Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass ich mich ändern könnte. Mein Fokus im Leben war immer meine Karriere und mein Team. Bis meine verdorbene Seele die süße, engelsgleiche Ari Alvarez traf.
Ihre Liebe ist zu meiner neusten Sucht geworden. Doch gerade als die Dinge wieder in Ordnung zu sein scheinen, lauert das Böse. Eine neue Bedrohung, vor der ich uns unbedingt beschützen will.
Ari Alvarez
Seit ich den sündhaft gut aussehenden Navy SEAL kennengelernt habe, hat sich mein Leben verändert ... für immer. Nach dem Tod meines Bruders habe ich mein Leben selbst in die Hand genommen, doch dann begegnete ich Grim Reaper - und wurde von ihm auf die beste Art und Weise zerstört. Aber obwohl ich mich bei Danny sicher fühle, ertappe och mich immer noch dabei, wie ich über meine Schulter schaue.
Lexie Axelson is a Hispanic Author from South Texas. She is a military spouse currently residing on the East Coast. She loves to pen angsty, heartbreaking love stories. When she isn't reading a book, she loves to watch horror movies and travel with her family.
Damn it, I would rather choose not to be harsh since these two installments are her debut books, but I can't help it. The writing was subpar, lots of grammar issues, syntax issues, and the dialogues were simply poorly constructed. The abrupt transitions between ideas and arguments (particularly the dispute in chapter 25) were jarring, unnatural, and characterized by a constant bouncing back and forth. Again, just like in the first book, information and certain statements were continuously repeated, as if the chapters were entirely independent of each other and not building upon one another.
The characters don't really evolve. I have never been as annoyed by a FMC as I was by Ari. There is no self-reflection, no introspection, no emotional development WHATSOEVER. She embodies ambivalence in persona. 80% of her character consists of blaming others for her own misery and actions in which she is 100% involved (Kane is about to kiss her, she closes her eyes and “gives in to the forbidden moment” but it's his fault?!). I wanted to feel sorry for her, but the way she behaved was just childish! She contradicted herself in every statement about Danny and Kane because the author insisted on introducing the love triangle with Kane. The author wanted you to doubt her feelings, yet the inner monologues always felt artificial and forced. Also, Kane is labeled as the “good” guy even though he sleeps with her best friend–despite having obvious feelings for Ari. How can this contradiction be completely overlooked by Ari?
Furthermore, the entire story was crafted with a level of amateurism that was beyond reproach. Starting the first chapter, from Kane's perspective, was a very strange idea. From the third page, it was evident that the plot would proceed in a certain direction. The deployment scenes were written as if they were happening just around the corner and not overseas. That was incredibly unrealistic and sloppy writing. The whole story was constructed in a way that each chapter carries its own drama, and one moves from one drama to another. The sweet, silent moments between the MCs, the ones that would build a bond, were completely missing! It was exhausting to read. The interaction with Danny's father was redundant and did not contribute significantly to the plot, aside from adding additional drama.
Overall, both books were promising, and I really wanted to like them, but I'm very disappointed.
we hate love triangles (eww 🙄) and fiza might kill me for this, but i’m giving this series another chance oop-👹
update: how do i unread this💀 i’m sorry, i really tried, but everything the fmc did (or even just thought of) was so ridiculously immature, i just can’t 😪
I did enjoy the story throughout the two books, but the writing has been bugging me a lot and severely dragged down my reading experience at times.
I’ve read a lot of books lately which have been officially published and am now back on reading indie writing with this one and I am realising how vastly different the writing and author’s articulation is…
Honestly speaking, I haven’t noticed this as strongly before and am a little surprised at how some sentences are constructed and how they were made sense of. Partially, it’s super weird to read. It feels like there was no or insufficient (final) proofreading, because there definitely are things which don’t make a lot of sense and would be better off phrased differently.
I was lucky enough to be on the ARC team for the 2nd book of Lexie's.
