Kierce sacrificed himself to save Frankie, and now it’s her turn to rescue him. Whether he wants her to or not. That means venturing into Abaddon, the land of the dead, and hoping she can locate him within its shadowed depths before Dis Pater notices his favorite toy is missing. But Dis Pater isn’t the only deity she has to fear.
Frankie’s father has learned of her journey down to his domain, and he won’t take no for an answer when he welcomes her into his home. As if one MIA parent materializing wasn’t bad enough, her mother arrives with her own emotional baggage in hand. Forget the perils of traversing the underworld. Navigating this family reunion just might be what kills her.
Hailey Edwards writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy.
It was a satisfying ending, though is it weird to say that it was a little easy? I kept waiting for something awful to happen, given how easily things were wrapping up.
Still, I enjoyed it, and low angst is nice too, given the amount of real life stress I'm juggling right now.
Probably not the most exciting book of the series, but still satisfying and fun. The characters, as with all Ms. Edward’s books, are by far the reason for reading. They absolutely pull a reader in and make us part of their family and lives. This makes each book so enjoyable to read, even without super action-packed scenes or over-the-top angst. And, as the finale, it ties all ends up nicely and leaves us with a sigh and a smile.
Finally, Frankie gets her butt in gear and starts to face who she is and what she is becoming. Josie and Matty are finally making Frankie let them be adults in their own right, mistakes and all. Kierce his past are explored and his and Frankie's connection is stretched to the limit. I really liked this one and think it was a great way to tie up the story. I do feel like Matty's HEA was a bit out of no where but i'll take it.
There were parts I liked and there is a reason why this author is one of my favourites, but this series gets a no from me.
The romance, which in previous series' was cute or wholesome or exceptional, was like an afterthought here. Which would've been fine if part of the mystery didn't actually revolve around a tragic love story. I get why they held back and their relationship moved so slow, but c'mon. The last chapter? I feel robbed.
The friendships and family bonds were amazing, as usual. We do get quite a few redemption arcs and I didn't expect that.
I'm glad that Frankie gets at least one decent parent.
Overall, not a terrible series, but not a great one either. But it's probably just me and my tastes.
Oh my, this book was a lot! It was all about Frankie’s determination to save her love, Kierce, no matter how impossible it is to accomplish. She meets her father and mother for the first time, and finds out some truths about her beginnings that are hard to hear, but explain a lot. Frankie’s family and allies, including an unexpectedly helpful Ankou, are there to aid her in any way they can. Frankie works hard to figure out a way for everyone she loves to survive and flourish, which is a wonderful way to end this awesome series.
As usual Hailey ends this series with gold. All I can say is thank goddess there was no fade to black as soon as it came time for the spicy scene we've all been waiting for. This was a wonderful series that kept me on my toes and everything you could wish action, adventure, found family and friends and added some good romance in there especially at the end.
Unfortunately a really underwhelming finale and with the way everything was handled, there is no way Frankie’s getting a HEA. The way Dis Pater was handled was just so dumb? Like I absolutely hate how that “solution” was handled because you just know one day they’re gonna forget to do the ONE thing that they need to, and he’s gonna start fucking shit up again. And then to have her and Kierce be like “I’m retiring and not gonna do divine stuff”—how are you gonna do that when you just found out that literally EVERY GOD IS GOING TO TRY TO KILL YOU?! The world ain’t gonna let you retire, missy.
World building is also exciting, but unfortunately I’m still left with so many questions.
Also I absolutely love Kierce, but the romance really fizzled after Book 2, which makes no sense when you finally find out their backstory. It should’ve been more impactful, but I think I love Kierce more than Frankie does.
On the plus side, I absolutely love the friendships and familial bonds across All of the characters. It’s wonderful and I liked having the little epilogue where we get to see them all together and enjoying the comraderie. They just really deserve a better ending and I’m so disappointed that they didn’t get that in this book
Oh.My.Goodness. Kierce is in a bad place (literally) after sacrificing himself so he didn't hurt Frankie and Frankie is VERY NOT OKAY WITH THAT. The being in a bad place part. I mean, she's also not thrilled with the sacrificing because seeing the guy she has feelings for (regardless of how hard it is for her to admit to said feelings) getting hurt for her is difficult, but being a God Blood does give Kierce a measure of immunity against death so there is that.
On the downside of things, having an immunity to death also means a person can be hurt and tortured in horrible ways and not die. Which is (unfortunately) also a reality when you're the Viduus of a death god.
