when his trigger points are, well, triggered 👀
Evan the Empath Hunter with no emotions is doing what he knows best, keeping the public safe by protecting pacifist empaths. Hunting down and capturing corrupted empaths to be kept in a secure, safe facility. But everyone in power has their own agendas 👀 👀
This was such a great wrap up of this series. The perfect build to a high action, high tension, finale!
I loved this series so much! The tension between Evan and Reece being on opposite sides of this empath conspiracy and also not being able to touch.
Highly recommend! Especially if you are in for the plot and not much more than some romance teasers. The romance definitely takes the back seat here… iykyk 🤭
5⭐️
1🌶️
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy
Publish Date 23/6/2026 🤗
Final book in the Sugar and Vice trilogy.
This is a paranormal urban fantasy suspense with a tasty side dish of m/m romance.
Paranormal empath Reece, the sweet baby pacifist we know from Liar City and Twisted Shadows. Reece’s sweet side is really put to the test when his trigger points are, well, triggered 👀
Evan the Empath Hunter with no emotions is doing what he knows best, keeping the public safe by protecting pacifist empaths. Hunting down and capturing corrupted empaths to be kept in a secure, safe facility. But everyone in power has their own agendas 👀 👀
This was such a great wrap up of this series. The perfect build to a high action, high tension, finale!
I loved this series so much! The tension between Evan and Reece being on opposite sides of this empath conspiracy and also not being able to touch.
Highly recommend! Especially if you are in for the plot and not much more than some romance teasers. The romance definitely takes the back seat here… iykyk 🤭
5⭐️
1🌶️
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy
Publish Date 23/6/2026 🤗
June 29, 2026
Satisfying ending(?) to a really captivating urban fantasy/slow burn romance.
And no, not all questions have been answered by the end of it, but I didn’t mind, seeing as it left us in a good place.
We have Reece, who’s now “corrupted” aka on the dark side of empathy, bandying up with Alex and Cora to seek vengeance for what has been done to empaths.
And Evan, who’s coming to terms that corrupted empaths are not necessarily all evil and need to be hunted down and turned over to authorities.
Again, shoutout to the side characters. I’ve rarely read a book with so many pov-s, and it really helped fleshing out the story (and the universe). And it made some of the plot twists believeable (like Gretel switching sides), setting the storyline up for potential sequels.
Another thing I loved: the characters are nuanced, and especially the female characters are badass in their own way, without trying too hard: Jayme is Evan’s equal when it comes to strength, and fighting skills. Aisha is smart and tough despite her horrifying past. Gretel is smart as a whip and able to draw the right conclusions without being trapped in prejudice. And even the new Stone Solutions-CEO (while not perfect) showed a lot of unexpected potential.
As for the romance part: I swooned. Hard. Having Reece and Evan (finally) being able to be together, to finally touch, and kiss - it was everything I hoped for.
4.5 stars rounded up because I felt all the feels, bit all my nails and read what felt 24/7.
And no, not all questions have been answered by the end of it, but I didn’t mind, seeing as it left us in a good place.
We have Reece, who’s now “corrupted” aka on the dark side of empathy, bandying up with Alex and Cora to seek vengeance for what has been done to empaths.
And Evan, who’s coming to terms that corrupted empaths are not necessarily all evil and need to be hunted down and turned over to authorities.
Again, shoutout to the side characters. I’ve rarely read a book with so many pov-s, and it really helped fleshing out the story (and the universe). And it made some of the plot twists believeable (like Gretel switching sides), setting the storyline up for potential sequels.
Another thing I loved: the characters are nuanced, and especially the female characters are badass in their own way, without trying too hard: Jayme is Evan’s equal when it comes to strength, and fighting skills. Aisha is smart and tough despite her horrifying past. Gretel is smart as a whip and able to draw the right conclusions without being trapped in prejudice. And even the new Stone Solutions-CEO (while not perfect) showed a lot of unexpected potential.
As for the romance part: I swooned. Hard. Having Reece and Evan (finally) being able to be together, to finally touch, and kiss - it was everything I hoped for.
4.5 stars rounded up because I felt all the feels, bit all my nails and read what felt 24/7.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5-⭐
Released today (June 23, 2026). Go read it already!
Feelings when starting the book:
I am scared & horny, and also annoyed that I need to work for a living.
Review:
Liar City grabbed me and flushed my brain down the toilet. I've seen other people complain about plot and whatever (who even cares when it's Care Bear and not-really-Dead Man?) and honestly felt like I didn't even notice anything weird, I am the Blind Man.
Now, I am explaining all this because I feel like I have to justify that little minus up there after the five. Because, while I loved this book to bits, this time I was left with a couple of teeny tiny niggling feelings. It's much like Captive Prince part 3, which is great, and I love the whole trilogy, but there was two pretty stupid things in there. And I don't think things here were stupid, but as we've sort of followed the whole trilogy hoping and believing that all that talk about irreversible is bullshit, some of the resolutions in the end felt just a bit too simple.
Now that I let that out, I can focus on loving this book. Danger Bear and Thirsty Man completely suck at being enemies, which was really fun to read. And this trilogy brings me everything I want from a romance. Slow burn, mutual pining, banter, sort-of-enemies-to-sort-of-friends-to-sort-of-lovers-to-sort-of-enemies... I can't explain the dynamic neatly, but it is delicious. And actually I need to get back to slow burn, because this sort of isn't, though? It is, because the relationship doesn't start in the whole first book, but then again that book happens in a span of two days. Really this is a whirlwind romance, where both parties are totally consumed by thoughts about the other after knowing each other for two days!
There are horrible, greedy politicians benefiting from villainising the empaths and it's heartbreaking, and unfortunately not far-fetched at all. All three books are page-turners, I even love the fricking car chases. The first book is a great mystery but the sequels deliver good suspense stories. But the main feature is still the two leads and their epic relationship.
I really wish we would get more of Alex. Is there more books coming set in this universe? Is there, please? The corrupted empaths in general are interesting, as they obviously were not quite as b&w sadistic evils as initially portrayed. (Just like pretty much everything was either mis- or disinformation from the actual villains.)
This trilogy is among my favourites and up for reread in the future again. I have never been as excited to get an ARC, and I'm so relieved this third book lived up to my expectations. My thanks to the author, Harlequin, and NetGalley.
Released today (June 23, 2026). Go read it already!
Feelings when starting the book:
I am scared & horny, and also annoyed that I need to work for a living.
Review:
Liar City grabbed me and flushed my brain down the toilet. I've seen other people complain about plot and whatever (who even cares when it's Care Bear and not-really-Dead Man?) and honestly felt like I didn't even notice anything weird, I am the Blind Man.
