What do you think?
Bluebell House #2
Trauma Bonded
New Dangers. New Mysteries. New Secrets to Unravel.
The boys of Bluebell House kept secrets from me. Secrets that placed me and my friends in danger. Secrets that should have been revealed before I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun.
Turned out, that the day I walked into Meadowridge College wasn’t the first time I met Andrew and Brodie, and the other three have their own agendas to keep me from ever fully trusting them.
But with enemies around every corner, I have no choice but to work with the five dangerous, secretive men I find myself tied to in ways I will probably never break.
We are bonded.
For better or worse.
Even if it destroys us all.
*Trauma Bonded is the final in the Bluebell House duet and DOES NOT end on a cliffhanger. This is a 95k word dark, college romance and the FMC will not choose between the men. It is recommended for 18+ due to adult situations and language.
The boys of Bluebell House kept secrets from me. Secrets that placed me and my friends in danger. Secrets that should have been revealed before I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun.
Turned out, that the day I walked into Meadowridge College wasn’t the first time I met Andrew and Brodie, and the other three have their own agendas to keep me from ever fully trusting them.
But with enemies around every corner, I have no choice but to work with the five dangerous, secretive men I find myself tied to in ways I will probably never break.
We are bonded.
For better or worse.
Even if it destroys us all.
*Trauma Bonded is the final in the Bluebell House duet and DOES NOT end on a cliffhanger. This is a 95k word dark, college romance and the FMC will not choose between the men. It is recommended for 18+ due to adult situations and language.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
May 7, 2026
😔
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was about this sequel. I love both of these authors and have loved everything they have done. However, this book just feels like they phoned it in. It doesn’t have the soul of the last book. It feels like they decided on what tropes they wanted and just randomly used them. You can almost tell when one author wrote one section and the other wrote the next section. I hate to say it but I was terribly disappointed.
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was about this sequel. I love both of these authors and have loved everything they have done. However, this book just feels like they phoned it in. It doesn’t have the soul of the last book. It feels like they decided on what tropes they wanted and just randomly used them. You can almost tell when one author wrote one section and the other wrote the next section. I hate to say it but I was terribly disappointed.
May 8, 2026
Now from my lukewarm feelings about book one I wasn't expecting to love this one, but woof this was not my favorite. I sat with this for a bit and I'll be honest and say I'm almost angry at how bad this follow up was. Spoilers.
Mams. Madams. Writers. This plot is the flimsiest thing I think either of you have ever written and it was painful to watch unfold.
Now we already had to suspend our belief that the presidents son, 2 mafia bros, a three time Oscar winning actor 🙄, and a huge bioengineering genius were all besties and into the same girl. Which Jesus that stretch really pulled me out of this book a couple times during this one. At times that suspension of disbelief was PAINFUL. When Brodie is talking about the oscars all nonchalant and not caring I got mad. No one thinks of the biggest part of their career like it doesn't matter. And making some 22 year old a three time winner just was so stupid that I almost skipped the whole chapter. Anyway.
Then you want us to believe that this group of super besties is being taken down by a little rich girl's parents.....this Mr. Fix it guy who is connected to everyone and is a big bad is being taken down by the parents of a rich girl. Now this base line plot has Tate James written all over it and I would have loved it but the ridiculous nature of everything else just made it unbelievable, and God the plot holes abound.
I also just got annoyed with the number of times the immature writing pulled me out of the story or the super modern references just killed it. Now I think these authors had fun writing together they have done books together that work, but at times I just asked myself why did you guys make these choices. They are all traumatized and broken and yet you choose to just add ridiculous tension relievers that just ruin scenes. You can clearly see when they switch chapters because our characters inner voices change. If you have read Tate James you can see when she writes our main character and when Jaymin does which was infuriating. She goes from being a decently insightful character who can be strong and admit flaws to a ditz who falls a lot.
Then it's a duet. Now with the barely there flimsy plot I wasn't chomping at the bit for a longer series but their relationships felt incredibly rushed and not satisfying. You built up the tension with andrew and Connor and made a big deal out of it just to quickly wrap it up. Which happened with Connor and Ethan's fights too. Also can we please acknowledge the president of the United States would not be cool with her kid doing anything he did. And where is his secret service detail? Honestly I just found lazy plot holes in this one and it is upsetting since I love almost all of Tate James books. The parts that felt familiar and rang true to her style were good and I enjoyed it, but the rest? I just feel let down and annoyed.
Mams. Madams. Writers. This plot is the flimsiest thing I think either of you have ever written and it was painful to watch unfold.
Now we already had to suspend our belief that the presidents son, 2 mafia bros, a three time Oscar winning actor 🙄, and a huge bioengineering genius were all besties and into the same girl. Which Jesus that stretch really pulled me out of this book a couple times during this one. At times that suspension of disbelief was PAINFUL. When Brodie is talking about the oscars all nonchalant and not caring I got mad. No one thinks of the biggest part of their career like it doesn't matter. And making some 22 year old a three time winner just was so stupid that I almost skipped the whole chapter. Anyway.
Then you want us to believe that this group of super besties is being taken down by a little rich girl's parents.....this Mr. Fix it guy who is connected to everyone and is a big bad is being taken down by the parents of a rich girl. Now this base line plot has Tate James written all over it and I would have loved it but the ridiculous nature of everything else just made it unbelievable, and God the plot holes abound.
I also just got annoyed with the number of times the immature writing pulled me out of the story or the super modern references just killed it. Now I think these authors had fun writing together they have done books together that work, but at times I just asked myself why did you guys make these choices. They are all traumatized and broken and yet you choose to just add ridiculous tension relievers that just ruin scenes. You can clearly see when they switch chapters because our characters inner voices change. If you have read Tate James you can see when she writes our main character and when Jaymin does which was infuriating. She goes from being a decently insightful character who can be strong and admit flaws to a ditz who falls a lot.
Then it's a duet. Now with the barely there flimsy plot I wasn't chomping at the bit for a longer series but their relationships felt incredibly rushed and not satisfying. You built up the tension with andrew and Connor and made a big deal out of it just to quickly wrap it up. Which happened with Connor and Ethan's fights too. Also can we please acknowledge the president of the United States would not be cool with her kid doing anything he did. And where is his secret service detail? Honestly I just found lazy plot holes in this one and it is upsetting since I love almost all of Tate James books. The parts that felt familiar and rang true to her style were good and I enjoyed it, but the rest? I just feel let down and annoyed.