Danny and Ari blessed us with their .....unique ;) love story in book number 1. Making the readers instantly fall in love with the 6'6 dirty blond, tattooed covered Navy SEAL... Drool..
She captured the PTSD and all of the mental issues that come with service for our Military, perfectly. I've seen it first hand with my husband who is a former Marine and she was pretty spot on. I am absolutely obsessed with Danny and Ari and how much the two of them have changed each other and how much more in love they fall.. even when 1 of them is being super stubborn.
Theres a 3rd POV.. let me tell you.. at points I understood. The heart wants what the heart wants...whether its good for you or not. .. and that's exactly what we saw...having a 3rd POV made this super interesting. I hope we get to see more from this persons POV in the next book.
5/5 for Spice! 5/5 for DID NOT see that coming. 5/5 for HOLY SH*T! 5/5 for everything.
I honestly cried the whole beginning of this book, I know it’s just a story and I know it’s not real but for me it kinda was, this book felt so real and the way Lexie’s words are so descriptive and how she told the story was captivating. I absolutely love finally getting a military dark romance, Chapter 18 brought me so much joy, I love the demeanor Lexie gives the Grim Reaper (yeah call me crazy, it’s the military wife in me) it made the book more intriguing. I devoured every word, and I wish I could devour the Grim Reaper (definitely read those trigger warnings before reading). It makes this book so perfect and I can read it over and over again. It finally lets people see parts of the dark world they are sheltered from, and will never hear or see, unless they get a Danny of their own. Ugh and the spice! I’m obsessed with this duet and I need more!
You MUST read See You Soon first! This is the second book to the series! Yes I read it in a day! It’s that good!
Absolutely incredible. Lexie outdid herself with this one. The plot and storyline was absolute perfection. My jaw was on the floor a lot of the time from either heartbreak, shocking events or Operator Danny coming in and dropping his whole dick. THE TRUCK SCENE??!?!🥵🥵🥵🥵🫠🫠🫠 dear lord.
The character growth for all the characters was remarkable. Lexie did an incredible job depicting the struggles of a relationship in the military and the internal struggles and trauma Ari went through and I felt every fucking second of it. This story broke my heart and then glue it back together again.
Even though I knew where this story was going, it still made me anxious!
I liked the little love triangle situation, that was entertaining to read about.
And I love that Lexi Axelson seems to be cranking up the spice. Danny Rider is going to be haunting my dreams the way the Grim Reaper haunts him for a while.
P.S. I hope we learn more about that later. And also what the fuck was that ending. I never thought people could be so happy about an affair. (Don’t worry, there was no cheating between the main characters). But seriously, happy tears? Over the marital affair? 😒 I’m judging.
After the loss of their baby, Danny and Ari are growing farther apart. Danny is keeping secrets from Ari to keep from stressing over the possibility of someone wanting her dead. Ari has lost her brother and now her son making it difficult to cope but all she wants is Danny’s touch. When she finally got it, she is taken from her home and Danny gets shot. She is beaten and tortured for answers but nothing will stop Danny or his team from finding her and killing those who touched her. Don’t even get me started on how cute she is pregnant with twins! oh and the fact that her brother Paul has a babyyy! Awe I’m so happy for Ari and her mom to have one piece of Paul still with them 🤍
seriously , lexie , im sending you my therapy bill bc this one had me crying like a literal baby. i felt what ari , danny & kane were feeling. i felt like i was there with them witnessing all of this trauma and emotion.
this book was a continuation of see you soon , an ending to danny & ari’s story. im so sad it’s over , i fell in love with both of them. bitch , when i tell you that. i was a wreck finishing this book. i was ugly crying the whole time , im so glad it had a happy ending or i would of rioted. the epilogue had me in SHAMBLES.
one thing after another was happening , and i was telling myself , anything else ??? lexie , YOU HAD ME STRESSEDDDDDD. im sorry , the little things danny was doing for her , the picture he drew , how he showed up with pink tulips everytime he saw her ??? GOODBYEEEEE , BODY SENT INTO THE GALAXY.