Now, I am explaining all this because I feel like I have to justify that little minus up there after the five. Because, while I loved this book to bits, this time I was left with a couple of teeny tiny niggling feelings. It's much like Captive Prince part 3, which is great, and I love the whole trilogy, but there was two pretty stupid things in there. And I don't think things here were stupid, but as we've sort of followed the whole trilogy hoping and believing that all that talk about irreversible is bullshit, some of the resolutions in the end felt just a bit too simple.
Now that I let that out, I can focus on loving this book. Danger Bear and Thirsty Man completely suck at being enemies, which was really fun to read. And this trilogy brings me everything I want from a romance. Slow burn, mutual pining, banter, sort-of-enemies-to-sort-of-friends-to-sort-of-lovers-to-sort-of-enemies... I can't explain the dynamic neatly, but it is delicious. And actually I need to get back to slow burn, because this sort of isn't, though? It is, because the relationship doesn't start in the whole first book, but then again that book happens in a span of two days. Really this is a whirlwind romance, where both parties are totally consumed by thoughts about the other after knowing each other for two days!
There are horrible, greedy politicians benefiting from villainising the empaths and it's heartbreaking, and unfortunately not far-fetched at all. All three books are page-turners, I even love the fricking car chases. The first book is a great mystery but the sequels deliver good suspense stories. But the main feature is still the two leads and their epic relationship.
I really wish we would get more of Alex. Is there more books coming set in this universe? Is there, please? The corrupted empaths in general are interesting, as they obviously were not quite as b&w sadistic evils as initially portrayed. (Just like pretty much everything was either mis- or disinformation from the actual villains.)
This trilogy is among my favourites and up for reread in the future again. I have never been as excited to get an ARC, and I'm so relieved this third book lived up to my expectations. My thanks to the author, Harlequin, and NetGalley.
May 18, 2026
thank you to netgalley & harper collins for the arc!
2.5 / 5 stars
the third and final installment to the sugar & vice series was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and i'm left with some very, very mixed feelings after finishing it. i have so much to say, as a huge fan of the first two books and the world therin has created.
first and foremost, someone needed to take a freaking machete to this manuscript, because the sheer amount of bloat made the first half of "edge of mercy" borderline unreadable. this final installment was possibly the most egregious of the trilogy in terms of meandering pace, repeated conversations, and switching POVs like flipping through tv channels. it was genuinely disorienting trying to remember which characters knew what, which information was public knowledge, etc.
therin reiterates every plot point in the story tenfold, just in case you missed it the first nine times. the reader is never in the dark about anything going on, and that is a glaring flaw. there's a severe overuse of POV switching to various background characters just to ensure that everything happens on page instead of implied or revealed later on. there's no suspense! it's written like a tv show or movie, which i am personally not a big fan of.
there were no big or satisfying moments where everything "came together." after chapters upon chapters of painstakingly explaining the same plot points to different characters so that everyone is on the same page, you'd think all that would've at least been worth it for the grand finale. but no, the last handful of chapters felt rushed and underwhelming. there wasn't nearly enough time dedicated to exploring the newly revealed empath powers, alex & evan's relationship, reece's amnesia, alex and cora's storylines, evan's emotional awakening... it felt all for naught.
i truly wonder why so much of the book was dedicated to explaining the plot in such excruciating detail, because this series has phenomenal characters. it should have been character-driven first and foremost. it's a series about empathy, for god's sake! so many characters and relationships felt completely shunted in this finale. i wanted more depth from alex and cora, because they've suffered so much and their corruption is implied to be somewhat as complex as reece's.
i'm particularly miffed about the way alex was underutilized — i was so excited for he and evan to have a big moment where they finally get to make amends and be family again, so i'm left feeling a little hollow without satisfying closure for them. reece and jamey's sibling relationship was also cast to the side in favor of switching to a random secretary's POV for the hundredth time, because apparently that's more important. all the things i wanted to be shown on-page were left just implied at the end rather than explored in detail.
it also really sucks to read a whole book following the main character, only for his memory of all events that took place in the book to be freaking wiped from his head at the very end. the final chapters should have shown reece finding a balance between his pacifist side and his corrupted side, because as evan says, BOTH of them are reece. i cannot fathom why evan would be written to say that if corrupt reece was just going to get ctrl+alt+deleted at the end.
it's such a bummer, because reece was seriously addictive in this book — i couldn't get enough of him struggling with conflicting urges and succumbing to his own darkness. some of the best moments of the whole book involve reece overcome with that cold, unwavering fury, all because someone laid a hand on his dead man. it added so much depth to a character that i was already very fond of, so it stings to basically have that stripped from him at the last minute.
as always, the relationship between evan and reece is the shining beacon in a series that can otherwise be a bit of a drag to get through. their chemistry is unbeatable. every moment between them is electric and infectious. the way reece worms his way into evan's (literally) walled-off heart over and over again is unfailingly romantic. they are obsessive and possessive and belong to each other in such a beautiful way, i genuinely cannot get enough of them when they're on the page together. these two are going to live in my brain forever. i have way too many songs that are exclusively tied to them now.
overall, i'm left wanting more. i want more justice for the empaths, more worldbuilding, and most importantly, more reece and evan. it feels like there are a ton of loose ends that need to be tied, so hopefully there's a spinoff series on the horizon? i'm definitely feeling let down, but only because i adore this series and these characters. despite my criticisms, i would read a hundred more books in this world, because there is so much love here. every character moment in this installment filled me with the same joy that i get when rereading the first two books. reece and evan are one of a kind, bolstered by such a charming and unforgettable cast of supporting characters. i will always return to this world, and this series will have a place on my bookshelf forever. thank you, allie therin, for giving us sugar & vice.