May 8, 2026
Scrapes through… I was really looking forward to this sequel, and yes, a few elements I was hoping for appeared, such as a gentle healing arc for Haze, and his time with Eve.
There was some action, a lot of spice (it is RH), and I enjoyed the chapters told from the guys’ perspectives (could have done with more of these).
Overall though, it didn’t live up to the expectation. Instead, it felt as if the authors were trying to ‘get it over with’ rather than writing with the ideas, energy and care these interesting, diverse characters deserved.
And I have questions - so many questions! What happened to Evie’s dad, how was he connected to the other parents, why had he disappeared, not least among them! The other questions would be spoilers, but so many aspects were incredulous or lacking…
Another query: how did this get released while still containing so many basic errors? A proofreader is credited, but - as for book one - the errors were obvious and abundant.
There was some action, a lot of spice (it is RH), and I enjoyed the chapters told from the guys’ perspectives (could have done with more of these).
Overall though, it didn’t live up to the expectation. Instead, it felt as if the authors were trying to ‘get it over with’ rather than writing with the ideas, energy and care these interesting, diverse characters deserved.
And I have questions - so many questions! What happened to Evie’s dad, how was he connected to the other parents, why had he disappeared, not least among them! The other questions would be spoilers, but so many aspects were incredulous or lacking…
Another query: how did this get released while still containing so many basic errors? A proofreader is credited, but - as for book one - the errors were obvious and abundant.
May 8, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ I definitely loved the first book more, I was really hoping for a bit more mystery and drama etc. While I love an extremely spicy why choose as much as the next person some of the relationships that weren’t established in the first book felt a tad rushed and this had more spice than plot imo. The conclusion to the issue at hand felt rushed and I was just hoping to get more information on a few characters. Overall I still enjoyed it but it was definitely a little underwhelming compared to book one.
May 15, 2026
Wtf happened to the sequel 😭 I was sooo excited but this was trash. Boring, nothing happened, and we're just told everything instead of shown. What happened to the medium build relationships? Why was all of the relationships in here quickly developed and then we jump days and weeks in advance? Boring af. I'm so disappointed
May 25, 2026
this was a bit of a disappointment :(
the relationships went from slow burn, tension, banter, chemistry to HOUSE IS ON FIRE… oh now it’s burned to ashes. or something like that! the point is, the romance development zoomed forward WAYYY too quickly, and then the tension and enjoyable nature of the relationships was gone, and it was all boring!!!
don’t even get me started on the character destruction - every bit of trauma was being erased in 3 pages. haze couldn’t touch people? that’s fixed. forget that last book, he could barely handle a motorbike ride withOUT skin on skin. girlie pop has nightmares? no more, sleeping with her men can fix that.
and the plot was literally insane.
but you know what, i can’t really complain that much, because i did read the entire book (minus some smut skimming - that’s how boring it was), and it was mildly entertaining at times!
the relationships went from slow burn, tension, banter, chemistry to HOUSE IS ON FIRE… oh now it’s burned to ashes. or something like that! the point is, the romance development zoomed forward WAYYY too quickly, and then the tension and enjoyable nature of the relationships was gone, and it was all boring!!!
don’t even get me started on the character destruction - every bit of trauma was being erased in 3 pages. haze couldn’t touch people? that’s fixed. forget that last book, he could barely handle a motorbike ride withOUT skin on skin. girlie pop has nightmares? no more, sleeping with her men can fix that.
and the plot was literally insane.
but you know what, i can’t really complain that much, because i did read the entire book (minus some smut skimming - that’s how boring it was), and it was mildly entertaining at times!
June 19, 2026
2.5 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Trauma Bonded☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
💙₊˚ෆ🩵ෆ˚₊✨ ♡ THOUGHTS ♡ ✨₊˚ෆ🩵ෆ˚₊💙
There are some scenes that absolutely did NOT work:
1. There were references that took me out of the book because there were reminders that her life was becoming that of a romance novel. Especially when Brodie got cast as Jace from the Boys of Bellerose series. In this world, it is a why choose book series (which we know), but then if you read the Boys of Bellerose, it is another book universe to us. I get Brodie is an actor, but there did not need to be a separation and act like Billie and her guys were fictional 🤨. Also, Eve getting fitted for the Oscars... HUH. Listen, I know Brodie is an actor and got nominated, but how is this important to the plot right now? It was fluff.
2. Why was there a conversation about her being offended because she has a fat ass? (13 Reasons Why flashbacks) Then Brodie proceeds to get that actress blacklisted. We lost the plot, I fear 😭. Why were we at the Oscars in the first place?
3. The fact that we have an Oscar winner, people in organized crime, the son of a president, and a professor, and then somehow amidst all of this there is a plot to kill Evie and they do not know who is behind it. How does this make sense? Keep in mind they are still in college 😭. It was good at first, but now it is just bad.
[Brodie]
He was honestly not that present in this book. Do not get me wrong, he had his scenes, but the majority of the time he was either filming or away because he had to be with his publicist. At times, that took away from the plot of the book itself, which was keeping Eve safe. He would come back and tell her that he got nominated for an Oscar, then they would go to the awards, have all this drama happen, and then go back to the plot of the book. It was just so random. Brodie continued to keep things lighthearted, and he was the one who had actually been there the night she got shot in the back in college. That explained why he looked at her strangely on the first day he saw her because he had actually known her. He pretty much explained that he felt like they were fated to be each other's light, so he was very protective of her. He was also the main one who actually took the initiative to get to know her before he got physical with her, so that made their relationship feel special. I genuinely loved their relationship.
[Andrew]
Haze was so right to call Eve out for the shit she was doing to push Drew's buttons!!! She was so invalidating of his OCD and made it seem like it was a running joke or a need for control, but it is part of him. It does not define him, but she was not understanding at all. I just did not like that. In the beginning, I think she was being very inconsiderate of his mannerisms and how he acted. I do not know if they ever outright said he had OCD, but it was heavily implied that the trauma he went through manifested in his need for control. I also feel like this was never properly discussed. He did grovel for around a chapter, but honestly, I feel like that was inserted to explain how he was submitting and surrendering his control to Eve for the sake of adding an element of forgiveness for Drew. Honestly, I was not even mad about what he did because the reveal that he did not actually kill Daisy and that Abraham, Eve's father, was responsible the entire time was INSANE 😭. Drew literally carried that blame the entire time.
