October promised herself a happily ever after, but sometimes the afterlife has other plans.A year after the kingdom is finally at peace, October Grace isn’t sure all is well. Allie’s occasional blackouts are one thing, but when Ollie goes missing, October knows the blissful life she was promised is still too far away to touch.When Judge takes it upon himself to join the tumultuous world October has tried to keep him away from, they stumble upon new allies, ancient enemies, and old flames. Now October must dig deep and see if there is enough goodness worth fighting for, or if she should walk away forever.If you love Bella Forrest, Cassandra Clare, and falling in love with the bad boy, you'll devour the "Terraway" series by Mary E. Twomey."Tender" is the final book in a 9-part paranormal reaper romance series written by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary E. Twomey.
USA Today bestselling author Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her three adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking, and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.
While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.
Boy, this was a rollercoaster! I am very glad the author decided to write the extra book as the finale. Book 8 was good to close most of the main arc, but this ninth book not only dealt with some open questions, but also finally justified the Reverse Harem category it has been advertised as. There was a lot of drama and innuendo, most of it being just a jumble of complicated relationships, but this book answered most of our hopes and even when the always present tragedies and rough times occurred, they were acceptable in the grand scheme of things.
The interpersonal drama and the reality of neglect and abuse, which wound the personality and often lead to mental illness, are the overwhelming themes of the series, but the Paranormal aspect is fascinating and a good background for the story as a whole. The harsh conditions of the war and the Innate cruelty in the service the Omens have to perform in order to keep the people of Terraway from starving, is a big catalyst for the characters to grow and change in often unexpected ways. They make a lot of mistakes on the way, some of them fixable, others tragically final, but selflessness is always the driving force. I guess this is also why the Polyamorous angle works for them. They know they need each other and working in such intimate conditions, where all of them undergo extreme emotional stress together, it creates deep connections which blur the lines between friendship and romantic love. The way the characters deal with their challenges and many downfalls is what makes the series so compelling. Yes, maybe the angst gets a bit too raved up and yes, we as the readers often end up screaming at the characters for doing stupid things, but they do work things out as best they can and there is redemption even for the hopeless.
If you are expecting a lot of sex, you will be disappointed. After all, our main character October stays a virgin for the majority of the books. There is romantic angst a plenty, and it is as addictive as a reality TV show. October is not the typical snowflake and her mental illness is a very big part of who she is. I thought that was very well written by the author, kudos! So, if you would like to read about a young woman trying to tackle a very morbid job and juggle an interest in several guys, while trying to not go insane, this is definitely worth giving a try.😉
*Spoilers ahead* This is a review of the whole series
I have a love/hate relationship with this series. Of course the love trumps the hate. But let me start off by saying that I’m so very glad that the story didn’t end with book 8. Book 9 provided all the closure that I desperately craved throughout the roller coaster ride of a story.
In review of the things that I loved about this series.. “If you live, then I breathe” Finn would be at the top of the list. He was my absolute favourite but he deserved so much more than the ending he got. My heart broke a thousand times when the dreaded scene played out with him, Sama, Levi and October on the Island. I sobbed unashamedly. Finn’s character was great; he was loyal, loving and his character grew and developed beautifully. However, I can’t help but think that he drew the short straw when it came to him being accepted as one of October’s love interests. I felt very protective of him and was upset that he didn’t receive the same privilege of acceptance that Mason and Danny got. His love shouldn’t have seemed forbidden or wrong.
Another thing I loved about this series is Mary’s ability to make it all seem so real. The descriptions were executed perfectly and were beyond realistic. She is a fantastic story teller. I adore the fact that she wasn’t afraid to tackle the very real issue of race and privilege in the final instalment, I feel that many authors shy away from such topics in this particular genre; but the fact that Mary tackles the topic head on makes me admire her so much more. As a woman of colour I could relate to Judge’s pain and I was bursting with pride that this topic was finally discussed and depicted so accurately.