2.5 / 5 stars
the third and final installment to the sugar & vice series was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and i'm left with some very, very mixed feelings after finishing it. i have so much to say, as a huge fan of the first two books and the world therin has created.
first and foremost, someone needed to take a freaking machete to this manuscript, because the sheer amount of bloat made the first half of "edge of mercy" borderline unreadable. this final installment was possibly the most egregious of the trilogy in terms of meandering pace, repeated conversations, and switching POVs like flipping through tv channels. it was genuinely disorienting trying to remember which characters knew what, which information was public knowledge, etc.
therin reiterates every plot point in the story tenfold, just in case you missed it the first nine times. the reader is never in the dark about anything going on, and that is a glaring flaw. there's a severe overuse of POV switching to various background characters just to ensure that everything happens on page instead of implied or revealed later on. there's no suspense! it's written like a tv show or movie, which i am personally not a big fan of.
there were no big or satisfying moments where everything "came together." after chapters upon chapters of painstakingly explaining the same plot points to different characters so that everyone is on the same page, you'd think all that would've at least been worth it for the grand finale. but no, the last handful of chapters felt rushed and underwhelming. there wasn't nearly enough time dedicated to exploring the newly revealed empath powers, alex & evan's relationship, reece's amnesia, alex and cora's storylines, evan's emotional awakening... it felt all for naught.
i truly wonder why so much of the book was dedicated to explaining the plot in such excruciating detail, because this series has phenomenal characters. it should have been character-driven first and foremost. it's a series about empathy, for god's sake! so many characters and relationships felt completely shunted in this finale. i wanted more depth from alex and cora, because they've suffered so much and their corruption is implied to be somewhat as complex as reece's.
i'm particularly miffed about the way alex was underutilized — i was so excited for he and evan to have a big moment where they finally get to make amends and be family again, so i'm left feeling a little hollow without satisfying closure for them. reece and jamey's sibling relationship was also cast to the side in favor of switching to a random secretary's POV for the hundredth time, because apparently that's more important. all the things i wanted to be shown on-page were left just implied at the end rather than explored in detail.
it also really sucks to read a whole book following the main character, only for his memory of all events that took place in the book to be freaking wiped from his head at the very end. the final chapters should have shown reece finding a balance between his pacifist side and his corrupted side, because as evan says, BOTH of them are reece. i cannot fathom why evan would be written to say that if corrupt reece was just going to get ctrl+alt+deleted at the end.
it's such a bummer, because reece was seriously addictive in this book — i couldn't get enough of him struggling with conflicting urges and succumbing to his own darkness. some of the best moments of the whole book involve reece overcome with that cold, unwavering fury, all because someone laid a hand on his dead man. it added so much depth to a character that i was already very fond of, so it stings to basically have that stripped from him at the last minute.
as always, the relationship between evan and reece is the shining beacon in a series that can otherwise be a bit of a drag to get through. their chemistry is unbeatable. every moment between them is electric and infectious. the way reece worms his way into evan's (literally) walled-off heart over and over again is unfailingly romantic. they are obsessive and possessive and belong to each other in such a beautiful way, i genuinely cannot get enough of them when they're on the page together. these two are going to live in my brain forever. i have way too many songs that are exclusively tied to them now.
overall, i'm left wanting more. i want more justice for the empaths, more worldbuilding, and most importantly, more reece and evan. it feels like there are a ton of loose ends that need to be tied, so hopefully there's a spinoff series on the horizon? i'm definitely feeling let down, but only because i adore this series and these characters. despite my criticisms, i would read a hundred more books in this world, because there is so much love here. every character moment in this installment filled me with the same joy that i get when rereading the first two books. reece and evan are one of a kind, bolstered by such a charming and unforgettable cast of supporting characters. i will always return to this world, and this series will have a place on my bookshelf forever. thank you, allie therin, for giving us sugar & vice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
August 14, 2025THERE'S GONNA BE A THIRD ONE FUCK YES FUCK YES FUCK YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
July 3, 2026
A very shaky 3 stars
That’s it?????? That’s ALL??????? After everything these characters went through, that’s how it ends??
My biggest issue is that the two main characters barely spent any time together. It felt like they were constantly separated, and then suddenly we were at the end with almost no emotional payoff. I kept waiting for things to come together, but instead it felt rushed and unfinished.
I also wanted actual consequences for the villain. We’re really putting him away for that instead of, I don’t know… torturing and enslaving human beings?? And don’t even get me started on Alex just riding off into the sunset with Gretel without ever fixing things with Evan. Those brothers desperately needed a real conversation.
Then Evan randomly catching feelings kind of came out of nowhere, and we got basically zero closure for all the corrupted empaths. There were so many loose ends that I honestly checked to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a chapter.
Things I loved:
* Mean Reece. I support his menace era.
* Reece taking out bad guys. 10/10, no notes.
* The sleeping bag scene. Easily one of the best moments in the whole book.
Things I didn’t:
* Reece suddenly becoming “good” again at the end.
* Alex leaving with Gretel instead of repairing his relationship with Evan.
* Evan’s random feelings.
* No real closure for the corrupted empaths.
Maybe my expectations were just too high after the first two books, but this ending didn’t come close to what I was hoping for. It wrapped everything up way too quickly and left me feeling more frustrated than satisfied.
That’s it?????? That’s ALL??????? After everything these characters went through, that’s how it ends??
My biggest issue is that the two main characters barely spent any time together. It felt like they were constantly separated, and then suddenly we were at the end with almost no emotional payoff. I kept waiting for things to come together, but instead it felt rushed and unfinished.
I also wanted actual consequences for the villain. We’re really putting him away for that instead of, I don’t know… torturing and enslaving human beings?? And don’t even get me started on Alex just riding off into the sunset with Gretel without ever fixing things with Evan. Those brothers desperately needed a real conversation.
Then Evan randomly catching feelings kind of came out of nowhere, and we got basically zero closure for all the corrupted empaths. There were so many loose ends that I honestly checked to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a chapter.
Things I loved:
* Mean Reece. I support his menace era.
* Reece taking out bad guys. 10/10, no notes.
* The sleeping bag scene. Easily one of the best moments in the whole book.
Things I didn’t:
* Reece suddenly becoming “good” again at the end.
* Alex leaving with Gretel instead of repairing his relationship with Evan.
* Evan’s random feelings.
* No real closure for the corrupted empaths.
Maybe my expectations were just too high after the first two books, but this ending didn’t come close to what I was hoping for. It wrapped everything up way too quickly and left me feeling more frustrated than satisfied.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2026
5++++++ Stars!!!!
I loved this so much! I’m sad it’s over. This series really surprised me. The first book lost me a bit and was good but I was waiting for more to happen. The second book pulled me in and kept me in the story and I became enamored with it. This book cemented this as my favorite read so far this year. It will be hard to top.
I didn’t know if we would get a resolution before the end. I was sort of hoping we wouldn’t and that maybe Allie Therin decided to write one more book for Reece & Evan and their siblings and friends. But it ended and it was everything!
I really had a hard time putting this down. There are multiple POV’s in this series and they work so well. I love these characters and I became invested in them. Because of this writing style the story moves quickly and keeps you in suspense and on the edge with anticipation.
Reece and Evan were so fun! Their interactions, starting with texts then phone calls, FaceTime and eventually face to face, were filled with their sarcastic humor. I liked Reece being corrupted because it showed a side to him that was less careful and so he pushed the limit with everything. Him still caring about his loved ones showed that the corrupted empaths aren’t as horrible as they are perceived to be.