This would have SERVED if we had gotten chapters of them as kids. I am kind of disappointed that we never got to know the version of themselves that actually knew each other and shared a history because that explains why Andrew has these feelings for her, or at least why he had that protective instinct toward her. There was so much telling instead of showing, and we never really got to see how that connection came to be. Eve has a familiarity with him, but it is frustrating because their relationship had such a unique background that could have been explored. It is not that I did not care for them. It is that everything happened so suddenly and out of nowhere. Considering he had a girlfriend throughout the entire first book and then in this one, once they finally get together, he just tells her he broke up with Laura. That was it.
[Ethan]
Honestly, I expected a different dynamic with them considering he is a professor, but I honestly did not care 😭. They were still sneaking around to the point where suspicions were rising and they almost got caught, so he distanced himself. Then by the epilogue, he ends up leaving his job anyway. So what was the point? I guess there was no reason to make him a professor if that was never going to matter in the second book. It feels random in hindsight. Do not get me wrong. He is protective of her, cares about her, and has been one of her biggest supporters since day one. He is always on her side. I just never found myself particularly invested in their relationship.
[Connor]
He was a little frustrating because he spent most of the series antagonizing her 😭. They have that constant back and forth where he insults her, she bites back, he calls her a brat, and acts like she is some defenseless girl who cannot defend herself. He pretty much sees her as a damsel in distress who constantly brings more problems because she is so defenseless, which was frustrating. He also had a girlfriend for pretty much the entire time, Lacey. Then they break up, and the explanation is that he always saw her more like a sister and that their relationship felt more sibling-like than romantic.In that case... why even include it 🤨? Beyond giving Eve a female friend, I genuinely do not understand why Lacey needed to be Connor's girlfriend. They could have accomplished the same thing without that relationship. Now they are basically trauma-bonded besties because of everything they went through together.
[Haze]
I am actually kind of disappointed because he had the best potential for a character arc. Here is someone who was tortured as a child, which led to his touch aversion. The book spends time showing how he slowly starts finding Eve's touch comforting, and by the epilogue, years have passed and he has clearly made progress. His brothers can touch him sometimes, although they are still careful because they do not want to trigger him. But at the same time, I feel like I know absolutely nothing about what he experienced during those four months he was held captive. Why add something to the plot if you are never going to explore it ??? It gets mentioned repeatedly as a source of trauma, but we never really understand the extent of what happened or how it shaped him beyond surface-level comments. This was very underwhelming.
🩵₊˚ෆ💙ෆ˚₊✨ ♡ OVERALL ♡ ✨₊˚ෆ💙ෆ˚₊🩵
I did not like how Abraham, Eve's father, was brought back for the sake of taking him down because apparently they had been after him this entire time because of the girl Andrew thought he had killed years ago. Honestly, it felt unnecessary. This book did not feel necessary. It felt like fluff. The epilogue of them getting married was fine, I guess 😭.I also think Sven and several other characters just stopped getting mentioned. At some point I was wondering why they were introduced in the first place if they were just going to disappear and never really become part of the friend group. Even Nina, her roommate, was there here and there, but also not really. She would show up when needed and then vanish again.
I just do not think I had a real connection with anybody outside of the guys. The side characters felt forgotten, and by the end, it felt like there were so many moving pieces that never got the attention they deserved.
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Trauma Bonded☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
💙₊˚ෆ🩵ෆ˚₊✨ ♡ THOUGHTS ♡ ✨₊˚ෆ🩵ෆ˚₊💙
There are some scenes that absolutely did NOT work:
1. There were references that took me out of the book because there were reminders that her life was becoming that of a romance novel. Especially when Brodie got cast as Jace from the Boys of Bellerose series. In this world, it is a why choose book series (which we know), but then if you read the Boys of Bellerose, it is another book universe to us. I get Brodie is an actor, but there did not need to be a separation and act like Billie and her guys were fictional 🤨. Also, Eve getting fitted for the Oscars... HUH. Listen, I know Brodie is an actor and got nominated, but how is this important to the plot right now? It was fluff.
2. Why was there a conversation about her being offended because she has a fat ass? (13 Reasons Why flashbacks) Then Brodie proceeds to get that actress blacklisted. We lost the plot, I fear 😭. Why were we at the Oscars in the first place?
3. The fact that we have an Oscar winner, people in organized crime, the son of a president, and a professor, and then somehow amidst all of this there is a plot to kill Evie and they do not know who is behind it. How does this make sense? Keep in mind they are still in college 😭. It was good at first, but now it is just bad.
[Brodie]
"Not a fucking chance, Evie babe. You are my girlfriend. You are also the love of my fucking life and the world needs to respect that. Fate brought us together in a way that we can’t ignore, and I don’t even want to. You’re the best damn thing that ever happened to me, and I refuse to pretend otherwise."
He was honestly not that present in this book. Do not get me wrong, he had his scenes, but the majority of the time he was either filming or away because he had to be with his publicist. At times, that took away from the plot of the book itself, which was keeping Eve safe. He would come back and tell her that he got nominated for an Oscar, then they would go to the awards, have all this drama happen, and then go back to the plot of the book. It was just so random. Brodie continued to keep things lighthearted, and he was the one who had actually been there the night she got shot in the back in college. That explained why he looked at her strangely on the first day he saw her because he had actually known her. He pretty much explained that he felt like they were fated to be each other's light, so he was very protective of her. He was also the main one who actually took the initiative to get to know her before he got physical with her, so that made their relationship feel special. I genuinely loved their relationship.
[Andrew]
"None of us were born like this, and none of us enjoy it. You’re in a unique position, Evelyn, to help him heal from his past just like you’ve been helping me. Something to think about."
Haze was so right to call Eve out for the shit she was doing to push Drew's buttons!!! She was so invalidating of his OCD and made it seem like it was a running joke or a need for control, but it is part of him. It does not define him, but she was not understanding at all. I just did not like that. In the beginning, I think she was being very inconsiderate of his mannerisms and how he acted. I do not know if they ever outright said he had OCD, but it was heavily implied that the trauma he went through manifested in his need for control. I also feel like this was never properly discussed. He did grovel for around a chapter, but honestly, I feel like that was inserted to explain how he was submitting and surrendering his control to Eve for the sake of adding an element of forgiveness for Drew. Honestly, I was not even mad about what he did because the reveal that he did not actually kill Daisy and that Abraham, Eve's father, was responsible the entire time was INSANE 😭. Drew literally carried that blame the entire time.
