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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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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
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 9, 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 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 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
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.
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.
June 15, 2026
‘I would never fuck a bag of flour the way I want to fuck you’ cmon man
May 8, 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.
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 11, 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!!!!!
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 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
May 25, 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
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!
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.
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.
June 8, 2026
I enjoyed this! I think everything wrapped up nicely, but fast and convenient. I do also think that some relationships developed super fast, also this was kind of cringy at times. I felt like we honestly needed more development between Conner and Andrew. Still really enjoyable, but not a new favorite.
June 19, 2026
It was a great close to the duet! I love how these two write together, the sense of humor is undefeated, the action was packed and the characters were continued to be written well. One star off only because I feel the ending was too quick and there were some loose ends I felt, but that could be because I wanted more.
June 1, 2026
Back down
This duet was addictive. All the events that happened to Eve were exciting to see who and why wanting to hurt her. Fate brought her to the five love of her life, and she didn't back down.
This duet was addictive. All the events that happened to Eve were exciting to see who and why wanting to hurt her. Fate brought her to the five love of her life, and she didn't back down.
June 15, 2026
2.5
think i need to get my head out the gutter and read something with actual plot. it wasnt awful but idk i seen a review describe it as a lukewarm series and i feel as thought thats pretty accurate!🤷🏽♀️
think i need to get my head out the gutter and read something with actual plot. it wasnt awful but idk i seen a review describe it as a lukewarm series and i feel as thought thats pretty accurate!🤷🏽♀️
June 24, 2026
Really liked this one
This book was pretty good. I think the first book was better though. I thought it was awesome!
I love all Tate James books I’ve read so far.
This book was pretty good. I think the first book was better though. I thought it was awesome!
I love all Tate James books I’ve read so far.
June 3, 2026
It’s been so long since I read the first book, I just pretended this was a standalone and went for it.
You can tell it was written by two different authors but my favorite giveaway is Eve’s hair being brunette in one chapter and purple-black in the next. From what I remember (and what I included in my original review), the first book had this same exact issue, so hey, at least they’re consistent!
You can tell it was written by two different authors but my favorite giveaway is Eve’s hair being brunette in one chapter and purple-black in the next. From what I remember (and what I included in my original review), the first book had this same exact issue, so hey, at least they’re consistent!
June 8, 2026
Definitely not as good as book 1 but I still enjoyed it. Would have preferred more back story around the other 3 guys and how Evies and their relationships blossomed like in book 1 with 2 of them. Also would have liked to hear more about her father as it was just brushed over I felt but I guess she didnt want to know him or have a relationship with him after everything.
Otherwise 4 ⭐️
5 🌶
Otherwise 4 ⭐️
5 🌶
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