I do feel like this isn’t the end to this story. It could be wishful thinking but there is so much I want to know! What happens to the corrupted empaths at Orion? Where are Alex and Gretel? What can Reece and Evan discover together to help turn the thinking about empaths around? Plus I just want more!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Romance & Carina Adores for this arc
All thoughts and opinions are my own
I loved this so much! I’m sad it’s over. This series really surprised me. The first book lost me a bit and was good but I was waiting for more to happen. The second book pulled me in and kept me in the story and I became enamored with it. This book cemented this as my favorite read so far this year. It will be hard to top.
I didn’t know if we would get a resolution before the end. I was sort of hoping we wouldn’t and that maybe Allie Therin decided to write one more book for Reece & Evan and their siblings and friends. But it ended and it was everything!
I really had a hard time putting this down. There are multiple POV’s in this series and they work so well. I love these characters and I became invested in them. Because of this writing style the story moves quickly and keeps you in suspense and on the edge with anticipation.
Reece and Evan were so fun! Their interactions, starting with texts then phone calls, FaceTime and eventually face to face, were filled with their sarcastic humor. I liked Reece being corrupted because it showed a side to him that was less careful and so he pushed the limit with everything. Him still caring about his loved ones showed that the corrupted empaths aren’t as horrible as they are perceived to be.
I do feel like this isn’t the end to this story. It could be wishful thinking but there is so much I want to know! What happens to the corrupted empaths at Orion? Where are Alex and Gretel? What can Reece and Evan discover together to help turn the thinking about empaths around? Plus I just want more!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Romance & Carina Adores for this arc
All thoughts and opinions are my own
July 7, 2026
Words cannot express how badly I want this book.
June 28, 2026
Can’t believe this is the end. I loved it but I also think there were a lot of questions unanswered.
June 10, 2026
This was the PERFECT ending for this series!!!
I seriously couldn’t have imagined a better plot or solution.
Allie Therin is putting crack in her books, this had me gasping, giggling and kicking my feet.
Reece and Evan as enemies? Those two were flirting so hard and nonstop thinking about humping each other! I just love their banter so damn much.
The evil empaths who just protect all their loved ones and other sweet empaths? I loved it.
Everyone at Stone solutions? Please jump off your multiple million dollar building.
Jamie? You’re the only one in this book with more than one braincell, I love you.
Gretel and Alex? I ship them so hard!!! Please, I need a shortstory!
I flew through this once again and almost cried when I had to put it down to go to bed.
Reece and Evan forever. 🥹
I seriously couldn’t have imagined a better plot or solution.
Allie Therin is putting crack in her books, this had me gasping, giggling and kicking my feet.
Reece and Evan as enemies? Those two were flirting so hard and nonstop thinking about humping each other! I just love their banter so damn much.
The evil empaths who just protect all their loved ones and other sweet empaths? I loved it.
Everyone at Stone solutions? Please jump off your multiple million dollar building.
Jamie? You’re the only one in this book with more than one braincell, I love you.
Gretel and Alex? I ship them so hard!!! Please, I need a shortstory!
I flew through this once again and almost cried when I had to put it down to go to bed.
Reece and Evan forever. 🥹
June 23, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Edge of Mercy is the third and final book in Allie Therin’s excellent Sugar and Vice trilogy. This series is one long story that is intense and exciting, with lots of reveals along the way, including a major one at the end of book two, Twisted Shadows. That means this book and review are going to give away some key events and you should absolutely read these books in order. This series is beyond amazing and I adore it to pieces, so if you are new to these books, start with my spoiler-free review of book one, Liar City.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
Edge of Mercy is the third and final book in Allie Therin’s excellent Sugar and Vice trilogy. This series is one long story that is intense and exciting, with lots of reveals along the way, including a major one at the end of book two, Twisted Shadows. That means this book and review are going to give away some key events and you should absolutely read these books in order. This series is beyond amazing and I adore it to pieces, so if you are new to these books, start with my spoiler-free review of book one, Liar City.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
July 1, 2026
3.5/5 stars
Preamble: i didn’t have an advanced copy to review, i waited till June 23rd like many of us. I became aware of Allie’s Sugar and Vice series because I’m a gay man and Rachel Reid recommended it (turns out, the two are not only pals but they share the same Carina press and Mackenzie as an editor). I read Liar City, Twisted Shadows and Edge of Mercy back-to-back, not having to wait for years for the trilogy to be complete. And because of that, I have the first two books fresh in my mind and my rating is founded in that.
I haven’t felt this conflicted about a story since the Lost series finale: cathartic emotional processing of the story and yet very frustrating narrative choices.
The great:
- I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is about Evan and Reece that makes it so captivating for so many readers but it’s such a joyride. My money is on the empathic man vs emotionless man pairing that makes their dynamic, their banter and forbidden love realistic, pulling the audience in to root for them. In someone else’s hands it could have become a caricature (it sounds like one when I explain it to people) but Allie does a fantastic job.
- Every time Reece and Grayson share a scene together: man, they’re electrifying. They somehow managed to make sleeping bag sex in the backseat of a car not only feasible, but thrilling. I should know from experience it’s not an easy feat. Hehe.
- Of the many ways The Dead Man could have become Evan Grayson again, I liked that Allie gave Evan that choice instead of relying on another method, e.g., Reece loving him back to life. Instead, it’s Evan’s love for Reece that brought both of them back to life, so to speak.
The infuriating bits:
- The amnesia as plot device. It is such a cop out. The book already makes the message loud and clear: each of us have good and bad parts and it’s that complexity that is fascinating about human nature. Making Reece forget all about his time as a corrupted empath robs him of that chance at complexity. Other reviewers have pointed it out: being able to integrate the pacifism with the corruption would have been a lot more fascinating and would have finally given Reece the maturity he needed. The ability to not faint when looking at a toy gun; to feel anger and rage and still choose to not let it control him and him actions. It’s not much different from wanting to strangle your boss on a bad day but obviously not acting on it. In fact, “resetting” Reece puts him in the same danger of being corrupted all over again. And without his lessons remembered from the previous corruption, who is to say his next corruption won’t go more side ways?
- Edge of Mercy was supposed to be the face off between (corrupted) Reece and the Dead Man. Practically every single conversation they have ever had has been about that: Reece is a loose canon but the Dead Man can do what it takes. That is why Book 2 landed with me as heartbreaking: that Reece has now become a sadistic killer and it cannot be reverted.
What we got in Book 3 instead was
(1) an ambivalent Evan and an ambivalent Reece: more of the same liminal state from Book 2 and
(2) not the preannounced dynamic of hunter-hunted but that of old-fashioned bickering lovers: they have quarrelled but they still love each other; they don’t leave or attack each other but they don’t apologise either; they banter and they sting each other but they navigate towards each other; like a soap opera. Cute but anticlimactic.