"I love you too, minx. Fuck, I think I was in love with you when we were children. I never got over them taking you away from me. That will never happen again."
This would have SERVED if we had gotten chapters of them as kids. I am kind of disappointed that we never got to know the version of themselves that actually knew each other and shared a history because that explains why Andrew has these feelings for her, or at least why he had that protective instinct toward her. There was so much telling instead of showing, and we never really got to see how that connection came to be. Eve has a familiarity with him, but it is frustrating because their relationship had such a unique background that could have been explored. It is not that I did not care for them. It is that everything happened so suddenly and out of nowhere. Considering he had a girlfriend throughout the entire first book and then in this one, once they finally get together, he just tells her he broke up with Laura. That was it.
[Ethan]
"I’m so fucking sorry I made you question my feelings for you. I was trying to create a little distance between us, only so I could figure out what to do about a small issue that arose."
Honestly, I expected a different dynamic with them considering he is a professor, but I honestly did not care 😭. They were still sneaking around to the point where suspicions were rising and they almost got caught, so he distanced himself. Then by the epilogue, he ends up leaving his job anyway. So what was the point? I guess there was no reason to make him a professor if that was never going to matter in the second book. It feels random in hindsight. Do not get me wrong. He is protective of her, cares about her, and has been one of her biggest supporters since day one. He is always on her side. I just never found myself particularly invested in their relationship.
[Connor]
"Definitely. But it’s too late now. You’ve unlocked the door and I’m throwing away the key. I’m pretty sure I understand how Eth and Brodie feel now."
He was a little frustrating because he spent most of the series antagonizing her 😭. They have that constant back and forth where he insults her, she bites back, he calls her a brat, and acts like she is some defenseless girl who cannot defend herself. He pretty much sees her as a damsel in distress who constantly brings more problems because she is so defenseless, which was frustrating. He also had a girlfriend for pretty much the entire time, Lacey. Then they break up, and the explanation is that he always saw her more like a sister and that their relationship felt more sibling-like than romantic.In that case... why even include it 🤨? Beyond giving Eve a female friend, I genuinely do not understand why Lacey needed to be Connor's girlfriend. They could have accomplished the same thing without that relationship. Now they are basically trauma-bonded besties because of everything they went through together.
[Haze]
I am actually kind of disappointed because he had the best potential for a character arc. Here is someone who was tortured as a child, which led to his touch aversion. The book spends time showing how he slowly starts finding Eve's touch comforting, and by the epilogue, years have passed and he has clearly made progress. His brothers can touch him sometimes, although they are still careful because they do not want to trigger him. But at the same time, I feel like I know absolutely nothing about what he experienced during those four months he was held captive. Why add something to the plot if you are never going to explore it ??? It gets mentioned repeatedly as a source of trauma, but we never really understand the extent of what happened or how it shaped him beyond surface-level comments. This was very underwhelming.
🩵₊˚ෆ💙ෆ˚₊✨ ♡ OVERALL ♡ ✨₊˚ෆ💙ෆ˚₊🩵
I did not like how Abraham, Eve's father, was brought back for the sake of taking him down because apparently they had been after him this entire time because of the girl Andrew thought he had killed years ago. Honestly, it felt unnecessary. This book did not feel necessary. It felt like fluff. The epilogue of them getting married was fine, I guess 😭.I also think Sven and several other characters just stopped getting mentioned. At some point I was wondering why they were introduced in the first place if they were just going to disappear and never really become part of the friend group. Even Nina, her roommate, was there here and there, but also not really. She would show up when needed and then vanish again.
I just do not think I had a real connection with anybody outside of the guys. The side characters felt forgotten, and by the end, it felt like there were so many moving pieces that never got the attention they deserved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2026
If I gave it 2 stars I'd be generous
Okay I'm going to start off by saying I love both of these authors. Tete James normally writes books I want to say about bullying most of the time. And Jasmine does not. It meshes. Book one was incredible I read that at least two or three times. Book trauma bonded it was the finishing of that cliffhanger from book one and it was solved within the first minute or two of reading the book. No problem all things fixed. And then you get oh here are all the secrets that we've been keeping from you too the same night. She's not mad totally fine. You also get the guy who never likes to be touched all the sudden it doesn't mind it from her totally fine. Also she hated Andrew and he had a girlfriend and then you know the next morning they're getting it on but he broke up with the girlfriend first that was okay. It's like they fix every single problem there was with each individual. the girlfriend's the mmcs were with the other problems that were going on with people trying to harm the mfc . This all just happened way too fast just to let's hurry up and finish this book. Kind of book like let's fix everything in the next couple minutes and everything will be great kind of book. Where the first book was pretty perfect. It set it up for a pretty great series if it was a series or even a trilogy. With the amount of issues these men had and what was going on with FMC it should have been a trilogy at least or longer books this kind of just slams you into a lot of spicy time and not much else.
Okay I'm going to start off by saying I love both of these authors. Tete James normally writes books I want to say about bullying most of the time. And Jasmine does not. It meshes. Book one was incredible I read that at least two or three times. Book trauma bonded it was the finishing of that cliffhanger from book one and it was solved within the first minute or two of reading the book. No problem all things fixed. And then you get oh here are all the secrets that we've been keeping from you too the same night. She's not mad totally fine. You also get the guy who never likes to be touched all the sudden it doesn't mind it from her totally fine. Also she hated Andrew and he had a girlfriend and then you know the next morning they're getting it on but he broke up with the girlfriend first that was okay. It's like they fix every single problem there was with each individual. the girlfriend's the mmcs were with the other problems that were going on with people trying to harm the mfc . This all just happened way too fast just to let's hurry up and finish this book. Kind of book like let's fix everything in the next couple minutes and everything will be great kind of book. Where the first book was pretty perfect. It set it up for a pretty great series if it was a series or even a trilogy. With the amount of issues these men had and what was going on with FMC it should have been a trilogy at least or longer books this kind of just slams you into a lot of spicy time and not much else.
