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Prey Drive #2
Raw: A Rejected Mate Omegaverse
"An Alpha's loyalty to is pack should be second to only one. His mate."
NOA
Blood stains the walls of my sanctuary, and nothing feels safe anymore. The enemy finally has a face, but every truth uncovered leaves me with more questions.
While danger closes in, I’m rotting from the inside. Dying from my mate’s rejection.
Rennick swears he’ll fix what he broke. But how do I trust the Alpha who already shattered my heart?
RENNICK
I was made to protect her, but I was the one who ruined her. Now I’ll burn every alliance and sacrifice everything to mend what I destroyed.
Noa’s trust doesn’t come easily, not when her heart still carries the scars of my betrayal.
But time is running out. Her body is failing. Our people are being hunted. And the bond I fractured is the only thing strong enough to hold her here.
What to Expect:
-Rejected Fated Mate/Scent Match
-Second Chance/Grovel
-First Heat & Nest
-Protective Alpha
-Rejected Mate Syndrome
-Unique Magic System
-Angst/You Might Cry a Little
NOTE: RAW is not a standalone. It is book two in Rennick and Noa’s duet and must be read afterPRIMAL for the story to be fully understood. This is a slow-burn, second-chance romance where the MMC must fight for his mate’s forgiveness. Their HEA does not come easily, but it is guaranteed.
*All TW/CW will be available on the author's website.
NOA
Blood stains the walls of my sanctuary, and nothing feels safe anymore. The enemy finally has a face, but every truth uncovered leaves me with more questions.
While danger closes in, I’m rotting from the inside. Dying from my mate’s rejection.
Rennick swears he’ll fix what he broke. But how do I trust the Alpha who already shattered my heart?
RENNICK
I was made to protect her, but I was the one who ruined her. Now I’ll burn every alliance and sacrifice everything to mend what I destroyed.
Noa’s trust doesn’t come easily, not when her heart still carries the scars of my betrayal.
But time is running out. Her body is failing. Our people are being hunted. And the bond I fractured is the only thing strong enough to hold her here.
What to Expect:
-Rejected Fated Mate/Scent Match
-Second Chance/Grovel
-First Heat & Nest
-Protective Alpha
-Rejected Mate Syndrome
-Unique Magic System
-Angst/You Might Cry a Little
NOTE: RAW is not a standalone. It is book two in Rennick and Noa’s duet and must be read afterPRIMAL for the story to be fully understood. This is a slow-burn, second-chance romance where the MMC must fight for his mate’s forgiveness. Their HEA does not come easily, but it is guaranteed.
*All TW/CW will be available on the author's website.
690 pages, Paperback
Published January 20, 2026
765 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Kayleigh King
15 books1,538 followersUSA Today Bestselling author Kayleigh King is a writer of contemporary and paranormal romance. She creates love stories that will stick with you, almost like they’re haunting you.
She’s a Diet Coke and cold brew addict, sharing music is her love language, and she seriously lacks a filter. Anything she thinks, she usually says. And if she doesn’t say it, her facial expressions will say it for her. Currently residing in Denver Colorado, you’ll never find her on a snowboard since she avoids the snow like the plague.
Want to chat about books, music, or life in general? Make sure you join her Facebook reader group and follow her on Instagram. Her DMs are always open to her readers.
She’s a Diet Coke and cold brew addict, sharing music is her love language, and she seriously lacks a filter. Anything she thinks, she usually says. And if she doesn’t say it, her facial expressions will say it for her. Currently residing in Denver Colorado, you’ll never find her on a snowboard since she avoids the snow like the plague.
Want to chat about books, music, or life in general? Make sure you join her Facebook reader group and follow her on Instagram. Her DMs are always open to her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
January 21, 2026
Spoilers.
I am unsure why this duet was as long as it was, and the rejection and the aftermath taking almost 2 books to deal with was just overkill.
Want to know the biggest bad guy in this book? Noa. Her mother puts all this in motion and instead of being any sort of intelligent she forces her friends and loved ones watch her waste away and die rather than just bonding. She even goes as far as say yeah we can just wait until I go into heat. She had decided to bond to save her life eventually but selfishly forces everyone to deal with her illness for what? Honestly the worst.
She also doesn't seem to grasp that Ren is also a victim here. She saw the memories where he clearly is torn away from her and lost his memories and she still stays stead fast on the self pity train of death. It was tedious. For half of this duet we just deal with the bullshit and honestly the pay off was not good enough.
The plot was interesting enough, it's not reinventing the wheel and has been done but it's not awful but this duet somehow DRAGS itself out and accomplished what millions of similar books accomplish with half the pages. I can't say anything was gained from the length of this duet. I feel just as connected to characters, I feel like I know the plot just as well, I think truthfully all we get in that added time is pity party time.
overall, I read this because I didn't want another dnf, but I was not into it.
I am unsure why this duet was as long as it was, and the rejection and the aftermath taking almost 2 books to deal with was just overkill.
Want to know the biggest bad guy in this book? Noa. Her mother puts all this in motion and instead of being any sort of intelligent she forces her friends and loved ones watch her waste away and die rather than just bonding. She even goes as far as say yeah we can just wait until I go into heat. She had decided to bond to save her life eventually but selfishly forces everyone to deal with her illness for what? Honestly the worst.
She also doesn't seem to grasp that Ren is also a victim here. She saw the memories where he clearly is torn away from her and lost his memories and she still stays stead fast on the self pity train of death. It was tedious. For half of this duet we just deal with the bullshit and honestly the pay off was not good enough.
The plot was interesting enough, it's not reinventing the wheel and has been done but it's not awful but this duet somehow DRAGS itself out and accomplished what millions of similar books accomplish with half the pages. I can't say anything was gained from the length of this duet. I feel just as connected to characters, I feel like I know the plot just as well, I think truthfully all we get in that added time is pity party time.
overall, I read this because I didn't want another dnf, but I was not into it.
January 20, 2026
Epic levels of groveling!!!
Genre: Paranormal Romance (Wolf Shifters)
⭐️ 4.5/5 (Needs another round of editing)
🌶 2.5/5
🧠 5/10
Cliffhanger Pain: 1/10 (Setup for future books)
Noteworthy: Book 2 of a completed duology (more books planned in the series featuring other characters). Dual first-person POV. Content warnings provided. Available on KU.