Book 3 delivered neither the danger of corruption that had been built up in Book 1 (Cora is a practically a lame version of herself in Book 3, in the cutest sense of the word) nor the heartbreak of corruption (Jamey would have been devastated; and the audience, too, if Reece had killed anyone - though he did thrall here and there, and that started the countdown to their deaths).
All in all, Allie Therin wanted to have the cake and eat it too: make Reece corrupt but keep him lovable; make the Dead Man ruthless but also avoid action at every opportunity; bring Alex back from the dead but only have him move the plot when convenient. Etc.
- I could live with some of the ends being kept loose (maybe for sequels) but the ending is unnecessarily rushed. Why not spend 4-5 more chapters on the aftermath of the many events? The audience would have eaten these chapters up. (1) We wanted to see more of Evan and Alex (2) More of Evan processing his feelings about the world and about Reece. (3) More of Reece understanding the implications of his amnesia (aka a bigger risk of being corrupted and behaving worse because of no memories).
- Annoying loose ends, in no particular order: why did Alex wait 2 years in hiding to only emerge now? How did Cora become a self-aware cvasi-pacifist instead of the same avenging empath? If the whole world saw the empaths making havoc in the stadium, why are the 10 empaths at a comfortable facility but Reece (arguably the most dangerous of them all, having been reset to a loose canon) is allowed to make gooey eyes with Evan? Now that everyone can see Evan is no longer the Dead Man, how come he gets to sway anyone from Stone Solutions anymore? The ending is with Charles Stone being arrested for something unrelated to the atrocities done to the empaths. How can the reader be sure that whoever takes his place (like the senator and the bill that got approved) won’t be the same or more ruthless?
Preamble: i didn’t have an advanced copy to review, i waited till June 23rd like many of us. I became aware of Allie’s Sugar and Vice series because I’m a gay man and Rachel Reid recommended it (turns out, the two are not only pals but they share the same Carina press and Mackenzie as an editor). I read Liar City, Twisted Shadows and Edge of Mercy back-to-back, not having to wait for years for the trilogy to be complete. And because of that, I have the first two books fresh in my mind and my rating is founded in that.
I haven’t felt this conflicted about a story since the Lost series finale: cathartic emotional processing of the story and yet very frustrating narrative choices.
The great:
- I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is about Evan and Reece that makes it so captivating for so many readers but it’s such a joyride. My money is on the empathic man vs emotionless man pairing that makes their dynamic, their banter and forbidden love realistic, pulling the audience in to root for them. In someone else’s hands it could have become a caricature (it sounds like one when I explain it to people) but Allie does a fantastic job.
- Every time Reece and Grayson share a scene together: man, they’re electrifying. They somehow managed to make sleeping bag sex in the backseat of a car not only feasible, but thrilling. I should know from experience it’s not an easy feat. Hehe.
- Of the many ways The Dead Man could have become Evan Grayson again, I liked that Allie gave Evan that choice instead of relying on another method, e.g., Reece loving him back to life. Instead, it’s Evan’s love for Reece that brought both of them back to life, so to speak.
The infuriating bits:
- The amnesia as plot device. It is such a cop out. The book already makes the message loud and clear: each of us have good and bad parts and it’s that complexity that is fascinating about human nature. Making Reece forget all about his time as a corrupted empath robs him of that chance at complexity. Other reviewers have pointed it out: being able to integrate the pacifism with the corruption would have been a lot more fascinating and would have finally given Reece the maturity he needed. The ability to not faint when looking at a toy gun; to feel anger and rage and still choose to not let it control him and him actions. It’s not much different from wanting to strangle your boss on a bad day but obviously not acting on it. In fact, “resetting” Reece puts him in the same danger of being corrupted all over again. And without his lessons remembered from the previous corruption, who is to say his next corruption won’t go more side ways?
- Edge of Mercy was supposed to be the face off between (corrupted) Reece and the Dead Man. Practically every single conversation they have ever had has been about that: Reece is a loose canon but the Dead Man can do what it takes. That is why Book 2 landed with me as heartbreaking: that Reece has now become a sadistic killer and it cannot be reverted.
What we got in Book 3 instead was
(1) an ambivalent Evan and an ambivalent Reece: more of the same liminal state from Book 2 and
(2) not the preannounced dynamic of hunter-hunted but that of old-fashioned bickering lovers: they have quarrelled but they still love each other; they don’t leave or attack each other but they don’t apologise either; they banter and they sting each other but they navigate towards each other; like a soap opera. Cute but anticlimactic.
Book 3 delivered neither the danger of corruption that had been built up in Book 1 (Cora is a practically a lame version of herself in Book 3, in the cutest sense of the word) nor the heartbreak of corruption (Jamey would have been devastated; and the audience, too, if Reece had killed anyone - though he did thrall here and there, and that started the countdown to their deaths).
All in all, Allie Therin wanted to have the cake and eat it too: make Reece corrupt but keep him lovable; make the Dead Man ruthless but also avoid action at every opportunity; bring Alex back from the dead but only have him move the plot when convenient. Etc.
- I could live with some of the ends being kept loose (maybe for sequels) but the ending is unnecessarily rushed. Why not spend 4-5 more chapters on the aftermath of the many events? The audience would have eaten these chapters up. (1) We wanted to see more of Evan and Alex (2) More of Evan processing his feelings about the world and about Reece. (3) More of Reece understanding the implications of his amnesia (aka a bigger risk of being corrupted and behaving worse because of no memories).
- Annoying loose ends, in no particular order: why did Alex wait 2 years in hiding to only emerge now? How did Cora become a self-aware cvasi-pacifist instead of the same avenging empath? If the whole world saw the empaths making havoc in the stadium, why are the 10 empaths at a comfortable facility but Reece (arguably the most dangerous of them all, having been reset to a loose canon) is allowed to make gooey eyes with Evan? Now that everyone can see Evan is no longer the Dead Man, how come he gets to sway anyone from Stone Solutions anymore? The ending is with Charles Stone being arrested for something unrelated to the atrocities done to the empaths. How can the reader be sure that whoever takes his place (like the senator and the bill that got approved) won’t be the same or more ruthless?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2026
One of THE MOST exciting, original, and interesting series I’ve read in a LONG time, I TOTALLY get the Sugar & Vice hype y’all!! I read some of @allietherin’s paranormal/historical romance/thrillers a few years ago and I loved them, but this series takes her incredible storytelling and sets it in modern Seattle, with gritty vibes and a complicated plot that gets tied up nicely in the end.