June 15, 2026
‘I would never fuck a bag of flour the way I want to fuck you’ cmon man
June 13, 2026
I am surprised because I like both of these authors, but this duet was a little too unrealistic and silly for me. To put it into perspective, this is a reverse harem that includes the following men: two mafia brothers who hate each other (one of which is also a professor), a world-famous oscar-award-winning movie star, a wanted terrorist (not one of the mafia brothers), and the son of the president of the United States of America. It's like, pick a lane? LOL
Anyways, this took me awhile to finish. TBH, I kind of lost interest. They're all obsessed with each other pretty early on, and the plot dragged a bit. Somewhat entertaining though if you completely suspend all belief in reality. This may be a generous 3 stars though, unfortunately.
Anyways, this took me awhile to finish. TBH, I kind of lost interest. They're all obsessed with each other pretty early on, and the plot dragged a bit. Somewhat entertaining though if you completely suspend all belief in reality. This may be a generous 3 stars though, unfortunately.
May 9, 2026
Again, none of this makes sense and I had a great time. It's wild and outlandish and has lots of spice so it met all my expectations.
If you've read the first book and are still expecting a realistic story you're showing your lack of understanding.
If you've read the first book and are still expecting a realistic story you're showing your lack of understanding.
May 7, 2026
The ending of this story felt really rushed and there are several elements that didn’t make sense. Finding out who was after Evie was anticlimactic. Not finding out more details about Evie’s dad was frustrating.
However, I loved the relationship development with the guys. I especially loved Haze. There are a lot of RH set ups where there is no way the characters would be able to share a woman long term (Looking you, stories where it’s just 2-4 brothers), but this makes a lot of sense. There is no way each guy could have found their own partner that would have melded with their found family. They are all too paranoid or distrustful for that. Sharing a partner seems like a reasonable solution in that context.
Overall, it’s fun and sexy. Don’t think too hard about the overall plot and focus on the relationship, lest you go crazy with plotholes.
However, I loved the relationship development with the guys. I especially loved Haze. There are a lot of RH set ups where there is no way the characters would be able to share a woman long term (Looking you, stories where it’s just 2-4 brothers), but this makes a lot of sense. There is no way each guy could have found their own partner that would have melded with their found family. They are all too paranoid or distrustful for that. Sharing a partner seems like a reasonable solution in that context.
Overall, it’s fun and sexy. Don’t think too hard about the overall plot and focus on the relationship, lest you go crazy with plotholes.
May 12, 2026
3,75 stars
looooved the first half. the second half felt rushed, and i needed more answers and story than what we got in the epilogue.
looooved the first half. the second half felt rushed, and i needed more answers and story than what we got in the epilogue.
May 27, 2026
I love the absurdity of Romance particularly Reverse Harem. Where else can you find a President’s son, two gang affiliates and a movie star attending the same school. If you’re going to do unbelievable for the sake of the plot, you need to *really* commit. And commit it did.
Although it did lack cohesiveness. We never got any build up before their past connections were revealed. Chemistry felt linear, almost methodical. Once Evelyn has solidified her relationship with one guy, it moved on to the next. And the next. And so forth. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
Although it did lack cohesiveness. We never got any build up before their past connections were revealed. Chemistry felt linear, almost methodical. Once Evelyn has solidified her relationship with one guy, it moved on to the next. And the next. And so forth. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
May 10, 2026
So boring and bland and lacked any direction. What was the point of this book two even? This whole thing could have been one book. There was absolutely no passion in this story. I love those intense scenes when the h is in trouble and the guys are coming to rescue and then they find her and *gasp* is she dead?!? Tell me how was even that scene boring!! How do seasoned authors eff up a scene where the emotion basically writes itself.
My experience reading this one was very similar to the issues I had with the last Madison Kate book so not completely unexpected from Tate James but, I really liked the endings of Dark Legacy and Arbon Academy. Those are rereads for me so, clearly these authors can pull off a good ending while writing together. I just don’t think they had any passion for this story while writing and the characters and story suffered because of it.
Ugh, my brain is taxed lol. It took me forever to finish because I had to take multiple breaks because I was so freaking bored that I was zoning out while reading.
My experience reading this one was very similar to the issues I had with the last Madison Kate book so not completely unexpected from Tate James but, I really liked the endings of Dark Legacy and Arbon Academy. Those are rereads for me so, clearly these authors can pull off a good ending while writing together. I just don’t think they had any passion for this story while writing and the characters and story suffered because of it.
Ugh, my brain is taxed lol. It took me forever to finish because I had to take multiple breaks because I was so freaking bored that I was zoning out while reading.
May 14, 2026
Holy effing wow!
This series had me! I was reading and finished this in about 24 hours and worked at the same time! I really hate when life gets in the way!!
I am not giving anything away but I have several more book boyfriends that is for sure!!!
If you love why-choose you will freaking love this 2 book series!!!! There is suspense, thrill, spice! OMG The spice! Freaking YUM! There is also a good amount of will they? Won’t they?! This is a must read!!!!!
This series had me! I was reading and finished this in about 24 hours and worked at the same time! I really hate when life gets in the way!!
I am not giving anything away but I have several more book boyfriends that is for sure!!!
If you love why-choose you will freaking love this 2 book series!!!! There is suspense, thrill, spice! OMG The spice! Freaking YUM! There is also a good amount of will they? Won’t they?! This is a must read!!!!!
August 17, 2026
So this book was just as good as the first book. I loved her relationship with each of the guys and how sometimes she doubled up with some of them. The brothers had such a bad relationship when it started and this book showed the progression of their relationship healing. It was done really well. There is spice and it’s a great story as well. I devoured this all in the same day.
May 21, 2026
Maybe I built up too much anticipation, but this fell flat for me. Connor Sullivan was a favorite, but everything (and everyone) else was disappointing.
May 7, 2026
3.25⭐️ - I just felt like the plot was rushed? Like the relationships between the characters developed at a good pace but the actual plot? Idk
July 12, 2026
I inhaled this book
July 7, 2026
I had the BEST time with this series. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in ages, and I already know it’s going to live rent-free in my head. The tension, the mystery, the relationships… everything just worked.
And the spice?! I’m sorry but… 😮💨🔥
Watching everyone grow closer and finally get comfortable together was everything I wanted. I got so attached to this whole chaotic group, and now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life after finishing it. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year!