I really liked book 1 but it felt like a setup book to me since there wasn't much action or advancing of the overall plot. I expected that to be rectified in book 2 and I was not disappointed. This series as a whole is one of the best wolf shifter/rejected mates stories I've read. Despite coming in at nearly 750 pages, it felt like a quick read. This series contains levels of angst rarely seen these days. So much pain and torment. Check the triggers because they are very relevant.
I enjoyed not only the character arcs for the two mains but also the side characters. I found myself wishing for available books for several while I was reading. Cannen, Saren, and Rook (with Siggy???). Fingers crossed for that last one! We could stay in this world that Kayleigh has created for a good long while I think with all the available options.
So if you are a fan of emotional damage, found family, deep overarching plot lines, or fast paced action that pairs nicely with a character driven story, just download this now on your Kindle.
Genre: Paranormal Romance (Wolf Shifters)
⭐️ 4.5/5 (Needs another round of editing)
🌶 2.5/5
🧠 5/10
Cliffhanger Pain: 1/10 (Setup for future books)
Noteworthy: Book 2 of a completed duology (more books planned in the series featuring other characters). Dual first-person POV. Content warnings provided. Available on KU.
I really liked book 1 but it felt like a setup book to me since there wasn't much action or advancing of the overall plot. I expected that to be rectified in book 2 and I was not disappointed. This series as a whole is one of the best wolf shifter/rejected mates stories I've read. Despite coming in at nearly 750 pages, it felt like a quick read. This series contains levels of angst rarely seen these days. So much pain and torment. Check the triggers because they are very relevant.
I enjoyed not only the character arcs for the two mains but also the side characters. I found myself wishing for available books for several while I was reading. Cannen, Saren, and Rook (with Siggy???). Fingers crossed for that last one! We could stay in this world that Kayleigh has created for a good long while I think with all the available options.
So if you are a fan of emotional damage, found family, deep overarching plot lines, or fast paced action that pairs nicely with a character driven story, just download this now on your Kindle.
January 27, 2026
First of all, this book was obscenely long and the plot dragged. I was very frustrated, mostly by Noa (HATE HER NAME).
What I liked:
💔the grovel was solid
🖤the OW comeuppance
💔the setup for other interesting characters’ stories in future books
🖤both MC’s are virgins and each others’ onlys
💔there were some clever, funny zingers from secondary characters
What I disliked:
💩the LENGTH (telling not showing, inner monologues 🥱)
💩she is too selfish/stupid to end her own suffering and let her mate bite her so she dies, YES SHE DIES (is it bad I kind of wanted her to stay dead because she’s basically TSTL???)
💩we don’t get one single good smexy scene. They’re all weird/painful/awkward/interrupted, and she never goes into her actual heat, so wtf
💩the book was so long and drawn out, but with a frantic and tragic ending
💩so much reliance on the amnesia and magical manipulation which the whole plot is basically built around
💩ends on a cliffy with basically a HFN ending (no extended epilogue and no one’s really that happy because there’s still danger lurking and mysteries to unravel… no heat, no pregnancy 🤰 or babies)
What I liked:
💔the grovel was solid
🖤the OW comeuppance
💔the setup for other interesting characters’ stories in future books
🖤both MC’s are virgins and each others’ onlys
💔there were some clever, funny zingers from secondary characters
What I disliked:
💩the LENGTH (telling not showing, inner monologues 🥱)
💩she is too selfish/stupid to end her own suffering and let her mate bite her so she dies, YES SHE DIES (is it bad I kind of wanted her to stay dead because she’s basically TSTL???)
💩we don’t get one single good smexy scene. They’re all weird/painful/awkward/interrupted, and she never goes into her actual heat, so wtf
💩the book was so long and drawn out, but with a frantic and tragic ending
💩so much reliance on the amnesia and magical manipulation which the whole plot is basically built around
💩ends on a cliffy with basically a HFN ending (no extended epilogue and no one’s really that happy because there’s still danger lurking and mysteries to unravel… no heat, no pregnancy 🤰 or babies)
February 22, 2026
⭐ 0/5 Stars (if I could go negative, it would be -1000)
Get ready for the mother of all rants.
I hated this book. I hated this series. And I especially hated the FMC with the passion of a thousand burning suns.
Not only was this duology unnecessarily long (1000+ pages) , the author still couldn’t manage to complete the actual main plot. Let that sink in. After two massive books built around a mystery so basic a third grader could solve it, the only thing that gets properly wrapped up is the main couple’s love story. That’s it.
So you’re telling me these two—the dullest alpha in existence and a “too stupid to live” heroine—needed nearly 1000 pages just to fall in love and work through their feelings? Ma’am. This is not epic romance, this is editorial negligence.
And don’t even get me started on the writing. Endless spelling and editing errors aside, we get the same internal monologue on loop:
* She wants him but she’s hurt and can’t trust him.
* He wants her but he’s drowning in guilt and can’t forgive himself.
Rinse. Repeat. For. Hundreds. Of. Pages.
Honestly, the only reason I even made it to the end was because of the **side characters**, which brings me to the author’s ultimate betrayal:
Roslyn.
My sweet, fierce, brave Roslyn— the only truly amazing character in this entire series —is killed off so the blandest FMC in history can live. She literally sacrifices herself for Noa. For *this* woman. I would’ve preferred the book ended as a tragedy with Noa staying dead. At least that would’ve been emotionally honest.
Not only did this destroy the best relationship in the series (Canaan/Roslyn), it was done purely for cheap shock value. And for what? So the author can keep writing more nonsense about characters who should’ve been laid to rest already?
The final plot was absolute chaos. Noa spends the entire series being a helpless damsel—so helpless that someone literally dies protecting her—then suddenly her inner magic awakens and she traps everyone in their terror, turning the tide of the entire war. Except… she’s done this before. Twice. Including once against her own mate. But somehow it never occurs to her to use it again until Roslyn is already dead. She needed a corpse to activate her brain.
And even then, she doesn’t finish the job.
She lets:
* Talis (the villain’s equally evil daughter) live.
* The most powerful witch escape.
While she literally has them under her spell and could end everything.
Why? Because we need more books, obviously.
Meanwhile, while everyone else is committing mass carnage, our “alpha hero” is still locked in a dramatic battle with the main villain—a fat, weak man he already easily overpowered earlier in the series. But now it takes him the *entire final battle* to defeat this one puny dude, while his mate single-handedly unleashes holy terror. Moments ago she was trembling in fear, but sure—now she’s a goddess of destruction. Totally consistent.
If I could go back in time, I would physically stop myself from ever picking up this series. What an absolute waste of time, money, and emotional investment.