Basically, in this world there are empaths, people who can feel other’s emotions like they are their own if they touch them. There’s significant prejudice surrounding them, and both private industry and the government is involved both in increasing the public’s fear of them and controlling every aspect of their lives (sounds kinda familiar). Prickly empath Reese gets mixed up in a conspiracy attempting to unravel the entire plot, but he’s thwarted by Grayson, an empath hunter (specialist!) nicknamed the Dead Man who has no emotions and is able to knock empaths out with a touch. Things get complicated when Reese and Grayson realize they are attracted to each other but 1) they can’t touch each other and 2) Grayson’s whole job is being Reese’s enemy. It’s an incredible take on enemies to lovers, leads to some very interesting situations between the two of them, and ultimately results in a very sweet HEA that I loved.
Sugar & Vice is a trilogy and a VERY slow burn, it definitely helps knowing that going in because the romance doesn’t really come in until the second book. BUT if you love a fast-paced thriller plot with dangers and plot twists and all kind of fun characters and villains you will LOVE THIS SERIES. And omg, I feel like the ending left things open for more, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for more books in this world. No wonder @rachelreidwrites keeps talking about it!! Thank you to everyone who recommended this to me, y’all were all right!!
Basically, in this world there are empaths, people who can feel other’s emotions like they are their own if they touch them. There’s significant prejudice surrounding them, and both private industry and the government is involved both in increasing the public’s fear of them and controlling every aspect of their lives (sounds kinda familiar). Prickly empath Reese gets mixed up in a conspiracy attempting to unravel the entire plot, but he’s thwarted by Grayson, an empath hunter (specialist!) nicknamed the Dead Man who has no emotions and is able to knock empaths out with a touch. Things get complicated when Reese and Grayson realize they are attracted to each other but 1) they can’t touch each other and 2) Grayson’s whole job is being Reese’s enemy. It’s an incredible take on enemies to lovers, leads to some very interesting situations between the two of them, and ultimately results in a very sweet HEA that I loved.
Sugar & Vice is a trilogy and a VERY slow burn, it definitely helps knowing that going in because the romance doesn’t really come in until the second book. BUT if you love a fast-paced thriller plot with dangers and plot twists and all kind of fun characters and villains you will LOVE THIS SERIES. And omg, I feel like the ending left things open for more, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for more books in this world. No wonder @rachelreidwrites keeps talking about it!! Thank you to everyone who recommended this to me, y’all were all right!!
June 24, 2026
The Dead Man and his Care Bear 🐻. Did I think they'd actually end up together? Yes, because Allie always has her MC'S as a couple and in love at the end of her trilogies BUT we had to go through quite a lot of waffle to get there, what with people crawling out of the woodwork , and quite a bit of repetition. Both Reece and Evan had to race against time and work their socks off to get to where they wanted to be, everyone I wanted to survive did 👍 AND I understand that there may be more stories in the future, so 🥳🥳🥳 to that. There were a few puddle of goo moments towards the end of the story 💕. 4.5 stars rounded up, and thanks for 2 more characters to add to my fave book couples list Allie Therin.
July 12, 2026
I'm just gonna jump right on in with this.
This book didnt have the same energy as the other two. For starters, there was a lot of info dumping, which I had previously praised the series for NOT doing. There was a lot of repetition (a lot!) with inner thoughts, text messages, and shit we already knew, which slowed things down massively. I had also previously loved how we were drip fed info in the first one and left to put things together, but this one felt, I dont know... Dumbed down? Like the author was holding my hand, going, "And this is what this character is feeling, and this is why. You understand? Again, this is what he is thinking. Because of this. One more time?" Like, I get it. Move on. And don't get me started on the editing and formatting! I had written a massive paragraph about this but decided to delete, but the lack of uniform across the series took me out of the moment and made it seem unfamiliar.
Anyway, Grayson and Reece are apart for most of the book BUT they keep in touch via a game of cat and mouse, which was fun but didn't happen nearly as often as I would liked. It felt like we spent a lot more time in the POVs of the government bad guys and it dragged. Seriously. I had read reviews and was expecting the ending to be questionable, but never did I think I would be so bored getting there. I started considering a DNF at around 35%, but my love of the first two kept me going. I genuinely don't understand what happened to the quality of writing. It dragged over the repetitive stuff and then rushed over the interesting bits. Where was the description? Where was the depth and the emotion? I know Grayson doesn't feel anything, but damn, not even Reece's POV could save it.
Perhaps it felt off because it was the last one and there was a lot of ground to cover? Or because the two MCs barely interacted and there was a lack of banter? Or maybe it was how Corrupted Reece was written? I love a bad boy, but I gotta say I think Pacifist Reece was a lot more fun to read. So I actually didn't mind how it ended.
I'm so gutted I didn't enjoy this last one after giving the first two 5 stars.
This book didnt have the same energy as the other two. For starters, there was a lot of info dumping, which I had previously praised the series for NOT doing. There was a lot of repetition (a lot!) with inner thoughts, text messages, and shit we already knew, which slowed things down massively. I had also previously loved how we were drip fed info in the first one and left to put things together, but this one felt, I dont know... Dumbed down? Like the author was holding my hand, going, "And this is what this character is feeling, and this is why. You understand? Again, this is what he is thinking. Because of this. One more time?" Like, I get it. Move on. And don't get me started on the editing and formatting! I had written a massive paragraph about this but decided to delete, but the lack of uniform across the series took me out of the moment and made it seem unfamiliar.
Anyway, Grayson and Reece are apart for most of the book BUT they keep in touch via a game of cat and mouse, which was fun but didn't happen nearly as often as I would liked. It felt like we spent a lot more time in the POVs of the government bad guys and it dragged. Seriously. I had read reviews and was expecting the ending to be questionable, but never did I think I would be so bored getting there. I started considering a DNF at around 35%, but my love of the first two kept me going. I genuinely don't understand what happened to the quality of writing. It dragged over the repetitive stuff and then rushed over the interesting bits. Where was the description? Where was the depth and the emotion? I know Grayson doesn't feel anything, but damn, not even Reece's POV could save it.
Perhaps it felt off because it was the last one and there was a lot of ground to cover? Or because the two MCs barely interacted and there was a lack of banter? Or maybe it was how Corrupted Reece was written? I love a bad boy, but I gotta say I think Pacifist Reece was a lot more fun to read. So I actually didn't mind how it ended.
I'm so gutted I didn't enjoy this last one after giving the first two 5 stars.
July 14, 2026
Enjoyable conclusion to the trilogy and although I wished the ending could've been a bit different (corrupt Reece was just so fun) it still felt satisfactory, so still giving it 4 stars but more for the romance than the rest.