Anywho. Frankie doesn't care what she needs to do to get Kierce out, she's willing to do it. Well, provided her siblings are also kept safe. It turns out she's not cool with sacrifice on any level, except maybe her own. That said, Frankie also gets hit hard with a whole lot of truths she wasn't looking for. Like who her parents are. Which was really something she wasn't expecting to find out so the truth of that kind of threw her (not to mention that her dad is kinda a douchenozzle with some mad scientist aspirations and NO THANK YOU. Her mom's pretty cool, though). However, finding out her parentage also put some things into perspective. Like why her abilities are a little off center and why she has the type of bond she has with Anunit.
Let's just say this was a VERY satisfying ending. Frankie gets answers (so many answers). The bad guys get their comeuppance (so much comeuppance). The past is unveiled and feelings are admitted to. That last part might have been the hardest for Frankie. She's a lady who likes to play her cards close to the vest and finding out what she found out about herself had her questioning a lot of things that were and could be. Fortunately, her friends and family pulled her out of her head and made sure she knows she's loved. GOOD STUFF ALL AROUND!
Ride Or Die wraps up this fantastic series with mythical battles, high stakes, epic magical revelations, and an absolutely satisfying ending for all the characters.
The Body Shop series has followed Frankie and her adopted siblings, the Mary’s as they call themselves after the official ‘house of horror’ they were forced to live as children, they’ve come through perilous events and horrific experiences that’s seen them come out more powerful individually and as a found family.
From one where Frankie was the one who provided and held everything together to a family that worked together as a unit for a common purpose. The character development and plotting was even, strong and often compelling. And Edwards didn’t leave any character behind in bringing relationships and old friendships forward as things went further into new developments.
Kierce sacrificed himself for Frankie and now she’s going to save him. It’s time for revelations, god comeuppances, and the final showdown. And some real surprises.
Dis Pater is shown to be even worse than thought to be. But the biggest bad is a well crafted evil, multi dimensional villain who’s horrific in his clarity of vision.
It’s reasonable and believable and makes this credible that’s there’s a cost of defeating him. It wouldn’t have made sense otherwise. Or been in keeping with the types of magical powers and abilities that were used by all of the characters here.
In the end, we get a sense of how the characters are in their lives and how they feel going forward. It’s contentment and happiness. And that makes The Body Shop a well written, highly compelling and satisfying series, one I’m happy to recommend.
Love the covers. Every single one.
Cover by Damonza Illustration by Marouane Hs
The Body Shop - series complete: 5 books: Fair Market Value #1 Amber Gambler #2 Midnight Auto Parts #3 Cheater Slicks #4 Ride or Die #5 - series finale
Ride Or Die wraps up this fantastic series with mythical battles, high stakes, epic magical revelations, and an absolutely satisfying ending for all the characters.
The Body Shop series has followed Frankie and her adopted siblings, the Mary’s as they call themselves after the official ‘house of horror’ they were forced to live as children, they’ve come through perilous events and horrific experiences that’s seen them come out more powerful individually and as a found family.
From one where Frankie was the one who provided and held everything together to a family that worked together as a unit for a common purpose. The character development and plotting was even, strong and often compelling. And Edwards didn’t leave any character behind in bringing relationships and old friendships forward as things went further into new developments.
Kierce sacrificed himself for Frankie and now she’s going to save him. It’s time for revelations, god comeuppances, and the final showdown. And some real surprises.
Dis Pater is shown to be even worse than thought to be. But the biggest bad is a well crafted evil, multi dimensional villain who’s horrific in his clarity of vision.
It’s reasonable and believable and makes this credible that’s there’s a cost of defeating him. It wouldn’t have made sense otherwise. Or been in keeping with the types of magical powers and abilities that were used by all of the characters here.
In the end, we get a sense of how the characters are in their lives and how they feel going forward. It’s contentment and happiness. And that makes The Body Shop a well written, highly compelling and satisfying series, one I’m happy to recommend.
Love the covers. Every single one.
Cover by Damonza Illustration by Marouane Hs
The Body Shop - series complete: 5 books: Fair Market Value #1 Amber Gambler #2 Midnight Auto Parts #3 Cheater Slicks #4 Ride or Die #5 - series finale
*Source* Kindle Unlimited *Genre* Urban Fantasy *Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Ride or Die is the 5th and final installment in author Hailey Edwards' The Body Shop series. If you've been riding shotgun with Frankie and her ragtag family of survivors since Fair Market Value, this book is the high-octane payoff you've been craving. For newcomers, it's a solid entry point—though I'd urge starting from the beginning to fully appreciate the layered lore—but be warned: the emotional investment runs deep. At its core, Ride or Die picks up right where Cheater Slicks left us dangling on a knife's edge.