This wasn’t epic.
It wasn’t tragic.
It wasn’t even satisfying.
It was just **1000 pages of badly edited, poorly planned, emotionally manipulative chaos** with one incredible character sacrificed on the altar of a heroine who never deserved her.
Get ready for the mother of all rants.
I hated this book. I hated this series. And I especially hated the FMC with the passion of a thousand burning suns.
Not only was this duology unnecessarily long (1000+ pages) , the author still couldn’t manage to complete the actual main plot. Let that sink in. After two massive books built around a mystery so basic a third grader could solve it, the only thing that gets properly wrapped up is the main couple’s love story. That’s it.
So you’re telling me these two—the dullest alpha in existence and a “too stupid to live” heroine—needed nearly 1000 pages just to fall in love and work through their feelings? Ma’am. This is not epic romance, this is editorial negligence.
And don’t even get me started on the writing. Endless spelling and editing errors aside, we get the same internal monologue on loop:
* She wants him but she’s hurt and can’t trust him.
* He wants her but he’s drowning in guilt and can’t forgive himself.
Rinse. Repeat. For. Hundreds. Of. Pages.
Honestly, the only reason I even made it to the end was because of the **side characters**, which brings me to the author’s ultimate betrayal:
Roslyn.
My sweet, fierce, brave Roslyn— the only truly amazing character in this entire series —is killed off so the blandest FMC in history can live. She literally sacrifices herself for Noa. For *this* woman. I would’ve preferred the book ended as a tragedy with Noa staying dead. At least that would’ve been emotionally honest.
Not only did this destroy the best relationship in the series (Canaan/Roslyn), it was done purely for cheap shock value. And for what? So the author can keep writing more nonsense about characters who should’ve been laid to rest already?
The final plot was absolute chaos. Noa spends the entire series being a helpless damsel—so helpless that someone literally dies protecting her—then suddenly her inner magic awakens and she traps everyone in their terror, turning the tide of the entire war. Except… she’s done this before. Twice. Including once against her own mate. But somehow it never occurs to her to use it again until Roslyn is already dead. She needed a corpse to activate her brain.
And even then, she doesn’t finish the job.
She lets:
* Talis (the villain’s equally evil daughter) live.
* The most powerful witch escape.
While she literally has them under her spell and could end everything.
Why? Because we need more books, obviously.
Meanwhile, while everyone else is committing mass carnage, our “alpha hero” is still locked in a dramatic battle with the main villain—a fat, weak man he already easily overpowered earlier in the series. But now it takes him the *entire final battle* to defeat this one puny dude, while his mate single-handedly unleashes holy terror. Moments ago she was trembling in fear, but sure—now she’s a goddess of destruction. Totally consistent.
If I could go back in time, I would physically stop myself from ever picking up this series. What an absolute waste of time, money, and emotional investment.
This wasn’t epic.
It wasn’t tragic.
It wasn’t even satisfying.
It was just **1000 pages of badly edited, poorly planned, emotionally manipulative chaos** with one incredible character sacrificed on the altar of a heroine who never deserved her.
January 25, 2026
I wanna cry that this was only a 3 ⭐️ read
I don’t ask for much in a wolf shifter romance so why am I constantly let down!!!??? The first half I was vibing and it was giving 5 stars!! Second half was reallyyyy weak.
Waaaaayyy too long. By 70% I was mentally checked out. Which is a shame bc the bones of the plot were really good!! But I honestly skimmed the ending bc it was so dragged out.
Like the first book, there was too much inner monologue and rambling details that could have been cut. Lots describing things in a very drawn out way that really wasn’t important. I wish some of that energy went into the bigger and juicer parts of the plot.
Ren was a hottie alpha no complaints… but did anyone like Noa? 😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️ help she is so stubborn
I thought this was a duet but now we’re getting a series!?
My toxic ass MIGHT still read it
I don’t ask for much in a wolf shifter romance so why am I constantly let down!!!??? The first half I was vibing and it was giving 5 stars!! Second half was reallyyyy weak.
Waaaaayyy too long. By 70% I was mentally checked out. Which is a shame bc the bones of the plot were really good!! But I honestly skimmed the ending bc it was so dragged out.
Like the first book, there was too much inner monologue and rambling details that could have been cut. Lots describing things in a very drawn out way that really wasn’t important. I wish some of that energy went into the bigger and juicer parts of the plot.
Ren was a hottie alpha no complaints… but did anyone like Noa? 😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️😶🌫️ help she is so stubborn
I thought this was a duet but now we’re getting a series!?
My toxic ass MIGHT still read it
January 21, 2026
In a way, it was sort of cheesy. The 1st book is all about the H rejecting the h. This second book is about the H rejecting his fiancée (not the h) and accepting the h as his mate lol also this book is 700 pages long. Very unnecessary. A lot of inner monologue.
February 14, 2026
3.5⭐️ While I did enjoy this book, it had no business being this long. Parts were definitely drawn out that didn’t need to be, but overall the plot, and storyline was great.
January 22, 2026
DNF - ugh I don't mean to be dramatic but come on.....
Here's what did me in: "A son's father? Does she mean my dad?"
Here's what did me in: "A son's father? Does she mean my dad?"
Read
January 28, 2026I am finding it a bit difficult to review this book,and it’s taken me two days to collect my thoughts.
I hesitate to write something unnecessarily negative,but I like hearing reader’s thoughts when choosing my own books,so while I won’t mince words, this isn’t meant to be super critical/toxic.
That being said,this particular duet clocked in at just over 1100 pages…and it could’ve easily been 700 pages shorter. No exaggeration. It was INCREDIBLY long-winded,and felt like a chore to read after the initial high of the beginning of its first book.
It’s not as if there was zero plot,but there was very little character development,and WAY too much repetition and inner monologue scenes that did nothing to further the story. I’d label it predictable,for the most part.
My biggest takeaway:
Rennick is very much a victim of his circumstances,and yet,we see Noa further victimizing/traumatizing both him, and their friends by her refusal to accept the bond and, to put it very simply,not die.
I found her character VERY hard to like and sympathize with,so being in her head was difficult,especially with a book of this length. I didn’t find her stubbornness and need for control, (at the expense of her mate and pack’s emotions) at all endearing,and it was an unnecessary distraction and plot point. This goes on ad nauseam to the point where,to be frank,I no longer cared. I wasn’t invested.
At 55% nothing at all has occurred to move the story along,and my refusal to DNF is the only reason why I pushed onward.