And the spice?! I’m sorry but… 😮💨🔥
Watching everyone grow closer and finally get comfortable together was everything I wanted. I got so attached to this whole chaotic group, and now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life after finishing it. Definitely one of my favourite reads this year!
June 1, 2026
DNF 67%. RH. I thought, why the hell not torture myself again with trying a romance? I had read the first book, so i wanted to know how it ended: though i needed to read parts of book one again (having trouble even recognizing parts) for me to place every character in book 2. I love authors who give a summary in the next book -this one didn’t do that.
Anyway, i dnf’ed because i was bored. The romantic Haze and Evie-Marie night had me rolling my eyes instead of appreciating the effort, i think because i don’t feel any emotional connection between the characters. I’m TOLD, repeatedly, there’s a connection, but i never really feel it. Also, who ‘showers’ their hair? Is it me or should that have been ‘washed’?
I was bored by the amount of times physical complements were given by both Eve and the guys.
I was bored by how the author ‘set up’ stuff to create conflict, that didn’t even make all that much sense.
I was bored by all the freaking times Eve gets horny; there’s a time and place and though i understand inappropriate horniness at the best of times, this is just too much. That combined with her repeated clumsiness (she comes across as a toddler), i was bored by the whole vibe.
And now i’m bored by having repeated that i’m bored waaaaay too many times. So, bye!
Anyway, i dnf’ed because i was bored. The romantic Haze and Evie-Marie night had me rolling my eyes instead of appreciating the effort, i think because i don’t feel any emotional connection between the characters. I’m TOLD, repeatedly, there’s a connection, but i never really feel it. Also, who ‘showers’ their hair? Is it me or should that have been ‘washed’?
I was bored by the amount of times physical complements were given by both Eve and the guys.
I was bored by how the author ‘set up’ stuff to create conflict, that didn’t even make all that much sense.
I was bored by all the freaking times Eve gets horny; there’s a time and place and though i understand inappropriate horniness at the best of times, this is just too much. That combined with her repeated clumsiness (she comes across as a toddler), i was bored by the whole vibe.
And now i’m bored by having repeated that i’m bored waaaaay too many times. So, bye!
July 30, 2026
The day of the shooting, I wasn’t even supposed to be in Tennessee; we’d wrapped filming the day before. I’d left my favorite hat on campus and had refused to leave it behind—it’d been a gift from my gramps, one of the few adults in my life to ever give a fuck about me. Even odder than the fact I was there was that I could have easily sent one of my bodyguards or assistants to pick it up, but I’d felt a stupid urge to get it myself. Just like Gramps would have wanted. Maybe he knew what I’d find on campus that day, outside of blood and fear…All I’d caught was her brown hair, and then she went down almost at my feet right as police and SWAT intercepted the gunman. Who had subsequently gotten away in their pursuit. “She was covered in blood. She’d been shot in the back while she ran, and I whipped off my hoodie and pressed it to the wound. Everything was fucking pandemonium, so I just lifted her into my arms and raced across the college. I drove as fast as my car could handle, with a dying chick in my lap, and I swear to God she opened her eyes at one point and I was gone. Blue and gray storms cut into my soul, and I’ve never been able to forget her face as she stared up at me.”“Homeland Security?” I repeated in a strangled voice, my mind whirling so hard it hurt. “No, that can’t be right. Aren’t they for terrorists and shit? Haze isn’t a terrorist!” “Tell that to the chemical warfare bombs he helped create a couple years back,” Andrew muttered under his breath, his thumbs flying across his phone screen as he sent the photos to someone. “Over twenty people died,” I whispered. “Are you telling me that innocent people were murdered all because my father is a bad man who fixes problems so rich and powerful people don’t go to jail?”There was a delighted chuckle from Andrew. “You caught me. But seriously, if you want me to stop at any point, you can use porcupine and it will immediately end. You might think I'm an asshole, and you’re not wrong about that, but you are safe with me.”With that, Lacey thrust her phone under my nose, and I realized what her yelp before had been about. Brodie Keller’s Secret New Love. I want to throw you over my shoulder and take you back to my room. I want to push you to your knees and feel your mouth around my cock while I tangle my hands in your hair. I want to take you for ice cream and watch the fucking sunset. I want you to smile at me the way you smile at Brodie and Ethan, and I want to hold you when the nightmares become too much. “But I don’t think either of us are quite ready for that. You need to sort yourself out with my brothers, and I need to sort out my touch aversion and current enemy list, to make sure that I’m not the one putting you in danger. But I couldn’t leave you wondering if I was interested. I’m very fucking interested.”“Hey, Eve!” Lacey called out when I approached the main building. She was coming from the dorms and jogging to catch up to me. “You’re late too?” “Yeah, I overslept,” I admitted with a grimace. “How about you?” Lacey gave a watery laugh and shrugged. “I lost track of time while breaking up with Connor.”She laughed. “Right? That’s what I thought! I mean, it’s good because I obviously didn’t want to hurt him or anything, but like, at least fake it a bit for the sake of my ego instead of offering me a hug and saying, Thank you.”Was this the first self-defense class I’d ever taught? Yes. Had I created it solely to get Eve to learn how to fucking look after herself? Also, yes. Would it be a fucking pain in the ass dealing with all the chicks in here who thought they could bat their eyelashes at me and I’d fuck them? Just kill me now. “Look, I know you have your bed plenty full with Eth and Brodester, but all I’m saying is that I think there’s something between you and Con, and I don’t want you ignoring it just because you think I’ll be upset. Because I won’t. Connor is the closest thing I have to family, and nothing would make me happier than seeing him with someone he cares so deeply for.” Haze It’d been a long time since I’d kissed anyone. I’d had a very casual girlfriend as a teenager, but we’d never gone very far, and then I was captured and tortured for four months. Since then, physical human touch had always sent me into the kind of blind, violent rage that had at times seen me waking up covered in blood. Despite the busyness of our lives, which for me included self-defense classes with Connor, who was ignoring me, regular classes with Ethan, who stared at me through the entire lecture like I was dessert, Brodie auditioning so often that I felt like we were in a long-distance relationship, Haze continuing to sit so close at night our entire sides touched, which was almost as erotic as sex, and Andrew sneaking into my room to carry me back to his for snuggles, which had me questioning all of our sanities, we all still found time for Sunday family dinners. A genuine smile touched his lips and his expression softened. “I do. I keep thinking about how good it felt when you made me crawl across the dirty floor…and how badly I wished I could have ended up with my face buried in your sweet cunt.” Bar night, could feel eyes on me. Connor’s face was wreathed in fury, but his stance was casual as he pressed his gun into the guy’s neck. “You have two seconds to walk away or you’ll never walk anywhere again.”