Moving on to my criticisms... Ugh Von. He was flawed and October was flawed, I get it. But I could never take their relationship seriously. The way how he was described seemed like he was more suited to be her flamboyant best friend instead of her husband. His betrayals cut deep. But I reluctantly accepted that October wouldn’t end up with Finn. (Sobs audibly) Mason sexually assaulted her and ends up being her ‘boyfriend’. *Sigh* I feel like he had more atonement to do before I could accept him as one of her suitors. And finally Danny. Why?! I didn’t like the romantic relationship between October and Danny at all. It felt forced unnatural and wrong. I feel like the author was pressured by previous criticisms of the series not truly being a reverse harem story and tried to rectify it by sexualising the friendships October already had in place. I don’t think that it worked.
Another gripe I had is that a lot of the characters were described as her ‘brothers’ but the relationships always seemed to hint beyond the realms of staying platonic. It was a little frustrating.
Overall, this story rocked my world. I laughed, cried and seethed but I would read the series all over again. I rate the series as a whole a 4.5
- I was okay with #8 being the end of the series and I felt like 1/3 of this book was filler. But! I'm glad this book was written because it filled out the spaces of questions that were left over. - I totally want to see V & O have a kid. - The characters and the the way they process their trials are the strengths of this series. I love them for their flaws and how they come to terms with them. It's not about ignoring the bad parts. Life is about accepting that there are bad parts and how that will influence the choices you make. - The group love dynamics were the weakest aspect of the story. I'm not discounting the love. The love felt was done very well but I didn't feel like O was okay with being in love with so many different men & it's hard to subtract the physical side when it's tied to the emotional/chemistry/magical aspects. - Really enjoyed how well details were planted, connected and concluded. Not all of them stand well against poking but it was more well done than not.
October Grace was happy to be with her pregnant sister, Allie, in Terraway. But her sister’s brain-blanks were still upsetting -- no one sure how much lasting damage was still there after her brain had been severely messed with when she was violated by Sama. He had infiltrated her mind and left her a comatose shell! Looking at Graham’s face, October figured this happened even more frequently than they had hoped. Then her phone buzzed with a text from Judge warning her to stay in tonight. She knew it wasn’t just his paranoia, however.
This is just the start of wrapping up loose ends, and the reader will have an exciting read before the story ends. It’s hard to let go of this series, even though the author outdid herself with this wonderful last book that ties up so many things. The characters throughout each book battle with many of the same issues you will find in our own reality, and I think that’s why the books draw readers in so well. The author is a fantastic writer and, if you haven’t read this Terraway Series yet, start at the beginning and experience a well-written story. Thank you, Mary, for this final wrap-up. It was definitely worth reading!
So I’m reviewing not only this book but this being the end of the series.
I’m still pissed about Finn. He’s my favorite and while things worked in the ending here, I’m not a fan that he had to go. I’m not a fan that he had to go at all.
In fact one of my major issues with this series is that there seems to be magic, and healing waters, and a different universe or world or whatever but whenever something bad happened there was no magic, no help for those parts. When October and Bishop were being tortured I thought that maybe October would get a power. Omens are supposed to be revered and all this stuff they’re made to seem powerful and full of magic and yet, a lot of the reaping and such didn’t make sense. Not truly if there were only 1 or 2 Omens at a time in a world. I just don’t know.
This one was a loose end tie up book. Ollie disappeared to go find something without telling anyone. And of course OF COURSE someone else also dies. That’s one of the major issues with this series that I have is that too many important and semi important characters keep dying with no sunshine and rainbows in place.
Most of the series it’s doom and gloom doom and gloom for pages and pages a few chuckles and smiles here and there but no light fluffy warmth, no happiness to sustain me while all this tragedy happened. Finn’s death gutted me the most. October ending up married to Von, dating or something Mason and being involved with Danny while it worked I am not happy that it happened in book 9. I’m not happy we didn’t get to see enough happiness during the series. It just didn’t feel like enough for me.
And the solution was this flower in the middle of Sama country which cures all the ailments. Naturally there’s only enough for certain amount of people. It was too easy there. But while there we get to see their dead.
The ending work, but I’m not entirely satisfied with the series. I didn’t feel like October got her vindication or her accolades for what she did. She lost too much imo.
This is the danger when authors kill off favorite characters-- no Finn no real hero, just blah. I tried to get into this story, hoping she'd bring Finn back, but I only made it to about 53% through the book and just didn't have the heart to finish it. This book is just as dark and hopeless as the other stories, and with Finn gone I have no desire to see what happens next. I borrowed this book in Oct of 2019, and still haven't finished it. Months after I started it, some sort of updated edition came out and overwrote where I was in the book forcing me back to the beginning. With the loss of the only worthy male in the story, and given how dark and depressing they were, it just makes me too sad to start all over again. Not sure if I'll ever be able to finish it.