My one sticking point is that,as far as rejected mates stories go,I felt it was a misleading statement and inaccurate description of this book, in many ways.
I’d say it’s shifter-adjacent and more of a romantic suspense.
I won’t be giving a star rating,but I’ll be hesitant to read omegaverse stories of this length and with so little “meat” or substance in future.
I hesitate to write something unnecessarily negative,but I like hearing reader’s thoughts when choosing my own books,so while I won’t mince words, this isn’t meant to be super critical/toxic.
That being said,this particular duet clocked in at just over 1100 pages…and it could’ve easily been 700 pages shorter. No exaggeration. It was INCREDIBLY long-winded,and felt like a chore to read after the initial high of the beginning of its first book.
It’s not as if there was zero plot,but there was very little character development,and WAY too much repetition and inner monologue scenes that did nothing to further the story. I’d label it predictable,for the most part.
My biggest takeaway:
Rennick is very much a victim of his circumstances,and yet,we see Noa further victimizing/traumatizing both him, and their friends by her refusal to accept the bond and, to put it very simply,not die.
I found her character VERY hard to like and sympathize with,so being in her head was difficult,especially with a book of this length. I didn’t find her stubbornness and need for control, (at the expense of her mate and pack’s emotions) at all endearing,and it was an unnecessary distraction and plot point. This goes on ad nauseam to the point where,to be frank,I no longer cared. I wasn’t invested.
At 55% nothing at all has occurred to move the story along,and my refusal to DNF is the only reason why I pushed onward.
My one sticking point is that,as far as rejected mates stories go,I felt it was a misleading statement and inaccurate description of this book, in many ways.
I’d say it’s shifter-adjacent and more of a romantic suspense.
I won’t be giving a star rating,but I’ll be hesitant to read omegaverse stories of this length and with so little “meat” or substance in future.
January 28, 2026
I think this is going on a pause at 63% in.
There are so many amazing things to like about this book.
Tension
Heartbreak
Fated mates
Wolfy romance
Great side characters
Interesting magic
High stakes
Forced proximity
MMC groveling
But, I think it is just too long. Once I got to the half way point my mind was happy with the story and writing but my brain was detached and was finished if that makes sense? Idk maybe it needed to be 3 books? I also want more out of the MMC. His personality seems very flat? Non dimensional?
With that said I did enjoy what I have read of this book so far and I really do love the writing and storyline! It just maybe seems a little drugged out?
There are so many amazing things to like about this book.
Tension
Heartbreak
Fated mates
Wolfy romance
Great side characters
Interesting magic
High stakes
Forced proximity
MMC groveling
But, I think it is just too long. Once I got to the half way point my mind was happy with the story and writing but my brain was detached and was finished if that makes sense? Idk maybe it needed to be 3 books? I also want more out of the MMC. His personality seems very flat? Non dimensional?
With that said I did enjoy what I have read of this book so far and I really do love the writing and storyline! It just maybe seems a little drugged out?
January 22, 2026
The FMC has become insufferable. What do you mean that she knows she dying, her only cure is his claiming bite. And for 56% of this fucking book he’s shown you he’s sorry. You have a multi page sex scene where you find out you both waited to have sex with each other, i.e you’re both virgins and after that you STILL aren’t ready for him to cure you? GTFO. And this book is over 700 pages, no thank you ma’am.
Other points: she said she had to hold off on the publishing for editing. I can’t imagine how many edits were needed to hold off publishing since this published version has so many glaring errors.
First one was so good, so disappointed in this.
Other points: she said she had to hold off on the publishing for editing. I can’t imagine how many edits were needed to hold off publishing since this published version has so many glaring errors.
First one was so good, so disappointed in this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2026
Thank you, Kayleigh King, for the ARC
4.25⭐️
Well, this book was better than the first one! The writing improved.
It did not need to be that long. It was double the length of the first book. For what reason? The beginning was good and then the 40-70% just drug on. That 30% of the book could have easily been shortened to 10-15%. The FMC’s martyr complex lasted entirely too long and for no reason.
I thought the book was too long even if the pacing was pretty good. Things happened at the perfect moment timeline wise but everything developing slowly made the book feel low stakes even if it wasn’t. And everything what happened in the book felt too easy!
It took the characters a while to find out some important stuff and the answers. They were working on these things but because the book was 700 pages long it wasn’t as really action packed…
4.25⭐️
Well, this book was better than the first one! The writing improved.
It did not need to be that long. It was double the length of the first book. For what reason? The beginning was good and then the 40-70% just drug on. That 30% of the book could have easily been shortened to 10-15%. The FMC’s martyr complex lasted entirely too long and for no reason.
I thought the book was too long even if the pacing was pretty good. Things happened at the perfect moment timeline wise but everything developing slowly made the book feel low stakes even if it wasn’t. And everything what happened in the book felt too easy!
It took the characters a while to find out some important stuff and the answers. They were working on these things but because the book was 700 pages long it wasn’t as really action packed…
January 25, 2026
O livro começa no ponto final do anterior, com muita açao e emoçāo. Depois fica bastante tempo na construção dá nova relação do Ren e Noa. E fica bastante tempo nisso… até o momento que muita coisa acontece…. Informações que eu ansiei o livro inteiro, são reveladas. Os últimos 10%, são de tirar o folego. Sim, para mim merece 5 ⭐️, pq ele me entregou emoções!
January 24, 2026
3.5 ★ but rounding up.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Raw ever since I finished Primal a few months back and was left with that intense cliffhanger. As soon as it launched, I pounced (pun intended).
Raw gets a solid four stars for its entertainment value. The first half, especially, captured me and was responsible for several “just one more chapter” moments long after the sun went down. And while I, overall, did enjoy my reading experience with Raw, its length started to get to me the more I read on.
I think Raw could’ve benefited from a few more rounds of edits, not just in terms of minor spelling and grammar errors (which there were quite a few), but also in paring it down so that it packed more of a punch like Primal did. The second half certainly had its highlight, “oh sh!t” moments, but some parts did drag to the point where I was simply ready for the story to come to its conclusion.
With Raw, I came, I read, they knotted (repeatedly), and we all had a fairly good time. And based on the bread crumbs sprinkled here and the foundations laid, I’m anticipating a spin-off series that I plan to seek out.
Things I Enjoyed:
🐺 The Characters - Though Noa dragging out that specific decision grated on my nerves.
🪄 The Magic - We get more powers and possibilities here which were fun to explore.