I admit the plot lost me a bit on this one, at one point midway I wasn't entirely sure if I understood half of it (too many pseudo villains to keep track of), but just went with the flow and enjoyed the action and the characters. And after all that slow burn and tension the romance finally came through and Reece and Evan's chemistry was definitely the highlight of this last volume. There were quite a few loose points that I hoped would be solved (Alex ? Gretel ?) and that epilogue was definitely not enough, but maybe it means we will get future books in the same universe.
I admit the plot lost me a bit on this one, at one point midway I wasn't entirely sure if I understood half of it (too many pseudo villains to keep track of), but just went with the flow and enjoyed the action and the characters. And after all that slow burn and tension the romance finally came through and Reece and Evan's chemistry was definitely the highlight of this last volume. There were quite a few loose points that I hoped would be solved (Alex ? Gretel ?) and that epilogue was definitely not enough, but maybe it means we will get future books in the same universe.
June 24, 2026
The thing about Evan not having feelings in the first book was an obvious lie, but in the third one is a painful stupidity. What do you mean no feelings, why would he do anything then? What about sex? What about protectiveness, motivation, irritation etc? But eh, I could maybe tolerate it, if the book (SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING) didn’t basically sterilise them at the end. Like what do you mean Reece has amnesia and is not corrupted? And I just wrote about Evan and feelings.
I wanted them to be together, but it’s not exactly them anymore, is it? I would love for them to learn that Evan has feelings, he just doesn’t recognise them as such, and he has some learning to do, and for Reece (and the world) to understand that corruption should not be called that, and it is controllable. Like two flawed ppl learning to be better together.
Instead we get cookie cutter ending that doesn’t really convey any emotions, ironically.
I wanted them to be together, but it’s not exactly them anymore, is it? I would love for them to learn that Evan has feelings, he just doesn’t recognise them as such, and he has some learning to do, and for Reece (and the world) to understand that corruption should not be called that, and it is controllable. Like two flawed ppl learning to be better together.
Instead we get cookie cutter ending that doesn’t really convey any emotions, ironically.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2026
I love it. I love them. It was everything I needed.
June 25, 2026
ahhhhhhhhhh i’m crying real tears at 5am i loved this so much i LOVE grayson and reece so much so so so so worth the wait
June 25, 2026
3.75. One of my most anticipated of the year, and it kind of disappointed. Definitely still enjoyed it and devoured it in two days, but it's the weakest of the series.
The first 75% had the most inexplicable bloat, and then the last 25% was exciting and interesting but didn't have enough word count to truly shine. Perhaps that's why the ending felt like such a cop out.
The first 75% had the most inexplicable bloat, and then the last 25% was exciting and interesting but didn't have enough word count to truly shine. Perhaps that's why the ending felt like such a cop out.
July 22, 2026
the “so bad it’s good” charm this series had in the first two books ran majorly stale here… zero new ideas, an egregious case of tell not show disease, and possibly the most counter productive ending ever? I don’t understand why this was written.
May 2, 2026
Literally amazing. I read this this non stop all day. The banter, the flirt- threatening, the steamy scenes, all of it was the best thing ever. Such a good conclusion to the story and I’m so sad it’s over now! I will definitely be re reading this. 10/10
*I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley
*I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley
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June 20, 2026"Corrupted or pacifist, it didn’t matter; there was no part of Reece that wanted to live in a world without Evan."
Edge of Mercy was the most satisfying ending to this amazing trilogy. All of the suspense, the tension and the slow burn come to the most epic of conclusions and I loved every second of it.
"I was a mess before, and I’m still a mess now, and the only time I’ve ever been okay was those few days when I was with you."
This truly is the best kind of slow burn because the tension is obvious in every one of their interactions. I mean, Reece and Evan aren't even in the same location for most of this book, but it doesn't lessen any of those feelings. They keep up the banter with phone calls and texts, and it just escalates that tension until it all comes together when they finally end up in the same place.
"And Grayson couldn’t stop himself: He darted in and brushed their lips together. It lasted less than a heartbeat, but he heard Reece’s breath catch, and the spark their split-second kiss lit across Grayson’s skin should’ve powered the whole building."
Reece and Grayson have had my heart from the day I met them and they're put through the wringer in this one. Whether he's corrupted or a pacifist, Reece is just as grumpy and endearing as ever. The cat and mouse game that they go through in this book was so fun and I just loved seeing them pretend their feelings don't exist as they constantly antagonise each other. They really push each other in this one and there were moments where I wondered how everything was going to be resolved, but I shouldn't have doubted it because we got the most beautiful HEA ever!
"He was looking at Reece, and now those hazel eyes weren’t a vault at all. Instead, they were a novel, so many words filling the pages that Reece could have read for days."
Of course, this wouldn't be complete without our fearless sidekicks, Jamey, Aisha, Liam and Diesel. They make quite the team and I loved seeing them on their side quests throughout the book. Them, along with Evan and Reece, really make an epic team and watching them bring down all the evil CEO's, ruthless billionaires and corrupt government officials was just amazing!
“You have to come back, Reece,” he whispered hoarsely. “Because I want us to be done saying goodbye.”
The nerve-wracking action, the entertaining banter, the swoony nicknames, the heart pounding emotions and the sweet culmination of that slow burn, made this one of my favorite books of the year! The Dead Man and his Care Bear have earned their place on my favorite couples list and though I'm sad their story is over, I'm so happy with how it ended. I wouldn't be mad if we got a spin-off (maybe with Alex?) but I'm okay with this being the end. Everyone's happy and in love and the world is healing. What more could you ask for?
“Care Bear?” he heard himself whisper. “What, baby?” “Is this feeling what I think it is?” Reece squeezed his hand. “Yeah,” he whispered back. “And I love you too.”
Edge of Mercy was the most satisfying ending to this amazing trilogy. All of the suspense, the tension and the slow burn come to the most epic of conclusions and I loved every second of it.
"I was a mess before, and I’m still a mess now, and the only time I’ve ever been okay was those few days when I was with you."
This truly is the best kind of slow burn because the tension is obvious in every one of their interactions. I mean, Reece and Evan aren't even in the same location for most of this book, but it doesn't lessen any of those feelings. They keep up the banter with phone calls and texts, and it just escalates that tension until it all comes together when they finally end up in the same place.
"And Grayson couldn’t stop himself: He darted in and brushed their lips together. It lasted less than a heartbeat, but he heard Reece’s breath catch, and the spark their split-second kiss lit across Grayson’s skin should’ve powered the whole building."