“Eve!” The shout stunned me just moments before Lacey came crashing into me with a tight hug, jerking me out of my kidnapper’s grip. “Where’s Nina?” she whispered against my ear as she hugged me tight. “How did they get you?”“Okay, CliffsNotes version,” my friend whispered back with a tense look on her face. “The club we were at was owned by my family. Connor pulled a gun, which is a huge faux-pas between our families on the best of days, but right now things are particularly tense because of our break-up and…it’s just spiraling into a whole mess.”“What are you saying, Lacey?” My friend didn’t look at me as she dropped my hand. “Eve is pregnant with Connor’s baby. So if you kill her, you kill family.” Now she turned to look at me, her eyes wide with panic as she silently seemed to remind me to play along. “Right, Eve?” I licked my lips, glancing from her to Connor—who looked like he’d just been slapped with a wet fish—and then slowly placed a hand over my belly. “Yes…that’s right. Surprise!”“That sick fuck was hailed a hero, and they never found his body. That was the worst fucking part, knowing that Brodie wouldn’t have been the first boy he’d dragged into his cabin and trapped there, and yet he was being mourned.”“Baby, that will never happen,” Brodie crooned from the phone. “We were tied together by fate, the gods, and a lunatic with a gun. You’re mine for life. Brother-husbands unite!”“I was taken by enemies of my family when I was seventeen and tortured for four months before the boys got me out. Part of the lingering damage done was my inability to stomach physical touch from anyone, so watching is literally all I’ve ever allowed myself. Until you, Evelyn. Until now.”“Um, guys?” Nina drew our attention with a worried lilt in her voice. “It might be the free champagne talking, but I feel like that van is creeping closer to us?” We had only walked a half block from Madame Gwenevere’s store, and the van she’d gestured to was slowly moving forward. All of a sudden it accelerated straight toward us with a loud rev of its engine. “Evie, watch out!” Andrew shouted, wrapping himself around me and jerking me out of the way as the van crashed through a stack of bicycles and came to a stop on the pavement right in front of where we’d been walking. “Our initial intel indicated that Ms. Lewis wasn’t their target, sir,” the guard responded, grabbing the door as the driver pulled out at top speed. “You were.”“They were environmental activists intending to hold me for ransom until my mother changed her mind about an oil deal with Turkey.” Andrew sighed, shaking his head and looking more disheveled than he usually preferred. “Harmless, ultimately, as they didn’t even have their guns loaded.”It was Brodie. Beating the shit out of my attacker. With his Oscar. Abraham gaped at Brodie in shock, his gaze flicking to me with guilt and sorrow and regret. Before he could answer, shots started exploding all around us. Brodie grabbed me firmly around the waist, hauling me along the alleyway with him at a dead sprint toward the waiting car. “Evelyn Cromwell,” Elijah breathed, sounding pleased as fuck with himself. “You’re one hard chick to get a hold of.”“But he’s good at hiding, and if he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be. But this video is now all over the dark web, with his name blaring. It will catch his attention. He’s going to come for his sweet daughter, and then he’ll face the consequences of his actions.”“Haze, can you find where they’re holding her?” I asked through the bile rising in my throat. I couldn’t take my eyes off the image of Evelyn strapped to a chair, hooked to electrodes. The desperate, agonized arch of her back and the way her neck veins bulged as the current ran through her, then the hysterical sobs that followed…it would haunt my dreams for a very long time to come. Even after we got her back safely…because we would. “Daisy wasn’t dead when I got there. Andrew doesn’t know. He believes he killed her. Within thirty minutes of my arrival, she did die.”
May 12, 2026
1-2/5
the book felt way too cheesy for me. there was a constant cycle of characters promising “nothing will happen to you,” only for her to get kidnapped again in the very next chapter. after a while, it became repetitive and predictable instead of suspenseful.
it also felt like not much actually happened throughout the story, and the parts that did happen stayed very surface level. i kept waiting for the book to go deeper into the characters, the situation, and the emotional impact, but it never really did.
spoiler alert: the entire book is basically her getting kidnapped over and over, and then right at the very end her dad suddenly appears out of nowhere and the story just… ends. there’s barely any explanation about where he was, why he disappeared, or anything meaningful tied to it. the ending felt rushed and unfinished after all that buildup.
the book felt way too cheesy for me. there was a constant cycle of characters promising “nothing will happen to you,” only for her to get kidnapped again in the very next chapter. after a while, it became repetitive and predictable instead of suspenseful.
it also felt like not much actually happened throughout the story, and the parts that did happen stayed very surface level. i kept waiting for the book to go deeper into the characters, the situation, and the emotional impact, but it never really did.
spoiler alert: the entire book is basically her getting kidnapped over and over, and then right at the very end her dad suddenly appears out of nowhere and the story just… ends. there’s barely any explanation about where he was, why he disappeared, or anything meaningful tied to it. the ending felt rushed and unfinished after all that buildup.
May 22, 2026
❧𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬☙
The relationship developments are what really make this book (and the first) shine. I loved how each relationship grows organically in a way that suits each of their very different personalities. I loved that when Eve ends up understanding and accepting Andrew's OCD struggles and Haze's touch aversion.
Outside of the relationships, the story is just as chaotic and wild as book one. Despite the darkish themes in this duet, overall it has a light and fun feel to it.
My only notes were regarding Eve's father. When he finally showed up, he really didn't suit the character they built him up to be. Everyone knows this man as Mr Fix-It. The one you call when you have an issue of any nature and he takes care of the problem (iykyk) and yet it took him eight years to deal with the two people who were after him and trying to kill his daughter as punishment? He knew the entire time who it was and even after the shooting that led to Eve attending Meadowridge College he did nothing. It took
❧𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬☙
➳ Contemporary
➳ Reverse Harem (MFMMMM)
➳ University/College Romance
➳ Teacher in Harem
➳ Friends to Lovers
➳ Relationships build overtime
❧𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗢𝗩𝘀☙
Eve: 31, Brodie: 1, Haze: 3, Connor: 2, Ethan: 1, Andrew: 2
❧𝐅𝐚𝐯 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞☙
✦“𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝘜𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
The relationship developments are what really make this book (and the first) shine. I loved how each relationship grows organically in a way that suits each of their very different personalities. I loved that when Eve ends up understanding and accepting Andrew's OCD struggles and Haze's touch aversion.