✨ The Threads Unraveling - Literally and metaphorically
🩸 The Action - Both early on and in that last 10% or so that had me on the edge of my seat.
🫱🏽🫲🏼 The Continuation of the Nightingale Storyline - This aspect really drew me into Primal and added great depth to the characters and plot.
Things I Struggled With:
📖 The Length - As mentioned above. It felt repetitive at times with some excessive internal monologues.
👄 The Later Dirty Talk - It was just not it for me, and I found it odd that Ren had never been with another woman before because he sounded and came off as rather experienced/practiced.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Raw ever since I finished Primal a few months back and was left with that intense cliffhanger. As soon as it launched, I pounced (pun intended).
Raw gets a solid four stars for its entertainment value. The first half, especially, captured me and was responsible for several “just one more chapter” moments long after the sun went down. And while I, overall, did enjoy my reading experience with Raw, its length started to get to me the more I read on.
I think Raw could’ve benefited from a few more rounds of edits, not just in terms of minor spelling and grammar errors (which there were quite a few), but also in paring it down so that it packed more of a punch like Primal did. The second half certainly had its highlight, “oh sh!t” moments, but some parts did drag to the point where I was simply ready for the story to come to its conclusion.
With Raw, I came, I read, they knotted (repeatedly), and we all had a fairly good time. And based on the bread crumbs sprinkled here and the foundations laid, I’m anticipating a spin-off series that I plan to seek out.
Things I Enjoyed:
🐺 The Characters - Though Noa dragging out that specific decision grated on my nerves.
🪄 The Magic - We get more powers and possibilities here which were fun to explore.
✨ The Threads Unraveling - Literally and metaphorically
🩸 The Action - Both early on and in that last 10% or so that had me on the edge of my seat.
🫱🏽🫲🏼 The Continuation of the Nightingale Storyline - This aspect really drew me into Primal and added great depth to the characters and plot.
Things I Struggled With:
📖 The Length - As mentioned above. It felt repetitive at times with some excessive internal monologues.
👄 The Later Dirty Talk - It was just not it for me, and I found it odd that Ren had never been with another woman before because he sounded and came off as rather experienced/practiced.
January 29, 2026
ARC: 4.25 ⭐️
Kayleighhhh. Goodness. You really made me go through it with this one. Right out of the gate, my heart was in my throat for the first several chapters — no warm-up, no mercy, just instant emotional damage.
When I said Ren had WORK to do after everything he was responsible for in Primal… our boy absolutely put in the work. THIS MAN. I am on my knees for him always. His relentless determination to not just say the right things, but actively show growth, accountability, and devotion was everything I wanted. This man is down bad — and I was right there with him.
Our sweet omega Noa broke my heart. Trust is the hardest thing for her to give, and the pain she carries doesn’t disappear just because she wants to hope again. She has to see it, feel it, and slowly learn how to believe.
I loved the journey back to where it all began and especially the found family — the sisterhood and bonds that formed were easily my favorite part of the book.
That said, this book is incredibly long. While the opening was fast and gripping, the middle did slow down and drag a bit for me. I honestly think this could have been tightened or even split into two books to keep the pacing stronger.
I still have approximately three thousand unanswered questions and at least three side characters I desperately need more of. And yes… I am still unwell about a certain part (Kayleigh knows exactly what she did 😩). That ending has me feral for what’s coming next.
Kayleighhhh. Goodness. You really made me go through it with this one. Right out of the gate, my heart was in my throat for the first several chapters — no warm-up, no mercy, just instant emotional damage.
When I said Ren had WORK to do after everything he was responsible for in Primal… our boy absolutely put in the work. THIS MAN. I am on my knees for him always. His relentless determination to not just say the right things, but actively show growth, accountability, and devotion was everything I wanted. This man is down bad — and I was right there with him.
Our sweet omega Noa broke my heart. Trust is the hardest thing for her to give, and the pain she carries doesn’t disappear just because she wants to hope again. She has to see it, feel it, and slowly learn how to believe.
I loved the journey back to where it all began and especially the found family — the sisterhood and bonds that formed were easily my favorite part of the book.
That said, this book is incredibly long. While the opening was fast and gripping, the middle did slow down and drag a bit for me. I honestly think this could have been tightened or even split into two books to keep the pacing stronger.
I still have approximately three thousand unanswered questions and at least three side characters I desperately need more of. And yes… I am still unwell about a certain part (Kayleigh knows exactly what she did 😩). That ending has me feral for what’s coming next.
January 22, 2026
OK… let’s see if I can string my thoughts together in a coherent way because this book absolutely wore me out.
Book 1 was around 300 pages and focused mostly on our MCs, with just enough plot to keep things moving. This one? 700+ pages and everything all at once.
And honestly… less would’ve been more.
I get that the author had a lot she wanted to cover, but it ended up feeling bulky and overdone. There were multiple moments where something big was clearly being built up, the chapter would end, and then—boom—it’s suddenly days later and we get a quick recap instead of actually experiencing the scene. That drove me a little nuts. This really should have been a trilogy so everything could’ve been fleshed out the way it deserved.
But the thing that really turned me off? That death at the end.
So many people in this book could’ve died, and that was the choice? It felt random, convenient, and very much designed to manufacture emotions. I’m probably going to hold a grudge about it, not gonna lie.
That said—our two MCs? No complaints there. Their story is officially complete, and they’re honestly the only reason I pushed through all 700+ pages. I loved them.
The overarching plot will continue in the series, but whether I keep going is going to depend heavily on who the next book focuses on… and how many pages it is. 🤷🏻♀️
Book 1 was around 300 pages and focused mostly on our MCs, with just enough plot to keep things moving. This one? 700+ pages and everything all at once.
And honestly… less would’ve been more.
I get that the author had a lot she wanted to cover, but it ended up feeling bulky and overdone. There were multiple moments where something big was clearly being built up, the chapter would end, and then—boom—it’s suddenly days later and we get a quick recap instead of actually experiencing the scene. That drove me a little nuts. This really should have been a trilogy so everything could’ve been fleshed out the way it deserved.
But the thing that really turned me off? That death at the end.
So many people in this book could’ve died, and that was the choice? It felt random, convenient, and very much designed to manufacture emotions. I’m probably going to hold a grudge about it, not gonna lie.
That said—our two MCs? No complaints there. Their story is officially complete, and they’re honestly the only reason I pushed through all 700+ pages. I loved them.