i feel so bad for kane , i need his book right neowwwwwwww , PLEASE. btw , the love triangle gives me anxiety and makes me bald pls
i loved this , seriously , they are going to be living in my brain forever. do yourself a favor , and go read this series. on to book three , pretend. tehehehe
rating: 5 ⭐️ spice: 3 🌶️
tropes: ♡ dark military romance ♡ age gap ♡ brothers best friend ♡ love triangle ♡ dark romance ♡ romantic suspense ⚠️read trigger warnings⚠️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 Tropes: Dark Military Romance Age Gap Brothers Best friend Love Triangle
WHAT AN AMAZING WAY TO LEAVE 2023
You know how they say the second book is better? Well this definitely lived up to that!!! I absolutely loved See You Soon but I Promise You had so much more action, pain, trauma, healing, and love. I can’t believe it’s over, I am never going to be over it.
Danny and Ari were really put through the ringer with their trauma, grief and acceptance. The way they connected after everything and came to the understanding that not even Death could separate them was absolutely beautiful😭
And Kane?? My golden retriever, I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t see him coming and I’m so glad we get a POV from him, he broke me a little. I felt bad but no one can compare to The Grim Reaper. Still love Kane though ❤️❤️
This whole book took me for one hell of a ride but everything AFTER CH 25…..LEXIEEEEE🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 The fucking Epilogue had me in TEARS 😭❤️ I will never recover from this and that’s perfectly okay.
This was a heavier and more heartfelt read than See You Soon, this series will forever hold a special place in my soul.
I am so ready for Creatures story, I have a feeling it’s going to be so much darker, just the little taste we get from his character is absolutely chaotic, psychotic and intense 👀
The perfect series to end the year. Thank you for writing such a heart wrenching story. Absolutely beautiful 🖤🖤
WARNING THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE. PLEASE CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS
“I’ll always find you. I will always protect you. You are mine forever , Ari Natalia. I will save you from the darkness that lives in this world and the darkness that troubles your soul.”
This is the second book in the scarred executioners series and continues Danny and Ari’s journey.
This book starts right where we left off with book one and omg its a wild ride. As Ari is trying to deal with the aftermath of shane Danny is doing everything he can to help his little angel. Even when he gets called back into work for something that not only threatens him but Ari as well. Can these two overcome everything thrown their way or will it all end in a bloody mess?
After the first book sucker punched me in the gut with the ending i was so excited to have the opportunity to receive an arc of I Promise You. I have fallen in love with Danny and Ari and this book just reinforced it. Cant wait to read more from this author.
An e-Arc was given in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own ❤️
I don’t care what anyone says I loved these books. They were so good!!! He is a masked Navy SEAL and doesn’t do relationships. He falls fast and hard for sweet Nurse Ari, this second book really brought her back into the light after that crazy ass cliff hanger in the first book. And of course, HEA!
“Your wings may be bent, little angel, but they aren’t broken. You’re stronger than your scars. Because they’ll fade away, but your soul won’t.”
Ok I generally enjoyed this book - the scenes where we’re on the field with the team were great, the spice was 🥵, Grim was just yes please, and the grief was hitting hard in this one. But I felt very conflicted with my feelings for the fmc - on one hand I felt for her because she has been through so much but at some points I wanted to be like GIRL WTH. The love triangle is never a fave trope of mine and it was unexpected for me in this one but I did like the level of tension/angst it added to the story. There were also a couple twists in this which I was pleasantly surprised with. We were also introduced to Creature in this book and I will definitely read the third book for his story because I’m intrigued 🤭. These books would definitely be good for those dipping their toes into the more morally grey kind of toxic side of romance without going full out dark.
“Grief comes in waves and storms that crash into us whenever something pushes it.”
🖤 navy SEAL x nurse 💀 love triangle 🖤 angst & grief
This book was so hard to put down! The writing, the story all of it just keeps your attention because you HAVE to know what happens next!! I absolutely loved this book and Danny and Ari’s story!!!