Reece and Grayson have had my heart from the day I met them and they're put through the wringer in this one. Whether he's corrupted or a pacifist, Reece is just as grumpy and endearing as ever. The cat and mouse game that they go through in this book was so fun and I just loved seeing them pretend their feelings don't exist as they constantly antagonise each other. They really push each other in this one and there were moments where I wondered how everything was going to be resolved, but I shouldn't have doubted it because we got the most beautiful HEA ever!
"He was looking at Reece, and now those hazel eyes weren’t a vault at all. Instead, they were a novel, so many words filling the pages that Reece could have read for days."
Of course, this wouldn't be complete without our fearless sidekicks, Jamey, Aisha, Liam and Diesel. They make quite the team and I loved seeing them on their side quests throughout the book. Them, along with Evan and Reece, really make an epic team and watching them bring down all the evil CEO's, ruthless billionaires and corrupt government officials was just amazing!
“You have to come back, Reece,” he whispered hoarsely. “Because I want us to be done saying goodbye.”
The nerve-wracking action, the entertaining banter, the swoony nicknames, the heart pounding emotions and the sweet culmination of that slow burn, made this one of my favorite books of the year! The Dead Man and his Care Bear have earned their place on my favorite couples list and though I'm sad their story is over, I'm so happy with how it ended. I wouldn't be mad if we got a spin-off (maybe with Alex?) but I'm okay with this being the end. Everyone's happy and in love and the world is healing. What more could you ask for?
“Care Bear?” he heard himself whisper. “What, baby?” “Is this feeling what I think it is?” Reece squeezed his hand. “Yeah,” he whispered back. “And I love you too.”
June 26, 2026
Frankly, the qualify of the actual prose is possibly the worst in the series- which is already somewhat of a low bar. There were multiple moments where they'd have a brief cutaway parodying a trashy fanfiction of the two main characters. The only problem is that the writing there and the writing for the actual story was virtually the same.
I also felt like some aspects of the overall story either dragged, didn't have proper buildup, or didn't reach a satisfying conclusion. The first and second books had me really intrigued on the process of corruption and how it could happen to a pacifist empath- as well as how it could be reversed. The answer to "how" for both questions was really glazed over and even unsatisfyingly vague.
The romance was still nice, although it did feel like the ending, where Reece has lost the memories of everything that happened while he was corrupted, severely detracts from what development did happen between him and Grayson in novel 3.
Additionally, I thought the reveal of Grayson's emotions was poorly handled. This might have been a problem with the writing, but I did not actually buy that Grayson had no emotions throughout the first two novels. I felt like it was written for that to be an obvious mistruth and for Grayson to just be denying the obvious. Maybe I was reading too much into uneven characterization and worldbuilding.
I also felt like some aspects of the overall story either dragged, didn't have proper buildup, or didn't reach a satisfying conclusion. The first and second books had me really intrigued on the process of corruption and how it could happen to a pacifist empath- as well as how it could be reversed. The answer to "how" for both questions was really glazed over and even unsatisfyingly vague.
The romance was still nice, although it did feel like the ending, where Reece has lost the memories of everything that happened while he was corrupted, severely detracts from what development did happen between him and Grayson in novel 3.
Additionally, I thought the reveal of Grayson's emotions was poorly handled. This might have been a problem with the writing, but I did not actually buy that Grayson had no emotions throughout the first two novels. I felt like it was written for that to be an obvious mistruth and for Grayson to just be denying the obvious. Maybe I was reading too much into uneven characterization and worldbuilding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2026
Aw man! I meant to come back and review this one before I returned the ebook to the library but my loan ended before I did and now all my notes and highlights are in the ether until I check it out again or buy it 😭
Suffice to say I loved it! In my review for Liar City I mentioned how the sociopolitical elements and parallels to the real world were upsetting and disturbing to me, but those elements were a huge part of what I LOVED about this entire series. I was captivated by how well Therin wove the real world current sociopolitical plagues in the US and the socioeconomic corruption of the US government into this story and this world so beautifully and brutally! THIS is why I love to read queer stories, especially by queer authors (I have no idea if Therin is queer but Therin seems to really get it.) These kinds of messages that call out and challenge real world wrongs and systemic racism, inequality, inequity and systemic terrorization of marginalized communities, as hard as they are to read, give me hope and make me feel seen and validated. Edge of Mercy and the entire series brought that. The fierce, truth to power energy Therin infused through the series is fantastic! Hard. Brutal. Challenging. Painful. But so worth it and so powerful.
And of course! Reece and Evan’s evolutions, individually, as a couple and romantically, were so, so satisfying.
I checked the entire series out from the library but would have been happy to buy them. That said, the series is so emotionally challenging with its trans and other marginalized communities allegories, that I’m not sure that I’d read it again, so I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll buy them. Besides, at this point, I’ve read the first two books twice now anyway. Still, I love supporting authors that get it so right, so maybe I will buy the series even if I won’t revisit it again.
It’s only 2 weeks since I finished Edge of Mercy but I can’t remember why I only gave it 4 stars not 5. Right Now Me Is tempted to change my rating to 5, but I must have had a reason for 4 stars when I rated it 2 weeks ago, so for now I’ll leave it. If I do reread, maybe I’ll bump it up then.
Happy reading y’all!
Suffice to say I loved it! In my review for Liar City I mentioned how the sociopolitical elements and parallels to the real world were upsetting and disturbing to me, but those elements were a huge part of what I LOVED about this entire series. I was captivated by how well Therin wove the real world current sociopolitical plagues in the US and the socioeconomic corruption of the US government into this story and this world so beautifully and brutally! THIS is why I love to read queer stories, especially by queer authors (I have no idea if Therin is queer but Therin seems to really get it.) These kinds of messages that call out and challenge real world wrongs and systemic racism, inequality, inequity and systemic terrorization of marginalized communities, as hard as they are to read, give me hope and make me feel seen and validated. Edge of Mercy and the entire series brought that. The fierce, truth to power energy Therin infused through the series is fantastic! Hard. Brutal. Challenging. Painful. But so worth it and so powerful.
And of course! Reece and Evan’s evolutions, individually, as a couple and romantically, were so, so satisfying.
I checked the entire series out from the library but would have been happy to buy them. That said, the series is so emotionally challenging with its trans and other marginalized communities allegories, that I’m not sure that I’d read it again, so I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll buy them. Besides, at this point, I’ve read the first two books twice now anyway. Still, I love supporting authors that get it so right, so maybe I will buy the series even if I won’t revisit it again.
It’s only 2 weeks since I finished Edge of Mercy but I can’t remember why I only gave it 4 stars not 5. Right Now Me Is tempted to change my rating to 5, but I must have had a reason for 4 stars when I rated it 2 weeks ago, so for now I’ll leave it. If I do reread, maybe I’ll bump it up then.
Happy reading y’all!
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