The overarching plot will continue in the series, but whether I keep going is going to depend heavily on who the next book focuses on… and how many pages it is. 🤷🏻♀️
January 21, 2026
This book definitely could have used another pass with an editor to clean up the typos, but overall - this was a great conclusion to Noa and Ren’s story.
I was quite intimidated at first by the size of this beast - and then proceeded to inhale all 750 pages in less than 48 hours - it had my attention!
A few parts felt like they were dragging a bit, but at the same time I appreciated seeing some of those quieter moments, especially when Rennick was still grovelling to prove himself to Noa.
No spoilers - but a few parts had me close to tears.
I’m excited to see where Kayleigh King takes this universe - there are so many side characters I’d love to learn more about! And there are still so many unanswered questions (and some baddies still breathing…)
Bonus points for the pack name of Fallamhain, which is the Irish origin of my first name 🫶🏻
I was quite intimidated at first by the size of this beast - and then proceeded to inhale all 750 pages in less than 48 hours - it had my attention!
A few parts felt like they were dragging a bit, but at the same time I appreciated seeing some of those quieter moments, especially when Rennick was still grovelling to prove himself to Noa.
No spoilers - but a few parts had me close to tears.
I’m excited to see where Kayleigh King takes this universe - there are so many side characters I’d love to learn more about! And there are still so many unanswered questions (and some baddies still breathing…)
Bonus points for the pack name of Fallamhain, which is the Irish origin of my first name 🫶🏻
January 25, 2026
The way I rage called my bestie about how much Noa pissed me tf off in this book. Book one Noa? Like hey girl I get it I’m on your side!!! Book two Noa? Absolutely not throw her off a cliff. She acts like she’s some damn martyr but girl there’s no reason to “sacrifice” (iykyk) yourself.
All this being said, I’m dying to read a spin off ahaha like gimme another couple asap! (Because I do enjoy this author a lot, but this book just wasn’t it)
2/5⭐️
All this being said, I’m dying to read a spin off ahaha like gimme another couple asap! (Because I do enjoy this author a lot, but this book just wasn’t it)
2/5⭐️
January 27, 2026
The first 50% of this book was phenomenal, out of this world perfect and held my attention. The last half was a downhill slope. I appreciated giving these characters the time and pages they deserved. On the other hand, it could have been condensed and still impactful.
February 3, 2026
Loved the first book. Second book was about 300 pages too long, needed another round of editing and just dragged. Had to fight for my life not to DNF
January 24, 2026
I’m going to start by saying, this duet is my introduction to this author. I don’t know much about her but her writing style feels fresh. If she is a new author, I can’t wait to see how she progresses. I really enjoy her writing and I liked where she was going with this story but this book could have used a good editor.
Let’s get into it. I think the main issue was that this book was long, way longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was long but I understood the need for the grovel to happen slowly. However, the second half of the book felt like trudging through dry sand. There was too much unnecessary fluff. For example, the first sex scene. It spans multiple long drawn out chapters. It was soooooo slow. So slow that I was actually bored. I could understand maybe two short chapters so you can get each characters POV but it just went on and on and on and on. It wasn’t that there was an excessive amount of spice either, it was just so much introspection between each touch. I feel like a few well placed words can get the point across in a stronger way than detailing ever thought and feeling. (Maybe I should take my own advice when writing this review….nah!)
Also, I think Noa’s resistance to bonding went on too long. She’s literally on deaths door but is asking for time to just be a couple. Come on girl, let’s get real.
When Noa’s heat finally comes, I don’t understand why Rennick doesn’t bite her right away. He knows it’s the cure, he knows she will die without it, yet he’s still slow to do it. Then oopsies, she dies because of his slow ass. Once he realizes she’s dead there are multiple pages of him trying to resuscitate her….brooooooo why have you still not bitten her??? Then like it’s a Hail Mary he bites her…finally. Praise be, it worked. Can you believe it? Actually, yes, I can. Everyone already knows that was the cure….sooooo. That whole scene was poorly thought out. For this to have worked Rennick needed to still be in the dark about how his bite is her cure.
I was also extremely disappointed with how late in the game the claiming actually happens. I was really hoping for more with Noa accessing her wolf and learning about her powers. None of that happens until that last 100 kindle pages or so and that’s ridiculous when the whole book is like 750 kindle pages.
Lastly, the second half does fall victim to quite a few spelling errors.
Overall, I enjoyed the premise. Again, a good editor could fix the major issues. I would also have liked to see more development from the FMC, but I really enjoyed the vibes. Loved that we got a shifter universe that felt more modern. The grovel was extremely satisfying. Loved all the side characters. I hope to read more from this author in the future.
Let’s get into it. I think the main issue was that this book was long, way longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed the first half of the book. It was long but I understood the need for the grovel to happen slowly. However, the second half of the book felt like trudging through dry sand. There was too much unnecessary fluff. For example, the first sex scene. It spans multiple long drawn out chapters. It was soooooo slow. So slow that I was actually bored. I could understand maybe two short chapters so you can get each characters POV but it just went on and on and on and on. It wasn’t that there was an excessive amount of spice either, it was just so much introspection between each touch. I feel like a few well placed words can get the point across in a stronger way than detailing ever thought and feeling. (Maybe I should take my own advice when writing this review….nah!)
Also, I think Noa’s resistance to bonding went on too long. She’s literally on deaths door but is asking for time to just be a couple. Come on girl, let’s get real.
When Noa’s heat finally comes, I don’t understand why Rennick doesn’t bite her right away. He knows it’s the cure, he knows she will die without it, yet he’s still slow to do it. Then oopsies, she dies because of his slow ass. Once he realizes she’s dead there are multiple pages of him trying to resuscitate her….brooooooo why have you still not bitten her??? Then like it’s a Hail Mary he bites her…finally. Praise be, it worked. Can you believe it? Actually, yes, I can. Everyone already knows that was the cure….sooooo. That whole scene was poorly thought out. For this to have worked Rennick needed to still be in the dark about how his bite is her cure.
I was also extremely disappointed with how late in the game the claiming actually happens. I was really hoping for more with Noa accessing her wolf and learning about her powers. None of that happens until that last 100 kindle pages or so and that’s ridiculous when the whole book is like 750 kindle pages.
Lastly, the second half does fall victim to quite a few spelling errors.
Overall, I enjoyed the premise. Again, a good editor could fix the major issues. I would also have liked to see more development from the FMC, but I really enjoyed the vibes. Loved that we got a shifter universe that felt more modern. The grovel was extremely satisfying. Loved all the side characters. I hope to read more from this author in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2026
Review is for both books in the duet.