💀military romance 💀brothers best friend 💀dark romance 💀 age gap
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ Will be Available on KU!! Release date is NOVEMBER 18th!!! ⚠️Check Trigger Warnings⚠️
ⓜⓨ ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ
“There is no escaping the devil, little angel. You’re in my hell now.”
If you haven’t read the first book, GO NOW! You won’t regret it! This book starts where the first ones end! This is NOT a standalone! This book seriously has me SOBBING within the first two pages!! I thought I loved Danny in the first book, but this book just completely amplified that by a million. This man is just magnificent. I am so captivated and in love by Ari and Danny’s story. Seeing the growth from Danny is so beautiful. Ari is so strong! She’s a little badass! With everything that happened to her in the span of a year is so heartbreaking but she handled it with such grace. Thank you to Lexie for writing these books and they will forever be my favorite love story. They went through SO much together and to read how their story unfolds is so heartbreaking and amazing at the same time.
Also this book has 3 POVs You get to read from Kane’s POV! Honestly this man frustrates the absolute crap out of me but he has good moments! Read it and you’ll know what I mean! This book is NOT a why choose or a love triangle!!! Seriously tho GO READ THIS SERIES.
Oooh my heart, where do I start...I cried Sad tears, and Happy Tears from the beginning of this book to the the last page of this book. The absolute love between Ari and Danny is one that we ALL wish for. The trials and tribulations both characters go through, you feel it in your soul. Author Lexie Axelson has a way of writing in depth, and it just draws you in like a magnet, making you as the reader fall harder and faster in love with her FMC and MMC. The plot twists are utterly amazing, her storyline is absolutely exquisite! Absolutely hands down the BEST Book I have read for the year of 2023.
Did k rate the first book one star? Yes I did. Did I continue to this book? Yes I did. Did I think that the writing might get better? Yes I did. And unfortunately I was wrong. While the story itself terrible I was fed up by the end of this book with all the drama.
“I won’t let you leave me, Ari. Grant me mercy by putting a bullet in my head, then. Because I’d rather die than live in a world where someone else has your soul and not me.”
Absolutely my favorite read so far of the year. Lexie outdid herself.
My heart broke for Danny and Ari throughout this book. And again we got to see Danny change for the better for Ari. I was so sad that things happened the way that they did, but I think these things needed to happen for them to come together the way they did.
Ari was going through so much, losing her brother, and losing her baby. It wasn’t difficult to understand the way she was feeling. I was upset with her however for pushing Danny away, when she did. He was trying in his own ways to be there for her, and couldn’t help that he had to go away on missions. Or that he didn’t tell her something was going on to protect her, since she had already been through so much.
I was excited to see that Kane had been introduced more in this book, I was expecting it in the first but it never came. I enjoyed that there was another aspect of a love triangle going on in this book.
Absolutely loved this series, will be buying both books to have on my shelf. And highly, highly recommend reading them if you haven’t already! I cannot wait to read about Operator Creature next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I recently finished reading this book and I honestly think Lexi did a really amazing job with book 2 as compared to book 1. See You Soon is the book 1 from the series and as well as Lexie’s debut novel (make you sure to go back and read that before starting this)
The plot twist was mind blowing, I didn’t see it coming honestly 🤯 and the storyline was phenomenal!!!
As this is a dark military romance so of course without a doubt there’s gonna be spice! As compared to book 1, you’ll get to see much more of spice in this book which I’m not complaining at all! 🤭🤭 I really liked the intimate spicy scenes and it did caught me off guard!
Also you get to see character development in this book which I really, really liked!