Outside of the relationships, the story is just as chaotic and wild as book one. Despite the darkish themes in this duet, overall it has a light and fun feel to it.
My only notes were regarding Eve's father. When he finally showed up, he really didn't suit the character they built him up to be. Everyone knows this man as Mr Fix-It. The one you call when you have an issue of any nature and he takes care of the problem (iykyk) and yet it took him eight years to deal with the two people who were after him and trying to kill his daughter as punishment? He knew the entire time who it was and even after the shooting that led to Eve attending Meadowridge College he did nothing. It took
❧𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬☙
➳ Contemporary
➳ Reverse Harem (MFMMMM)
➳ University/College Romance
➳ Teacher in Harem
➳ Friends to Lovers
➳ Relationships build overtime
❧𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗢𝗩𝘀☙
Eve: 31, Brodie: 1, Haze: 3, Connor: 2, Ethan: 1, Andrew: 2
❧𝐅𝐚𝐯 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞☙
✦“𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝘜𝘨𝘩, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
June 1, 2026
I really, really wanted to love this, but I just... Didn't.
It felt like it was written by two different people, and while it obviously is, I think I could tell which parts were written by which authors. It didn't feel cohesive.
The relationships were excellent, but it was a lot of pages to primarily be relationship development.
I didn't really know which direction the plot was going, and not in a fun 'keeps you guessing' way.
The ending was good, although it was a whole heap of action packed into the very end of the book.
There was also no recap at the start of the book, which is a key feature of the newer Tate and Jaymin books, so that was a shame. Honestly I'm not sure, it all just felt a little rushed.
It felt like it was written by two different people, and while it obviously is, I think I could tell which parts were written by which authors. It didn't feel cohesive.
The relationships were excellent, but it was a lot of pages to primarily be relationship development.
I didn't really know which direction the plot was going, and not in a fun 'keeps you guessing' way.
The ending was good, although it was a whole heap of action packed into the very end of the book.
There was also no recap at the start of the book, which is a key feature of the newer Tate and Jaymin books, so that was a shame. Honestly I'm not sure, it all just felt a little rushed.
August 15, 2026
I was so so beyond excited for the second and final book in this duology but oh man it was such a let down.
Considering how much went on throughout this book, and it was high stakes, spicy etc I was just so bored and I had to really force myself to read this and it took me over a month!
I also didn’t even believe all the romantic relationships which is surprising because I loved book one and felt so connected to the characters and them all together too. And of course it’s fiction but I constantly found myself rolling my eyes and thinking ‘this would never happen’ and while that’s true for most books I kinda wanted some of it to feel believable.
In all honesty as well I skipped almost every spicy scene from about the halfway point.
Considering how much went on throughout this book, and it was high stakes, spicy etc I was just so bored and I had to really force myself to read this and it took me over a month!
I also didn’t even believe all the romantic relationships which is surprising because I loved book one and felt so connected to the characters and them all together too. And of course it’s fiction but I constantly found myself rolling my eyes and thinking ‘this would never happen’ and while that’s true for most books I kinda wanted some of it to feel believable.
In all honesty as well I skipped almost every spicy scene from about the halfway point.
August 13, 2026
Sorry but thank god that’s done - not sure what I was on when I read the first one or this one was just THAT much worse but I was in pain getting through this (it took me 10 days to read 360 pages…)
The most lacklustre, surface-level book I’ve ever read, especially for a second and final book in a series. Forced Proximity should’ve just been longer and been a chunky standalone; All these characters are supposedly feeling all these huge emotions, but it’s just written and not shown. Everything is rushed and blabbed onto the page just to fit everything in so none of it actually lands or builds the story. Like the first book, the dialogue, smut and writing in general was so damn childish and insufferable - I wrote better fanfic at 15… but anyways…
(**SPOILER here I guess) Never expected a why choose to be a masterpiece or perfect read but someone try and tell me a reason this book was written other than to make sure Eve slept with all 5 of them?
The most lacklustre, surface-level book I’ve ever read, especially for a second and final book in a series. Forced Proximity should’ve just been longer and been a chunky standalone; All these characters are supposedly feeling all these huge emotions, but it’s just written and not shown. Everything is rushed and blabbed onto the page just to fit everything in so none of it actually lands or builds the story. Like the first book, the dialogue, smut and writing in general was so damn childish and insufferable - I wrote better fanfic at 15… but anyways…
(**SPOILER here I guess) Never expected a why choose to be a masterpiece or perfect read but someone try and tell me a reason this book was written other than to make sure Eve slept with all 5 of them?
September 22, 2026
This one was harder to finish😭
It got a little too insta love for me which is something I realized I don’t wanna read right now.
Idk why the plot line of the fmc saying at the end “I’ve loved you since the first day I met you” has just been pissing me off lately. Like if it’s an enemies to lovers how have yall be in love since day one??
Also the ending felt so rushed. It timed humped too fast without giving us any details on how the fmc healed from the experience she had.
This book is that general vibe of insta love so this just wasn’t for me.
It got a little too insta love for me which is something I realized I don’t wanna read right now.
Idk why the plot line of the fmc saying at the end “I’ve loved you since the first day I met you” has just been pissing me off lately. Like if it’s an enemies to lovers how have yall be in love since day one??
Also the ending felt so rushed. It timed humped too fast without giving us any details on how the fmc healed from the experience she had.
This book is that general vibe of insta love so this just wasn’t for me.
June 3, 2026
just disappointed
I was so looking forward to this 2nd book but it just didn’t deliver like the first.
It was almost like you could tell which person wrote each second. We were told what happened vs went on the ride of things happening. Just kinda disappointing for a sequel.
Still enjoy the authors though.
I was so looking forward to this 2nd book but it just didn’t deliver like the first.
It was almost like you could tell which person wrote each second. We were told what happened vs went on the ride of things happening. Just kinda disappointing for a sequel.
Still enjoy the authors though.
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