There was some good angst here and some fun scenes. All the omega stuff was great—the nesting especially was cute. I liked the h. The action scenes in book two were well done. I liked how magic is used in this world.
I wish we didn’t get the Hs POV so early as it took away from the angst for me. He was very rash to make decisions which didn’t feel very alpha like to me, kind of messed up his character for me. It was hard to see him as someone who truly ran this pack. The OWD was fun though but would have been better for me had he actually wanted to marry her even if it was just for an alliance but he didn’t so I wanted him to have tried something else before rejecting the h. Him just crumbling under the pressure and doing something he didn’t want to do did not endure me to our H.
The introduction to the story wasn’t great which I think made my connection to the whole duet suffer. Twice I paused book one to see if I was supposed to read something else first. I felt very thrown in and the world building is terrible. There was a ton of inner monologue here too which didn’t help me stay engaged either. In book two it gets especially repetitive and she “talks” in circles a lot. There were a lot of times when I felt like she was being overly wordy and my head was screaming “just say what you mean”. It was a weird reading experience, lol. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this duet but I’m also going to read the other books in the series when they’re out. Despite its faults and the writing needing major dialing back I was still entertained.
There was some good angst here and some fun scenes. All the omega stuff was great—the nesting especially was cute. I liked the h. The action scenes in book two were well done. I liked how magic is used in this world.
I wish we didn’t get the Hs POV so early as it took away from the angst for me. He was very rash to make decisions which didn’t feel very alpha like to me, kind of messed up his character for me. It was hard to see him as someone who truly ran this pack. The OWD was fun though but would have been better for me had he actually wanted to marry her even if it was just for an alliance but he didn’t so I wanted him to have tried something else before rejecting the h. Him just crumbling under the pressure and doing something he didn’t want to do did not endure me to our H.
The introduction to the story wasn’t great which I think made my connection to the whole duet suffer. Twice I paused book one to see if I was supposed to read something else first. I felt very thrown in and the world building is terrible. There was a ton of inner monologue here too which didn’t help me stay engaged either. In book two it gets especially repetitive and she “talks” in circles a lot. There were a lot of times when I felt like she was being overly wordy and my head was screaming “just say what you mean”. It was a weird reading experience, lol. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this duet but I’m also going to read the other books in the series when they’re out. Despite its faults and the writing needing major dialing back I was still entertained.
February 21, 2026
Meh. Thats it? Why was it so long?
I held out and finished the whole thing only because I thought book 1 of this duet was fantastic. Book 2 however, went splat - dead on impact.
It’s frustrating because the plot concept is there, but the forgiveness aspect was drawn out too far. It doesn’t quite make sense as to why it was. It seemed like the only plausible reason as to why it was so drawn out was because the author didn’t know how else to create tension. In the process the plot was dropped and it made me not like the FMC anymore. Her thought process was frustrating because she knew that her body was dying but she won’t do what she wants to do because of what? Pride? It was never clear. Her jokes were also juvenile. Not funny. I hoped that once she forgave him, we could get back to the plot. Give the emotional distress a break for a minute please. But it wasn’t until the 85% mark that it made its reappearance.
I also didn’t care for the prose. There were too many adjectives making each sentence overly descriptive and sappy. Not to mention that there were multiple paragraphs to describe one thing; one feeling or moment. Drawing it out way too long causing it to lose its impact. Like get to the freaking point. This isn’t poetry.
The intimate scenes were also drawn out for literal chapters and the quiet small moments that usually reveal intimacy were always summarized after the fact. This sacrificed character development and actual depth in the story overall. This wasn’t written for readers like me. Readers who want actual attachment instead of just heat. Call me a romantic, I don’t care. It’s the reason why I read romantasy. Not to mention that I HAD to skip them because they were icky. Yuck. Just because they are animal shifters, doesn’t mean I want them to behave like animals.
I found it a tad unreasonable or unrealistic that Rennick would abandon his pack and territory to move to Ashdale just because Noa wants to. Not that that happened but it’s something that Noa said. It’s a notion that is pure fantasy and not at all relatable. Noa is not relatable nor is she likable. Selfish under the guise of a selfless person. I don’t think the author realized this.
And then I had some questions about the plot too. If Ren and Noa grew up together, then they’d have the same friends? People who remembered them? Are you telling me that no one remembered Noa and/or approached her about it before she got her memories back? Shouldn’t the healer have memories or the older people in the community? Teachers, classmates, etc. Am I expected to believe that Thalassa manipulated the memories of everyone in the community so that they didn’t remind Ren of how close he was with Noa?
And I’m pretty sure I know the premise for all the possible spin offs that the author set up; not so subtly I might add. Why couldn’t she have their stories in this book instead of the unnecessary emotional dramatics of the FMC?
The end was disappointing. The pack was decimated but the threat wasn’t eliminated. Why did I read this hoping for a good plot to surface?
I am not a fan.
I held out and finished the whole thing only because I thought book 1 of this duet was fantastic. Book 2 however, went splat - dead on impact.
It’s frustrating because the plot concept is there, but the forgiveness aspect was drawn out too far. It doesn’t quite make sense as to why it was. It seemed like the only plausible reason as to why it was so drawn out was because the author didn’t know how else to create tension. In the process the plot was dropped and it made me not like the FMC anymore. Her thought process was frustrating because she knew that her body was dying but she won’t do what she wants to do because of what? Pride? It was never clear. Her jokes were also juvenile. Not funny. I hoped that once she forgave him, we could get back to the plot. Give the emotional distress a break for a minute please. But it wasn’t until the 85% mark that it made its reappearance.
I also didn’t care for the prose. There were too many adjectives making each sentence overly descriptive and sappy. Not to mention that there were multiple paragraphs to describe one thing; one feeling or moment. Drawing it out way too long causing it to lose its impact. Like get to the freaking point. This isn’t poetry.
The intimate scenes were also drawn out for literal chapters and the quiet small moments that usually reveal intimacy were always summarized after the fact. This sacrificed character development and actual depth in the story overall. This wasn’t written for readers like me. Readers who want actual attachment instead of just heat. Call me a romantic, I don’t care. It’s the reason why I read romantasy. Not to mention that I HAD to skip them because they were icky. Yuck. Just because they are animal shifters, doesn’t mean I want them to behave like animals.