I really wish I liked this book. To at least like it enough to a 3 star like the first one. But this book was a MESS. The timeline was all over the place and the plot twist of the book made no sense?¿ And then she tried to throw in a love triangle? I know there was a lot of traumatic things going on here as well but it was dramatically repetitive and got really annoying really fast. It just was not plotted out well at all. Honestly, I know it’s the authors first series but this book was just…bad. I hate leaving bad reviews but it was also so bad I couldn’t put it down. I probably will read the next one too (maybe)
After the cliffhanger ending of See You Soon, I was thrilled to receive the arc for this book from Lexie!! This book is full of emotion and drama! It kept me wanting more and I really enjoyed it! Like See You Soon, this book is spicyyyyyy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Check TW as there are some scenes that may be triggering for some.
You ever fell in love to have your heart ripped out and then put the pieces back together just to have it ripped out again?
Welcome to I Promise You. Lexie has written another great book. If it was possible to love Danny more than I already did but here we are. I can’t wait for the next one!
2⭐️⭐️ because you can definitely see the author’s growth between book one and book two!
She still has an odd writing style, and her word choices and sentence structures can be very awkward to read. There is also a repetition to her writing, where she’ll reiterate something unnecessarily, which I found distracting. Also SO MUCH TELL and not enough show.
Again, this duet has so much potential, it just needed another round of edits.
“For having so much faith….you sure do love to sin.”
“There’s no escaping the devil, little Angel, you’re in my hell now.” -Danny Rider, Operator Grim Reaper.
I kept going back and forth with what rating to give this book because overall I loved it, but there was just one thing I’d wanna change. The first book is still my number 1 fav read of all time. I really did enjoy book 2, I think the main thing that was just a bit of a turn off for me was the huge fight between Danny and Ari towards the middle/end of the book. Ari seemed to be a bit overdramatic in that scene and I wasn’t ok with the things that she said to Danny, (I wanted to fight her because like why is she talking to our man like that 🥲) especially since he had actively been doing better for her. That being said, I’m not TOO mad because I think that the separation was needed to come to the strong reunion that they had in the end.
But In the end Lexie did not disappoint with the book! The spice was immaculate (we all knew it would be, I mean, come on. It’s Danny Rider.😩) and the plot/suspense was perfect for me. I really enjoy these dark romance books that aren’t TOO insanely dark, Lexie truly knows the perfect amount of spice/darkness to put in her books and I think that’s part of what really draws me to her writing. I also loved that Kane’s POV was in this book! He was so frustrating but I also couldn’t help but to love him at the same time. I CAN NOTTTT wait for book 3 to come out with Creature 😍 the second we were introduced to him I was instantly drawn to him, and I can’t wait to see more.
Another hit for Lexie and I can’t wait to read the next one 🥰 she’s the absolute sweetest and deserves all the hype and the love
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Never has a book made me cry from the first 2 pages…but that is exactly what this one did! So be sure to have tissues on hand when you start this baby!!
Now if you haven’t read See You Soon, book 1… 1. WHAT ARE TOU WAITING FOR?! Go read it now! 2. You are going to have to read it before starting this one since it picks up right where book 1 ends. You don’t want to be all confused as it what is going on.
I have loved Danny since I first read him in book 1. But that love for him grew so much in this one. Holy smokes this man🥵🫠!! Gotta says HANDS DOWN, chapters 34/35 are my favorite outta the whole book! IYKYK😏 I also enjoyed seeing how much he has changed, all for Ari. Seeing him be the man she wants him to be just warmed my heart!
My little Ari…her strength came out in this book! I was so happy to see that with everything that happens to her. But gosh did I break right along with her. This poor w, gosh everything that has happened to her this year is just gut wrenching, but to see how she handled it all was amazing! Not a lot of people would handle it well, I mean she had her moments but she did it with grace.
Another thing with this book is you get a 3rd POV! 😲 My man Kane gets more time in this story. I couldn’t help but love him and kinda get angry with him as well. That is all I will say about that lol. Gotta read to figure out why.
I will voice it is not a why choose or love triangle!
And again we are left with more questions but not a cliffy this time! Though I gotta know more about that last page lol.
As usual this book just blew me away! And it is up there with See You Soon as a Top Read of 2023! . . . 5️⃣🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 10/10 recommendation ‼️‼️