★★★☆☆
Save You by Mona Kasten
Maxton Hall #2
Huge thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley & NetGalley for the eARC! 💌
I don’t know how else to say this, but this book gave very much pretty packaging, mid contents.
Did I devour it? Yes.
Was I dramatically flipping pages at 2AM? Also yes.
Was half the book just emotional damage with no major plot movement?
Yeah... unfortunately.
This sequel basically rode on the aftershock of heartbreak. Ruby is done. James is a mess. Lydia is pregnant. Ember is… just kinda there. We’re thrown right into the drama, and it’s like everyone’s running in circles trying not to drown in their own trauma.
🥀 Second Chance Romance
🎓 Elite School Drama
🥀 Love After Betrayal
🎓 Angsty
🥀 Slow Burn Progression
🎓 Multiple POVs
The vibe is very elite school chaos, rich kid scandals, silent hallway stares, and holding-your-breath kind of tension. It reads like Gossip Girl with a German edge.
The writing?
Easy to consume. I flew through it. Mona Kasten definitely knows how to write readable angst. But tbh… it felt like everything could’ve been said in half the pages. This was classic second book syndrome—a whole lot of vibes, not a lot of plot.
What I liked:
✧
Lydia’s POV was a slay.
She’s raw, vulnerable, stuck in a situation too big for her, and honestly the most emotionally complex in the book. I love her.
✧ The Maxton Hall setting stays undefeated. There’s something fun about reading drama unfold in such a rich, polished environment.
✧ The side ships are giving potential. I need more of Wren/Cyril and Graham/Lydia like now pls.
What didn’t work for me:
✧ Ruby and James? ZERO development. He hurt her. She can’t forgive. Rinse and repeat for 300+ pages.
✧ Not enough groveling. Sorry, but James needed to work way harder to earn anything back.
✧ Ember’s POV? Sorry but I skimmed half of it. Her parts felt unnecessary.
This book was 90% emotions, 10% actual story movement, and I still can’t decide if I liked that. I wanted more growth, more tension, more consequence. Instead, it felt like everyone was just stuck. That said, the cliffhanger did its job—because I’m literally already reaching for Save Us.
Final thoughts:
If you’re here for teen angst, fancy uniforms, betrayal, reconciliation, and messy friendships, you’ll be entertained. Just don’t expect massive revelations or wild twists. It’s a slow emotional burn.
But also… if James fumbles one more time, I’m launching him into the sun ☀️