I found it a tad unreasonable or unrealistic that Rennick would abandon his pack and territory to move to Ashdale just because Noa wants to. Not that that happened but it’s something that Noa said. It’s a notion that is pure fantasy and not at all relatable. Noa is not relatable nor is she likable. Selfish under the guise of a selfless person. I don’t think the author realized this.
And then I had some questions about the plot too. If Ren and Noa grew up together, then they’d have the same friends? People who remembered them? Are you telling me that no one remembered Noa and/or approached her about it before she got her memories back? Shouldn’t the healer have memories or the older people in the community? Teachers, classmates, etc. Am I expected to believe that Thalassa manipulated the memories of everyone in the community so that they didn’t remind Ren of how close he was with Noa?
And I’m pretty sure I know the premise for all the possible spin offs that the author set up; not so subtly I might add. Why couldn’t she have their stories in this book instead of the unnecessary emotional dramatics of the FMC?
The end was disappointing. The pack was decimated but the threat wasn’t eliminated. Why did I read this hoping for a good plot to surface?
I am not a fan.
January 23, 2026
i liked this one a little bit less than the first one.
it was still very angsty because of the rejected mate syndrome and rennick trying to get noa back. i liked that it took 50% of the book and a grand gesture for noa to fully trust rennick, it felt very natural considering what he put her through. they were very cute as a couple but once they got together and the angst disappeared they lost me a bit.
i thought the book was too long even if the pacing was pretty good. things happened at the perfect moment timeline wise but everything developing slowly made the book feel low stakes even if it wasn’t. it took the characters a while to find out some important stuff such as: who was taking the omegas, why did noa’s mom bind her wolf and memories, what was going on with the mcnamara pack, etc. they were working on these things but because the book was 700 pages long it wasn’t as really action packed.
my favorite thing of the book and the series is the bond between the omegas. especially how protective noa was of each of them and them of her. the relationship between noa, siggy and seren was soooo endearing and i hope we get juno added to the mix in future books.
it was still very angsty because of the rejected mate syndrome and rennick trying to get noa back. i liked that it took 50% of the book and a grand gesture for noa to fully trust rennick, it felt very natural considering what he put her through. they were very cute as a couple but once they got together and the angst disappeared they lost me a bit.
i thought the book was too long even if the pacing was pretty good. things happened at the perfect moment timeline wise but everything developing slowly made the book feel low stakes even if it wasn’t. it took the characters a while to find out some important stuff such as: who was taking the omegas, why did noa’s mom bind her wolf and memories, what was going on with the mcnamara pack, etc. they were working on these things but because the book was 700 pages long it wasn’t as really action packed.
my favorite thing of the book and the series is the bond between the omegas. especially how protective noa was of each of them and them of her. the relationship between noa, siggy and seren was soooo endearing and i hope we get juno added to the mix in future books.
January 24, 2026
“An Alpha’s loyalty to his pack should be second to only one,his mate.”
RAW is an emotionally brutal, beautifully angsty continuation of Rennick and Noa’s story, and it absolutely does not pull its punches. If PRIMAL broke your heart, RAW grinds the pieces into dust,and then slowly, painfully starts to rebuild them.
Noa is unraveling. Between the physical toll of rejection, the weight of betrayal, and a growing external threat, she feels fragile in a way that’s raw and painfully real. Her hurt isn’t brushed aside or magically healed, and that made her journey incredibly powerful. Watching her fight to survive emotionally and physically was heartbreaking.
Rennick, on the other hand, is deep in his grovel era, and Kayleigh King makes him work for it. There are no easy apologies here. He knows he failed as an Alpha, as a mate, and as a protector, and his desperation to fix what he shattered is intense and consuming. His redemption arc is slow, messy, and earned.
RAW is a true slow-burn, second-chance romance packed with rejection angst, protective Alpha energy, first heat/nesting moments, and emotional devastation. It hurts in the best way.
RAW is an emotionally brutal, beautifully angsty continuation of Rennick and Noa’s story, and it absolutely does not pull its punches. If PRIMAL broke your heart, RAW grinds the pieces into dust,and then slowly, painfully starts to rebuild them.
Noa is unraveling. Between the physical toll of rejection, the weight of betrayal, and a growing external threat, she feels fragile in a way that’s raw and painfully real. Her hurt isn’t brushed aside or magically healed, and that made her journey incredibly powerful. Watching her fight to survive emotionally and physically was heartbreaking.
Rennick, on the other hand, is deep in his grovel era, and Kayleigh King makes him work for it. There are no easy apologies here. He knows he failed as an Alpha, as a mate, and as a protector, and his desperation to fix what he shattered is intense and consuming. His redemption arc is slow, messy, and earned.
RAW is a true slow-burn, second-chance romance packed with rejection angst, protective Alpha energy, first heat/nesting moments, and emotional devastation. It hurts in the best way.
February 9, 2026
I LOVE this author, so let's just say I'm really disappoited...
The pacing was bad, the FMC just loves to play the victim, even when she is not, which made her insufferable...
I honestly think the author found herself lost writhing this book, like she didn't know where she wanted it to go.
It was a miss for me... unfortunately
The pacing was bad, the FMC just loves to play the victim, even when she is not, which made her insufferable...
I honestly think the author found herself lost writhing this book, like she didn't know where she wanted it to go.
It was a miss for me... unfortunately
February 23, 2026
this story did not need to be two books. so much prolonging of the story, more monotonous internal monologuing, and minimal character development. i found myself bored. i could easily put it down but i’ll admit i found myself coming back to it. i could’ve dnfed but i found myself steadfast in my personal need for closure- even though this story is highly predictable.
January 28, 2026
this book frustrates me because it could’ve been really good if it had like two or three more rounds of editing but alas it was way too long and pacing was wild
January 23, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ which pains me to say because I LOVED book 1 and it was a 5 star read for me. But this was just too long; predominantly from too much internal dialogue. Much of which was just repeated in different ways. I did enjoy all the cute nesting parts and the plot was still good.
February 11, 2026
1/5 stars
Unfortunately, this was once again a completely confusing and overly convenient plot. While the first book at least had some tension and humor, that was completely missing here.
On top of that, Ren’s cringey dirty talk… yeah, no. At that point, even the spice wasn’t doing it for me anymore 😵💫🫣
Unfortunately, this was once again a completely confusing and overly convenient plot. While the first book at least had some tension and humor, that was completely missing here.
On top of that, Ren’s cringey dirty talk… yeah, no. At that point, even the spice wasn’t doing it for me anymore 😵💫🫣
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