I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I went into Lovely Torment with fairly high expectations because I truly loved the first book. That made this one a bit harder for me, because while I did enjoy it, I was also left with mixed feelings.
One thing I absolutely loved was getting glimpses of Sunny again. She truly is a ray of sunshine, and I was so happy she was still part of the story. Please, give me more Sunny, I adore her.
My biggest struggle was Finn’s obsession with Yelena. From the very beginning, it felt uncomfortable especially because, let’s be honest, he was married. That alone was a huge red flag for me. His fixation on Yelena seemed to come instantly, and as a result, his marriage to Emily fell apart. By the end of the book, I honestly felt like Emily was far better off with Bodhi, Finn’s brother, than she ever was with Finn himself.
When Finn and Yelena are together, the intensity between them still felt strange to me. From Yelena’s side, I understood it more .. she had been deeply tormented by Rykov, and finding someone kind, attentive, and gentle after everything she endured made sense. But Finn’s side of it never fully sat right with me.
Overall, Lovely Torment was a good read, even if it didn’t live up to my expectations after the first book. I enjoyed it, I stayed invested, I recommend this book.
SPOILER..!!!
I also really appreciated Yelena’s growth. Watching her rise to the challenge, reclaim herself through all the torment, and step into what is rightfully hers within her family was powerful. She became even stronger than she already was, and I’m glad she got the happy ending she deserved.
That said… I’m still left wondering: what about Sasha? Are we getting a third book? Is he coming back to cause chaos, or are we meant to imagine what happens next on our own? That lingering question kept me from feeling fully satisfied.