So I finally finished the story in June of 2020 by skimming up to where I had been and then trying to pick up from there. I ended up skimming until she brought Finn in again in a half-hearted attempt to repair the damage his loss cost the story. The brief dream-like interlude gave the characters the opportunity to say goodbye and for him to be revived in her life even if it is as the protector of the ghosts of her past, but it just was not enough for me. The last half of the book seemed like an attempt to fix issues with the series -- turning at the last into the reverse harem the book was supposed to be all along, but only marginally bringing in Mason and the other guys, bringing back the best of her suitors (Finn) to try to save the hopelessness that pervades the series -- but it just wasn't enough. Killing off Finn was a critical error that was NOT fixed by this book, but I got the last of the story out of the way and am satisfied that I finished even if I'm not satisfied with the ending.
I can't express just how happy I was when the author surprised us all with another book in one of my favorite series. I immediately opened my book and spent the evening reading it all.
Judge has always been an interesting character that I felt had a lot of surprises underneath the surface. He and his family have been very important to her and she struggled with her love for him and her disgust for his actions.
This book takes them all on quite a journey and it has some really emotional parts. I was definitely in tears as they got an opportunity they never expected.
I am so glad we got this chance at spending more time with these characters. I admit to still wanting more. The relationships are so interesting and I just wonder what the years would bring them in terms of their dreams.
I’ve been waiting for a little more of this series ! When I hear that Mary was adding one more book to finalize the series even more I couldn’t have been happier :)!!! It was amazing and I enjoyed every part of it ! I live October Graces character so much she is my soul sister ! I was happy to see one more side and one last bad ass story from her . I enjoyed seeing our beloved men ( Von and Mason ) be happy and still go to 100 no matter what !! I loved the interactions of the dads , the visit to Terraway was exciting and emotional ( yes I cry real tears ) , and I loved seeing and hearing Judge as a character and see him expand ! It was phenomenal and I thank Mary so much for one last ride to Terraway :) I recommend this book and entire series !!
I can't say enough good things about this book or this series. This was a wonderful surprise because I thought the series had ended, then the author does us one better and we now have book 9! You can put yourself right into the story and feel like you are there with the characters as you laugh, cry and share every emotion with them in this engaging fantasy. I suggest you read this series in order so you can keep up with the story and character development, otherwise, it might not make too much sense, no spoilers here, but this book finally wraps everything up and gives us the closure we've been looking for. A great series that will have you binge reading! Get them all now! I received an ARC from Bookfunnel and am providing my honest, unsolicited opinion!
I do not even know where to start or what to talk about because there is just sooo much in this series! I became so invested in these characters and found myself cheering on certain characters, hating others and loving mostly all of them! The world that Mary creates with this series is breathtaking at times, tears and heartbreak at other! Thankfully the couple I was cheering for won! Who will that be, well you will definitely need to read this series! I adore October and her fierce personality! This series gave me all the feels a reader could ever want! I read through this series in a week! 9 books in one week might just be a record for me!! Well done Mary E Twomey! Now onto your next series “Undraland”❣️❣️❣️❣️
I don't like reverse harem books and only read this one because reviews said she ended up with one guy which she did until this book. I ended up still liking this book because I already loved the other guys. There were three things I didn't like. I wish there was more Von in the book. He was barely there. There was also the word October used when she was joking about sleeping with Von with Judge that seemed more like something Boston would say and too much Finn not enough Von. I know I said that already but it needs repeating. The part of the book I loved was her and Danny especially the ending. I wish the book had been longer but it was worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is written so I think you could read it as a stand alone but it would give some major spoilers for books 1-8. This book is much more RH, in my opinion, than any of the previous books. It does a decent job of wrapping up some unanswered questions and laying out a nice future for all involved. I would have loved an epilogue a few years into the future to see how everyone is doing but the ending was decent. This book had an interesting story but it did feel as though the entire purpose was to wrap up the relationships of everyone involved. I was decent but not my favourite. I will give more of this author's work a try.