I was so eager to read this, I started it as soon as I got it. Frankie is trying to find a way to rescue Kierce, and she’s trying to keep her family out of it. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and so much happens to Frankie and Kierce, I wasn’t sure I was going to survive. This is an intense series-ender, and I am so sad it’s over like I am whenever a series by this author is over. I look forward to the next. This is a wonderful, well-written series ending book that wraps everything up, and we get a very satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
This one ended the series in a good way. It wasn't easy for Frankie and her crew to get to the good at the end, but by sticking together they managed to over come so much! It was interesting what Frankie found out about her parents, part horrible, part good. Things with Kierce looked iffy for a bit, but that worked out in a great way! Frankie's mentors stepped up to help too, even at the end, one of them made a choice Frankie will never forget. Seeing the Christmas celebration was the perfect ending, everyone goofing about and proving that family is what you make of it and once you are in, you are in.
This series did not, on the whole, appeal to me. I didn’t much care for the main character or the siblings….too immature for my tastes. The main love interest was appealing enough, but he seemed to spend a considerable amount of time someplace….other. I did need to find out how it all ended, though. And the wrap-up was worth it. Is this on the “Favorites-Would Read Again” shelf? No, but that is a matter of taste. The writing is excellent, as is to be expected from the author. The plotline is along-side her other series but quite unique. So, good series, just not my favorite.
A great ending for a great series. After Kierce ends up back in Abaddon by sacrificing himself for Frankie, she is determined to get him back. With help from Ankou, who wants something unknown, the group heads out. There are quite a few difficulties that have to be beaten but with help from friends and new family members things do happen. This is one of the books I find a bit difficult to review without spoilers. A lot happens that make this an enjoyable read. There are surprises, suspense, humour, sadness and romance. All in all I found it a good finish to an enjoyable series and would definitely recommend it.
I absolutely was thrilled to read the conclusion story of Frankie and the rest of the Marys. Being immersed in all the things from Hailey Edwards' many hours world building was a fantastic brain break for me. Frankie is a favorite character of mine, as we got to see her whole story. I love her fierce protect I mess over all of her loved ones, even the dead. This was action packed with all the twists you expect to find and we got that extra spice ;)
Leaning toward 3.5. Getting back into the storyline was a bit challenging with all of the characters - as well as a few new ones that you feel like you need to get involved with based on their roles. There are a few parts that I just didn't get into though. I thought the conclusions with the "bad guys" was pretty inventive if not fully believable. There are a few bittersweet moments but overall, as a finale, this one wraps it up with plenty of HEA for the team.
I wanna kick and scream if this is the end but if it is, then a high note was in perfect pitch. Hailey Edwards is a masterful artist with her character's and their antics. I love her writing and can usually put her writing in the FF -family friendly category. I can't say enough about the series I have enjoyed but as I don't do spoilers I will end her and say this is Collection worthy!
As usual, Hailey has hit a home run. Could not have asked for a better conclusion to this series! Adored these characters! The siblings are hilarious and remind me so much of me and mine. Absolutely loved the character arc for the MMC. Great ending! Cannot wait to see what HE writes next!
I love this series. So detailed. Incredibly intriguing. So much character development. Dropped every other book I was reading to start and finish this one. Start at the beginning. Read them all and you will agree this is the best HEA that could have been created for these characters.
I really enjoyed frankies story and all the twists and turns it took, I laughed and cried along with her and her chosen and found family. Hailey never fails to hit the mark with each series she does. 10/10
This last book of the series was the best of the bunch. Don't get me wrong , they were all great. But this one was extra special. I never know how to write a review without giving the story away so I'm going just say that this last book was fantastic.
This final book could have went a bunch of different ways, but this ending was fantastic. I love the new female character, the uncertainty of the new relationship. It comes off as real.
This was another awesome installment in The Body Shop universe! With many threads woven together, bringing it all to a spectacular conclusion, I will miss the characters and all their shenanigans! I highly recommend reading Ride or Die, and all of Haileys books!
Loved this series. I would have liked Frankie and Kierce to be properly together a bit sooner, but developments in this story explained why the author had to hold back. Overall another great series from one of my favourite authors.
A mixture of everything that makes a great story. Mystery, romance, gods, fae, ghosts and wonderful humor. Dark moments and light - I was hooked and read each book one after another to find out all the twists and turns ….. you should do the same!
Edwards never disappoints. I hate going to Fairie, and the Underworld, so I was expecting to not love this. Pleasantly surprised, I didn’t get annoyed, or skim ahead even once! I should’ve had more faith.