Honestly when I went to read tender I was worried. Mary is an amazing author and i felt she left the series off in a good place. HOWEVER i didnt know how much I missed these characters and how much I needed this book. I have still yet to not fall in love with anything from her. I honestly was worried but then the book sucks you in right off the bat and your back in terraway! If your on the fence like I was. Dont worry! You will love it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I couldn't get enough of this series!!! Just finished binge reading all 9.
The story was so captivating and the characters were people you honestly felt connected to. It's not often that you really get sucked in the world an author creates like I did for Terraway.
I think my favorite thing about the whole series is that you never know what is going to come around the corner. Surprises left and right. You think you know which way the story is headed and it veers off.
I was so excited to hear there was another book to the series. And I couldn’t wait to take a trip back to Terraway! And it was.....perfect. So many things I didn’t even realize still needed solved. So many questions answered. Mary left no stone unturned and the story was more beautiful with every page. I smiled. I cried. I finished the book feeling satisfied. But I already miss the characters again!
I almost didn't read this one bc I thought it would start up a spinoff, but I'm so glad I did. All of these books have been worth the time. I usually DESPISE anything with a cliffhanger but since these are all on KU that calmed me down. It's not a usual reverse harem and no real sex scenes are described, so if your looking for that sorry. Overall I really enjoyed this world. I read all 9 books within a week!
I read this series in less then a week and now that the ride is over I am feeling so many things. I'll admit that I was beside myself when Finn died-like non stop crying well after the book finished. I was very happy with this book. The closure it gave, and the presence of past characters made me so happy. The entire Terraway series was beautiful and sad.... the stories were so vivid and I wish I could read them again for the first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
All in all, I liked the whole series. It wasn't a perfect story, to be sure,but I feel like that's a realistic reflection of life. I love the fact that this huge grouping of people has evolved, each one with personal investment in the good of the collective. And, I love the fact that it doesn't end at rainbows and butterflies, but with the assurance that that is where everyone will end up. Well done!
A wonderful addition to the Terraway series! Seriously it had me tearing up at times. I love Ana! It was such a treat getting to read about that baby girl! Of course there is more to the story than just Ana. Things just aren't quite ready for our groups happily ever after. Read on, after reading the first books, and you will be so happy you did!
It was a very good story and we'll written. Lots of action and drama but in a good way. There were parts that made me cry and parts that made me laugh. I really enjoyed every book in the series. This being the last of the series really felt like it was complete and everyone got a happy ending
Nope. Nothing can justify what happened. This is one time I didn’t want a happy ending. Killing off the best hero in the bunch - unforgivable. Getting someone to become this invested and wrapped around the axle of a character? Pains me to say it, but you are a good writer - even though I will hate you for killing my favorite guy. Well played.
When I had thought that book 8 was the last it was a good ending. But this gave me so much more, leading to the direction of healing and peace into her life. I was so happy to see Fin one more time, my sweet fish man.
I was so happy to go back to Terraway! I was wondering about Allie and was very happy to read her story. Many questions were answered and loose ends wrapped up nicely. Definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was so happy to see more in this fantastic series with the final book in the Terraway series, Tender! We get to see all of our favorite characters return and a great culminating conclusion of the series. It is an extremely emotional conclusion though so be ready for the laughs and tears.
Tender by Mary E. Twomey is a really great story to read. This is book number nine in this great series to that I really enjoyed reading. I recommend this story to everyone who General fantasy .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved it. Can't even describe the emotions ripped out of you with this one. I was hesitant to read it, because I was looking for a lighter book, and this series is not really a light hearted one. Very glad I picked it up, was worth it!
I really enjoyed the book! It was really well written with great characters and the story had a good flow. I loved the book and would recommend it to others!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Holy cow this was an amazing ending to the series! It was the perfect amount of happiness and sadness that I just couldnt get enough of it. I am so happy she was able to get closure with Finn and her mkm.
Clearly, this has been one of the best series that I have ever read with its engaging and unforgettable characters and a stunning storyline that is filled with exciting unexpected dilemmas and plenty of dramatic emotional predicaments. BEWITCHING AND DELIGHTFUL - A MUST READ!!!!!
This book felt like a bonus epilogue to me. The series could have ended with book 8 but we got to have one more go around with the characters. The relationships felt more natural in this book. I will miss the characters and world.